you go mika!

msnbc newsreader Mika Brzezinski
the grauniad reports today about an incident on television last wednesday morning. mika brzezinski (daughter of former carter advisor zbigniew) refused to read a report on paris hilton's release from jail as the lead news item. she tried to burn the script and later, when it appeared again on her desk, she shredded it. the paper reports, however, that the moment may be a fake:

"... suspicions remain that Brzezinski's moment of madness was staged, although the worried reactions from her co-hosts when she attempted to set fire to the script on air suggests she wasn't acting."

o my goodness i do hope not. i saw the clip online and could not believe it was real in the sense that she would actually argue with the host and refuse to follow the director's orders. on the little island of my desk in a small room far away, a cheer went up for mika. ffs there is so much more important stuff that we need to be seeing. not to mention the behaviour of the men either side of her, who seemed to be auditioning for spike tv. go mika!

thursday thirteen xii

Thirteen News Stories Not About Iraq

There is a world beyond the United States of America, but it is not often mentioned on the news. Here are some serious, and not so serious recent news items I noticed today:

1. There is no freedom without sacrifice
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition in Zimbabwe, speaks out against President Mugabe.
2. Ending the crisis in Darfur
We know there are problems in the Sudan, but how many of us could explain what they are? Here is a perspective from the UK mission to the United Nations.
3. The Lebensborn Children
Norwegians born during WW2 as the result of a Nazi experiment to create Aryans sue the government for years of abuse.
4. Police rescue 91-year-old man glued to roof
I hope I am fit enough to get up on the roof when I am 91 (toi toi toi).
5. Vicar murdered in Wales
News like this makes me despair. For those who anticipate 'apokalupsis eschaton', i.e., the revelation at the end of the world that is preceded by some climactic battle between the forces of evil and good, the random nature of violence in the world today might indicate its imminent arrival.
6. Don't shoot the viola player
I did not realise that violists felt so oppressed :-(
7. Has science found the moody hormone?
Adolescent mice may show the potential cause of pubescent mood swings.
8. A new species of leopard has been discovered
For those of us interested in nature conservation in Borneo.
9. Malignant Hypothermia
Just heard a guy on the radio who suffers from this talking about it. He called it pyrothermia, i.e., the opposite of hypothermia. It is a genetic disorder triggered by certain general anaesthetics.
10. The Blooker Prize
This is a prize for books originating as blogs. The 2007 shortlist is here.
11. The problem of deforestation
Save the trees! I was telemarketed by the local newspaper today. They didn't seem to understand that I felt their parochial rag was not worth the lives of trees. They did understand 'no thank you.'
12. Ayaan Hirsi Ali
An interview with the Dutch politician who speaks out against political Islam in Der Spiegel. It's in English!
13. Sucked to Safety
A hamster is saved by a hoover.

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