Other than the war stuff, life goes on. Went bowling last night with Mom and Brian. I was kinda bitchy and just wanted to be left alone to bowl my way, right or wrong. Brian may be looking to have some sort of technique, but I'm not, LOL. It's a recreation thing for me. If I'm not having fun doing it, then its not worth doing.
After yesterdays snow, the sun has returned. Now I just have to get through another week...yet another Monday.
A blog piece, History of War for Democracy arose from this POV piece Wilson, Bush, and History. Both discuss past events (WWI and WWII) and how the chaos of war and its aftermath lead to unexpected results, though in hindsight these results make sense. One passage in the latter hits the mark:
History is a lot like the toy kaleidoscopes we used to buy at the dime store. Shake it a little, and you get a new pattern--nothing mysterious, but impossible to predict. In retrospect it always seems clear, but nobody knows what the next pattern will be.
Today, partly as a result of the 1991 Gulf War, we are in another situation nobody could imagine a few years ago. As usual, our rulers think another war will produce the desired results, such as democracy all over the place.
Wherever they get this idea, it is not, shall we say, from an inductive study of history. They are about to plunge into another situation nobody can safely predict, let alone imagine. If the United States attacks Iraq, it will no doubt win--that’s the easy part--but the kaleidoscope will be shaken again, and in a few years we will be living in a world we wouldn't recognize today.
[note: This is dated March 11, prior to the start of the war]
And today in the Washington Post, once again we are seeing evidence of a split in Dubya's administration. As usual Bush has been listening to the hawks instead of listening to the alternative. And now it is too late to turn back.
Yesterday Mom and I went to see the World Figure Skating Championships practice session at the MCI Center. It was interesting to see the girls practicing at the same time, doing jumps and not running into each other. LOL. Got to see Michelle Kwan, Sasha, and Tara Hughes. I would have loved to see the competition in person, but at $75-125 a ticket, I couldn't afford it. The $12 general admission price for the practice sessions however was affordable, LOL.
It's snowing here...can you believe it? It's nearly April! Looks like a winter wonderland with everything covered in snow. The scarier thing is yesterday it was about 70 degrees. Today its in the low 30s.
Now for more depressing war news....the Arab world is outraged at the US. Surprise, surprise, surprise. My guess is Bush doesn't care as long as he gets a victory. But this sort of outrage and anger is exactly why many Americans did not want such a war. After 9/11, we have no desire to see anymore such acts of terror. Such outrage and hatred in the Arab world will only breed future terrorists. I don't give a shit if we have a Dept. of Homeland Security...it won't protect us from the wrath that Bush is sowing.
This scares me.
I'm afraid that even voting Bush out will not change the damage that has already been done. It's a rather sobering thought.
Quote of the Day:
Why cats are better than dogs?
Brian: "You don't have to walk a cat."
Said as he was teasing Tabitha with a mouse on a stick and loving every minute of it. (funnier in person rather than written down, LOL.)
Back to the Future?....Maybe....If he can give out where Osama is, I'd be willing to believe it. ;)
I find myself watching PBS more these days, in particular, McLehrer News Hour. Tonight retired officers from the various branches of the military spoke of what's going right and what's going wrong in Iraq. The most interesting point I'd heard mentioned that I hadn't heard before was that the original plan presented included twice as many troops. That number was cut in half and in addition the 4th infantry was not being able to come through Turkey. These two factors have affected 'the Plan'. Also, they had not anticipated the irregulars attacking the supply line in the South. These gentleman corraboarated Gen. Wallace's story that the war games played in preparation of this action did not include fighting by irregulars. The question remains how well will our forces adjust to a changing plan. The other question brought up was how will the Iraqi's view us if they sustain heavy losses of their civillian population?--something quite possible given the expected battle in Baghdad in the near future. While success is next to certain, peace however is quite uncertain. It was refreshing to hear these former military guys discuss this aspect.
I've come to the conclusion that I prefer PBS's less glammour/more substance reporting style and will continue to watch more of PBS's news and less of those 24 hour 'brag about our reporting' units.
This is what our Marines are experiencing in Iraq....certainly no cakewalk. I don't think the citzens of the US are prepared for how long and bloody this war will really be. WMD or no WMD. Oh yeah...and all those Iraqis that surrendered? They appear to be attacking US troops now.
As much against this war I am, I want to see as many of our guys as possible to come home intact and unscathed. But I'm afraid Bush underestimated the whole situation in Iraq.
What happens if no WMD are found in Iraq? And what does Bush plan to do once he gains control of Iraq? Here's one man's assessment of Bush's colonialist agenda in regards to Iraq.
Oh yeah, and what's going on while everyone is watching the war? Nothing too good....
Time for a house and cat update.
So far we are still closing on April 25th. Just sorting through smaller details until the big day. Otherwise everything is going fairly smoothly.
And Gee has been doing well, knock on wood. He still has the frequent need to pee small quantities, but these have little to no blood and he does it in the litterbox. I think since he has been told he could not come to our new home unless he had gotten better, he has willed himself to improve. Who says cats don't understand? It's great to see him feeling better overall as he continues to become more affectionate and playful once again. It only took 5 months, lol. And if I haven't mentioned it before, I'll mention it again. OxyClean is a wonderful thing....great for getting rid of bloody pee stains on the carpet and walls. The stuff is a godsend.
One more thought for the night...since when is 80s music "Classic Rock"? To me classic rock is 70s music. God that makes me feel old when the local radio station plays Skid Row and calls it classic rock.
How do Iraqi's really feel about the bombs being dropped on Baghdad? Here's one family's story.
For all the talk of coalition forces working together to rebuild Iraq after the war, notice only US contractors are being allowed to bid on contracts to do this work. One in particular is Halliburton, the company that Dick Cheney was CEO for previously. Two others have Republican ties. Now granted the bids have not been awarded yet. But this will be something to watch. And what I want to know is why foreign contractors are not being invited to bid? I have a hard time believing we can't get security clearance for contractors from Allied countries.
Shocking....such inhumane treatment of animals makes me ill. Maybe the perpetrators should be treated the same way as they treated those poor innocent sheep.
I received one of those war propaganda emails that lists the credentials of this administration as compared with actors protesting the war. It tries to discredit the views of these celebrities based on their educational background. And show that the administration must know what they are doing based on the degrees and prior offices held.
Now granted I don't think Hollywood celebs are a cross-section of typical America, but I don't think their views don't count just because they don't have doctorate degrees. And I know from experience that advanced degrees don't completely correlate with greater common sense.
The big thing for the person sending this email to me is she believes that any dissent during the war demoralizes the troops. This sort of guilt trip bugs me. It precludes anyone from having an alternate view for the sake of the feelings of the folks in the military. So this person would have us give up our rights to freedom of speech as we our supposedly on a mission to bring that same freedom to Iraq. Or so as I see it. As far as I'm concerned the protesters and the military are the kinds of people we need to hear from. We need to hear from all sides, all views, all walks of life. The difference of opinion and the ability to speak that opinion are what we all should be fighting to keep intact.
I guess she's decided to cash in on her noteriety....Monica to host Fox's Mr. Personality.
I finally went to check out Salam's Blog from Baghdad, Iraq since many others have mentioned his compelling story. I can't vow whether its on the up and up, but it is definitely worth reading. His post on how Wahabism has been on the rise since as he calls it "Gulf War I" has much credence. He also talks of his support for democracy in Iraq and his lack of support for bombing since as he says, he's not suicidal.
Update: What I didn't mention is he's such a hoot to read as well. Now that things have gone quiet on his end with the bombing of Baghdad, I hope that he manages to stay out of harm's way.
One fight Bush has lost: Senate rejects oil drilling in Alaskan refuge
On the more sobering side...an account of a journalist "embedded" in the Middle East.
From WhiteHouse.org:
Help me...my sides are hurting from LOLing so much!
We were amused at work today by the news of the guy on the tractor making demands in DC. You got to hand it to the guy...he has something to say and in the format he has chosen, he gets not only media attention for threatening to blow himself up, but moreso by creating a traffic nightmare downtown. DC employees get more agitated by nightmare traffic than any possibility of getting blown sky high. ;)
Hopefully the whole situation will be defused soon and this guy will get the help he needs. Otherwise most of the DC workers will stay the hell home rather than deal with killer traffic, LOL.
This is the first time I can recall that I truly think the government is lying to us. Omitting information, they've certainly done in the past. But outright lying in the most arrogant nature is a new thing. And my gut tells me that is exactly what is going on. We've not received one shred of credible evidence for the actions we are about to take against Iraq. Past events don't constitute current threats. And this whole theory of creating one democracy in order to try to spread democracy in the area--the reverse domino effect--doesn't fly with me. This change in foreign policy is startling and unsettling to say the least. It will be interesting to see how history will depict Mr. Bush and this turn in foreign policy 20 years and beyond from now. I suspect this turn in policy will make history in a negative way.
Started packing today. Found some amusing tidbits amongst some boxes I had stowed away. Especially some old newspaper pages from 1995. The Dow Jones was at 4761.26 on Oct 3, 1995. I would have sworn it would have been higher than that then. Goes to show how much it had risen before it went crashing down the last couple years.
Also I found an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon that had me ROTFL. God I miss that cartoon strip.
Another view on why the while Iraq situation is so murky...and why we should stay out.
There's a nasty flu bug/pneumonia out there that has the WHO and the CDC worried. And it's already travelled from Asia to Canada and possibly the US via airliners. Something to be aware of if you happen to get a flu/respiratory symptoms with a high fever.
Just what we needed with all the other shit going on these days with the possible war and the economy woes.....sheesh.
I have the Today program on this morning. On it Katie Couric was interviewing the ex-wife and children of Brian David Mitchell. I felt my stomach turn as I heard Katie ask the ex-wife to speculate on the relationship between her Elizabeth and her husband--how he kept control over her--would he have sexually abused her. I was relieved to hear her say she would rather not go there and only mentioned the controlling nature of her ex and how he could have brainwashed her. I felt 'good for her' for not going the route of exploiting this girl further.
I know people want to know what happened, but I think Elizabeth deserves to not have her whole experience dissected by the media. And pure speculation would be distasteful. Let the police have their investigation.
And I applaud Patricia Hearst (who's on now) for throwing back at Matt Lauer the media's 'salacious desire' to know if Elizabeth was sexually abused. If in fact she was, I don't think the media needs to be broadcasting it. I don't think the American public has the right to know every detail. They are in fact using this girl's plight for TV ratings. It is sick how they try to overanalyze what information they do know, to fill in the large gaps of what they don't know.
I'm relieved they found Elizabeth Smart alive. But now it's time for the media to step away and give her the space. They need to let her heal. They need to stop treating her like a cash cow. And Patricia Hearst is pointing this out at the moment, too...good for her. Now let's see if the media can pull themselves away.
Media publicity may have been instrumental in finding her, but now I'd like to see them have the integrity to let the story fade and give this girl and her family space. Let these people find some normalcy if possible.
We did get a snow shower yesterday. In the midst of it, the landscapers from the city of Gaithersburg were out trying to remove the old mulch. It was amusing to watch them have to remove old snow piles (more like ice) to get to the mulch. That is a job I'd rather not have, LOL.
But today is going to be more spring-like with temps near 60. Hooray! It's about time! As it is the cherry blossoms are not expected to peak until the first week of April, the last weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Which means they'll peak here in Germantown about a week later. I love Spring!
Gee is giving me lots of love at the moment, rubbing against my legs as I sit here this morning. You gotta love kitty lovin'! :)
I've still been working out, though I haven't mentioned it much here lately. In one class we've been doing a combo of step, ball, and bosu. And we've all been seeing the results as our pants are getting looser. The only problem is the tendency of being between sizes. Both myself and Amy are now between a 6 and a 4. The 6 is too loose, but the 4 does not allow for having hips or thighs. The 4s seem to be cut specifically for stick-like teenagers with no curves. So what the hell do you wear? LOL. I know there are worse dilemnas. But I'd like to be able to find clothes that fit me. :)
I can't believe it. We have a chance of light snow today. Will this winter ever end?
The home inspection went well. The only big thing that is wrong is the heat pump which needs some major maintenance. Hopefully we can come to terms on having it replaced instead. Dad was fairly pleased with the house overall, though he did mention some aspects of how it was built that could have been done better, lol.
My 2 1/2 year old nephew came down with my parents since my SIL is having some major gallbladder issues. So my poor cats have been hiding in my room. They have the right idea, LOL. This kid is great birth control, LOL....certainly makes me rethink having any, LOL.
Tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow is the house inspection. If all goes well I will be buying a house. I've felt like things have been up in the air all week as I've waited for the actual inspection. Soon that will change.
Tomorrow is also supposed to be a beautiful day with temps in the 60s. Sounds good to me! I could use some spring-like weather to boost my spirits. And fortunately work has improved to some degree, so I'm feeling less stressed in that area. I guess it's a good place to be, coming into the weekend.
It bothers me that some people can connect non-support of Bush's War and his agenda with non-support of our troops. Personally, I know the troops are doing what they are asked to do. I don't hold them accountable for the decisions of Bush. I understand the memories of Vietnam vets being spit on as they returned are horrible. I find that sort of behavior reprehensible as well. Therefore, I get irked when non-support of the war gets immediately get connected to being abusive to our military forces. For many that is simply not the case. We support our troops, we just don't agree with Bush's methods.
I remember when the Gulf War started. I was in my first year of college, 7 hours from home. My friends and I were eating in the dining hall when the first pictures of nighttime missile and anti-aircraft fire came across the TV. It was a surreal moment as war was presented as evening TV fare.
I can recall fraternities putting up reminders (ribbons, banners, etc.) that some of their brothers were reserves shipped out to the Middle East. I remember getting phone calls in the middle of the night from my roommate Trish's friend. He served in a firefighting unit. One night Trish wasn't home and he talked to me for a good bit, just wanting to talk to anyone from 'home.' He did not appear to be afraid and spoke of their actions--fighting fires. He wanted to maintain his connection to the events going on in New York State and the US. It was amazing at the time to think I was talking to someone experiencing the war over there.
Also, at the time, one of the guys living across the hall from me and Trish was from Kuwait. I can't think of his name but he is the one and only person from Kuwait I've known. And he had to be one of the biggest assholes I've ever met. Rude to women. Rude to everyone. Full of himself and his family's wealth. He sure didn't instill in me a desire to protect his country, LOL.
While I did not favor war for oil, I was not so strongly opposed to war there as I am now. Then we did have cause. Sadam had attacked Kuwait. And it was a UN supported assault.
This war, if Bush insists on going it alone, is not something I can support. I cannot support such a disregard for our allies, such an inability to work with them. I cannot support Bush pushing us to economic ruin, under the guise of fighting terrorism. Any link between Iraq and al Qaeda is flimsy at best. I cannot support being misled by our so-called leader. I cannot support an attack on Iraq in order to control the oil. It doesn't escape anyone that both the President and VP are long time oil men. Men who gained their wealth from the black substance.
There are some days work just sucks. Days when you feel like you are just chasing your tail. I'm not sure its worth saying any more, LOL.
It's official. We've had the most days of snow this year here in Maryland in 70 years. Now the taxpayers here will be picking up the tab for all that snow removal. Oh joy, LOL.
Censorship on CNN...you betcha.
And add me to the list of people who'd like to see someone put some duck (sic) tape on the mouth of Bill O'Reilly. His kind makes me ill.
Bush continues his push for war, using lies and misrepresentations to bolster his 'cause'. Here's an article dissecting the propaganda Bush is using. Fallacies and War
As far as I'm concerned we have Sadam where we want him....under a microscope. Why drop bombs or endanger American servicemen and women? Why endanger the Iraqi people? Yes, Saddam is a bad man. But the US has been known to oust corrupt leaders only to support more corrupt leaders. On more than one occasion. And occupying Iraq with American GIs (without UN support) is a bad idea. It will only fuel the hatred of the US by the Arabic world. And probably the rest of the world by the time Bush gets through. He certainly has not tried to foster foreign relations at all, going against the wishes of our allies.
Heck, 6 out of 10 Americans do not want to go to war with Iraq without UN support. That's quite telling. Mr. Bush should pay attention to those numbers. Those same Americans will be voting his butt out in 2004.
We got the house!
Now I'm really scared, LOL. It's a big responsibility. And a lot of money. I keep asking myself if I'm crazy to be doing this.
But on the flip side I am 30 now. Many folks my age have a house and kids. Kids are an additional expense and responsibility that I don't have. So theoretically, it should be easier for us.
Maybe my stomach will stop spinning in a minute, lol. ;)
We put another bid on a townhouse and now we're waiting to hear if our bid has been accepted or not. This can be an axious time as you try to prepare yourself for the inevibility of being outbid, while still hoping that by some chance you actually are the accepted bid. We should hear something today....I hope.
Gee has still been doing his peeing blood thing. How is it I get the one cat who can't seem to get rid of this problem? Every other cat that has iLUTD will have a bout for a week and then it goes away for months. But no Gee has it all the time and if he is lucky every few weeks he has a week or a few days that he pees normally. *sigh* The only good thing I have found is that OxyClean stuff (crystals) is fabulous for getting blood stains off walls and carpet, even after it has dried.
But clearly there is little chance we will be able to bring Gee into our new house. I'm just not sure whether we should place him on a friend's farm or have him euthanized. I'm just not sure what is the more humane thing to do. The poor guy is such a sweetheart and if it weren't for this peeing blood thing (which has been going on since October!), we'd certainly keep him. We love the our slinky gray guy! He has the most sweet temperment. Our vet adores him because he is one of his easiest patients. It frustrates him to no end that we can't find anything to clear up this problem. Antibiotics do nothing. The Cosequin isn't doing the trick. And the Chlor-Trimetron only mildly helps in controlling the frequency he feels he has to pee.
Gee is just a one in thousands kinda case. :(