2006-12-18
Work is suffering
I've been absent from work quite a bit lately. One was an annual event I should learn to avoid, but lately there's been a lot of fatigue, cough and colds, and stomach troubles.
I was thinking about them all as being separate problems. I'm starting to think though that they're fatigue related, due to being up with the baby at unnatural hours. It'll get better, but I worry a bit about the toll it all takes on work. But worry is all I can do about it, of course, since timmy will always take priority.
I was thinking about them all as being separate problems. I'm starting to think though that they're fatigue related, due to being up with the baby at unnatural hours. It'll get better, but I worry a bit about the toll it all takes on work. But worry is all I can do about it, of course, since timmy will always take priority.
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2006-12-16
More American troops to be deployed to Iraq
I see that George W Bush is about to send more men to Iraq.
20,000 to 50,000 is probably too little though. There might be ways to succeed in Iraq (most of those ways involve changing definitions of "success"), but sending not enough combat troops isn't it. Combat troops, as Jerry Pournelle is found of saying, are for breaking things and killing people. In Iraq, those combat troops are likely to kill at least as many civilians as actual insurgents or Al Qaeda. I wouldn't be surprised if, in fact, the U.S. military is killing 5 times more civilians than insurgents or terrorists. That's the nature of war, particularly a war where the stronger party's primary purpose is force protection.
What Iraq needs are massive numbers (perhaps half a million) police and constabulary. They need to be on the ground, walking the beat, actually getting to know the civilians and protecting them from insurgents. Unfortunately, that also means that they should not drive around in Abrams tanks or Bradley fighting vehicles or hummers, rushing from point A to point B, shooting civilians and cars who won't stop for them and avoiding bombs on the ground. They need to be *on* the ground, talking to people. That means doing actual hearts-and-minds work, and walking where they're vulnerable. It means taking casualties and losing the occasional battle in order to win the war.
This is not, however, a mission that the U.S. (not just the military, but the whole population) is willing to take. Since Bush is probably going to continue with his doctrine of shock, awe, and paying billions to Republican donating private security and services companies (instead of actually providing more than an hour of electricity a day to Iraq), there is probably no chance of success unless he goes ahead and performs the ethnic cleansing himself. No population, no civil war. Leaving anyone alive is counter-productive. They'll out-breed americans and, after breeding, will go off to attack americans wherever they are.
I think that's unfortunate, I certainly don't condone terrorism. On the other hand, I'm not blind to reality, and the reality is, the current American president, American government and industry are making things far worse than they found them. And when they leave, they're not going to rebuild anything, they'll just leave with the blood of hundreds of thousands of civilians on their hands and go off to save someplace else for democracy.
And perhaps the U.S. military and government will learn its lesson and stay home for a generation (until the public forgets and some other republican fundamentalist president goes off to start another war of choice and kill another half-million ragheads).
20,000 to 50,000 is probably too little though. There might be ways to succeed in Iraq (most of those ways involve changing definitions of "success"), but sending not enough combat troops isn't it. Combat troops, as Jerry Pournelle is found of saying, are for breaking things and killing people. In Iraq, those combat troops are likely to kill at least as many civilians as actual insurgents or Al Qaeda. I wouldn't be surprised if, in fact, the U.S. military is killing 5 times more civilians than insurgents or terrorists. That's the nature of war, particularly a war where the stronger party's primary purpose is force protection.
What Iraq needs are massive numbers (perhaps half a million) police and constabulary. They need to be on the ground, walking the beat, actually getting to know the civilians and protecting them from insurgents. Unfortunately, that also means that they should not drive around in Abrams tanks or Bradley fighting vehicles or hummers, rushing from point A to point B, shooting civilians and cars who won't stop for them and avoiding bombs on the ground. They need to be *on* the ground, talking to people. That means doing actual hearts-and-minds work, and walking where they're vulnerable. It means taking casualties and losing the occasional battle in order to win the war.
This is not, however, a mission that the U.S. (not just the military, but the whole population) is willing to take. Since Bush is probably going to continue with his doctrine of shock, awe, and paying billions to Republican donating private security and services companies (instead of actually providing more than an hour of electricity a day to Iraq), there is probably no chance of success unless he goes ahead and performs the ethnic cleansing himself. No population, no civil war. Leaving anyone alive is counter-productive. They'll out-breed americans and, after breeding, will go off to attack americans wherever they are.
I think that's unfortunate, I certainly don't condone terrorism. On the other hand, I'm not blind to reality, and the reality is, the current American president, American government and industry are making things far worse than they found them. And when they leave, they're not going to rebuild anything, they'll just leave with the blood of hundreds of thousands of civilians on their hands and go off to save someplace else for democracy.
And perhaps the U.S. military and government will learn its lesson and stay home for a generation (until the public forgets and some other republican fundamentalist president goes off to start another war of choice and kill another half-million ragheads).
2006-12-12
Don't go to Durham
Wow, Durham, North Carolina sounds like one place no one should ever go to. Not that it would necessarily be unsafe, nor would it be likely that the visitor would be escorted to the bathroom (and witnessed by a gun-toting thug) or worse, not escorted to the bathroom and left to piss on himself, but rather on moral grounds. In much the same way that visits to the United States should be avoided while George W Bush is president, and for a long while after, until the curtain of fascism he's erected is finally taken down.
2006-12-10
And where are the catholics in all this
An Episcopalian bishop was arrested (apparently, very nicely) for blocking a federal building in an anti-war protest.
Good for him. I hope that there are catholic prelates and priests concerned enough about the war (and unconcerned enough about later, and inevitably, being inconvenienced by the TSA to similarly publicly protest the war.
Hmmm, now what website would that be on. Google is my friend.
Good for him. I hope that there are catholic prelates and priests concerned enough about the war (and unconcerned enough about later, and inevitably, being inconvenienced by the TSA to similarly publicly protest the war.
Hmmm, now what website would that be on. Google is my friend.
That's too bad
It's too bad that This article on why impeaching George W Bush is in a magazine that boasts of itself as "Marxist Thought online".
So it looks like the Iraqis will just have to suffer their next hundred thousand or so dead while George W Bush smiles his secret smile. One can hope that the American people might learn enough from another hundred thousand or so raghead deaths (plus a few americans) and impeach their dear leader. But hope is pretty much all there is there. It's not likely that anything will actually happen. Even the democrats are being the spineless bastards they've always been (not just lacking in courage, but lacking even the brains to distinguish between loyalty to the troops who were bamboozled into Iraq and the right thing to do).
Ah well. If there isn't going to be any improvement in the situation, the best I can hope is that the American government and military stay occupied far away from me. I've got a wife and a newborn son. I don't want the American government anywhere near my family. And certainly not an American government led by that bastard son.
So it looks like the Iraqis will just have to suffer their next hundred thousand or so dead while George W Bush smiles his secret smile. One can hope that the American people might learn enough from another hundred thousand or so raghead deaths (plus a few americans) and impeach their dear leader. But hope is pretty much all there is there. It's not likely that anything will actually happen. Even the democrats are being the spineless bastards they've always been (not just lacking in courage, but lacking even the brains to distinguish between loyalty to the troops who were bamboozled into Iraq and the right thing to do).
Ah well. If there isn't going to be any improvement in the situation, the best I can hope is that the American government and military stay occupied far away from me. I've got a wife and a newborn son. I don't want the American government anywhere near my family. And certainly not an American government led by that bastard son.
2006-12-09
Children see, Children do
It's obvious that children learn by imitation. And of course the Children See, Children Do video on youtube (see below) is clearly a dramatization. But it's a useful dramatization, a good reminder.
2006-12-08
yeah well
that's what Israel does. It's just a fact of life.
I wonder what the Israeli viewpoint is though. I don't see a lot. There's one on YnetNews. I saw one or two other articles, but they were as one-sided (on the bedouin side) as the Albawaba article above.
But, yeah, this is what Israel does. Some Israelis have a conscience, most ignore their conscience (just as most americans ignore the effect of US policy on non-americans, because of the benefits of being American, the Israelis look to the benfits of being jews in Israel), a small minority are just a bunch of thieves who actively try to push things like this (maybe because they're racists, but maybe not, they're Zionists, and extreme zionists are like extremist fundamentalist christians and some American presidents, you can't reason with them).
The Israelis too, sow the wind. Possibly, considering their own material good, this is the right thing to do to maximize their own material profit. But it diminishes their moral worth (except for the valiant few Israelis who actually care about doing good for all citizens, including arab Israeli citizens, and the even smaller minority who think Israel should treat the Palestinians as human beings).
That's too bad. I love the idea of Israel, but the Israelis seem bent on diminishing themselves. Ah well.
I wonder what the Israeli viewpoint is though. I don't see a lot. There's one on YnetNews. I saw one or two other articles, but they were as one-sided (on the bedouin side) as the Albawaba article above.
But, yeah, this is what Israel does. Some Israelis have a conscience, most ignore their conscience (just as most americans ignore the effect of US policy on non-americans, because of the benefits of being American, the Israelis look to the benfits of being jews in Israel), a small minority are just a bunch of thieves who actively try to push things like this (maybe because they're racists, but maybe not, they're Zionists, and extreme zionists are like extremist fundamentalist christians and some American presidents, you can't reason with them).
The Israelis too, sow the wind. Possibly, considering their own material good, this is the right thing to do to maximize their own material profit. But it diminishes their moral worth (except for the valiant few Israelis who actually care about doing good for all citizens, including arab Israeli citizens, and the even smaller minority who think Israel should treat the Palestinians as human beings).
That's too bad. I love the idea of Israel, but the Israelis seem bent on diminishing themselves. Ah well.
palm civets in the philippines!
I see that those notorious coffee beans that come out of monkey's butts don't actually come out of monkeys
AND
So, is any Philippine coffee price-enhanced by this endemic animal? And if not, why not? Where is the capitalistic streak in filipinos? Perhaps overshadowed by the catholic or clean-freak streak in the culture? This is a lot of real damn money right here! We need to be passing coffee beans through captive palm civets!!! :-).
Actually, the palm civet, which hand picks and eats the coffee beans, is more closely related to a mongoose than a monkey
AND
The palm civet lives in the islands of Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, the Philippines, Vietnam, and some coffee estates in south India.
So, is any Philippine coffee price-enhanced by this endemic animal? And if not, why not? Where is the capitalistic streak in filipinos? Perhaps overshadowed by the catholic or clean-freak streak in the culture? This is a lot of real damn money right here! We need to be passing coffee beans through captive palm civets!!! :-).
Inspiring Tough Love
There's an inspiring article on tough love and buddhism in the Seattle Times. Someone else might have sued their own parents, but this kid seems to have learned the right things. I hope what he learned sticks and that he finds a good way through life for himself, as he re-integrates into his old environment.
I think he has a good chance. Good call by his parents.
I think he has a good chance. Good call by his parents.
2006-12-05
food trip
This weekend, despite seeing me only half-alive for half the time, was a great one for food. On Thursday, sol and I went to Banana Leaf at Podium (there's an official website referred to there, but the site is empty) and had two kinds of curry. That was so good, we brought the curry sauce home and had seconds ;-). That night we had nachos (bought at the Nacho Fast at the Podium) and Bravo's tomato and garlic dip. We were going to leave some for the morning, but we got carried away and ate it all (all the nachos, and all the dip).
Then, since we had previously bought sausages from Shopwise Cubao, we had that on Saturday night. Smoked Bavarian, Hungarian, and Pepperoni sausages, fried in oil, and the oil used to fry baby potatos and garlic.
On sunday, the leftover sausages (plus one new one) were chopped up and put in fried rice. That was a whole meal, right there. After that, I don't remember since I was down for the count :-).
Next weekend, if there's basil and coriander (wansoy), I hope we can have Pho :-). Sol is already thinking of having Pad Thai. And more curry from Banana Leaf would be great (it's a bit expensive, but lovely, completely worth the cost).
Then, since we had previously bought sausages from Shopwise Cubao, we had that on Saturday night. Smoked Bavarian, Hungarian, and Pepperoni sausages, fried in oil, and the oil used to fry baby potatos and garlic.
On sunday, the leftover sausages (plus one new one) were chopped up and put in fried rice. That was a whole meal, right there. After that, I don't remember since I was down for the count :-).
Next weekend, if there's basil and coriander (wansoy), I hope we can have Pho :-). Sol is already thinking of having Pad Thai. And more curry from Banana Leaf would be great (it's a bit expensive, but lovely, completely worth the cost).
Christmas got me down
It's important to remember things past, particularly when they get you down year after year.
I have an allergy to some kinds of dust. I'm not allergic to dust on the streets (except aesthetically) or on the outsides of houses and buildings. The dust I'm allergic to is the kind that sits in cupboards and cabinets and musty boxes at home. So it's probably not the dust itself I'm allergic to but some sort of fungi or other molds that live in cabinets and boxes that are only opened once a year.
Every year (except last year) I come down with a 2-3 day allergy attack that keeps me down for the count. It's always early in the season, when family put up the Christmas decorations. I never remember. So I get taken down every year. This year it's a bit more reasonable that I forgot since I haven't had christmas decoration fever for 2 years or so. Sol and I were living in a small apartment and we had no christmas decorations. We moved in recently with my in-laws though, and they have decorations. So I didn't remember that 3 or 4 years ago, and every year before that for decades, I'd get sick when the decorations came out.
Ah, well, maybe next year I'll remember. Although I'm not sure what I could do about it. Maybe figure out when the decorations are coming out and go to Baguio with Sol and Timmy. Or Tagaytay. Or even, one can hope, Davao!
I have an allergy to some kinds of dust. I'm not allergic to dust on the streets (except aesthetically) or on the outsides of houses and buildings. The dust I'm allergic to is the kind that sits in cupboards and cabinets and musty boxes at home. So it's probably not the dust itself I'm allergic to but some sort of fungi or other molds that live in cabinets and boxes that are only opened once a year.
Every year (except last year) I come down with a 2-3 day allergy attack that keeps me down for the count. It's always early in the season, when family put up the Christmas decorations. I never remember. So I get taken down every year. This year it's a bit more reasonable that I forgot since I haven't had christmas decoration fever for 2 years or so. Sol and I were living in a small apartment and we had no christmas decorations. We moved in recently with my in-laws though, and they have decorations. So I didn't remember that 3 or 4 years ago, and every year before that for decades, I'd get sick when the decorations came out.
Ah, well, maybe next year I'll remember. Although I'm not sure what I could do about it. Maybe figure out when the decorations are coming out and go to Baguio with Sol and Timmy. Or Tagaytay. Or even, one can hope, Davao!
2006-12-01
hilarious traffic stop video
I've said it before, I like Americans by default, and right now I can't think of an American whom I have personnally met whom I still dislike (one or two people made things difficult once upon a time, but everyone else was wonderful).
This policewoman, and the driver, both need to get more famous.
This policewoman, and the driver, both need to get more famous.
investigation
Apparently there will be an investigation into a youtube video demonstrating how much of an asshole one particular soldier and his friend (and the rest of the squad they were travelling with) are
This is a good thing. But in an incremental way. The problem is, this sort of arrogance happens a lot. It's not the fault of the soldier, he's ignorant. He doesn't know any better. It's the fault of the system. Any military always protects its own until a scandal hits public consciousness. And even then, the military will still protect its own until it's forced to vomit out the, ahhh, vomitus.
When the U.S. military (and american citizens) begin to act honestly and actually work to see truly what they do in the world, then I'll slowly start to change my mind as to how close to the devil U.S. policy is on (very close, in this Bush administration, a bit farther away in other administrations, but more on that side than the side of the angels).
That's a lot of cultural change to wait for though. Maybe immortality in the body will become available in my lifetime, in which case I'll have a few centuries to see if U.S. policy slowly moves toward the good of the world (instead of being on the side of bad for the world, but good for Americans).
This is a good thing. But in an incremental way. The problem is, this sort of arrogance happens a lot. It's not the fault of the soldier, he's ignorant. He doesn't know any better. It's the fault of the system. Any military always protects its own until a scandal hits public consciousness. And even then, the military will still protect its own until it's forced to vomit out the, ahhh, vomitus.
When the U.S. military (and american citizens) begin to act honestly and actually work to see truly what they do in the world, then I'll slowly start to change my mind as to how close to the devil U.S. policy is on (very close, in this Bush administration, a bit farther away in other administrations, but more on that side than the side of the angels).
That's a lot of cultural change to wait for though. Maybe immortality in the body will become available in my lifetime, in which case I'll have a few centuries to see if U.S. policy slowly moves toward the good of the world (instead of being on the side of bad for the world, but good for Americans).
A Soldier's Story
Now THAT's a good soldier's story.
Yes, it is possible for Americans to understand what they're doing and, as a result, do the right thing and maybe even slowly undo the damage they do in Iraq. On the other hand, it needs to be done one man at a time (learning, and understanding). Lectures don't work, only insight will help. And insight can't be mass produced.
As a practical matter though, it probably won't happen. There is too much ingrained cultural arrogance and ignorance there. Even if 5% of the troops could be taught to see the truth, the rest of them would be a dead weight. The U.S. can't win counter-insurgency wars because their priorities are all wrong, and they can't change. For instance, force protection through the application of overwhelming force on the opposition, is a RATIONAL choice. It just loses.
It doesn't help that any military (and the U.S. military in particular) is hidebound and tends toward ultraconservative values. That's a good thing in some wars. But again, in counter-insurgency, it loses. Liberalism is a stupidity in its own right, but ultraconservatives aren't (as a group, or in the majority) capable of seeing a middle way and seeing things as they are since any extremist (left or right, up or down) viewpoint will always prefer to see things as the viewer wishes things.
There is no victory to be won in Iraq, but this one soldier shows a way to an honorable end. One can hope that enough in the U.S. military will learn the right lessons. Even if it does seem unlikely.
Yes, it is possible for Americans to understand what they're doing and, as a result, do the right thing and maybe even slowly undo the damage they do in Iraq. On the other hand, it needs to be done one man at a time (learning, and understanding). Lectures don't work, only insight will help. And insight can't be mass produced.
As a practical matter though, it probably won't happen. There is too much ingrained cultural arrogance and ignorance there. Even if 5% of the troops could be taught to see the truth, the rest of them would be a dead weight. The U.S. can't win counter-insurgency wars because their priorities are all wrong, and they can't change. For instance, force protection through the application of overwhelming force on the opposition, is a RATIONAL choice. It just loses.
It doesn't help that any military (and the U.S. military in particular) is hidebound and tends toward ultraconservative values. That's a good thing in some wars. But again, in counter-insurgency, it loses. Liberalism is a stupidity in its own right, but ultraconservatives aren't (as a group, or in the majority) capable of seeing a middle way and seeing things as they are since any extremist (left or right, up or down) viewpoint will always prefer to see things as the viewer wishes things.
There is no victory to be won in Iraq, but this one soldier shows a way to an honorable end. One can hope that enough in the U.S. military will learn the right lessons. Even if it does seem unlikely.
hahahaha
your receipt please. that's hilarious.
i'm not going to do any of that, of course (i'm not a U.S. citizen, I don't got no rights). but it's damn funny.
hmmm, now that I think on it, when I was last in Virginia, living with the lovely Victoria and her beatiful family, I liked Trader Joe's more than Costco (no link for you, although you sure are a heck of a lot better than WalMart). I didn't mind paying a bit more, it was just more fun shopping there.
That probably had to do with the fact that I only bought beer at Trader Joe's though, and only bought food at Costco :-).
hahahaha. that article made my day.
i'm not going to do any of that, of course (i'm not a U.S. citizen, I don't got no rights). but it's damn funny.
hmmm, now that I think on it, when I was last in Virginia, living with the lovely Victoria and her beatiful family, I liked Trader Joe's more than Costco (no link for you, although you sure are a heck of a lot better than WalMart). I didn't mind paying a bit more, it was just more fun shopping there.
That probably had to do with the fact that I only bought beer at Trader Joe's though, and only bought food at Costco :-).
hahahaha. that article made my day.
Creating hungry children
Some Iraqis (who might have been looting wood, there's only the allegation) are accosted by American soldiers. The Americans then destroy the Iraqi's car by driving over it with their tank.
Even if the Iraqis really were stealing the wood (likely, but not certain), destroying the taxi certainly seems over the top. The Americans were just having fun, I think, enjoying exercising their power. But they didn't understand that in a completely destroyed economy (destroyed by the Americans, fitfully, corruptly and incompetently rebuilt by American carpetbaggers, worsening by the day), that car kept one or two families and a lot of children alive. By destroying it, the Americans absolutely created at least one (and likely, ten) enemies. Some or all of those children are going to go hungry. But of course, americans never hear about this, they can't imaging going hungry because someone destroyed their car on a whim, they don't care. They're not being assholes and bastards on purpose, they're just ignorant, and allowing their government to rape whole countries.
There's another video of British soldiers beating the crap out of some Iraqi boys. It's Lord of the Flies time out there. No one controls what the Americans and British soldiers do anymore. Most of them do the best they can to do good for the Iraqis (maybe), but as a practical matter, they are making things worse. It's a stupidity too that the Americans can't understand that they're making enemies. But that's the problem with having Hollywood on your side. All you see of your side is the good. No one sees the evil their own men do. Or if they do, they give them a pass.
I see that the Iraq Study Group is probably going to recommend a phased withdrawal from Iraq. I don't think that'll help. It's too late. They've made too many enemies. Those enemies are going to follow them home. That's unfortunate, one would have wished better. But this is what George W Bush and Dick Cheney have sown, and the world (not just the Americans) is going to reap.
Even if the Iraqis really were stealing the wood (likely, but not certain), destroying the taxi certainly seems over the top. The Americans were just having fun, I think, enjoying exercising their power. But they didn't understand that in a completely destroyed economy (destroyed by the Americans, fitfully, corruptly and incompetently rebuilt by American carpetbaggers, worsening by the day), that car kept one or two families and a lot of children alive. By destroying it, the Americans absolutely created at least one (and likely, ten) enemies. Some or all of those children are going to go hungry. But of course, americans never hear about this, they can't imaging going hungry because someone destroyed their car on a whim, they don't care. They're not being assholes and bastards on purpose, they're just ignorant, and allowing their government to rape whole countries.
There's another video of British soldiers beating the crap out of some Iraqi boys. It's Lord of the Flies time out there. No one controls what the Americans and British soldiers do anymore. Most of them do the best they can to do good for the Iraqis (maybe), but as a practical matter, they are making things worse. It's a stupidity too that the Americans can't understand that they're making enemies. But that's the problem with having Hollywood on your side. All you see of your side is the good. No one sees the evil their own men do. Or if they do, they give them a pass.
I see that the Iraq Study Group is probably going to recommend a phased withdrawal from Iraq. I don't think that'll help. It's too late. They've made too many enemies. Those enemies are going to follow them home. That's unfortunate, one would have wished better. But this is what George W Bush and Dick Cheney have sown, and the world (not just the Americans) is going to reap.
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