For those of you who never listen to NPR, this is a link to a show, This American Life, which broadcasts stories of ordinary Americans -- the kind of stories that are too long or "boring" to cover in soundbyte media.

Last week's show featured Dan LaMagna, a millionaire, fed-up with the violence in Iraq and determined to do something about it. He went to Iraq and actually managed to meet with top Sunni leaders, trying to single-handedly broker a cease-fire.

The show highlights the complete dearth of realism and vicious ethno-centric nationalism in the Sunni point of view and the impending doom the decisions they are making are going to unleash, but you have to admire the courage of a man who took it upon himself to do everything he could to stop a war. The American spirit is alive and well. This is a very interesting 20-minute podcast.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=337