- Hominy & Hash
NINE-ELEVEN, DEJA VU -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- "Just want to say, I love you," words left on = an answering machine in tones suggesting he had work to do - helping others. They say "pride goes before a fall" but not that day. Line after line of transcribed voices suggest a pride in doing what has to be done in their present moment. There was no evidence of whimpering, simpering, or "poor me."
- Happy Labor Day, America!
On Native Ground
IT'S TIME TO SEEK THE U.N.'S HELP IN IRAQ
-
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Watching the Bush administration try to find a way out of the mess it created in Iraq reminds me of something former House Speaker Sam Rayburn once said: "A jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build one."
- Reporting: 9/11
FAA 'RED TEAM' FAULTS SECURITY AT U.S. AIRPORTS -
by Margie Burns
WASHINGTON -- The four officials chiefly responsible for aviation security at the airports where planes were hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001, are still in important and very public positions in aviation security, The American Reporter has learned, despite substantive questions about their role in that day's historic disasters.
- Film Review
KIDS AND ADULTS: THE 'THIRTEEN' PERSPECTIVE
-
by Gary Gach
("Thirteen." Rated R. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.
- Monday Moron
KEEP THE TOASTER OUT OF THE TUB -
by Larry Lieberman
TAMPA, Fla -- Am I the only one who feels like a kernel inside a microwave popcorn bag every time I stroll into the garage?
- On Media
AT CINECON 2003, A WINDOW ON THE PAST -
by Robert Gelfand
HOLLYWOOD, Calif -- The early history of motion pictures may help us understand the modern mass media, as I learned in Hollywood over Labor Day weekend, when several hundred film scholars, historians and enthusiasts were gathered at the historic Egyptian Theater here for 39th annual Cinecon film festival. Run by the Society of Cinephiles, Cinecon attracts people from all over the United States and Europe who gather to watch films, compare notes on film history and illuminate its future in the light of the past.
- Make My Day
BECAUSE I'M DADDY, THAT'S WHY -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- "Alright, we're here. I want everyone to be good."
- Media Beat
ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 'FAIR AND BALANCED'? -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- A national media spotlight has focused on the battle between the Constitution of the United States and some religious fundamentalists who viewed themselves as angels of Montgomery, Ala. The removal of a big Ten Commandments monument from an Alabama courthouse on Wednesday was good news for people who prefer democracy to theocracy.
- Momentum
A DAY AT THE RACES -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Despite the popularity of Laura Hillenbrand's riveting book "Seabiscuit" and the wonderful movie that was made from it, and despite the momentary fame of the New York horse Funnycide, who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness before fading at Belmont and losing the Triple Crown, horse racing appears to be dying in this country.
- Market Mover
BEWARE OF 'IN-HOUSE' MUTUAL FUNDS -
by Mark Scheinbaum
BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 27, 2003 -- The publicity ax has fallen on Morgan Stanley (Dean Witter) over the use of "in-house" mutual funds, but the widespread practice is not limited to that venerable firm.
- Ink Soup
SOUP FOR GOV -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE, Wash. -- It is of course not unusual to see Dr. Soup in a state of smoldering fury, but when he stormed into the office today I knew that this was not ordinary rage.
- Opinion
WHY DEAN AND GREEN DON'T MATCH THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- Let's take Howard Dean at his word: "I was a triangulator before Clinton was a triangulator. In my soul, I'm a moderate."
- Hominy & Hash
TO THE HANDS THAT ROCK THE CRADLES -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Modern couples write their own wedding vows and often include a Biblical quote. The one most often used is from the Book of Ruth: "Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
- An A.R. Editorial
WHY SHOULDN'T WE KILL? -
by Joe Shea
Civilization sprang from law, and while there may have been earlier ones, the 10 Commandments - known to Jews as the Ten Declarations - pre-date Islam by 2,100 years, Christianity by 1,400 years, Confucianism by 850 years, and Buddhism by 775 years. They are the first Law of modern civilization, and while there may be a degree of religious and academic controversy about which version of these laws represents which religion, those differences are not carved in stone.
- Monday Moron
SWEAT LIKE AN EGYPTIAN -
by Larry Lieberman
TAMPA, Fla. -- The thermometer reads a steady 93 degrees Celsius. The local meteorologist informs me the "feels like"-temperature is hot as, well, Florida in August (or a fresh cup of McDonald's coffee). The rain pounds the sand so viciously that my neighbor, Noah, begins to shop Amazon.com for a deal on "Ark Builder 2003." Buoyed by the conditions, the mosquitoes burgeon in stature, some now big enough to accommodate requests for an in-flight movie. One bite and the American Red Cross suggests a large glass of orange juice and a period of relaxation. I, myself, donate a pint or two during a suicide run for the trash cans.
- Jill Stewart
PUTRID SMELL WAFTS OVER THE CALIFORNIA RECALL -
by Jill Stewart
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Five styles have emerged in the governor's race, from the blame-game of Gov. Gray Davis to the compassionate fiscal conservatism of Peter Ueberroth and Arnold Schwarzenegger, to the tax 'em high anti-business jihad of Cruz Bustamante to the ultra-conservative cost slashing of Tom McClintock and Bill Simon.
- On Native Ground
THE SHAMEFUL, SHABBY TREATMENT OF U.S. SOLDIERS -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Just about every politician loves to wave the flag and say they support the troops. But the things we've seen so far in Iraq suggest otherwise.
- Media Beat
IF FAMOUS JOURNALISTS BECAME HONEST RAPPERS -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- The "Bulworth" movie - with Warren Beatty playing a senator who begins to speak disturbing truths in the form of rap lyrics - caused quite a stir when it came out five years ago. At the time, I wondered aloud in a column about what might happen if leading journalists followed that fictional example.
- Make My Day
WINE SELECTION FOR GUYS -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- As a recognized Guy wine expert ("Hey look! It's a Guy wine expert") I'm often asked by other Guys about the proper way to select a wine without looking like a complete nerd.
- Momentum
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE? -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe I'm missing something, but when it comes to gay marriage, I don't understand the fuss.
- Jill Stewart
RECALL OPENS NEW DEBATE ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION -
by Jill Stewart
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- I am a Radical Centrist with an urge to speak freely coursing through my veins. So I squirmed with delight when former Gov. Pete Wilson blurted out on a talk show a few days back that Arnold Schwarzenegger voted for Proposition 187 in 1994 and thinks illegal immigration is a problem for California.
- SCHWEIKART URGES U.S. TO MOVE SPACE PROGRAM BEYOND NEAR EARTH ORBIT
-
by Lucy Komisar
LaBAULE, France - Congressional committees are expected to hold hearings in the fall, after the release Aug. 26 of the report by an independent board investigating the Columbia spacecraft disaster, and former astronaut Rusty Schweickart has some ideas for those committees, he told a French forum last March.
- Market Mover
THE MORAL THIEVES OF BAGHDAD -
by Mark Scheinbaum
LAKE WORTH, Fla. Parties unknown have assassinated UN Special Representative in Baghdad, Sergio Vieira de Mello to prove to the world, well, to prove to the world that anyone can "off" anyone else, at any time.
- Ink Soup
FULL MOON NOTES -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE, Wash. -- I am writing this on the night of the full moon, so you have been warned. But there is an up side to insomnia: columns written while the writer is wide, even painfully, awake, tend to be more interesting-all right, lucid--than those written while he is in his more customary somnolent mode.
- Breakthrough: Nanotechnology
USING ATOMS, ONE AT A TIME -
by Komisar
LaBAULE, France - Man-made muscles that contract like biological ones but that are 100 times stronger, that are so powerful, they can inject drugs without a needle.
- IT'S LIFE AND DEATH, BUT THEY CALL IT 'PRIORITY RATIONING'
-
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Life is a game of chance but there are those out there who are trying to mark the cards.
- On Media
MIKE ROYKO, JOURNALISM AND BEER -
by Robert Gelfand
CHICAGO -- Any place where Mike Royko drank ought to be a good place to think about journalism, so I went down to Billy Goat's Tavern Friday night and had a beer and thought about outrage and wit and the appropriate function of the news media.
- Monday Moron
OBJECTIONABLE ABSTINENCE -
by Larry Lieberman
TAMPA, Fla. -- Does anyone really "practice" abstinence? The word "practice" implies effort by definition. Heck, I single-handedly (sometimes with both hands) "practiced" abstinence through the early 80s and didn't even know it. I think the word we should be using here is "observe."
- Reporting: Terror
AMERICAN AND THAI POLICE ARREST HAMBALI -
by Andreas Harsono
JAKARTA, Aug. 15, 2003 - American and Thai police arrested Hambali, arguably Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist and allegedlly the second in command of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network, in Ayutthaya, a small town about 80 kilometers south of Bangkok, earlier this week. He was flown Friday to an undisclosed location, probably Bahgram AFB, an American airbase in Afghanistan where many al-Qaida prisoners are jailed, for quesioning.
- On Native Ground
WAR'S REALITES COME HOME TO A SMALL VERMONT TOWN -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- The war in Iraq came home to my corner of Vermont the other day.
- Across America
WHO 'RESET' THE POWER GRID? -
by Joe Shea
FORT STOCKTON, Tex. -- Shortly after 1 p.m. Mountain Time in El Paso yesterday morning I walked up to the doors of the ExxonMobil station at Exit O in Anthony, Tex., and found a sign on the door: "Electric Power Outage!" it read, but inside the air conditioning was on, machines and lights were working and employees milled around aimlessly.
- Make My Day
WHICH PART OF NO DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- It's not something I like to talk about, but when I was in college I did something I'm not proud of: I was a telemarketer.
- Foreign Affairs
E.U. CLASH ON ADMITTING TURKEY WORRIES U.S. -
by Lucy Komisar
LaBAULE, France -- People's eyes now are on Iraq, deemed by Bush officials a key factor in reshaping the Middle East. A few glances ought to shift toward its neighbor, Turkey, which could be as important for the future of the Muslim world.
- Momentum
AMERICA SLICED AND DICED -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Pictures from my niece's wedding arrived last week.
- Media Beat
NEWS FLASH: THIS IS NOT A 'SILLY SEASON' -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- Contrary to media cliches about "the silly season," this is a time of very serious - and probably catastrophic - political maneuvers.
- Foreign Affairs
PARSING THE U.S.-EUROPEAN DIPLOMATIC CRISIS -
by Lucy Komisar
LaBAULE, France -- The U.S. and Europe have never been so estranged. The widespread European hostility to U.S. policy on Iraq builds on anger provoked by the Bush administration's scuttling of numerous global accords on environment, weapons and international justice. The opposition to Washington policy exists on both citizen and high political levels. The rift between the U.S. and its European allies will damage America unless both sides act to heal it - and unless the U.S. acts to deal with the causes of European anger.
- Across America
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND THE NEXT ENERGY CRISIS -
by Joe Shea
TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 12, 2003 -- Remember the phony claims of energy traders that unraveled into the Enron scandal and, as California Gov. Gray Davis said during his Los Angeles Times debate with Republican businessman Bill Simon, "We were bilked out of $21 billion..."?
- Ink Soup
THE BIBLE THAT ATE DOROTHY'S CANARY -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE, Wash. -- The agony of my fellow Christians in the Episcopal Church would be almost comical if it were not so heartrending. I'd started this column when Bishop Robinson's election was suddenly delayed by two accusations of sexual misconduct. I telephoned Dr. Soup to beat the bushes for some substitute topic on which we could hold forth until the diocesan bishops in Minneapolis had made up their minds.
- Market Mover
AMERICA'S VETERANS AGENCY: A TEXTBOOK FOR FAILURE -
by Mark Scheinbaum
BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 12, 2003 -- The Wall Street Journal deserves a Pulitzer Prize for today's report on the failures of the Veterans' Administration, but it won't get one.
- Hominy & Hash
HATS, ON AND OFF -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- "I had a hat when I came in, I put it on the rack, and I'll have a hat when I go out or I'll break somebody's back." That little ditty was popular when hand clapping and the clicking of heels dancing a jig across wooden barroom floors was the only accompaniment and, by golly, it spoke the truth. Drunk or sober, gentlemen removed their hats indoors and put them where they knew they would stay until they left.
- Brasch Words
MEGA-MOUTH, SQUAWKERS AND THE NEW 'HOLLYWEIRD' -
by Walter M. Brasch
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The talk show squawkers call them the "Hollyweirds." Makes no difference if they're writers, actors, directors, producers, or grips and gaffers. Makes no difference if they're poets, artists, sculptors, dancers, cartoonists, musicians, or singers. And, it makes absolutely no difference if they live in Southern California or Iowa. As long as they're in the creative arts, they're "Hollyweird."
- On Media
THERE ARE NO USED CARS -
by Robert Gelfand
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- There are no used cars for sale where I live. They are now called "pre-owned." At least that is how they are advertised in the newspapers and on those post-midnight car commercials which are occasionally interrupted by a movie.
- Jill Stewart
ARNOLD'S FIRST CHALLENGE: SACRAMENTO'S LOCO REPUBLICANS -
by Jill Stewart
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- No matter who is running against Gov. Gray Davis, the California gubernatorial race promises to shine a spotlight on Sacramento's elected Republicans and the views that have turned them into an isolated minority - just when the Republican Party has an unexpected chance to win a governorship.
- On Native Ground
SOME ADVICE TO THE DLC: WHO DARES, WINS -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- The buzz for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is getting louder.
- Make My Day
YEAH? WELL, I DOUBLE DARE YOU! -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- I don't know what it is with teenagers these days.
- California Recall
SCHWARZENEGGER, BUSTAMANTE SHAPE FATEFUL GOVERNOR'S RACE -
by Joe Shea
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger and California's Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante - the lone statewide official to back Hollywood's secession last year - announced Wednesday that they both will join the race for the seat at the head of the Golden State's table now held by Gov. Gray Davis, the first statewide elected official to be the object of a recall in this century. Of course, the century's just begun - and so has this race.
- Essay
WHY NOT A VESTAL VIRGIN FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR? -
by Ron Kenner
HOLLYWOOD -- Why not a vestal virgin? And if she doesn't do a good job as governor, we can always dump her into a volcano and hope for the best next time. Don't laugh. This is California!
- Momentum
EVERYBODY'S GOT A HUNGRY HEART
-
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- At first it was, "Oh no, Bruce, no." This is no way to hear your music.
- Ink Soup
G.M.FORD IS NO LEMON - BUT NO JOKE? -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE -- Bedtime reading ought not to be so intellectually stimulating or demanding that it prevents sleep. On the other hand, it should not be so uninvolving that it invites sleep before you are half-way through chapter one.
- Hominy & Hash
DEFINING A DISTANT GENERATION -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Finding an precise definition of "generation" is a formidable task. My preconceived notion was that I am of the same generation as all the children of my parents, the children of their siblings (my first cousins) and the growing families around the globe contemporary to my parents.
- Monday Moron
DISSOLVE YOUR RESOLVE -
by Larry Lieberman
TAMPA, Fla. -- Take stock America - literally! We're just past the halfway point of the year - the end of quarter two of fiscal year 2003 if you will - and the markets seem to be on the mend. At this time, just as most business entities evaluate their progress in relation to yearly goals, so do we as people take "stock" of our own achievements toward the fulfillment of our New Year's resolutions.
- On Media
RUDENESS RULES THE RADIO -
by Robert Gelfand
LOS ANGELES -- Thursday's John and Ken radio talk show (KFI AM 640) included an interview with Rep Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) in which the hosts interrupted Sanchez over 30 times, yelled loudly into their microphones in order to drown out her voice, and at several points screamed at her, "Are you ignorant or are you lying?" What is of interest is that the hosts were so proud of their performance that they ran the tape again later in the same show.
- Under Fire
A SILENT KILLER STALKS U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ -
by Joe Shea
BRADENTON, Fla., Aug. 1, 2003, 10.00am EST -- A mystery illness that bears some similarities to chemical and radiation poisoning has killed at least two U.S. soldiers In Iraq since June 17 and sickened another 11, said worried Army officials who this week took the unusual step of dispatching two elite epidemiological teams to investigate.
- On Native Ground
BUSH ADMINISTRATION PASSING THE BUCK ON 9/11 -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Americans have been waiting a long time to find out the truth about the events leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
- Media Beat
THE GANG THAT COULDN'T TALK STRAIGHT -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- We're living in an era when news coverage often involves plenty of absurdity.
- Make My Day
MAYBE I SHOULD DIG A MOAT -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- My neighbor is stealing my lawn.
- Momentum
FOLK MUSIC AWAKENS TO ITS RADICAL ROOTS -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Old folkies never die, they just go to Falcon Ridge. And this year Holly Near was there to awaken them from a long, long sleep.
- Editorial
RIORDAN SHOULD RUN -
by Joe Shea
BRADENTON, Fla., July 30, 2003 -- There is nothing inherently wise or beneficial in taking the governorship away from one money-hoarding politician and giving it to a well-off millionaire. But there is a benefit for all Californians in taking away the governor's mansion from Gray Davis and putting it in the hands of Richard Riordan.
- Market Mover
THE SAFE BOND MYTH DIES HARD -
by Mark Scheinbaum
LAKE WORTH, Fla., July 30, 2003 -- Just before the Fourth of July weekend, most Americans with good credit could secure a 30-year fixed mortgage for about 5.31 percent. Less than a month later, in most cities, the same mortgage might cost 6.25 percent.
- Hominy & Hash
BOB HOPE: AND HE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Because there is so much being said about Bob Hope, I wasn't going to add my thoughts, at least until I got an email sent to the family "loop" from our son, Tom.
- "Thanks For the Memories!"
Bob Hope
1903 - 2003Passings
AMERICA'S COMEDIAN, BOB HOPE, IS DEAD AT 100
-
by Joe Shea
BRADENTON, Fla., July 28, 2003 -- Bob Hope, whose century of life was a long string of wisecracks and a longer string of friends high and low, passed away last night in Toluca Lake, Calif., his legacy of gales of laughter and good memories likely to linger a century more.
- Reporting: The West in Flames
A FOREST FIRE'S LESSONS -
by Mark Scheinbaum
TAOS PUEBLO, N.M., July 28, 2003 -- The competing interests of lumber, tourism, public safety, and Native American traditions all challenged firefighters this week in and around New Mexico's northernmost autonomous pueblo.
- Monday Moron
REALITY BITES -
by Larry Lieberman
TAMPA, Fla -- Dammit, Scott!
- On Native Ground
EVEN BUSH CAN HEAR 'GIANT SUCKING SOUND' OF LOST JOBS -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- The recession is over.
- Media Beat
GREEN PARTY TO TAKE THE PLUNGE IN 2004 -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- For the 2004 presidential race, the Green dye is cast.
- Make My Day
MY LENS IS BIGGER THAN YOURS -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- I've always enjoyed photography, although I haven't always had the necessary equipment. When I took a photojournalism class in college, I fancied myself a younger, less depressing Ansel Adams, and that I was just two-hundredths of a second away from shooting dramatic news photos for the Associated Press in foreign locales.
- Jill Stewart
IT'S DOPES V. BUFFOONS IN CALIFORNIA RECALL -
by Jill Stewart
SACRAMENTO -- What the media observes firsthand during political wars, but often "cleans up" when it reports the news for public consumption, continually bemuses me. I saw this behavior as journalists covered the dopes trying to recall Gray Davis and the buffoons trying to keep Davis in office.
- DAVIS RECALL PETITIONS WIN NEW ELECTION
-
by Joe Shea
BRADENTON, Fla., July 23, 2003 -- Democratic political honchos were laughing just months ago when asked whether the quixotic campaign to recall California's two-term Gov. Gray Davis had any chance of succeeding; like children, they often laugh when they are afraid. Today, California Democrats are very, very afraid; the state's voters may well elect a Republican governor in a recall election that is set for Oct. 7.
- Momentum
THE IMPORTANCE OF KATHARINE HEPBURN -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- How do we chose our icons? And how well?
- Breaking News
NEW YORK COUNCILMAN SHOT IN CITY HALL -
American Reporter Staff
BRADENTON, Fla., 3:25pm -- At least two persons including City Councilman James Davis were shot in a fusillade of bullets that riddled the New York City Council chambers at its ornate City Hall on Lower Broadway shortly after 2pm EST.
- Ink Soup
BETTER THAN THAT OF NOTHING -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Dave Niehaus, the long-time radio and tv voice of the Seattle Mariners, is one of the pleasures of seeing or hearing a ball game out here. He is as beloved a feature of the whole experience as was the Scooter for Yankees fans. His "My oh my!" is the local equivalent of "Holy cow!" "Good-bye, baseball!" is the way Dave bids farewell to a ball headed for the upper deck. A grand slam deserves a bit more drama, and he is not above slathering it on: "Get out the mustard and ryebread, Grandmaw, it's time for a grand salami!!!"
- Breaking News
FIRE DAMAGES TOP FLOOR OF EIFFEL TOWER -
American Reporter Staff
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The famed Eiffel Tower in the heart of Paris has a plume of smoke billowing from its top floor, CNN reported. The world-famous Tour d'Argent, universally acclaimed as one of the best in the world, is located on the same floor where the fire appears to have started in a technical room's electrical panel and caused no injuries, according to CNN.
- Breaking News
TWO SONS OF SADDAM KILLED IN MOSUL -
American Reporter Staff
BRADE4NTON, Fla., 12:25am, July 22, 2003 -- NBC News is reporting that Saddam Hussein's relatives or sons may have been killed in a confrontation with U.S. forces in the northern city of Mosul this morning. Reuters reported the two men and one of their sons, a 14-year-old, may have been among those hiding out in a large villa in the city. [Later, Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez told reporters that both Uday and Qusay had been killed in the raid.]
- Hominy & Hash
HERE'S TO 'THE LADIES WHO LUNCH' -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- There are times just a word, a song, a scene bring the past back into focus for a fleeting moment.
- On Media
TALK RADIO CROSSES THE LINE -
by Robert Gelfand
SAN PEDRO, Calif. -- While we stodgy intellectual types busy ourselves worrying about whether the New York Times has misplaced a semicolon, talk radio is joyfully poisoning the wells of public discourse. It's not that talk radio is a little sloppy in its journalistic practice, it's that talk radio has tossed the entire concept of journalistic integrity out the window. Take the L.A.-based John & Ken Show, for example.
- LIES ABOUT GULF WAR II ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST
-
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It is truly sad to see how many American soldiers are dying each week in Iraq. It is even sadder knowing that these young people are dying for a bunch of lies.
- Reporting: California
TOP DEMOCRATS JOIN FIGHT AGAINST DAVIS RECALL -
by Ron Kenner
LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2003 -- With the stage set to shift the political focus this time from Florida to California - and fireworks with immense implications for the next presidential campaign ready to explode - top Democrats came out swinging yesterday in a major push to help California's Governor Gray Davis in survive a multimillion dollar recall election that seems all but certain to qualify for the ballot.
- Brasch Word
THE PRETEND CAPTAIN -
by Walter M. Brasch
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Former Texas Air National Guard Lt. George W. Bush showed up on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States. He was trim, the result of long daily workouts, and jauntily dressed in a fighter pilot's flight suit. To sailors returning from Gulf War II he gave a speech written by taxpayer-funded speech writers. He looked just like a Navy flyer, maybe even a commander-in-chief; he said what a president should say - and recorded for broadcast around the world.
- Momentum
JOHN ASHCROFT, GET OUT OF MY UNDERWEAR! -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- While preparing to make a mold of my teeth the other day, the dentist made a little joke.
- Media Beat
IMPREACHING N.P.R.: MARA LIASSON'S DOUBLE STANDARD -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- The superstar columnist George Will has an impressive vocabulary. Too bad it doesn't include the words "I'm sorry."
- Ink Soup
HAVE YOU AUTOGOOGLED? -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE -- There are times when I wish that I had a less ordinary name, one shared with fewer people, something along the lines of those splendid members of Cromwell's parliament, the Barebones brothers. One was named Paisegod Barebones and the other, probably the younger, If Christ Had Not Died Thou Hadst Been Damned Barebones. The latter is said to have been known in the family as Damned.
- Hominy & Hash
UP TO MY HIPS IN DALEY-GATORS* -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- I was once the old lady who lived in a shoe with plenty of room for kids and enough space left over for assorted dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, tropical fish, a gecko and a bird.
- Analysis
OIL INTERESTS MAY FIGURE IN SAO TOME COUP -
by Joe Shea
BRADENTON, Fla., July 16, 2003 -- The tiny nation of Sao Tome and Principe - the smallest, poorest and most peaceful democracy in Africa - fell victim to a sudden military coup in the hours before dawn Wednesday, and there is little doubt that oil politics are the cause. San Tome's President Fradique de Menezes was in Nigeria on a "private visit" when the coup took place, according to Nigerian officials who strongly condemned the coup.
- Jill Stewart
DAVIS GATHERS CASH HOARD TO FIGHT RECALL -
by Jill Stewart
SACRAMENTO -- As the effort to recall California Gov. Gray Davis moves into overdrive and the noxious consultant Chris Lehane - who helped President Bill Clinton formulate his creepy Monica Lewinsky strategy - prepares to launch an assault on the truth unlike anything we’ve witnessed in a California election, a phrase keeps circling inside my head. Follow the money.
- On Native Ground
WAIST-DEEP IN IRAQ MESS, BUSH PRESSES ON -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's tough to definitively designate the single stupidest statement ever uttered by President Bush, but his recent ill-advised challenge to the Iraqis who have been attacking U.S. forces - "Bring them on!" - would certainly be near the top of the list.
- Reporting: Washington
9/11 COMMISSION WARNS OF DoD DELAYS; PANEL TOLD ARAB CULTURE CLASH SPURRED ATTACKS -
by Margie Burns
WASHINGTON - The third public hearing of the independent National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States - better known as the the 9/11 Commission - focused on geopolitics and on distant causes of the attacks, while its two top officials warned that the Defense Dept.'s foot-dragging on the production of related documents could endanger the quality of its final report.
- Make My Day
AT LEAST IT WASN’T A TANK -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- You've got to love the Scottish people. Not only do the men wear kilts without embarrassment (and threaten to beat the haggis out of anyone who laughs at them), but the Scottish national instrument - the bagpipes - were originally used in wartime to frighten opposing soldiers.
- Reporting: Indonesia
INDONESIAN JOURNALISM: FROM LIBERATION TO DEFAMATION -
by Andreas Harsono
JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 10, 2003 -- It began in June last year when Kompas, Indonesia's largest daily newspaper, published a report about former president Abdurrahman Wahid's intention to remove a young politician from his key party post. Kompas quoted "a source" as saying that Cholil Bisri, a senior member of the party, had objected to Wahid's proposal and threatened to resign if secretary-general Saifullah Yusuf was removed. Wahid reportedly said that Yusuf was involved in "money politics" -a practice of vote buying among Indonesian politicians.
- Momentum
A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE GREAT KATE -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- How do I love you, Katharine Hepburn? Let me count the ways.
- Reporting: Washington
9/11 COMMISSION TELLS OF 'DRAMATIC' FINDINGS, MANY DIFFICULTIES -
by Margie Burns
WASHINGTON, July 8 -- The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States has released its first interim teport, saying that the Commission's first six months have produced great progress and will shed "dramatic new light" on America's worst terrorist attacks, but has much more work ahead.
- Media Beat
SUMMERTIME ... AND THE MONEY IS EASY -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- While President Bush's re-election campaign accumulates an unprecedented pile of dollars, the country's news media are deep in a rut of reporting about the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. With the next national Election Day scarcely 15 months away, most signs point to a new triumph for the politics of money.
- Ink Soup
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE -- "Have a nice day! Have a nice day!" Hearing this incessant wish from people who could not care less what sort of day you're about to have can spoil the day for those who might otherwise have actually had a nice one. My friend Paul Fussell, the famous curmudgeon, and author of best-selling books about literature, war, and uniforms, had an answer to this:
- On Media
EXPONENTIALLY WRONG -
by Robert Gelfand
SAN PEDRO, Calif. -- My savings account is growing exponentially, but also very slowly. The Internet is probably not growing exponentially. These statements are arguably true but would likely be challenged by a large number of mathematically-challenged writers and editors who increasingly misuse an important term.
- AN AR Editorial
SEN. CARL LEVIN 'BOWELS' 'EM OVER -
by Joe Shea
As of July 9, 2003, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) is chairing a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee investigation - and a cover-up, we suspect - of the origins of the lie about Iraq's search for uranium that was contained in the live, televised State of the Union speech President George W. Bush gave to a joint session of Congress in late January. The White House admitted on July 7 that the information used by the President to gain support for the war against Iraq was not credible and should not have been used because it was based on forged documents. That admission only comes after we learned the lie was debunked by the intelligence community and by a U.S. Ambassador at least five months before the President's speech.
- On Native Ground
THANKS TO THE NET, HOWARD DEAN HITS THE BIG TIME -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- They aren't laughing anymore.
- Reporting: Bulgaria
AMID HIS MAGNIFICENT MUSIC, A TERRIBLE ISOLATION -
by Lionel Rolfe
SOFIA, BULGARIA -- Angel Stankov, Bulgaria¹s preeminent violinist and conductor, knows that his country has a terrible reputation. It's partly a reputation earned by benign neglect. People just don¹t know much about this nation of under 7.6 million people.
- Make My Day
SHE'S SUING OVER THE JELLO, TOO -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- We all make choices in life. And if our parents raised us right, we learn to accept the circumstances that result from our choices.
- Media Beat
TV AND THE VISUAL WORLD -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- Media critics often say that visual images trump words. The claim makes some sense: Pictures have major impacts on how we see the world. And we're apt to pay less attention to photo captions or the voice-overs that accompany news footage on tv screens.
- Market Mover
A BET ON PANAMA AS 'HUB' OF AMERICAS -
by Mark Scheinbaum
PANAMA CITY, Panama -- Panama and its famed canal might make the perfect home for a "capital" of the Americas, but it looks as if both Central and South America will lose out to "North" America.
- Hominy & Hash
WRITER'S BLOCK AND HOW TO BREAK IT -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Writer's block, so-called when writers begin articles and nothing comes. Nothing. There you are with fingers poised over the keyboard or pen in hand, creative juices are not flowing and the brian triggers nothing to spring into an idea ... followed by 900 words constituting an article.
- Opinion: Indonesia
THE OLD AND THE NEW NATIONALISM: JAKARTA AND ACEH -
by Andreas Harsono
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- I left Jakarta for Banda Aceh earlier this month with a big question in my mind: When does one expression of nationalism become old, probably senile and irrelevant - wand when is a new one strong, vigorous and relevant?
- On Media
YOU, TOO, CAN WRITE A CONSERVATIVE OPINION COLUMN -
by Robert Gelfand
SAN PEDRO, cALIF. -- Anyone can write a conservative newspaper column. To borrow from the Wizard of Oz, lots of people with no more talent or brains than you or me do it. Just think of Jack Kemp, Mona Charen, Larry Elder, and Thomas Sowell, whose syndicated columns appear in our nation's daily newspapers. The tricks they use are remarkably similar.
- On Native Ground
EXPLANATIONS FOR ASCHROFT -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Attorney General John Ashcroft believes the press needs to do a better job explaining the USA Patriot Act to the American people.
- Media Beat
BIG MONEY TOUTS DEMOCRATS IN 2004 RACE -
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- The corporate Democrats who greased Bill Clinton's path to the White House are now a bit worried. Their influence on the party's presidential nomination process has slipped. But the Democratic Leadership Council can count on plenty of assistance from mainstream news media.
- Make My Day
MY LAWYER SAYS I'M THE BEST -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- There's a word in German, "Schadenfreude" (shodden-froid-uh) which means "finding pleasure in other people's misery."
- Momentum
THE HUMAN SIDE OF ECONOMICS -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Writing about socially responsible businesses last week made me wonder what has gone wrong with our economic system in the first place. Shouldn't all businesses be socially responsible? Aren't we all living on the same planet? Aren't we all interconnected? Isn't it true that no man is an island?
- SECURITY BREACHES ALLOWED AT NUCLEAR SITES, HOUSE COMMITTEE TOLD
-
by Margie Burns
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2003 -- A series of witnesses testified to Congress today that the Bush administration has not repaired numerous security breaches at nuclear weapons facilities in the United States even after it warned that such breaches made the nation vulnerable to a terrorist attack.
- Ink Soup
FOR WHOM THE CELL TOLLS -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE, Wash. -- I can't help it. I've written about cell phones before, but it seems to me that the ubiquity of this device is bound to affect our perception of language itself.
- Brasch Words
JOINING THE SEPARATED POWERS -
by Walter M. Brasch
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Supreme Court received advice from a self-proclaimed constitutional scholar, civil rights analyst, and national educator recently. Yes, that was President George W. Bush.
- Market Mover
WAKE UP, AMERICA! YOUR KIDS ARE READING! -
by Mark Scheinbaum
LAKE WORTH, Fla., June 25, 2003 -- Harry Potter, boy wizard extraordinaire, please meet NBA star-turned-motivational speaker-actor John Salley. For that matter, meet Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan.
- Native Ground
IN A NATION OF LAWS, BUSH MUST BE IMPEACHED -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt., June 24, 2003 - "It's not about the sex, it's about the lying."
- Hominy & Hash
NOT A MINUTE TO WASTE -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- We can "use" time, find time, save time, spend time, put in time and kill time - but, we can't waste time. There just isn't enough of it.
- American Essay
BOOKS IN LA-LA LAND: THE TIMES AND THE GLORY -
by Lionel Rolfe
LOS ANGELES -- For many of the 27,143 attendees at the American Bookseller's Association's BookExpo America 2003 at the Los Angeles Convention Center here, it was an unsettling affair. There were more self-conscious attempts to link the book business and Hollywood than ever before, but what everyone noticed was that the local newspaper didn't even mention it, and how few people were attending. Everyone was talking cutbacks - from publishers to booksellers.
- Reporting: Indonesia
ACEHNESE LIVE IN GRIM SHADOWS OF CIVIL WAR -
by Andreas Harsono
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, June 19, 2003 -- It was probably a regular exchange but the clatter of American M-16s mixed with the return fire of Russian-made AK-101 automatic rifles was enough to create a terrible fear in a small village here.
- MarketMover
STOCKS? BONDS? WHERE NOW? -
by Mark Scheinbaum
BOCA RATON, Fla., June 21, 2003 -- For someone who never owned a share of stock until February of this year, after a sojourn on Mars, or an outer galaxy, the past four months have been fantastic.
- On Native Ground
A WAR BUILT ON LIES -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Those of us who opposed Gulf War II knew that history would eventually prove us right. What we didn't expect is that it would happen so soon.
- Media Beat
WHY BRITAIN INHABITS A NOT-QUITE-PARALLEL MEDIA UNIVERSE -
by Norman Solomon
LONDON -- The people of Britain and the United States are living in parallel, yet substantively different, media universes. Bonds of language and overlaps of mass culture are obvious. But a visit to London quickly illuminates the reality that mainstream journalism is much less narrow here than in America.
- Make My Day
SNAKES HAVE FEELINGS TOO, YOU KNOW! -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- Scientists call them herpetologists. I call them weirdos.
- Momentum
SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT CAPITALISM -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Even if we don't remember Donald J. Carty's name, most of us remember his story.
- Ink Soup
TALKING TOWER: THE LAST HUMAN DISTINCTION -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE. Wash.--In the Book of Genesis the nine brisk little verses that open the 11th chapter are hardly more than a brief respite from the exhaustive and boring inventory of the descendants of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
- Hominy & Hash
CHAMPAGNE TASTE, BEER POCKETBOOK -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Just as the fairy godmother in "Sleeping Beauty" wished wonders for the newborn princess (overruling the deadly plans of some wicked witches), so also did I have a godmother who wrote her wishes for me in my 8th grade autograph book: "Chicken when you're hungry, champagne when you're dry, a nice young man at 17 and Heaven when you die."
- THE SPAMMING OF AMERICA: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
-
by Norman Solomon
SAN FRANCISCO -- By now, millions of Americans are sick and tired of the spam that's flooding their in-boxes with unwanted e-mail messages - mostly offering products, services and scams that tell of big bargains, implausible windfalls, garish porno and dumb scenarios for bodily enhancements. In 2003, we're routinely slogging through large amounts of junk e-mail.
- Commentary
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IS BETTER THAN 'THE MATRIX' -
by Doug Lasken
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- In my last article for The American Reporter, "Orwell's Vision is still alive in 2003," I suggested parallels between the management of reality in Orwell's dystopias and manipulation of information in the modern world.
- On Media
MAILERS ARE THE ULTIMATE POLITICAL CON GAME -
by Robert Gelfand
SAN PEDRO, Calif. -- In the next 12 months, you'll come to realize the importance of those three little words in the middle of the oath taken in court. Witnesses are sworn "to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." It has become painfully clear that "the whole truth" gets left behind in political advertising.
- Market Mover
WHAT'S AT STAKE WHEN THE F.C.C. ENABLES BIG BROTHER? -
by Marybeth Brennan
LAKE WORTH, Fla., June 2, 2003 -- If you want the "Big Brother" of George Orwell's "1984" to become a reality, just support the Federal Communications Commission's actions to increase media monopolies.
- Make My Day
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- I don't know exactly why it happened, but journalists are held in the same contempt as lawyers and used car salesmen. We're branded as lying muckrakers, all thanks to a few dishonest reporters who decided it would be much easier to make up their stories, rather than tell the truth.
- Editorial
LEAVING L.A. -
by Joe Shea
Fare well, Los Angeles, and farewell. Along with my wife and daughter, I am leaving tomorrow after a 27 year-run that has been incredible. I don't know how you'll get along without me, but you didn't have a house or an apartment in our price range in all your 468 square miles, so we're going to Florida to live for a pittance.
- On Native Ground
ROBERT ST. JOHN: A PEACEFUL WARRIOR -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- With the various scandals and misdeeds of late, journalism has fallen into a general state of disrepute. We who still believe in the power of journalism to affect social change are starving for inspiration.
- Media Beat
MANY A JEST SPOKEN AS TRUTH -
by Norman Solomon
WASHINGTON -- National Public Radio deserves credit for finally airing a candid summary of how media spin works at the top of the Executive Branch.
- REPORT FROM FRANCE: 'THE WORLD IS A MESS'
-
by Larry Bridwell
LA BAULE, FRANCE -- “The world is a mess” was a phrase heard frequently at the Forum 21 conference held here recently. And the term likened the transAtlantic impact from the American-led war in Iraq to a “fragmentation bomb.”
- Momentum
A FAILURE OF JOURNALISM -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- When I was working in daily journalism, I continually irritated the night editors with my frantic calls begging them to change a word in a story or make a sentence clearer. And I would often wake up in the middle of the night, panicked that I had misattributed a quote or gotten a tax figure wrong.
- Foreign Affairs
RUMSFELD QUERIED ON OFFSHORE BANKING REFORM -
by Lucy Komisar
NEW YORK -- It hasn’t been reported in the U.S. press – until here, now – but Milan, Italy's chief prosecutor has obtained thousands of documents that show how for more than 20 years Saddam Hussein used the Western bank and corporate secrecy system to launder bribes skimmed from oil revenues to pay his security forces and buy Western arms during international embargoes.
- SENATE G.O.P ALTERS WHITE HOUSE PLAN FOR FOREIGN AID CZAR
-
by Margie Burns
WASHINGTON -- A bill pushed by the White House that would let President George W. Bush appoint a foreign aid czar to dole out assistance to poor countries was amended by Republicans on the the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday after senators expressed skepticism about expanding Executive Branch oversight of foreign aid to the Treasury Dept. and the Office of Management and Budget.
- On Native Ground
CONTROL THE PICTURES, CONTROL THE TRUTH -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- President Bush's "war on terror" has been a war that's been long on stagecraft and short on results. The recent terror bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, the continuing civil chaos in Iraq and the resurgence of the warlords in Afghanistan are just the latest examples of this.
- Media Beat
DECODING THE MEDIA FIXATION ON TERRORISM -
by Norman Solomon
WASHINGTON -- By now, it's a media ritual. Whenever the U.S. government raises the alert level for terrorism - as when officials announced the orange code for "high risk" on May 20 - local, regional and national news stories assess the dangers and report on what's being done to protect us. We're kept well-informed about how worried to be at any particular time. But all that media churning includes remarkably little that has any practical utility.
- Market Mover
A SPECIAL 'K' FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED -
by Mark Scheinbaum
LAKE WORTH, Fla.. -- Sort of like the Kellogg's cereal product with a similar name, IRS has a "Special K" for the self-employed which could finally cleanse out your investment tract of bad habits, and put you back in control of your retirement goals.
- Make My Day
YOU'RE OUTTA HERE! -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- Pity poor Cole Bartiromo.
- Happy Birthday, America!
Momentum
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE MEANS SOMETHING ON LT. SPAULDING'S HILL
-
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- "Auction March 2, 1871" reads the poster announcing the sale of a 65-acre farm belonging to "the late widow Spaulding." There was "running water to house and barn, plenty of wood on the place and a very good apple orchard." Also one pair of oxen weighing 3,800 pounds together, two cows, a three-year-old steer "nearly fat," a spring calf, a horse, a "cosset sheep" and a cart.
- On Native Ground
BUSH TO AMERICA: CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH? -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- If you thought President Bush's "Top Gun" photo-op on the flight of the USS Abraham Lincoln was the ultimate in political opportunism, just wait until the 2004 Republican National Convention.
- Media Beat
WHY THE FCC'S RULES MATTER -
by Norman Solomo
SAN FRANCISCO -- Media outlets are the lifeblood of the body politic. Extensive circulation of ideas, information, analysis and debate must exist - not just once in a while, but all the time - or the consequences are severe, even catastrophic.
- Momentum
THE CREEPING KEENE-ISM OF BRATTLEBORO -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Call me elitist.
- Make My Day
IT'S A NICE PLACE TO VISIT, BUT . . . -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- We live in an interesting country with some pretty interesting names. Nowhere else in the world can names of cities induce the same laughs, guffaws, and rolled eyes that American cities can. At least, that's what I'm told. I don't get out much.
- Reporting: OKC Bombing
TERRY NICHOLS HELD FOR MURDER TRIAL -
by Bill Johnson
OKLAHOMA CITY, May 13, 2003 -- The man already serving a federal life term for conspiracy in the Oklahoma City federal building bombing was held over for state court trial Tuesday on 160 counts of first-degree murder.
- Ink Soup
WHY I MISS THE WAR -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE. Wash.--I miss the war. No, honestly. It was better to have a subject that you had to avoid than to have no subject at all.
- Hominy & Hash
GENTLE SHADES OF JAYSON BLAIR -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Surprising how long it took for the New York Times to discover its 27-year-old reporter Jayson Blair was fabricating the truth in his articles. They had a "heads up" on July 21, 2001, when the paper unearthed an investigation at the University of Virginia where 122 students were suspected of plagiarizing the term paper for a course in physics.
- American Essay
ZAPPAS, MENUHINS AND MUTHAS -
by Lionel Rolfe
LOS ANGELES -- I suppose it's ironic that my mother, who died a year or so ago and taught me to reject Mother's Day for its crass commercialism, didn't hang around long enough to see me publish a book called "My Brother Was A Mother."
- Congratulations to Norman Solomon
upon winning
The ACLU of South Bay
1st Annual Upton Sinclair "Uppie" AwardMedia Beat
AN INTROSPECTIVE MEDIA IS NOT IN THE CARDS
-
by Norman Solomon
WASHINGTON -- A new poll tells us that - by a two-to-one margin - Americans "use clearly positive words in their descriptions of the president." The Pew Research Center, releasing a nationwide survey on May 7, declared "there is little doubt ... that the war in Iraq has improved the president's image" in the United States.
- On Native Ground
PRESIDENT BUSH'S DUBIOUS ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- In the first two years of George W. Bush's presidency, more than two million Americans lost their jobs. He's well on his way to becoming the first president since Herbert Hoover to preside over an actual decline in employment in the U.S.
- Breakthrough: SARS
HOPE FOR A QUICK CURE FOR SARS IS RISING -
by Joe Shea
LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2003 -- Chances that a proposed drug for use against SARS will prove effective against the deadly pneumonia epidemic were sharply improved by findings that only insignificant mutations are occurring in the cornoavirus identified as its cause, according to a respected British medical journal, making it a stable target for rapidly-produced "antisense" drugs that prime the immune system to prepare it for the SARS virus and then attack it when the victim is infected.
- Momentum
THE ANTI-SPIDER-MAN -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- What does it mean when, in the same week, New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain crumbles to the ground, a horse named Funny Cide beats horses named Empire Maker and Peace Rules in the Kentucky Derby, and, more to the point, President George W. Bush steps off a plane onto an aircraft carrier with what looks like a banana stuffed into his pants?
- Ink Soup
THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF DR. SOUP -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Dr. Soup was happily signing copies of his latest book "How to Get Credit for Writing Ink Soup Without Actually Writing It," when a woman whom he vaguely recognized as one of his former wives took a Colt .45 out of her purse, smiled briefly, and shot him through the forehead.
- Hominy & Hash
LETTERS FROM A MOVIE FAN -
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Dear Mr. Hoyt: I've wanted to write a fan letter to you since at least 1970. Every time the thought came to me, I realized I didn't know your name. Well, today that's no excuse. Through the Internet, I can find anyone using the smallest bit of information and I've discovered your name and, sadly, that you died in 1991.
- Market Mover
REFLECTIONS ON WHAT AMERICA IS -
by Mark Sscheinbaum
LAKE WORTH, Fla., May 5, 2003 -- Much of the world is still debating the rationale and results of the U.S. battlefield victory in Iraq, so maybe it's time for this non-politician to reflect on the true greatness of our land.
- On Native Ground
DID THE IRAQI ARMY TAKE A DIVE FOR THE U.S.? -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- After the opening week of battle in Iraq, many feared the worst.
- Breakthrough: SARS
A STOCK SOARS AND STALLS ON HOPE OF SARS CURE -
by Joe Shea
LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2003 -- Depending on who was asked, the chief scientist of a widely held drug development firm that has released a potential cure for SARS was flying back Friday to Portland, Ore., from a business trip to Las Vegas, or at the company’s labs in Corvallis, Ore., or at corporate headquarters in Portland, Ore. Back in New York, though, shares of his company, AVI BioPharma, were falling 11 percent on the Nasdaq stock exchange, and tight-lipped company officials and government media personnel were unable to say yet whether the firm's anti-SARS drug, which is reportedly being tested at U.S. Army facilities at Ft. Detrick in Frederick, Md., is effective against the new disease.
- PLAYING SPIN THE BATTLE: 'SHOCK AND AWE' AND AMERICAN IGNORANCE
-
by Walter M. Brasch
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- More than half of all Americans believe that Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. According to an Associated Press poll conducted shortly after the conclusion of the successful invasion of Iraq, 53 percent of the nation pin the 9/11 murders on Saddam, something the CIA and most of the world's intelligence-gathering organizations have consistently discounted.
- Media Beat
A DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR THE 2004 CAMPAIGN -
by Norman Solomon
WASHINGTON -- Eighteen months from now, citizens will vote for president. If the 2004 campaign is anything like the last one, the election returns will mark the culmination of a depressing media spectacle.
- Make My Day
THE #1 REASON FISHING IS MUCH SAFER -
by Erik Deckers
SYRACUSE, Ind. -- Let's say you're a professional big game hunter hunting lions in Tanzania.
- Breakthrough: SARS
An AR Exclusive: AMERICAN FIRM CREATES FIRST RAPID TEST FOR SARS -
by Joe Shea
LOS ANGELES -- The first quick and reliable test to detect the deadly SARS virus in humans is in the hands of the U.S. Army's Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and has been shipped to the World Health Organization, the American Reporter has learned. The test was developed by a privately-held life sciences firm, EraGen Biosciences, of Madison, Wisc.
- Momentum
TAKE YOUR MOTHER TO WORK DAY -
by Joyce Marcel
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Hey, Mom just got a job.
- Ink Soup
APPROACHING SANDRA -
by Clarence Brown
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Walking on the treadmill and watching (with no audio) the tv instant captions, the source of infinite hilarity, I read that one American division in Iraq was proud of being called the tip of the sphere (spear, I suppose). Another: swept on by the tied of war.
- Hominy & Hash: TABOO!
-
by Constance Daley
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Are there any left? Taboos, that is. Personally, I still hold a few: for instance, I would never wear a plaid shirt with striped slacks - never - and yet it's perfectly acceptable today, in fact designers plan a line around that concept.
- Market Mover
LOOTING 101 AND OTHER TIPS FOR THE PREZ -
by Mark Scheinbaum
LAKE WORTH, Fla., April 29, 2003 -- The looting of museums, stores, banks, and homes in Iraq provides the latest example of a political dictum politicians often forget. It's called K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
- On Native Ground
REBUILDING IRAQ BY SELLING OUT THE IRAQIS -
by Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- War, as Karl von Clausewitz wrote, is "nothing but the continuation of state policy with other means."
- Preview
MICHAEL MOORE, NORMAN SOLOMON TO BE HONORED BY A.C.L.U. -
by Dan Pasley
SAN PEDRO, Calif. -- Academy Award-winning director and producer Michael Moore and American Reporter Correspondent Norman Solomon are among seven public figures who will be honored on Friday, May 9, at the ACLU's First Annual Upton Sinclair Freedom of Expression Awards in the Los Angeles harbor community of San Pedro. The awards honor personal achievements in categories including Journalism, Political Courage, Personal Activism, Media Activism and Muckraking (Moore's category).
- Media Beat
MEDIA NIX TO BLIX, KUCINICH AND DIXIE CHICKS -
by Norman Solomon
WASHINGTON -- Hans Blix, Dennis Kucinich and the Dixie Chicks are in very different lines of work -- but they're in the same line of fire from big media for the sin of strongly challenging the president's war agenda.
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