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The Zeitgeist Checklist BY DANA MILBANK

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CATEGORY FIVE KITSCH

Last week: 9 Weeks on list: 2

9Katrina. White House declares a political storm watch that will remain in effect at least through the Aug. 29 anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin shrewdly calls off the fireworks and comedy show, but the city will have services and somber concerts while networks flood the country with reports showing how little has been rebuilt since the storm leveled the city and killed more than 1,700.

THAT BURNING SMELL

Last week: -- Weeks on list: 1*

10Technology. Zeitgeist Checklist, written on a Dell laptop, narrowly escapes disaster when it is discovered that the computer battery is not one of the 4 million recalled because of a fire hazard. Experts warn that iPods, BlackBerrys, Game Boys, cellphones and anything else using lithium ion batteries could ignite without warning.

* RESURFACES IN ZEITGEIST AFTER AN ABSENCE.

THE ZEITGEIST CHECKLIST ALSO APPEARS IN SLATE,

THE ONLINE MAGAZINE AT WWW.SLATE.COM.

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