tvashtarkatena

"Iraqi Leader Disavows any Timetable" NYT article Is that lying sack of shit predictable or what? Our choice is clear; Send in Ralph Nader...without a flak jacket.

You forgot Blunder # 1: Invading Iraq. I often hear the old 'hindsight is 20 20' line, but just about everyone I know predicted this debacle six months before the war started. We knew that the WMD line was a load of crap, just as we knew that Bush was a lying fuckup who couldn't lead his way out of a shopping bag. I agree that Iraq is lost, but would add that the Iraq we hoped to create was always a fiction. Everything now is just damage control, and I'm not sure our presence is helping.

Proof positive that it is better to give than to receive

What new direction? We've been fighting the militias since we invaded, with ill effect. Our latest crackdown produced a spike in violence. Just last week the NYT quoted our top general in Iraq as saying he didn't know what we were going to do next. Now a 'new strategy' suddenly appears right before the election? Bushit. Militias can provide security that the government can't as well as add to the violence. I can go both ways. Rather than continuing to fight the militias, which pretty much means fighting the clans they protect, it would be better to bring them their leadership to a neutral, political bargaining table. Neutrality might require that we step aside and let another entity adjudicate the negotiations with the Iraqi government and the clans. If they don't show, we're no worse off than we are now. If they show, we isolate those that don't and concentrate any military efforts on the holdouts. An unwillingness to fight the militias, and thus the clans, has been a major reason why Iraqi forces have shown as little results as they have to date. There's no reason to assume this will change any time soon.

I have drawn "Spunky". Gotta start somewhere. Paint me a better picture. The one I'm looking at sucks.

Particularly when those hand tied flies fail to bring home the bacon.

The administration's new security strategy is to fight the militias. It's as flawed as previous (non)strategies. Iraqis are more loyal to their clans than to the nation of Iraq. The militias provide security for those clans, which justifiably have no confidence in the state police or army. Fighting them will escalate an already violent situation, and any Iraqi help will be lackluster at best. Our only success in Iraq has been with the Kurds, whose clans have agreed to a truce. We'd do well to mimmick that strategy further south, which would probably mean partitioning the country and dividing up the oil. That means bringing the militias to the bargaining table...not something this administration has been particularly adept at. We'll probably lose the Shiite region to Iran's influence, but at least it wouldn't be the entire county. Unfortunately, Iraq is a problem this administration is apparently not capable of solving. We can all expect more bad news for some time to come.

Save comments like that for Spray. They are inappropriate here, particularly on a forum about helping other climbers. A previous poster authoritatively discounted that it might be the pressurized breathing, without offering any supporting evidence. I started swimming, the athsma stopped. I suspect it was the swimming. Perhaps it was mere coincidence. I hope this helps the original poster with their problem. Enough said.

"Washington: Mountains, Coffee, Helpful Cartoon Paperclips"

When your home gets invaded by evil starlings, you'll probably wish your VW bus was running.

Dad?

Good luck with that hobby.

I've had it. Got it later in life. My doctor misdiagnosed it, BTW. A friend (and doctor) I adventure race with came up with the idea when I had an attack. After that, I started carrying an inhaler for long athletic events. What helped me kick it (I haven't experienced it in a couple of years and no longer carry an inhaler) was swimming laps. For some reason the pressurized breathing exercises involved in that kind of work out stopped whatever mechanism was causing it. I have no idea if there is any other info on this...that was just my experience.

Since your talking rifles The 15XK is a pistol. Small, lightweight, and the CO2 cartridges fit my cocktail spritzer. I pity the next squirrel that tries to fuck with me.

I'm a Daisy man, myself. 15XK, .177 rounds. You never know when you're gonna need to put a BB through some motherfucker's sneaker.

When do you let them out of your trousers? Bring your balls within 10 feet and find out firsthand.

I've never run into a problem my attack ferret couldn't handle.

It's contagious... Methronatural Snohomish County Petronatural Saudi Arabia Ghettonatural Detroit Gitmonatural Cuba Jethronatural Arkansas Petsaunatural Enumclaw Mateunnatural Spanaway

If you've got a gun, why not make someone else carry your ten essentials?

Heart of the Game - high school women's B Ball in Seattle

Hey, that's one hell of a last supper. Look closely Other biblical scholars believe that this version was more accurate

A hand painted sign on a roadside just outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas: "Otto Repair" The guy must have realized his mistake, so he added a little tail to the first 'O' to make it an 'a'

Jesus Christ Superstore web page

Tenderloins - A Steakhouse for Men The Erection Company - construction cranes (they did the UW hospital addition about 10 years ago)

Touche'!