Would Fighters Be There – For Nothing?

BAGHDAD — As 2008 ends, U.S. troop deaths for the year in Iraq and Afghanistan are the lowest combined total since the Iraq war began in 2003.

Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, warned against complacency as the Americans hand off security to Iraqi forces in the new year and more U.S. forces head to Afghanistan.

“In military terms, transitions are always the most dangerous,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure we don’t have any seams in our transition.”

I wonder what would happen if we and the Iraqi government were to quit offering to pay the group known as the Sons of Iraq, or Awakening Councils, the U.S.-created program helped turn the tide against the insurgency by offering steady employment to disaffected Sunni Arabs in exchange for help battling al-Qaeda and other militant groups.

This question led me to think about our own military.  As you know, we’re constantly reminded that the soldiers currently protecting us are all volunteers.   Of course the government forgets to mention that those ‘volunteers’ are paid hefty bonuses for signing up.  They are also offered free education, room and board and a monthly living expense.

Ever stop to wonder if they would have signed up to serve their nation if they were told they would get nothing in return sleeping quarters (if available) and food?

Yes I’m sure there are some that would have signed up to serve their country for nothing, however, I’m just as sure there are thousands that wouldn’t have.

What do you think?

Blago To Announce Obama’s Replacement Today

CHICAGO (AP) - Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has scheduled an afternoon news conference amid reports that he plans to name someone to Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat.Blagojevich was arrested earlier this month on charges that he tried to sell or trade the seat to the highest bidder.

Citing unnamed sources, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday that Blagojevich plans to appoint 71-year-old former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. Senate leaders have said they will not seat anyone Blagojevich names.

Got to hand it to Blago — if this choice is true, he picked a guy that a lot of people trust.  It will be hard for the Senate to not to accept Burris.  I’m curious whether or not Burris will accept the offer now that Blago is under a cloud of possible impeachment.

Is Barack Obama Being Tested Already?

“Mark my words,” Senator Joe Biden warned.  “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you – not financially to help him – we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”

Some random thoughts of mine:

Barack Obama’s not been sworn in yet, but the world is watching him already, just as Senator Biden warned.  They are waiting to hear what he thinks about Israel’s attacks against Hamas ruled Gaza.  The media’s not talking about what President Bush will do or what he thinks, in fact quite the opposite is happening.  They are talking about Bush being on vacation seemingly ignoring the conflict and questing why Obama’s not responding to the crisis – as though he were already the President. (more…)

Latest Lego Set

CHICAGO – The lieutenant governor of Illinois said he is certain that scandal-plagued Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) will be out of office in less than two months.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D) said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he thinks Blagojevich will be impeached and convicted by the state legislature by Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday celebration Feb. 12…

Perhaps the Governor should buy one of these lego sets for practice?

The Way To a Man’s Heart is…..

No longer just food!

The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.

Four blue pills. Viagra.

“Take one of these. You’ll love it,” the officer said. Compliments of Uncle Sam.

The enticement worked. The officer, who described the encounter, returned four days later to an enthusiastic reception. The grinning chief offered up a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes — followed by a request for more pills.

For U.S. intelligence officials, this is how some crucial battles in Afghanistan are fought and won. While the CIA has a long history of buying information with cash, the growing Taliban insurgency has prompted the use of novel incentives and creative bargaining to gain support in some of the country’s roughest neighborhoods, according to officials directly involved in such operations.

For years we’ve heard the old saying, “the way to a man’s heart is filling his belly with good food”.  This story apparently proves that’s not the only way there.

It’s nice to know that we didn’t need to torture people, we could have just give them the ability to ‘get it on‘.

Maybe President Bush and Vice President Cheney should have thought of this when they tortured Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -one of the planners for 9/11.

Or perhaps somebody should have offered stock in Viagra to Cheney and Bush?

Wii Games Causing Injuries

Up to ten people a week are being hospitalized with injuries caused by playing Nintendo Wii games, prompting doctors in Britain to issue warnings of the dangers associated with the video game system.

“There has been a 100 percent increase in patients complaining of Wii-itis,” Dr. Dev Mukerjee of Broomfield Hospital, Essex, told The Sun newspaper.

Most patients are admitted after playing tennis or running games which involve sudden movements, resulting in tendon stretching or tearing.

“It’s possible Wii-itis may lead to rheumatism or arthritis later in life. Patients often have inflamation of the shoulder or wrist,” said Dr. Mukerjee…..

I’ve experienced some of my own aches and pains using the ‘generic’ version of the Nintendo Wii game.  I’ve using muscles and joints I haven’t used in years.  Get the Ben Gay out folks.  I personally recommend Bio Freeze.

Obama To Be Sworn in On Lincoln’s Bible

In light of the controversy over President Elect Barack Obama’s religious beliefs during both the Democrat Primary and the General Election, I feel this bit of news is important:

President-elect Barack Obama has decided to be sworn in with his hand on the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration, the Presidential Inauguration Committee announced this morning.

According to the committee:

The Bible was originally purchased by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court, for use during Lincoln’s swearing-in ceremony on March 4, 1861.  The Lincoln family Bible, which is also in the Library of Congress’s collection, was unavailable for the ceremony because it was packed away with the First Family’s belongings, still en route from Springfield, IL, to their new home at the White House.

The Bible itself is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim around the three outside edges of both covers.  All its edges are heavily gilded.  In the center of the top cover is a shield of gold wash over white metal with the words “Holy Bible” chased into it.  The book is 15 cm long, 10 cm wide, and 4.5 cm deep when closed.  The 1,280-page Bible was published in 1853 by the Oxford University Press.

Annotated in the back of the volume, along with the Seal of the Supreme Court, is the following: “I, William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the said court do hereby certify that the preceding copy of the Holy Bible is that upon which the Honble. R. B. Taney, Chief Justice of the said Court, administered to His Excellency, Abraham Lincoln, the oath of office as President of the United States …”

There is an image of the Lincoln Bible here, at the Library of Congress’ website.

Just imagine spending your life defending your religous beliefs.

Keyboard For Blondes

What’s It All About Gov?

If Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich truly cared about the State of Illinois and his constituents, he would immediately offer up his resignation.  Instead we hear, “I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath.”

This statement wasn’t made by a man that was thinking about the condition his State or even his nation was currently in, instead it was a comment that is, one huge reason, why his once upon a time supporters, should not only insist, but demand that he walk away and allow their State to get on with its everyday business without hearing and spending weeks possibly months discussing a possible indictment or impeachment of their governor.

Governor Blagojevich would benefit more by announcing that for the good of the State and her constituents, that he will be resigning effective immediately.  That would be the more appropriate time to make the previous statement, that he will fight until he takes his last breath.

If he is successful in fighting any indictments – then he can gloat and brag all he wants.  Meanwhile, those few supporters that he still has, can feel vindicated instead of ashamed that he made his State and nation suffer more than necessary while he took on his political enemies.

What’s more important Governor?  The State and how it survives the worst recession since 1926 or one man’s personal goals and aspirations?

So far, you’ve shown us – it’s all about ‘you’ and ‘bleep’ us.

Female or Male: Santa’s Reindeer

LUBBOCK, Texas — There may be a perfectly good reason why Santa doesn’t get lost on his annual Christmas globetrot: His flying reindeer just might be female and don’t mind stopping for directions.

The gender of Rudolph and his or her sleigh-hauling friends _ the subject of goofy Internet chatter every year around this time _ is now being pondered by renowned wildlife experts at Texas A&M University.

“Santa’s reindeers were really females, most likely,” said Alice Blue-McLendon, a veterinary medicine professor specializing in deer who cites the depictions of Santa’s helpers with antlers as the primary evidence. It turns out reindeer grow antlers regardless of gender, and most bulls typically shed their fuzzy protrusions before Christmas.

But Santa’s sleigh helpers might also be castrated males, known as steers, said Greg Finstad, who manages the Reindeer Research Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

What’s your best guess?  Male or Female? I’m thinking male – especially Rudolph (always getting into trouble)!