Another Media Double Standard

The mainstream press apparently wants to show the bodies of the dead in New Orleans. I'm with Andrew Sullivan on this; I think the pictures need to be shown, with an appropriate level of discretion to protect the families and loved ones of the dead, such that identifying characteristics are left out of the picture. But that last point is up to the discretion of the press, and there shouldn't be legal barriers to the reporting. I personally find the exercise ghoulish and distasteful, but much of what a free press produces is distasteful. But it's still free to do so, and in this case distasteful pictures may also be useful in helping us understand the extent of the tragedy.

But Instapundit raises a great point...

THE PRESS WANTS TO SHOW BODIES from Katrina. It didn't want to show bodies, or jumpers, on 9/11, for fear that doing so would inflame the public.

I can only conclude that this time around, the press thinks it's a good thing to inflame the public. What could the difference be?

Ed Driscoll scores an even better point, as Glenn notes. And Scott Ott at Scrappleface really hammers home the point.

I've been considering what I want to write about Katrina, but saving my thoughts. I'll get to those in a bit.

The Eagles Update

The Eagles open up Monday night. I don't know if live-blogging the game will be a good idea... but we may find out.

Meanwhile, back on everyone's favorite on-going soap opera...

Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb have resolved their feud, according to the enigmatic All-Pro wide receiver.

Owens said Friday in a radio interview on Miami's 790 AM that he spoke to McNabb and the two Philadelphia Eagles stars are "getting along just fine."

"We both have a mutual respect for each other and I think we probably understand that both of us may have been wrong in the situation, but that's between Donovan and I," Owens said.

Owens dominated the headlines this offseason with his demand for a new contract just one season into the seven-year, $48.97 million deal he signed when he came to Philadelphia in March 2004.

The Eagles have refused to redo the deal.

"It'll get resolved one way or another," Owens said. "Right now, we'll put the contract situation on the shelf, but after we win the Super Bowl, it'll get revisited."

That last line alone is enough for me to forget all of this -- then again, I said back in February that after that Super Bowl performance, T.O. was okay with me regardless of what he might have said. Add in the fact that he's auctioning his NFC Championship ring for Katrina relief, and I'm keeping my mouth shut.

And as for the Falcons... I know they get us on their rug in Atlanta instead of in frigid South Philly. But we beat them without T.O. last time. Keep that in mind.

What Annoying Song is Stuck in My Head Today?

If I need to suffer with a song stuck in my head, why shouldn't you have to do the same? Sometimes they're good, most times they're bad... but no matter what, they make you suffer. So I like to share the suffering whenever it happens.

I had dinner with my lovely wife Friday night at one of our favorite establishments. We took an outdoor table, but the trip inside to fill my plate for Mongolian barbecue... well, let's just say the restaurant's musical taste leaves something to be desired.

Here's (ugh) New Kids on the Block...

The first time was a great time
The second time was a blast
The third time I fell in love
Now I hope it lasts
I can see it in you walk
Tell it when you talk
Can see it in everything you do
Even in your thoughts

You got the right stuff baby
I love the way you turn me on
You got the right stuff baby
You’re the reason why I sing this song
All that I needed was you
Oh, girl, you’re so right
And all that I wanted was you
You made all my dreams come true

Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh.
Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh.

The first kiss was a sweet kiss
The second kiss had a twist
The third and your fourth kiss
I don’t want to miss
I can see it in you walk
Tell it when you talk
Can see it in everything you do
Even in your thoughts

Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh.
Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh.

You're welcome.

Quagmire This

The Lord of Truth directs us to this article by Peter Kann, which hammers home one of my favorite points -- quit comparing Iraq to that war-that-the-left-likes-because-America-lost. Or if you plan to do so, at least point out the real similarities..

First, during the wars in both Vietnam and Iraq, the American people have retained their common sense and consequent sense of commitment far longer than the elites who claimed to lead or represent them. During Vietnam, the elites, from the college campuses to the media to the halls of Congress, tired of fighting well before the larger American public which, even by the early '70s, continued to show significant support for the war effort and rejected the cut-and-run calls of the McGovernites. But eventually, the persistent pessimism of the elites took its toll on the public.

Today, as antiwar activists wave their placards, as media coverage from Iraq focuses almost entirely on the several American soldiers killed each day, and as politicians begin distancing themselves from a war for which they voted, there are clear signs of a similar but compressed syndrome.

Second, in the case of Vietnam, the war was lost less on the battlefield than on the home front. North Vietnamese leaders themselves have frequently credited "the peace movement of the heroic American people" as important to the communist victory. Few military authorities would any longer dispute that the vaunted Tet Offensive of 1968 was a significant military defeat for the North Vietnamese, or that well into the early '70s the military balance on the ground had shifted in favor of the Americans and South Vietnamese.

Covering the Tet Offensive, I, too, was stunned into initially seeing it as a communist triumph. Traveling the Vietnamese countryside in the years that followed, I came to see the military progress we were making. But even as the balance of power on the ground shifted in one direction, the balance of politics at home was shifting in the other.

And so, by the early '70s, with antiwar protests mounting in the streets and antiwar sentiment seething in Washington, we accelerated our military withdrawals, Congress cut off military aid to a South Vietnamese government we had committed to support, and the U.S. was left to negotiate a fig-leaf surrender. We then stood by to watch the 1975 collapse of South Vietnam under a massive North Vietnamese assault. One need not argue that Vietnam was ever a fully winnable war to suggest that political rather than military realities led most directly to that grim outcome. And, as today's senators complain about casualties, begin to seek certain dates for troops withdrawals, and argue that the price of persistence is too high, the similarities to the Vietnam era are all too recognizable.

This time, the counter-culture has to deal with the fact that it no longer controls all means of mass communication. And the American people are far tougher than the elites recognize. We will finish the job -- and we will win.

Those Wacky College Kids

Wojr sends us this story, which makes me feel even older than my hairline makes me look...

In the coming weeks, millions of students will be entering college for the first time. On average, these members of the Class of 2009 will be 18 years old, which means they were born in 1987. Starbucks, souped-up car stereos, telephone voicemail systems, and Bill Gates have always been a part of their lives.

Each August, as students start to arrive, Beloit College releases the Beloit College Mindset List, which offers a world view of today's entering college students. It is the creation of Beloit’s Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and Director of Public Affairs Ron Nief.

...The list is distributed to faculty on campus during the New Students Days orientation. According to McBride, “It is an important reminder, as faculty start to show signs of ‘hardening of the references,’ that we think about the touchstones and benchmarks of a generation that has grown up with CNN, home computers, AIDS awareness, digital cameras and the Bush political dynasty. We should also keep in mind that these students missed out on the pleasures of being tossed in the back of a station wagon with a bunch of friends and told to keep the noise down, walking in the woods without fearing Lyme Disease, or setting out to try all of the 28 ice cream flavors at Howard Johnson’s.”

Well, some things constitute progress. These kids have never lived through a Jimmy Carter Presidency, disco, the 1986 Mets or Merv Griffin.

Meanwhile, we should note that Wojr has now linked to yours truly on his journal page. I'm afraid of what might happen to the poor souls there who click on this link by mistake -- they may never forgive him.

The NFL Preview

Oh, yes, it's time.

Several years ago, one of my sixth grade teachers, Mrs. Jeffries, told our class that she loved September because the start of fall was actually the start of many things. The school year. Autumn weather. Election season. And football.

To be honest, I could care less about the other stuff, even elections. But football -- as Bill Simmons noted, if you're a man in America and you don't like football, we should be suspicious of you. Hell, maybe you're really French.

So of course, it's time for my $3.14 NFL Preview. For those of you who don't understand why it's worth $3.14, you don't know me very well. Although I guess the new tagline could be, "This NFL Preview's Worth Less Than A Gallon of Gas."

NFC East

1. Eagles
2. Cowboys (wild-card)
3. Redskins
4. Giants

If the Eagles finish with a record of less than 11-5, the world might be ending in Philadelphia. Honestly, they have no business finishing less than 12-4. The Cowboys will be pretty good, because their defense will bounce back, but I keep wondering if my wild-card pick is ridiculously optimistic with the human statue behind center. The Redskins are still a bunch of head cases with no offense of any note, unless Joe Gibbs plans to bring Riggo out of retirement. As for the Giants... if Eli is any good, they can surpass the Redskins. But that assumes a lot. And when you assume stuff, you can end up looking like an idiot.

NFC North

1. Vikings
2. Lions
3. Bears
4. Packers

Yes, you read that right. I almost talked myself out of picking the Vikings, but Culpepper and Co. have enough talent to win this weak-ass division. Too bad they don't have enough talent to offset Mike Tice being the head coach in the playoffs. The Lions and Bears are interchangeable based on which QB performs better, but I think Harrington has more talent around him than David Hasselhoff had surrounding him during the 1990's. The Pack will stink worse than one of those Cheeseheads after a day in the sun.

NFC South

1. Carolina Panthers
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. New Orleans Saints

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the only NFC team with any shot at stopping the Eagles. Of course, we think the Panthers won't do that, especially since they're a bunch of steroid-using criminals. As for the Falcons, we think Ron Mexico is more overrated as a passer than Ben Affleck as an actor. The Bucs will surprise everyone by finishing around .500, which will still leave John Gruden wearing that constipated angry face. As for the Saints, I hope they prove me wrong, considering that we could use some good news regarding New Orleans.

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Arizona Cardinals (wild-card)
3. St. Louis Rams
4. San Francisco 49ers

Seriously, should we care? The Seahawks are being counted out by everyone -- the Cardinals are the popular sleeper pick, while the Rams are the de facto choice. The Arizona defense will be plenty good, but there's a reason Kurt Warner's been in the half-price bin the last two years -- the guy's past his shelf life. As for the Rams, we cannot in good conscience select any team with this many holes on defense and a coach who looks like the grown-up version of Jonathan Lipnicki. But even with that handicap, they will be better than the 49ers for one more year.

AFC East

1. Patriots
2. Bills
3. Jets
4. Dolphins

If you pick against the Patriots, you're an idiot. The Bills are a terrific team everywhere but QB, but J.P. Lohsman only needs to hand the ball to Willis McGahee, which should be enough to nip the Jets for second place. We like having Nick Saban coaching the Dolphins, if only because we enjoy the idea of seeing rookies cry.

AFC North

1. Steelers
2. Ravens
3. Bengals
4. Browns

Someone's going to win this division with a 9-7 record, maybe 10-6. The Steelers and Ravens should finish 1-2, but Cincinnati could sneak up on them because their offense is loaded. Too bad their defense is as bad as the Ravens' offense. The Steelers get the win by default, because Ben Roethlisberger's dating habits allow me to link to a picture of Natalie Gulbis.

AFC South

1. Colts
2. Jaguars (wild-card)
3. Texans
4. Titans

The Colts need to do more than win the division - they need home field advantage so Peyton Manning doesn't begin gagging at the mere sight of the Patriots. The Jaguars are my second wild-card, but I really wish the Texans would get better, because David Carr's hair needs more airtime. No one will remember these Titans for any particular reason, other than lame jokes like this.

AFC West

1. Chargers
2. Chiefs (wild-card)
3. Broncos
4. Raiders

Ugh. The Chargers should win the division, but the Chiefs will probably end up stealing the second wild-card. Mike Shanahan will continue getting praise for cutting Maurice Clarett, rather than getting ripped for drafting him. I don't want to discuss the delightful prospect of Randy Moss in a Raiders uniform with Kerry Collins and being coached by Norv Turner.This is a substance abuse problem for one of them waiting to happen. Best part is, those fans in the Black Hole have plenty of drugs to offer.

AFC Playoffs:

Wild Card: Jags over Chargers, Steelers over Chiefs
Divisional: Jags over Patriots, Colts over Steelers
AFC Championship: Colts over Jags

NFC Playoffs:

Wild-Card: Vikings over Cardinals, Cowboys over Seahawks
Divisional: Eagles over Cowboys, Panthers over Vikings
NFC Championship: Eagles over Panthers

A couple notes --

Yes, I'm an idiot for picking against the Pats. But these streaks end sometime, usually when we least expect it.

Anyone picking Mike Tice and the Vikings to reach the Super Bowl needs to realize one thing -- it's Mike Tice.

I'd like to see the party that erupts in Indy when/if the Patriots get knocked off by someone else.

As for the Eagles and Panthers, I want some revenge for two years ago.

As for Super Bowl predictions, let's be simple about this. Peyton Manning in a big game. Yup.

Super Bowl

Eagles over Colts

And if you don't believe me, just ask the next Super Bowl MVP... his initials are T. O.

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