Re: Media bias- here's Iraq the model ripping into the Guardian's coverage of one battle in Iraq (maybe you'll have to scroll down as I did). Normally I leave the Guardian alone as it spins off into the outer space of idiocy. There are people who champion lost causes like reforming the Guardian, but not me. The Guardian's a newspaper that gives centre stage to one Eric Hobsbawm, Stalinist apologist of former Soviet power- critique here. (hat-tip RCP)

Meanwhile, for those seeking an antidote to the media doom and gloom, ItM pointed me to this marvelous and elegant piece of writing from Grim at the Fourth Rail, in response to a question. Interestingly, Grim seems to have some some identification with the original hoodies, whose latter-day imitators found Bluewater fame.