This whole article from 2003 is darkly hilarious in retrospect.

To an amazing degree, the Baghdad-based press corps avoids writing about or filming the friendly dealings between U.S. forces here and the local population–most likely because to do so would require them to report the extravagant expressions of gratitude that accompany every such encounter.

Right. We know how that went.

On another note, there is something very wrong with the WordPress install or something related to this blog, so I might be deleting and restoring everything soon. Different articles appear if you go to www.technologyasnature.com vs. technologyasnature.com. No idea why, nor do I care to troubleshoot it.