Just like most of us knew already, things are going well in Iraq. Things are definitely going a lot better now than they once did under Saddam’s rule. As true to form as the liberals are, as opposed to actually allowing the truth be told they find a way to manipulate it (in most cases, just lie) to fit their agenda.

This article is no different:

Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high. ABC News

This would seem like good news. It would also seem reasonable that although there is a war going on their homeland, the changes that are to come have to be better than the ways things once were. You would also think that liberals, the human rights activists they are, would be happy about this.

But of course, there is always the hidden truth below all of this.

But views of the country’s situation overall are far less positive, and there are vast differences in views among Iraqi groups — a study in contrasts between increasingly disaffected Sunni areas and vastly more positive Shiite and Kurdish provinces.

Oh no! You mean to tell me that within a nation, there are different cultures who feel differently about certain things? That sounds a lot like, America, the evil nation that we are!

Despite the daily violence there, most living conditions are rated positively, seven in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve in the year ahead.

You know why most people feel that their own lives are going well? Because they are not in fear of being tortured, raped, maimed, killed, or whatever other atrocity you can imagine!

What surprises me is that ABC didn’t find a way to say something like, “over 25% of Iraqis feel their lives are not going well.” Now, that would really show that Bush’s war isn’t going well.

I was starting to think this article was showing the Iraq war in a positive light, but then:

Nonetheless, nationally, security is seen as the most pressing problem by far; 57 percent identify it as the country’s top priority. Economic improvements are helping the public mood.

Security is a big problem here in the United States, and we don’t even have a war happening on our soil! What is your point? Are people not supposed to be concerned with their national security?

Okay, here is finally some proof that the war in Iraq is not going well:

Specifically, 26 percent of Iraqis say U.S. and other coalition forces should “leave now” and another 19 percent say they should go after the government chosen in this week’s election takes office; that adds to 45 percent. Roughly the other half says coalition forces should remain until security is restored (31 percent), until Iraqi security forces can operate independently (16 percent), or longer (5 percent).

No, it does not add up to forty-five percent. What ‘it’ does is show that out of those surveyed, twenty-six percent said U.S. and other coalition forces should leave now. Out of those surveyed, only nineteen percent said they should go after the government choses in this week’s election takes office. What the liberal media forgot to mention, or chose not to mention rather, is this still left fifty-five percent of those surveyed who did not feel the same sentiments as those who want the U.S. to leave either now or after the elections. What were those results?

The transparency of anything the liberal media chooses to print these days is beyond obvious; it is expected!

Maybe things in Iraq are not going perfectly, but that sort of happens in war. Mr. Murphy, of Murphy’s law, is bound to show up unexpectedly from time to time.

Instead of our so-called ‘patriotic’ liberals criticizing our U.S. forces each time Mr. Murphy comes around, perhaps they could support their efforts. I mean, it’s only our security and the security of the world at stake. Moreover, protecting Iraqi’s human rights should be considered a good thing.

Of course, this would mean Democrats would have to actually agree with President Bush on something. If they did that, what platform would they have?

1. Langer, Gary, Cohen, Jon. Poll: Broad Optimism in Iraq, But Also Deep Divisions Among Groups. ABC News [ONLINE]. 12 December 2005. http://abcnews.go.com/International/PollVault/story?id=1389228

A few months ago I became single again after a long-term relationship, and decided to try out the phenomenon taking the world by storm that is online dating.

Online dating has grown hugely in popularity over the last few years. Type “online
dating site” into Google today and you will get over 20 million hits!

There are thousands of sites around the world, ranging from specific ‘niche’ sites
which are heavily targeted to a certain demographic (e.g. graduate professionals,
people who work in film, or people who work in uniformed professions), through to
more general sites such as DatingDirect, which has versions around the world, and
over 2 million members in the UK alone.

When I tried it out, the results stunned me! I got over 200 messages in less than 3
weeks. But when I started reading the responses I was in for an even bigger
surprise.

What I realized was that the huge majority of men writing to me just hadn’t thought
through what they were writing. I was by turns shocked, amused and disgusted by
what I was reading. Of course, some of the messages were lovely! But there were an
awful lot that I immediately deleted.

After a while I became intrigued by the particular “errors” that these guys were
making. There seemed to be a lot of repetition. In this article I would like to touch
upon one of my particular favourites, and its around the use of photographs.

The importance of using a photo cannot be overestimated. It’s essential!!

What kind of message do you think not having a picture says? “I’m shy?” How about
- “What have you got to hide?” How can you compete for attention when your profile
is missing its vital ingredient?

So - first things first, you definitely need a photo.

Now, having agreed this, there are some simple rules you can follow to make sure
you are giving yourself the best possible chance for success.

Here is my absolute number one top tip about photographs: Avoid webcams!

Ok, so you’ve decided you’re going to do online dating. And you’re maybe a bit
embarrassed…maybe you want to keep it to yourself. This is not an excuse to use
your webcam to take a photo of yourself. Firstly, they are deeply unflattering. The
angle is wrong, they come out slightly distorted, the lighting is bad…I have yet to
see a great profile shot done with a webcam. Oh - and they are also very obvious!

If you are internet-savvy enough to be doing online dating, you can get a digital
photo of yourself. There are several ways to do this:

Use a photo from a digital camera. Upload it to your computer, or get a friend to
and then email it to you.

If you haven’t got access to a digital camera, you can use a disposable to take the
picture, and then ask your local developer shop or pharmacy to develop the photos
onto a CD for you.

Find a friend with a scanner, who can make a digital copy of an existing photo.
Some Internet cafes also have a scanner you can use.

Be resourceful! A webcam photo is better than no photo at all…but a digital photo is
worlds apart!!

It also needs to be recent. Putting up a ten-year-old photo will only catch you out
later on! Do you want your prospective partner to walk right past you on date one?
Don’t be shy!

Most importantly - smile! A happy face will be far more appealing than you doing
your best to look clever/tough/cool/sexy… Happy says confident!

I wish you every success in your online dating.

Alexis Rose is the author of ‘Golden Keys for Online Dating Success’, a manual for
anyone interested in or already trying online dating. Discover how to seriously boost
your chances of online dating success by following a simple set of rules, and learn
the most common mistakes to avoid.

http://www.ebooks4.me.uk

How I’ve Come to Love President Bush

First let me say that I’ve always loved Laura Bush and the President’s parents. I think the twins are cute as turtle doves. I at times like Jeb Bush too, despite his questionable past. (That’s called an innuendo.) I would love to go fishing for blue fish with the Bush Family up at their New England ranch. That would be a blast.

Actually, I don’t think I ever said that I disliked George Bush. I mainly said that he did not have the perspective to be a good president. Well, I guess I did say that he was not smart enough to be president even though he was smart enough to fly a jet aircraft.

Well, things have changed since George II got elected.

Every president is pestered daily by national and world events and by those who try to brief him on such.

He learns as he serves.

He sees the reactions of the American People.

Eventually, he starts to wiseup and focuses more on the problems at hand. He acts more presidential. He actually gets smarter. His ratings can go up.

What I’ve learned to admire in our President is his tenacity and his loyalty to his friends; although I wish the circumstances had allowed him to blast the crap out of Congress for their rude treatment of Harriet Miers. (Remember what Truman did when a critic said that Margaret couldn’t sing?)

The President is unwavering. That can be good or bad but in his case, I think it is good.

The President is about to give his State of the Union Address to the combined Congress. I hope that he will blast the Congress for their irresponsible actions and especially for the Prescription Drug Rx Plan that we old folks think is a legislative piece of crap.

I hope he harps on honesty and the best interest of the American People.

I hope that he says that the Congress treated a competent Supreme Court nominee rudely and that they could have given her the respect they gave less desirable nominees in the past. (Okay, I said that I’d stop harping on the ill treatment of Harriet Miers. Well, I can’t!)

When I look at our present problems with Iran, I have to wonder what our relationship with Iraq would be like if we had not invaded. Would Iran and Iraq be joining together in a belligerent stand against Israel, the United States, and Europe?

Well, you will have to ask the experts on that one, but I’m not sure that it would not be a good speaking point for Bush.

Bush is not just unpopular because of the Democrats. His staff members are not exactly public relation experts. I think that his negative polls are mainly due to the poor image of Dick Cheney and the White House Cartel and because of his completely incompetent press secretary, Scott McClellan. I feel sorry for Scotty. He just doesn’t seem to know what in all hell he is doing.

Bush was in somewhat of a shell, but now he has completely emerged and is facing the American Public. He’s becoming more coherent.

Damn I love that man!

Now didn’t I tell you that Samuel Alito would be confirmed and that some democrats would be voting for him?

Now we know that will take place next Monday.

After the President gives his address, his poles will go up again.

Just you watch.

The End

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.dumbincome.com

Speed

Try to picture what used to happen earlier in the days when people had to depend on the good ol’ postal system. During those days, a person had to wait for one or two days for a letter to get across to a person who lived in the same state itself. The second person in turn would take one or two days to respond and this letter would take on or two days to get back to the first person.

So in effect, a single correspondence would stretch over a week. But now it’s a totally different story. The time taken for the first letter and the response has been brought to an amazing 2 minutes! Waiting may make the heart grow fonder but e-mail makes two people get close faster!

Privacy

The Internet provides for absolute privacy too. One can carry out communication with another person in the absolute privacy of one’s bedroom or bath room or wherever one chooses to be. There is no fear of eavesdropping (ugh) or over hearing (shudder!) thanks to e-mail and chat facilities.

Options and Opportunities

The Internet provides for other options like voice chat or video conferencing and stops short only of the physical touch. But then who would want to start a relationship by touching right away? You can see a person, talk to a person, and listen to the person’s voice, can you think of a better way to start a date?

Economy

All this and more is possible thanks to the internet and the best part is that all this comes to you for peanuts. All you need is a P.C (who doesn’t have one?) and an Internet Connection (how can anybody live without one) and you are all set. The only thing more you could ask for is a step by step guide to find your dream date…well here it is!

Are you lonely? Are you looking for someone special? Visit Online Dating and find date, romance, marriage, and fun. Millions of singles are waiting for you.

“If music be the food of love, play on”. So said William Shakespeare in one of his most famous theatrical lines. The Bard understood very well the power music has to ignite passion and elicit emotional response. And who would disagree?

Anyone can tell you the first record they ever bought. The proud walk home from the record store, the eager rush to the turntable, the umpteenth request to “turn it down” shouted from a remote voice somewhere in the house. Ask someone what led them to purchase a certain record and they will not only tell you about the music, they will regale you with tales that show its significance. They could tell you exactly what was happening in their life at that time, for instance, recall instantly an event or a person that a song reminds them of. And of course, what everyone shares when we look back at our early musical experiences is an assortment of emotional memories that can feel just as powerful years later.

If you were lucky enough to have musical parents with eclectic tastes you would have been privileged to receive a musical education that would stand you in good stead for the future. But, being exposed to a wide variety of musical genres didn’t just provide a solid ground from which to hone your own tastes however, it could seriously improve your credibility with your peers.

In those formative years, who doesn’t remember listening to the coolest kid in school espousing the virtues of a band or song and thinking: “I must get a copy of that”? And it didn’t stop there. Along with working out what music was important, not just to you alone in your bedroom but that which was essential to have knowledge of in the locker room, it was necessary also to take note of the fashion that followed any given musical style.

If you identified with a particular piece of music it was expected that your tastes were easily identifiable by others. Public declarations of your audio pleasures were made through the choice of clothes you wore and the badges you pinned to your lapels. Delving further, you would seek out the places to be, the clubs that played ‘your music’: the social scenes that brought like-minded individuals together. And, of course, to add to your credibility, you would make sure that everyone knew you went to those places!

Having worked through the angst-filled teenage years though, coming to settle on your personal preferences, has anything really changed? You might still get excited about new music and be dressing in a particular style, or, you may have left all that behind, sticking firmly with your favourites like old and trusted friends. One thing is for sure however, music is still important and the events of today will be recalled in the future, along with the music that you are listening to now.

Think of a CD that your long-term partner or recent lover bought you, or an event where some music accompanied a special meeting. In a few years time, if you listened to that music again, you would think of them: a special evening maybe, the party where you first danced to ‘that song’, your first kiss perhaps and the early stirrings of blossoming love. And so it goes on.

Should you be single right now and looking to meet someone special, the power of music to fuel love is an essential ingredient.

Just as it was in adolescence, music engenders a sense of belonging, remaining one of the most powerful indicators in recognising that you have that all-important something in common. Right across the board, from opera through country to pop, talking over classical pieces, old favourites and current loves conveys whether you share similar passions, even whether you like the same leisure activities and social events. In fact, finding someone that shares our particular passion can be a direct hit to our most intimate selves, arousing our emotions and breaking down those inhibiting barriers so often in place when we first meet someone.

If you are one of the millions of people looking to make new friends or find romance through online dating, you might want to seek out a niche dating site for music lovers. Most people who do find it so much easier to get talking to someone they already have something in common with.

In modern times, centuries after Shakespeare, some would say that music provides the soundtrack to our lives, accompanying our highs and lows, our everyday experiences and our relationships. But, is music the food of love? Certainly, you have only to look to your romantic memories. And what is life without love? Let the orchestra continue and the band play on!

Claire Gaskin is a social researcher who for many years worked in the counselling field. Claire now runs a successful online dating site for music lovers: http://www.music-mate.com