NOTE: While a later review of Report records would reveal this to be the 29th Report, I will not attempt to re-write history here. Future counts of Report entries will provide an accurate count.
Welcome to the special 30th issue of the Report!
Before we kick off the exciting new celebrations, a pair of neat President/Flag related links provided by one reader. First, and sent before she even knew I was writing about flags and presidents that day, a link to a piece that has somehow not been mega-hyped on all sorts of news pages. Released just last week, on June 5, the papers of Dr. Charles A. Leale, the first physician to reach Abraham Lincoln on the night of his assassination at Ford's Theater. The papers, more easily read in this exact transcript, provide an account of the night in incredible (at times graphic) detail. What most surprised me, though, was the fact that Lincoln did not die until 7:22 the following morning; I had always imagined him pronounced dead at the scene. Also, the detail of Booth's leg catching in the American flag seems appropriate given yesterday's holiday and the symbolism that might make you roll your eyes if it happened in a novel. And, speaking of flags, she also informed me that the American flags flown over the U.S. Capitol are actually available for purchase. While it's too late to give them as Flag Day gifts, remember, the 4th of July is coming up!
But now, to business. As you can see, we've made a few changes here at The Morning Report. First, you may have noticed that these are coming from a different e-mail address! Reports will now be sent from the very official morning.reporter.dc@gmail.com.
Finally, and perhaps most exciting of all, following the advice and requests of more than a few of you, the Report is becoming a blog! From now on, when you click on the banner at the top of these e-mails, you'll be transported to the new blog, "From the Desk of the Morning Reporter." Not only will I update it each night with the distribution from that day, but I'm also beginning to upload the archived issues. For most readers, these issues are completely uncharted territory, and well-worth checking out. An interesting point to note, though: These issues will be uploaded and dated as though they had been posted on the day they were originally distributed. We're using the Internet as a sort of time machine here in order to keep the narrative arc from Mementoing. Past and present flashes are too confusing. I will, however, be taking the opportunity to provide some commentary on past posts. Starting with the first one.
We'll be uploading more from the archives as the days go on. But for now, dear readers, thank you for your continued support of the Report. I am thrilled by the way this has grown and hope that you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy writing them. Please, do keep the responses coming. One of the best things about this is that it converts the clicking-around exploring of the Internet, which so often becomes a solitary wandering, into a shared exploration. Much like what I imagine a wilderness safari is like based on my trips to Disney World, these journeys into the wilds of the web are that much greater when someone else is there to go "Oh, hey, did you see that?!"
Finally, remember to Pay It Forward today for Helen Hunt's birthday! "Twister? I hardly know her!"
Til Monday, e-mail me definitely, corgi maybe?
