Yearly Archives: 2004


Bringing Freedom to Iraq

Just how soon might we expect the bushies to bring home their latest version of freedom?

US commanders and Iraqi leaders have declared their intention to make Fallujah a “model city,” where they can maintain the security that has eluded them elsewhere.
Which apparently requires stuff like this:
Under the plans, troops would funnel Fallujans to so-called citizen processing centers on the outskirts of the city to compile a database of their identities through DNA testing and retina scans. Residents would receive badges displaying their home addresses that they must wear at all times. Buses would ferry them into the city, where cars, the deadliest tool of suicide bombers, would be banned.
……
One idea that has stirred debate among Marine officers would require all men to work, for pay, in military-style battalions. Depending on their skills, they would be assigned jobs in construction, waterworks, or rubble-clearing platoons.
And, it is convenient to try to place the blame somewhere else:
To accomplish those goals, they think they will have to use coercive measures allowed under martial law imposed last month by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
“It’s the Iraqi interim government that’s coming up with all these ideas,” Major General Richard Natonski, who commanded the Fallujah assault and oversees its reconstruction, said of the plans for identity badges and work brigades.
If these are really Allawi’s ideas then why is the US supporting someone so obviously opposed to basic principles of freedom? It seems to me that representatives of the land of the free should just say no to this kind of crap.
Via Scott.


November’s Top Referrers

On the right side bar is the updated roll of Modulator’s 20 top referrers for the month of November. Number 20 produced 21 referrals compared to 16 for number 20 in October.
November churn: 7 blogs dropped and 7 new ones added compared to 9 and 8 in September.
Overall traffic was up about 34.5% from October and up 423% from November 03 (no I do not expect the year to year growth to continue at that rate). I am also seeing an increasing number of visits from folks who have bookmarked Modulator and I thank all of you for visiting!
Top Referrer: Talkleft! Thanks, Jeralyn.
Top search phrase/word: live strong bracelets
Most popular post: Live Strong
Statistics are culled from AWStats running on Modulator’s server at Hosting Matters.
Again, thank you one and all!
Also, I’d like to acknowledge referrals from some of the blogosphere’s ‘service’ sites: Technorati, weblogs.com, blogrolling.com, MovableType, Blogdex, Bloglines, blogoshpere.us, Sitemeter, NZ Bear’s Ecosystem, Bloogz and Daypop.
All of the blog rolls are ordered by most recently updated so be sure to ping weblogs.com or blogrolling.com to push to the top of the rolls. These are certainly the sites I tend to look at first and visitors will see you at the top of the roll as well.
For a brief discussion of Modulator’s blog rolls look here.


Sex Education Homework

Henry Waxman had the gall to criticize aspects of many of the abstinence only education programs funded in whole or in part by the federal government. Amongst other concerns, his report noted cases of “false, misleading, or distorted information” in the course material of many of the programs. Talk radio hosts1 and others on the right reacted heir usual ad hominum to hell with the facts response.
Abstinence is a fine choice to make and one that should be made with all the facts of life in hand. However, if one is going to choose to be sexually active, also a fine choice, then this choice should also be made with all the facts in hand.
So, in the spirit of christmas, and especially if you or your children have attended one of the abstinence mis-education classes head over here and here to learn a little bit about why if you are not going to abstain you should at least use a condom.
Warning: Not work friendly.
1Medved began his discussion of the topic by trying to discredit Waxman because Waxman is a liberal from the California coast.


Friday Ark

Cats, Dogs, Spiders and ? every Friday.
I’ll post links to sites that have Friday (or shortly thereafter) photos of their chosen animals as I see them (no photoshops and no humans).
Leave a comment or trackback to this post and I’ll add yours to the list. If there is interest I’ll keep this as a weekly feature.
Do remember The Carnival of the Cats every Sunday and hosted this week at The Peoples Republic of Seabrook.
Privious editions: 11/26/04, 11/19/04, 11/12/04, 11/5/05, 10/29/04, 10/22/04, 10/15/2004, 10/8/2004, 10/1/2004 and 9/24/2004.
Cats

DogsBirdsOther Vertebrates

Invertebrates

Didn’t Make It