Iraqui Votes

The propaganda machines musta been working overtime in Iraq - too bad they can't access news from Washington.

I heard two people interviewed coming out of the booths today. One said they voted "No" because they won't vote for anything the US wants. The other said they voted "Yes" because they hope that will get the US to leave. Both of those people wanted the same thing - the US out. But the propagandandic pressure will not allow either voice to ring out as a majority.

It's obvious that the Iraquis are not free to listen to Bush - I bet his speeches are not broadcast in Iraq. Either way he plans to stay forever, simply because there are too many Iraquis willing to fight and die for their own country.

Translations. . .

Doesn't matter which version is read, they all seem to say the same thing - God was either inspiring or telling Bush to attack his enemies. My main man, Jesus, has a much different message from God to share with the world. If you don't know what it is, holler at me & I'll be happy to remind you. Here's the latest that purports to contradict the report I read yesterday in the foreign press, this one from the Washington Post:

An Arabic speaker at The Washington Post, however, translated the words differently after receiving the original Arabic from Haaretz. Instead of "God told me," The Post's translation had Bush saying he was inspired by God.

"God inspired me to hit al Qaeda, and so I hit it," Bush said, according to The Post account. "And I had the inspiration to hit Saddam [Hussein], and so I hit him. Now I am determined to solve the Middle East problem if you help. Otherwise the elections will come, and I will be wrapped up with them."

Bush frequently speaks of his faith and trust in God. The translation from Bush's words in English into Arabic for the Palestinians, and then back to English again appears to have distorted the tenor of his words.

In fact, Abbas, now president of the Palestinian Authority, gave the BBC a different version of Bush's words. Abbas recalled that Bush said: " 'I have a moral and religious obligation. So I will get you a Palestinian state.' "

George Bush's God

What follows is a quote from a BBC special about a summit behind closed doors about peace in the Middle East which shows my long-held conviction that Bush is listening to a different God than Jesus Christ, who I believe in:

Mr Bush, the US president said he was "driven with a mission from God".

"God would tell me, George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan. And I did, and then God would tell me, George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq... And I did.

"And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East. And by God I'm gonna do it."

Philosophy of the World by the Shaggs

Man, oh man. If only, if only. Guess we can't change the past, but I know my world would be different if I had have heard this album in 1965. It is both inspiring and exciting. This is true punk music 10 years ahead of it's time. Now, of course, I can see more of the roots of punk than ever before - but man, oh man, I sure coulda used this album.

This is my first time hearing it, and already I know it's part of my heart. I don't know how I missed it. My mom, at least, could put up with Tiny Tim, but I am sure the Shaggs would have drove both my parents mad.

Leaving politics

dunno. guess I'm too old for this crap.

The US couldn't find the WMD anywhere. So they went house too house collecting rifles and guns from citizens of Iraq, declaring possessions of firearms illegal*. Then they piled them up and took pictures showing how many weapons Iraquis had.

Well, that game didn't fool us, we knew about the house to house searches for weapons. So they pulled out a story about Saddam having his military attack a military unit that had worked alongside the US in the first Gulf War. That's the last excuse they gave for the current conflict.

Well, the news this week is filled with stories of the US attacking civilian towns for the purpose of destroying the political enemies of the US-backed government in Iraq. In other words, democracy be damned - if you don't want the US here, you're dead meat.

I can't read this stuff anymore - sickens me how hypocritical we are as a nation; and even more sickened by the young people of the US who are willing to follow orders like they are being given.
So I read a book this week. Tried to escape reality. Pretty good escape book by Sarah Paretski: Fire Sale. Too unbelieveable to be completely satisfying, but as far as being a page turner - it works. Kept my mind off the sad state of our mingling with international affairs - sort of. The book, fortunately or not, points out the reason for our governemnt mingling with the affairs of other countries - it's a funny word - profit, which many Americans who back the Bush Administration read as prophet. So, try to escape and you can't.

I gave up on the "Year's Best Science Fiction". Got to the point where it was all pointless, so why finish it?

So I picked up Odd Thomas again last night after finishing Paretski's new one. Arrghh. The story may be good eventually, but this is the third time I picked it up, and the third time I feel like putting it down. I'm one who loves a good turn of phrase on a page - a good metaphor or simile always makes my heart leap a bit. But not one in every paragraph!!! Too much. I forced myself through Chapter 9 last night because some of the similes were good. But there's just too dang many of them to keep the story moving.

Shows the difference - Paretski had some good similes and metaphors, but they were spread thoughout the book. I'll stick with Odd Thomas a bit more. I'm over the Elvis siting earlier in the book, and I'm willing to give it a little more chance. I'm hoping the character just has to get over himself early in the book - it's first person, so Koontz may simply still be defining the character 9 chapters in. Only one way to find out.

*It still bothers me that we are doing this. Seems like if the citizens of Iraq truly wanted to overthrow their government, the fact that they were allowed to bear arms pre-US takeover shows they had the ability. Now that we're taking their arms forcibly they have no recourse but to accept the US version of Iraq. Wanna bet they aren't that stupid? I'm betting they'll continue fighting for their rights as long as there are still people breathing there who do not want to be forced into capitalism as defined by the United States.

Cartoon

View Cartoon

Bob Englehart, of the Hartford Courant has a cartoon reprinted in Time magazine this week that's a pure joy because it's so honest, plus it goes well with a question I've been asking my students this week.

There are two students walking home from school talking, and the quip under the cartoon is: "So far, all we're learning is how to take a math test, how to take a science test, and how to take a reading test."

The question I've asked students at my school is: "Do you think you learn more when you are taking a test, or when your teacher is teaching you?" Unanimous - not one child said they learned more taking a test. The kids are in school some 9 months a year, and at least two months of that time are taking up testing. In 12 years of school, that's 24 months spent testing. 2 years wasted of a child's life - because in the long run the test means nothing for the child as an adult. However, the lack of schooling will display itself dramatically as an adult.

I keep asking the same question to teachers and administrators - "When you went to the doctor or the dentist last, did you ask him what his/her grades were?" No one knows, nor apparently does anyone care. Grades only matter in school, not in real life. So, what purpose these tests the government keeps insisting we give? It is impossible for a test to educate anyone.