Is it just my monitor, or is the lighting here having an odd effect on the complexions of both Mark and Sam?

Sam: As the first comment in this thread indicates, and as you no doubt know from elsewhere, you are facing a lot of cynicism and apathy when you try to raise awareness on this issue. Further, the reality of the global thirst for oil means you're working against other, almost insurmountable, forces. That said, I will always take my hat off to anyone who fights the good fight, no matter the odds. To that end, I'd like to make a suggestion. Looking ahead to the next time you're doing a interview with a sympathetic interlocutor, in front of an audience at least some of whose members are predisposed to be interested in what you have to say, I think you would do well to think about coming up with some shorter first answers to questions you can anticipate. I confess that several times during this diavlog, I was mostly trying to think of a way I could make a joke about UN filibusters. While no one deplores our sound-bite culture more than I do, it is also true that succinctness is a good thing, especially at the outset of a complicated discussion. Try, for example, to leave some space for

The Sudan is a hot, dirty mess of course, but apparently people are again seriously starving in North Korea. Winter is coming on and lots of people are about to die there. I'd like to see an advocate for the North Korean people be interviewed and asked what the Obama administration or UN is going to do about it.

Quoting Lyle: The Sudan is a hot, dirty mess of course, but apparently people are again seriously starving in North Korea. Winter is coming on and lots of people are about to die there. I'd like to see an advocate for the North Korean people be interviewed and asked what the Obama administration is going to do about it.

Hear, hear! Regrettably, it seems we'll have to make do with "jokes" about the North Korean "justice" system in commenter court.

I think joking about North Korea is helpful actually. It means people know North Korea is an abomination. Its like making jokes about the Soviet Union and communists back in the day. Totally acceptable in my opinion.

I should intervene here. Before the interview, I specifically discouraged Sam from speaking in soundbites and specifically encouraged him speak at length, and to feel free to digress. Doing this for nearly three years now, I notice that many first time diavloggers have a tendency to speak in soundbites. Prior to my interviews I always discouraged my guests from doing so.

Quoting Mark Leon Goldberg: I should intervene here. Before the interview, I specifically discouraged Sam from speaking in soundbites and specifically encouraged him speak at length, and to feel free to digress. Doing this for nearly three years now, I notice that many first time diavloggers have a tendency to speak in soundbites. Prior to my interviews I always discouraged my guests from doing so.

Okay. Thanks for weighing in. Again, though, I make a distinction between sound bites and succinctness.

AI calls for arrest of Al-Bashir in Nigeria.

Not likely to happen. AI, I guess, is also cool with whatever violence will go down if he were to be arrested. Who knows how many people would be killed, mutilated, or raped if that happened.

Did Matthew Lee and Mark Goldberg have a falling out? There hasn't been an old-fashioned UN Plaza in months, it seems like. Although Lee has been allowed to branch out to host his own shows with other BH's, which is fine too.

Well played. I think that the Goldberg-Lee "falling out" has finally spoken its name. I, for one, welcome it... Lee is much better served with a livelier interlocutor-- Shire. This way, I can simply skip the Goldberg diavlogs, knowing that they will produce nothing more than "Meet the Press"-esque circumlocutions by third- or fourth-tier players. And Matthew Lee v. Jacqueline Shire can be appreciated as the bloggingheads gem that it is-- unvarnished, insider-ish, "no-spin zone" (sorry...), vicarious and vaguely thrilling spectacle of highly knowledgeable reporters telling us what "really" goes on from their perspectives. Bravo, and bring on Mr. Lee on a weekly basis...