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Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/08/2011 11:38:34

Good Morning. Today is our 2,883 day in Iraq and our 3,411th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing wars, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4436
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4297
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3577
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 208
Since Operation New Dawn: 18

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,472
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 843
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448

We find this morning's Cost of War not working.

Looking at the number above, that's the "cost of war" in monetary terms only. Returning veterans face yet another challenge on the job front. You may have seen this on facebook over the weekend...the jobless rate for returning vets has spiked well above the national average to a whopping 15.2%.

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31 comments (Latest Comment: 02/08/2011 23:12:48 by clintster)

No comment.
Author: Raine    Date: 02/07/2011 13:54:25

I sometimes really dislike blogging on Monday mornings. This morning is rougher than usual. A post super bowl Monday leaves me with visions of first downs and touchdown in my head.

So until August, I bid adieu to football, and will let my fellow bloggers carry the sports mantle thru the rest of Hockey season and into Baseball.
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31 comments (Latest Comment: 02/07/2011 23:16:00 by livingonli)

Back to the 80's
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 02/06/2011 16:08:50

Ok gang, get your pink and green plastic ray-ban sunglasses and your thin neckties and blazers with sleeves rolled up - we are going on a trip. Today Velveeta is your travel agent for a wonderful trip in centennial celebration of The Great One, The Gipper, our most Supreme President of ALL TIME... Ronald Reagan. (I'm assuming you've taken the time to bow appropriately).

Our first stop on our celebration tour will have to be Afghanistan. Yes, beautiful Afghanistan, a favorite destination for families, honeymooners and spring breakers, offers picturesque mountains lined with towering cliffs pocked with holes made from many bombs. Stay in beautiful downtown Kabul where nightlife is bustling - at least until curfew, and you're sure to meet many new and very interesting people.
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15 comments (Latest Comment: 02/07/2011 04:07:05 by livingonli)

People Power Revolution v2
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/05/2011 14:01:31

Good Morning!

It's been an interesting week watching the goings on in the ancient streets of Cairo. Today is day 12, and there's no end in sight for the ongoing protests. Hosni Mubarak is still solidly ensconsed in his palace, and the people are still restive. Meanwhile, with little else to do but pontificate, many of the pundits are starting to make comparisons to history.

Because Egypt is Arabic and Islamic, it's inevitable that they would be looking to the Islamic revolution in Iran that thrust the Ayatollah Khomeine to power 30 years ago. I'd have to say the connections are tenuous at best; Egypt's protest are not religious in nature, and there have been multiple recorded instances of Muslims and Christians working together to protect each other during prayer times these last two weeks.

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3 comments (Latest Comment: 02/05/2011 20:27:04 by BobR)

Isn't It Ironic?
Author: BobR    Date: 02/04/2011 13:17:34

Every once in a while, there is a certain synchronicity in the world, when we see a rash of coincidences that seem related, but generally aren't. We obsess and then we move on (mass animal deaths, anyone?). Sometimes these are more subtle, and there is no greater meaning nor conspiracy, but they are still interesting nonetheless. For me, I noticed a certain surge in stories that fall into the "ironic" category.
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37 comments (Latest Comment: 02/04/2011 23:20:35 by livingonli)

vAgain?
Author: Raine    Date: 02/03/2011 13:35:32

No that's not a typo in the title. Once again, friends, it's time to talk vagina. We've done it before here on this blog, when discussing sanctioned rape against women by contractors like KBR and Halliburton and rape of military women by contractors. We've discussed the names of senators who voted against stopping these acts of violence on women. These things are horrible enough on there own, but as Bob brought up in yesterdays blog, the GOP wants to take the act of rape and redefine it.
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46 comments (Latest Comment: 02/03/2011 22:21:26 by Raine)

Political Theatre of the Absurd
Author: BobR    Date: 02/02/2011 11:22:46

In 2006, the Democrats rode into power in Congress on a wave of disgust with the Republicans' endemic corruption. Two years later, the disgust with the Idiot-in-Chief, and fear of Sarah Palin drove record numbers to the polls to vote for Obama. Likely, there was also motivation driven by the lassaiz-faire approach to regulation which saw an economy heading over a cliff.

The Democrats, controlling both Houses of Congress and the Executive, had a unique opportunity to prove that they could lead this country into a bright shining future. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to. The 60 vote "filibuster proof" majority in the Senate came with not strings, but ropes attached, as each Democratic senator felt the power of his/her one vote to make or break a filibuster. The economy refused to budge so deep was its problems, despite attempts to seed the job market with projects funding. Sure the actions prevented what would have been an unrecoverable complete meltdown, but the turnaround has been slow.
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33 comments (Latest Comment: 02/02/2011 20:32:35 by Scoopster)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/01/2011 11:29:39

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,876th day in Iraq and our 3,404th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualties from our ongoing wars, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4436
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4297
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3577
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 208
Since Operation New Dawn: 18

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq
318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,466
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 842
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 1, 145, 935, 750, 000 .00


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32 comments (Latest Comment: 02/01/2011 23:58:24 by TriSec)

I read the news today, Oh boy
Author: Raine    Date: 01/31/2011 13:46:57

To learn that 6 al Jazeera reporters have been detained in Egypt, all equipment seems to have been confiscated. Say a prayer for their safety.

This newest turn of events does not bode well for the situation in Egypt or its current government. I would like to start this blog out making something very clear. I am with the people of Egypt. I am for them protesting, and I am for them removing their government and replacing it with one of their choosing.

I am not for United States of America's military intervention, beyond the peacekeeping forces we have had in in Sinai for decades. Nor am I for our government openly advocating overthrow. There are a number of reasons for this, so I do hope you hear me out.
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48 comments (Latest Comment: 02/01/2011 01:24:06 by TriSec)

The Manchurian Candidate
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 01/30/2011 15:29:38

Michele Bachmann sure is a piece of work, isn't she? I wonder if she really believes that America is a "great experiment in human liberty". Perhaps she's forgotten that this land on which we all sleep was actually a lot freer before the Europeans came along. But of course this is the same woman that also believes that our Founding Fathers ended slavery when she said earlier this month in Iowa, "..we also know that the very founders that wrote those documents [Bill of Rights] worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States." And speaking about our European founders she hailed them as "remarkable" because the "different cultures, different backgrounds, different traditions" and even the "color of their skin" or "language" or "economic status" didn't preclude them from seeking happiness. Right here in Good Ol' USA!!
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10 comments (Latest Comment: 01/31/2011 00:51:35 by AuntAzalea)

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