Its time to kick up a stink, WHERE THE F**K ARE THE MEDIA?

No media in Australia seems to have covered this at all, now I thought 200,000 US citizens marching on Washington against the Iraq war amidst all the political strife in the USA right now would be of front-page significance?

Firstly- it shows the world how unstable the so called "superpower" of the world is. Secondly, with Tom DeLay and strife within the republican party, a strong anti-war movement including veterans and soldiers families could easily rally support for the democrats, if only they weren't so Republican.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly would have seen previous posts about the LONG-PLANNED (april-ish this year) weekend of action. I was happy as larry to read the words "more than 150,000 protestors march on washington DC".

Even the leftist national radio station Triple J have had not a lot to say about it. How is the media machine so good at blacking out information. It's time to fill the gaps- time to start an e-mail campaign against media discrimination!!!!

-

don't believe me? check out this excellent article

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2677

http://byneddiejingo.blogspot.com/2005/09/washington-dc-september-24-2005.html

just go to google and go to blogsearch and type in "September 24" + "washington"

all you need to know will be there, but if you go to google news search, you won't find half of the truth or half of the stories.

More about this subject tommorow - its after midnight now!

Come back for more links and links 2 photo's (having photo's on the blog will slow it down)


[olivebranch] out

Dear Mama, do not feel so bad....
Those dreams that you had I still dream. Sunshine still dares to dream, do not despair!
For as long as I live I promise that one day, if I have anything to do with it, you will be there. One day I shall meet you on the otherside, where the rainbow is in the sky and only raindrops fall from it.

But in that same place, there will always be reasons to be sad. There will always be bad fortune and always be oppression and suppression. You must not fall victim to it, you are an optimist. You wouldn't have started blogging or indeed continued if you truely felt you could make no difference.

I am right now writing an article for my Uni newspaper about the development of Iraqi blogs, and how the discussions and attention generated by them could potentially come up with enough intelligent ideas and measures to bring Iraq back to stability.

Many great things have already been achieved, and if nothing else a whole bunch of intelligent, influential people have been banded together with one hope in common- securing an Iraq in which they would be proud to live.

And outside of that group is a larger group, the one to which I belong- who is equally dedicated to these bloggers and their ambitions. There are thousands of us, and there a thousands of intelligent ideas and discussions.

There are solutions amongst these discussions, and each solution is a step towards something better. Whether it be a solution to the problem of pollution, a solution to the poor representation of Iraq in the media, a remedy for the complacency of most people or just a way of making people feel more positive- each is a major step towards the future.

It is like sand on a fire. Small amounts barely have an effect, but enough will put it out.

Iraqi's are determined to avoid civil war at all costs, and the intellectuals who call for calm & peace & offer to monitor elections are respected, even amongst many Islamists.

The future is brighter than it must seem to someone on the ground, but this is due
to the character and persistance of those particular people. If you give up now and there is no hope.


Written in response to a desperate post by Mama on her blog Emotions.

-here is the post- [olivebranch out]

Tuesday, September 27, 2005
The truth....

Dear friends
When America decided to liberate Iraq from the x- regime , I believed that a life full of pleasure is coming. I thought every one will have a job , we will have rights & respect in our country , we will be able to live free & to put forward a normal , happy life, with good future to our children, with no fear &no pain .I thought the Iraqis will promptly start rebuilding their country & will try so hard to contest to convoy the world development .I thought we will built beautiful country , & could be a model for the others ( like the Japanese when they stood up again after the war ).I thought we will live in a rich , well developed country .I thought we will develop the health& education institutions .I thought we will live in good environment free of pollution .I dreamed we can travel & see the world which we are part of it , I thought we will list fun among our priorities. I thought no more tension & no more tears will roll down my eyes , unless tears of happiness. I believed I will be optimism & cheerful again as I used to be …….
I was either tricked ,or may be I was dreaming ………
Then I woke up to see a life full of tears, pain ,fear ,tension ,more pollution ,more backwardness, bad expectations with no hope………
Mama…………

Hey everyone, just found an excellent post about Iraqi intellectuals, writers and assumeably bloggers singing up to become "independant monitors" for the upcoming elections and referendum, since no one from the outside is willing (or allowed?) to do so.

They expect that around 40,000 volunteers will be inspecting the elections to insure they are representative and no pressure is applied upon the voters by various groups.

The response by average Iraqi's and even the religious sect's has been positive, highlighting the pride and trust Iraq has in its intellectuals, which I would rate as being some of the worlds best.

I am glad and hopefull for the Iraqi people to hear this, and I hope it means there will be a fair and representative result.

But what happens if the constitution is not ratified, then the elections do not proceed until a new constitution is drawn up, or are there new elections to choose who will draw up the next constitution???

I hope this constitution is not ratified, or if it is, is replaced quickly to prevent Iraq from falling to peices. It is not representative of the Iraqi population, more representative of the Shiite extremist leaders, with a few concessions made to the Kurds and very little to ensure the future peace and prosperity of the Sunni sect.

Enjoy reading this article below, and go check out the link,
Iraq The Model is one of the best Iraqi blogs you will find- and this is coming from a self-proclaimed Iraqi Blog expert!


Here is the post from Omar on Iraq The Model , one of the most popular and reliable Iraqi blogs around.

[/olivebranch]

No one wants to come from outside to monitor the referendum? Fine!
Because Iraqi intellectuals, artists and writers have taken it upon themselves to do the tasks, Azzaman reports:

In the absence of foreign monitors due to mounting violence, Iraqi writers, artists and other intellectuals have volunteered to oversee the referendum on the constitution scheduled for October 15.
The Independent Elections Commission, the body organizing ballots in Iraq, has responded positively to a call from Iraqi intellectuals to register as independent monitors.
“Thousands have already come forward and we expect the final figure to reach 40,000 monitors,” commission member Hussein Hindawi said.
Iraqi intellectuals have seven more days to come forward to register their names as independent monitors, Hindawi said.
The commission has formed 28 major groups with 14,000 members who intend to be present at the voting stations across the country.
The groups will be assisted by civil society organizations whose members advocate the establishment of a secular, multi-party and democratic system of government.
Hindawi said he sensed that the disparate Iraqi ethnic, religious and political groups are happy to have the intellectuals supervise the referendum.
“The initiative shows the high esteem the society holds this sublime and high-standing sector of the community,” said Hindawi.
He said the volunteering of this huge number of intellectuals despite security risk is proof “of how concerned and keen they are for the future of their country and people.”
The initiative was taken because it was increasingly difficult to have independent foreign monitors supervise the referendum.

ahhhh yes,
never have I fealt quite so supported in my life.
Those who bother(ed) to read/leave comments in the comments sections of my posts will know that I have received lots of support for sending asthma medication to dear little Sunshine .

I might just post a few of the comments, that brought the biggest smile to my face and nearly brought a tear to my eye =)

Thank you all for your kind words, and realise that it is not really such a big thing to do, a few hours of work, a couple of lies to the doctor and a few AU$, and it was all over.

I am sure there are many things you could all do similarly, find blogs from people in need, send them an email pledging support however possible, then find a way to make that support worth-while. It is the ultimate purpose of blogging - networking, connecting, interacting and helping.

Make the world a better place, and as Sunshine would say - "shine brightly always"

--- enjoy these quotes like I did, and thank you all so much for writing me and wishing me a happy birthday :)

(from Sunshine's Grandpa) Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday-Thanks for your efforts on behalf of Sunhine. While we do not agree on the war, we do agree Sunshine is a very special person. Thanks again!
Grandpa


(from Mad Canuck)
Hi Olive,

Happy (belated) birthday - hope it was good.

On the inhalers, I do know the mail is working to Mosul, although it is a bit slow. I sent some CDs to another friend of mine there, and she got them, so Sunshine should get the inhalers. It was very kind of you to send them.

(from Jack Bennet)

I've been reading Sunshine and Mama's blog from the beginning and I'm so pleased. You did great and helped someone out (and the fact that its as sweet a person as Sunshine makes it all the better). To quote Kipling: "You're a better man than I, Gunga Din"

and finally (from Hassan)

Olive,

Happy Birthday to you, how old are you now, 20 right. That would make you my same age... Hehe.. would like to know you, maybe email??....
(ask Sunshine about me if you want..)


--- well I am actually 19, and I am no better a man than you Jack Bennet, I just thought of it first. Maybe now you would do the same thing if you could. Maybe you will find something else to do for someone else to make you feel as good as I will feel when Sunshine finally sends me the email to say the inhalers have arrived into HER HANDS :)

Happy birthday to mee!
and may it be a great day to you all- keep your eyes on the news from the USA.
(and on the footy if your in the land of Oz)

GUEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeS WHAT?

Do you all remember reading this post?

The one where I sent Asthma medication (Bricanyl & Pulmicort inhalers) through air-mail to Dubai (thanks ROSE ), to be forwarded to dear little Sunshine?

well yesterday, thanks to god, good intentions and the will/prayer of many people, the ARRIVED TO DUBAI YESTERDAY! - Sunshine's darling mother Mama posted on her blog emotions that they arrived to Dubai.

I am so glad to see her so happy, hopefully it will help brighten her & sunshine's life in these dark days :)

Are blogs not the best invention ever (after all the other things that lead to the creation of blogs?) :P

Love+Harmony to you all! Celebrate with me this wonderful day, and pray that the journey from Dubai to Mosul is safe for the inhalers :)

To say that I am against the Iraq war, does not mean I am against (r)evolution.

To call for the step down or overthrow of the united states gov't, is not promoting violence.

now I admit, the words "invade WASHINGTON!" are a little extreme, and I don't really mean them. Any person with half a brain can see that it is never going to happen- have you never said "I'll fuck*ng kill you!" to a friend??

Does that mean you would really support someone killing them?

Just because I want an end to the current government of the USA, doesn't mean I am at conflict with my own morals, and never was I preaching hate.

Another thing, did I ever write that my opinions are the opinions of Youth & Students Against War on this blog? NO.

so don't make it out as if I am 100% representative of YSAW on this blog. I write what I want to write in my emotional moments, so other people can relate with their own emotions also. This means that I am not writing logical arguments and plans for the future. This means, when seeing that thousands of fellow human beings are suffering at the hands of a few people, I WILL CALL FOR THEIR HEADS.

I am still optimistic about the future of Iraq, and still optimistic that G.W.Bush will be thrown out of his seat in power, lawfully or otherwise.

I also would've supported the execution of Saddam Hussein to prevent the invasion of Iraq. I am not against all forms of violence ever, I did not state this anywhere. My age 18 means nothing. It is better I let my thoughts out honestly, so my readers get to know my personality and my plans, etc - than bottle them up and oneday turn violent myself?

I do walk what I talk. I do promote peace and stand against violence in all of my actions.

I may write inflamatory comments and call for the overthrow of the US president, but only in the hope of preventing the last ditch effort of US leaders to hold onto their position of supreme power turning into WWIII.

Well, being well and truely entrenched in the anti-war movement allows me to give you all a foresight into the best day of the year - September 24.

For me this day is special, since it is the date on which I was born. But this year, I have a special gift. A gift from the Anti-War movement of the USA.

They chose my birthday as the day for their national day of action.

And my god are we going to make the world see it.

Good will and Good luck and get them prayers focused on the leaders of the USA.

Willpower will make them either resign or reform!

Keep your eyes open :)

(to be continued tommorow)

HOW STUPID CAN ONE NATION'S LEADERS BE?

Multi-millions of dollars worth of aid, from several different countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Israel

400,000 Army Rations from the British Military have been seized by the US Department of Agriculture and are set to be incinerated.

Spain, Italy and Israel also sent foodstuffs including meat, fruits, and one particular case of pear-juice that has really p*ssed the Israeli's off.

Millions of tax-payer dollars,pounds,etc gone to waste, NOT TO MENTION THE THOUSANDS OF STARVING AMERICAN'S GOING UN-FED!!!!

I mean, it is bad enough that the farmers and such are gready-enough to want to sell their own food as aid to New-Orleans and Lousianna victims, but to block thousands of tons of meat and food stuffs from reliable sources such as Israel, Italy, Spain and the UK is just offensive.

It's not fit for our starving black men, but we'll feed it to our soldiers! Thats what the attitude is!

If it were in New-York and thousands of starving whites were demanding food I can f**king tell you right now the Ag Department would have released it DAYS AGO.

I don't know about anyone else, but this US gov't is really starting to give me the shits, and I think now is the time to overthrow it.

Prepare the United Nations, Disband NATO and invade WASHINGTON!

TAKE TO THE STREETS AND DEMAND BUSH STEP DOWN! SEND IN THE UNITED NATIONS ELECTION MONITORS! SEND IN THE 'PEACE-KEEPING COALITION FORCES'! SEND IN THE IRAQI NATIONAL GUARD! SAVE NEW ORLEANS, STOP BUSH!

ache. I'm angry.

enough for now

[olivebranch out]



See this article at www.mirror.co.uk,

Here is a quote from Kurdistan Bloggers Union .

Kurdistan is in need of being re-united. Kirkuk is definately a controversial issue, but Kurds demanding a return to there is like if Palestinians wanted a return to Tel Aviv! Would never happen, it is to valuable.

read the _whole_ story here http://kurdistanblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/bush-if-iranians-stand-for-their.html

Quote The Kurdistan Bloggers Union:

I remember President Bush had called Iran , one of the axes of Evil and in a historical speech said “If Iranians Stand for their freedom America is with them”

I as an "Iranian" Kurd, want to ask President Bush “Excuse me Mr Bush where are you ? why you are not with us ?”

I ask American Medias “why you don’t cover our news ? why you don’t pay 1% of the attention that you paid for Lebanon to us agains the Iranian Regime which is the sponsor of terorists ! which is making nuclear bomb ! which is Axes of Evil !?”

[olivebranch] Here is my summary of what is not noteably being covered about Iran in Ausrtalia's media.

After the election of new Iraqi-Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, many Kurdish activists were preparing celebrations in and around the areas of Kurdistan (for those who don't know, Kurdistan protrudes into the borders of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran).

Trouble soon began in the Irani controlled Kurdish town of Mahabad in early July 2005.

(once the capital of the [state of]Republic of Kurdistan, which declared independence on January 1, 1946 under the leadership of Qazi Muhammad [wikipedia.com]. The republic then fell when the USSR relinquished support in 1947 and Tehran immediately eradicated it from existance )

Three Kurdish activists believed to be organisers for the celebration of newly elected President of Iraqi-Kurdistan were shot dead. One civil activist, Shivan Qaderi (a.k.a Seyed Kamal Astam [or Astom]) was un-lawfully shot dead by Irani Police forces. His body was then dragged behind a jeep through the streets of Mehabad as an example of how dissenters would be treated.

**WHAT THE F__K IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? Tehran urgently needs to grant autonomy to its Kurdish provinces so as not to give the US media reason to scream genocide!**

In the days directly following these acts, thousands of Mahabad residents took to the streets in protest of the killing. Their protest immediately spilled into surrounding towns - including (according to http://www.iran-press-service.com/) Sanandaj, Mahabad, Sardasht, Piranshahr, Oshnavieh, Baneh, Sinne, Bokan and Saqqez.

The Irani state-owned media confirmed the unrest, but claimed it was the acts of "hooligan and criminal elements".

The government responded with consistant over-use of force, resulting in many deaths. Protests in Shino city were brutally oppressed, with more than 10 casualties.

Baneh and Saqqez have since become the focus of headlines along side Mahabad. According to the "Iran Press Service" (http://www.iran-press-service.com/), "100,000 state security forces, backed up by helicopter gunships had moved into the region to crack down on pro-Kurdish demonstrations."

Kurdsat, an Iraqi-Kurdish satellite channel based in Sulaimaniyah, reported August 5 that police had detained as many as 1,200 people after the incident.

**Is it just me, or is something going really wrong for the Kurds here? The American's should quickly help Kurds declare their autonomous zones in Turkey & Iran, then high-tail their way out of the Mid.East for good, After rebuilding Iraq's infrustructure of course!**

Several cases of unknown gunmen opening fire on Irani forces in Kurdish areas have occured in recent months, at least once resulting in the casualty of Four soldiers near the northwestern town Oshnoviyeh.

Spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior Jahanbakhsh Khanjani blamed the incident on Turkish based Kurdish resistance group Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). It is more likely the work of Irani-born Kurdish resistance, given the recent upheavel in Irani-Kurdistan and the level of oppression currently being enforced by the Irani Authorities.

The PKK is a well known Kurdish resistance group considered by both the EU and the USA to be a terrorist group. I have not developed my own opinion on the PKK yet, but if my suspicion is correct, then they are a Kurdish independance army, and probably not a terrorist organisation. It is possible, as is typical of independance groups that there is an extremist wing- probably uncontrollable by the rest, which are responsible for the label of 'terrorist organisation'. (For example, Hagana one of the direct predecessors the Israeli Defence Force, or the military wing of the Bolshevik party during the Russian Civil war post-revolution in 1917)

Why is the world media not covering the oppression of Kurds in Iran??? This is a blatant oppression by ethnicity, which does not even attempt to hide it's Human Rights abuse. -

See Article 5. of the "Universal Decleration of Human Rights"

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

(source: United Nations http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html)

I hereby demand that bloggers and the world media wake up and cover these stories. As much as Kurds are a part of Iraq, they are a part of Iran aswell. This story and those which will follow would be potentially dangerous fodder in the hands of US spin-doctors, allowing them to further strengthen their apparent case for military intervention in Iran. It is our job to ensure that the world knows about these stories BEFORE the spin-doctors get their knitting-needles into them. An invasion of Iran IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, NOR IS IT FEASEABLE.

Let's make the Mullah's and Ayatollah's and Presidents and Premiers and Prime Ministers and Editors and Journalists and Common People listen. KURDISH RIGHTS IN IRAN, NOW!

(Survival; not perfection)

You know what? Sometimes I just need to write
and I think tonight, is one of those nights.

The statements of fear
the thoughts and pains.
The tears they are crying
their fists in the rain.
The water above houses
the tides of change.
The smell of rotten bodies
their fall, their reign.

People are fighting
but not dealing pain.
Inspiring and climbing
towards peace and gain.
Donations and volunteers
all kinds of the same.

Reporters are reporting
people are moving.
Revolutions beginning
with food and a drain.
Clothing and shelter
candles and protection.

Love and affection,
it's survival; not perfection.

Dedicated to the victims of cyclone Katrina.

by [olivebranch] 15/9/05

Ahhh, My girlfriend Gee-oh has been away from me since about 1:30pm yesterday, IM GOING TO DIE :(

not really, I just miss her real bad :(

Haven't been having a particularly good week, nothing really bad has happened or anything, but for some reason I just haven't been feeling myself... Probably also something to do with the fact that I haven't been eating quite as well as normal, but you get that.

I have so much to do between now and next Tuesday, I have to go get a part for my old car tommorow, and 2 major assignments between now & then to complete (one due on friday).

Plus I have basketball to play tommorow, and hopefully go swimming for the first time in a couple of weeks [I miss swimming :'(]

I have been waiting for a decent conversation with a friend or someone I like all day, unfortunately every time I have been close to finding one either I have had to go help mother with her Uni work, or they have been busy doing something else..

ALL I WANT IS A HUG AND SOME CONVERSATION

hmmmm, funny when the optimist just can't find his optimism. the world is going to end tommorow! and I won't have time for breakfast!

Just joking, have to make myself smile somehow..

Time to go and try seek out some friends to talk to... Oh please please talk to me friendies, come online and talk to [olivebranch]!

my msn is evilfeet@hotmail.com if you wan't to talk to me! or e-mail me at lukey@iinet.net.au for my Yahoo address

Just to let everyone know, in the last week there have been update on the "Bloggers Blog of Blogs" which can be found at http://bloggerslinks.blogspot.com/

There was a review done by me of AnaRki13's blog "Come Get Some", which I gave a 7/10 (less than its worth, but that will teach him to lax on his post frequency!)

Also, Riverbend made her fantastic return to "Baghdad Burning" for the first two posts in months! So glad to see her back writing again, no-one quite covered stories or gave in-depth views, opinion and anaylsis of Iraqi life like she does. I also reviewed Baghdad Burning on the "Bloggers Blog of Blogs". Due to her recent lax in posting, she got an 8 1/2 out of 10, which would otherwise have been a 9 1/2.

Check it out everyone, and don't forget to leave comments or email authors. Thats what makes this all worth-while.

Ahh so it seems my secret identity has been blown, well not that I kept it secret anyway. My little sister Cassie has created her own blog- go check it out and support her attempts :) give her advice coz I'll just tell her to write about iraq :P

here's the link- check it out:

http://cazzajane.blogspot.com/

and my always hilarious girlfriend (WHO DOESN'T READ MY BLOG ANYMORE BECAUSE 'ITS TO CRAP') has posted on her blog again (for about the second time in god-knows-how-long, what a responsible little blogger she turned out to be :P~ ner ner)

heres the link:

http://geeoh.blogspot.com/

My sister is 13 next year, slightly younger than the well-know and well-loved Sunshine. She is a reader, and also a marvellous singer. She has a solo last week with a choir of 420 people backing her, and she was brilliant!

Anyway, everyone should go check her blog out, and leave some comments on Geeoh's blog because she feels lonely and left out :*(

A post written for Iraqi Blogger Mama

-)It's Time To Write For Mama (-

It's time to write a poem,
for the sake of some dear.
I hope you like this poem,
and hapiness replaces fear.

Remember the times before,
when you were sure your life must end.
Remember how every time,
you somehow made it round that bend.

I know that nothing I can send,
can encourage your wounds to mend.
Nothing I say could change the fear,
or whipe away the pain my dear,
but if you only know I shed a tear.

Maybe things could be better.

Trust in me and in the will of us. Trust in bloggers in our love and such. Trust in what we have to say, and someday your pains will go away.

Pray for your patience, and pray for your child. Write to us about your fears, don't let your brain go wild.

Let it go and to you I'll show, the future really is bright you know.

Written for Mama by [olivebranch] 12/09/05

Regular readers of this blow will know a little about SCIRI and Badr's Brigade by now. Even if you know nothing about them, this is a story I just found from a new iraqi blogger.

This new blogger writes brilliantly, here is a link to his blog

http://twentyfourstepstoliberty.blogspot.com

Well done my friend.


SCIRI and Badr's Brigade are virtually considered the leaders of Iraq at the moment. Their votes make up much of the support base for the Shia coalition currently 'controlling' Iraq.

Recently they have conflicted with Sadr supporters, since SCIRI and Badr's brigade want an Islamic Republic or Federalism so as to create a Irani-style Theocracy in the South of Iraq...

They are the biggest threat to Iraq's future right now, and are still NOT OPPOSED by the COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY.

Here is an example of their sheer contempt for Iraqi's lives.



Last Sunday, Aug. 7, was the second anniversary of Muhammed Baqir Hakim, former president of SCIRI who was killed in Najaf Aug. 2003 in the second biggest car bomb in Iraq after the UN HQ one. The way Badr troops spread in the streets was scary. People in dark camouflage uniforms armed with AK47s and daggers in their belts. They manned checkpoints in Karrada neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, where SCIRI offices and an entrance to the green zone are. They pointed their weapons haphazardly to anyone they liked. And us, the people, had no courage to even complain. They decided where cars go and which street is opened and which is not. You could see people leaving their buses and taxis and walk to their destinations, because a place that took two hours driving to reach that day, didn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes walking. Baghdad’s eastern part was almost jammed that day. The reason was that Badr troops blocked Karradad because the celebration of Hakim’s death was in SCIRI offices and all the government top officials attended it. They had to protect their officials. Let people go to hell.

Shi, 37, was convicted in April for "revealing state secrets," by using his email account to post on the Internet a government order barring Chinese media from marking the 15th anniversary of the brutal June 1989 crackdown on democracy activists in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
(http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050910/wl_afp/chinainternetmediadissidentyahoo_050910131758)
This is modern day China.

The Pentagon has drafted a revised doctrine for the use of nuclear weapons that envisions commanders requesting presidential approval to use them to preempt an attack by a nation or a terrorist group using weapons of mass destruction. The draft also includes the option of using nuclear arms to destroy known enemy stockpiles of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

And this is modern day USA.

Shit. Maybe the USSR wasn't such a bad idea after all?

Where are we headed next? The Chinese invade North Korea to teach them real communism?? The USA pre-emptively attack the North Korean's with a nuclear weapon in protection of Seoul?

China responds?

ARMAGEDDDDDDDDDDDON?

or maybe we will just all learn a lesson from Iraq.

LET THEM SORT IT OUT THEMSELVES! OR 'remove' multi-decade military dictatorships with snipers.

Don't invade countries. Don't support PRE-EMPTION. Don't give in to OCCUPATION.

and DONT GIVE UP ON OPPOSING INVASION.


ACHE doesn't it just make you sick?
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/10/AR2005091001053_pf.html)
In April, Rumsfeld appeared before the Senate Armed Services panel and asked for the bunker buster study to be funded. He said the money was for research and not to begin production on any particular warhead. "The only thing we have is very large, very dirty, big nuclear weapons," Rumsfeld said. "It seems to me studying it [the RNEP] makes all the sense in the world."



[end of rant]
[olivebranch]

I have a sneaking suscpicion that the Iraqi Constitution is not going to be accepted, and I think this would be the ultimate solution to the problems currently facing the Iraqi Government and Iraq as a whole.

If the new Iraqi Constitution is not accepted, then the government must be disbanded.

It is my belief, that this is in the best interests of both the Iraqi people and the American Government.

I mean, if the current direction is where Iraq is headed, America is in for a lot of shame. The last elections were a test, a way of making Iraqi's realise what elections are worth.

I am sure, that if new elections were held, they would amount to so much more than the last ones did.

Iraqi's should stand up and volunteer to protect their community voting centers on Election day, the elections should be HELD BY THE UNITED NATIONS, with NO CONTRIBUTION by the CURRENT IRAQI GOVERNMENT, OR THE "COALITION".

Iraqi's should WANT to vote in new, FREE(as possible) ELECTIONS.

Iraqi's should be voting for people that they HAVE NOMINATED, and whose policies are clearly defined, their names released, their parties detailed and political stance know publicly months in advance of the elections.

Only this way can Iraqi's feel safe to choose a real representative, and only this way will secular iraqi's, kurds, sadr'ists and sunni's be represented properly.

anyway, this was just an opinion peice after reading something from a month or so ago.

[/olivebranch]

Am reading AnaRki13's blog at the moment, will do a review on it on the Bloggers Blog of Blogs in the coming days, because I think it is excellent.

AnaRki13's blog address: http://come-getsome.blogspot.com/

Here is some advice he was given on his blog, wise words that we can all relate to- enjoy.

thank you for enlightening me, Papa Ray..

" Well, I am almost 70 years of age, I am a Texan, an American and I am against violence also.
I have first hand experience with violence.
As a child, I was picked on and put upon almost every day because I was small for my age. Growing up I was in many fights, just to try and protect myself, not by choice.
When I was 17 my Dad was killed by a man who was drunk (later was ruled insane)and it killed my mother with grief a year and half later.
I joined the US Army at that time, for valid reasons I thought at that time. I had a few good years of serving in a peace time army. Then came along the famous Viet Nam "Conflict". It was not even a "War". By that time I had a lot of training and had made it to a "Non-Com" rank and was in charge of a squad of soldiers.
We killed in order not to be killed. We didn't kill any women or children or old people, but we saw many killed by our Air Force. Bombing is an equal opportunity killer. It took me many years to get my head straight from that little "conflict". It taught me that violence only brings more violence.
But as long as the world is how it is, violence will be a large part of it, no matter how many hate it.
I won't bore you with my war stories and of my problems or accomplishments. But I do want to give you some truths that I have learned over my long life.
Take them or leave them, your choice.
You have to stand for something or you will amount to nothing.
Being opposed to violence is good, but you must protect yourself and yours from violence however and whenever you must.
You can not protect yourself and yours if you depend just on the "authorities". You must be prepared to do it yourself.
If you want the good things in life, you must be ready and able to pay for them. This does not mean with just money.
If you are faced with problems in your life, depending on others to solve or take care of them will result in you not only still having the problems but thinking less of yourself.
Here is a few other things I've learned:
I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 30 minutes. After that, you'd better know something.
I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
I've learned that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do and how they react to it.
I've learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartaches for life.
I've learned that no matter how you feel about it, there are always two sides to everything.
I've learned that it's taking me a much longer time to become the person I should be, and I'm running out of time.
I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think, but not a smart thing to do, unless your talking about driving.
I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words, It may be the last time you see them.
I've learned that you can keep on going and doing long after you think you can't.
I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter what the circumstances.
I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you and if you let it control you, you are going to have big problems.
I've learned that life can be as hard on you as you make it, poor decisions, no planning and a bad attitude will make it that way.
I've learned that heroes are people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned that learning to forgive takes a lot of practice.
I've learned that there are people who love you, but just don't know how to show it.
I've learned that some people will be your friend only as long it is to their benefit.
I've learned that money and material things is a false way of determining self worth.
I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I've learned that true friendship is very hard to come by and the same goes double for true love.
I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you.
I've learned that no matter how much I want something, it won't matter to others.
I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've had.
I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely, few things are more cruel, and how awful it would be if they really believed you.
I've learned that no matter how good a friend you think someone is, the only real way to find out is when you need them.
I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief or even care.
I've learned that our background and experiences may influence who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
I've learned that sometimes you have to put the person ahead of their actions.
I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only a little while to destroy it.
I've learned that the more we try to teach our children, the less they seem to learn.
I've learned that you shouldn't always be so eager to find out the truth. It could hurt.
I've learned that the clothes I like best are the ones with the most holes in them.
I've learned that words said in haste and anger hurt everybody and help no one.
I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that really counts.
I've learned that two people can look at the exact same situation and see something totally different.
I've learned that people with a little religion are almost more narrow minded than those with a lot.
I've learned that people who don't read and learn will stay ignorant and narrow minded.
I've learned that even if you don't agree with someone, you should listen to their viewpoint.
I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is love them.
I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will get hurt and you will hurt also.
I've learned that your life can be changed forever in a matter of minutes by people who don't even know you.
I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, if your child needs you, you will find a way and means to help. But sometimes helping too much is really a hindrance.
I've learned that prior planning prevents piss poor performance.
I've learned that even with prior planning, unexpected things will always happen.
I've learned that if your going to do something, give it all your effort, do the very best that you can.
I've learned that even if something awful happens to you, you can always learn something from it.
I've learned that sometimes happiness is right in front of you but you can't see it.
I've learned that credentials on the wall doesn't mean they know what the hell they're talking about.
I've learned that the people you care most about in life are always taken away from you too soon.
I've learned that I should have taken better care of myself, but I wasn't smart enough at the time.
I've learned that someone can love you, but not be in love with you.
I've learned that it's hard to to decide between not hurting people and standing up for what you believe is right.
I've learned that the more you love someone, the more you can hurt them.
I've learned that the more you love someone, the more they can hurt you.
I've learned that the more I learn, the more I seem not to know.
Anyway, at your age (I know because,believe it or not, I was your age once), you know everything and ol' folks don't know shit, but I just wanted to pass on some things that I learned the hard way.
Live long and prosper !
This is my post
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA"

Thank you again, wise man.. I am in your debt.
13

posted by AnaRki13 @ Thursday, December 09, 2004

Ahh yes, back to blogging.

I should be doing my reading for tommorows university lecture on ahh, let me just grab the book and look...... *pause*

"The Internet for Reporting"

wahoo! I am kind-of studying that right now aren't I? Or, atleast practicing it? I wonder if this article even mentions the term 'blog' or 'weblog' in it. Well, it's written in 1999, so I will excuse it for not doing so, but surely we should be using more recent material than 1999. ITS 2000 and F*CKING 5!!!!!!!!

The internet was merely an infant in 1999, blogs were barely a fetus. Their features had yet to develop and their effect was many years from being felt.

But now and in the future, the 'blogsphere' as I like to call it, will change reporting and journalism indefinately. For those wishing to be employed as a journalist, it may not be such a wise choice.

For those wishing to become a journalist to help people, blog away. But you will struggle to make a wage as a journalist in the technology world, you'd be better of writing on the side, with another job as your occupation.

The information released into main-stream press has already been effected severely, even the Washington Times has told a story that only came to be due to weblogs, Blogger and Congressman John Conyers and his quest regarding the "Downing Street Minutes" was frontpage of the Washington Times on several occasions.

Were it not for the persistance of bloggers across the globe to report every fibre of truth about the Iraq War and the reasons behind it, such a topic would never have come to the public-eye. Congressman Conyers draws his support base from bloggers now, and knows he can trust in us to find the truth about anything that may happen to him as a result of his persistance.

The Wash. Post claim that the memo was "leaked recently" to the press. In actual fact, details of the memo had been floating around the blogosphere for many months at that stage...

Iraqi blogger Salam Pax has a whole write up about him and a fortnightly column in The Guardian

Click on the link to see his 'section' or some of it.

and thats only a start.

Margo Kingston while she was still with webdiary.smh.com.au held a great deal of sway in regards to the main-stream media.

So as you see, for me, blogging is my way into the mainstream. It is how I am going to become known, and my readers will be people who have come to know me, from years of reading the things I write.

It's a long process, but most writers usually don't become credible or widely-read until they are well, sadly, 'dead'.

So hopefully, with the internet as a tool, I will get my notice sooner, and make a difference in many ways. I hope to show others how to do this, but I must find a way myself first, to prove that it works!

anyway, I have to go do some work

Pce + Harmony to you all!

P.S I AM GETTING A NEW CAR!

[olivebranch out]

Read this



--------------------
Rather than the U.S. troop presence preventing insurgency, it is clear that the insurgency would be much reduced if U.S. troops were to withdraw. For example, we know that today many insurgents draw heavily on religious motivation. But consider that the Association of Muslim Scholars, the leading Sunni religious group, with ties to the resistance, has declared that if a date were set for withdrawal it would issue a fatwa against anyone continuing an insurgency.18 Thus, if the occupation were ended, the insurgency would be significantly undercut.
---------------------

and then the rest at
http://www.dsausa.org/LatestNews/2005/The%20Anti-War%20Movement%20and%20Iraq.htm

The US are stretched thin. Katrina is stretching them worse. Their troops are dying, the resistance is growing in strenght, if not numbers.

Sadr has stepped up. The US now have to deal with him, because he is going to fight the Irani influence to the very last straw. There will be no SCIRI and Da'awa ruling Iraq in the future.

Sadr will not survive, his movement will deplete itself.

Iraq has a future, and a war seems the only way out of this mess.

Full blown fighting is going to erupt soon enough, targetting not the Iraqi Government, but those members of it who are exploiting the process (once people wake up to who this is, as Sadr finally seems to have).

SCIRI and DA'AWA and BADR'S BRIGADE must go.

If the US realises this and begins the process all over again, maybe they can withdraw before their losses start to hit their pride. We wouldn't want their pride to be hurt now would we?

Send SCIRI,Da'awa and Badr's flying, and your problems will be minimized.


Here is some text from Dahr Jamail on where the CURRENT US strategy is headed, and how it is hurting all those involved in it from all angles.

Dahr Jamail's blog can be found at
http://dahrjamailiraq.com/weblog



Attacks on US forces in Iraq are now back up over 70 per day…we’ll cross the 2,000 dead mark before too much longer, and things are about to get much, much worse. As Iraqis continue to say, “Today is better than tomorrow.” The same goes for US troops there.

There is a reason why a relatively recent Army survey found that 54% of all soldiers in Iraq reported either “low” or “very low” morale.

There is also a reason why, again according to the Army, that 30% of all soldiers returning from Iraq develop mental health problems 3-4 months after their return.

And there is a reason why soldiers like Nicolas Prubyla come home and join organizations like Iraq Veterans Against the War.

“Up until five days ago, I had large amounts of blood in my stool,” he told me recently, “I’ve felt tired all the time, I have had loss of hair…loss of the feeling in my right arm…I’m battling this stuff.”

What he is battling is exposure to uranium munitions in Iraq. He is battling radiation sickness as the result of the most recent nuclear war waged by the United States of America. There is a reason why over 11,000 veterans from the ’91 Gulf War are dead today, and over 250,000 others are on medical disability. That reason (hundreds and hundreds of tons of uranium munitions dropped on Iraq) is the same thing Prubyla is battling today.

“As the years go on this is going to effect a hell of a lot more people than we think…radioactive dust and the clouds of smoke and dust from firing the DU [depleted uranium] is getting to us now,” he said, “And I know I’m not the only person in my unit-my boss got diagnosed with cancer, one of my other buddies who is 23 years-old is getting rashes….every time I do more research on DU-I’m seeing that I have all the side effects.”

Prubyla has realized what more and more veterans understand…that the powers that be in our military plutocracy (also known as the US government) could care less for their well being. One of the shadow members of the current plutocracy who is also an exalted neo-conservative, Henry Kissinger, has referred to military men as “dumb, stupid animals to be used” as pawns for foreign policy.

People like Prubyla get this; they have had enough, and are now doing something about it.

Meanwhile in the Crawford “Green Zone,” Mr. Bush chooses to ignore the resistance movement that is standing outside his fence. But that is alright, because the hundreds of people there now protesting represent tens (if not hundreds) of millions across the country who, like the Iraqi resistance, are not going to go away.

Well. I have come to a point that I wish to discuss with myself, and share with you.

So I am going to write a random post about "whatever the hell is going on in Najaf".

The West Australian newspaper quotes that Muktadar Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army "clashed with members of Iranian-linked Badr Brigade."

They claim this is due to fear on Sadr's behalf that "federalism" will play into the hands of Iran.

I believe that Sadr has just started fighting ONE of the fights that I am fighting.

I don't want Iran to sway its influence over Iraq. I don't trust the leaders of SCIRI, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. I do not trust the Da'awa Party or Badr's Brigade, I believe they are hardliners.

I don't support Muktada Al-Sadr, however I do support the idea of 'self-determination', and I believe Sadr would support this also.(Based on what? well, nothing really. Just the reading I have done and his pattern of actions)

I hope this fight continues, between the two militia's directly- not in the streets with suicide bombs. If Sadr's forces can limit the influence of Da'awa and SCIRI, then so be it.

Sadr' would not have things the same way as SCIRI and Da'awa support(the present method), rather he would prefer self-determination before the building of a constitution, the removal of forces and Iraq built by IRAQIS.

This would work to his advantage in his areas of support, but given the chance to support someone less radical and equally as Iraqi, even many of his own supporters would not choose him to lead them.

Sadr' is not the man to lead Iraqi's to a bright future, but it looks like he is "the main influence" willing AND ABLE to stand in the way of the dark future already beginning to impose itself upon Iraq.

Don't discredit Sadr's chances at becoming an Iraqi icon, he is intelligent, reverred, resoureful and determined. Just Like almost every iraqi blogger I know.

He is violent, and his troops have been involved in atrocities which will never escape his image.

His troops DO provide many of the essential services in the slum area of Sadr-City and in many other places they have influenced security and even to an extent allow easier lives for hundreds of thousands of iraqis.

He has history, he has popularity, he has guns and numbers. He has a name around the globe, and is fighting against the most unpopular people in Iraq.

This is a smart man who is trying to win over a people who tend to distrust him, don't be fooled into supporting him. But I think you should fool him into thinking he has the support, until Da'awa and SCIRI and Badr's Brigade all dissapear. Then turn him belly up and commit him for the war crimes he has inspired.


enough of my rant now!
[/olivebranch]

Poetry of a girl merely 10 years old,
with words I do not understand,
but emotions and feelings that anyone can relate to.

This girl is just like Sunshine, only she is an artist.

"Akaine" was a feature on Oprah, and I found a link to her work through another blogger.

She was 10yrs old or younger when she wrote the following poetry



By the Light
Against the ocean waves
My senses hold the eroded canyons
On a nine mile cliff today I see God
From different scenes all in sync

Where inspiration is under construction
Where I keep afloat the universe
Where the boat never sinks the boat
Where tasting sweet air and scared of heights
The footsteps explore the drop-offs

Only from the dark coal tunnels
White diamonds come
But only by the light
They are recognized




Staining the Rust
Gazing through the dew inside the glass -
the future...

No stones to hide under -
the past...

Shoreless shore -
the memory...

Under emotional microscope -
the stillness is fast...

Near each gasping grasp -
the air...

Stuck back to back -
the friendship dawns...

Grinding the bark -
the stumps...

Behind every horizon -
there is another one



Chipped View
If some are chosen to bow down to wear the yokes
Some are chosen to live in a spark
The scabs are puzzled everlastingly
Weaned honor is delivered in the midst of dark

Bowing to themselves the crownless kings
Sit in their own bent thrones
As cattle live in castles full of lion clawprints
Life becomes the play with ashes of the drones

Before the glass palaces – the sand
Before ruby swords – the fists
Before the chipped heaven – the chipped view
The nestlings in the marble nests




Is this not extreme talent?
Do girls like this, najma and sunshine not surely play a major role in our future?

Should we not have better representation of females everywhere at all times in all aspects except those where they already the overly-dominant force :)