Instapundit sums the initial frustration, annoyance, outrage (take one, two or all three) at Sarah Boxer's article in the NYT on Iraq the Model blog. She deserves more than the scorn a ballistic Jeff Jarvis provides.

Story telling is an art, which is, I suppose, why it is in the Arts Section. Ms. Boxer begins her report in the manner of a mystery novel - wondering who the man on the other end her phone call might really be while waiting for her call to connect. All sorts of sinister and suspicious thoughts run through her head, which is expected of a reporter. No normal thoughts there, those are expunged from serious Arts Section reporters.

She 'explains' the impetus for her story. It wasn't an assignment from her boss, it wasn't a follow up on something seen elsewhere. No, this was all out of the blue, an idea popping into her head to find out what Iraqis think about the war and the upcoming elections.

What they think about the war? Almost 2 years after the invasion and she thinks of covering that angle? I guess the Arts section is 2 years behind the rest of the paper. And what did she find out about either? Nothing, she is willing to write about in this article becasue she just accidently, cocincidently, serendipitously, and LUCKILY stumbled onto this "ideological snake pit" providing her a story filled with "intrigue and vitriol." Ya. Right.

And it is so interesting to see how she stumbled on to this story - by starting out at Iraqi Bloggers Central:

"The mystery began last month when I went online to see what Iraqis think about the war and the Jan. 30 national election. I stumbled into an ideological snake pit. Out of a list of 28 Iraqi blogs in English at a site called Iraqi Bloggers Central, I clicked on Iraq the Model because it promised three blogging brothers in one, Omar, Mohammed and Ali."

Interesting because there no reference to them being brothers on the link list and only one reference to brothers and Iraq the Model within the text of a Jan 1 post at IBC. But the link does not list ITM, it lists their names. No reference to brothers. You have to go back to bloggers roundup post on Dec 21 to catch a glimpse of the story she covers. Does it take a month to prep a story? Ya. Right.

Ms. Boxer notes her click delivered more than that. Lucky for her. Unlucky for us because her report on what Iraqis think about the war and the upcoming elections has been waylaid. Maybe her report is a two part series. I can't wait for the next part.

I'll leave the analysis of story she accidently, coincidently, serendipitously happened upon to Jeff Jarvis and Ed Cone and with which I heartily concur.