"CNN—Nobody Leaves More Things There"

Jon Stewart mercilessly skewers CNN for having the time to “fact-check” a Saturday Night Live skit but not the bogus numbers thrown out by its interviewees in the health care debate. When it comes to fact-checking whether there are five or 35 million uninsured in the country, CNN anchors are “out of time” and just “leave it there.” As Stewart puts it, “Don’t leave it there!...‘There’ is a terrible place to leave it—unless somebody will pick it up later.”

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
CNN Leaves It There
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Extra Large Grande Barista, Bangalore vs. Venti Starbucks, Washington, DC

I have a minor coffee addiction. Like many things in my life, I blame it on my mother. I grew up with the smells of ridiculous amounts of Turkish coffee brewing at all hours of the day in our Soviet studio in Kiev. By the time I discovered lattes with the little drawings at Berkeley’s Café Milano, I did not stand a chance.



Unlike Berkeley, the proud of home of liberal lattes, Washington, DC does not have a café culture. Or, if it has one, it is carefully hidden from the naked eye in case Washingtonians decide to have a leisurely Americano before getting to the all-consuming task of running the world. There are a few exceptions like Tryst and Politics and Prose that are consistently good and perpetually overcrowded, so I mostly resort to Starbucks and Cosi to quench my latte thirst. If I get “my” Starbucks guy, I can be assured that my latte will be decent. Otherwise, it might appear disguised as a black coffee gone bad or a glass of warmed up milk with traces of caffeine. A botched latte is a tragedy indeed and is better than no latte at all.

The most annoying aspect of going to Starbucks is being exposed to Starbucks-speak. If you order “a small latte,” the barista will remind you that it is a “tall latte.” Through the years, I have been relentless in my affirmation of the cup’s smallness. If I say, “I like tall men,” I mean that I like men over 5’8”. I don’t mean I like midgets. So why should I say “tall” when all I am getting is a midget latte? Starbucks may be taking over the world, but there is competition. Take Barista, the deservedly popular Indian chain with a knack for bombastic labels, which is now part of the Lavazza empire. Starbucks, behold Barista’s “cappuccino grande...served in an extra large grande cup.” Venti cappuccino, you got served!



(Photos: Cafe Milano drinks courtesy of anniemalchang via Flickr; Bangalore menu, NonnaBlog)

A Washington, DC Intern Moment

Overheard at Tryst:

Dude #1: So what do you do?

Dude #2: I work at NPR. You know All Songs Considered?

Dude #1: Of course, of course.

Dude #2: I’m involved in that.

Dude #1: That’s tight man. So what sort of things do you do for them? Do you write or do you, like, work on sound?

Dude #2: Actually, I don’t know. I just started two days ago. They have a website, and I want to write stuff for that.

Dude #1: So what’s your title?

Dude #2: Well, it’s sort of like an apprenticeship.

Snow Patrol

In spite of my numerous musical accomplishments, such as singing “May There Always be Sunshine!” to a distinguished African delegation in Soviet Ukraine and performing in San Francisco’s premier ex-Soviet Jewish music and dance group Tikvah, I don’t play any instrument and am utterly hopeless when discussing music. Last week, I tagged along with a friend to see Snow Patrol, the alt band from Northern Ireland and Scotland.



They gave a fantastic performance, and it was a lot of fun. The music is melodic and has the right mix of complaint and optimism and fast and slow for my liking. There was a bit of joking around—always a good sign when bands don’t take themselves too seriously—and a request to sing on one’s toes. I am good at following important directions. That’s as sophisticated as my analysis will get. Here’s what The New York Times had to say:

Nowadays scruffy rock bands are learning what pop stars long ago discovered: It pays to have “one song you know….” Snow Patrol…has “Chasing Cars,” a ballad that became its first American pop hit. (It reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100.) Even if the title doesn’t ring a bell, the refrain — delivered in a pleasing accent by a singer from Northern Ireland — just might. It begins, “If I lay here/If I just laaay here.”

Those nine words helped Snow Patrol crack America….Snow Patrol has officially gone from the Scottish indie scene (the band was formed in Glasgow) to the American mainstream. Fans knew all the songs, but they might not have been there were it not for that one song.

“Chasing Cars” comes from “Eyes Open” (A&M/Universal), the fourth Snow Patrol album, which was the top-selling CD last year in Britain, where the band is well established. No doubt some fans hear Snow Patrol as a humbler, hipper version of Coldplay. (One lyric from the new album drops an indie-rock name: “Put Sufjan Stevens on/And we’ll play your favorite song.”) That’s not fair, especially since the earliest incarnation of Snow Patrol predates Coldplay by nearly half a decade, but it is understandable.

Snow Patrol’s grandest songs build slowly and gently, until eventually the huge chorus unfurls. (By contrast the worst ones simply trudge, like “Make This Go On Forever,” which did.) Gary Lightbody, the highly likable lead singer, knows how to lead a sing-along without letting the power go to his head. “Shut Your Eyes” was no doubt designed to make crowds go nuts, but Mr. Lightbody made the refrain sound like a simple request: “Shut your eyes and sing to me….”

Certainly Snow Patrol doesn’t have a marketable image or a polarizing sub-genre or a famous face or an audacious sound. What Snow Patrol has is songs: a few great ones, along with a bunch of less-than-great ones. And its fans don’t want deep-catalog obscurities or free-form improvisations; they want to sing along. As Mr. Lightbody and his band mates know, there is only one way to avoid becoming a one-hit wonder: Write more.

Well, I hope that they will write a lot more. I disagree with the reviewer about “Make This Go On Forever” being one of their “worst” songs. It’s angsty, and I happen to like it. Although I think this was a well-written and fair review, it also reminded me why I don’t usually read music reviews: They make me doubt my personal tastes. I got three Snow Patrol albums—Final Straw, Eyes Open and A Hundred Million Suns—and found something I loved on each one. The band is on tour until the end of the year in the United States and United Kingdom, so check these guys out. The concert truly made my month. I am even feeling inspired enough to possibly make good on my ancient but not forgotten plan to pick up the guitar.

Women and Foreign Policy @ Foreign Policy Association

(Flickr/H@ne)

I am happy to announce that Women on Foreign Policy has moved to Foreign Policy Association's website. Women and Foreign Policy (yes, a slight name change) will continue to explore the same issues, with a special focus on the role of women in political life and, for the lack of a better phrase, women's issues. We've also just launched a Facebook fan page. So, show your love and devotion!

Women on Foreign Policy blog

Along with some of the Oxford mafia members and other coerced friends, I've launched the Women on Foreign Policy blog last month. Our motto is "lively commentary on foreign affairs from women around the world." Any foreign policy topic goes, with special attention showered upon lady politicians.

Nonnka's scribblings elsewhere

Presidential election moments from the Moment archives, September/October 2008, Moment Magazine.

"The bar mitzvah from hell—and heaven," co-written with Laurel Lachowiez, September/October 2008, Moment Magazine.

"The shrinking newspaper, July 28, 2008, NiemanWatchdog.org.

"Rather, Moyers see deterioration in news coverage," June 9, 2008, NiemanWatchdog.org

"Media consolidation seen as "almost un-American," June 8, 2008, NiemanWatchdog.org.

"Media Reform conference opens in Minneapolis," June 8, 2008, NiemanWatchdog.org.

A musical interlude

Whether Barack Obama wins or loses, the Democrats sure know how to give a superb music concert. The Republicans just can't compete. If you missed the performances Thursday night at the DNC, here are Stevie Wonder (can you spot the dancing Bob Scheiffer in the crowd?), Sheryl Crow and Jennifer Hudson hitting all the notes all the way on the national anthem.