. . . in the mainstream media:
Fluff-Filled Toys and Children, Perfect Match
By SPC Karl Johnson – 363rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Right: Sara, a child living in Baghdad, with Beanie Baby “Courage”. The toy was a gift from Army Maj Jim Barker, whose letter back home telling his family how much the child loved the toy resulted in he non-profit organization Beanies for Baghdad being founded in May 2003. To date, more than 150,000 of the stuffed toys have been passed out by Soldiers since the project began.
BAGHDAD — In a country where having a toy is a rarity, Soldiers passing out beanie babies to Iraqi children can become very popular.
“The children’s faces just light up when they see you,†said Sgt. 1st Class Alan Certain, Company C, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion. “It’s amazing to see what an effect a simple toy can have on a kid.â€
The civil affairs Soldiers pass out the small toys during their missions in central Iraq.
To date more than 150,000 of the miniature stuffed animals have been distributed throughout the war-torn nation with the help of Beanies for Baghdad, a nonprofit organization. What started as an attempt to get one child to smile has turned into a project that is helping Soldiers build positive bonds with the Iraqi people.“This is forming the beginning of friendships between the children and the Soldiers,†said Donna Ward, Beanies for Baghdad project manager. “The hope for a better tomorrow is found in the children of Iraq.â€
“We are hoping to see an entire new generation of Iraqis who trust that we are their friends and that we’re here to help them,†said Capt. Darrell Retheford, Co. C, 490th CA Bn.
The success of Beanies for Baghdad has just begun, said Ward. “We have so much more we hope to accomplished,†she said. “These little ones didn’t ask to be born in the conditions they are growing up in and this is a way we can make a difference.†“I personally feel this is a small gesture we as Americans and other countries can do to help our Soldiers sow seeds of friendship and to give these children something to smile about in a war-torn land,†said Ward.
Reprinted from the CENTCOM Newsletter.
Michelle Malkin was the first serious blogger to suggest that my work deserved consideration for the Pulitzer Prize. Her sentiment was echoed by thousands of email messages and comments on the open forum site, asking me about a Pulitzer Prize, and whether my work might receive such a great honor. I was clueless. I knew that Pulitzer was synonymous with first-rate and prestigious, but that’s about it. A Pulitzer Prize was as far from my mind as the moon was from my feet.
Just what does the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post (and a number of other liberal rags) expect will happen when they constantly filter the news and blatantly lie about current events? Thanks to a few conservative outlets, Fox News Channel in particular and the bloggers, newspapers are being exposed for their bias and are in a slump. We believe that network televised news like CBS, ABC and NBC will follow suit unless they get the bias out of their reporting. MSNBC, CNN and other left-slanted cable outlets already dwell in the ratings cellar.
Godspeed to the officers and crew of the 
The exercise was the final step in preparing the Ronald Reagan Strike Group for its upcoming deployment and will test the group’s ability to plan and execute alongside other U.S. and coalition forces in a complex, hostile warfighting environment. 
Just who the hell does liberal media writer Neil Gabler think he’s fooling with the phony beard color? Is it a fashion statement to make his whiskers match his shirt? WTF?
Coincidentally, Gabler’s silly-looking beard is compatible with his ridiculous liberal viewpoints. And do you think it’s also a coincidence that Gabler resembles the world’s most famous clown? 
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak of information to the media about a domestic eavesdropping program run by the National Security Agency, senior Justice Department officials confirmed Friday.