Here's a feel-good story from the Washington Post about Marines interacting with Iraqi villagers.

In a model of how the Marines say they hope their relationship with the Iraqi people can evolve, the two sides struck a deal: the Marines agreed to escort some villagers to a nearby well to get clean water and help repair damage caused by the fleeing Iraqi army. The village leaders agreed to go house to house, rounding up rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons that could be used against U.S. forces. The bargain was sealed with a feast cooked up by the townspeople, featuring rice, bread and goat cooked over an open fire.

I recently finished reading the book America and Guerilla Warfare. The author concludes that to effectively fight guerillas you need to have the locals on your side. You do that by treating the locals fairly, by not stealing their food or property, and by showing respect their culture. A guerilla army cannot operate without the support of the locals. Therefore, it's imperative that we treat the locals as good as possible. This article suggests we're doing the right things.

 
Is the War Glass half-full or half-empty? Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo points to THIS article from the New Yorker that has a "the sky is falling" quality to it. Clearly the left wants to argue that the glass is half-empty. I like to read Josh's site because I know that he leans to the left but genearlly avoids the silly arguments like "Bush was selected, not elected." Such anti-Bush arguments irritate me because they're usually irrelevant to the issue at hand and always me think that the writer is wasting my time.

Anyway, the New Yorker article makes it sound as if the entire mission has been one big miscalculation. The article contains lots of quotes from off-the-record sources that basically say "I tried to warn Rumsfeld but he wouldn't listen." The article raises some legitimate concerns. But I'd be more convinced if it wasn't for the fact that in just two weeks we've moved almost effortlessly across a huge country with little loss of life. Are the supply lines stretched? Of course they are! Any idiot who looks at a map of Iraq would know that they'd have to be. No matter how many troops we committed to the operation someone would still be able to allege that the supply lines were stretched too thin. I also think that the writer knows the article will get more attention if it paints a bleak picture rather than reporting that everything is great.

Were there people who thought that Iraq would crumble like a house of cards? Perhaps. Or maybe they were just playing a psychology game with Saddam and really knew all along that things would take some time---like more than two weeks. What we're trying to do is huge and for humanitarian reasons we're placing a lot of restrictions on ourselves that our enemy doesn't concern themselves with---and we're still kicking butt. After reading Josh's posts as well as the NY'er article, I'm still not worried.

 
Back to Normal. The parents and relatives left Saturday morning. I've spent much of the day recovering. I accomplished a lot of work on the house with the help of my Aunt and Uncle. We painted the masterbedroom and masterbath. My Aunt picked out bed linens to match the new wall color and bought a bunch of stuff to decorate the room. She's got talent as my bedroom now looks like it was professionally decorated and is ready to be photographed for Sunset magazine.

Abby joined us for dinner at a restaurant Tuesday night. She came straight from work and was dressed in her business suit. She looked fantastic. She did a great job of talking to my mother and my Aunt. After dinner we walked to the parking lot together and Abby received a hug from my Aunt which then triggered a chain-reaction of hugs from my mom, dad and uncle.Abby was supposed to come to my house Friday night to see the changes but had to cancel. One of her parents received from bad news that day and Abby was needed at home.

Having house guests was great but also a little stressful. I had mixed emotions today. I was sad to see them drive off but another part of me was happy to see them go so I can return to my boring (but stress-free) life.

 
Sorry for the lack of posts but my parents as well as an aunt/uncle combo have been staying at my house all week. I haven't been able to get on the computer. Abby joined us for dinner on Tuesday night and it went well. The relatives leave Saturday morning. Abby is coming over tonight to admire all the changes my aunt has made to my house.

Will post more on Saturday afternoon.

 
Saturday with Abby. My parents called on Friday afternoon to say that they wouldn't be arriving at my house until Sunday. That gave me all of Saturday to clean my house and to make sure that I had everything I needed to house my four guests. My aunt and uncle came with my parents.

I saw Abby Saturday night. After grabbing dinner at a Lebanese restaurant, we went to see her sister and her sister's fiance. This was the first time I'd met one of her family members. Her sister is pretty cute and there is definitely similarities between the two sisters in both looks and mannerisms. The fiance seemed like a fairly cool guy but it was hard to tell as he and I mostly talked about NCAA basketball while the sisters chatted in the kitched.

Eventually the four of us settled in to watch a video. They had rented the movie about Bob Crane from the tv show Hogan's Heroes. I thought it was pretty good----or, at least it held my attention. I'm not sure, but I think Abby's sister and fiance both fell asleep during the movie so that's not much of an endorsement.

Got back to Abby's house around 1:30 and she asked if I was staying the night. "I'd love to."

Abby surprised me somewhat by coming to bed in a t-shirt rather than the full-body sweatshirt & sweatpants outfit she'd worn during previous sleepovers. This was the first time I'd gotten a glimpse of her bare legs and they looked pretty good. When she walked across the room I couldn't tell what was under the t-shirt but once she got into bed I discovered it was a thong. An excellent choice.

We're still taking things slowly. But Tuesday night she meets my parents who are in town for the week.

 
A Small Victory links to a story from San Francisco that some of the "peace" protesters were carrying Molotov Cocktails. What part of "peace" do these people not understand?

 
Mean Mr. Mustard envisions how the French leadership feels after a wild night of partying. I think he's got it right.

 
Truth About Columbine. I admit it, I like Michael Moore. He makes me laugh. There's something endearing about his sad-sack, frumpy, I'm just a guy from Flint routine that I like. That's why it bothers me to know that as talented as he is, he stoops to tricks to make his points. This essay details several tricks Moore used in his BFC movie and several of them seem especially underhanded and dishonest. For example, Moore spliced together several different speeches by Charleton Heston to give the impression that Heston had said things that he clearly had not. Is there no honor in Hollywood?

 
A Moving Speech. This speech by a British officer to his men is incredible.

"We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country," he said. "We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them."

 
The Arrogance of Anti-war Protesters. Protests create grid-lock in San Francisco.

The roving protesters also stalled firefighters trying to respond to emergencies, fire officials said. Firefighters also assisted police in some cases by using bolt cutters on protesters who had locked their arms together in metal sleeves.

So what if a few people die because emergency vehicles couldn't get to them? It's all about PEACE, right?

 
Enough with the War - What's up with Abby? Things are good, thanks for asking. The number of phone calls and emails each day has doubled or tripled since last week's misunderstanding. We're getting together tonight to do some pre-parental-visit shopping to get my house ready.

I've been told that the woman I was set up with last Saturday night had a great time and is awaiting my call. Uh-oh. She was nice but just no romantic attraction on my part.

and it looks like I'll never get to meet the 28-year old virgin. My friend says they've found out she's only 23 and that I'm not "her type". Perhaps she saw me last Saturday and said "no thanks" to the idea of being set up with me. Oh well, you can't win them all.

 
Take the Day Off - Saddam Would Want That. Thousands of students all over the world have bravely taken the day off from their classes and studies to "protest" America's desire to rid the world of Saddam.

Avoiding that Biology midterm had nothing to do with it, nope, absolutely nothing, it's all for the Iraqi people you see.

 
From a comment posted at Transterrestrial Musings...

"this is the first war in the history of man where the defending army has taken it's own people hostage, and the invading army cares."

Well said.

 
asking "Why Do They Hate Us?" It's nice to see an arab muslim calling for some Saudi self-analysis. Are we already seeing the benefits of the war with Iraq?

"Since Sept. 11 we have been giving advice and pointing out the defects in America’s system but we have never looked within ourselves to identify our own shortcomings. We have no convincing answer to the Americans’ question of why 15 of the hijackers are Saudis and why most of the detainees at Guantanamo are also Saudis."

 
The Parents are Coming!!! My parents are coming to visit me for the first time in 3 1/2 years. Abby made one of her cute eyebrow-raising facial expressions when I told her that I wanted her to join us for dinner Saturday night. That should be interesting.

I'm already thinking of ways to put my parents to work while they're staying at my house. Several rooms need painting. I just need to sell them on the idea of doing the work.

 
Susanna at Cut on the Bias has some interesting things to say about Idealizing Woman As Mother.

 
Does the world appreciate how lucky it is to have Tony Blair? Probably not, but I hope that the Americans do.

"Tell our allies that at the very moment of action, at the very moment when they need our determination, that Britain faltered?" [Blair] asked the House of Commons, his voice rising and his finger stabbing at the air at the beginning of a daylong debate. "I will not be party to such a course."

 
Monday Dinner. Abby had me over to her house for dinner last night. Nothing fancy, she made tacos and salad and both were very good. After dinner we went for a brisk walk around her neighborhood which is nicer than I knew. Abby invited me to sleep over but warned that we'd have to get up at 5:30 am. I stayed and we did get up at 5:30. That may not be such an early time for her, but it was a real shock to my system.

 
Peter Jennings Really is an Ass. I caught the ABC nightly news last night. I'd read about how Jennings is anti-Bush but it's still surprising to see him in action. At the point of the program where Jennings had to report the stock market's performance he was clearly pissed that the market had soared on the eve of the "Bush administration's war". When he stated a reason for the market's upswing was a belief that the war would end quickly he added the phrase "so we have been told." That was a strange phrase to add, wasn't it? Wouldn't viewers already assume that ABC's speculation on market moves comes from things they've been told?

and why does he keep referring to it as the "Bush administration's war"?
Update. Andrew Sullivan's Wednesday post criticizes Jennings as well.

 
Clinton Comes Through. Unlike several left-leaning columnists, his Op-Ed in The Guardian puts a large portion of the responsibility for the UN's breakdown on the real unilateralists (France, Germany, Russia)

The veto threat did not help the diplomacy. It's too bad, because if a majority of the security council had adopted the Blair approach, Saddam would have had no room for further evasion and he still might have disarmed without invasion and bloodshed. Now, it appears that force will be used to disarm and depose him.

At such a significant moment in our history it's nice to see Bill put America ahead of partisanship.

 
Weekend Wrapup. Abby and I got together Friday night. It was our first face-to-face meeting since Monday's drama. Things got off to a bad start in that Abby was 25 minutes late getting home from work. She'd left me messages at both home & work but I was already gone by the time she called. Things went well except that I'm sick and didn't have a lot of energy. We had a nice casual dinner and then rented a movie that we watched at her house. Given my ill condition I did not stay the night.

Saturday my cold or allergies (or both?) continued to cause me problems. Irregardless, I went out with my married couple friends and a woman that my friend's wife wanted me to meet. The woman was very nice, fairly attractive, intelligent and outgoing. The four of us went to dinner and then to an Irish bar to celebrate St.Patty's day. I had a good time and I think she did as well. That said, I didn't find her attractive as a potential dating partner. But that doesn't mean being set up with her was a mistake and I encouraged my friend's wife to keep scouting for me.

At the pub my friend pointed out the woman that is the 28 year old virgin that his wife also wants to set me up with. I only caught a quick glimpse of her but I could tell that this woman is more the type that I'm physically attracted to. I didn't get introduced to her last night but I sure hope to meet her in the future. And the fact that she's 28 and still a virgin suggests that she's quirky and I so love quirky women.

 
Whose Side are they On? Shocking story in Salon about some "peace" activists' plans to disrupt our country's ability to execute military action against Iraq.

"We have the possibility of disrupting operations that feed directly into the Iraq war in a limited but very real way," says Peter Lumsdaine, coordinator of the Military Globalization Project, the group that's organizing the Vandenberg action.

Funny how these idiots don't see that by doing this they themselves are engaging in the war and are fighting on the side of Saddam. At that point they cease to be "peace" activists but instead become the enemy and should be treated as such. These "peace" activists are gladly willing to sacrifice the lives of our servicemen and women to help Saddam stay in power. Explain to me how increasing the casualty rates of our soldiers contributes to "peace"?

Update. LGF links to a story which says that officials have stated that "Security forces at Vandenberg Air Force Base are allowed to use "deadly force" in some cases if any anti-war demonstrators infiltrate the military complex."

 
THIS is my favorite Doonesbury strip of all time.

 
Why Spreading Democracy will Reduce Terrorism. A nice paragraph from a recent Joel Mowbray column....

Terrorism can exist in free nations—look at Spain, Mexico, or even the terror cells in the United States—but it cannot flourish. Radicalism spawns far more frequently under radical leadership. If people breathe free and have hope for the future, the impetus for signing up with al Qaeda is nearly gone. Finding people willing to lose everything is a lot harder when people actually have something to lose.

 
Free Speech may cost Dixie Chicks some Sales. While performing in London one of the Dixie Chicks told the audience that they're "ashamed" that the president is from Texas. Interestingly, a lot of people are ashamed that the Dixie Chicks are from America. Can we donate them to France? Please. Showing a clear lack of imagination of what Saddam is capable of, the chicks state on their website that

...there is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq and the prospect of all the innocent lives that will be lost.

Hmmmm....how about the prospect of a nuclear bomb being set off in NYC and killing 8 million potential buyers of Dixie Chick CDs?

Update. Wouldn't it have been more impressive if they'd acted as ambassadors of their country instead of prostrating themselves to the anti-american sentiment? and lately there's been a trend of accusing Bush of "ignoring the opinions" of various groups. Just because Bush disagrees with your opinion doesn't mean he didn't listen to it. There's a wide range of opinions on the war and he can't agree or act on all of them.

 
Monday's Drama. The short version is that someone Abby works with (and doesn't especially like) provided Abby with evidence that I'm seeing other people. When I got to work on Monday there was a short email from Abby asking me to verify the information. Even though I didn't think Abby had a right to be upset with me I figured it was a good time to lay my cards on the table.

I sent Abby a lengthy email admitting that her coworker's info was accurate. I wrote that it was not unreasonable for me to pursue other options given the following:

1. I think I'm more interested in dating you than vice versa.
2. If it was up to me I'd see you at least four times per week rather than once a week.
3. You're at the top of my "things I like to do" list whereas I seem to be fairly low on yours.

Abby wrote back fairly quickly thanking me for the email and apologizing for the lack of face time. She said she didn't know I was that interested.

 
Spacerunner. This simple game is quite addictive.

 
W.Virginia vs. Providence. My friend with the sports gambling problem has bet $250 that total points scored in the game will be OVER 133. Game starts at 2:30 eastern. A couple of nights ago he won $200 on a game and his success has gone to his head. I've gone crazy and bet $15.

Update: Loser. The total points scored was only 123.

 
Maybe I'm Allergic to Abby. I think we've worked through Monday's drama and are better for having gone through it. Nothing like a little thunder and lightening to get the blood flowing.

And somehow someway I've caught another cold. This sets a new record for me of 4 colds in one season. I know this winter has been colder than normal but jeezsh, I've had enough already. I think I need to cut-off all human contact for the next month. Either that or start living in a plastic bubble.

 
Might Doesn't Equal Right. But our unique Might gives the U.S. the power to do what is right, once we determine what right is. Like a lot of people I've recently pondered the question of to what extent the U.S. should tie its own hands to make other countries feel good about themselves. I think a strong argument can be made that voluntary short-run pain by us can produce long-term gains for everyone.

But what if the issue is something as important as the war with Saddam? What if we're sure that we're right but world opinion is against us. What if after listening and considering the arguments of other countries we still think we're right?

Steven Den Beste has a lengthy post that ends by addressing this question.

But what I contend is that if we have to make a choice between the two [popular vs. right], and cannot have both, then we will choose to be unpopular. If others are using the offer of their friendship as a way of coercing us to do things which will badly damage ourselves, then their friendship is a luxury I cannot afford.

I am not willing to destroy this nation just to make the French like us. I am not willing to discard our civil rights, or hamstring our economy, just to be a "team player". I am not willing to shred the Constitution and convert the US into an Islamic republic just to make Islamic extremists like us. It is a good thing for others in the world to like us, for a variety of reasons. But there are other things which are even more important.

And simply because we are big and powerful, there will always be many who resent us. That's human nature, and it won't ever change. There's nothing we can do to prevent that except to cease being big and powerful. I don't consider surrender or suicide to be practical solutions.

 
Abby Update. Abby got upset with me yesterday. Too long a story to explain here. I'm still undecided on whether she had a right to be upset. However, the fact that she was indicates a depth of caring on her part that I didn't think existed. It all may have turned out for the best as it's forced us to talk about our relationship. It appears we've both misinterpreted each others' actions which has led to some of the problems I've written about on this blog.

 
Erin O'Connor writes about an editorial from the U. of Michigan complaining about the increased use of undergraduate students to teach courses. And tipping her hat to UM's love of "diversity" initiatives she writes...

But don't be too hard on UM: surely hiring undergrads to teach college courses enhances the diversity of the University's professoriate, which has hitherto been dominated by people with actual degrees.

Ouch!


~Saturday, March 08, 2003

Abby Update. After work last night I went to Abby's house. Her house has built-in bookshelves and she had painted the back wall of the wooden bookshelves a strange light green color. I told her it looked good, which it did if you're into art-deco colors. I don't think Abby and I would be able to cohabitate as we have very different tastes in home decor. I showed her a picture of an armoire that I'm thinking of getting for my bedroom although she said it looked nice I could hear in her voice "wow, that's what you like?".

After a quick dinner at a mom & pop restaurant that hasn't changed its decor since 1962 we rented and watched About A Boy --- my favorite movie of 2002. It was just as good as I'd remembered. The only downside was that Abby's television's picture tube is dying and it makes everyone on the screen look like they have a giant forehead.

I left around 11:30 and since she's back in the "friend-zone" I didn't try to kiss her. Instead I went to give her a quick hug (she's very huggable) and she turned it into a ten minute full-body hug-a-thon including stroking the hair on the back of my head. My non-caring attitude continues to pay dividends.

 
There's something very sexy about a woman protecting her kids. I think this young woman's 9-11 art taps into that....

 
The new website of editorial cartoonists Cox and Forkum is fantastic and has been added to my list of favorite blogs.

 
Update. I worked late last night and didn't get home until 9 pm. There was a message from Cindy asking me if I wanted to go out Saturday with her cousin and her husband or boyfriend or something. I didn't call her back as it was late and I wanted to think about it.

 
Actors Guild Warns Against Blacklisting. This story highlights how fragile big-name actors and actresses are. They want to use their fame to shove their ignorant political views in our faces but don't want to bare any cost for doing so. These actors need to understand capitalism. If I'm funding a movie project, my goal is to make a profit, not to line the pockets of the Sheen family. If their public rantings reduce the chances of my making a profit on the film, then it's perfectly within my rights to hire a different actor.

 
How Should America use its Power? I don't get too political on this website but you can tell from my list of links that most of the blogs I read are primarily political. Last night I listened to a great debate between Christopher Hitchens and some anti-war dude. Here's the LINK. The debate took place January 28th.

If you're undecided about whether the U.S. should take out Saddam by force then you should listen to this debate. I think Hitchens wins the debate hands-down. Several times he turns the other guy's arguments around and uses them against him.

One theme that Hitchens brings up several times is that we will have to deal with Iraq at some point. The Saddam regime will eventually implode. Being anti-war does not mean that the U.S. will not have to send troops and money and supplies into Iraq. Rather, an anti-war stance means that you think the U.S. should wait until Saddam's regime implodes, that ethnic fighting breaks out all over the country and one or several of Iraq's neighbors invade it to take advantage of the chaos. Hitchens argues, rightly I believe, that the international community will, at that point, call on the U.S. to clean up the mess. Therefore, the options are take care of business now or wait and clean up a bigger mess later.

Hitchens saves one of his best jabs for his closing argument. He states that there is "...a significant part of the so-called 'peace movement' crowd that is immune to evidence and also incapable of self-criticism...of imagining what these countries would be like if the advice of the peaceniks had been followed."