Vlad Jecan

Last week the House overwhelmingly approved a measure to put a new round of sanctions on Iran.  If this measure passes the Senate, the United States could no longer do business with anyone who sold refined petroleum products to Iran or helped them develop their ability to refine their own petroleum.   The sad thing is that many of my colleagues voted for this measure because they felt it would deflect a military engagement with Iran.  I would put the question to them, how would Congress react if another government threatened our critical trading partners in this way?  Would we not view it as asking for war?

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Source: Wikipedia. Credit: Sgt. Michael Pryor. Date: 15 October 2007

East Los Angeles, Calif. native 2nd Lt. Lauren Cabral, a maintenance officer with the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, helps an Iraqi woman get comfortable with the AIM automatic rifle during a weapons familiarization class, Oct. 10, that was part of the training for the first group of female Iraqi security volunteers in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah neighborhood.

Abu Obeida (C), a spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, walks flanked by armed men to give a press conference in Gaza City, 15 June 2007

Armed groups in the Gaza Strip have finalized an agreement to stop firing rockets into Israel. However, Hamas says that they would respond to Israeli raids.

“The agreement to halt the rockets doesn’t mean we are weak; it is to maintain the internal and external fronts and the higher interest of the Palestinian people,” said Abu Obaida, a spokesman for the Hamas armed wing.

The group warned, however, that they will reply with force in case of Israeli strikes.

“We will defend ourselves with all means possible and we will counter any new offensives,” Abu Obaida added.

Congolese reporter speaks of harrowing messages threatening to kill her and two colleagues.

An IWPR article on the dangers that come with working in a country hostile to journalists. In the same time, the material is a great example of narrative journalism.

...unless you want no readers

This is a print screen of a Romanian newspaper’s website taken a few days ago. As you can see, more than 60 percent of the website is covered by ads. Advertising online in such a way has a negative effect on both the advertiser and the newspaper.

Visitors will most definitely seek the fastest way to escape the ad-bombardment. I, for example, closed my entire browser, even if I had a few other tabs opened. The negative effect this has on the publication is that it probably lost a great number of readers/visitors and it might also have tousled its overall image and, why not, its credibility.

The advertiser probably  invested a great deal of money in the campaign and the results were probably disappointing at best. The visitor may not remember the name of the product or company and even if he or she does, the product’s name is closely associated with disgust.

This is a perfect example of what I call grotesque online advertising.