There are two things terrorists seem to love: Murdering innocent people, and media attention. That's why, say the experts, the 9/11 hijackers waited to fly the second plane into the World Trade Center — to give the news media time to fixate their cameras on the scene to capture live the second collision. And in India, where terrorists killed at least 180 and injured hundreds more in a three-pronged attack on two hotels and a Jewish community center, the enormous press attention the attacks received is being fingered by that country's officials as contributing to the bloodshed. But here's the rub: While India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is ready to blame its news channels for aiding the terrorists with their blanket coverage of the unfolding events, the same mainstream media is also being blamed for responding too slowly and providing inaccurate information.

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Call it exploitation, post-colonialism, or poor marketing, but the image seen here is actually part of a high-end fashion spread. The editorial layout, which features a toothless gent identified only as "man" who holds a $200 Burberry umbrella, is part of Vogue India's attempt to capitalize on the nation's growing middle class.

The mag's August issue featured not models, but "average" citizens, all unnamed, holding designer bags and couture items. Yes: Poor people wearing items they couldn't afford with the sale of both kidneys.

Generally, we'd applaud the use of non-models in a fashion book. But we usually reserve our "thanks for not using anorexic models" applause for those who don't substitute them with "skinny because of malnourishment" persons.

Most Indians survive well below the poverty line on less than $1.25 a day, giving this whole spread a very disturbing Derelicte-Zoolander vibe. But it's the way Vogue India is using its models — Look! Silly poor people! — to appeal to the middle class (that thi that's supposed to help get rid of the caste system) that's so offensive.

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If you want to see a movie that will make you ashamed to be an American, you should definitely check out Swing Vote. The new Kevin Costner feature asserts that the average American male takes 31 sick days a year, let's his 11 year old drive him home when he's too drunk, and doesn't know what the word "civic" means, let alone "responsibility." This movie could have been used for Al Qaeda training video.

But there was one reoccurring theme in the film: the blue-collar fear of job "insourcing," where the U.S. imports illegal Mexican immigrants to wash our dishes, pick our tomatoes, and torment Lou Dobbs. It's a play on another of America's fears: The outsourcing of American call-centers, and bloggers, to India.

But like the fly in your Chardonnay, the irony here is that "insourcing" is already happening — in India no less. There, English-speaking American journalists are flocking (by the dozens!) to escape the death of this nation's print journalism industry.

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While the American magazine market basically falls apart, things are just hopping over in India, where the world's largest democracy is pumping out local editions of Vogue, GQ, Maxim, and, among the newest arrivals, People. (We hear Bollywood is big.)

What's this you say about ad page declines? Circulation drop offs?

Not in India, where ad pages are expected to grow by 20 percent to $302 million this year. So what's so different about the Indian market? Not that much, actually. Besides the ads for skin lightening cream that fill women's magazines — Estee Lauder does brisk business reinforcing racist stereotypes — there are more similarities than anything. Among them: True to its brand, Maxim pushes the taste boundary; Women's magazines are service-y; Listicles are big.

Oh — and if the magazine pushers working the streets to unload these books don't meet their numbers, they get their asses beat.

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Just like Dove aired those inane mini-soap operas starring Alicia Keys earlier this year, another brand owned by Unilever, Pond’s, is airing soap opera-esque commercials to promote products in India. But unlike those boring Keys spots, the Pond’s ads, for a product called White Beauty, have sparked major protests.

White Beauty is certainly not the first skin lightening product with commercial that shocks us westerners, but the premise of the three-part soap opera ad — a man leaves a darker-skinned woman for a fair-skinned woman, causing the former girlfriend to lighten her skin to win him back — has a lot of people talking about color complexes in India. It helps that the three actors in the ads are big Bollywood stars.

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"An Indian man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly posting derogatory and vulgar content about Indian politician Sonia Gandhi on Google's social networking site, Orkut. 22-year-old Rahul Krishnakumar Vaid had posted his comments in an Orkut community called "I hate Sonia Gandhi" through an Orkut account associated with his Gmail account. With Google's help, local authorities were able to verify Vaid's identity and make the arrest.

"Vaid was charged under the Indian Penal Code as well as the Information Technology Act, according to expressindia. Perhaps surprisingly, the creator of the "I hate Sonia Gandhi" group was left alone, as hating prominent politicians is not illegal in India. Posting vulgar comments about that someone is, however, leading authorities to pursue Vaid.

"Google admitted today that it had forked over Vaid's information after it was requested by Indian law enforcement. A spokesperson for Google told IDG News Service that, while the company is committed to protecting user privacy, it must obey local laws and legal processes." [ArsT]

• Philadelphia Channel 3 loves the dykes. Their "vacationing" Anchorwoman Alycia “with a y” Lane is less amorous toward them.

• Ron Paul's blimp is as confused as Ron Paul's presidency.

• Kanye West doesn't care about black people.

• Progress: Women can bartend in India. Less progress: women in India can now exploit themselves for tips.

• Naomi Campbell is now a model slash journalist, specializing in Q&As with dictators even crazier than she is.

• Facebook is taking over the world. Or not. Probably not.

Surgery to remove the extra set of limbs on the Indian toddler who was born with a parasitic twin was a complete success. The parents of the child, along with many people in her village, thought she was the reincarnation of the multi-limbed Hindu goddess Vishnu.

No word yet on how removing the physical evidence of her connection to Vishnu will affect her in the next life.

[AP]

Yey! It's been a while since we got patted down on the 6 by someone other than Creepy Beard Guy With Missing Buttons.

New York City Tightens Transit Security After India Railway Bombings [AP]