Sadly, No!

Sadly, No!’s entirely unhealthy obsession with the electricity in Iraq continues, thanks to the Washington Post:

BAGHDAD, Dec. 7 — A week after two of their colleagues were killed in an ambush, the remaining 60 South Korean contract engineers and technicians working for the U.S. government on a project north of the capital have decided to leave the country. …

The decision by the men, who were working to fix electrical power lines, is likely to delay one of Iraq’s most critical reconstruction projects. The workers are subcontractors for the Washington Group International Inc., a construction firm based in Boise, Idaho, that has a $110 million contract with the Army Corps of Engineers to repair sections of Iraq’s power grid. …

Tae Ho Ohm, 42, chastised the managers for not taking into account the emotional state of the workers when they tried to order everyone back to work the next day. “The way we think, those who lived and died, we are all the same,” Ohm said. [Emphasis added]

Blair (again!) sends us links to this story:

An Iraqi colonel who commanded a front-line unit during the build-up to the war in Iraq has revealed how he passed top secret information to British intelligence warning that Saddam Hussein had deployed weapons of mass destruction that could be used on the battlefield against coalition troops in less than 45 minutes. …

“I am the one responsible for providing this information,” said the colonel, who is now working as an adviser to Iraq’s Governing Council. …

“Forget 45 minutes,” said Col al-Dabbagh “we could have fired these within half-an-hour.” [Emphasis added]

The Telegraph also reports:

He also insisted that the information contained in the dossier relating to Saddam’s battlefield WMD capability was correct. “It is 100 per cent accurate,” he said after reading the relevant passage. …

The threats – one verbal and one written – warned him not to divulge any secrets about Saddam’s regime, on pain of death. The week before our meeting, members of Saddam’s Fedayeen had sprayed his house with machine-gun fire. …

Although Lt Col al-Dabbagh agreed to talk freely about his spying activities, he asked that we only publish his family name and that we did not photograph his face. In Arab culture, men are better known by their first name and patronym. “I have to protect my family somehow,” said Lt Col al-Dabbagh, who is married and has several children. [Emphasis added]

Yeah, after receiving two death threats and seeing his house sprayed with machine-gun fire, it’s quite obvious that his low profile strategy is going extremely well.

Blair and Google news send us links to this story:

Nine children were found dead after a US air raid yesterday in eastern Afghanistan, the US military said early today.

US forces were targeting a suspected militant who was believed to be responsible for the killing of two foreign contractors working on a road in Afghanistan, he said. West said US troops had collected “extensive intelligence” and had located the suspect at an “isolated, rural site.”

He said that other houses were nearby, but that the aircraft did not strike them in the raid, which was first reported by BBC News.

“At the time we initiated the attack, we did not know there were children nearby,” he said. “Until we get the investigation results, we can’t say what exactly happened.” [Emphasis added]

Meanwhile back in Iraq, Oliver Willis and No More Mister Nice Blog link to this NYT article:

In Abu Hishma, encased in a razor-wire fence after repeated attacks on American troops, Iraqi civilians line up to go in and out, filing through an American-guarded checkpoint, each carrying an identification card printed in English only.

[snip]

“With a heavy dose of fear and violence, and a lot of money for projects, I think we can convince these people that we are here to help them,” Colonel [Nathan] Sassaman [the battalion commander whose men oversee the village] said.

OK, so if you let me punch you in the face I’ll give you $5, deal?

Instapundit (surprise!) links to this post with these words: “GERARD VAN DER LEUN has some thoughts on where Bush-hatred is heading.” What has the esteemed blogger seen?

Based on the lyrics of Eminem, Van Der Leun (VDL) argues that the logical end point of Bush hatred will be an attempt on his life. VDL observes:

We expect our enemies to hate the President and to seek to do him harm. We do not expect members of the loyal opposition to allow their rhetoric and their “cultural standard bearers” such as Eminem (“I set precedents and the standards…”) to poison the political system to the level that some of their misguided ilk take it upon themselves to take a shot at Bush “for the sake of the greater good.”

We missed the memo on when Eminem became leader of the “loyal opposition.” (Indeed, we missed the memo as to when the US became Canada or the United Kingdom where one might use that expression, but we digress.)

Perhaps this visitor put it best:

Well, that really is the last straw.

I hope, for the good of the nation, Eminem withdraws from the field of Democratic presidential candidates.

Jeebus boys and girls, get a fucking grip already. It’s a song by Eminem, not the platform of the DNC. VDL referred to the song as a “minor moron moment.” His post reminds us of Norbizness’ mention of the Freepers and Their Unmedicated Firebrand Lunacy. Pretty soon someone (Matt Drudge?) will reveal that the letters in “Ahmad Chalabi” can be rearranged to “A Cabal Had Him” which proves his conviction in Jordan is bogus. But so everyone can sleep safely, the secret service is on the case.

Oliver Willis is equally unimpressed.

Seinfeld episode 099, The Scofflaw:

GEORGE: (broken, shouts) Gary Fogel never had cancer!
JERRY: So what was wrong with him?
GEORGE: Nothing!
JERRY: So he’s been lying to me for two months?!
GEORGE: That’s right.

[snip]

JERRY: Did you know he was so worried about losing more hair if he had to get
chemo treatment, I bought him an unlimited gift certificate at the Hair Team For
Men, just to put his mind at ease?

Meanwhile, in Canada:

LONDON — A man who claimed to have cancer in order to con the equivalent of more than $450,000 Cdn from family, friends and well-wishers was jailed for four years yesterday. Judge John Burke told Glenn Rycroft that his actions were mean, wicked and heartless. …

He then claimed to have a brain tumour and used further sums to fund an extravagant lifestyle.

No news on whether or not a membership at the Hair Team for Men was involved.

Or, more likely, what the fuck are you going on about?

Taking leave of his senses, TBOGG has been reading what the boys and girls of the Free Republic have to say about the latest developments involving the center for Excellence in Barbiturates. Apparently, we should all be very concerned:

This public witch hunt of Rush is just the beginning of the end of our American culture and freedom. Hitler started his rein of terror in this same sort of way.

First they came for the pill poppers
and I did not speak out
because I was not a pill popper.
Then they came for the money launderers
and I did not speak out
because I was not a money launderer.
Then they came for the doctor shoppers
and I did not speak out
because I was not a doctor shopper.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

The always craptacular World O’Crap reveals that Bill O’Reilly, using the powers of analysis given only to Fox News employees, totally figured out the Democratic master plan for the 2004 election:

Damn Democrats, trying to get people to vote against the Republicans. And using celebrities and money to do it! How much lower could they sink! Thank God we have Bill O’Reilly looking out for us, alerting us to this kind of conspiracy!

What can we add besides hoping Governor Arnold Schwarznegger is aware of this evil plot? We’re quite sure he wouldn’t stand for the evil that is the use of celebrities and money to attract votes. Watching O’Reilly set his keen mind on the issues facing the US we are reminded of this scene in The Princess Bride:

VIZZINI: I’m afraid so — I can’t compete with you physically. And you’re no match for my brains.
MAN IN BLACK: You’re that smart?
VIZZINI: Let me put it this way: have you ever heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates?
MAN IN BLACK: Yes.
VIZZINI: Morons.

John Derbyshyre is disgusted, disgusted you see:

GROSSEST PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT EVER? [John Derbyshire]
After reading about the Bad Sex Prize, you may feel like sampling thisparody of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” done (apparently) as a public-service announcement to warn against the perils of casual sex. Warning: it is VERY GROSS, though more so visually than aurally.

You can watch the flash animation here.

Below are some screenshots of the “worse” parts [ha ha] — The Corner people are a sensitive bunch.

Provided, of course, that the Army has given you one as promised. Steve at No More Mister Nice Blog has the latest.

Alex emails us this BBC story:

Baby murder claim ‘beggars belief’
Lawyers for a mother jailed for life for murdering her two baby sons have told
the Court of Appeal the case against her “beggars belief”.

[snip]

But on Thursday her lawyers told the Court of Appeal the jury which convicted Cannings of the murders of two of her three dead babies must have come to the extraordinary conclusion that she was “giving birth in order to kill”.

Michael Mansfield QC said to suggest she went on having babies over a period of 10 years, knowing she might be overcome by an urge to kill the children like a character in a Greek tragedy, “beggars belief”.

Mr Mansfield told the judges: “This conviction doesn’t make sense.” [Emphasis added]

The story has been changed since it was sent to us — you can download a PDF of the original version here.

There is much on the internet about the case, including an earlier BBC story which casts doubt on the “expert” testimony offered by the prosecution:

The case against Angela was supported by the same experts who got it wrong in the prosecutions of Cheshire Solicitor Sally Clark and pharmacist Trupti Patel.

However, if the defense’s case rests on the idea that it simply doesn’t make sense for a parent to kill his/her children, we’d suggest hiring a new defense team.