Malaise and Links to Better Things

Not sure what the subject of this post will be, since there's a lot of stuff is swimming around my mind. I try to write some more "intellectual" commentary on VetVoice, but it usually degenerates into various rants. The second-half of any deployment is marked by a zombie-like state associated with your very existence. I feel bad since we have a new Major in the office, a good dude, but most of us are so "put out to pasture" that it's difficult to put on a happy face. But I'm not concerned, since I've got access to the internet and whole lot of learning and ranting to do (much different than the last two deployments out to sea). While I get my head on straight, here's some goodies to sink your fangs into:

• Kaboom has a got a great article on the Sahwa movement in Iraq, which you can chase down with the NYT article to get some perspective on what might be the greatest hope for Iraq.
• Last of Iraqis talks about brutality in the midst of conflict, not for the feint of heart
• Captain's Journal talks about electricity and counter-insurgency, can't understand the logic, go check it out.
• Those clowns at Westboro Baptist Church are planning a protest of Heath Ledger's funeral (h/t to Sniper). There was some punditbabes like Ham and Banderas talking about this very issue on Fox's Red Eye. Just as an aside, I find Fox News using very deceptive tactics to convince desperate guys like me to buy into their spiel by using babes like Malkin, Banderas, and Ham to run a campaign of misinformation. Ham has said some very idiotic things in the past (see "The Power of Jonah Goldberg's Book" to get a flavor), and BillO seems to have a creepy obsession with her reminescent of a dirty old man at a Montreal strip joint. I don't even want to get into Malkin. But Banderas slammed the Westboro Church, so good for her!
• One of my favorite sites, OYE, has got something new up. I haven't watched the video yet, but I gotta have something to look forward to after work.
• New milblogger in Iraq, Ms. Jackie over at Defiant Compliance, has got a groovy video of rolling on a convoy through the Shi'ite heartland. Cool stuff. None of that "Soldiers of Heaven" deathcult from Basra in the video, but we're all glad it was safe travels for her.

Cheers!

Red Eye talks about that stupid f'n church and a shot of some punditbabe's legs