NO TERRORISM SUSPECTED
It was a good hour after the explosion before I heard ABC say there was no terrorism suspected. WABC also had a good interview with a UPS guy who was hurt when cinder blocks fell toward him and pinned him against a coffee cart on the street. The interview ran as a live feed, and it looked like the TV guy was already walking away when he asked the guy a final question: "You're gonna be OK, aren't you?" and the UPS guy just says: "It's hard to keep a good man down." Man, that's New York.
- posted by Amy @ 4/25/2002 01:00:00 PM

 

EXPLOSION IN CHELSEA
Couple copters in the air and people on the street look very concerned. I was at the gym when the TVs broke in with news of the explosion. My gym's at 7th Avenue and 10th Street, just a few blocks south of the site. I booked home and everyone was standing outside the stores - despite the rain - looking up in the sky toward Chelsea. A couple scowls, some fear, but definitely concern.

- posted by Amy @ 4/25/2002 12:15:00 PM

 

YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER
This is hilarious. It's a great scam, but really the funniest take I've seen on it yet. This actually arrived in my "in" box today.

FROM: SEKO MOSHOOD
EMAIL:mmmsekou1@desertmail.com

DEAR FRIEND,

I am the first son of the late Mobutu Sese Seko, the former President of the Congo Republic. I am presently under protective custody in Nigeria as a political refugee. I got your contact during my search for a stranger that can cooperate with me in this mutual transaction. I want you to note that this business will benefit both of us. However, you must confirm your ability to handle this because it involves a large amount of money. The money (47 million US DOLLARS is my share of my father's estate). I boxed and shipped the money to a security company IN Europe at the peak of the war/political crisis that rocked my country few years ago. Now the crisis has abated i am looking for a person like you to proceed to the place of the security company in order to clear the fund and invest on my behalf as I dont want my name to be used for now as i realise very much the type of hatred late kabila the former head of state has for my late father and even his son who is now the head of state. Note that I will send to you the relevant documents that will enable you take possesion of the the fund for onward investment for our mutual benefit. All I need from you is as follows:
1. A committment that you will keep the transaction strictly confidential.
2. Your confirmation of your ability to handle this.
3. Your telephone and fax numbers including mobile for easy communication.
4. Your full permanent address.
As soon as I get the above information from you, I will disclose to you the name and the country of the security company so that you can make arrangements to travel and collect the luggages.Note that this is a very safe transaction as this money is my share of my father's estate. I am waiting for your response via email:mmmsekou1@desertmail.com to enable us proceed.

Regards.

SEKO MOSHOOD.

- posted by Amy @ 4/22/2002 11:27:00 AM

 

WELCH ON NADER
Matt Welch, who covered Ralph Nader on the campaign trail, takes apart Nader's book in a new story for Reason.
- posted by Amy @ 4/22/2002 10:52:00 AM

 

CAVE SPIDERS AND INTERNET HOSTING
Ken Layne points out that Os Tyler -- who runs the Nothing Special ISP for this site and many others you know and love -- is now accepting new accounts.
- posted by Amy @ 4/22/2002 10:50:00 AM

 

WHEN BLOGS TALK
I should acknowledge that I harbored reservations about attending Friday's blogbash. I figured that since the blog story was reaching critical mass in the mainstream press, it was high time for a non-blogging journalist to crash the party, scribble down some comments from drunk bloggers and head back to the office for a snarky little report about the non-professionals in a titter over finding their voices as writers.

Way back when I was in my first training session at my college paper, we were told to never interview someone who is drunk. It is not fair, which is one of the canons of journalism. In the 15 years or so since, I have seen a plenty of stories in major publications where the interviewee is described as drunk, yet seemingly still fair game for ridicule. I've met a few reporters who could care less about the concept of fairness. Which gets me back to my point about the blog bash - of all the incriminating conversations I heard and was party to on Friday night, you won't find them on the Web. The people with the digital cameras were asking if it was OK to post other people's pictures. (And in the case of "Jane Galt", her anonymity was accommodated in Cousin It style at both bashes.) Ken Layne harps on this point all the time - there is no professional degree required to be a good journalist. Mostly what you need is common sense and a brain. Far too much rambling from me. Here's more on the party:

Read Raghu Ramachandran's account of the evening and check out his pictures. There are fuzzy details from co-hostesses with the mostess Orchid and media darling Asparagirl, who claims she doesn't really care for asparagus. There's a report from Steven "I Only Started Blogging Wednesday" Kuhn who was suddenly No. 14 on Blogdex on Sunday afternoon. Ken at the Illuminated Donkey also raves about the night. He doubted me originally, but after his quest to the back of the room found "that it's far more difficult to give away pizza to drunk people in a bar than you might imagine." More party accounts can be found from Ravenwolf, Lane McFadden and suddenly famous Mr. Blue-Collar Slob himself. Dr. Weevil doesn't have a report on the bash, but his terrorist girl joke cracked me up.
- posted by Amy @ 4/22/2002 10:21:00 AM

 

KURTZ ON BLOGS
The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz weighs in on the growth of the blogs. He takes some easy shots, but also delivers some praise:

"But the arena has produced fresh, clever, idiosyncratic, real-time musings by all kinds of people whose voices would otherwise be heard only at the local Starbucks."

- posted by Amy @ 4/22/2002 09:27:00 AM

 

MOTHER IN YOUR MAILBOX
"Mother Jones Welcomes Brill's Content Readers. The balance of your Brill's Content subscription has been transferred to Mother Jones Magazine." Oh great. And it says that for every remaining Brill's issue I paid for, I'll get two issues of MoJo.
- posted by Amy @ 4/22/2002 09:20:00 AM