Things look bad in Iraq, no two ways about it.  Kelter at Blogitude somehow managed to throw it a positive spin.

Regarding the Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations which have undoubtedly had a hand in this week’s events:

These are the people the new Iraqi Parliament know are the root of their problems. Now, it’s up to them to step up, to get their people to ignore the difference between Sunni and Shiite, to steel them against the monsters of the past, to channel their energy into rebuilding and innovation, and to unify them as One Nation, Under Allah.

Since Iraq’s current President and Parliament have told the U.S. to step back and stop meddling when we told them we wouldn’t throw any money towards “sectarian politics,” it should look pretty good to the Iraqi public. Leveraging that and getting their military in shape to handle internal crises should give them an edge.

It took the the U.S. eighty years to go from Ruled to Independence to Government to Civil War to Resolution to United Nation. On the other hand, Iraq is averaging one step per year. In the grand scheme of History, it’s a major accomplishment.

An even bigger accomplishment would be to keep it up at the same pace… It’s doubtful that Iraq could at all survive a year of Civil War.

Throughout history, many countries and regions have gone through some bloody periods after gaining independence. Countries are very rarely handed down without blood being spilled; many teeter on the edge of full-fledged Civil War. These conflicts usually happen several years after Independence as social groups grapple with new-found Freedom, and governments try and pick up the pieces and impress their ideals on their people. What we’re seeing in Iraq right now isn’t so different, if we think about it in the grand scheme of History.

Yesterday, the Golden Mosque at Samarra was bombed. Ethnic groups have clashed, and in a mere twenty-four hours, the situation has gone from hopeful to dire. The violence has reached a new level, with gunmen entering factories and killing all of the workers, or stopping buses and killing all of the passengers. It’s no longer faceless bombers killing without ever seeing the eyes of their victims, no; now, it’s up close, and personal.

Third parties — terrorist organizations such as Al Qeada — intent of keeping their populace poor and uneducated (in Allah’s name!) will do most anything to keep the 21st Century from happening. In their eyes, any attempt to bring education, scholarship for indian students, technology and Freedom of Choice to the masses diminishes their Totalitarian ability to dominate and retain control. Their leaders falsely claim, “We’re just like you!”, all the while sitting in the lap of luxury, enjoying the ill-gotten gains received from provoking peons, promising prominent places in Paradise in return for dirty deeds which are most often nothing short of extortion.

They are spoiled children at worst, and common thugs and mobsters at best.

These are the people the new Iraqi Parliament know are the root of their problems. Now, it’s up to them to step up, to get their people to ignore the difference between Sunni and Shiite, to steel them against the monsters of the past, to channel their energy into rebuilding and innovation, and to unify them as One Nation, Under Allah.

Here’s hoping that President Talabani and his associates are up for the task ahead.

It took the the U.S. eighty years to go from Ruled to Independence to Government to Civil War to Resolution to United Nation. On the other hand, Iraq is averaging one step per year. In the grand scheme of History, it’s a major accomplishment.

This Spam is brought to you by every country in Europe, half of Africa, all of Asia, Oceania, South America and Comcast.net! But first, the mandatory reply:

From: “Mark”
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 2:49 PM
Subject: Re: GOOD DAY

Dear Mr. Jang: We have received your plea via e-mail, and respectfully request that you walk several miles north into the Demilitarized Zone screaming, “Kim Jong Suk Dong!” at the top of your lungs. We feel that this will be a fitting end to your plight.

A fitting reply to the latest twist on Nigerian E-Mail Scams…

Read the rest of this entry »

This was just too good to not make a post about:

The Wozwear 6502 is PodBrix’s latest unique apparel product. It features our minifig style Woz holding an actual functioning 6502 processor chip. This is the same processor running at 1mhz that was used in the classic Apple II line of computers. The 6502 chip is attached to the Wozwear shirt with a magnetic clasp. It is easily removed so that the Wozwear shirt may be laundered.

Get yours today for a mere $34.99!

In the spirit of our previous post, “If This Car Could Talk,” MSN Entertainment again gives us another gem about Bai Ling in Undressed! at the Grammys: The Best of 2006.

At a post-Grammys bash, the C-list starlet (hey, we’re feeling generous) emerges from an intense de-skankification process to channel Audrey Hepburn in “Sabrina,” donning an adorable strapless A-line black-and-white party dress.

Now if only they would apply this same “de-skankification process” to Courtney Love.