taks story, michael kress

Here’s my (non-Zambia) story in today’s paper. Probably not worth your time.
Also of note in today’s paper: this profile of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the late spiritual leader of Hasidic Judaism. It’s of note for at least two reasons: (1) the great headline, “Rebbe With A Cause,” and (2) it’s written by Michael Kress, my first editor-in-chief at my college newspaper.
Finally, I’ve finished updating zambiastories.com, including the addition of about 50 photos relating to tomorrow’s story in the DMN. (The captions will make more sense if you’ve read the story first.)

olaf palme, valerie plame

WaPo White House correspondent Dana Milbank, one of this site’s favorite journos, hosts an unusually free-spirited Q&A on the Post’s site.
Question from Boston, Mass.: Anything new on the Palme investigation?
Dana Milbank: The Olaf Palme assassination remains, tragically, unsolved, a source of great agitation to all who love Sweden.
The Plame investigation, by contrast, chugs along in the secrecy of the grand jury and Justice department.

zambia story coming sunday

FYI, a story about my time in Zambia will be in Sunday’s paper, in the Sunday Reader section. While it may depress the hell out of you — being an extended narrative about the death and burial of a 23-year-old AIDS victim and all — it should be more interesting reading than my education policy pieces.
Also, head over to zambiastories.com sometime this weekend to see a whole host of new Zambia photos. (Hopefully.)

notwist video

In the category of Best Music Video By A German Quasi-Techno Band Featuring A Jellyfish Confused By A Desert Mirage, the nominees are:
– “Jelly Belly,” by Helmut Kohl and the Kohl Pencils
– “Happy As A Little Jellyfish,” by Dieter::Sprockets
– “Jellyfish Uber Alles,” by The Willy Brandt Explosion
– “One With The Freaks,” by the Notwist
– “99 Luftballons,” by Nena (Goldfrapp remix)
And the Oscar goes to…”One With The Freaks” by the Notwist.

comment spammer beaten

I know we’re all essentially powerless against spam. We can try to adjust our workflow around it; we can try to beat it with technology. But in the end, spam’s going to win.
But this afternoon, some cretin decided to leave comment spam on my recent post about my grandmother dying. Comment spam for Cialis, the erection drug du jour, of all things.
It pissed me off. I reported his sorry ass, and I just got notice that his Internet account has been terminated as a result.
Sure, he’ll probably just set up shop somewhere else, the limp-dicked jerk. But still, small victories can feel awful nice.

1,500th post, zambia trim

You know, it wasn’t until after I posted that circumcision link that I realized that it was the 1,500th post in crabwalk.com history. I’d hoped such a milestone post would be momentous — earth-shaking, even. I’ll settle for foreskin humor.
Tonight’s task: Turning a 3,483-word story into a 1,200-word story. Wish me luck.