Seems right 

I like the way Chris Matthews always says "Thank you for your service" when he interviews an active member of the military.

First radios and other media toys 

Hil posted pictures of her childhood transistor radio. Like me, she got it as a birthday gift. What was your first radio?

My brother and I also had a little reel-to-reel tape recorder that I thought was pretty magical. Come to think of it we made radio plays with it. One that I remember was fanfic based on the Encyclopedia Brown mystery books. Well, I guess the only other one I remember also was derivative: Scott's production based on the TV series, Combat. Scott played the platoon sergeant, bellowing orders, each starting with "OK you guys!" If it had a script it would have gone something like:

"OK you guys -- follow me to the next tree!!"

"OK you guys -- dig a trench here!!"

"OK you guys -- open fire!!"

Parents should never underestimate the power of toys. We were given cameras and printing presses too and my brother and both now work in publishing, 40 years later.

Next Christmas, watch for the Barbie podcasting kit, complete with mp3 player/recorder featuring a wifi-enabled uploader to the Podcasting Barbie site. ;-)

Skirting traditional distribution channels -- citizens' distribution? 

Brave New Films offers slick end-runs of the channels for showing and selling documentaries.

I just bought one copy of Iraq for Sale but if I wanted to evangelize it I could buy more copies at a discount, and an online system would e-mail the people I want to give it to, asking where the DVD should be sent, and mailing out the DVDs individually.

Screenings are similarly well-organized online. Showings are all off the Hollywood exhibition grid, taking place in libraries, coffeehouses or your house.