As a sleepy teenager in the 80's the first thing we all did before class was hit the coffee shop across from school. The only marketing they did was their proximity to school. Also remember that most kids get their caffiene start on Coke, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew. I'm not saying any of this is good, but it's not Starbuck's fault.

Israel is clearly committing attrocities in Lebanon, and has no moral authority to do so. The media, of course, marches along in lockstep. Just looking at the various articles in the New York Times on Sunday, it is mainly Israeli government officials and Israeli scholars who are sought out for comment, and the only main question seems to be "what is Israel's strategy" or "what should Israel do next to prevail". You don't see the same questions directed towards the Lebanese government. Perhaps a one sentence condemnation from a government official, or threats from Hezbollah.

Less subtle is the extent to which CNN, on its website updates, makes much of one Israeli dead. You don't see banner updates saying "one Lebanese schoolchild killed in rocket attack!". We should not believe Israeli government officials when they say the international media is against them anymore than we should buy that the media in America has a "liberal bias".

I should add, however, that yesterday's updates on CNN's site were, for once, more balanced--the pictures on the homepage for most of the day were injured and grieving Lebanese. Most of the morning the pictures were of Lebanese children who had been injured, killed in rocket attacks. Today, however, it seems to be focusing mainly on Americans who have the (relatively speaking) luxury of leaving.

We must condemn the Israeli government for this action to cripple the Lebanese econonmy (and therefore, its people).