Achenblog: January 23, 2005 - January 29, 2005
Army 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe
They say the President doesn't read newspapers, but I hope he pauses to read the stunning Steve Fainaru story that ran at the top of Friday's front page. It's a heartbreaking piece, masterfully crafted. Our ombudsman, Mike Getler, says...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 29, 2005; 2:23 PM ET |
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More Cowbell
A recent New Yorker story mentioned the famous More Cowbell skit on SNL, and now my colleague Paul Farhi investigates, replete with a link to the skit. SPECIAL NOTE TO MY STUDENTS: As much as we fetishize the lede...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 29, 2005; 1:44 PM ET |
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Stuever on Oscars
From Hank Stuever: High Holy Days in Hollywood! Everyone thinks the actual Oscar ceremony itself goes on way too long, and I suppose I used to agree. UNTIL I actually covered one. Last year, instead of serving Whole Foods hummus...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 28, 2005; 11:50 AM ET |
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Jared Diamond
Am so psyched to have gotten my hands on "Collapse," the new Jared Diamond book. It's a tale of doom. Civilizations rise, expand, exult in their glory, and then one day realize that everything is falling apart, that they've...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 28, 2005; 11:38 AM ET |
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Finkel
Flew back from Houston (and will soon try to post of some the furious emails from Houstonians) and taught the Georgetown class last night. The students continue to be outstanding. Everyone met the latest assignment deadline. David Finkel came...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 28, 2005; 11:34 AM ET |
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Welcome to Houston!
My image of Houston has always been and continues to be defined by the cheap little map you get when you rent a car. Houston is like a big, fat, overgrown cell, the membrane formed by interstate highways. It...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 27, 2005; 5:56 AM ET |
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While I'm in Houston
I have to fly to Houston tomorrow and this blog will go dark, but maybe you will amuse yourself with the Style Invitational....
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Joel Achenbach
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January 25, 2005; 5:09 PM ET |
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Oscar buzz
An offshore gaming company puts 4-to-7 odds (a $7 dollar bet wins $4) on The Aviator winning Best Picture, followed by Million Dollar Baby (2-to-1) and Sideways (5-to-1). For Best Actor, the prohibitive favorite is Jamie Foxx for "Ray,"...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 25, 2005; 5:05 PM ET |
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Florence of Arabia
Chris Buckley is the Hiaasen of Washington. His books are smart and funny, and make you think even as you laugh. (I know that sounds like I'm trying to write a blurb. That's how I write. My style is...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 25, 2005; 10:26 AM ET |
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Today's Journalism Lesson
Aspiring journalists are always asking me, "How did you become such a famous writer, in addition to being a sparkling conversationalist and an extraordinarily manly man?" The first part is easy. Good writing comes from good reporting. And good...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 25, 2005; 10:24 AM ET |
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Gittin' linky
I keep meaning to be linkier. Here's a great manure report discovered by a friend in Florida. My students this week will read more Finkel, a classic story from Kosovo, as well as Von Drehle on the Nixon funeral and...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 24, 2005; 4:18 PM ET |
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White House: Never mind
People are still trying to figure out the Bush inaugural address. Liberals hate Bush but what's interesting is how nervous he made the conservatives. The "realists" don't like nation-building, the military is nearly tapped out, no one is eager...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 24, 2005; 11:16 AM ET |
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Wired
My friend Mike came over this weekend and monkeyed around with the recalcitrant wireless network in my house and for a brief shining moment it appeared that he had got things working, simply by removing some encyrption and enabling...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 24, 2005; 11:14 AM ET |
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Johnny
It's cliche, but it feels like the death of a friend. Where had he been the last 13 years? Didn't see this one coming. Young folks may not realize this, but Johnny Carson may well have been the biggest...
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Joel Achenbach
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January 24, 2005; 11:09 AM ET |
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Latest fabulous column
Here's the latest Rough Draft column from the magazine. Join me today at 3 for the Achenchat....
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Joel Achenbach
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January 24, 2005; 11:00 AM ET |
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