Sunday, March 30, 2003
Saturday, March 29, 2003
Stone Temple Pilots I Got You
I Got You
But it's the craving for the good life
That sees me through troubled times
When my mind begins to wander to the spoon
And I Got You
Because you're there to bend and nurture me through these
Troubled times
'Cause the fix begins to twist my troubled mind
And I Got You to paint the sorrow on my day
And I Got You to paint the roses on my grave
And I Got You
I Got You
But it's the feeling that I get when you're away
Twist my mind 'cause when I'm alone and cold, I feel like dyin'
And I Got You to fill the craving that I get inside my mind
When you're there to fill the space I have inside, I feel like cryin'
And I Got You to paint the sorrow on my day
And I Got You to paint the roses on my grave
And I Got You
All the slippin' that I slap me
I Got You, I Got You
All the slippin' that I slap me
I Got You
But it's the craving for the good life
That sees me through troubled times
When my mind begins to wander to the spoon
And I Got You
Because you're there to bend and nurture me through these
Troubled times
'Cause the fix begins to twist my troubled mind
And I Got You to paint the sorrow on my day
And I Got You to paint the roses on my grave
And I Got You
I Got You
But it's the feeling that I get when you're away
Twist my mind 'cause when I'm alone and cold, I feel like dyin'
And I Got You to fill the craving that I get inside my mind
When you're there to fill the space I have inside, I feel like cryin'
And I Got You to paint the sorrow on my day
And I Got You to paint the roses on my grave
And I Got You
All the slippin' that I slap me
I Got You, I Got You
All the slippin' that I slap me
Friday, March 28, 2003
Music is being reviewed in my living much to my annoyance...needless to say, I am listening to a CD...The All American Rejects (which my wife bought for her collection)....I'm surprised how well Swing, Swing has held up under multiple listenings...I like that song....I have also determined that after graduating college my only goal in life is free beer 2 or 3 nights a week by being a bass player in a band....I figure that lack of inhibition will defintely improve my playing...therefore free beer will increase the quality of my playing....hmmmmm, yes, must have free beer.....mmmmmmmmm, duff
personal stuff today - the air cooled engine killed the corvair, not the camaro
Friday Five on time this week...oddly enough...
1. What was your most memorable moment from the last week?
Utter outrage at the Kurd's situation and China's posturing...see below...
2. What one person touched your life this week?
No idea
3. How have you helped someone this week?
Define help...can sarcasm be helpful?
4. What one thing do you need to get done by this time next week?
English paper and not Strongbad's version (see Strongbad's e-mail under toons/features, I think)
5. What one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place?
Continue to give three cats a good home...I dunno...try to be a good person...
Friday Five on time this week...oddly enough...
1. What was your most memorable moment from the last week?
Utter outrage at the Kurd's situation and China's posturing...see below...
2. What one person touched your life this week?
No idea
3. How have you helped someone this week?
Define help...can sarcasm be helpful?
4. What one thing do you need to get done by this time next week?
English paper and not Strongbad's version (see Strongbad's e-mail under toons/features, I think)
5. What one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place?
Continue to give three cats a good home...I dunno...try to be a good person...
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Right, so I maybe I will return to less cerebal affairs and more of journal type format. I am considering divorcing the current events/editorials into a seperate blog (eventually a section of the website)...athough this would entail me either posting to one or the other rather my current concentration on one thing at a time.
Well, at any rate, in Asia two things indicate furthering destabilization in the region in light of the distraction of war...first, North Korean grandstanding and hyperbole continues with the Firm belief that the U.S. is trying take over the world and simply walking out on UN talks
second, India and Pakistan are exchanging tests again, grandstanding and saber rattling with Ballistic Missiles for now (although both are nuclear capable)
The third item for today bolsters my contention that Pakistan is a Chinese issue, despite the US considering it an Indian problem or a central Asia problem. Granted, North Korea is the real bone of contention here but Pakistan's Chinese ties certainly aren't helping matters when Pakistan happens to be one of the two or three nations performing nuclear testing in the past fifteen years.
Well, at any rate, in Asia two things indicate furthering destabilization in the region in light of the distraction of war...first, North Korean grandstanding and hyperbole continues with the Firm belief that the U.S. is trying take over the world and simply walking out on UN talks
second, India and Pakistan are exchanging tests again, grandstanding and saber rattling with Ballistic Missiles for now (although both are nuclear capable)
The third item for today bolsters my contention that Pakistan is a Chinese issue, despite the US considering it an Indian problem or a central Asia problem. Granted, North Korea is the real bone of contention here but Pakistan's Chinese ties certainly aren't helping matters when Pakistan happens to be one of the two or three nations performing nuclear testing in the past fifteen years.
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Well, so much for the hope of a balanced and diplomatic response to the North Korean issue although N. Korea certainly isn't pushing for a non-military solution...
As I mentioned yesterday, China is considering the War to be a firm U.S. policy shift in dealing with nations who do not conform to U.S. ideological beliefs. However flawed this conclusion, it brings up a thought that I had a week ago on the impact the War does and will have on U.S. foreign policy. Like Germany, Russia, and France, China considers the action in Iraq as a unilateral action (nevermind Britain and Australia as well as the support of other European nations such as Belgium, Spain, and Italy) of the United States enforcing its own version of international law i.e. without the consent of the U.N. As such, China is now reformulating its domestic agenda towards nationalism, internal security, modernization of its Military Weaponry, and controlled economic growth (read: so much for capitalism, there are some industries such as heavy manufacturing that really are better off under state control). What brought on this knee-jerk, dead panic reaction as far as I can tell is two things: 1) The Chinese failed to build up even a 30-day supply of crude oil before the war spiked oil prices* and 2) Iraq is in central Asia and very much in the neighborhood of China. The Chinese have now seen two major interventions by the U.S. in their own backyard in the past 18 months since September 11, 2001. First in Afghanistan (literally in their back yard) and now in Iraq (which is very much in the neighborhood). Now that these two factors have sent Chinese policy makers into a tizzy, two very big problems arise in Asia: North Korea and, to a lessor degree, Pakistan.
The United States framed the War in Iraq as being over Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and failure to comply with U.N. Inspections, firstly, U.N. Sanctions, secondly, and the assumption that WMD would be dispersed to terrorist, thirdly. This attitude of the United States has very much alarmed the Chinese as the North Korean regime is both part of the Axis of Evil and staunchly backed by the Chinese. Needless to say, the posturing of the United States towards Iraq and the UN indicates to the Chinese that once Saddams's Regime has fallen, Pyongyang is next. Unfortunately, the Chinese analysis has one fatal flaw.
The UN failed after the Gulf War to remove Saddam Hussein, choosing instead to end the war at 12 miles (or whatever it was) over the Iraqi/Kuwait border. China has nothing to fear except the actions of a rogue statement and perhaps Pakistan internal unrest, both of which could provoke a military reprisal only if 1) UN failure to resolve the conflict diplomatically or 2) Neo-conservative policy reigns in the Whitehouse as opposed to the Pacifist Policies that the U.S. exercised under Clinton. The Neo-con adovocates of the Whitehouse may staunchly back military action against North Korea while I would like to believe that the Neo-con faction preveiled because Clinton and the U.N. failed (re: Iraq) and not because of hawkish neo-con tendencies of George W. (A foolish hope, perhaps)
*This is a news flash to me since gas prices have been consistently dropping since the war started here due to falling crude prices...something's out of whack but I'm editorializing, not fact finding here.
The United States framed the War in Iraq as being over Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and failure to comply with U.N. Inspections, firstly, U.N. Sanctions, secondly, and the assumption that WMD would be dispersed to terrorist, thirdly. This attitude of the United States has very much alarmed the Chinese as the North Korean regime is both part of the Axis of Evil and staunchly backed by the Chinese. Needless to say, the posturing of the United States towards Iraq and the UN indicates to the Chinese that once Saddams's Regime has fallen, Pyongyang is next. Unfortunately, the Chinese analysis has one fatal flaw.
The UN failed after the Gulf War to remove Saddam Hussein, choosing instead to end the war at 12 miles (or whatever it was) over the Iraqi/Kuwait border. China has nothing to fear except the actions of a rogue statement and perhaps Pakistan internal unrest, both of which could provoke a military reprisal only if 1) UN failure to resolve the conflict diplomatically or 2) Neo-conservative policy reigns in the Whitehouse as opposed to the Pacifist Policies that the U.S. exercised under Clinton. The Neo-con adovocates of the Whitehouse may staunchly back military action against North Korea while I would like to believe that the Neo-con faction preveiled because Clinton and the U.N. failed (re: Iraq) and not because of hawkish neo-con tendencies of George W. (A foolish hope, perhaps)
*This is a news flash to me since gas prices have been consistently dropping since the war started here due to falling crude prices...something's out of whack but I'm editorializing, not fact finding here.
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
it's late, I'm tired and I really don't feel like shifting through The Washington Post, The Guardian, and MSNBC to find out if CNN really has unbasisedly and accurately reported on the Turk's Asserting Their Buffer Zone.
Suffice to say, I don't see refugees as a valid reason for a build up of the Turkish Army on the Iraqi border when the Kurdish rebels in Turkey have been fighting for the past 15 years against the opression of the Turkish government...the Kurds treat Turkish intentions with a great deal of suspicion considering the track record of dealing with Kurds in Turkey. I am having a great deal of difficulty believing a few things with this scenario:
1) That Kurdish refugees will immediately flee to Turkey
2) That Iraqi refugees will not be welcomed by the Kurds or flee to Iran, Syria, or Saudi Arabia (all of which have refugee camps)
3) That the U.S. military forces/advisors in North Iraq will support military management of refugees by Turkey 20 km over the border without A) Bringing it up with NATO and/or B) Questioning the sanity of Turkey when massive amounts of aid will be flowing through Iraq as U.S. Policy has been containment and the fall of Baghdad i.e. the capture/assignation/ouster of Saddam Hussein
I was going to mention China's preparing for confrontation with the US in more detail although it's not exactly war related. I think it really deserves a seperate post considering it poses a definite paradigm shift in foreign policy...
Suffice to say, I don't see refugees as a valid reason for a build up of the Turkish Army on the Iraqi border when the Kurdish rebels in Turkey have been fighting for the past 15 years against the opression of the Turkish government...the Kurds treat Turkish intentions with a great deal of suspicion considering the track record of dealing with Kurds in Turkey. I am having a great deal of difficulty believing a few things with this scenario:
1) That Kurdish refugees will immediately flee to Turkey
2) That Iraqi refugees will not be welcomed by the Kurds or flee to Iran, Syria, or Saudi Arabia (all of which have refugee camps)
3) That the U.S. military forces/advisors in North Iraq will support military management of refugees by Turkey 20 km over the border without A) Bringing it up with NATO and/or B) Questioning the sanity of Turkey when massive amounts of aid will be flowing through Iraq as U.S. Policy has been containment and the fall of Baghdad i.e. the capture/assignation/ouster of Saddam Hussein
I was going to mention China's preparing for confrontation with the US in more detail although it's not exactly war related. I think it really deserves a seperate post considering it poses a definite paradigm shift in foreign policy...
Monday, March 24, 2003
9:45
Nothing new to report, although troops are now within 50 miles of Baghdad
written at 5:45 or so...
Currently, I do not have access to web, so I have no idea what Turkey has been up to or if they have been up to something, if it made the wires or the news. As far as I know, Turkey has refrained from sending troops into Iraq although that maybe have changed in the last 24-odd hours (doubtful)...
Troops are now within sixty miles of Baghdad, although bogged down in fighting and with supply lines open and unprotected whilist the Iraqis are acting as terrorists, as far as I'm concerned, it's an open question whether they are diehard supporters of Saddam or actually cilivians who are viewing the invasion as a colonial military action. It's foolish to believe that the coalition will not spark Arab indignity, with Arab CW seeing going from Saddam's boot to Coalition (read British and American) Governorship...which wealthy donor of the Republician cause will be named Viceroy of Iraq while rebuilding takes place? Or perhaps Bush will name Al Gore, giving him the booby prize for losing the presidential office...
Nothing new to report, although troops are now within 50 miles of Baghdad
written at 5:45 or so...
Currently, I do not have access to web, so I have no idea what Turkey has been up to or if they have been up to something, if it made the wires or the news. As far as I know, Turkey has refrained from sending troops into Iraq although that maybe have changed in the last 24-odd hours (doubtful)...
Troops are now within sixty miles of Baghdad, although bogged down in fighting and with supply lines open and unprotected whilist the Iraqis are acting as terrorists, as far as I'm concerned, it's an open question whether they are diehard supporters of Saddam or actually cilivians who are viewing the invasion as a colonial military action. It's foolish to believe that the coalition will not spark Arab indignity, with Arab CW seeing going from Saddam's boot to Coalition (read British and American) Governorship...which wealthy donor of the Republician cause will be named Viceroy of Iraq while rebuilding takes place? Or perhaps Bush will name Al Gore, giving him the booby prize for losing the presidential office...
Sunday, March 23, 2003
The conflict in Iraq is beginning to turn into an all out, rough and tumble war now...so much for shock and awe the first night, I'm getting day it day 4 or 5...mostly because although one Iraqi division surrendered, the whole campaign was moving much too swiftly and easily to be believed. The port town of Umm Qsar that supposedly fell Saturday has apparently done nothing of the such (although Marines have eliminated a pocket of strong resistance near port facilities) and heavy fighting is being reported in Nasiriya...although Basra is encircled and troops are rushing toward Baghdad....I suspect by Wednesday the rose colored glasses will come off...we will be bogged down in urban warfare, making Somolia and Bosnia look relatively tame by comparsion.
Saturday, March 22, 2003
Today Turkey denied deploying troops into Iraq although they have no problem setting up a military zone on the border, depolying 5,000 soliders, and banning journalists....so crossing the border certainly appears to be not whether but when now...
Friday, March 21, 2003
I e-mailed Andrew Sullivan the missive below in response to When Iraqis Cheer...which sums up a lot of my sentiment about the war...besides the fact it sets the stage for World War III...
Mr. Sullivan,
While I agree that blanket opposition to war is not a legitimate reason for
protesting this war, I think that the terrorist connection is the shakiest
argument for invading Iraq. It does not help that we had no problem funding
and supporting Saddam Hussein back in the '80s when it suited our purposes
in attempting to overthrow Iran (lest anyone forget, at one time Osma Bin
Laden was backed by the CIA fighting the Afghan communists)...so for today's
(3/21 - 2:16:44 PM) e-mail corresponder to consider all anti-war dissidents
as apologists for evil, maybe history should be consider. I am not ashamed
to admit nor do I feel I need to apologize or hid my views that the U.S.'s
misguided Middle Eastern containment policy brought 9/11 upon us. Rather
than considering the consequences of dealing with "evil" regimes or
individuals, we considered only whether it would contain or further U.S.
interests. It was inevitable that an event such as 9/11 would happen after
backing Israel, supporting Iraq, supporting a coup in Iran, covert backing
of the Afghan civil war, and Iran-Contra, all of which has consistently show
the U.S.'s tolerance and/or support of terrorists. While I do believe that
Saddam has (or had) material breaches and the U.N. should have responded
with approiate military force, I do not think it should fall to U.S. to
correct the U.N.'s failing nor do I think that the case for terrorist
support has been made. As far as I can tell, the only connection Osma Bin
Laden and Saddam Hussein have is U.S. government backing in '80s.
Considering history and the seeming lack of connection, the whole
justification to invade just seems like a lot of spin...more so than any
anti-war protest...misguided as it may be.
Adam
Mr. Sullivan,
While I agree that blanket opposition to war is not a legitimate reason for
protesting this war, I think that the terrorist connection is the shakiest
argument for invading Iraq. It does not help that we had no problem funding
and supporting Saddam Hussein back in the '80s when it suited our purposes
in attempting to overthrow Iran (lest anyone forget, at one time Osma Bin
Laden was backed by the CIA fighting the Afghan communists)...so for today's
(3/21 - 2:16:44 PM) e-mail corresponder to consider all anti-war dissidents
as apologists for evil, maybe history should be consider. I am not ashamed
to admit nor do I feel I need to apologize or hid my views that the U.S.'s
misguided Middle Eastern containment policy brought 9/11 upon us. Rather
than considering the consequences of dealing with "evil" regimes or
individuals, we considered only whether it would contain or further U.S.
interests. It was inevitable that an event such as 9/11 would happen after
backing Israel, supporting Iraq, supporting a coup in Iran, covert backing
of the Afghan civil war, and Iran-Contra, all of which has consistently show
the U.S.'s tolerance and/or support of terrorists. While I do believe that
Saddam has (or had) material breaches and the U.N. should have responded
with approiate military force, I do not think it should fall to U.S. to
correct the U.N.'s failing nor do I think that the case for terrorist
support has been made. As far as I can tell, the only connection Osma Bin
Laden and Saddam Hussein have is U.S. government backing in '80s.
Considering history and the seeming lack of connection, the whole
justification to invade just seems like a lot of spin...more so than any
anti-war protest...misguided as it may be.
Adam
Slight correction, the MLA is stationed 30 miles from Baghdad and has fought for Saddam...however, they are Iranian and operate under (or as part of) the Iranian dissident groupe MEK...slate has a good article...The Enemy of My Enemy is My WHAT??? (emphasis added)
expect much more blogging as regular journal entry has been interupted for war blogging...
expect much more blogging as regular journal entry has been interupted for war blogging...
Turkey has deployed an advance force of 1500 troops into Northen Iraq...the past few days will look like nothing once US Troops hit Northen Iraq...welcome to full scale, all out war...people think casualities are bad now at one or two troops? Things will get far worse...Baghdad isn't the problem and Saddam is now chump change, it's the Turks, Kurds, and Iranians......waging all out war in the richest oil fields in Iraq....in other news, Russia is rightly concerned that war will destablize central asia....hmmmm...yeah...why didn't we think of that before sending in troops and sparking an international incident? Once upon a time the assignation of a not so note worthy duke who would have otherwise been forgetten by history awoke the ottoman empire and created one of the worst conflicts of all time...this time it's not just assignation, it's all out military intervention
I have come home and fallen into bed the past two nights due sickness...I actually feel better today and I think my fever broke last night...
We now have a full scale war in a region with three factions gunning for each other and waiting for an opening: the Kurds, the Turks, and the Iranians (dissendent or not). Right now, it looks like the Turks will deploy troops into Northen Iraq (Kurdistan specifically) having voted to allow US flyovers with that as a rider...the Kurds have already made statements that they will consider Turkish occupation an act of war...if a Turkish/Kurd war breaks out, then the Iranians will have little or no opposition to sieze Iraq's northen oil fields. Add to the mix the Iranian dissendent army backing Saddam Hussien (and residing in Baghdad) which could go either way (attacking the US or backing the US) and the US has officially stepped into one mess of a conflict...right now the stage is set for World War III....lord knows what will happen in Europe if Turkey gets bogged down in the Iraq-Iran-Kurd war and Russia/German/France get a bug up thier ass when there's a war at their back door...
We now have a full scale war in a region with three factions gunning for each other and waiting for an opening: the Kurds, the Turks, and the Iranians (dissendent or not). Right now, it looks like the Turks will deploy troops into Northen Iraq (Kurdistan specifically) having voted to allow US flyovers with that as a rider...the Kurds have already made statements that they will consider Turkish occupation an act of war...if a Turkish/Kurd war breaks out, then the Iranians will have little or no opposition to sieze Iraq's northen oil fields. Add to the mix the Iranian dissendent army backing Saddam Hussien (and residing in Baghdad) which could go either way (attacking the US or backing the US) and the US has officially stepped into one mess of a conflict...right now the stage is set for World War III....lord knows what will happen in Europe if Turkey gets bogged down in the Iraq-Iran-Kurd war and Russia/German/France get a bug up thier ass when there's a war at their back door...
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
I didn't post yesterday and matt posted today and yesterday...apparently there are a finte number of 1s and 0s in the internet...so, um, yeah....i'm going to start instituting random rolling internet blackouts in the house (as we have six computers online) to insure that matt posts...I just hope all those unhooked ethernet cables don't cause blacking out or worse...
and there really is nothing going on...other than work, school, and life...or I need a vacation....desperately...or something....new reality...bigger paycheck...who knows...
and there really is nothing going on...other than work, school, and life...or I need a vacation....desperately...or something....new reality...bigger paycheck...who knows...
Sunday, March 16, 2003
I have to go to work tomorrow, I have homework to do, and it's 11 and I don't really care....I think this quote from chip's site sums it up best..."I maybe apathetic but I don't care enough to find out."
Today was spent finishing cleaning and rearranging for Kay's family birthday party today...which went uneventfully. We talked, ate, talked some more, had cake and ice cream, and then capped off the evening with more talking. I did have a cigar with my dad and it was great day outside so we opened up the house...very nice...of course, it's inevitable we'll get one more snowfall but, hey, spring is more or less here (as here as it gets in Toledo at least)
Today was spent finishing cleaning and rearranging for Kay's family birthday party today...which went uneventfully. We talked, ate, talked some more, had cake and ice cream, and then capped off the evening with more talking. I did have a cigar with my dad and it was great day outside so we opened up the house...very nice...of course, it's inevitable we'll get one more snowfall but, hey, spring is more or less here (as here as it gets in Toledo at least)
Saturday, March 15, 2003
okay, now the page is viewable...I have spent today playing with an HP Brio BA200 and getting it working again (password on bios, lost CD-ROM driver)...it's now pieced together with Win98 and the usb wireless adaptor for the little girls...I really wanted to take it for my linux box and lost on that one....it totally sucks....oh, well, I have a P166 MMX to load up and a 4 gig harddrive for it....although, it may have a 1 or 2 gig in it now....have to see...I do miss building and messing around with computers...it's remarkable relaxing frankenstiening machines together.
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