Words Like Locusts Flew From Her Fingers

More of the Same

On the War, Determined to Go His Own Way – washingtonpost.com
Americans “are not going to support a strategy that looks like more of the same, and they shouldn’t,” said Kagan [Frederick W. Kagan, a military historian at the American Enterprise Institute], who has met with the president to discuss his idea of bringing more troops to Iraq. But he said the electorate may be willing to support a more forceful strategy for victory: “The choice is pretty stark — between doing what’s necessary to win, which includes changing strategy and committing the necessary resources, and losing, and I don’t think the American people are ready to lose yet if they think if there is a chance to win.”

Win?

Win??

Win what, precisely?

A stable, democratic Iraq that’s eager to sell oil to the US?

That’s just not happening, dude. Maybe ever. The only way Iraq is going to stabilize is if another dictator takes charge. Hopefully, it will be a relatively benign dictatorship — maybe something like they’ve got in Saudi Arabia. Before that happens, though, a whole lot of people are going to be killed on one side or the other of the Sunni-Shiite battle. Probably a bunch of Kurds will bite the dust too. I can’t see any good reason for adding more American blood to this inevitable disaster.

The T-Word

U.S. Not Winning War in Iraq, Bush Says for 1st Time – washingtonpost.com
President Bush acknowledged for the first time yesterday that the United States is not winning the war in Iraq and said he plans to expand the overall size of the “stressed” U.S. armed forces to meet the challenges of a long-term global struggle against terrorists.

Amazingly (or, really, not), Bush is STILL painting the Iraq war as having something to do with terrorism.

Hello??? It wasn’t Iraq that attacked us on 9/11! None of the hijackers were from Iraq. All the available evidence in fact now points to Saddam not having wanted anything to do with the Islamists who carried out the 9/11 attacks. The worst violence in Iraq right now is sectarian — Iraqi vs Iraqi. (It’s a civil war. Duh!) And yet Bush persists in using the T-word to describe our reasons for being in Iraq.

Don’t believe it for a second folks.

This war, when George Bush started it, was all about oil. And now that things have gone totally FUBAR over there, it’s about saving face. Not my face or your faces, friends — George W. Bush’s face. The face of a smirking jackass who would merrily lead us all right down the road to hell if he thought it would make him look “decisive” or “powerful”.

Fatty, Fatty, 2 by 4

Why we’re fatter. – By Sydney Spiesel – Slate Magazine
The results of Wilkin’s study would have brought despair to the many gym teachers who made my childhood miserable. Their efforts, it turns out, were for naught: Sluggard I was, and sluggard I was doomed to be. (…) We don’t know what determines this intrinsic level of activity. But engineering the environment to make available or even to require more activity will apparently have little impact on children whose nature is to be inactive.

I just discovered this very interesting article from last July on slate.com. The author examines five “reasons you haven’t thought of” for why people are fatter now than they used to be. It’s interesting stuff — and it’s all backed up (to greater or lesser extents) by real scientific research.

The bit I’ve quoted — about how individuals have pre-set activity preferences that begin in early childhood — is especially interesting to me. I’ve always been a very low-activity kind of person. Even as a child, I didn’t like running or jumping or anything that involved expending bursts of energy. (Long hikes, though, have always been just fine.) I failed Phys. Ed. several times and never did better in it than a C. Or maybe a D. I don’t recall. Understand, though, that I was quite slim as a child. All that sloth wasn’t making me fat.

I’m still a low-activity kind of gal. I’m content to sit quietly for hours and hours reading or, as those of you who watch the RebeccaCam can attest, playing around on the computer. I like the people around me to be relatively still, too. You know how some people have lots of nervous energy and are constantly moving their feet around or jiggling their knee or something? That drives me nuts. Sit still, for Pete’s sake!

Anyway, so even though I’ve haven’t been to the gym in MONTHS (shame on me), my weight has remained steady. Though… I really should go to the gym. If only to lift weights. I really really don’t want to be one of those old women with chicken-arms who can’t even carry their own groceries.

Stupid Christians

This is not a holiday tree.

This is a Christmas tree.
It is not a Hanukkah bush,
it is not an Allah plant,
it is not a Holiday hedge.
It is a Christmas tree.

Say it… CHRISTmas , CHRISTmas , CHRISTmas

Yes, CHRISTmas – celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ!!!

Take a stand and pass this on !!

I got this in an email from a friend who tends to forward way too much crap — and who, alas, has apparently become the sort of person who actually believes this sort of thing is meaningful.

It is a very nice animated gif. I’ll say that much for it.

I’d love to hear one of these gung-ho Christians explain the relationship between the decorated tree and the birth of Jesus, though. From everything I’ve read, the “Christmas tree” is most likely a hold-over from pre-Christian pagan cultures in Europe. So… getting all riled up about this decorated tree being a CHRISTmas tree is really pretty damned stupid.

The Kitty Blanket

Here’s something strange. A blanket that has flickering lights in it, plays a tune from The Nutcracker, and purrs.

Yes. Purrs.

Wouldn’t it be a whole lot nicer to just get your kid a cat to sleep with? I grew up sleeping with our beloved kitty Pyewacket, who lived to be 18 years old, and I’m telling you: no electronic purring noise can beat the comfort that comes from a live warm kitty snuggling up next to you.

Besides… look at the eyes on the blanket kitty. They’re freaky and sort of scary.

Save The Internet

Civil War Plus!

Pentagon Cites Success Of Anti-U.S. Forces in Iraq – washingtonpost.com
The Pentagon said yesterday that violence in Iraq soared this fall to its highest level on record and acknowledged that anti-U.S. fighters have achieved a “strategic success” by unleashing a spiral of sectarian killings by Sunni and Shiite death squads that threatens Iraq’s political institutions.

And yet, the Pentagon still won’t admit that it’s a civil war.

Un-fucking-believable.

Or, rather, all too believable. It’s politics as usual for the Bush administration. You can almost see them running around in circles at the White House, their fingers in their ears to block out dissenting opinion, chanting over and over “There is no civil war in Iraq! There is no civil war in Iraq!”

And still the government won’t ask Syria or Iran to help because of what they might want in return. No, instead, Bush wants to send more troops. More young Americans to be killed for oil. Killed to protect Bush’s pride.

“The situation in Iraq is far more complex than the term ‘civil war’ implies,” said the report, titled “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq.” “Conditions that could lead to civil war do exist,” it said, but added that the Iraqi government, backed by the U.S.-led coalition, “could mitigate further movement toward civil war and curb sectarian violence.”

What? WHAT?? Since when does the term “civil war” imply something that’s simple?? That’s got to be one of the more asinine remarks I’ve read in days. Okay. It’s more than a civil war. It’s civil war plus.

70 Degrees

Middle of December and it’s 70 degrees outside. And my clematis vine has a flower on it.

That’s just not right.

Child Proof

(From Jodie in Bemidji… not sure who the artist is.)

Be Cool For Less

Nothing New Here — And That’s the Point – washingtonpost.com
To the uninitiated, these people appear almost normal, at least in a San Francisco kind of way. But upon closer inspection, you see it: Nothing in this house, nothing on their bodies, none of their products — nothing is new. Everything is used.

This is very cool. I could get into this. In fact… I’ve been doing a little of this kind of thing myself lately. I’ve been buying used clothing on eBay!

I’ve lost a fair amount of weight in the last year, you see, and most of my old clothes are just huge on me. I needed some new outfits. Well… maybe need isn’t really accurate. I wanted some new outfits and a friend told me about a particular brand of clothes that she often buys on eBay. (She wears a different size from me so it wasn’t going to be a competition thing.) This is designer type stuff — made of 100% natural fibers. Really stylish but not in a froofy kind of way. (I’m not a froofy kind of person, as you might have already guessed.) Anyway. So, I’ve already bought several outfits and they’re REALLY nice. And I got them for about 10 bucks each. Even adding in 8 or 9 bucks for shipping and handling, it’s a heck of a deal.

This is a dress I’m bidding on right now. It’s 100% flax and buttons all down the front. Nice, eh? Yeah. That’s what I thought. So far I’m the only bidder and it’s only at one dollar. There are still about 4 days left on the auction, though, so the price will probably go up.