Margaret was an interesting character before she started working for CNN: She was born Margaret Wilson, but changed her name because, she explains, in every class she was in, "there were at least three Margarets" and "there were always other Margaret Wilsons." She continues:

"One day thought, you know, women, we inherit our father's names, then you get married and have a husband's name. I thought, well why should I have to live with my father's name? Why can't I have my own name?"

She chose "Moth" after a Tiger Moth — a plane she used to skydive out of. Margaret was the first "cameraman who was a woman" in Australia and New Zealand. Various friends and colleagues agree: She was fearless, unafraid to get as close to the story as possible, even if that meant getting close to armed militia men. CNN's Christiane Amanpour calls her a "larger than life character" who slept with her combat boots on.

In July 1992, Margaret was in Sarajevo when she was wounded by sniper fire — shot in the face. When she was in surgery, doctors said that even if she did survive, her life would be "very different" due to the injuries to her face and throat. "It felt like my face was falling off," Margaret recalls of the shooting. "I remember… I was trying to hold it on."

After more than a dozen surgeries to rebuild her jaw and the base of her tongue, Margaret returned to the war zone in Sarajevo in 1994. Wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Former CNN President Tom Johnson says he was reluctant and worried about sending Margaret back out. But, he explains: "I could just see her getting shot again, and all the cries — why in hell did Johnson and CNN permit her to go? Well it wasn't a permit deal: Margaret was determined to go."

Today, Margaret says: "I think some people are really brave people. Some people are cowards. Most of us sort of fit somewhere in between, and I guess I just think of myself like that."

She also says: "People say, 'Ah, people like you — you have a death wish. And it used to make me so angry. I thought, don't you dare insinuate I have a death wish. I don't know anyone who's enjoyed life more or values my life more."

Two and a half years ago, Margaret was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She told a colleague: "If I had had an uneventful life, I would be in a panic."

This piece ends with Margaret saying: "To me, it's no different if I did in six weeks or in 20 years. I don't think it matters how long you live as long as you can say that I've gotten everything out of life." She is currently in a hospice.

Battle Of CNN Camerawoman [CNN]

On "Amanpour," the titular host will talk to political and cultural leaders for a half hour, several times a week. The show begins Sunday, September 27 at 2 p.m. EST.

"The job of evening news anchor is one of the last great solo gigs in broadcast television, along with that of talk show host," says the Observer's Felix Gillette. Diane Sawyer's got the first — and now Christiane Amanpour has the second. Maybe TV news really is turning into a "pink collar ghetto."

Key to both these jobs, in Gillette's estimation, is the word "solo." The right to fill up the TV screen all by themselves is something Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw took for granted. When Sawyer's agent suggested her as a co-anchor for NBC or ABC news, Jennings said he didn't "go through all the crap" in his career "in order to divide up 22 minutes." Brokaw simply said, "No way. If that happens, I leave." Meanwhile, Sawyer has always worked with others, from "a pack of alpha newsmen" to Barbara Walters. Says Gillette, "No one should appreciate the autonomy of a solo anchor job more than Ms. Sawyer."

Amanpour's appointment isn't as groundbreaking as Sawyer's — plenty of women have hosted talk shows before. But her show will presumably be far from fluffy, showing that news networks are more ready than ever to let women tackle the serious issues of the day — and to do it by themselves. In the coming years, TV news might be one of the few places where women are actually praised for being alone.

Amanpour To Host CNN Talk Show [Variety]
She's Headed To Prime Time, And She's Solo [NY Observer]

• Ashton Kutcher elaborately pranked CNN and Ted Turner:

He threw a banner with his Twitter name, aplusk, over the CNN neon sign at the Atlanta, GA news center. Earlier in the day, he'd visited a restaurant owned by Ted Turner, Ted's Montana Grill, and, with the help of some friends, neatly stacked hundreds of boxes of Ding Dongs in front of the establishment. Kutcher had challenged CNN to a Twitter race, saying he would donate 10,000 mosquito bed nets to charity for World Malaria Day if he beat CNN, and 1,000 if he lost. CNN agreed to do the same. "CNN lost. That's what happened," Kutcher explained. "I'm just fulfilling a promise I made ... that I'd do this thing and I'm doing it." [CNN]

• Madonna and Jesus Luz are indeed having some kind of Kabbalah commitment ceremony, but Jesus's dad says it's not necessarily legally binding: "I don't know if there will, in fact, be a real marriage between Madonna and my son. It will be a type of ritual, but I do not know Kabbalah [or if the ceremony] will have legal validity." Yeah, no way she is letting him near her cash. [Gatecrasher]
• Amy Winehouse's father says he fears for her life: "After she almost died twice from drug related problems, to see her walking, smiling - she has progressed so much. But now, if it's alcohol instead of hard drugs - I don't think I can go through that again. I've decided to distance myself, and whatever happens, happens. It's her life. It's her career. It's her decision." [Ok! UK]
• Britney Spears is taking her Circus tour to Europe, which means her kids are going, which means Kevin Federline is getting a free trip as well. [E!]
• Oh, nice headline: "Kelly Clarkson And 'K-Fed' Hit The 'Big' Time With Weight Gains." [Gatecrasher]
• Real Housewives feel remorse! Kelly Bensimon is sorry for being obnoxious to Bethenny Frankel: She emailed, "I honestly owe you an apology." Apparently when Kelly went off on Bethenny there were other reasons she was upset: she had an ex-boyfriend "harassing" her "like crazy," she was late because she had to "organize the girls to go to the beach" and, she claims, "My driver who has been with me since I was 23 told me he had terminal cancer." [Page Six]
• The home of Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, child star of Slumdog Millionaire, has been destroyed by the government. Authorities claim he and other families were squatting on land they did not own, and now, Azharuddin says: "We are homeless, we have nowhere to go." [BBC News]
• In the new Essence, Jennifer Hudson opens up about her murdered mother: "I was always a mama's baby," she says. "I'd go and sleep in her bed until I was 15 years old." Ugh. Sadness! She also says: "The thing that keeps me going is knowing that God is in control. It's like, if He placed me here then I must be prepared." [People]
• Details are leaking out about what really happened the night of the Met Gala: Kiefer Sutherland and Brooke Shields were both drunkety drunk drunk drunk; Jack McCollough did bump into Brooke; she did fall; but it had more to do with the fact that she was wasted and wearing heels. Brooke was fine, but Kiefer "insisted" that McCollough apologize, and then got all nuts and headbutted the designer. Kiefer had blood on his forehead and Brooke was like, "What is that?" A source says: "She thought it was a joke or maybe cherry juice and LICKED IT!!!!!" And! Brooke didn't remember any of it until she read it in the paper the next day. [Perez]
• "Kiefer Sutherland talks Jack Bauer's deathbed and what's next on 24." [LA Times]
• Practice your curtsey: Prince Harry is coming to NYC! [NY Daily News]
• Oh, good: A job for Lindsay Lohan! She'll star in an "indie fantasy comedy" with Woody Harrelson, Giovanni Ribisi, Dave Matthews (?!) and Alanis Morissette (!!). The plot revolves around a grad student who spends the summer working at a scientific institute on a remote island and discovers an "eccentric community of characters" hiding a secret. And I'm here, to remind you of the mess you left when you went away… [Variety]
• Will Olivia Palermo of The City get a "job" at Elle? [Page Six]
• Remember that Absolutely Fabulous remake with Kristin Johnston? Fox "passed" after seeing the pilot. In other words, the project is dead, sweetie darling. [Deadline Hollywood]
• Susan Boyle rode in an airplane for the first time in 8 years, to go from Scotland to London for some voice lessons. This gave the paper permission to call her "The Airy Angel." [The Sun]
• Peaches Geldof was actually heard saying "Don't you know who I am?" while trying to get into a club in London. It didn't work. [Daily Mail]
• Beyoncé and T.I. are the artists with the most BET Award nominations; Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Keri Hilson, Jennifer Hudson, Jazmine Sullivan, Kanye West, Keyshia Cole and Jamie Foxx are also up for prizes. Jamie Foxx hosts; the ceremony is June 28. [The Hollywood Reporter]
• Farrah Fawcett's video diary of her struggle with cancer airs tomorrow, but here's a preview. [NY Post]
• MSNBC Scoop columnist Courtney Hazlett recommends the Gosselins of Jon & Kate Plus 8 "get out while they can" and "step off the reality TV gravy train and reclaim their lives." She writes: "Celebrity that comes by way of reality only ends badly. Step away from that sippy cup of confidence that's saying that you can still have the same appeal if you're not together. Apart, you're not the characters those 4.6 million people wanted to watch on TV." [MSNBC Scoop]
• Katie "Jordan" Price and Peter Andre's split might just be a publicity stunt. Snooze. [Daily Mail]
• Jordan's dressage coach denies being involved with her. Also, LOL pix of Jordan in riding gear. [The Sun]
• This other dressage dude says Jordan's hubs Peter Andre is jealous and always has been. [Daily Mail]
• If you watched American Idol last night, you saw Alicia Keys asking people to text for charity as part of her work for Keep A Child Alive. [AP]
• John Mayer dated this model/actress and she's been babbling and blabbing (blabbling?) about him and how he feels about breaking up with Jennifer Aniston, saying: "He's never really got over it and he still talks about her a lot. He's been playing guitar alone at night, pining over her." Yawn. NEXT. [Perez]
• John Mayer once texted starlet Jessie James, "Let me tuck you in. I want to see you." [Page Six]
• If you liked Cornify, you might like to Kanyefy, with the Kanye West shutter-shades inspired Kanye Vision Bookmarklet. OMG what happens if you use them together?!?!? [F.A.T.]
• Well now I feel really really old: It's the 20th anniversary of Lenny Kravitz's debut album, Let Love Rule. He's celebrating by issuing a remaster with additional material, and says: "If you had asked me 20 years ago if I thought the world would be a better place in 20 years, I would have thought yeah, I would have thought that we'd have some kind of evolution even if it was minimal, but in actuality we are in a much worse place as a global community and as just the planet earth, itself, environmentally as well. I'm not less hopeful. I take the position of remaining optimistic but there's a much deeper hill to climb." [AP]
• Whoa: Mel Gibson paid his wife to stay quiet about their separation, which happened three years ago. He agreed to give her $52 million per year. For that amount of cash, I won't say another word about you Mel. Honest! [MSNBC]
• Rob Lowe and one of his former nannies have both decided to dismiss their lawsuits against each other; Lowe is still in another legal battle with a different nanny. [People]
• Barbra Streisand's ex, Jon Peters, is spilling secrets about how the diva was sexually abused by a slimy movie mogul and had affairs with three of her leading men. [Page Six]
• Cheers star John Ratzenberger has filed a restraining order against his 45-year-old ex girlfriend because she has "indicated that it is common in many country western songs for women to set the cars of their former boyfriends on fire." [TMZ]
• Blind item! "Which infamously perverted actor should start checking his dates' IDs? He may not realize that he recently went out with some serious jailbait!" [Gatecrasher]
• "It's known that Jenny Craig has the best tasting food. That's just a fact." — Valerie Bertinelli. [ABC News]
• "That's such a tough question. I would say, probably something in the health industry. It's too late to go to medical school. I'd travel. I'd go back to the years that I never did what I'd wish I'd done, which was travel Europe and backpack. That sounds slightly romantic. What I would do? I don't know. Maybe become a chef. There's so much more to do. It's almost overwhelming. I've gotten to a great place in my career." — Jennifer Aniston, when asked what she would do if she could ditch acting for some other pursuit. [USA Today]
• "I am a real threat to cover 'White Christmas' this year. I'm warning you now: I'm ready, cocked and loaded." — Iggy Pop, to Relix. [Page Six]
• "[Sunglasses] are seriously useful. I can sit in a show and if I am bored out of my mind, nobody will notice… At this point, they have become, really, armor." — Anna Wintour. [Page Six]
• "I'm a completely different person than Lauren. I have a lot more energy. I'm more outgoing. I'm a little more spontaneous. And she has a boyfriend so she's not dating on the show. I'm very open to dating and finding a guy." — Kristin Cavallari, who is the new star of The Hills. [EW]

• Candie's decided to take a chance on Britney Spears, and her cohort of current fans. The singer is the latest face of the tween-friendly brand. [WWD]

• Hello, viral marketing! There's already a "behind-the-scenes" vid of Ms. Spears shooting looks for the Candie's campaign, but, slightly more interestingly, it includes rehearsal footage featuring Spears in what are presumably those DSquared costumes we just heard about. There's a cool big-shouldered red jacket with swinging black fringe on the epaulettes. [PopSugar]
• Here's some news to make it worth getting up in the morning: Tom Ford, who has said in the past that he wants to do women's wear with his eponymous label, might be re-hiring Alessandra Facchinetti as head designer for the ladies' stuff. Facchinetti was Ford's women's wear point person when he was at Gucci, and she succeeded him when he left the company. But Facchinetti was fired from her position after just two seasons, and she was unceremoniously dumped from her next position, as creative director at Valentino, after just a few months in charge as well. Facchinetti is a talented designer, but maybe it takes Ford to get the best work from her? Let's hope this rumor proves true. [The Cut]
• Uniqlo had its fourth straight month of improving same-store sales, even in the midst of this recession. Same-store sales were up 4.2% in February, mainly on the back of increased patronage, since per-customer sales didn't rise significantly. [WWD]
• Also demonstrating that retail isn't entirely a scorched-earth zone these days, albeit more tentatively, is Claire's. Although their fourth-quarter results are still bad, their same-store sales rose in January and crossed into positive numbers last month. [WWD]
• This month, Forever 21 is launching a new plus-size range, called Faith 21. (The company is run by weird fundamentalist Christians, which pretty much explains the name.) [LA Times]
• Chanel, on the other hand, is closing two of its Japanese stores, and Chopard is having layoffs. [WWD]
• Jennifer Connelly wears Balenciaga in her Revlon ads, shot at Milk studios in New York. In this video, she talks about beauty. [Style.com]
• Freida Pinto might be a pick for an Estée Lauder contract. [WWD]
• Pharrell Williams, whose fashion interests already include Ice Cream and the Billionaire Boys Club, bought an interest in an ecologically sensitive yarn company in December. Which W decided to write about, now. For some reason. [W]
• Marc Jacobs donated a signed iPod to charity and we might as well pretend for the fun of it that his song list offers unexpected insights into his personality. What kind of man mixes Leonard Cohen and Lady Gaga? And then polishes the lot off with "No Scrubs" by TLC? It's fun to imagine Jacobs mouthing, "No, I don't want your number/No, I don't wanna give you mine/I don't wanna meet you nowhere/I don't want none of your time!" while sketching blouses for his collections or something. Oh, and for one last piece of Britney news: her iPod only fetched $801 at auction. [Unbeige]
• The difference between Anna Wintour, who has the dusty feel of a fashion institution these days, and Carine Roitfeld, who gives the impression she just might have a dust rag on or about her person, couldn't be more aptly underscored by the difference in the camera crews they attract. Wintour, editor of American Vogue, is to be the subject of a 60 minutes piece by Morley Safer, who first came to acclaim for his Vietnam coverage. Roitfeld, editor of French Vogue, gets something on CNN Revealed, which will almost certainly be cooler, hipper, and better, since it's cable and Carine and all. [The Cut]
• Katie Grand's Love magazine is either sold out of its 67,000 print run, and therefore fastest-selling debut magazine for Condé Nast UK ever, or it's just a lot of creative hype and there are in fact copies all over the place in Britain, depending on whether you believe Love magazine, or a bunch of anonymous Fashionista commenters. [Fashionista]
• Ever flip through a J. Crew catalog and think, 'Wow! These people clearly are a bunch of insurgent creatives, introducing mad art and design to chinos and pastels.' The impression will only be confirmed by Alex Katz's turn as a model for their spring catalog and in-store displays. Katz, 81 years young, is a Big Deal in American painting. [Unbeige]

This is truly a historic night — a moment many of us prayed for, marched for, organized for and some even died for. This is not the end of a journey, but the turning of a major page in American history. […] Throughout his long journey, Obama built a campaign based on three factors: It was inclusive, engaging and empowering. […] Obama planted seeds of hope. He harvested the votes of those who gave up on politics and now America can celebrate this moment. Anything is possible again in America.

While it would have been amazing to see Ms. Brazile covering election night live on CNN, at least we have her clip from the New Yorker panel earlier in the fall. Our first clip was of poor quality (but still went viral!); here's a much better version:

Commentary: America's Historic New Chapter [CNN]
Earlier: Donna Brazile Is Not Going To The Back Of The Bus

Here's the news: Barack Obama will be on the Daily Show tomorrow night!! According to the Comedy Central website, "We just got word that the studio is in full lock down mode. After all, Jon barely escaped his previous interview with this tax-and-spend terrorist of the center-left alive." Wheee!

Campbell Brown [The Daily Show]
Barack Obama To Appear On The Daily Show Wednesday

Earlier: Campbell Brown Turns McCain's Accusation Of Sexism On Its Head

Related: CNN, John McCain's Camp At Odds Following Confrontational Campbell Brown Interview [LAT]

• Sarah Palin gave an interview to CNN's Drew Griffin, who only had to provide his viewers with misleading information on Troopergate and ACORN to get it. Try not to throw things against the screen when you watch it. [CNN, Huffington Post]
• By the way, although she said in that interview that she's excited to work on American's energy independence, she pushed the federal government to allow natural gas exports. The U.S. imports 771 billion cubic feet last year, and Alaska exported 100 billion. [CBS]
• Oh, and while she's running around mocking Joe Biden's statement that the Obama Administration might face an international crisis, CNN pointed out that the Cuban Missile Crisis started off Kennedy's Administration; the fall of Saigon, Ford's; the first World Trade Center bombing, Clinton's; and 9/11, Bush's. Silly facts. [Hotline]

• Sort of like how she thinks she would be "in charge" of the Senate even though the Constitution says the Vice President's only role is to break tie votes. She's not going to let old pieces of paper get in her way because she's a Maverick! [Swampland, Radar]
• One of her supporters in Virginia replaced a 78-year-old African-American Baptist minister's yard sign with a Confederate flag. I supposed we should just all thank our lucky stars that it wasn't a burning cross. [Huffington Post]
• By the way, Obama's grandmother broke her hip, and isn't in great shape. [Huffington Post]

Actually, when searching Nexis for "pole dancing workout" and "men," one discovers that pole-dancing studios and classrooms have a "no men" policy. The women don't want to be gawked at or made to feel uncomfortable, because, you know, wrapping yourself around a metal pole is a totally natural female impulse but private, mmkay?

In the CNN story, a nurse named Cicely Rogers, who goes to PoleLaTeaz in Atlanta says: "I started last August and I've gone down two dress sizes. I've lost 20 pounds and I feel awesome." Learning pole tricks "made me feel better about my body. I used to be nervous about my body and try to hide it. Now I'm a lot more open and confident. I stand up straight and feel good about myself." Would she feel fit and confident if she'd been jogging for a year? Or rowing? Or playing tennis? Or doing yoga?

What is with the obsession with pole dancing? Does the media love an "edgy" story about a housewife getting all sweaty while wrapping her legs around a phallic column because we're all conditioned to love a lady in the street who's a freak in the bed? Or is this just good "reporting" on a "trend" ?

Pole Dancing Helps Strip Off Pounds [CNN]
Earlier: Kim Kardashian's 9-Year-Old Sister Works A Stripper Pole

• Cudmudgeonly uncle-anchor Jack Cafferty has disappointed millions of women everywhere by saying, "Viagra is used to treat a medical condition, erectile dysfunction. Birth control is a lifestyle choice," when discussing John McCain's little birth control gaffe. Jack, sweetie, birth control pills do treat medical conditions and there's a good economic argument (pregnancy is expensive) for covering them. Erectile dysfunction, however, is God's way of telling you to keep it in your pants, old man. [Crooks & Liars]
• John McCain has proved a disappointment to the Secret Service by letting slip details of Barack Obama's highly secret-for-his-own-safety trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. Man, he really will do anything to keep playing his commercial about how Obama's never been. [Talking Points Memo, The Atlantic]

• By the way, McCain also doesn't know if Obama is a Socialist or not. I don't know that John McCain doesn't drink Cindy's drug-filled urine as a sedative, either. What don't you know? [HuffPo]
• The full list of Starbucks closures is now available. Caffeinated Washingtonians rejoice: Only one in D.C.! [HuffPo]
• Harold Ford got booed at Netroots Nation because he used to work at Fox News, but not because he used to date Julia Allison. [HuffPo]
• The German government has decided to let Obama speak — at the Victory Column, not the Brandenburg Gate because the Bushies kinda asked them not to. Wankers. [HuffPo]
• Scott Peterson has a blog. I think we can finally call this blogging trend over; no one's ever going to believe we're normal people now. [CNN]
• Greta Van Susteren, like, totally swears that she knows someone who knows someone whose anti-Obama copy was watered down at CNN, not that it ever happened to her and she's totally got journalistic freedom (if not freedom from the plastic surgery requirement) at Fox News and is she up for a new contract soon or something? [Fishbowl NY]

"We noticed that this trend of posting details of an attack really picked up speed a few years ago," Berkowitz says. "A rape survivor's intention may be to reach out, and we encourage that, but this is a dangerous way to do it."

As for Crystal? Authorities charged the man of assaulting her with lewd or lascivious battery, but, according to court documents, Crystal and the man both said they had an ongoing sexual relationship. The prosecutor concluded that the Crystal and the man had had consensual sex. Even though Florida law states that a 15-year-old cannot give consent to sex. Since Crystal was "a mere 1 month away" from turning 16, the case was not prosecuted. Since when is 15 the same as 16? Since when does having having a relationship with someone mean they can't rape you? And since when did we start living in a world where people watch Crystal's video and then comment on YouTube thusly:

Alright, so you're either an idiot, or you're making this up. Contrary to what you think, rape is rape regardless of age. So either shut the fuck up and get a lawyer or...

fake bitch is fake

It's all conspiracy they won't prosecute and everyone wants to kill you because you're poor. Nice job fooling CNN into posting your story though.

Teen Alleging Rape Turns To YouTube [CNN]
16 Year Old Rape Victim Needs Help [You Tube]

Another reader wrote: "Are you suggesting that white women are going to have it easier [?] How about issues? Should a black woman consider the candidates position on issues, or should we just stick to race and gender?" And on The View today, Whoopi Goldberg said the story "pissed" her off.

But CNN isn't the only media outlet focusing on identity politics, i.e. race vs. gender issues. The Los Angeles Times reports that an new poll shoes that more Americans are ready for a black president than a female president. And two weeks ago, The New York Times printed a piece about the clash between suffragists and civil rights leaders in the 19th century. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass and women's rights' pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton were friends until Stanton condemned the 15th amendment, which gave black men the right to vote but left out all women.

During a heated meeting in New York City's Steinway Hall in 1869, Stanton wondered, "Shall American statesmen ... so amend their constitutions as to make their wives and mothers the political inferiors of unlettered and unwashed ditch-diggers, bootblacks, butchers and barbers, fresh from the slave plantations of the South?" At which point, Douglass rose, paid tribute to Stanton's years of work on civil rights for all, and replied, "When women, because they are women, are hunted down through the cities of New York and New Orleans; when they are dragged from their houses and hung from lampposts; when their children are torn from their arms and their brains dashed out upon the pavement; when they are objects of insult and rage at every turn; when they are in danger of having their homes burnt down... then they will have an urgency to obtain the ballot equal to our own."

Gender Or race: Black Women Voters Face Tough Choices In S.C. [CNN]
CNN Readers Respond Angrily To 'Race Or Gender' Story [CNN]
New Poll: U.S. More Ready For Black Prez Than Female One [LA Times]
Rights vs. Rights: An Improbable Collision Course [NY Times]

"To think that I would be supporting someone just because of their skin would mean we haven't moved far from Dr. King's speech in 1963, where he said we should be judged by the content of our character not the color of their skin."

Unfortunately, her statement didn't go over well with some: "For Oprah to do a Martin Luther Kingish, our time has come speech was shocking to me," one comment read. "It didn't even sound like her. She DEFINATELY [sic] chose a black and white platform whether she admits it at all. I for one will be watching Ellen." Oprah has power, this has been proven. She's obviously an amazing woman, a role model and an icon. Politically, does she have to choose between her gender and her skin color? Why are people who claim to adore her making her feel as though she has failed them? And, as a woman who (one would think) wants other women to succeed, has she failed them?

Oprah Getting Backlash From Some Fans For Obama Support [CNN]
Anger at Oprah [Politico]

Earlier: Tuesday In The Park With Brad: Sugar-High Wind Sprints