Newsweek, processed

Like sausage, it is.

Noted: Newsweek has written not only an article about fmr. Time managing editor Henry Grunwald, he gets a mention in "The Editor's Desk," since the editor knew through his daughter at school and Grunwald is recalled by another Newsweek writer who worked for him, I get the overwhelming feeling of media inbreeding.

Noted: Newsweek calls it an "exclusive" to report that the Pope has no living will. Well, while I can see this meriting some space, in the sense that an article about Catholic doctrine and the reality of modern medicine for, at the least, the Western world's most comfortable and how they grate against each other so bad that even the pope can't figure out what sort of living will he should have. But, in the sense of the pope not having a living will, well, duh. Kind of what I'd expect, actually.

Noted: the U.S. gov't is going to open a 1,700 person embassy in Baghdad. They are teaching these ambassadors about different weapons.

Also noted: The CIA's gulfstream jets used to shuttle terrorist suspects out of the country (extraoridanry rendition anyone?) have been having their comings and goings documented by "plane spotters," who record the comings and goings of various planes at various airports across the world. How insanley nuts are these people? Yet they are shockingly contributing to the organization of today's data glut for a higher purpose.

But, onto the raisin deter — last crappy sentences.

"Gentlemen, does that start your engines?"

"For Iraq's independent-minded women, hemmed in between Sunni terrorists and Shia hardliners, the struggle for Iraq's soul could last generations." (get it? HEMMED?? Plus, not only is there a pun, there's a struggle for a soul!)

"Now that's a Manhattan project for the 21st Century."

"Ensuring a peaceful future will take a special kind of power: brainpower."

"It might just be his last chance to persuade his soulmate in the Kremlin to come in from the cold."

"And if the Bush administration wants to fight a war that is increasingly becoming a legal morass, it may have to think up some new ideas."

"And only when they laugh will Martha get the last laugh." Plus this sidebar closer: "Then again, it's not surprising that controversy will be part of Martha's legacy." Masters of the obvious much?

Here's the last question Newsweek asks Keri Russell in their mini-Q&A feature: "Keri, that's called being a lesbian." I can't decide if it comes off as too literal or what.

That is all the NW I can deal with at the moment.