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.