....i hope this year everything will be better than the last hard one... specially the security of iraqi people ,and economy is going to be better to give us a good chance to rehabilitate our country and our life,,the way we believe in...--An Iraqi woman's thoughts on her own internet BLOG.

All around the world folks gathered yesterday to protest the war in Iraq. Don't get me wrong, that's just fine and dandy with me if they want to make their voices heard, but I think organized protests amount to about as much as buying fifty bucks worth of Powerball tickets. Sure, over time the protests can sway public opinion, but that doesn't necessarily prove that anyone protesting whatever it may be have a clue as to what they're spouting off about.

Take a peak at the picture on the front page of today's Voice. There's a chickie holding a sign that reads "Give peace a chance." She was a part of yesterdays anti-war gathering held right here in Wilkes-Barre. Give peace a chance. What the hell does that mean? If we pull out of Iraq tomorrow, does that then equate peace? Does the absence of war somehow translate into peace on Earth? That's a foolhardy, if not outright ignorant notion. If we yank the boys from Iraq and convict Dubya for creating cancer, AIDS, and herpes, as I'm sure he'll be accused of, will peace suddenly break out all over the globe?

I chuckled at the comment from one of the marchers as reported by the Leader this morning. "It's become a bad word to say 'peace,' and that's a shame. Rutro! Did she say 'peace' in public? John Ashcroft is on his way to Wilkes-Barre right now and his squadron of black helicopters will assault her home as we sleep. Peace has become a dirty word? Let's not get hysterical. It's one thing to be ill-informed and mis-guided, but let's not douse ourselves with gasoline and bring on the Zippo anytime soon.

This approach to achieveing world peace is Clintonesque in it's sheer stupidity. If we say nice things to them, they'll say nice things in return. If we disband our military and simply share our wealth with the entire world, no one will ever kill anyone again. The need for some Cat Stevens and a pin joint is overtaking me at this moment. All we are saying...is give capitulation a chance. Oh sure, the Twin Towers are no more, but we need to understand why they hate us. Once we understand their motivation, we will reach out to them and they will love us for it. We can all hold hands, think nothing but pure thoughts and utopia will have been achieved. Give peace a chance.

Peace. Yeah, that's what Saddam wanted all along when he wasn't totally distracted by the wars we started. He invaded Iran and millions died as a result. Many died after chemical weapons were used by Saddam's minions. How many Kurds did he gas to death? He invaded Kuwait and hundreds of thousands died as a result. And he had designs on Saudi Arabia as well. What finally put an end to Saddam's wars? War itself.

Osama and his splinter groups sure as hell want peace, don't they? Check this blurb from a story I read this morning:

Associated Press

SYDNEY, Australia — Osama bin Laden's terror network claims to have bought ready-made nuclear weapons on a Central Asian black market, the biographer of al Qaeda's No. 2 leader was quoted telling an Australian television station.

Whether that's true or not remains to be seen. But if true, what do we suppose they have in mind? To blast through a few Afghan mountains so that a new freeway can be built? Why "give peace a chance," when religious zealots feel that God himself condones mass death on their part? We shouldn't take the war to the very same people that declared it on us in the first place? We should be touchy-feely, self-satisfied pacifists until the local mall one day fills with Sarin gas?

We need to explore every option to war, but in case anyone missed it, the opening salvos of the war were already fired. And they were fired in American cities.

Give peace a chance? That's perfectly fine with me. Right after our declared enemies have been tagged and bagged. They know the deal. Those who live by the sword die by the sword. That is, if the American electorate has the stomach to defend itself.

And one other thing. If you wanna protest at the White House, knock yourself out. Urinate on the lawn. Throw someone's elses war medals on the Capitol steps. Sing, dance, strum, toke up, and give Hanoi Jane a big sloppy kiss. Display your superior intellect for all to see. But shouldn't we draw the line at holding protests at an elected official's own home. Some creeps actually gathered at Dubya's Crawford, Texas ranch yesterday. Isn't that going too far? Isn't it? I guess when you're driven by hate nothing is off limits. Those peace-loving peaceniks. What will they do next?

Why is it that the cops aren't allowed to bust heads anymore?

I was up early and I spent a large part of my morning reading numerous BLOGs that are administered by Iraqi's that still reside in Iraq. There were a couple that were anti-American. There were a few that derided the new Iraqi constitution. Most of them suggested that the average Iraqis, while struggling with the current goings on, have hope for a better future in that long-suffering country. Why? Beacuse we removed Saddam from power and now work to hand authority over their country to them. What we offer them is freedom and they are eager to embrace it. So much for "Give peace a chance."

All of a sudden there was a commotion. Two bearded guys were being dragged amidst the crowd by the police. It seemed that they were suspects. The mob got enraged and someone shouted "Don't let the British take them away! Kill the Wahhabi bastards now!".

We are in the beginning of a new era, trying to build a new society for Iraqis… discussing such topics is like running in a mine field. If such topics are to be discussed, they should be discussed in a proper way, carefully and rationally.

Careful and rational. Nah, that wouldn't describe our anti-war protestors.

Some guy called Sue Henry the other day and he was providing her with the details of the protest he was going to be a part of in Washington D.C.. He regurgitated the laughable laundry list of reasons why Dubya should be hanged by the neck until he sees the light. You've heard it all before over and over on the "unbiased" nightly televison news broadcasts. And then he made reference to the fact (?) that we, the United States, armed Iraq's military during the eighties. (?) Say it ain't so, Sue. Say it ain't so. Could he be correct? Another knowledgable protestor with his finger directly on the pulse of the world? Nope. Just another know-it-all that doesn't know what the f**k he's talking about.

Iraq's main battle tanks before we destroyed them all? Soviet built T-55/62's and T-72s. Next contestant, please. Surface to surface missiles? Soviet built FROGs and Chinese knock-offs, SCUDS. Attack helicopters? Soviet built Mi-25s. Attack aircraft? Soviet built MIG-23s, MIG-21s, MIG 29s, Su-20s' Su-25s, and French built Mirages. Shall we do the bombers? How about the naval vessels? Are AK-47s produced by the dreaded (at least in this country) Military/Industrial Complex of the United States?

Whatever. Accuracy means nothing these days when you're working against your own government. If ya' think up some good charge, by all means, throw it out there. The American electorate will believe it. Did you hear that Dubya was AWOL a long time ago. I'm telling ya! That's no sh*t, man. And guess what else? We, that's we, supplied the Iraqi military with copious amounts of Soviet-built weaponry. Who knew? Hey man, it takes a village to get to the truth sometimes. See ya' at the protest comrade. Don't forget to bring the hashish and the apple wine. All we are saying...

"I don't fall down," the "son of a b*tch knocked me over."--John "F-bomb" Kerry, after a secret service agent tripped him while doing a bit of skiing.

That would be the very same "son of a b*tch" that would take a bullet to save Kerry's life. I know the "I hate Bushies" are exhibiting all of the classic signs of rabies right now, but I find it hard to believe that anyone could find this complete spud to be an attractive candidate. We've got quite a few months to go before we vote, but I gotta believe that this guy will implode long before then.

Remember the VVAW loonies voting on whether to assassinate a few elected leaders back in 1971? Kerry claims he was not present for that vote, but many of those that were there claim he's not telling the truth. From what I read this morning, by simply considering those assassinations, those present were guilty of conspiracy. Should we be looking into this when we're not all busy hating Bush? You bet your ass we should.

Wilkes University is going to build a softball complex at Kirby Park? That's news to me. And it's extremely good news. According to the article in the Sunday Voice, the public can access it when the collegiate types don't need it. And the city receives a one-time $70,000 windfall to boot. What's not to like?

Well, I do have a question. Will the City of Wilkes-Barre continue on with it's draconian practice of trying to separate beer and playing softball? I mean, if we're not playing for a barrel, I'm not playing. We should seriously reconsider this vindictive little practice (VLP). All over the U.S., the beer-bellied softball heroes among us swill a few and then go to hacking while the middle-aged babes cheer them on to victory. Can we have some fun here again, or are we sticking to our kill-joy policies while we continue to practically beg people to live here, frolic here, and spend here?

I experienced another great instant messaging exchange yesterday. Talk about launching hostile projectiles at will. Jeez! What is that I do that makes some Wilkes-Barre residents wish me dead, if not boiled alive? Granted, I'm an eccrentric jerk. And I usually do things to get a rise out of some people on occasion. But ever since the very first day I posted anything on the internet, my consistent and over-riding message has been that the City of Wilkes-Barre should be doing much, much better than it was. And I may get shot at for saying so, but I was 100%, undeniably correct. And now, arguably according to some, the city seems poised to achieve much more than it has during it's entire history.

Check this instant message bolt of lighting that I'm assuming should have had me slicing my wrists yesterday:

there all laughing at you.. they put up with you. they know you are an asshole. leighton and the rest of them used you and you dont even know it.why dont you go away and do everone a favor.

I'll tell ya', it's messages from folks like that that make me worry less and less about my puncuation skills, or lack thereof. Thank you for that.

Leighton used me? He used me? You hopeless dolt. Maybe you should consider sitting in your idling car while parked in your garage for the foreseeable future.

Let's cover this again. God! The first time I met him, he didn't know who the hell I was. We rendezvoued early one morning because a home he was selling had termites munching away on it. When he popped out of his vehicle, I immediately recognized him and started badgering him about seeking to replace McGroarty. Having done my homework and gotten somewhat up to speed on city politics, I knew we needed a strong candidate to send the last mayor off to the political graveyard, and in my estimation, he was that candidate. As I have relayed here before, he was caught off guard by my 8 am political recruitment pitch. He said "I have a family," and "I have a business to run." I acknowledged that I knew all of the above and I quickly went back on the offensive with, "So? You gonna run?"

Who knows what went through his head as he drove away that morning? What the muck was that? What a crazy mucker? I don't know. And I don't know if anything I said that day played into his decision to eventually run for mayor. I have to believe that it did to some degree. When the nobodies approach you and beg you to save this faltering city from itself, I really doubt that's something you'd forget.

They used me? Are we referring to city council in addition to Leighton? Listen here, Champ. They didn't use me. They don't talk to me and they don't even know me. I endorsed them. I would rather have some experienced people chasing the gavel while the city's immediate future is so uncertain.

And as far as I'm concerned, Leighton didn't use me-I used him. That's right. I used him. I saw him as our best chance to reverse Wilkes-Barre's sagging fortunes and I did everything within my limited power to give him the opportunity to right this listing ship. And he is currently laying the foundation of what will be a much improved Wilkes-Barre.

If you are able to see past the potholes and see past your recycling container on your curb, you should be able to see that Wilkes-Barre's prospects are getting brighter with each passing day. Cooperation has become the order of the day and many folks, once shunned, are getting directly involved.

Leighton understands that saving Wilkes-Barre cannot ever be a one man show. What he has ushered in is a sense of cooperation, a sense of community-mindedness, and a new-found optimistic belief that all of our obstacles that seemed so insurmoutable only a few short months ago can eventually be overcome. And they can be overcome, if we remain patient, get involved to some degree, and stop thinking of Wilkes-Barre as a failed place.

It may seem hard to fathom for most, but we're on our way back from the edge of the abyss.

He used me?

I beg to differ.

Chew on that.

CYA

P.S. Where's my funking push broom?