Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The people who do the programming for the Olympics have an unfortunate tendency to ignore non-Americans. I just watched Japanese figure skater Fumie Suguri, and at the end when she was waiting for her scores the camera showed her talking and saying things like "Hi Mom" in unaccented English. Although she's skating for Japan, anyone with ears could tell she sounds American. Presumably there's some really interesting story there that the people at NBC decided we wouldn't be interested in. 11:12:36 PM    comment () trackback () Link: Salon's Ask the Pilot on photography. Salon.com has a wonderful series titled Ask the Pilot where former pilot, Patrick Smith, ruminates on the airline industry. His most recent article touches upon photography at airports and how we are rapidly becoming much like pre-Glasnost Soviet Russia. Stopped numerous times by airport security who try to stop him from taking photos (but won't cite the law or regulation being broken), Smith manages to track down someone who can actually tell him the letter of the law: "No, it's not against the law," says Anne Davis, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokeswoman. When asked about jurisdiction, Davis describes TSA as the overseer of all airport security matters, including the supervision of local law enforcement. "The buck stops with us," she says, adding that the agency has no specific policy with regard to picture taking, other than asking people not to tape or photograph screening apparatus. Had any problems recently taking photographs at airports? Post a comment here! [Photoethnography.com] Another article on the Feds' emulation of the Soviet Union. 8:56:26 PM    comment () trackback () WILLIAM MARINA: Bringing the United Nations Back In. Today Juan Cole offers a program for peace in Iraq. "informed Comment" by Juan Cole There will be anti-War protests in the coming month, as the 3-year anniversary of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq approaches. I think it is time to demand a timetable for US withdrawal from Iraq. I suspect a majority of Iraqi parliamentarians want that. The Sunni Arabs demand it. The Sadrists demand it. It is time. Saying that the guerrillas would take advantage of a timetable, given the carnage we saw on Monday (see below) is frankly silly. They are taking advantage of the current situation. We have to create a new situation, with which they might be happier so that they stop blowing things up. Staying this course is untenable. But that step will not necessarily resolve the crisis. I think the peace movement has a real opportunity here to make a push for much heavier United Nations involvement in Iraq. I say, let's make up placards calling on Kofi Annan to get involved, and calling on Bush to let the UN come in in a big way, with proper protection. Here are the advantages: Read More... [Liberty & Power: Group Blog] Unfortunately many of those who claim to be opposed to the US conquest of Iraq actually have no objection at all to imperialism; they simply have a different idea on who the imperialists should be. Here we see another example. 9:19:47 AM    comment () trackback ()

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