google news

 While searching Google News a few day ago, I started wondering when someone would start asking the question "what constitutes a news website?" in this age of DIY online news-making. I know, for instance, that Slashdot is spidered, but I don't think many other blogs are. (Quick search: Drudge ain't; neither is Romenesko; nope, not Metafilter.) Then today, I see this item in Poynter's E-mail Tidbits, which says the blog Infoshop News is in a tussle with Google because they want to be included in Google News' search results. My guess is that in the long run Google will use their acquisition of Blogger to draw a line in the sand between "blog search" and "news search." (In other words, in addition to those familiar tabs for "Web," "Images," "Groups," "Directory," and "News," you'll see one for "Blogs.") Of course, this line will be increasingly hard to decipher in the coming years, but it might accidently force an answer to "blogging as news" debates by declaring them separate but equal. We'll see.

 I'm not sure quite how this fits in, but Columbia Journalism Review interviewing Jon Stewart (from a couple months ago) also seems somehow relevant.

 Okay, weird. Not only does the National Cattlemen's Beef Association have the disgustingly pink website Cool-2B-Real.com that tries to ensare kids into a pro-meat lifestyle, there's also Pork4Kids.com from the National Pork Board. What's next, Vegan8Spam.com from Hormel?

 You just knew they'd turn those masks into a fashion statement. Sorta like, er, face plates.

 Salon has the Madonna video that she pulled from MTV. (Server load is timing it out right now though.) This is the weirdest Madonna video ever.

 Great collection of the leaflets dropped in Iraq. (See also: MSNBC/Newsweek Flash slideshow.)

 Dan Gillmour says that SMS caused the news about SARS to spread so fast. NPR instead points to online message boards. Meanwhile, try to figure out this CDC graphic on how SARS spread.

 Amazon will start displaying those Google ads now too. Metafilter already is.

 Iraq.com is for sale. Buy high, sell low.

 I wanted to create a rhyme for this, but my verbal skillz suck: Ol' Dirty Bastard in mental hospital.