Cryptoquote Spoiler

“Of all the tasks of government, the most basic is to protect its citizens against violence.”   —   John Dulles

. . . thus the pretext for the USA PATRIOT Act.    —    Your Uncle Rave

Jumble Spoiler

YOBOT = BOOTY, VENAH = HAVEN, LOUTAW = OUTLAW, GEXONY = OXYGEN   —   Giving us:  OOHNTAWGEN

Visual Description:  Man speaking up at an AA meeting.

Clue/Question:  Where he went when he stopped drinking.

Answer:  ON THE WAGON

What Extended/Multiple Tours Can Do To “Our Boys”

The following video (see link below) is extremely disturbing, no matter how you look at it.  I’m sure we all hope and pray that these bad apples are the exception, and not the rule.  Even if they are the rare exception, I think it illustrates the short-sightedness of our foray into, and continued occupation of, Iraq.  The actions alone are deplorable, but when you couple them together with the (near psychotic) laughter . . . it suggests that these kids – our kids – have just gone over the edge.

We all know that bad actions get far more attention than the good in this world.  (Maybe NOT in our media when it comes to this war, but that’s another issue.)  Even if/when our troops do good by hundreds (even thousands) of Iraqis, it’s these other kinds of incidents that will register in their memories.  One of our stated goals is to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.  This does not strike me as a good way to go about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq5_vG3cYGM 

Where is the leadership?!?!

Your Uncle Rave