This post at Hot Air says it far better than I could.

Sixty-four years ago today, Allied forces swept onto the beaches of Normandy to liberate France and put an end to Nazi domination of Europe. The D-Day assault comprised American, Canadian, and British forces, but the Americans led, and for the most part the Americans bled, especially on Omaha. This position of leadership and sacrifice heralded the emergence of America as the primary Western power, but on that day, no one could say for sure that we would succeed:

Go read the whole thing. We owe a debt of gratitude to those troops, many thousands who gave their lives to free Europe.

Hattip Meryl.

This is definitely good news.

Attacks by insurgents and rival sectarian militias have fallen up to 80 percent in Baghdad and concrete blast walls that divide the capital can soon be removed, a senior Iraqi military official said on Saturday.

Nice number. Didn’t even know about the blast walls. Interesting.

The United States says attacks have fallen across Iraq by 60 percent since June on the back of security clampdowns, 30,000 extra U.S. troops and a ceasefire ordered by Shi’ite cleric and militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr.

Key to the fall in violence was also a decision by Sunni Arab tribal leaders to turn against al Qaeda in late 2006 and form neighborhood security units, which man checkpoints and provide tips on militant hideouts.

The surge is working, good going. And the Iraqis helping of course, nothing like teamwork.

Senior al Qaeda leader Abu Laith al Libi dead. Al who? Who cares? It’s another high mucky muck al Qaida terrorist dead. Kudos to our military.

KT Cat is up way too early with a new WOG perfect for this time of year, this one reminding us to express gratitude to our troops for all they do for us, like keep us free. Let’s not forget them in all our holiday celebrating.

We are winning, the surge is working. There is hope. One striking example is the photo by Michael Yon of Muslims and Christians erecting a cross atop a church. Accompanying his photo, Michael Yon writes:

The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. “Thank you, thank you,” the people were saying. One man said, “Thank you for peace.” Another man, a Muslim, said “All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.” The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers.

To sum it up is Day by Day’s cartoon which incorporates Michael Yon’s historic photo. If you value his work, consider supporting him.

Good news is so wonderfully refreshing and not at all unexpected. Ordinary Muslims and Christians can get along just fine. even in a Muslim country. Bin Laden, Ahmadinejad and their ilk would have us think otherwise. Thanks Sissy for bringing this to my notice. Blue Crab Boulevard has lots more links. Seems the blogosphere is abuzz with this story er picture. I’m just beginning to read them. Even the New York Times ran a positive but unrelated piece about Iraq.

American forces have routed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the Iraqi militant network, from every neighborhood of Baghdad, a top American general said today, allowing American troops involved in the “surge” to depart as planned.

Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commander of United States forces in Baghdad, also said that American troops had yet to clear some 13 percent of the city, including Sadr City and several other areas controlled by Shiite militias. But, he said, “there’s just no question” that violence had declined since a spike in June.

“Murder victims are down 80 percent from where they were at the peak,” and attacks involving improvised bombs are down 70 percent, he said.

Nice to have good news this Veterans Day. Yes, I know it was yesterday but I’m a little slow here. And the Dems still want to lose, silly people. Guess the good news somehow escaped them. Blame the MSM which is complicit in ignoring the good. We can’t quit now when we are winning.

If you haven’t heard about the soldiers in Iraq that donated money to victims of the San Diego fires, might not have considering our MSM, KT Cat WOG’d it. That’s going above and beyond the call of duty. Our troops rock.

Email from RightMarch.com said it a lot better than I could so I’m sharing the salient points.

Gen. Petraeus is an emblem of patriotism. He has willingly taken the mandate provided by the President of the United States and the U.S. Congress to serve his country in one of the most difficult missions in the world. Gen. Petraeus is admirably living up to an extremely complicated job of heading up a war effort in a dangerous region of the world. Legislators who voted unanimously to confirm Gen. Petraeus should live up to their duty to give this leader the resources and support that he needs to accomplish the mission entrusted to him.

Supporting Gen. Petraeus and U.S. troops includes condemning unwarranted attacks on the character of this good man — something no national Democrat leader has been willing to do. The vicious attack on him, his commitment to the American people and the integrity with which he leads the Multi-National Force in Iraq ought to go down in history as a disgrace, and must be roundly repudiated from all quarters. It will be seen not only as a reprehensible criticism of Gen. Petraeus but, by extension, those who serve under him, all members of the United States Armed Forces. It is legitimate to ask tough questions of Gen. Petraeus on his testimony — but NOT to question his patriotism — OR the patriotism of every single member of the U.S. military.

Congress needs to step in here and condemn the attack on Gen. Petraeus’ character. You can email your congresscritter if so inclined. I did. For those with money, you can fax all of them if you so choose.

Now that I’ve addressed this travesty I can contemplate that other email for a Conservative Leadership Conference. Sounds good. Mitt will be there. Doubt I could afford it or handle the drive. Pity.

I haven’t blogged much about Iraq. I’m waiting for General Petraeus to give his report in Setember when they’ve had time to let the surge actually work. Indications so far are positive. Benchmarks, that’s only something politicians care about. Although it would be nice to see the Iraqi government work. I think a stabilized country from a military standpoint would give them the needed impetus to work together.

I rarely watch the news anymore as it’s all so negative. They have no clue what pulling out too soon will do, no clue at all. Destabilize the whole Middle East, it would.

In the meantime, Sissy has a great post up which sums it up rather well complete with Tiny and Babe. Awesome photos as usual.

KT Cat has another WOG out, well two of them, actually. I’ve been a bit slow here posting. One a Contest WOG highlighting the good work (vastly underreported in the MSM) that the Army Corps of Engineers do. It’s always nice to see good things about our troops.

And the other a ROC WOG highlighting “Reach Out and Care, a group that donates wheelchairs to people in developing countries.” It involves the military too.

Our troops are awesome.

How dumb are they? The Senate has a new Iraq bill. From CNN, the details in brief.

Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is joining Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, in sponsoring a new Iraq bill that would end the majority of Iraq war funding after March 31, 2008, the day Senate Democrats originally proposed pulling troops out of the war-ravaged nation.

The bill would permit spending in only three areas: fighting al Qaeda, training Iraqis and protecting the U.S. Embassy and personnel.

Which lack of funding does the same thing as setting the date. And makes it impossible to actually fight the war. It’s even dummer than this one that passed.

Last week, the Senate passed a $123 billion Iraq spending measure that recommends a final withdrawal of all troops by March 31, 2008, and mandated that troops begin redeployment within four months of the bill’s passage.

Congressional negotiators are trying to reconcile that bill with a House version calling for an August withdrawal.

Why tell the enemy when you’re going to quit and tie the hands of the troops while you’re at it? Let the military fight the war. Let’s support the troops not signal defeat. I’m surprised they don’t just let the money stop now or maybe that’s their intention. Let the funds dry up while taking their time passing one inane bill after another.

And they’re not even doing that cause they’ve gone on vacation. Apparently, funding the Iraq war isn’t that important.

The Senate went along with the House to support setting a date for withdrawal from Iraq. Nothing like telling the enemy your tactics. These people want to lose. Some quotes from Yahoo.

“This war is not worth the spilling of another drop of American blood,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

“It would be the bugle of retreat. It would be echoed and repeated from every minaret throughout Iraq that coalition forces have decided to take the first step backwards,” said the former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Sen. John Warner

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd said the U.S. troop presence “is a catalyst for violence in Iraq and in the region.”

Nothing like supporting our troops… not! Wait til they hear this. Arrgh! Thankfully, there are people that actually support the troops and their mission. Some of us realize what it would mean to lose.

Well, lookie here. He apologized. Also from FoxNews, the apology.

WASHINGTON — Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, under intense fire from both parties for remarks made Monday in which the Democrat suggested U.S. troops are “stuck in Iraq” because of their education, issued an apology Wednesday afternoon for what he called “my poorly stated joke.”

“As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop,” Kerry said in a statement published on his Web site.

Kerry said he regrets that his words “were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.”

Mind you, he had no intention to apologize yesterday, that is before people in his own party were critical of his comment. A sample here for your reading pleasure.

“Sen. Kerry’s comment was careless, callous and hurtful to our men and women in uniform,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

“If that was John Kerry’s attempt at a joke, he needs to work on his punch line,” added Virginia Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb, former Navy secretary to President Reagan.

And from a couple of prominent Republicans, some good comments here regarding Kerry’s “joke” which probably wasn’t but after the furor erupted, he had to say something to justify his most eloquent case of foot in mouth.

President Bush, speaking to The Associated Press and other news wires before the apology, said Kerry’s comment “didn’t sound like a joke, and I don’t think it sounded like a joke to a lot of people who wear the uniform either.”

In excerpts for Vice President Dick Cheney, written before the apology, Cheney, who was addressing voters in Montana Wednesday night, said of Kerry: “He was for the joke before he was against it.”

Kerry still doesn’t get it. Never mind he attacked Bush in the apology. Betting Hillary is pleased. Less competition for the ‘08 Presidential bid.

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq,” so said John Kerry.

What is it with John Kerry and our military? It’s Vietnam all over again, he insulted our soldiers then too. So if you don’t study, you end up a soldier? Methinks he forgot this is an all volunteer, well educated military with very well educated leaders. I’m proud of our military and the job they are doing in Iraq. They deserve kudos not insults.

Of course, he could be referring to President Bush who, he should be reminded, went to the same school as John Kerry - Yale. Maybe he’s referring to anyone that doesn’t buy the liberal anti-war line. Or to the Bush administration, a favorite target of the Left. He did clarify himself today via FoxNews.

In a statement released earlier in the day, Kerry took shots at Snow and other Republicans, including calling Snow a “stuff suit White House mouthpiece.”

In “response to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, assorted right wing nut-jobs, and right wing talk show hosts,” Kerry accused his opponents of distorting his comments to divert attention from what he called a dismal record on Iraq.

“I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did,” Kerry said. “I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me.”

As do you Senator, as do you (disgust me). I served. I’m Republican although not despicable IMHO. And I’m offended. Even his good friend John McCain was offended.

Republican Sen. John McCain, who, like Kerry, is a decorated Vietnam veteran and potential rival to Kerry should both decide to run in 2008, said in a statement that Kerry “owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country’s call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education.”

As will be many Americans I think. Next Tuesday’s election will prove interesting. We’ll see if the anti-war Left will persuade the voters that they will do a better job of protecting America’s security. Maybe Kerry will convince them just how much. Dhimmitude here we come.

As I was laying on the hospital bed getting my Solu-Medrol infusion, I turned on the news and what did I behold, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was targeted and killed in proper style by our very fine Military, kudos. A few quotes from Yahoo are in order here.

The targeted airstrike Wednesday evening was the culmination of a two-week-long hunt for al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. Tips from senior militants led U.S. forces to follow al-Zarqawi’s spiritual adviser to the safe house, 30 miles outside Baghdad, for a meeting with the terror leader. The adviser, Sheik Abdul Rahman, was among those killed.

Targeted. Planned. *boom* Dead. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Why, you might ask. Cause he has masterminded or done himself intolerable evil.

As the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Al-Zarqawi oversaw a wave of kidnappings of foreigners and the killings of at least a dozen, including Arab diplomats and three Americans. He personally is believed to have beheaded two Americans - Nicholas Berg of West Chester, Pa., and Eugene Armstrong, formerly of Hillsdale, Mich. - prompting supporters to dub him “the slaughtering sheik.”

Al-Zarqawi also was a master Internet propagandist, spreading the call for Islamic extremists to join the “jihad,” or holy war, in Iraq. His group posted gruesome images of beheadings, speeches by al-Zarqawi and recruitment videos depicting the planning and execution of its most daring attacks.

His followers also frequently targeted Shiite civilians and mosques in an attempt to spark sectarian civil war, and in his statements, al-Zarqawi - a Sunni Arab - often vilified Shiites as infidels.

Unfortunately, as I understand it, Islam is a religion without a central leader like a living Prophet or Pope to guide the faithful. Each Imam is on his own to interpret their writings and laws. As such, each can inspire his flock to moderation or violent jihad. They have been known to preach hate in Arabic and peaceful coexistance in English and no one is the wiser.

I expect our joy may be short lived. He is now a “Martyr.” And that inspires more of them. They’ll go boom too eventually. We are that good.

Just days before his death, Al-Zarqawi issued an audiotape on the Internet, railing against Shiites in Iraq and saying militias were raping women and killing Sunnis. He urged the community to fight back.

He must have been studying the words of John Kerry to come up with that idea. Pay no attention to the Kerry person. Our U.S. Armed Forces rocks.

SCORE!

Regarding the tragic mudslide in the Philippines, yes finally commenting.

Who is on the ground with aid? The Philippine military forces.

And who is on the way with help and relief supplies? (more…)

This time the Joint Chiefs of Staff (that’s in the U.S.) to a cartoon in the Washington Post, this one.

The letter from the Joint Chiefs is as follows, thanks to Conspiracy Planet which I Googled for the story after hearing about it on FoxNews.

The letter, written on Tuesday, charges that the six military leaders “believe you and Mr. Toles have done a disservice to your readers and your paper’s reputation by using such a callous depiction of those who have volunteered to defend this nation, and as a result, have suffered traumatic and life-altering wounds. … As the Joint Chiefs, it is rare that we all put our hand to one letter, but we cannot let this reprehensible cartoon go unanswered.”

Toles defended himself thus.

Talking to Kurtz, Toles cited recent remarks by Rumsfeld about “battle-hardened” troops and “what came soon to mind was the catastrophic level of injuries the Army and members of the armed services have sustained . . . I thought my portrayal of it was a fair depiction of the reality of the situation. I certainly never intended it to be in any way a personal attack on, or a derogatory comment on, the service or sacrifice of American soldiers.”

I actually got the same impression, that Rumsfeld downplayed the sacrifices many of the troops had made and in so doing minimized their part in the war. He may have been referring to the soldiers still over there but that is not what this cartoon is about. I certainly hope the military and then the VA properly treat the severely injured soldiers as they deserve. As far as I know, the military is doing a wonderful job but there’s rumblings about cuts in VA funding. Another interesting quote.

Aravosis from AmericaBlog told E&P: “Now that the Joint Chiefs have addressed the insidious threat cartoons pose to our troops, perhaps they can move on to less pressing issues like getting them their damn body armor.”

Guess they can’t let the Muslims have all the fun. And hey, when I served, there wasn’t even body armor to fuss about. And in that heat, how much does a soldier want to pack on?

The pressing question is, “When is anyone going to be offended by Ted Rall?”

And where were the Joint Chiefs when people were demeaning their Commander in Chief in numerous cartoons, the Bush Hitler and Bush chimpy and the Bush…. ? You get the idea. That is demoralizing to the troops too. Or did noone ever think of that either?

And yes, I did make some edits. Hardly anyone really reads this blog anyway.

I was randomly reading my kitty blogs when I found this, the Soulless Bastard of the Year Award and the winner, one Michael Crook, garnered another award, the Unhinged Scumbag of the Year. Deservedly too for sending a deathwish to a wounded soldier.

Asshole and detestable are a couple other words to describe him. And the scum was on Hannity and Colmes. Why? He doesn’t deserve the airtime. Misha has a few choice words to say about him too.

To counter his filth and show you appreciate the troops, you can thank a soldier. I did.

Thought I’d take this little quiz since I am a veteran.

Which soldier type are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Now that’s my type, would have liked to have gone in there and shoved my bayonet up Saddam’s…

but since I’m female, I had to settle for something else. Hey, at one time I was a MP, did corrections but I wasn’t the Abu Ghraib type of MP. I don’t do torture.

…thou I could make an exception for Saddam.

I leave that up to the cats.

Hattip Deskmerk.

The Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge has raised $90247.00, $ 6560.00 from the Castle Argghhh! Fighting Fusileers for Freedom, that’s us. Great job, that’s a lot more than the previous challenge I was involved in ($51226.83), lot more bloggers, both individual and groups. I am proud to be a member of the team. They’re a great bunch. I hope we can do this again. For the complete list of teams and individuals involved, go here at Spirit of America. (more…)

For the final day of the blogger challenge, Intellectual Intercourse has an excellent post about the most interesting bombing run our troops made and some of the positive things our troops, assisted by Spirit of America, have done to help the Iraqi people. To quote just one person, Senator John McCain:

“Americans want to help our troops and the people of Iraq and Afghanistan who are working hard to rebuild their countries through freedom and democracy. Spirit of America offers excellent opportunities for personal involvement. The name says it all - Spirit of America - and it is providing ways to give support that makes a difference.”

Helping win the peace, here’s one story of success donating musical intruments as told by Kurdish journalist, Kareem Omar, a portion of which I quote.

We left Khurmal and shortly found ourselves amid a very thick fog on the way to Byara. We went straight to the building of the young center in the small town, located at the foot of the mountains. Just as in the fairy tales, the angels come through the fog and out from the blue to distribute their gifts.

In Byara, too, Captain Thomas spoke to the young locals about the gifts and specifically mentioned “the negative role the terrorist group of Ansar Al-Islam [also called Supporters of Islam] has played in banning music and all type of entertainment.”

The locals thanked the US soldiers and the Spirit of America for their presents and said, “Even a very tiny gift from the Americans for us is as big as the Byara Mountain in our hearts.”

They felt elated that they were not deprived from the overall changes occurring throughout the country and that they are not left in the cold.

I can’t even imagine being deprived of music which makes the giving of music even more thoughtful. Our troops know where the need is and Spirit of America is there to help them fill it. In this Christmas season, share the true Spirit of America. Click the image to donate.

John of Argghhh! is making an irresistable offer. The Armorer will also donate custom-made mugs with Arsenal graphics of choice to the first 10 individuals who provide a receipt, dated today, for a $100 or better donation to Spirit of America, credited to the Castle Argghhh! Fighting Fusileers for Freedom!

I am proud to be a member of the team. They’re a great bunch. They deserve recognition (hoping Blogrolling doesn’t go down). (more…)

More amusement from the Fighting Fusileers. Drink alert applies. We aim to entertain. Wonder what he’s been smoking. We aren’t all fun and games thou, whole idea is to help the people of Iraq like this project Support Iraq’s next generation leaders by re-equipping higher education.

Iraq’s Universities are in desperate need. During the third stage of looting after the fall of the regime, they were stripped of texts, lab equipment, language materials, audio visual equipment, and just about every other educational tool.

Donations to this project will be used for purchasing texts and equipment, as well as staffing the project with people that will help to gather, warehouse, and distribute materials for what will be a very large undertaking to ensure the success of this project and of Iraq’s future educated classes.

Iraqis deserve to have a full and complete higher education, like learning how to use Photoshop, yes, like that. Good Photoshop skills come in handy in certain fields and blogger challenges. Click the bottle to donate. Do it for the kitties, nevermind Hugh.

The list of the team members is sortof long (also in case Blogrolling is down, so this post doesn’t torpedo the site) sooo… (more…)

Today’s message from the Fusileers is at The Last Amazon. What she has to say is compelling, a must read. Go. Read. Now. And don’t forget to donate now (to our team of course).

The list of the team members is a bit long sooo… (more…)

A long time ago in a galaxy far away the Fighting Fusileers infiltrated the ranks of the enemy, those cheese eating surrender monkeys, only to discover they are ahead of us in the Spirit of America Blogger Challenge, so donate now (to our team of course). Why donate? Here’s why and, yes, you do have to check out the links.

The list of the team members is a bit long sooo… (more…)

Baldilocks has todays plea for Spirit of America. She, like I, served in the military. However, her specialty was different. To quote:

My specialty? Loading nuclear and chemical munitions onto fighter-bomber aircraft.

Her story is fascinating. Go read now. While we’re at it, check out 411th Civil Affairs - Re-equip Universities in Baquba, Iraq.

Help Army assist 2 universities damaged by terrorist fighting

Your donation will enable Yarmouk University and Baquba Technical Institute to continue preparing young Iraqi men and women to contribute to the transformation of Iraq.

And don’t forget click the image, another fave, to donate.

The list of the team members is a bit long sooo… (more…)

Todays words of wisdom come from Patriette. To quote her:

Do it for our troops. Do it for the kids. Do it to help the Fusileers defeat the Northern Alliance. Just do it

Do it for the kitties too, mustn’t forget the kitties. Did you know you could cheer someone up with a picture, well you can as the troops are trying to do with Operation Snapshot.

LtCol Jeff Vold of the 1st Marine Division writes, “Many teams report that they have been able to open many doors and break down many barriers with something as simple as a Polaroid picture.”

I polled the Marines who are on the ground every day and came up with a list of things that they say brightens up children more than others, and in the end, puts the parents in a more positive frame of mind. Here it is:
* Children’s Sunglasses
* Notebooks and colored pens and pencils.
* Inexpensive child’s watches with a message of friendship on the face or band.
* Frisbees - with or without a message.
* Soccer balls - still a hit, especially when an air pump is provided with it.

Strangely enough, another item that helps develop bonds is Polaroid Cameras. The children love to have their picture taken and to receive a copy on the spot. Many teams report that they have been able to open many doors and break down many barriers with something as simple as a Polaroid picture.

A Polaroid of a kitty perhaps? How about a kitty. Click the kitty pic to donate.

The list of the team members is a bit long sooo… (more…)

This is a must read to get you in the Christmas Blogathon spirit. Drink alert applies. And what could be more in keeping with the spirit of Christmas than giving, giving Gifts for Iraqi Children. The scoop.

A key element of the Marines plan in Iraq is to build trust and improve relations by demonstrating there is “no better friend” than a U.S. Marine. They put an emphasis on assisting children - both because they represent the future of Iraq and because that demonstrates to parents that the Marines are there as friends to help rebuild the country. The items they request will be distributed to children to establish better relationships.

Click the image, one of my faves, to donate.

The list of the team members is a bit long sooo… (more…)

The Cool Blue Blog has the scoop on where our donations to the Spirit of America Blogger Challenge go. And Intellectual Intercourse treats us with a whole slew of images for us bloggers. I chose one in keeping with the season. And what could be better in this season of giving than giving something of worth that will enlighten, educate and amuse little minds, thats right Library Books for Iraqi Children. Check it out.

We are providing children’s books identified by Iraq’s Ministry of Education. The books will be used to create children’s libraries in community centers, hospitals and schools.

Iraq’s Ministry of Education has identified 200 children’s books as the foundation for the ideal children’s library. The recommended book list includes favorites like Goodnight Moon, Very Hungry Catepillar, Curious George, Charlotte’s Web, Diary of Anne Frank, The Cat in the Hat and The Hobbit. Most books are in English as English is taught at a very young age in Iraq and must be taught in 5th grade and beyond.

Nice selection, books I read as a child. Iraqi children deserve to have good reading material. And speaking of reading material, read Sgt Hook’s personal experiences delivering the goods and sharing the true Spirit of America. Click the image to donate.

The list of the team members is getting long sooo… (more…)

Kitties, hippies, oh my! More awful secrets revealed where will it end? Only the bloggers know. The project I’m highlighting today is the Arabic Blogging Tool - Viral Freedom whose goals are:

We are funding the development of an Arabic blogging (Web logging) tool and, with donor support, we will host the blogs at no cost to the bloggers. This will allow blogs to be created easily. It will give voice to those working for freedom and democracy in the Arab world. And it will enable them to more easily connect with and share ideas with their peers.

What could be more democratic than blogging? Or more fun? And if you want the straight scoop why it is important to donate to the cause, look no further than to the Straight White Guy. And don’t forget, do it for the kitties. Click the bottle (chosen in honor of SWG) to donate.

The list of the team members is getting long sooo… (more…)

“Every time you donate to Northern Alliance, James Lileks eats a kitten, a well blended kitten. Fighting Fusileers LOVE KITTENS! DONATE HERE!”

Geoffrey has more evidence of their perfidy, yes it involves food. Even more pefidy can be found by checking in with our fearless leader. They will do anything to win.

And since we’re on the topic of food, a project sure to warm with stomachs of Iraqis. project Irrigation for Iraqi Farmers. Quoting a bit here:

Help Iraqi farmers water their crops so that they can feed their families and their communities

Sergeant First Class Brian Soper recently helped us provide 250 water barrels to Iraqis living outside of Baghdad. Now, he wants to help Iraqi farmers irrigate their crops.

A drip irrigation system and a water pump that will help sustain a farm’s crops through the dry seasons. For $200, we can provide a full pump and drip irrigation system to save a farm’s crops in Iraq’s dryest areas.

Note kitties are not grown so all monies spent will be to produce no cat crops.

Graphic lovingly created by Cowboy Blob. The list of the team members is getting long sooo… (more…)

She Who Will Be Obeyed demands obedience now or a kitten gets it. It’s rumored Lileks has a Cuisinart. Donate thru the Fighting Fusileers not that Northern Alliance. The kitten is safe with us.

Graphic lovingly created by the Donovans. Could you bear to harm a kitten er cat like this, so she’s staring outside, plotting her escape? She is still small enough to fit in Lileks’ Cuisinart of doom.

Mind you she would probably have bitten him to death and clawed his eyes out if he so much as laid a hand on her. She’s not called Psycho Cat for nothing. Project I am highlighting won’t bring them back to life but might just be able to stuff and sew the skins to get a reasonable facimile of a dead cat providing Lileks doesn’t throw them in the Cuisinart dressed. It’s, of course, the Sewing Machines For Women in Ramadi, their goals:

The 1st Marine Division asked if we could help women in Ramadi by providing sewing machines for centers being established by the Province’s director of economic development. We have just delivered the first 50 machines and they were used in a ribbon-cutting opening ceremony of the women’s sewing center. Now we’re working on 50 more machines for the next phase of the project.

The bulk of these machines will be going to Sewing Centers being set up by the Director of Economic development. These centers will employ women to do piece-work in order to provide poor Iraqis affordable clothing. We will provide the machines and some seed money with the intent that these centers be self sufficient in about 3 months. Thereby giving women a chance to make a living, as well as make clothes for themselves and their families.

A worthy goal I do say so, one championed by Sissy who has blogged about this very project and then some far more eloquently than I have.

The list of the team members is getting longer sooo… (more…)