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Iraq and Afghanistan War Photo April 30, 2005

Higher Protection

Thursday, the NYT trumpeted the naming of the long-delayed Iraqi government.  Although the event was not visually noted on page 1, this three column wide photo stretched half the height of page A12.  Obviously, the picture tells a story about security.  Besides our man on the roof, just count...

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We're on the Road to Nowhere

Could you find another image that better expresses that we’re living in two Americas? This photo was on the front page of Wednesday’s NYT.  It accompanied an article describing how federal and state governments are converting highways to “pay-as-you-go,” and allowing private companies to build and operate toll roads. ...

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Culture Focus Photo April 29, 2005

GQ: Iraq Edition

I’m distracted. Looking at this picture, I would typically dig into the contrast between the carriage, and the wall, and the palm trees; ponder the effect of the blue; think about the regal, ornate vehicular details compared to the scruffy plant, the sad barbed wire fence, and the dirt;...

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Uncategorized Photo April 27, 2005

Tarmac Tales: Me and My Shadow

Obviously, Dubya’s (maybe not-so-) excellent adventure with Tom DeLay drew plenty of photographic attention the other day.  After holding hands with Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Monday, Bush came back on Tuesday effectively exercising the same gesture with the hemorrhaging House leader.  This tarmac shot was the most...

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Letting 'Em Know Who's Hu

In terms of political power, heavy winds are starting to blow from the Orient. With the old Pope gone, Blair looking tired, Putin losing his pull, and Bush slowly going south, the most aggressive player on the world stage is now Chinese President Hu Jintao.  Although not the visible...

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Culture Focus Photo April 26, 2005

Your Turn: Mssing Identity

        In one of those conflicts that becomes a “last straw,” Ms. Magazine Editor-in-Chief Elaine Lafferty resigned from the publication after a debate over a cover design.  Ms. Lafferty was planning on running the version on the left this month.  The “powers that be” overruled her,...

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Faith Focus Photo

Paging Howard Beal

This post is not going to tell you anything you don’t already know.  That said, it probably says a few things about what we see and how we are trained to look. The radical Christian Conservative “anti-filibuster” telecast, “Justice Sunday,” was broadcast this weekend.  If you haven’t been following...

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Bush Focus Photo April 25, 2005

Ranch on the Side

    Since entering office, Dubya has made the biggest deal about who does and doesn’t get the Crawford invite. In viewing the images out of the dude’s ranch, however, I’m always interested in how the White House PR operation scripts the setting and story line for each guest. ...

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Eco Watch Photo

What on Earth

How far has the environment fallen as a political priority?  This is the shot in the NYTimes commemorating Earth Day.  The headline?  “Bad Weather Forces Change in Bush’s Earth Day Plans.” (What could be more degrading than an article about Earth Day that isn’t about the day, and isn’t...

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Eco Watch Photo April 23, 2005

Your Turn: Seeing the Forest for the Fees

There’s green and then there’s green.  (As if it would still be true.) I don’t believe that the paper published earlier this year — “The Death of Environmentalism” — critiquing the green movement from the inside, was intended as a capitulation.  If I’ve got it right, however, pro-development and...

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Bush Focus Photo April 21, 2005

I'll Gladly Pay You in Forty or Fifty Years For a Hamburger Today

Last time we checked in with the road show, George Bush was in Iowa (Dispatch from Cedar Rapids – link).  This time, it’s Columbia, South Carolina.  If you read the last dispatch, you know I’m big on the theory that “W” has been on autopilot.  (In addition, he seems...

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Your Turn: War as Child's Play

Hearing about the disputed mass hostage taking and killings in Madaen, as well as the massacre of Iraqi troops at the soccer stadium near Hadith… …You know, I was quick on the hunt for an image.  Finding the documentation scarce, however, I decided — finally — to check back...

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Disaster Focus Photo April 20, 2005

More Benetton

One or two columns back, Frank Rich was talking about the good use the right wing had been making out of death lately.  I’m sure he didn’t invent the term, but he described this type of exploitation as “necro-porn.” Having looked at hundreds and hundreds of newswire photos after...

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Chin Up

Do you think this picture has enough stars? With large scale demonstrations being planned for May 1st (Labor Day), the Chinese government has decided to put the brakes on anti-Japanese protests.  Apparently, party leaders don’t want to see things get out of hand (or let organizers start feeling too...

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Faith Focus Photo

Ratz on the Balcony

If it had been up to John Paul, those cardinals would have better timed the news cycle.  Because the ‘Zinger from the Vatican occurred in mid-day in the States, the story missed the papers.  However, this was the image that fronted the NYT website for most of the day. ...

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Uncategorized Photo April 19, 2005

Coulter and Colder

I really had a debate with myself over giving attention to a figure like Ann Coulter.  In this case, however, the visual analyst lost out to the shrink. Liberal pundits like to talk about the clay feet of the right-wing gods.   The major recent examples include Bill Bennett with...

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Faith Focus Photo April 18, 2005

Your Turn: Church Signals

‘He should have been brought up with many, many sisters and have a lesbian in the family.’ …This is part of the criteria offered for selecting a new Pope in this week’s The Way We Live Now feature in the NYT Magazine.  If you were to critique this essay,...

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Campaign '08 Photo

All in the Footwork

Generally, I tend to assume most news photos have a some kind of editorial slant. That’s why I was interested in this image that accompanied Howard Fineman’s piece in last week’s Newsweek.  The article, title Playing Rope-a-Dope (link), profiles the reluctant Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid.  The story outlines...

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