Today seems to be dragging a bit; perhaps I have a case of the “Mondays”? Either way, I can’t wait to get home this evening. Ah, relaxing… the joy of life.
A few jumbled, scattered, smothered, and covered thoughts for you to swish around your brain today:
Because everyone else is doing it, here is my “personality” profile; which is based on some pretty random questions. I expected pretty much everything, I have done a Myers-Briggs before, so nothing too unexpected, I guess… One thing I did get excited about, was that Nurse was listed as one of my career matches; maybe I should have taken this little test while I was in college? Either way, that is good to know that it will mesh well with my “advocate” personality style. I don’t really think these things are 100% accurate, but I do see how they can be pretty good generalizations.
All I have to say, is BWAHAHAHAHA!: Paris Hilton loses her $60 million inheritance because of her dumb ass behavior. Her grandpa is like, look Paris, too much ass, drinking, and going to jail is tainting my name, so you aren’t getting my dough! I wonder if she will have to work and earn money like the rest of us? If so, I fear for her, because I have seen the Simple Life, and if she has to rely solely on her “skills” (or lack thereof), she is royally fucked. I don’t think that she would even be able to get enough money to buy food for herself, if she actually had to work for a living. Poor, poor Paris… However, we all know that she will come out on top somehow; people like her always do for some reason.
Just because there are some people that still think the people of Iraq are all “Islamic extremists” out to kill us, which has nothing to do with any of our actions against them, their land, or their way of life; here’s more compelling evidence that all we are doing over there is making things worse (for us and them). I don’t get why pointing out the obvious stain that you made on the rug, and suggesting that it be cleaned up, is such a “radical” and “scary” observation and strategy for change. The shit has more than hit the fan, and it is pretty crystal clear that there are more and more people, who are just getting more and more angry at us for the very reason illustrated in the article; we are doing more harm than good, and always have. I have an idea, why not stop doing all that “destruction and death” mumbo jumbo, and focus on what we are SAYING really matters; helping the people of Iraq and ending terrorist plots against the US? I suggest this, because we are currently not doing that at all, and instead, our presence is making it worse; both for the Iraqis, and for us, because we are giving them more and more reasons to hate us. Another “revelation” courteous of the “omg this is so fucking obvious” news.
I was thinking as I was driving in to work this morning that I want to start what I hope will be something of a regular here: weekly music suggestion(s), that we share, explore, and recommend to each other. I am always hungry for new music, and often times, it can be hard to find. So, in the spirit of getting this thing going, I am going to recommend a few selections for you to check out this week. As evidenced by today’s selections, the recommendations do not necessarily have to be “new” as in “just out”; if it is new to you, it counts as new! Also, if it is something that you have heard and like, maybe it will just make it a rediscovery for you!
Here’s your music suggestions for this week:
Imogen Heap: Speak For Yourself (I popped this back in the CD player this morning on a whim, and was reminded at how fantastic this disc is!)
SIlversun Pickups: Carnavas (this CD is so awesome; I wish I would have discovered it sooner)
And sort of in the middle of the two: Great Northern: Trading Twilight for Daylight (fyi… this is a myspace link, which I am convinced is the only reason that myspace should even exist: marketing) (This IS new, and I am currently listening to/getting into it. Initial listens are definitely yielding a positive vibe… I am feeling that same little tingle in my body that I get when I hear Silversun Pickups… it’s a good thing.)
This whole “music sharing” idea was further pushed by my stopping by a little CD shop during my lunch break, and my finding Jude’s King Of Yesterday CD in the $1 bin. I had heard the song “King of Yesterday” on Felicity years ago, and remembered that I really liked it, and so I picked up the album. Always good to check out new things, right?
Now that you have your “Music Assignments”, hook me up with some suggestions too; this ain’t a one way street bitches!!! Bring on the music! Bring on the noise!
In other words - things are going according to plan in Iraq.
Paris story was apparently a hoax. See!
“Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms. As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.”
–NY Times: A War We Just Might Win Published the same day as this post.
BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki faces a revolt within his party by factions that want him out as Iraqi leader, according to officials in his office and the political party he leads.
This will be the never ending Shrub war…with no win. How many of our soldiers must die before people actually wake up and smell the coffee?
Mitch,
I believe this quote from the article is applicable to your comment:
“Viewed from Iraq, where we just spent eight days meeting with American and Iraqi military and civilian personnel, the political debate in Washington is surreal. The Bush administration has over four years lost essentially all credibility. Yet now the administration’s critics, in part as a result, seem unaware of the significant changes taking place.”
You ask how many soldiers must die, I ask how many innocent Iraqis will die if we leave? The insurgents have been targeting them the whole time.
This week I want to pick up Shiny Toy Guns. But I will take hold of your suggestions. Hot Fuzz came out on DVD today!
I have been listening to Fionn Regan. I really like him. He is this folk singer from Ireland. Mellow, but really good. I like his CD alot.
I also like Victoria Hart. I like the sone “Whatever Happened to Romance” on Youtube. I ordered her CD online but it is taking an age for me to get it.
But it has been too hot here for me to enjoy anything, music or otherwise!
Yet, you still don’t get that the insurgents ARE IRAQIS!!! Dave, they haven’t met ANY milestones, what are these “achievements”? I need more evidence than “they ARE doing it! See!”, because that just doesn’t hold water; especially when there is evidence suggesting just the opposite.
Yeah, Kenneth Pollack. That is a guy we should listen to. His Threatening Storm was such a reliable and prescient work.
And here, for those that care about facts, is our government’s assessment of insurgent attacks and who they have been directed against.
“>Insurgent attack graphInsurgent attack graph
ok…
One more time
Insurgent graph
Yes, Iraqis killing Iraqis. I get that. Personally, I’m cool with them killing each other off. You’re the one that tends to be soft-hearted and wanting everyone to live … that’s why I ask the question.
Blatant lie. As reported, 8 of the 18 milestones were accomplished, 8 were not, and 2 were too close to call. By my account, and check my math here, 8 > “haven’t met ANY.” By the way, the report wasn’t even due out until September (by initial agreement with the Dems) but the Dems demanded an earlier report and that was the result.
As stated in my second quote from the article. People such as yourself have lost all credibility for Bush and his administration therefore even when there is good news coming out, you deny, reject, or simply ignore it.
I heard a blip of an interview on the radio yesterday afternoon with some Democrat Senator or Representative (didn’t catch who it was) and the question being asked to him was, “Success in Iraq would be bad for you, would it not?” To which he responded, “Yes, any success over there would be very bad for us.”
How is success over there anything but good for America?
If you had your option, would you rather turn on the TV and see reports saying
Everything is going great in Iraq and we’re due to have all our troops home in a few months!
-OR-
Caving under political pressure, Bush has given the order to begin withdrawing troops. They should be out in a few months. The future of the the Iraqis is any body’s guess at this point.
Found it:
It’s from an article from the Wall Street Journal, I believe you have to be a subscriber, but here’s the anyways.
Damn link got fubared…
Here, link
Dave I will give you the fact that no matter what happens over there, I will never have any faith in our “leader”. He lost all crediblilty (as far as I am concerned) when he began lying to the American people and just the fact that he will never admit he is wrong. I will always look at him as a HUGE failure as a president and a person in general.
Mitch, I accept the fact that you and I will always disagree over the validity of this line,
“he began lying to the American people.”
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The main Sunni Arab political bloc quit the Iraqi government on Wednesday in a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s shaky coalition as suicide bombers killed more than 70 people in three attacks across Baghdad.
The resignation move pushed the government into a new crisis undermining its efforts to reconcile Iraqis and end sectarian strife.
I am glad this war is going so well! Makes me feel much better about the idiot “running” our country!
War ain’t pretty. People die. Not enough sometimes
And why are we there again? Oh yeah WMD’s….
Why we went there doesn’t matter anymore. We could leave… but I doubt the region would stabilize in our favor. Plus, another article I read on WSJ said our arab allies don’t want us to cut and run for that exact reason (lack of stabilization).
I’m a little slow today, I suspect your WMD comment was in regards to the ‘lying.’ Lying and being given bad information are two separate things. Congress had the same information Bush did and voted to send us to war, too.
On top of all that, there have been former Iraqi Generals that have talked about Saddam moving his “WMDs” into Syria just before we attacked.
Justoff, it would be interesting to see the 2006-2007 figures.
Dave,
You couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I have actually applauded actions that Bush has taken in the past, specifically with regards to HIV funding; but I guess you forgot that, or simply want to ignore it?
The point is, that the problems in Iraq that are currently facing the people of Iraq were not there when we arrived. We are causing them. I DO NOT agree that “success” in Iraq would be bad for us. I am not so blind as you paint me, and do not agree with every democrat; as I have said many times. I don’t think an immediate pull out is advisable or even feasible at this point; but something has to give. We are causing al Queda to gain in strength, because they want us out of the region. I think that we have gone beyond the point of forcing them to accept the fact that we are going to kill as many people as we need to, in order to get what we need over there, this so-called “success”.
What I want is an end to this war on nothing. I want us to really focus on terrorists, the real ones that attacked us. I want us to stop making more enemies for the US, and I want us to start giving back to the world in positive ways. Everything we are doing by staying in Iraq is undermining any efforts that would achieve any of the things I just suggested; hence why I want us out of there.
Do not accuse me of blindly following what every democrat has to say again, because that is wrong and ignorant, and I don’t appreciate it when you neglect my actual opinion because it contains similar elements of the overall democratic party’s opinion. I honestly don’t even think that I am a democrat anymore, and I would rather just consider myself a progressive liberal; because the democrats in office and the republicans in office do not have my best interests at heart… *in steps the lobbyists…*
Actually, the WMD comment was just in response to your “war is not pretty” crap as I thought it was about as stupid.
I didn’t assume you agreed with every Democrat. That’s why I asked.
I must have forgotten as I tend to blackout when a Republican actually uses government funds for something other than national security (HIV funding != the role of government).
You say the problems in Iraq were not there before we got there. I’ll buy that there were not insurgent attacks, yes. They didn’t need them, Saddam was in control. The people being attacked now are the ones that want freedom. We could leave and let these freedom loving people die, or we could stay and see to it they get the government they want and can protect themselves from the insurgents.
You also say you want something down to end this war. That was the purpose of the troop and surge and it’s working. You say you don’t want a withdrawal, what do you want? The Generals say timetables won’t work. Why do you think you know more about military action than them?
Mitch, word.
dave, I am just suggesting that we look at all of our options; one of which is non-violent, and involves our presence lessening in the region. Perhaps we should follow Britain’s example? I mean, they are our only REAL ally in this coalition of the willing, after all.
If there are conflicting reports from generals and war experts as to what we are doing, and what we should be doing, then I would at least think that there is some room for exploring the options that don’t involve war. It is interesting to me, that we continue to poke the cat in the stomach, knowing that it will only anger the cat and cause it to scratch us; all the while, we say we want to pacify the cat, and all we do is poke it more. Expecting the people to stop attacking us, while we are constantly “poking” them is just stupid, and frankly insane.
We’re not poking the cat. We’re holding the stick and looking at the cat. If we get information from the dog that the cat is going to stick its paw in the hole and scratch the mouse, we beat the cat silly with the stick.
Um, dude, we are totally poking the cat. I think that is the problem, you don’t want to admit that we are poking the cat, and as a result, you don’t see the blame we have in the cat scratching us.
I say we kill the cat.
Genocide is back on the table!
You’re such a dumbass. I didn’t say kill every cat. I said kill that cat.
Why must it be all or nothing with you?