Friday, December 15, 2006

Friday musings.

As a result of the majority of U.S. troops in Iraq being killed by improvised explosive devices when juxtaposed with the fuel tanks of their vehicles, there comes good news. The army will be receiving 160,000 combat uniforms made with a flame retardant fabric, NOMEX, manufactured by Dupont.

I swear, if I had known four years ago this war was going to last longer than two or three weeks, a month at most, I would have found some vehicle for investing in the military industrial complex. But oh no, I didn't learn a god-damn thing when Country Joe told me 35 years ago, "there's plenty good money to be made, supplying the Army with the tools of the trade."

(I was going to expound on surviving a fire bombing in war, but it's just too gruesome to talk about here and, as we all know, in America we'd really rather not see, hear or have to think about such things as what a war can do to a body. It's just too gory, sorry.)
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But it still may not be too late to profit from Iraq as evidenced by the testimony yesterday of the army's chief of staff. Warning that the army will "break" if its numbers are not increased by more than the 30,000 it's been authorized to grow by, general Peter Schoomaker wants to form two new brigades next year that could be sent to Iraq in 2008! (Yeh, yeh, I know, fuck all you people who voted for an end to the insanity. That's for sissies who live in real foo-foo democracies where their governments care what the people think.)

But at a cost of $1.2 billion dollars for every 10,000 men and women the army adds (I'm not sure if that's a one-time cost, an annual figure, or per-week expense), and Iraq deployments now being prepared for into the next decade or two, maybe there's still time to get in on the action and make some good money. After all, as we were reminded here a couple days ago, if you plan to retire in America, you'll need around a cool $1 million to do it. Better start growing the green now if you want to avoid retiring under a Florida freeway down the road.
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Finally, like most folks, I'm sure, I'm following with much interest the unfolding story of South Dakota senator Tim Johnson, aka The 51st Democrat, now in a hospital post-op condition, future unknown. It would have been far more intriguing had he suffered from polonium-210 radiation poisoning, ala Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko, rather than intracerebral bleeding, but it does leave one to ponder if god isn't playing games with us by tipping the political balance into stalemate should Johnson fail to return, leaving 'Big Dick' Cheney with the power to decide all things senatorial.

Oh well, not to fret. I suspect I was placing way, way too much faith in a democratic congress to really change things as relates to the U.S. international modus operandi anyway.

And maybe instead of just toying with us, this senator Johnson story is simply god hinting to us he is really diabolical? Or maybe god's just a republican? Oh wait, I'm being redundant aren't I?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would not be so worried, in fact I might be ecstatic, if in fact God were a republican. It's God being a Republican that scares me macacaless! Dada, I checked out your blog on "Sammy." You referred to a Disneyesque subliminal thing. Well, how about this one: Sammy was originally named "Luxor." But you changed his name to Sammy, unconsciously inspired by "Sam the Sham and the Ph.....
Could this be magic?
Eljoven

enigma4ever said...

I don't think God is a repuke...matter of fact I am sure of it....

Now on to other things....New Gallery Posts up tonight- a real treat for you the Missus and Sammy ( cause we know that the Enigma Cafe loves all critters...) I am going to sit and read a bit here....

[[[[ ]]]]- that is a few pats for the Sammy.

Dada said...

eljoven: Luxor --> Sammy --> Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs! That's so Cosmic.

Oh well, so much for *Free Will*

Dada said...

e4e: Thanks for the Sammy pats. Oh, and I might just share with you and eljoven here, being as how Sammy's our fifth dog, his full name is now Sammy Cincos. Has a nice resonance to it.

Looking forward to seeing the Hopper "exhibit" over at the cafe.

Anonymous said...

OK, quick, no peeking ... which was Sam The Sham's famous song ... "Doo Wah Diddy" or "Wooly Bully" ???

Damn, you guys are too smart for me!

OK, try this ... translate those song titles into english for me, I've always wanted to know. ~~ D.K.

Anonymous said...

hey dada, maybe while you're translating, you can tell me what a "foo foo democracy" is. I like the sound, it rolls off the tongue. I once had a vet tell me she was getting out the "foo foo spray" for a dog that had obviously been rolling in cowdung. ~~ D.K.

Dada said...

Oh Deke...you're mistaking age for wisdom. We're just older, that's all.

Dada said...

Deke: No need to explain foo foo democracy. YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD! It's a high-minded sanctimonious self-professed form of democracy we try to spread globally with one problem: we're so seeped in our own stench we can't smell it and the rest of the world thinks it stinks.

enigma4ever said...

hmmmm "think it stinks"...no...they KNOW it stinks...

FooFoo Democracy...like that...

( Now DK - see that dog that you were going to call Coyoto Crap...FooFoo would work? )

Sammy Cincos....wow that does have nice ring...I picture him with a new red bandana munching on nachos...

Spadoman said...

Dada... I don't tell war stories. I'm afraid to. Some folks think you're bragging and others think you're a war monger. But I feel compelled to mention that I have seen the aftermath of a fiery death firsthand.

SP4 Frazier Dixon
Co. B 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry regiment

Rest In Peace.

Killed in combat, Republic of Vietnam, December 6, 1969.
I was there and held his burnt body in my arms.

It is real. I relive it every day. Support our troops and do all you can to help put an end to all war.

Thanks for the space.

Dada said...

Spadoman: Thanks for sharing a hint of what, understandably, is one of those searing memories that imprint for life because of its extreme intensity (as evidenced by the indelible details you chose to share). Thanks!

And I know exactly of what you speak in your first paragraph, despite my 3 army years during the mid-Sixties being spent stateside. My silence isn't born out of my military experiences during war, but rather out of my military inexperiences during war.

Yet as a veteran, I believe I share with you the opinion of the terrible misappropriation of our military that is occurring at the hand of a leader who lacks your martial background or humility.

Dada said...

e4e: Last eve, Sammy Cincos was given the wonderful opportunity to receive some socialization skills when , at the invitation of friends (whom we met when rescuing greyhounds some years ago & who are great animal lovers) he ventured to their home. They have five dogs.

I think Sammy was a bit overwhelmed, but after knocking a couple of balls from the Xmas tree with exuberantly wagging tail, he had a middle period of pretty good interaction, followed towards the end of the evening by showing his puppyhood when he became "vocal" and a bit demanding.

But, I only mention this because he did munch nachos while there. And while lacking a red bandana, it's worth note his collar is red. So I give you a 100% accuracy rating on that one!

(Oh, and he slept really, really well last night.)

meldonna said...

I got a feeling Sammy's exuberant tail is going to redecorate that tree more than once between now and Christmas, but that's okay. To quote Schultz, happiness is a warm puppy.

Glad to hear you guys finally settled on a name ~~ and Sammy Cincos is a damn fine one.

enigma4ever said...

Sounds like Sammy had a good time at the party...nachos and other doggies...and there is nothing like a bit of tree re-decoration....

( Xena the Cat here is convinced that she has Martha Stewart talents....just she likes lurching...then lunging and then hanging in the tree...and it sways and sways and then she scrambles and the right ornaments fall off and then she jumps out...shakes and stretches with satisfaction and then she goes to sleep at the bottem curled up in the blanket.....what would Christmas be without the Critters ?)