Diane mentioned that Rosie O’Donnell had been in the business for thirty years now and she wanted to know what Rosie would say to that girl from thirty years ago. She said:

I’m always so grateful when stars are willing to be honest about their experiences with fame. Thanks, Rosie!

Via: Diane Sawyer’s Interview with Rosie O’Donnell on Good Morning America, April 8 (Video) | TV Crunch

• What if the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had lived? – CNN.com

Although it’s interesting to think about what our world would be like if Martin Luther King Jr. hadn’t died on that April morning, we are only left with what he said before he died:

More about Martin Luther King Jr.:

• Quotations Weblog » Archive » Quotes of the Week: Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

• Quotations Weblog » Archive » Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• Martin Luther King, Jr. – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• A moment frozen in time: Witnesses recall King’s death – CNN.com

Back in 1967, Fidel Castro believed that retirement should come at an early age. Well, he has finally has resigned as Cuba’s leader.

• Fidel Castro Steps Down As Cuba’s Leader, Ailing Communist Leader Resigns Post Held Since 1959; U.S. Will Keep Embargo Intact – CBS News

You can see the video from CBS News here:

Do any of us consider 81 years old to be relatively young?

• Famous Quotes – Famous Sayings: September 11 Quotes

This is the best one from the group:

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. “
– President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

It has been six years since the fall of the World Trade Center. I remember where I was:

• Pick Me! » 09-11-01

I can’t find my 2001 journal since our last move. I would be interested to read what, if anything, I wrote that day. It always seems like I write less when I need to write the most.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

While the rest of us were laughing at the expense of Miss Teen South Carolina, Powerset were busy trying to diagram her sentences:

• Language Log: Parsing Miss Upton

In the end, it seems that misunderstanding the question and choking on stage isn’t nearly as interesting to some people as the actual words she said.

Via: Pick Me! » Find the USA on a Map

How long until we end this?

Just wondering, because, you know, people are dying.

All the presidential wrangling has made me weary of elections before they have even started. If this quotation from John Adams is true, why are so many scrambling for the opportunity?

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t like to be the one to tell you these things, but you don’t watch the news…”

Now, I’m panicked. What the hell happened?! “What happened?!”

“There was some guy in Trolley Square and he shot ten people before the cops shot him.”

We live within walking distance of Trolley Square.

“He killed some people in Cabin Fever.”

“Which one is that?”

“You know the pink store right across from Tabula Rasa?”

We browse at Tabula Rasa EVERY time we go to that mall.

“I thought you didn’t read the local news.”

“I don’t it was on CNN.”

“Did they kill him?”

“Yeah, an off-duty Ogden cop shot him.”

“So they don’t know why he did it?”

“No…”

Our flags are at half-mast, but something about the shooting bothers me. When there is a gang-related shooting in West Valley, the flags don’t go at half-mast. Why?

For more information: Salt Lake Tribune – Trolley gunman was 18, wielded shotgun and handgun

There has been a lot of talk about weblogs, especially political weblogs. Old school journalists complain that bloggers don’t have the same ethical restrictions as they do. They complain that this new group of writers don’t check their facts, while turning a blind eye to the journalists within their midst that not only don’t check facts, but willfully spread lies. On the other side, bloggers struggle for recognition while refusing to even spellcheck their work, much less confine profanity.

I find the whole thing amusing, not because I consider myself exempt from their disagreements but because both sides are acting as if this is a new thing. It’s not.

The battle cry for ethics in journalism has been going on for a LONG time, as exhibited by this quotation from Voltaire. It is something that needs constant vigilance. The mistake some of us had made is thinking that mistakes can’t be made. Highly respected journalists sometimes fail to check their facts. Additionally, sometimes greatness can come from humble places. Bloggers are there in the trenches and can break the story before a behemoth news site can move.

This is a debate that has been going on for a long time. Just because it’s bits and electricity doesn’t mean it’s any different than paper.