Protesters plan big rallies against war in Iraq
Hmmmmm, I think this may be a bit late. The fighting will still be going on, but I their rhetoric will really be hollow. People dancing in streets at the fall of Baghdad kind of puts the anti-war crowd to shame. They look like chumps. I have to say they do not look as crass as the many bloodthirsty pro-war lemmings. They still can't help but act like sore winners. Cunningham on WLW could not wait 15 minutes before he started chastising all "liberals" and Democrats. The phase of the day in the warblogger world is "don't get cocky.

War takes toll on journalists

Journalists Killed/Wounded in Baghdad
Jose Couso (Telecinco, Spain) 37-year-old Cameraman: killed
Taras Protsyuk (Reuters, UK) 35-year-old Cameraman: Killed
Tareq Ayoub (al-Jazeera, Qatar): Killed
Paul Pasquale (Reuters, UK): wounded - not life threatening
Samia Nakhoul (Reuters, Lebanon): wounded - not life threatening
Faleh Kheiber (Reuters, Iraq): wounded - not life threatening

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
1. NPR (USA) - Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
2. Peter Arnett - freelance for The Daily Mirror - Plans to stay throughout
3. ITN & Channel 4 (International Television News ITV - UK) - Lindsey Hilsum
4. BBC (UK) - Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
5. Washington Post (USA) - Anthony Shadid & Rajiv Chandrase
6. AP (USA) - Hamza Hendawi
7. Reuters (UK) - Staff of 19
8. Sky News - (UK)
10. Independent (UK) - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
11. Christian Science Monitor (USA) - Scott Peterson
12. ZDF (Germany)
13. Al Jazeera - (in Baghdad but reportedly no longer reporting)
14. Sydney Morning Herald/The Age (AUS) - Paul McGeough
15. San Francisco Chronicle (USA) - Robert Collier
16. Los Angeles Times (USA) - John Daniszewski & Michael Slackman
17. Irish Times (IRE) - Lara Marlowe
18. New York Times (USA) - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
19. Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
20. Abu Dhabi TV
21. Lebanese Broadcasting Company
22. Richard Engel - Freelance for ABC
23. Guardian (UK) - Suzanne Goldenberg
24. The New Yorker (USA) - Jon Lee Anderson
25. Palm Beach Post (USA) - Larry Kaplow
26. Chicago Tribune (USA) - E.A. Torriero
27. Corriere della Sera (Italy) - Francesco Battistini - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
28. Il Giornale (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
29. Il Messagero (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
30. L'Unita (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
31. Il Mattino (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
32. Il Sole 24-Ore (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
33. Il Resto Del Carlino (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
34. Cox News Service (USA)- Craig Nelson
35. Herald Sun - Peter Wilson & John Feder - Detained by Iraqis in Basra, taken to Baghdad
36. Daily Mail (UK) - Ross Benson
37. Sunday Mirror (UK) - Steve Martin
38. Daily Mirror (UK) - Anton Antonowicz
39. Sunday Times (UK)
40. Telecinco (Spain)
41. CBS News - Lara Logan returned to Baghdad between April 4th and 6th.
and other various French, German, Canadian, British, Portugal, Japanese, Danish, Dutch and other European, Asian, and African media outlets.

Not in Baghdad are NBC/MSNBC (Fired Freelancer Arnett for an appearance on Iraqi TV), ABC* (has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS (out but returned), CNN (kicked out), Robert Valdec (freelance for Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbia outlets was kicked out), ABS-CBN (Filipino), NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (kicked out), Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(kicked out), Johan Rydeng Spanner - Danish freelance photographer (kicked out), Sydney Daily Telegraph (kicked out), Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com (kicked out), 7 Freelance Japanese Journalists left on own accord, Johannesburg Sunday Times - Bonny Schoonakker (kicked out), RTÉ - Richard Downes (Left on own accord), Russian Journalists.

Updated Boycott Demands (pdf file)
They have shed some of the dead weight from the list, but it still is not going to fly. If I had to use one word to describe this summary document, I can only think of one: Racist. This document is nearly all race based. It has one goal: to increase the wealth and power of black people. This is extortion, not a civil rights struggle. Greed, sectarianism, bigotry, and racism are all I can see when I read this document. The boycott will never end. This is a political agenda, not a list of reasonable demands. I am sickened. I am most sickened that this document does not include the repeal of the anti-homosexual City Charter Article XII. It appears the bigots in boycott movement won out. I hope everyone in what is left of Stonewall see this as nothing more than a shakedown. I see nothing positive from this “consolidation.” What I am waiting for next are their new targets. Will they try and nationalize this? Will they target P&G? Federated? Kroger? Will the sucker media buy into the lies? I will guess yes to all. Well I am sure this will be copied by Nate to his hate group's website, so I will take the opportunity to ask people to make sure they understand that I am not posting my blog entries on their message board.

Well, on the “bright side”, at least I will have something to blog about after the war ends. (Drano take me away!)

UPDATE: I missed more evidence of how racist this document is. In every place where race was mentioned in this document, nothing was mentioned regarding Latinos, Asians, Native Americans and of course nothing about poor whites. Will people still buy into this crap? Will the media say anything critical about it? Will my fellow liberals and the supposed color blind Progressives see this as racist propaganda, or will their white guilt pacify any objectivity they may have?

XRay Magazine - Blog Cabins

If you look carefully at this column you will notice that the author shares the same name as the author of this blog, as well as the same brain. I am happy to announce that I have started to contribute to XRAY Cincinnati, a local monthly magazine that you can read at www.goxray.com. I hope to be writing each month on various topics regarding the media and journalism. This is my first foray into the Dead Tree Media, so give me the benefit of the doubt. Let me know if you read my column, your opinions of it, and any suggestions for future columns.

Reverend on trial for gay wedding
I am not religious, so my opinion is moot, but it appears that Presbyterian Church is making itself look fundamentalist. I am sure the bible thumpers will be jumping for joy, but are those the kind of friends mainstream Christians want to make?

Boycotters Plan More Sanctions
The meeting was scheduled for tonight. There is no news yet, but I am waiting on baited breathe for these new demands. (cough, cough) Here's the Post's coverage.

Judge allows Black United Front to withdraw from collaborative agreement
The judge picked a poignant day to issue this ruling. I wonder if she is trying to send a message.

CincyNation.com: Like other local stations, Channel 64 will read AP stories to viewers

Channel 64 has decided to create a newscast at the 10 pm hour with all indications it will be the same old, same old -- just like the other local stations. Many people do not realize that 90% of the stories on local stations come from the Associated Press. Tear it off the wire and read it to the audience. Channel 64 will do much of the same.

This was reported previously as a possibility, but no date was given as a starting point. I agree with CincyNation that local TV news does suck. It sucks nearly everywhere. The 90% figure is not valid however, and I will wait and see how Channel 64 does at news before I ridicule it. I would surmise it will be more of the same drivel FOX19, WLWT, WKRC, and WCPO produce on a daily basis.

CincyNation should also not be so gleeful at reporting the Greg Flannery of City Beat Story. I reported that story back on March 22nd.

Senate president White leads in a gentler style
Could this be more of a Fluff piece? The guy has an image problem; just leave to the hometown paper to make his little "boo-boo" all better. If he keeps up his good boy behavior he might just get a lollipop.

BRONSON: Scouting the way it used to be
Two things of value can be derived from this column. One is that Bronson admits that FOX News is conservative and that its claim of being "fair and balanced" should properly be placed in quotes, due to the subject nature of such a claim. The other is that the Girl Scouts must have once been indoctrination for Stepford wives, but now they are not. If a gaggle of conservative busy bodies needed to instill their kids with an Eva Braun style indoctrination and therefore had to create a new group the "way it used to be,” then Girl Scouts have come a long way.

SA journo expelled from Iraq

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
1. NPR (USA) - Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
2. Peter Arnett - freelance for The Daily Mirror - Plans to stay throughout
3. ITN & Channel 4 (International Television News ITV - UK) - Lindsey Hilsum
4. BBC (UK) - Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
5. Washington Post (USA) - Anthony Shadid & Rajiv Chandrase
6. AP (USA) - Hamza Hendawi
7. Reuters (UK) - Staff of 19
8. Sky News - (UK)
10. Independent (UK) - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
11. Christian Science Monitor (USA) - Scott Peterson
12. ZDF (Germany)
13. Al Jazeera - (in Baghdad but reportedly no longer reporting)
14. Sydney Morning Herald/The Age (AUS) - Paul McGeough
15. San Francisco Chronicle (USA) - Robert Collier
16. Los Angeles Times (USA) - John Daniszewski & Michael Slackman
17. Irish Times (IRE) - Lara Marlowe
18. New York Times (USA) - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
19. Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
20. Abu Dhabi TV
21. Lebanese Broadcasting Company
22. Richard Engel - Freelance for ABC
23. Guardian (UK) - Suzanne Goldenberg
24. The New Yorker (USA) - Jon Lee Anderson
25. Palm Beach Post (USA) - Larry Kaplow
26. Chicago Tribune (USA) - E.A. Torriero
27. Corriere della Sera (Italy) - Francesco Battistini - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
28. Il Giornale (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
29. Il Messagero (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
30. L'Unita (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
31. Il Mattino (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
32. Il Sole 24-Ore (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
33. Il Resto Del Carlino (Italy) - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
34. Cox News Service (USA)- Craig Nelson
35. Herald Sun - Peter Wilson & John Feder - Detained by Iraqis in Basra, taken to Baghdad
36. Daily Mail (UK) - Ross Benson
37. Sunday Mirror (UK) - Steve Martin
38. Daily Mirror (UK) - Anton Antonowicz
39. Sunday Times (UK)
and other various French, German, Japanese, Danish, Dutch and other European, Asian, and African media outlets.

Not in Baghdad are NBC/MSNBC (Fired Freelancer Arnett for an appearance on Iraqi TV), ABC* (has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out), Robert Valdec (freelance for Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbia outlets was kicked out), ABS-CBN (Filipino), NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (kicked out), Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(kicked out), Johan Rydeng Spanner - Danish freelance photographer (kicked out), Sydney Daily Telegraph (kicked out), Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com (kicked out), 7 Freelance Japanese Journalists left on own accord, Johannesburg Sunday Times - Bonny Schoonakker (kicked out).

Killed journalist remembered here
The Cincinnati Post remembers Kelly's life and his history here in Cincinnati.

Atlantic Monthly Editor Killed in Iraq
Sad news for the American Journalism community. Michael Kelly started his reporting career here in town at the Cincinnati Post. Poynter.org also reports on the story with some blogosphere reaction. The Enquirer has the AP wire report.

Mike McConnell Converts to the PC Movement
It would appear Mike from 700WLW has had a change of heart regarding the politically correct movement. Mike has removed a Pearl Jam song from the “bumper” music used on his show. He did this because of a single news story making the run around the internet. “Dozens” of people claim Eddie Vedder stepped on a mask of George Bush during a concert. Mike seems to not like anyone disrespecting the President of the United States, well I really mean anyone disrespecting a President he likes. Bill Clinton to this day is disrespected by callers on his show often on a daily basis over 2 years after the man left office. Mike rarely rebukes any of his callers who have accused Clinton of causing nearly all things “bad,” but a few dozen people can sway his mind. Mike can be branded a knee-jerk jingoist without question in my opinion. Mike has in the past been a fairly reasonable guy, but this war has seemed to turned him into a reactionary. First he wanted feudalism, now I would not be surprised for him to want to Sedition to be applied to anyone not conforming to his blood lusting views. What is most disturbing is the reality that if we were Iraq, Mike and the talk radio crowd would be the Fedayeen Geroge, forcing the rest of us to fight for their beloved Bush.

I really find it harder to support this war. I still do, but I really am disgusted by the attitude of many conservatives/neolibertarians who treat this like a political issue. It is like we are talking about gun rights and they have drawn sides like Sarajevo. With recent attacks on John Kerry, I see this coming election season to end up with small incidents of violence. There is nothing sadder than seeing election riots in the streets, but I think we will see political groups fighting each other, on a small scale next year. The Polarization of political debate has only one end: sectarian violence. We humans are so very very stupid.

Local Talk Radio Show Host Attacked
Lincoln Ware is lucky. "Black Jesus" would appear to be a nut. The story indicates the attack to place downtown, but Ken Lawson on WDBZ stated it happen this morning outside WDBZ studios in Roselawn. The disparity will surely come out in court. Ken Lawson's suggestion to Lincoln is to have a "Panther member" escort him. Interesting, Lawson wants to promote “civil rights” but seeks protection from a hate group. Ironic, ya think?

Arafat persuades Iraqis to release four journalists jailed on spying charge
I am not sure I agree that the Iraqis were formally charging these reporters with spying as this headline indicates. I think they were chosen either randomly or because they were better PR targets.

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
1. NPR - Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
2. Peter Arnett - freelance for The Daily Mirror - Plans to stay throughout
3. ITN & Channel 4 (International Television News ITV) - Lindsey Hilsum
4. BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
5. Washington Post -Anthony Shadid & Rajiv Chandrase
6. AP - Hamza Hendawi
7. Reuters - Staff of 19
8. Sky News
10. Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
11. Christian Science Monitor - Scott Peterson
12. ZDF (Germany)
13. Al Jazeera - (in Baghdad but reportedly no longer reporting)
14. Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
15. San Francisco Chronicle - Robert Collier
16. Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski & Michael Slackman
17. Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
18. New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
19. Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
20. Abu Dhabi TV
21. Lebanese Broadcasting Company
22. Richard Engel - Freelance for ABC
23. Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
24. The New Yorker - Jon Lee Anderson
25. Palm Beach Post - Larry Kaplow
26. Chicago Tribune - E.A. Torriero
27. Corriere della Sera - Milan, Italy - Francesco Battistini - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
28. Il Giornale - Italy - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
29. Il Messagero - Italy - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
30. L'Unita - Italy - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
31. Il Mattino - Italy - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
32. Il Sole 24-Ore - Italy - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
33. Il Resto Del Carlino - Italy - Detained by Iraqis in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
34. Cox News Service - Craig Nelson
35. Herald Sun - Peter Wilson & John Feder - Detained by Iraqis in Basra, taken to Baghdad
and other various French, German, Japanese, Danish and Dutch media outlets.

Not in Baghdad are NBC/MSNBC (Fired Freelancer Arnett for an appearance on Iraqi TV), ABC* (has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out), Robert Valdec (freelance for Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbia outlets was kicked out), ABS-CBN (Filipino), NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (kicked out), Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(kicked out), Johan Rydeng Spanner - Danish freelance photographer (kicked out), Sydney Daily Telegraph (kicked out), Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com (kicked out), 7 Freelance Japanese left on own accord.

Monitor critical of city's progress
Rome wasn't built in a day, but if Rev. Nero III keeps up his fiddle, the ashes of the city will muddy the river for while, and then flow along.

Seen at Great American Ball Park
No PDA in GABP.

Try Arnett for treason, senator says
My question for Sen. Jim Bunning is: does he think members of the pro-life movement, like Pat Robertson, are guilty of aiding and abetting the terrorists that murder doctors who provide abortions? Robertson and many others in the pro-life (anti-abortion) crowd regularly make statements that are as inflammatory as Peter Arnett’s statements, but no one seriously seeks to include them as accomplices to murder. I also have to correct Mr. Bunning: aid and comfort is the phrase he means, not aiding and abetting. Mr. Bunning seems fine with FOX’s Geraldo Rivera actions, so why is he grandstanding against Peter Arnett? Leave it to a politician to capitalize on a buzz issue. I am sure Senators Byrd and Rockefeller of West Virginia are already pining for a photo-op with Pvt. Jessica Lynch, not to mention every WV House member.

Bunning is frothing for effect, not for principle.

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

Arnett obviously has not levied war against the US and is not adhering to the “enemies,” especially since the framers would have required there to be a formal declaration of war in order for their to be an enemy, but that I am sure is a fine point most will ignore. If aid and comfort is the only standard, then any and every statement against the government at any point could be construed as “treason.” Mr. Bunning and the rest of the blood hungry hoards should instead look at the case of the 101 Airborne solider that killed 2 of his superior officers. That is treason. Exercising free speech needs to be intended to aid and comfort the enemy and be far more disparaging than what Arnett said. Repeating the same information as many others have stated in the public hardly raises this to a Federal case.

All of this being said, Arnett was either an idiot, or under duress. I am surprised conspiracy theorists have not reported the seeming coincidence of the release of the four journalists a day after Arnett’s interview on Iraqi TV. Could he have agreed to the interview in hopes of gaining their release? I seriously doubt it, but the coincidence makes for interesting speculation. Barring a Sidney Carton style self-sacrifice, Arnett was rightfully fired. He became the story, instead of covering the story, one of the worst sins a journalist could make. I just wish the chest beaters took a breather or at least focused on real treason, not politically motivated faux charges.

New Lawsuit Filed Against City Of Cincinnati
Evidence of a never-ending money grab. The boycott crowd and Jay Love defend Lawson, but are they in denial or do they stand to gain from the lawsuits? Jay Love has a personal connection that explains part of his hypersensitive reaction, but the rest have something to gain. The city is right to seek the removal of Lawson from the collaborative agreement. Lawson is out to make money from the exploitation of people who may or may not have legal claims against the city. Lawson is openly working a scheme to shakedown the city in a never-ending train of lawsuits. Nearly every black person who the police interact with in the City of Cincinnati are seen by Lawson as potential revenue. It is in Lawson's best interests for the police to kill more black people and for them to "racially profile" more people and for the police to beat every suspect to a bloody pulp. Racism is good for Lawson's business, and I do not see him doing anything to help end it.

Missing Newsday journalists found safe in Jordan

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
1. NPR - Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
2. Peter Arnett - freelance for The Daily Mirror - Plans to stay throughout
3. ITN (International Television News ITV)
4. BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
5. Washington Post -Anthony Shadid & Rajiv Chandrase
6. AP - Hamza Hendawi
7. Reuters - Staff of 19
8. Sky News
10. Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
11. Christian Science Monitor - Scott Peterson
12. ZDF (Germany)
13. Al Jazeera
14. Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
15. San Francisco Chronicle - Robert Collier
16. Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski & Michael Slackman
17. Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
18. New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
19. Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
20. Abu Dhabi TV
21. Lebanese Broadcasting Company
22. Richard Engel - Freelance for ABC (and BBC?)
23. Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
24. The New Yorker - Jon Lee Anderson
25. Palm Beach Post - Larry Kaplow
26. Chicago Tribune - E.A. Torriero
27. Corriere della Sera - Milan, Italy - Francesco Battistini - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
28. Il Giornale - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
29. Il Messagero - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
30. L'Unita - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
31. Il Mattino - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
32. Il Sole 24-Ore - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
33. Il Resto Del Carlino - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
and other various French, German, Japanese, Danish and Dutch media outlets.

Not in Baghdad are NBC/MSNBC (Fired Freelancer Arnett for an appearance on Iraqi TV), ABC* (has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out), Robert Valdec (freelance for Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbia outlets was kicked out), ABS-CBN (Filipino), NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (kicked out), Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(kicked out), Johan Rydeng Spanner - Danish freelance photographer (kicked out), Sydney Daily Telegraph (kicked out), Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com (kicked out).

Fast Food Analogy
With the current debate over troop levels and war plans, it can never hurt to put the whole situation into a simple fast food analogy. I will use McDonald’s as my example, since I worked there as a kid. I am sure the smell of it is not much better than the smell of battle. If we assume the US military is McDonald’s the best fast food restaurant in the world, then Don Rumsfeld seems to think that it was a good idea to agree to bus in 400,000 Iraqi soldiers at 3:30 PM to eat. This seems like it makes no sense, right? Well just hold on, it does make “some” sense.

At 3:30 PM the staff level in a McDonalds is not at the level it needed for the lunch rush. The middle of the afternoon is after all a slow period. Since the dinner rush hits at 5:00 PM, they will not start staffing up until 4:00 PM, at the earliest. Rumsfeld, and maybe the White House, could not wait to bring the 400,000 Iraqis to eat until dinner when the staff was at its peak; they had to rush it forward to the middle of the afternoon. They think the smaller superior staff should be able to handle the rush, which they eventually will handle, but the service level will not be at its best, and grease and grill burns will increase. Now, add in the fact that management (Rumsfeld & Bush) decided that they don’t need to start raising staff at 4:00 PM for the dinner rush; they can wait until 4:30 PM or even 5:00 PM itself to beef up for the rush. At this point not only does the staff have to deal lines of angry Iraqi “customers” out to the door, they will not be getting the staff level increases as early as they normally would get. Lower staff means lower service and more worker injuries during this premature afternoon rush.

Now, every one will be fed, but it could have been finished before the dinner rush if Rumsfeld had not delayed the staff increase and had even called the dinner team and asked them to get moving at 3:30 PM in hopes they could get in a little early. The food was not as good as it could have been, mind you, but the Iraqis will not be complaining. Will the staff be complaining about the pain they had to endure? Pain that will not prevent them from doing their jobs or completing their mission, but pain that could have been minimized.

Updated List of Journalists in Baghdad
Still in Baghdad (as reported)
1. NPR - Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
2. Peter Arnett - freelance for The Daily Mirror - Plans to stay throughout
3. ITN (International Television News ITV)
4. BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
5. Washington Post -Anthony Shadid & Rajiv Chandrase
6. AP - Hamza Hendawi
7. Reuters - Staff of 19
8. Sky News
10. Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
11. Christian Science Monitor - Scott Peterson
12. ZDF (Germany)
13. Al Jazeera
14. Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
15. San Francisco Chronicle - Robert Collier
16. Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski & Michael Slackman
17. Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
18. New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
19. Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
20. Abu Dhabi TV
21. Lebanese Broadcasting Company
22. Richard Engel - Freelance for ABC (and BBC?)
23. Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
24. Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com
25. The New Yorker - Jon Lee Anderson
26. Palm Beach Post - Larry Kaplow
27. Chicago Tribune - E.A. Torriero
28. Corriere della Sera - Milan, Italy - Francesco Battistini - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
29. Il Giornale - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
30. Il Messagero - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
31. L'Unita - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
32. Il Mattino - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
33. Il Sole 24-Ore - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
34. Il Resto Del Carlino - Italy - Detained by Iraqi's in Southern Iraq and taken to Baghdad
and other various French, German, Japanese, Danish and Dutch media outlets.
Last Seen in Baghdad - Whereabouts Unknown
NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (Reported to be kicked out of Iraq.)
Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(Reported to be kicked out of Iraq)
Not in Baghdad are NBC/MSNBC (Fired Freelancer Arnett for an appearance on Iraqi TV), ABC* (has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out), Robert Valdec (freelance for Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbia outlets was kicked out), ABS-CBN (Filipino).

Iraq expels Ohioan, peace activists
With all of the talk about Peter Arnett and treason, this women might have to answer a few question to the US Government is she plans on returning to the United States.

Peter Arnett to State-Run Iraqi TV: American War Plan Has Failed
Fox News is beating this story into the ground. Now why would they do this? Hmmm, let me think, why would Fox News want to play up a story about a reporter for a competing cable news outlet? I know today has been a slow war news day, but I thought even FOX had limits to the crass level they would sink to. John Gibson, an anchor for FOX, let out pure commentary out in the 11:00 PM hour on Sunday, he basically called Arnett a traitor. I know that I am pissing in the wind when I complain about FOX, but I will do it anyway. FOX news followers, "FOX Fans" as the network calls them, worship the network as a religion. Any questioning of the "faith" makes you a heretic. If you can't face the fact that FOX News is biased towards a "conservative" viewpoint, then discussing anything with you would be pointless. Now, I can just hear the FOX fans bitching about CNN. Calling it "liberal" or communist or other blind labels placed on it. CNN is marketed to a centrist/moderate audience. That means to the middle of America, which is socially moderate and fiscally conservative. That means they are socially semi-tolerant, not religious fanatics while pro-free trade and follow the NYSE. Anyone who is not exactly what a FOX fan thinks is "normal" is considered "liberal". Middle America does not mean the Midwest, it generally means the urban and suburban population.

Of course I am exaggerating here, but FOX has gone overboard on the nationalistic fervor. Oliver Willis is being attacked by a whole slew of knee-jerk Jingoists for making a much tamer and more succinct rebuke of FOX. The ad hominem attacks against him are amazing. They are not surprising in this hyper-emotional war season, but still are disappointing.

WARREN Jer-ree! Springer grabs crowd's attention
Springer is still trying. The crowd in Youngstown would on the surface be just he kind of people.

Cincinnati's Drama Major
New York gets a taste of Cincinnati's outstanding music tradition. Paavo Jarvi is getting attention, which is well deserved.

Poynter Online - Media Map of Iraq
Good reference, but both of our lists were lacking. I added a couple of American outlets to my list, but they are missing all of the foreign journalists and a couple of freelancers. Here is my updated list.

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
NPR: Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN (International Television News ITV)
BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post -Anthony Shadid & Rajiv Chandrase
AP - Hamza Hendawi
Reuters - Staff of 19
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Christian Science Monitor - Scott Peterson
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
San Franscisco Chronical - Robert Collier
Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski & Michael Slackman
Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
Abu Dhabi TV
Lebanese Broadcasting Company
Richard Engel - Freelance for ABC (and BBC?)
Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com
The New Yorker - Jon Lee Anderson
Palm Beach Post - Larry Kaplow
Chicago Tribune - E.A. Torriero
and other various French, German, Japanese, Danish and Dutch media outlets.

Last Seen in Baghdad - Whereabouts Unknown
Latest News - WaPo reports they may have been detained by Iraq.
NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (Reported to be kicked out of Iraq.)
Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(Reported to be kicked out of Iraq)

Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC* (has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out), Robert Valdec (freelance for Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbia outlets was kicked out).

Iraq Expels 2 Newsday Journalists; Whereabouts Unknown

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
NPR: Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN
BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post -Anthony Shadid
AP - Hamza Hendawi
Reuters - Staff of 19
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Christian Science Monitor -Scott Peterson
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
San Franscisco Chronical - Robert Collier
Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski
Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
Abu Dhabi TV
Lebanese Broadcasting Company
Richard Engel - Free lance for ABC (and BBC?)
Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (Reported to be kicked out of Iraq - Whereabouts Unknown.)
Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com
Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(Reported to be kicked out of Iraq - Whereabouts Unknown.)
and other various French, German, Japanese and Dutch media outlets.


Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC*(has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out),USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out).

Jay Love is Stupid
That sounds petty, but I don't know how else to characterize him for his latest screw up. On his radio program today, Jay wondered why no US news outlet was reporting a story from the CBC claiming that 350 civilians were killed in Iraq by the US. I guess Jay missed the headline of the CBC story: "Baghdad claims 350 Iraqi civilians killed in war." Jay, the claims are from Saddam's "Health Minster!" Do you really trust anyone from his regime to be honest about this issue? If you do, then you are either lying or are stupider than I thought. The article then states:

A Web site that is using media reports to tally the number of Iraqi civilian deaths in the war puts the number at between 227 and 304.

Jay is placing his trust in an unnamed website, whose sources are unconfirmed? Jay appears to be exceedingly gullible. I wonder if he is interested in buying a portion of the Brent Spense Bridge.

It is just amazing how Jay attacks callers who voice opinions supporting the war, demanding they provide a level of proof greater than any court of law would require, where all other possibility must be removed, no matter how remote or farcical. I have not be able to take listening to Jay much this past few weeks leading up to and during the war. His persistent use of the most baseless propaganda reads like an International A.N.S.W.E.R. leaflet. Next I expect Jay to start denouncing the capitalist dogs for their abuse of the underclass and the economic apartheid, oh wait that is what a former 1230 the Buzz host is saying now a days.

UPDATE: Just so Jay does not pop a blood vessel, CNN is now reporting the same story.

Trucker claims he didn't aim to hurt war protesters
The newest talk radio "hero" has been born. This trucker was slated to appear on Scott Sloan's radio program this evening. I refuse to tune into the show. With topics like this "Should Muslims and Arabs be allowed to fight for the U.S. Armed Forces?", I can't see that anyone but bigots and/or racists would want to tune it in. I hope people understand it is all an act, but that is not understood by the ignorant masses of morons who listen and call into WLW. They don't know that WLW is all about sensationalism and ratings. They will say anything to get you to listen, except for an ever-shrinking list of taboos. Their station would not be so horrid if they were openly honest about what they did. They are trying to fool people. They are lying on purpose. They think it is just fictionalized entertainment, that is their rationale, but instead they have created a means of manipulation that is often pure Pravda. I would bet that this trucker is able to hire a good attorney with the money WLW helps raise for his “defense.” When you say things like this though: "I'm pleading not guilty," Watters said. "What I did was wrong. I did break a few laws, but I'm not guilty. you really make it difficult to defend, unless you cut a deal or shoot for jury nullification. He is out on bail on very low bail, and I am sure Mike Allen is looking to make this go away, especially with the coming outcry fabricated on WLW.

Religious groups seek to settle boycott issues
Any negotiation is capitulation. Seeking "change" is like seeking a widget in pixie dust factory. If you will excuse me, I have to commence the hitting of my head against a brick wall.

Best of Cincinnati 2003 - Public Eye Staff Picks

"Best Use of New Communications Technology: Blogs"

I am debating if I am going to add the graphic to my blog. I don't want to be arrogant, but I like to puff my feathers as much as the next Joe Blogger on the street. The biggest negative is that my picture is included again. I am not arrogant about my looks, for obvious reasons.

The Gulf War Drinking Game
If I was back in college, I would be playing 24/7. Well, I might make it an hour before passing out.

[Link via SledgeBlog]

Queen City Soapbox
Chris Anderson has a new graphic and takes on the issue of the War and local media coverage.

Bird: Press provides front-line spin
The headline is spin as well, so it starts out with a slight bit of hypocrisy. I am in favor of embedding reporters. My view is not really about the value of getting the instant coverage, which is good, but rather instead what I hope will be a semi-objective accounting of the war and the actions of the U. S. military. Bird seems to be looking for some kind of cure all to know about the war. That is a fool's dream. Wars are not easy to understand. There is no way that anyone can provide big answers to the war, during the war. What they can provide are the basic elements of the war itself. It would be nice if outlets like FOX were not so horrifically cheering for the war, and it would be nice if the BBC and Al Jazeera would not be so hostile to the USA. Most of the rest of the TV outlets are doing fairly well. The real media star of this war is the Internet and print in general. Pictures, contrary to popular myth, are not worth 1,000 words, at least when those words are trying to convey fact, not emotion.

The Cincinnati Post also had an editorial on this subject: Watching the war.

Truck scatters antiwar protest
This guy will get off light. It was interesting to hear the various opinions on talk radio today. Jay Love of 1230 the Buzz was critical of Mike Allen, yes a shock, and wondered why the truck driver was not being charged with attempted murder, as I asked yesterday. Mike McConnell of 700WLW was basically tacitly condemning the man's actions, but he and most of his callers clearly understood why this guy might be upset. Mike said "he went a little overboard."

It is typical that Jay took the position he took, and Mike took the position he took. Jay is anti-war, while Mike is pro-war. Both incorrectly addressed the issue, Jay was over playing the seriousness of what happened, and Mike was making light of it, even stating that his station would report any information on a "defense fund" for the trucker if one is formed. The issue of the "defense fund" came up when someone called the newsroom at WLW asking if one had been set up. Not surprisingly this issue did not make the Blogosphere, but flags on fire trucks was hot-hot-hot with the knee-jerk stupor-patriots.

Other Coverage: WLWT, WCPO, Post, WKRC, and Dawn's Life.

Cole vows to be 'team player'
The question still is unanswered, which team: the boycotters or the City?

Scoop: Poor Reporting on Iraq Weapons Claims
Peter Bronson of the Enquirer is criticized on a New Zealand Website:

Even so, the next day, columnist Peter Bronson (Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/23/03) was still writing, "The Scuds he swore he did not have were fired at Kuwait, and Iraq was launching lame denials while the craters still smoked." Apparently the corrections of the earlier, incorrect reports had not reached even all of those whose job it is to follow the news.

Peter did use this in his Sunday Column, but seemed to not be checking his sources. There are no reports that have been verified indicating the Iraqis have launched Scuds. Peter is not the only journalist to make this mistake during the war. Umm Qasr was reported has been under control several times before it was finally relatively under coalition control. Columnists get some leeway for this type of error, but nearly all reporters on the major TV outlets made this error regularly, which is where I would surmise Peter got this information from, most likely from the cheerleading FOX news. This report originated from FAIR.org, a liberal media watchdog.

Dems back Cole for council
I am torn on this. Yes, she was the 10th highest vote getter, but the Democratic Party did not endorse her, even though she is a registered Democrat. Why was she not endorsed? Was it her lack of experience or false projections of unelectability? Her stance on the boycott as reported by the Enquirer is one of a true politician:

On the boycott: "My stance has always been that it's important that we work to bring the community together. It's mostly about economic issues, and we all want to improve on those issues and move the city forward."

With comments like that she will fit right in with the rest of weak-kneed hacks on city council. She needs to take a full stand on the boycott. If she supports it, she should not be picked for council, and will create a nasty fissure on council that will solidify opinions, creating a more polarized city.

Police Arrest Trucker, Say He Drove Toward Protesters
I hope this fool was just trying to scare the protestors and was not really trying to kill them. I wonder why he was not charged with attempted murder? I can only assume that the protestors were never in any significant danger. I would like to know if this man was listening to any particular radio station, or is he a regular listener of a particular show/station or other specific media outlets? With all of the talk radio ranting, it is no wonder that people's anger would be purposely juiced up by some radio/TV hosts. People are being demonized for the most trivial of things. Next thing we will see are Mt. Adams partiers trying to run over Main Street partiers, oh the humanity.

Chris Anderson comments on a variety of topics today: Canada, Great American Ballpark, and Baghdad vs. Beirut.

City Beat News Editor Arrested During Anti-War Protest
Greg Flannery, news editor of City Beat, was arrested on Friday during the anti-war protests downtown. Mr. Flannery's charge was obstruction of official business by refusing to move from the middle of a downtown street, according to court documents.

In the past I have strongly criticized City Beat's news coverage for being more opinion and less news, basically practicing what has become known as advocacy journalism. Many would not call it journalism at all, but in today's media world where everyone is a journalist, even I might qualify as one, making that charge against Greg or City Beat would not be fair. I do find this kind of participation in a news event to be a big problem. If Greg reports on this issue, I think it will be a huge blow to his credibility. The charge of creating news could be easily and correctly made. I hope Greg assigns another reporter to the story, and that he leaves out coverage of the local protest in his weekly column. A good journalist rarely gets involved with the story. That is why advocacy journalism is something I do not consider to be valuable journalism. It comes across more like propaganda one might read in the Worker's World.

The Enquirer and the Post both reported on the protests, with only the Post reporting the 6 arrests. I guess the Enquirer reporter left the protest early and missed the arrests.

Rick Bird of the Cincinnati Post reports on the local happenings in the Dixie Chicks faux scandal (bottom of article). Based on his report WLW's Bill Cunningham's debasement knows no end. He actually is willing to help gin up hatred for a county music act to entertain his listeners and build his ratings. I know the guy is full of crap, but could he be more fake? What is worse is that there are still a huge portion of his listeners who think that Cunningham is really talking to the wife of Clear Channel's CEO. I don't know who is worse; Darryl Parks for letting the Cunningham crap go on, or the morons who think it is real.

Rick Bird also reports on CNN's Bill Hemmer, a Cincinnati Native and Miami University graduate.

Watching war on live TV wrenching for military families
Yesterday while at work I watched war coverage during lunch with the mother of a US Marine currently stationed in Kuwait, who will likely move forward soon. She was in good spirits, but appeared very tense under the surface. I was amazed mostly that she was keeping a very close eye on all of the news. She knew almost every detail of what was going on minute by minute. The most telling moment was when the television anchor reported that a US Marine was killed in action, she slightly bowed her head for a few seconds in what I can only assume was a moment of thought for the mother of the fallen Marine. That brings home the issue of our troops and their families. I have heard some really horrid comment from the extremists in the anti-war gang and it disgusts me. It does their cause no good to act like thugs in the streets. Breaking the law to protest something that will not change is futile. The war can’t be stopped. What you can demand in your protests is liberation for Iraq. Keep pressure on the Bush Administration to release plans for the post-war Iraq and make sure those plans are just and not politically biased.

Does the Guardian Unlimited report the real reason the Oscars will have no red carpet? The last sentence from the article reads: "More protests are planned to disrupt the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood tomorrow."

TBOGG's line is a classic: "George Bush! You've just started WWIII? What's next?"..."I'm going to Camp David!" It is over the top, but it is an image problem that I really take issue with Bush on. He can at least make people think that at least the first weekend he is burning the midnight oil. Couldn't he have saved a little money and stayed at the White House? Why should the cabinet have to commute? I would bet this costs a lot more than closing an airport for a haircut. I truly hope that he is paying more attention to the war then the press is, but I would not be surprised if he is already in bed.

Firefighter dies in house fire
Horrible news for Cincinnati. My condolences go out to Oscar Armstrong's family and friends.

CNN Ordered Out of Baghdad
Still in Baghdad (as reported)
NPR: Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN
BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post -Anthony Shadid
AP - Hamza Hendawi
Reuters - Staff of 19
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Christian Science Monitor -Scott Peterson
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
San Franscisco Chronical - Robert Collier
Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski
Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
Abu Dhabi TV
Lebanese Broadcasting Company
Richard Engel - Free lance for ABC (and BBC?)
Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
and other various French, German, Japanese and Dutch media outlets.


Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC*(has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out).

Mother of all bad deals
Wow, I agree with Bronson! I have to wonder about his "franchise" comment, when I read what I wrote a while back about Lynch and a boycott franchise.

1 killed, 2 injured in Over-the-Rhine shooting
Number 19 of the year so far. I wonder if more people will be murdered this year in Cincinnati, than will die in battle in Iraq.

Protests held downtown, at UC
Good coverage of this protest and of other responses to the war. The morons in the street should be ashamed of themselves. They claim to be protesting an "illegal" war, but they break the law by blocking taffic to do it. Irony, thine name is true.

War on Iraq - smh.com.au
Here is another article on the media coverage of the war. The most relevant passage:

On the right, the Fox News Channel is the leading propagandist for the US war effort. Soon after the shooting began on Thursday, Fox anchor Shephard Smith announced, "The liberation of Iraq has begun." The first missile strike on Baghdad was, he said, designed to "cut the head off the snake".

I heard him say this several times, once just as a Fox embedded reporter crossed the Iraqi border with a unit of the American Army. If you think that this is somehow "fair and balanced" then I think your perceptions are tainted by several assumptions about what journalism is supposed to be. I heard talk radio yesterday, on WLW, whine about Peter Jennings and Dan Rather. I think they expect journalists to be like Shephard Smith. I don't mind if a journalist shows a little emotion when something bad happens to American soldiers, but to illustrate glee like a skirt wearing cheerleader turns my stomach. If people are fooled to think Fox News is not biased towards conservatives, they must be smoking crack.

War Coverage in the Blogosphere
If you are here looking for expansive blogging on the War you can do no better than Sean Paul Kelley at www.agonist.org. John at www.blogsofwar.com also is putting out great coverage.

'I'll see you all when it's over,'
A nice story from Howard Wilkinson. This is old-fashioned local reporting. Howard has taken an international story and made it relevant to Cincinnati, while providing something unique. I hope the local television news teams take a lesson from Howard. We don't need them repeating wire reports or what their network news teams say. Go out and get local news. Parroting what the Wires or Networks report will not get you a better job, or any awards.

AP Wire: Ohio Anti-War Protests
Not much significant actions from the protestors today. NYC seemed to have more of an impact, but is still seems to be a super minority now. I think the only ones left protesting now are your professional protestors, Marxists, and anti-everything gadabouts.

Showdown in Iraq: A Special Section from The Enquirer, The Post and WCPO
This is actually a good site for general information on the Iraq War. There is a good mix of reference websites, news, and links to locally related information, including a place to post messages of support to the troops.

CincyNation.com: WCPO needs to let Networks cover the war
CincyNation provides the following commentary:

We're told that WCPO has taken it upon itself to "cover" the war. Very interesting development from a station known for sensationalized local reporting. Fact is, WCPO is reading Associated Press reports and running tapes from ABC News and CNN. So why not let the networks do what they are trained to do? Extra annoying is a blue scroll Channel 9 is using at the bottom of the screen for 'breaking news.' The color is distracting and the scroll information, we're told, tends to be older news rather than breaking.

I think I agree with this assessment of WCPO. I would prefer they refrain from the crawler and from the local updates on the international story. If they have relevant local news, fine, but let the national journalists do their job. I do not mind WCPO switching to CNN if ABC is lacking in coverage, which last night (03/19) was the case when ABC delayed interrupting regular programming longer than the rest of the networks. ABC does provide good coverage and has had good front line report thus far.

Updated News Outlets still in Baghdad
Still in Baghdad (as reported)
CNN: Nic Robertson & Rym Brahimi - total of 4 people
NPR: Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN
BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post -Anthony Shadid
AP - Hamza Hendawi
Reuters - Staff of 19
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Christian Science Monitor -Scott Peterson
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
San Franscisco Chronical - Robert Collier
Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski
Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
Abu Dhabi TV
Lebanese Broadcasting Company
Richard Engel - Free lance for ABC (and BBC?)
and other various French, German, Japanese and Dutch media outlets.
Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg

Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC*(has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS .

Boston Globe, LA Times, and USA Today stories.

AP Story from Baghad on problems of reporting from Baghdad.

Anticlimactic to the Max
I am taken aback that the President of the USA would announce war, shut down the White House and then go to bed.

WAR!!!

Group intends to expand its boycott
Here is the bottom line motivation of the CBUF's action:

Frierson said the group plans to expand its boycott by enlisting people outside of Cincinnati to boycott businesses that are based here.

The word that comes to mind is extortion. I can only speculate what business will be targeted. Do they want to target Kroger? or P&G? or 5/3 Bank? Who is their mark? I seriously wonder if that the CBUF organizes people in other cities to picket, boycott, or otherwise defame, damage, or defile innocent third party companies located in Cincinnati, will they be investigated for potential civil/criminal RICO statute violations? I will not hold my breathe while I wait to find out.

What is their new and ever changing set of demands? Would it be enough if they get a million dollars each and then every white person agrees to move out of the city? Are we seeing the beginnings of the Balkanization of Cincinnati and racial politics? I see no purpose but a movement to segregate from the whole community, while tearing it down and instilling revenge. From my viewpoint this revenge seems to stem from the anger of not being accepted for being segregationists. It is astonishing that the self anointed inner city black community leaders actually think people would understand the attitude they put forth where they refuse to be part of a society where blacks are not the dominating force.

This episode is yet another step back in race relations. The CBUF appears to not want good relations; they just want to help "their own." Greed and selfishness sometimes get you ahead and sometimes is all you can do to survive, but when others want to help, it only drives that help away when you demand help only under your own direction. I am close to knocking down the brick wall my head has been beating against for the last 2 years. I wonder if they will postpone any more protests until after the war. I somehow doubt that. The real question is how they will deal with extreme racist wing of their “movement.” Will their new tact for relevance be sidetracked battling it out with the clown posse? If you live by the bigoted comment, you will die by the bigoted comment.

Updated News Outlets still in Baghdad
Still in Baghdad (as reported)
CNN: Nic Robertson & Rym Brahimi - total of 4 people
NPR: Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN
BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post -Anthony Shadid
AP - Hamza Hendawi
Reuters - 19 Staff
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Christian Science Monitor -Scott Peterson
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
San Franscisco Chronical - Robert Collier
Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski
Irish Times - Lara Marlowe

Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC, CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, New York Times, Boston Globe (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek, US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS .

With CBS leaving today, CNN is the only American based TV network in Baghdad.

The Black United Front Announces Withdrawal From Collaborative Agreement
I guess the CBUF was giving in to the "Man" to much and they had to show they are still "black" enough by getting out of a collaborative that they have not lived up to anyway. I guess Damon Lynch needs more attention, and wants to unit with he bigoted segment of the black activist community (CJC, Black Fist, and Kirland). It is obvious that CBUF no longer wants a resolution; they want power and more "Benjamins." This section of the article illustrates the illogic:

The Black United Front explained that they were pulling out of the collaborative agreement because they wanted to focus their efforts on their boycott of downtown and did not want the boycott to become an excuse for the collaborative agreement's ideas not to be implemented.

So the collaborative’s goals are no longer part of the demands of the boycott? I guess no one gets paid with the collaborative, no one meaning no one amongst the boycotters. This step is a huge mistake for the CBUF. They will get little attention for doing this on the eve of war, and basically it will be deemed as a flip flop from the non-black community. The average Buzz caller will be overjoyed. The scorched Earth goal of the boycotters just got a shot in the arm. I really now see that no one in the boycott "leadership" wants this to ever end, unless all of us non-black people just leave town, which unfortunately sounds like the goal of many of the boycotters.

Cranley retreats on his choice for Booth's vacant council seat
Britton or Cole? Why not Jane Anderson? I understand that Cole was a Democrat, but was not endorsed. Cole got more votes, so on general principal she should get the nod, no matter what her party affiliation is. I just hope Jane is not being ignored because of her race. Akiva Freeman would be next in line if Jane were unable to serve. Why is this starting to sound like the Miss Cincinnati beauty pageant?

Simon Leis, Step Down
Chris Anderson calls for the current Hamilton County Sheriff to step down. Chris is right. Leis has been a thug for years, and the latest incident is minor in comparison to the legal messes that would have caused a Democratic Sheriff to be in jail.

Updated News Outlets still in Baghdad
Still in Baghdad (as reported)
CBS: 1 reporter
CNN: 2 reporters -Nic Robertson
NPR: 1 reporter - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN
BBC: Total of 8 including 3 reporters - Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post
AP -Hamza Hendawi
Reuters
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Newsweek
Christian Science Monitor
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough

Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC, CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, New York Times, Boston Globe (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times.

I will try to keep one post each day and update it when new information is known. There are many other foreign news agencies that are in Baghdad, but I am unable to determine which outlets are represented.

Booth to resign from council
Big news and big speculation will follow. This part sounds bad though:

Booth said he would stay out of the selection process unless Democrats asked for his input. He did say, however, that it would be important for City Council to appoint another African-American.

"It makes a difference in terms of the kind of representation we have," he said. "We're elected to serve all people. But council as a whole should as much as possible demographically represent Cincinnati."

Quota's are immoral and illegal. If race is made the deciding factor, then a legal challenged should be mounted against it. The Democrats should appoint the Democrat who got the next most votes in the last election, if that person is willing to serve. If not that person, then the Democrat with the next most votes who is willing to serve. I hope this does not turn into a boycott demand. Succumbing to that would be even more undemocratic then the current method to replace Council members.

News Outlets still in Baghdad
Here is the list of reporters or news outlets that I have found reports indicating they are still in Baghdad.
CBS: 1 reporter
CNN: 2 reporters
NPR: 1 reporter
Peter Arnett - special assignment for MSNBC and National Geographic.
ITN
BBC: Total of 8 including reporter(s)
Washington Post
New York Times
AP
Reuters
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)

There are others who are in the Kurdish area of Northern Iraq, but as far as I understand those reporters will not leave. I am sure there are many other outlets in Baghdad, but I can't find references to any others. Some of the outlets that are not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC, CBC Radio, FOX News, China's official Xinhua news agency.

Change of Focus
After much thought and random longs to branch out, I am officially opening up the topic of my blog to anything and everything, not just Cincinnati and Ohio. Cincinnati and Ohio will still be my focus and majority of my content, but with the impending war almost upon us, I will have much to say about media coverage of the war, and responses to the war here in America and the rest of the world. I have been slowly expanding topics that I used to reserve to my other blog, PulpStalag the Blog, but now that blog will become more of a semi-loose place to be semi-creative.

War Prediction Time
It is fairly clear war will be this week or not at all. I will make a "bold" prediction of the day and the time of the start of the war, and when it will hit the news. My Picks:

Date: Wednesday, March 19th, 2003
Time Attack Begins: 5:11 PM EST
Time Press First Reports Attack: 6:25 PM EST

If you care to make a guess, just add it to the comments section. The winner will get a free mention on the blog. Ties will be judged using the "Price is Right Rules" on the time the attack begins.

A Note to Conservatives Speaking Out Against Celebrities Speaking Out Against the War
The more attention you give them, them more attention they get. What I laugh about most is the shock as to why people would listen to celebrities on any subject. I guess they forget this while they drink the Pepsi Brittany sells, wearing the "be like Mike" sneakers, or talking on the telephone pimped by Howie Long for Radio Shack.

Some Texas Stations Stop Playing Dixie Chicks Songs After Bush Remarks
It is nice to see FOX News taking an active role in helping to destroy a musical act's career. When will this Political Correctness cease? The speech nazi's are out to silence dissent. It is most funny that FOX and the anti-PC crusaders constantly rail about universities anti-free speech rules on issue like race, gender, and sexual orientation, but when it comes to disrespecting their King George, all's fair in love, war, and media manipulation.

UPDATE: It now has a name thanks to Oliver Willis: "Patriotic Correctness."

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall
When referring to the abrupt change of heart of President Bush Josh came up with the ultimate excuse for George to use: "Spain ate my homework ... " Bart Simpson would be proud.

The Two Faces of CNN
Compare these two versions of CNN: the main CNN and the International CNN. Does the international version have more hard news? It still has some of the fluff: a flight attendant drugging a kid and a game show scandal, but no Elizabeth Smart. What I find funny is that between both sites there is no need for the fluff. CNN should just start a new fluff only site. CNNfluff.com or fluff.cnn.com would work great. I can see the reality show demographics fitting in just fine. Keep the idiot candy off the serious news site. A little bit of credibility goes a long way in the modern media world. A little bit is not much, but anything beats no credibility..

John Schlagetter Runs for Cincinnati City Council
It is official; John Schlagetter is putting his hat into the ring and running again for City Council. I am not surprised, but I am interested in how his campaign will progress with his several areas of media participation, especially his blog. Running a campaign leaves little time to blog, I hope John finds as much time as possible to post his views there, and not just on his campaign site.

Cop vote is a real stretch
Bronson, so we should ignore the city Charter? The Charter is more important than a handful of cops getting a union deal that for any other union you would decry as socialism! I know you are a theocrat and want to keep all things different from your alternative "christian lifestyle," but your hypocrisy is to big to overlook. You are pissed at a new hate crimes law that protects homosexuals, but you do not get pissed when the prior law provides special rights to the religious, like yourself. How are you able to reconcile that paradox? One special right is horrible, but the other is peachy keen! (cough, cough)

Woman's City Club: We'll stay downtown
Three cheers for the Woman's City Club! I must laugh at the comments of anti-Semite Amanda Mayes in the article:

"They like to call us boycotters thugs, bullies and all other kinds of names, but the behavior we saw from John Cranley, Pat DeWine, Jim Tarbell, the mayor and especially the Charterites was thuggery at its most oppressive level," Mayes said. "If the city really wants to bring some healing and end the boycott, threatening to do counterprotests and withhold money from groups who do honor the boycott is not the way."

So, Amanda Mayes is pissed that people are doing to her as she and her hate group have done to others? What an outrage! I jest.

What I want to ask to the Enquirer Reporter Kevin Aldridge did he ask Amanda Mayes about her own bigotry against Jews? If he did ask her, why was it not in the newspaper? Kevin should not worry about losing a source; Mayes and the rest of the CJC will always talk to him or any other reporter. He should not worry about "offending" a bigoted with fact. Why not just take a copy of City Beat and ask her to defend her bigotry. That would be an exclusive story that would sell a lot of papers, and more importantly BRING THE TRUTH TO THE PEOPLE OF CINCINNATI. Denise Smith Amos even addresses Mayes' bigotry, timidly addresses it, but still raises the issue. David Wells talks about the Woman's City Club as well.

MAYBE IT'S BETTER THAT JERRY KEEP HIS DAY JOB
Is is an extra special indicator that you have no political future if the NY Post's entertainment section mocks you?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Cincinnati Attorney Key Player In Huge Libyan Settlement
I wonder if the right-wingers will bitch about Stan Chesley for helping take on Libya. I would bet they don't even mention a word about him. They hate lawyers, except the one's representing them.

Women's City Club Debacle
Here is a round up of the columns, editorials, and articles from Cincinnati Media.

Chris Anderson: Ehrenreich Talk Moved Due to Boycott
WCPO: Mayor Luken Responds To WCC Support Of Boycott
WLWT: channelcincinnati.com - News - Councilman Accuses Women's Group Of 'Selling Out'
Enquirer: Woman's Club gets run over
Cincinnati Post: Cranley: I'll picket if event moved to suburbs
Editorial: An unfortunate decision

Xavier Cancels Showing Of "Vagina Monologues", Students May Offer It Anyway
It is their right, but it is clearly wrong. Why set up a performance to cancel it? That is about as rude as you can be. Who applied the pressure to cancel the show? Was it from the inside of the University, from the Alumni, or from the local theocratic fascists? The good news is that a class is going to put on the show anyway.

The Enquirer's report, the Post's report, and the Xavier Newsire report.

UPDATE: The Catholic News Service reports "Reacting to community and alumni concerns, Jesuit-run Xavier University in Cincinnati announced March 10 that it would not permit the play "The Vagina Monologues" to be performed on campus." I wonder which member of the CCV is an XU alumnus.

Prosecutor gave to Deters campaign
It pays that everyone involved is from the same political party. I wonder if Mike Allen will investigate the special prosecutor? Will he need to get a super-special prosecutor? Why didn't Mike appoint a Democrat? Wouldn't that have been easier and put to rest any doubt of bias or favor? Well, since Mike wants to move up to statewide office, I guess he felt the need to cover the party's ass. Will this hurt? Of course not, since the Attorney General and Secretary of State are fellow Republicans, Mike and Joe have no worries. Pierce Cunningham might have problems getting a job in the public sector again.

Rally for troops to be held tomorrow
This is being organized by 55KRC not 700WLW. I have to wonder why "the Big One" and Bill Cunningham are not organizing this? I guess it speaks to the demographics of the two stations. 55KRC is for the complete über-Freeper, while WLW speaks to a slightly wider and more moderate conservative. Both stations are of course under the iron fist of Darryl Parks, and Mr. Parks has a way with the sensational and the overstated.

Gino's charge: Assault

Rick Minter is giving Bob Huggins a run for his money in the number of players on their respective teams with a police record. I though the "C" in "UC" stands for Cincinnati, not Criminal.

Local Auto Shop Won't Fix French, German Cars
Sorry to disappoint the knee-jerk conformists out their but this is not patriotism, this is stupidity. Why is it that when Nationalism is concerned well reasoned and emotional free judgement just goes out the window? Here are a few points on this local chest-beater:

1. I wonder if he knows how to fix French and German cars.
2. His actions do not help our Troops. They instead hurt other Americans. Now the price for fixing French and German cars will go up, and Importers of French/German auto parts will loose money.
3. This man's motivation on the surface is misguided yet altruistic, but dig deeper and anyone should be able to see that this is not about helping the troops, this is about quelling his feelings. He needs to do two things: show his friends that he is conforming to the social pressures heaped upon the society by pseudo-patriots, and that he can quell some of the emotion he has for not being able to do anything else in the "war effort."

If you want to support the war effort why don't people start donating money to the USO or hell even start a scrap metal drive circa 1942? Creating a new instant "them" to hate and channel all your anger is nothing new, but it is nothing good either. Talk Radio and much of the rest of the conservative side of the media are sensationalizing and capitalizing on the listlessness people feel and using it to create useless and harmful spectacles to pump up ratings. We all need act like civilized adults, and stop acting like schoolyard bullies teasing the kid in glasses.

A Game of Chicken in the U.N.
In case anyone can't see what is the obvious game of chicken the US/UK is playing with the rest of the U.N. let me outline it. The latest effort to push back the deadline from March 17 to March 31 seems on the surface to be a concession, but in reality it is actually very sly. This revised resolution with a list of demands for Iraq to comply with and a later deadline will get the nine votes needed to pass the UNSC. France has pledged to veto it. If France/Russia/China apply their veto to resolution, then the US/UK have the cover needed to attack Iraq outside the U.N. If France/Russia/China abstain (they will not vote for it), then it will pass and then US/UK will have the U.N. backing needed. It is not really a good game of chicken for France. The US/UK can't lose, but France loses either way. I wonder if this is more of an American plan or a British Plan. I give the nod to the latter.

A McBoycott Franchise Coming to Your Town Soon

The Rev. Damon Lynch III, president of the Cincinnati Black United Front, led a contingent down from Ohio. Lynch's group has organized a lengthy boycott in Cincinnati that has prompted participation from various organizations and from entertainers including Bill Cosby and Wynton Marsalis.

"Police brutality is not just a Cincinnati and a Louisville problem. It's a national problem," Lynch told the crowd.

Lynch made it in the fast food industry, why not in the boycott industry?

Speaker will observe boycott
If you don't like Barbara Ehrenreich, then it is quite easy to prevent her from speaking ever again:

Ehrenreich, who is being paid $10,000 plus expenses for her appearance, told the Woman's City Club Feb. 20 that she would not attend a picketed event.

I would encourage anyone who does like this woman's opinions, or her caving-in to a hate group, to picket her where ever this event ends up. She said she would not attend any picked event. If she is honest and honorable, she will then not cross the picket line, no matter whose it is.

She is concerned about the plight of poor women. I wonder if she cares about the poor women who work downtown? She has shown her support for a group that seeks to hurt working women and men whose livelihoods depend on downtown businesses. I guess she is more concerned about the image of her visit, instead of the impact of her buckling to the boycotters.

BRONSON: Beating a Dead Horse
Peter is off on a crusade defending his boy Aaron Saunders, Miami University Young Republicans chief. Peter is doing exactly as I said he was doing. He is acting not on the merits of the case, but is out to attack his political foes. The right wing hates the humanities and arts & sciences colleges across America. They hate them because those schools challenge their religious beliefs. Bronson seeks here to discredit an honorable institution based on his political (religious) beliefs. He cares not for new knowledge; he cares for conformity and stagnancy.

P&G rejects MSNBC show
The bigot Michael Savage may have met his match. The mighty P&G is a big force in advertising dollars. If you don't get their money, you have are shut out of a large portion of the market. The real challenge will be for P&G not to buy any commercials airing during his radio show, which airs here in Cincinnati, home to P&G, on 550 WKRC. You can contact P&G here to voice your opinions.

Slaying happens in front of crowd
Calling Damon Lynch, Calling Damon Lynch....Where are you? How could nobody have seen anything? Well, it is obvious what the problem is, either people are fearful of the killer or friends with the killer and under both circumstances they don't want to talk to the police. This is where the rubber hits the road. You can't make people care about their community. They have to give a damn about it and want to change it.

BRONSON: Bush won't flinch
How can Bush flinch with Peter's head so far up his ass? This article seems pointless to me. Everyone who love's Bush loves his simpleton ways, or as they call it his "folksy" manner. Everyone else thinks Bush is as political as any other politician, if not more. The issue is that the people who love him come close to deifying the man. I think Peter is blinded by his religion. Peter's acceptance of Bush's "word" is basically based on emotion. Bush and Bronson are both Christians. I think they are both even to a degree both evangelical Christians. In my experience evangelical Christians feel their "kind" is special, part of the "chosen" who are totally honest. It is a manifestation of their blind faith put in their new divine King George. (I am generalizing here, so don’t get your shorts in a knot.)

Evidence that Peter has drunk the Bush Propaganda Kool-Aide can be readily demonstrated with his comments on the faux connection of Iraq and 9/11.

Some people just don't get it. But we are going to war because of what happened on that morning, Sept. 11, 2001 - to make sure those kids in that classroom don't grow up in a world of terror.

The problem is that people, like Bronson, really think this war with Iraq is part of the "war on terrorism." This is totally grotesque propaganda. It is a lie that he Administration is trying to build upon, trying to capitalize on the blood lust of the country to support him in a war.

This war is not about terrorism. If we were going to invade a country on the basis for its support of terrorism we would be going into Iran, Syria, Lebanon, or the Palestinian Territories. We would have invaded Columbia long ago. This war has several reasons. Preventing possible future terrorism from Iraq is a natural side effect of the liberation of Iraq, assuming Bush's gang don't screw up with nation building like they did in Afghanistan. Using America's anger over 9/11 as political cover for doing what ever you want is not only wrong, it is very "unchristian." There are valid reasons for this war. The timing of how this drive to war started are the most suspect and troubling aspect of the whole endeavor. The biggest concern is how the post-war situation unfolds. At this point, that is not something Bush thinks we Americans should know anything about. We are to trust him. Bronson is more than will to trust his religious comrade. Most of the rest of us, who did not vote for Bush, want a few drinks of facts before we are forced to swallow the one sided agenda of the current Administration.

Grand jury clears Deters
Was anyone expecting any other conclusion? Here is the hard part. The crime took place in 1996, but the former prosecutor's investigator was not indicted until this year. Why the delay?

Nice Day, but a Gut Check
It hit 69 degrees today. I was warm in my long sleeve shirt. The gut check came when the classic rock radio station 92.5 the Fox played a song from The Clash. The song was "Train in Vain". When The Clash are considered classic rock, you must admit you are old. Now, they really started out before my time, but while watching "Rock the Casbah" on MTV 1,000 times while still in grade school, you feel that they were part of your indoctrination in the music culture.

Churches target Cincinnati in campaign to help blacks
We get to be the whipping boy for a political campaign. This is not about civil rights, this is about politics. This about extreme-capitalists vs. socialists (or even some communists).

Church leaders called for a national campaign to promote social justice and economic programs to help black people.

This is about reducing poverty in the "black community." That is a good thing to want to do, it would be nice to try and do that in all communities, instead of creating false sense of discrimination. Hold on before you jump to the wrong conclusion, I agree discrimination exists, but not on a macro or conspiratorial level, and mostly not based on race, but on culture. There are more poor white people, than black people. That is a fact. As a percentage of each race in this county, blacks have a much higher percentage in poverty than whites. That is a fact. There is not one answer to why that is the case. They are countless answers because most of the reasons are subjective to each individual person or family. To say it is all about race or racism is wrong, self-defeating, and unproductive. You don't get more unproductive and down right offensive when you refuse to let a City Councilman into your meeting.

Councilman David Pepper called it unfair to target Cincinnati-based corporations such as Procter & Gamble and Federated Department Stores Inc., that have "gone out of their way" to contribute to job and educational initiatives designed to improve the lives of African-Americans. Pepper tried to get into the meeting to explain to national leaders what actions city officials are taking toward progress, but boycott organizers turned him away at the door.

This particular group of boycotters also have revised the "demands" to end the boycott, but beyond the general description of the changes from the article, I can't find the new demands online. When Nate Livngston gets out of jail, I am not sure if he will be more vocal on the internal boycott split or jump on the bandwagon of this now apparent leading voice of the boycott movement. The new leadership has apparently deleted some of the prior demands, like the demand that the police chief be fired, but have add some, like a "community bank." How can you hold a city hostage until it creates a private business, especially a bank? Do they know how long it takes to start a bank? You can't just start a bank over night; the regulation process will take quite a lot of time. Additionally, it sounds like they just want free money. Why don't they try setting up a credit union? That might be faster to create, and it can be run on a collective basis. The oddest thing, and frankly the nuttiest thing, is that a new demand included an investigation of "outside forces" that are claimed to be responsible for the drug ring problems. I love this one most. I guess the CIA is responsible? If you can't accept the reality that the people who are the drug dealers in the black neighborhoods are black, then you will never be able to rid those neighborhoods of those criminals. If you shield criminals, you will just breed more criminals. The cycle of racial grandstanding will be a never ending story in this town until the boycotters get what I think is their unmentioned wish: a majority “black” city.

Student Arrested In University E-Mail Hoax
"Miami Senior Faces Several Charges"

I wonder who will not be graduating this May?