Talking points

I’m running out of fingers to keep track of the reasons given for Iraqi violence against each other and American troops. (I’m still waiting for one of them to be based in truth or intelligence.) Let’s review and see how many I can count off the top of my head:
1) Fear driven by Saddam’s rule. To be resolved when Saddam was removed from power.
2) Lack of a multiparty government. To be resolved when a new government was instituted.
3) Lack of a constitution… the insurgents don’t want the country to have a constitution based on freedom. To be resolved when the installed government voted to ratify a constitution.
4) Free, open elections. Everyone would be happy when they could go to the polls and vote for their elected government officials.

And now… apparently the insurgents pay so much more attention to our politics that they are increasing the attacks in an attempt to influence our congressional elections. Uh huh. If they really paid that much attention, they’d realize that one party is just as clueless, corrupt, and impotent as the other. Wait, I guess the Republican party isn’t impotent… they’ve successfully gotten us into another war where we can neither win nor withdraw.

Cutting and running

More later, but consider… is it “cut and run” when one lemming in a long line refuses to be the next one over the cliff? Does he “lack courage” because he realizes that to follow in line is to be the next one to die?

Something I keep hearing from the Bush-parrots is that America must not lose the “stomach to continue the fight”. Maybe America should be thinking more with its head that with its stomach. Then, we would be inclined to look to history for clues to the present and future. Did we “lose our stomach” Vietnam? In hindsite, should be have committed more troops to die in a struggle that was unwinnable to begin with? Did Vietnam really do anything to prevent the spread of communism? Did it ever actually have any effect on it at all?

A few changes around here

I probably won’t surprise anyone reading this that the twins have been born and are now home. But just in case you didn’t hear the news, check out the family blog.

I went back to school for one of my classes wednesday and managed to get caught up with most things this afternoon. It’ll be an interesting struggle over the next few weeks especially, as I attempt to keep up with the newborns as well as the demands of my school work, the fire department, and other jobs. Not to mention… winter is apparently here (did I miss autumn), and I have a ton of stuff to do on the house to try to bring down those $350 heating bills.

One interesting change in my life already (aside from not sleeping in a bed any more) is that my dreams, when I can afford them, are as follows. Good dreams: babies cooing. Bad dreams: babies crying. At least that’s one thing that’s simpler than before.

Timing

After dealing with a swollen left eye for the last three days, inflamed lymph nodes, a sore throat, and draining sinuses, I finally went to the urgent care this morning. (At the Marie’s urging, since she was afraid that they wouldn’t let me into the delivery room with an active infection.) My diagnosis is viral conjuctivitis with an associated upper respiratory infection. This is the less-infective version of “pink-eye” but still enough of a concern that if Marie had actual gone into labor any time in the last three days, it would have been questionable whether I would have been allowed in the OR. Crappy timing, but as long as those babies keep on staying exactly where they are, it’s not as much of a concern.