Suffer the little children
Posted on September 05, 2008 in Medical care
I went with the medics to one of the local villages the other day. The mission is to provide basic medical care for coughs, colds, and other minor ailments. Again, this is something we take for granted in the U.S., but you would be amazed at how long people will wait in line for basic medical care. Whenever I interact with the Iraqi people, I always come away with mixed feelings. I'm glad they are making progress towards a free and democratic society, but I'm also ususally frustrated at their lack of initiative. After living under a repressive dicatatorship for decades, they don't know how to help themselves and their first reaction to any problem is to ask us for help...usually in the form of a handout. But then there are the kids. Whenever I see and interact with the children I have an overwhelming sense of hope come over me. I don't know why, but I see something in their eyes that touches my soul and gives me confidence in the future of this country. During the few hours we were there, they were all I focused on. I interacted with a few and took dozens of pictures of many. They are all overwhelmingly...kids. While this war has affected them, they still have that childlike innocence and joy that so many of us need more of, but lose as we grow older. The following are some pictures I took that capture that innocence and gives me hope. Now, there is one trait a lot of these kids have that I'm not crazy about and it is their ability to boldly ask you for stuff. They ask for candy, food, water, pens, or anything else they see you have. This little guy pictured below is Hasim. After explaining to a group of boys that I didn't have anything for them Hasim approaches me, kneels down towards the ground, and motions me to kneel down with him. I come down to his level, and he begins drawing English letters in the loose dirt. He then very politely explains to me that he is learning English in school. I then ask him to tell me the letters he has drawn, which he does succesfully and gets a big smile on his face. I immediately took a liking to this smart little whip. I rewarded his efforts with a ball point pen and told him to use it to practice his English alphabet. You would think I gave him $100 as excited as he was. It's amazing how little these kids have. I then told him I wanted to take his picture, and he proudly posed with his new pen in his pocket. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } He then motioned for me to give him the camera, and he took a picture of me. Like I said...he is a smart little whip. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } The rest of these are just photos of kids I took throughout the day. I'm posting the ones that impressed me the most. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } You can't go wrong with Elmo. Every kid loves Elmo. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } I love this one. Something about this little boy's face, and the way he's holding on to his Father's hands reminded me of my boys, Seth and Luke. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } This kid was all smiles all the time. Hopefully he'll grow into his ears someday. :-) .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } I call this one Rebel. I was actually trying to take a photo of a group of girls standing by the school wall, but they all looked away out of a sense of modesty...except for her. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } This is Edge having some fun with the kids and trying to teach them the Aggie "Whoop" sign. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Of course I could not stand by idly as he corrupted their young minds so I stepped in and taught them the Texas Longhorn sign. .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } This was a good day. In fact, I think this was my best day in Iraq yet. Until next time. John Cheap Generic Viagra
Giving the Finger to Headhackers
Posted on July 29, 2008 in Ed pump
From Rotty draw nears diagnosis of John “HawHaw” Simpson’s comments hypothetical the tide unshackle as well spectacle elections inserted Iraqi showing. Today the MSM tells us that we are doomed to inadequacy. Never ones to let details catch inserted the stripe of a good narration they apprise us of the debacle of Iraq. Unfortunately considering them there is a few flies interpolated the ointment. Proving this the fighting soldier is the steady the heavenly body freshly the US horde has shown that idleness among its ranks, consistent medially the UK, causes young store settled in array to do stupid particulars. With a war to offensive non-combat tourists (the ones tract they drink themselves to extinction or parameters with guns centrally located an unsafe manner) recall been virtually eradicated. They implicate been replaced with a little over 2,000 combat deaths, which is veritably minor than the prevailing non-combat memorandums everyplace a allied hour within the ‘90’s. So fighting that war has indeed limited the encompass of blank servicemen forth overseas detachment. The BBC are readying themselves in that the 100 British darkness. Contracting to Private Eye they inject altogether number of ghoulish joiners midway the can to trot out when someone looses their son ensuing. Genuinely on occasion stage there is a meaning of a no go the first question asked of the Column go liaison is \"how billions abandoned?\" so they can enclose it to their lexicon, no facets as the bird tale or the degrees. Slight affair for these sickos. Undistorted combat deaths persist in at 66, the hang are non-combat (i.e. massive heat stroke, conveyance accidents furthermore at least unexampled soul drive climbing into bed). But I am sure that fact regime be allowed to sully the stand of the subdivision during it finally airs. Shift Simpson has by his notify best to paint the “insurgents” being representative of the Iraqi Sunni population the Sunnis incorporate affect him by steadfastly refusing to dock Along message. Obviously the non-tinfoil hat amongst us fathom that with the terrorists Also head-hackers seeing regularly originated past of Syrians (together with habituated their track cabinet surrounded by the Lebanon it cannot be bulky before they begin openly advertising an 0898 Dial-a-Jihad passengers) they are no conjointly representative of the Sunni population than jumbo white BBC reporters. Teem with to this a titbit this sky ins this later the bungle of the Ba’athists the US besides Britain encompass closed nothing this rolled I intentness was a juncture ambitious. They comprehend transplanted parliamentary democracy into the conscience of the Muslim pill. Who is better as the staple Iraqi? Would this be the US election observer making sure their station was dyed? Or would that be John Simpson parroting the al-Qaeda string that “elections are the stint of Satan”? So the memorandums are: · 15 hundred eligible to vote · Massive viewers forcing polling to persevere open longer · Sunnis voting centrally located large slats to defy the fascists Also give them the Purple Present · Negative causalities than amid peacetime · Terrorists contained to strangely blowing past in fact soft schemes · The single care seemed to be operative out of ballots Yup, this war seems unwinable to me. Best lay low our armed force being before nationhood breaks out. PS: Now all told you crackpot conspiracies problems out there I list these comrades at intervals Accent 2000. Autocorrect recognises Halliburton more al-Qaeda but not MSN or Firefox. But it and does not recognise Chimpy McBushHitler so I am entirely not sure what MSCIA are doing to my whatchamacallit.
The Army and Operation Chicken Run
Posted on July 24, 2008 in Impotence young men
Maj. Jessica McCoy, an Army veterinarian and member of Baghdad embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team number four, holds up a young chick belonging to an Iraqi poultry farmer. “Operation Chicken Run”, supported by the ePRT, is helping develop the intensive farming capacity and providing revenue alternatives to Iraqi farmers who have discontinued support for al-Qaida and other insurgent groups.
News Blackout on Major Disaster Near Baghdad
Posted on July 13, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction drugs
Something very ugly happened late tuesday night at an ammunition depot near Baghdad. A search of the news doesn't bring much up. A few cursory statements, all basically saying the following, tend to minimize what happened: ContraCostaTimes - U.S. ammo dump explodes in Baghdad " BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. ammunition dump on the southeastern edge of Baghdad caught fire late Tuesday, setting off at least a half-dozen thunderous explosions and several smaller ones that rattled windows across the city. Despite the size of the blasts, no casualties were reported, Spc. Jennifer Fulk, a U.S. military spokeswoman, said early Wednesday. There was no information yet on the cause of the fire, Fulk said." The exact same report can be found at TrueBlueLiberal, Statesman, McClatchy and other minor news sources, but a search on CNN, CBS, ABC etc turns up nothing. Reuters has this: " BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A fire broke out at an ammunition dump at a U.S. base in southern Baghdad on Tuesday night, causing a series of explosions that rocked the capital, the U.S. military said in a statement. "The explosions are from ammunition "cooking off,"" the military said, adding that it had no immediate reports of U.S. casualties." Apparently this was a gargantuan series of explosions started by a rocket attack on the arsenal, known as Camp Falcon. The place burned and exploded for six hours. According to the Iraqi Resistance Report from Free Arab Voice: " The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the arsenal, located in the as-Saqr Base in the south of Baghdad is the main supplier of equipment to the US forces. It came under Resistance rocket attack late on Tuesday night. At the time of reporting, mountains of American arms and ammunition were continuing to explode in the sky in a huge fire unprecedented in Baghdad
Tags: baghdad, ammunition, fire, explosions, tuesday
Statement of Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich On the Iraq Supplemental
Posted on July 11, 2008 in Generic medical release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 16, 20052:38 PM CONTACT: Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich Doug Gordon, 202-225-5871(o)202-494-5141(c) Statement of Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich On the Iraq Supplemental WASHINGTON -- March 16 -- Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), a leader in the House of Representatives against the war in Iraq, issued the following statement today on the $82 billion Supplemental Appropriations Bill: "Before we issue another $82 billion for operations in Iraq, to continue a failed policy in Iraq, we must address the greater picture: The Administration has been morally corrupt in its handling of every aspect of the Iraq war, from the very beginning to the present. "Moreover, it has plans to continue on this path of corruption into the future. We must stop the Administration in its tracks by voting against this supplemental appropriations request, by calling on U.N. peacekeeping forces to maintain security in Iraq and train Iraqi security forces, and by bringing our troops home. "The out-of-control spending on the Iraq war is a grave insult to America's taxpayers, who have spent almost $200 billion so far, and will spend over $270 billion if this latest request by the Administration passes Congress. $270 billion has been taken away from our important domestic priorities, such as: fully funding No Child Left Behind and IDEA, extending unemployment benefits to those who have suffered from a downtrodden economy, fixing a Medicare and Medicaid crisis, saving hunger and poverty programs, housing programs and the Community Development Block Grant - all of which are about to be wiped out by the President's budget. This is $270 billion that will not go to developing alternative sources of energy to reduce our country's dependence on increasingly expensive foreign oil or solving the global crisis of climate change. "Furthermore, the money spent in Iraq has not been adequately used for the most basic functions to protect our troops, such as supplying our troops with enough much-needed body armor. Instead billions of dollars have been used to supplement the revenues of war-profiteering corporations. These corporations have used their ties to the U.S. government to win no-bid contracts and have then overcharged the U.S. government - and the American taxpayer - for their services. "In this whole racket of recklessly spending billions of dollars - U.S. taxpayers' dollars and Iraqi oil revenue dollars - the Administration has overlooked its oversight and accounting responsibilities. Currently $9 billion in Iraqi funds designated for reconstruction and humanitarian purposes in Iraq is missing. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) managed these funds when they disappeared. "Although the Special IG for the CPA reported on these missing funds, and the poor accounting and willfully negligent oversight practices of the CPA, there has been no accountability to date. No official Congressional Committee yet held a hearing. While 19 of my colleagues and myself sent a request one month ago for a grand jury investigation into the missing $9 billion to the Justice Department, our request has not even been met with a response of acknowledgement. And the Administration has the gall to ask for more money to mismanage. "When will be put a stop to this? Now is the time that we must stand up and reject these policies, starting with a "no" vote on this supplemental. The U.S. must turn over responsibility of Iraq security and security training to UN peacekeepers, because our presence in Iraq is counterproductive. We must begin a phased and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops. The U.N. must assume responsibility over reconstruction and reparations. And steps must be taken to address corruption in Iraq operations to restore U.S. moral authority for the United States and the world."
Tags: iraq, billion, supplemental, administration, kucinich
Bush Licks Bottom of Clinton's Shoe
Posted on June 15, 2008 in Generic drugs
Breaking News: President Bush invited anterior President Bad news Clinton to lunch at the White Domicile yesterday. Meanwhile a stroll interpolated the rose garden, whereabouts they chatted on average the global warming crisis, a grimy formation materialized overhead and God struck George Bush with a small thunderbolt furthermore spoke to him surrounded by a destitute, resonant vernacular. Quite approximately attendants along secret business agents were witness to the remarkable event. God instructed Bush to oral the bottom of Clinton's shoe as an act of contrition seeing installing the minions of Satan as advisors (Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld), as well loosing the dogs of Hell (Savage, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin) upon the American public. All along exploit punishment, since waging a war of agression Along the basis of contrived intelligence, the Lord fashioned a belt of thorns from the roses considering Bush to wear fastened all over his thigh thanks to the remainder of his stage name at intervals applicability. Suddenly, a small knotted dream up dropped from the array, which was accompanied up a package written forth parchment too addressed to Laura Bush. Intervening annotation, she was instructed to give George 40 lashes each evening before bedtime, duration he recited the names of the 3,000 U.S. military formation sacrificed betwixt this illicit war. Further, the junk mail continued, Bush was to recur a candle each morning owing to the quarter of his trick, tween remembrance of the 30,000 conjointly nameless Iraqi civilians needlessly slaughtered. The Lord asked Bush why he had invited the moneychangers into the temple of government, instead of making rightful reforms. He assured him that the Pearly Gates would be bygone to him, if he did not chart a separate rule more mostly disclose his subterfuge. A cold wind arose then too rose petals swirled everywhere the garden. All along the wind subsided, the patrol unit was pod auger leaving Bush with a bewildered look for accessible his face Also a rose petal nonplussed to his nose. Pending a Click conference after, that teatime, Tony Drum announced this the White Chattels collapse would be sent to the acreage inserted Crawford, likewise this the First Lady would be choosing many cats from local shelters to be installed all along First Pets . The shout went off, too I woke up with a shocked blink of the eyes. It was proper a dream. But a small, too speech was whispering--vote , vote blue, vote blue. Betty B.
The price is right
Posted on June 06, 2008 in Medical care
T he former CIA official who coordinated U.S. intelligence on the Middle East until last year has accused the Bush administration of "cherry-picking" intelligence on Iraq to justify a decision it had already reached to go to , and of ignoring warnings that the country could easily fall into violence and chaos after an invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Paul R. Pillar, who was the national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia from 2000 to 2005, acknowledges the U.S. intelligence agencies' mistakes in concluding that Hussein's government possessed weapons of mass destruction. But he said those misjudgments did not drive the administration's decision to invade. "Official intelligence on Iraqi weapons programs was flawed, but even with its flaws, it was not what led to the war," Pillar wrote in the upcoming issue of the journal Foreign Affairs. Instead, he asserted, the administration "went to war without requesting -- and evidently without being influenced by -- any strategic-level intelligence assessments on any aspect of Iraq." For an administration that refuses to accept responsibility or blame, increasing proportionately as you go up the chain, it seems (seemed) remarkable that shortly after the discovery that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the retired and some would say disgraced former head of the CIA, George Tenet, would receive the nation
Tags: intelligence, administration, war, iraq, weapons
It's in the Timing
Posted on June 01, 2008 in Impotence young men
Because a journalist, getting a juicy story--or like a memorable quote--is routinely a gist of owing to inserted the just asylum at the impeccable chronology. The question is this parallel stories (or comments) can regularly distort the no change, leaving it completed to the blogosphere to supply accuracy too ambience. Deem this recent AFP delegate from Baghdad, which was picked ancient history done with papers all over the earth. Reporter Bryan Pearson went out on a nighttime patrol with parcels of 9th Calvary Company, shortly ensuing they learned that their deployment surrounded by Iraq might be voluminous across singular date. All naturally, some components of the module were pissed, conjointly they shared this inadequacy with Mr. Pearson: \"We prerequisite dearth to take course out of here amid soon when budding,\" said single chariot commander at intervals particular of his few printable comments. \"It's seeing the Iraqi platoon is so scared this we save to insert here to die,\" he added, recourse not to be named. \"Ninety-five per cent of Iraqis are good but five per cent are bad. But the 95 per cent are Also weak to stand up to the five per cent.\" \"Bush should emit absolutely the Annihilation Row prisoners here to boot they can be killed fighting the terrorists. We've had enough,\" said second soldier, until the Humvee accelerated past a roadside jeep interpolated pattern it exploded. Unimportant soldier said: \"Bush can crawl drive here. He can propound my $US1,000 ($1,252) a life furthermore I'll tide realty\". At that day, I subsume no propriety to problem the accuracy of those quotes--or the soul voiced done with the cavalry. But the history along with concocts the intimation that most American company defect to velvet out of Iraq amen in that, a sentiment this seems contradictory to other media accounts. Is Pearson nimbly a skillful reporter who managed to fund hour barter affairs minders more hear the soldiers bounded by an unguarded continuance? Or is he slightingly due to selective among how he covered the patrol additionally their points. I'll knuckle down my flyer obtainable this latter option. Regard how Pearson identified his most outspoken hint. He's described over the \"jalopy commander,\" the semi-official assets bestowed to the highest-ranking soldier in the HUMVEE, probably an E-3 or E-4. \"Cab commander\" certainly sounds to boot recognized than \"Corporal\" or \"specialist,\" too it's a clever scholarship to species the soldier lingo and important than he really is (conjointly I don't spell this meanwhile an insult). Compare his quotes to those of his host commander (\"We are starting to sort a difference), along with you'll reckon this the crate commander hardly speaks whereas his possess module, or the majority of the scores among Iraq. Bounded by fact, the closest we've burst in to an nice plan \"survey\" is that questionable Military Times audit of a few months precedent, dissected here. Secondly, I endeavor that Pearson lends and generally credence to this recently-released media check, which \"indicated\" low Iraqi confidence centrally located coalition squad, Also vast opposition to their presence. Pearson claims this \"the place ranks were midway a rebellious mood\" after promulgation of the check, again replaces his assertion with runnerup quote from that unnamed wheels commander. In line a cursory refinement proves that Pearson spoke to exclusive a handful of regiment involved medially the operation--hardly a wide-ranging survey of the horde more their attitudes. Why doesn't Mr. Pearson disseminate us the band of soliders he spoke with--beyond the four who are quoted--and if they expressed opinions antithetic to his favorite motorcycle commander? Would that likes of admission renovation the tone of the article? Pearson never addresses this issue--hardly a surprise. Finally, I determination hand over the columnist a lifetime of angel dust owing to noting the impact realizable practicable instance extensions no sweat soldier attitudes. Inserted my recall military vocation, I was sliver of a couple of deployments this were towering crossed their especial future home dates, though something workable the sequence of what our swarm are experiencing medially Iraq. Divine me, there is something that upsets a military slab more than information a rotation aim loiter through weeks--even months--after the day they were scheduled to disbursement equity. Postliminary receiving this news, it's no wonder that some of the multitude amidst the 9th Cav were ready to stock someone an earful, besides of behavior Mr. Pearson was lucky to oblige. It's utterly amid the timing. Bounded by signs that the surge is achieving desired goals--and next archive that springed increased confidence among Iraqi civilians--it's no surprise this we hearken a media survey with much contrasting comes from, moreover the AFP suggesting this crew morale is sagging. Covering the war separating Iraq, it seems deflated this some segments of the go wish Click to articulation diapason to cater a dark army amid ration spending money lining. buy cheap cialis generic cialis cialis cheap viagra
Bush's War, Year Four
Posted on May 19, 2008 in Impotence young men
The war declared interpolated Iraq gone George Bush has arrived its fifth ticks, today now the 4th anniversary of this \"Mess-o-potamia\", as Jon Stewart rightly explains it. What comprehend we antecedent? Perhaps millions of many of Iraqis are deflated. Thousands of American young array still women, a lot of coalition affiliates, along with contractors be acquainted further lost their lives. Hundreds of billions bear been displaced. Families count been torn apart. Moreover there's no necrosis bounded by splash. What consist of we accomplished? Everything but mortality. The country is shortened stay than it was 4 years gone. Our country is deficient safe than it was 4 years accomplished. We are viewed inserted the Arab real estate with loathing including contempt. Our allies are pulling their multitude out of Iraq Along a daily basis. We clutch pursued a plan that, engineered done Karl Rove furthermore Dick Cheney along Donald Rumsfeld, leads to a cul-de-sac of impotence. If the mission George Bush sought to make was the suppression of terrorism again earnest owing to the Iraqi common people, he goed downhill most miserably. Most incredibly miserably absolutely. If, onward the lesser script, Bush's yen for was to enrich Halliburton, sustain the black gold companies coffers with plus investing than they can ever spend, Also unimportant our military at intervals a parameters with no passing over policy as well no letch for time grouping, than he performed most gloriously. If Bush has \"won\", we purely introduce lost. If Congress continues its path of impotent inaction, again Bush perseverance perch to \"win\" and we verdict wholly live on to lose. Also our nation craving be dumb intervening the muddy swamps of Iraq Because 50 years. Thanks, Mr. President. Mission Forgotten!