Spent part of the night in lower Manhattan at an Alawan screening of a Deep Dish TV series on the war in Lebanon, 33 days of hell, just two years ago in the summer of 2006. We watched the bombing of civilians and a great city on the flimsiest of pretexts, an aggressive war fully backed by the United States which armed and rearmed Israel. Watching these events is a reminder of how quickly crises come and go, and the world goes about its business.

The films didn’t even deal with the most insidious outrage, the dropping of 3 million cluster bombs on the South of Lebanon AFTER a cease fire was announced. I worked months to raise money to tell that story but without much luck. Congrats to Deep Dish TV for getting out 8 hours on the war. The films will be shown on weekends on Free Speech TV.

BEIJING’S RACE FOR CLEAN AIR

RGE REPORTS:” Despite organizers’ promise that there would be blue skies for the Games, thick smog has been rampant. U.S. issued special masks to its athletes while the International Olympic Committee has said it would cancel some endurance events if pollution levels are too high on the day of competition.(Aug 5)

* In the run-up to the Olympics Beijing instituted alternate-day driving restrictions in which motorists were limited to driving on either odd or even days, depending on the last number on their license plate
-plans on banning 90% of cars from the capital’s roads and the closures of more than 100 factories around the city, and continue highlighting concerns about air pollution

* China has replaced U.S. as world’s top carbon emitter and its emissions are growing at a rate that exceeds all wealthy nations’ capacity to decrease theirs

“JOURNALISM”

Free Dutch daily DAG hands out 1000 Kodak cameras Wednesday. Everyone who receives one is asked to make one picture and to pass it on to the next person. The last (27th) person who takes a picture can send the camera back - and maybe receive a prize. DAG will later publish some of the photos (if the cameras are returned indeed). The cameras can only be used once.

YOUR LETTERS

Patrica Difeo writes:

thank you for your posting since i have always felt that my grave concerns about our economy are not just bad feelings but based on actual events that are occurring at the same time with no end in sight. I too have experienced this with my friends not wanting to discuss these problems we face but just simply dismiss it and say that things will get better eventually. I like to be positive but we have to accept reality too!!! Its like the corrupt government of the Bush administration where republicans are willing to support him even though there is a mountain (Mt. Everest size) of evidence all for the sake of being positive and supporting the party blindly. How sad!!!

BACK IN THE DAY

Cathy Scholl writes from out West:

Danny,

Just read the excellent article you wrote for the Santa Fe Reporter and realized I knew you way back when…trying to remember how, I just looked at your bio. Are you ready???

We’re talking the early 80’s…Beverly Wilshire Hotel, El Padrino lounge. I worked there, you I BELIEVE were working for 20/20 at the time and hanging out with the Howard Cosell, John Madden and the gang.

Great to see how far you’ve come. I’ll keep up with the blog.

Wishing you continued success.

Michael Bresnahan writes:

I ran across your essay “Da Nile” while checking out the news on my computer.

I remember you as one of the pioneer of truthful progressive journalism on WBCN in Boston back way back when it was progressive path breaking station not another sop station aimed at white bee swilling morons.

I’m originally from Lawrence, MA. Got expelled from Notre Dame for anti war protests in 1969 and became a radical activist in Louisville, Ky in the 1970’s. Worked 6 years in an iron foundry in Louisville and have some wild stories to tell.

Anyway I am still active and a lot wiser today.

I always wondered what happened to you. I look forward to getting your book.

DXM “Got” ME

Waitaminute! With all the other news in and of the world, The Dissector didn’t note the Novak blip…

Sun-Times Political Columnist Robert Novak Retires

There is a saying, “Speak of the good things of those of you who have died and refrain from speaking ill of them.”

In my book, Bury Me in a Blue Dress (since Bill Clinton already used My Life for the title of his book), I say Bob Novak was a son of a bitch! Since Novak is only direly ill, I suppose it’s still half ok to call him all the sonsabitches in the world, because, technically, he’s not dead yet… But dead or alive, in the likely or unlikely event Novak should out live me, I don’t want to take any chances on missing out on saying I never liked Novak, and always considered him to be one of the many priveliged whites in Washington (journalism) that lied to us and perpetuated the culture of media lies - lying even when they didn’t hafta - starting with the assassination of President Kennedy, and the Vietnam war, and all the way through to Plamegate and now to this latest round of questioning in the Anthrax story, which due to Novak’s condition, he won’t be contributing to muddying the water - you can know he would lip-sync whatever the FBI told him to say.

My favorite live-TV memory of Novak was his saying, “Bullshit!” and walking off the CNN set after a verbal altercation with James Carvile. Novak was warned in advance that on that same Inside Politics broadcast CNN correspondent Ed Henry was going to ask him about his role in identifying Valerie Plame as a CIA operative, live. The pressure was apparently too much for him. After the “bullshit” incident, CNN fired his sorry ass. When he dies from his “dire” straits, except by his family, and the Beltway propagandists who exploited Novak’s anti-journalistic ethic, dead or alive, I won’t miss him.

I worked alongside this man. My first interaction with was during the civil rights movement was when he was redbaiting SNCC and other civil rights activists. I wrote him a strong letter, never got an answer. He was, however, very cordial with me when I worked near him at CNN in Atlanta.

HOORAY FOR THIS NY TIMES EDITORIAL

Listen to the 56,000

When the Federal Reserve asked for comments on its proposed rules on abusive credit card practices, an astonishing 56,000 poured in. Most were from outraged consumers. They told of interest rates skyrocketing when they paid an unrelated bill late. They complained of unwarranted late fees and pushed-up due dates. One Pennsylvania customer fumed: “I’m fed up with credit card company tricks that drive us deeper in debt.”

This anguished deluge should send a clear message to leaders in Washington. The Federal Reserve should swiftly adopt its proposed rules against unfair or deceptive credit card practices. But the real burden to curb these abuses falls on Congress.

For too long, members of Congress have shirked the responsibility to ensure fair lending to credit card customers and have listened more intently to the banking lobbyists. A low point came in 2005, when Congress passed a bankruptcy law that was badly tilted against borrowers. It gave extra protections to lenders against unscrupulous debtors. But it also made it much harder for people to declare bankruptcy, even when the economic crisis was caused by sickness or family tragedy.

Ronald Mann, a Columbia Law School professor, has argued that the law creates a “sweat box of credit card debt.” As borrowers become “distressed,” the credit card issuer has more time to pile on interest charges and fees until the client actually goes bankrupt. As heartless as that bankruptcy law has been for beleaguered consumers, the Democrats, who have controlled Congress since 2006, have not fixed it.

They did take one step forward last week. By a 39-to-27 vote, the House Financial Services Committee approved a cardholders’ bill of rights that was sponsored by Representative Carolyn Maloney, Democrat of New York. It would stop credit card companies from raising interest rates on balances incurred under an old rate. It would let consumers pay off loans with higher interest rates first. And it would stop unfair late fees and “universal default,” the practice of raising interest rates on accounts in good standing when a borrower falls behind on other bills. This borrowers’ bill of rights should move quickly to the House floor, and Christopher Dodd, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, should support similar legislation in his chamber.

The banks are openly fighting both the Maloney bill and the Federal Reserve rules. They warn of unintended consequences, mainly that less credit would be available to consumers. They also argue that most cardholders are happy and that the complaints are just “anecdotal.”

The huge file of comments at the Federal Reserve contains plenty of anecdotes, and there are surely many more where those came from. Congress should give consumers what they need and deserve - fair and clear lending rules for credit cards.

VIDEO: PARIS HILTON’S RESPONSE TO MCCAIN’S PUTDOWN

Another film you shouldn’t miss is STEALING AMERICA-VOTE BY VOTE: A video manifesto for the election protection movement, a clear briefing of the issues. Its been put put for not being filmic by some newspapers who don’t bother covering the issues it treats. Insuring that all votes are counted is critical. One More Florida or Ohio, and we can kiss democracy good bye. Watch for it

ANNOUNCING THE MEDIACHANNEL WIKI!!

With your help—in both content and funding—we are getting
MediaChannel 2.0 off the ground. For those of you who don’t
know, 2.0 is a new way to organize informaton on the internet
and make the Mediachannel.org experience more interactive and
open to your content and diverse ideas. Even media and
democracy websites need to be democratized.

I am Zach Pickens, the new youth editor who is working to
upgrade our site.Today, we’re launching the MEDIACHANNEL WIKI
as the first of many new features as part of our mission to increase media literacy and
accountability through the use of new socially interactive
online tools. As we watch print media crumble, cable news
media oversimplify the issues of the day, and the Internet
expand as a source for news, it is crucial that we become even
more organized and more prepared to encourage the media to be
accountable with the help of new online tools.

The MediaChannel Wiki is a format that is cheap, easy to use,
and completely reliant on user input and construction. We
don’t need to spend weeks designing page layouts and writing
code. We just set it up, start seeding some entries, and
build from there. What’s more, it is a simple way for our
members and readers to begin contributing to our new
direction. No video equipment required. No intrepid citizen
journalist credentials required. All you need is your
knowledge of media issues of importance and the ability to type.

Open source technology has gained wide use over the years
because of the value of open editing and a community of
writers. Everyone can author content and have that content
vetted or discarded by other users with additional information
and knowledge. This is the idea that has driven Wikipedia to
become one fo teh most popular websites in the world/ In this
way, open source information sites become a community project.
Additionally, this is a major tool in the push for a
healthier democracy, as important information can be
disseminated and reach millions of people who need to know,
contribute their ideas, and make crucial decisions.

Given the backgrounds and professional orientation of many of
our readers, MediaChannel is in a unique position to build the
most informative and educational encyclopedia on media reform
and accountability. We already have a huge stock of knowledge
between our web team and many affiliate. Soon we will have
the tools to make this knowledge available to all.. Our
readers make up the ideal community for a wiki project.

User-Generated Content. User-Generated Funding.

Just as the new wiki relies on our readers and members of our
community to create content to keep it fresh, MediaChannel.org
requires the financial support of our community to keep the site up
and running. The new media revolution is driven by users, so
we feel it is fitting to ask those users to help us remain
operational. That’s why we use the new motto, “User-Generated
Content. User-Generated Funding.” To build a tighter, more
effective community, we need our members–all of you— to
literally “buy in.”

This is the true spirit of a vital bottom-up movement aided
by these great new technologies.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY!

As always, your donations to our non-profit organization, The
Global Center, are tax deductible to the extent allowed by
law. You can send your check marked for Mediachannel to The
Global Center, 575 8th Avenue, #2200, New York New York l0011

If you have any questions or suggestions, shoot them to me at
zepickens@gmail.com

And, as always, stories and comments for the News Dissector Blog to: Dissector@mediachannel.org