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Beam and Howard

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Moniker S. Lewinsky

By Alex Beam
Posted Monday, Aug. 31, 1998, at 3:39 PM ET

Margo,

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You touch on two of my favorite subjects in your past posting... odd headlines and the New York Times notoriously fastidious copy desk.

One of our rock hacks once referred to Meat Loaf as "Mr. Loaf", citing the Times' stylebook as his inspiration. I later stole that moniker for my own uses, but never mind that. Doggy headlines of course abound. I just opened the brown envelope in which I receive my copy of the Atlantic Monthly, and found this cover hed: "Can Mad-Cow Disease Happen Here?" On top of everything else? Good grief, I hope not. The magazine seems to have temporarily abandoned its series of windy essays on the New Millennium. Thank God.

As you know, I had my heart set on watching that Diana-mentary tonight on NBC. Now it sounds like my evening is up for grabs. Monica "Middle Initial Tokum" Collins in the Boston Herald and Tom "No Middle Initial" Shales in the Washington Post are trashing the show, although there do seem to be some redeeming moments. Hillary R. Clinton goes on camera to say nice things about Princess "No Middle Initial" Di. Here's sixpence that says no one goes on camera to say nasty things about the late Princess Di. I would have. I'm a Charles man. Always have been. But that may have to wait for another breakfast....

To give you a hint of my own thinking vis-a-vis Princess Dead, I note with amusement that one Lucia Flecha de Lima tells NBC that Di had "healing powers." Hey, maybe Madonna will name her next child Diana.

See you anon, AB

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