Transaction? We call it a "bribe" here in Illinois.

This is old hat in Illinois. We have watched Republicans with land deals related to the Tollway Authority, Democrats with land near proposed airports (or certain Sainted Senators - hint, his name rames with hack o'rama - who want to add a tad of land to the ol' luxury home) and both parties with anything to do with property the IL Secretary of State leases.

I congratulate the LAT for bringing the matter up - but why so coy?

News of Afghanistan ٤٤

A bit late - but yesterday I was on the road back from FT Leavenworth...and I am tired.

Enough of my complaining - here we go!

Not quite the Chatanooga Choo-choo, but I sure hope they build this.

I remember when Tony Blair became a father while PM, oh what the hype was like - how about this?!

"OK, that's enough of this you two, now make nice."

An Afghan dry fruits seller cleans almonds in his shop, in Kabul, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007. Afghanistan is one of the leading producers of dried fruit & nuts in the world. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) [thanks to e-ariana.com]

No matter what.

Terrible, awful, loathsome...I have started to run out of adjectives to describe this sort of thing.

This sucks for two reasons - Iran won't keep it's paws to itself, and it is setting up the Hazara, a picked upon minority, for more of the same old, same old. Damn.

"Spray? My fields? With what?!!!"

[photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images]

I rather imagined they would say "no", and they have.

India flexing it's humanitarian/aid muscles!

I suspect this will not turn out to be a good thing.

If the Taleban are fighting for Afghanistan - why do the Afghan people find themselves desperate to avoid them...? They could use some help too.

NEWS SOURCE OF THE WEEK

Inside Afghanistan

They are who we thought they were!!!!!

We are down for whatever!!!!! To bad we can't play Manning in the cold. It won't matter, the NFC actually plays defense. GO BEARS!!!

How to Succeed at a Warfighter EX

I have a very simple equation that I follow to succeed despite long, disorienting shifts at Fort Leavenworth...

+ =

News of Afghanistan ٤٢

43? It feels like I just started. Well, except for the weird hours and long shifts at this WFX I am currently involved in...

A Russian APC hulk at Bagram AF (photo by...Me!)

Howdy!

Ok, Ok! Does this help? See also.

New Zealand Army = Afghan Tourism?

Photograph by : CanWest News Service

And not to forget the Canadians!

Oh no - I sure hope this works out peacefully.

This man has excellent qualifications - Columbia/Afghanistan? Sure!

EU, to the rescue?!

Economic and pricing news.

Water, water...hopefully everwhere!

An Afghan man looks on at U.S. Special Forces soldiers and International Security Assistance soldiers patrol, not seen, in Spawan Ghar, Panjwayi province, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007. Panjwayi district is the site of NATO's biggest ever ground battlefield. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) [via e-ariana.com]

Tribal Tribulations. Heh...Nice pun!

You're fired! Donald Trump? No, Hamid Karzai!

A govenor escapes...other innocents don't.

Mrwlqrx?!

Sorry, I am a bit disorganized. Sleep has been a bit sketchy the last couple of days too. I shouldn't complan, as the Inner Prop has it even worse.

We made it, after a bit of a delay (the bus sort of froze up near the Kansas-Missouri border) and are settled in. As for the Inner Prop, his supervisory chain had a sudden emergency at the top - so everyone got bumped up a spot. While I was tossing and turning and getting a couple of hours, the Prop already started working. This, mind you, just before our 2AM-2PM shift begins. Throw in some transit time, overlap for shift change and...well, you see what I mean.

More to come, if it warrants mention.

UPDATE:

"Hey 'Prop. C'mon, it's time for our shift!"

Packing

The Inner Prop and I have a couple of weeks out at lovely Fort Leavenworth (for an exercise, not a prison sentence!) starting tomorrow.

Pack today - move tomorrow. I have no idea if I will be able to get at an internet connection, so you may note a shocking lack of posts. If possible, I will try to at least get the News up on Fridays.

Out for now.

P.S. If I canot get the news posted, try this site (which I have blogrolled recently).

Happy Birthmonth Illini 6!

I just realized than Illini 6 is one year old this month. Wow, I said I was going to do a lot this year that I didn't actually get around to doing. I won't rehash any of those (if you don't mention them, I won't).

Go there and enjoy the party.

News of Afghanistan ۴۱

I may not be able to do this the next couple of weeks - as I will be at WFX 07-03 at lovely Fort Leavenworth. So on with what we do have!

Taliban and human shields.

Audits?! Of Government spending?!

Speaking of Canada...

Ah, it is good to see some complaints are universal.

I experienced the Afghan passion for sports, so this is unfortunate.

An outbreak in one of my old areas of operation. Argh.

"OK you two, knock it off and get along!"

[Richard Boucher, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, speaks during a press conference in Kabul, Jan. 11, 2007. Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism is genuine and the country remains an important ally of the United State , Boucher said Thursday. The praise for Pakistan from Boucher comes at a time of heightened acrimony between Pakistan and Afghanistan over border incursions and alleged help that militants get from Pakistan. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)]

Bollywood normally gets a warm reception in Afghanistan - not this time. [see this too, however].

Uh, I always tried more tangible things when I was S-5 of TF Eagle ... But, if it helps, good for her.

A heroic and determined woman.

[e-Ariana.com]

Iran take advantage of tensions? Really?!

How to fund the Taliban? Pass the plate amongst the fanatical.

As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate Gulbuddin already!

© IRIN
Pakistan plans to lay the mines along its western border with Afghanistan

UN: "We'd rather you don't."

Uh-oh.

Transit and trade...please.

Pashtun tribesmen gather to protest against fencing plans on parts of the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman border (see here)

As I continue to nag all of you - Iran figures big into what happens in Afghanistan - for good or ill.

Fighting, down south.

Unleash the Poles and Croats!

And how about the Afghans?

Pluto vs. Spabitat

I just heard that "Plutoed" was chosen 2006's Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society at its annual meeting Friday.

They gave the definition as: to demote or devalue someone or something. They forgot to give the second definition: to be turned into a dog that's owned by a mouse.

I'm outraged. I created or introduced words last year. I allow no excuses for them not reading my blog (Illini 6).

Some of my words introduced in 2006:

Spabitat – space habitat (created from hollowed out asteroids spun to create artificial gravity). From Reach Out, my 2005 NaNoWriMo book.

Zzgym – zero gravity gym (found on spabitats). Also from Reach Out.

Paragraphination – to add paragraphs to blog entries that have them disappear when you cut and past.

Ontia – a fictional princessdom in my children's stories.

Crylowable – things that men are allowed to cry at or for (ie. the movie It's a Wonderful Life, death of your dog, death of your parent, your favorite sports team losing/winning). There ought to be a Man-Law.

An exchange of views

WARNING - There is some profanity in this post.

As I have mentioned, I am a contributor to MilBlogs. Recently I received notification of a coment being made on one of my posts. Imagine my surprise when I opened it up and saw this:


DEAD FOR USA AND THE SHIT GODLESS US SOLDIERS !!!
ONE DAY WE FLY IN YOUR SHIT BUILDINGS AGAIN !!!!
REMEMBER 11 SEPT: THAT WAS A GREAT DAY !!!
OVER 3000 DEAD AMERICANS !!! HOW NICE !!!
AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE KILLERS AND RAPIEST`S OF LITTLE KIDS AND WOMEN !!!!OHH WHAT FOR HEROES !!!!!
PFUIIIIII !!!!
DIE MOTHERFUCKERS !!!!
AMERICANS ARE THE REALLY NAZIS !!!!!
AMERICANS ARE THE REALLY GREAT ASSHOLES FROM THIS WORLD !!!
THEY DON`T FIGHT FOR FREEDOM ONLY FOR OIL AND CONTROL !!!!!!
USA IS A SHAME !!!!!!

It came from "iris" at cindy-weller@web.de

So, how to respond? I decided to try a bit of sarcasm and a bit of humor. I replied:
You should probably brush up on your English before trying to post commentary...

The response was fairly predictable:
"I don´t want to speak the shit English Language right !!!!Go and rape the little girls !!!!!Killer !!!!!we bomb you dead in Iraq!!!!my friends killed six US Soldiers in Iraq !!!And they are going on to kill soon more US Soldiers in Iraq!!!I am so proud !!!!!

iris "

Seeing that I had elicited the desired effect, I kept it up...
If your desire is to not speak English well, consider yourself successful.

All I got back was:
"My Friends from the Islamist group get you and then they kill you !!!! Fucking dirty american !!!!"

A little looking around found that I am not the only blogger she has been trolling. Oh well, not exactly the height of discuss and debate. Before this, I had only attracted a few UFO and conspiracy enthusiasts, and in politics the cranks were US based. Whee.

This is an outrage......

What is our ROE????? Are we allowed to carry weapons? They are going to get Soldiers killed. It is worse than 1916, it is time to roll south again. We have to recall POSSE COMITATUS, our enemies laugh at us. If you cannot or refuse to secure your borders, the nation ceases to exist.

Fish...Barrel...BOOM!

Fish (Chicago Alderman - or alderwoman in this case)

Barrel (cash as a bribe for a little "constituent service" - help for a developer)

BOOM (it was really an FBI sting - see here.)

FBI agents haul in a not-so-rare Chicago Bottom Feeder

News of Afghanistan ۴۰

Wow, 40 times I have managed this. I think that means there is a lot of information out there about Afghanistan that people just aren't seeing. So, let us remedy that, shall we?

You never write or call anymore!

Uh, no kidding.

Photos of Afghanistan Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Same old, same old from Mullah Omar

Remember, this is what the enemy is all about.

Someone doing great good for people that almost nobody will or can help? This man qualifies. And you can help him too.

photo: U.S. Army by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

Say, what will the zip code for Afghanistan be...?

Uh oh.

All for one and one for all, right?

"Don't like our mine and fence idea? Tough!"

Huh...? Gulbuddin, you one crazy dude.

Ungood, plus ungood.

An old tradition continues.

Go here to watch a slideshow of an Afghan patrol.

That's no 747!! Am I crazy or what?!

Some wonder if O'Hare Airport is so busy that even aliens cannot find a gate...

Unsurprisingly the FAA is less than impressed.

See these folks here.

As my blogfather would say...Heh. Indeed.