This lyric is of course from the title song to Sesame Street. The link (clicking the title) is to the You Tube page of this clip in case you want to share it or imbed it yourself.
I found this yesterday when looking fo my Count clip and thought it the perfect weekend clip since they tend to stay up here a while longer than my day to day stuff.
This is one hilarious bit of stand-up. There a few naughty words, so be warned before hitting play. The sometimes genius always funny Dave Chappelle has a great take on my beloved Muppets.
Have a joyous weekend on whatever street you find yourself.
Sep 7, 2006
Once I started counting, it's very hard to stop.
The title/lyric is from Count Von Count's The Song of The Count from Sesame Street. The link will take you to a classic Sesame Street clip.
These days Cookie Monster can only eat cookies "sometimes", while apparently our government can only count right sometimes as well. This is a follow-up to a post from a few days ago. The gist-there was no decline in deaths in Iraq in August.
Iraq deaths multiply in new August count
By RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Writer
Thu Sep 7, 1:20 PM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Updated figures from Iraq's Health Ministry show there was no significant decline in violent deaths in Baghdad last month, but the U.S. military insisted Thursday the murder rate in the capital had fallen by 52 percent.
Baghdad recorded more than 1,500 violent deaths in August, according to final figures released this week by the Health Ministry. The final count was roughly the same as the figure the ministry released for July, before the U.S.-led security crackdown began in the Baghdad area.
The final figure also was nearly three times the preliminary count released by the same ministry last week.
If accurate, the final figures cast doubt on U.S. and Iraqi claims of a significant reduction in the level of violence here since the crackdown was launched Aug. 7.
Asked about the latest Iraqi figures Thursday, U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson refused to provide an explanation, merely referring The Associated Press to a statement on a U.S. military Web site that said the murder rate in Baghdad dropped 52 percent from the daily rate for July.
"The violence Baghdad endured in July receded during the month of August," the statement added. "Attacks in Baghdad were well below the monthly average for July."
Deputy Health Minister Hakem al-Zamly this week put the August violent death count for Baghdad at 1,536, based on figures from the city morgue.
However, preliminary Health Ministry figures released last week showed violent deaths in August in Baghdad at just 550, according to Dr. Riad Abdul Amir of the ministry's statistics bureau.
Iraqi officials could provide no explanation for the difference between the preliminary and final August figures, but it could have resulted in part from a late August surge in deaths. More than 250 people were killed in Baghdad in the final week of the month.
Efforts by the AP to contact Amir on Thursday for an explanation were unsuccessful.
Accurate figures on the number of people who have died since the Iraq conflict began in March 2003 have long been difficult to obtain. The Health Ministry relies on reports from government hospitals and morgues.
Poor phone lines and shortages of trained staff and computers can delay entering death reports into databases, which means the preliminary count may have lagged sharply.
But accurate figures are important because Iraqi and U.S. officials — anxious to demonstrate progress as support for the war declines in the U.S. — have used them to claim success in curbing violence in Baghdad.
Last month, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said the murder rate in Baghdad fell by 46 percent from July to August.
Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie insisted last week that execution-style killings and sectarian violence had dropped by 45 percent in the last six weeks.
One, two, three. Three! Three years of "liberation in Iraq."
Ah-ha-ha.
One, two. Two! Two more years till the Presidential Election.
Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha.
These days Cookie Monster can only eat cookies "sometimes", while apparently our government can only count right sometimes as well. This is a follow-up to a post from a few days ago. The gist-there was no decline in deaths in Iraq in August.
Iraq deaths multiply in new August count
By RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Writer
Thu Sep 7, 1:20 PM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Updated figures from Iraq's Health Ministry show there was no significant decline in violent deaths in Baghdad last month, but the U.S. military insisted Thursday the murder rate in the capital had fallen by 52 percent.
Baghdad recorded more than 1,500 violent deaths in August, according to final figures released this week by the Health Ministry. The final count was roughly the same as the figure the ministry released for July, before the U.S.-led security crackdown began in the Baghdad area.
The final figure also was nearly three times the preliminary count released by the same ministry last week.
If accurate, the final figures cast doubt on U.S. and Iraqi claims of a significant reduction in the level of violence here since the crackdown was launched Aug. 7.
Asked about the latest Iraqi figures Thursday, U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson refused to provide an explanation, merely referring The Associated Press to a statement on a U.S. military Web site that said the murder rate in Baghdad dropped 52 percent from the daily rate for July.
"The violence Baghdad endured in July receded during the month of August," the statement added. "Attacks in Baghdad were well below the monthly average for July."
Deputy Health Minister Hakem al-Zamly this week put the August violent death count for Baghdad at 1,536, based on figures from the city morgue.
However, preliminary Health Ministry figures released last week showed violent deaths in August in Baghdad at just 550, according to Dr. Riad Abdul Amir of the ministry's statistics bureau.
Iraqi officials could provide no explanation for the difference between the preliminary and final August figures, but it could have resulted in part from a late August surge in deaths. More than 250 people were killed in Baghdad in the final week of the month.
Efforts by the AP to contact Amir on Thursday for an explanation were unsuccessful.
Accurate figures on the number of people who have died since the Iraq conflict began in March 2003 have long been difficult to obtain. The Health Ministry relies on reports from government hospitals and morgues.
Poor phone lines and shortages of trained staff and computers can delay entering death reports into databases, which means the preliminary count may have lagged sharply.
But accurate figures are important because Iraqi and U.S. officials — anxious to demonstrate progress as support for the war declines in the U.S. — have used them to claim success in curbing violence in Baghdad.
Last month, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said the murder rate in Baghdad fell by 46 percent from July to August.
Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie insisted last week that execution-style killings and sectarian violence had dropped by 45 percent in the last six weeks.
One, two, three. Three! Three years of "liberation in Iraq."
Ah-ha-ha.
One, two. Two! Two more years till the Presidential Election.
Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha.
Let's talk about sex baby...
This title/lyric is too obvious, but too fitting-it's a Salt N Peppa song from my own misspent youth. Take the link to another great NPR story about this subject.
1 in 5 kids age 12-14 has had sexual intercourse!
Some may wonder if I am ready to deal with these oversexed youth...
You know the kind of kids who go to this school...
The Return of
THE WEEKLY INAPPROPRIATE CHURCH SIGN
All I have to say is there is no man more interested in the subject of sex and no one less interested in talking to kids about it.
Luckily the church I am now serving has a whole sex curriculum they teach and an entire weeklong sex camp they send 8th graders to, so I'll get lots of practice.
My own sexual education was recieved on the school bus from a sweaty overweight Junior in high school (in retrospect with probably inappropriate intentions) when I was a 5th grader who used to tell me things that made me want to throw up until he was dropped off and I would go home and bury my new knowledge in matchbox cars, only later (at 13 or so) to be dealt with fully. I guess a sweaty overweight youth minister who means well is a bit better.
This should be an interesting dimension to my work here.
When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities.
- Matt Groening, From "Basic Sex Facts For Today's Youngfolk"
1 in 5 kids age 12-14 has had sexual intercourse!
Some may wonder if I am ready to deal with these oversexed youth...
You know the kind of kids who go to this school...
The Return of
THE WEEKLY INAPPROPRIATE CHURCH SIGN
All I have to say is there is no man more interested in the subject of sex and no one less interested in talking to kids about it.
Luckily the church I am now serving has a whole sex curriculum they teach and an entire weeklong sex camp they send 8th graders to, so I'll get lots of practice.
My own sexual education was recieved on the school bus from a sweaty overweight Junior in high school (in retrospect with probably inappropriate intentions) when I was a 5th grader who used to tell me things that made me want to throw up until he was dropped off and I would go home and bury my new knowledge in matchbox cars, only later (at 13 or so) to be dealt with fully. I guess a sweaty overweight youth minister who means well is a bit better.
This should be an interesting dimension to my work here.
When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities.
- Matt Groening, From "Basic Sex Facts For Today's Youngfolk"
Sep 6, 2006
One shot to your heart without breaking your skin; no one has the power to hurt you like your friends.
This lyric (the title) is from India Arie's song Get It Together off the Shark Tale soundtrack, which is really unfortunate considering. Why are some lives/deaths greeted with such little regard while others...? Check out this video filmed by some soldiers in Iraq by clicking the title.
I'll admit I never liked The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. I found him kind of annoying and his show another noneducational joyride that I couldn't stand. It turns out he was quite the zoologist and a big conservationist and that's cool. I feel sad for his family and think how he died was tragic-but not all that unforseeable if you've seen his show. What has appalled me lately is the amount of covergae The Crocodile Hunter's death is getting. It's been on some channel for two days now-analysis, recreations, celebrations, pontifications. What the hell?
It further reminds me how much our media outlets pander and how lacking they are at reporting the news. Subsequently, we are an ignorant society, unaware of what WE are doing in this world and too easily amused and engaged by non-stories while real life and death news is taking place.
I want each of you to read this article from AP and think hard about what deaths our news outlets should be covering and what news we should demanding to hear.
By Rawya Rageh, Associated Press Writer | August 31, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq --Preliminary Health Ministry figures released Thursday show violent deaths in Iraq dropped substantially in August from record levels the previous month, despite a surge of killings in Baghdad in the past week.
At least 973 violent deaths were recorded throughout Iraq in August as of Wednesday, Dr. Riad Abdul Amir of the Health Ministry's statistics bureau told The Associated Press. They included 715 civilians, 80 Iraqi soldiers, 74 police and 104 "terrorists," he said.
The term "terrorists" likely include both Sunni and Shiite militants.
That represents a significant drop from the Health Ministry's July figure of 3,500 deaths, reported by Deputy Health Minister Adel Muhsin. He said that was the highest monthly figure recorded since the war began in March 2003.
According to an AP count, at least 966 Iraqis were killed in war-related violence in August and 1,015 were killed in July. These numbers include civilians, government officials, and police and security forces, and are considered a minimum based on AP reporting. They do not include insurgents.
The AP tally is compiled from hospital, police and military officials cited in news stories, as well as accounts from reporters and photographers at the scenes.
The Health Ministry's August figures included reports received from morgues and the interior and defense ministries.
According to Muhsin, about 1,500 of the July deaths occurred in Baghdad. Violent deaths in the capital fell to 550 in August, officials said Thursday. That was the lowest monthly tally in Baghdad this year.
U.S. officials attribute the drop in violent deaths to a major security crackdown launched Aug. 7. About 8,000 U.S. troops and 3,000 Iraqi soldiers were sent to the capital to search homes systematically and patrol the streets.
On Monday, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said the murder rate in Baghdad had fallen by 46 percent from July to August and "we are actually seeing progress out there."
The decline in Iraqi deaths has not been matched by a drop in American casualties. At least 62 U.S. service members died in Iraq in August, compared with 43 in July.
Ministry officials stressed the August figures were preliminary and a final count for the month would not be ready until next week. Nevertheless, officials said they were convinced deaths were down sharply.
"In June and July we were getting scary numbers," said Hakim al-Zamly, a Health Ministry executive director.
He said it was too early to determine whether the drop was a breakthrough but "there's definitely a slight, relative improvement."
Both U.S. and Iraqi officials have been anxious to talk up signs of improvement in the capital after weeks of ever-mounting death tolls and fears of all-out sectarian civil war. On Aug. 21, the Defense Ministry said "terrorist operations" had declined in Baghdad by 70 percent.
Some U.S. officials, however, have cautioned it is too early to tell if the decline in deaths is part of a long-term trend.
A surge of violence has killed more than 250 people in the Baghdad area since Sunday, raising questions about whether U.S. and Iraqi forces have indeed turned the corner.
However, National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie insisted Thursday that execution-style killings and sectarian violence have dropped by 45 percent in Baghdad in the last six weeks. He said that was mainly due to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's national reconciliation plan and the Baghdad security operation.
"There's definitely a much better sense of security among the general public," al-Rubaie said.
Accurate figures on the number of people who have died in the Iraq conflict have long been the subject of debate. Police and hospitals often give widely conflicting figures of those killed in major bombings.
In addition, death figures are reported through multiple channels by government agencies that function with varying efficiency.
The Health Ministry count is based on reports from hospital morgues throughout the country and mostly includes civilians. The Interior Ministry receives its figures from police stations across the country and can include both police and civilians. The Defense Ministry reports the number of soldiers and insurgents killed.
Although officials at the national level attempt to reconcile the figures, there is a possibility of double-counting.
Furthermore, accurate data is difficult to obtain from insurgent-infested areas such as Anbar province, which includes about 20 percent of Iraq's land area and where government institutions barely function.
Militias and other armed groups are often reluctant to bring their dead and wounded to hospitals for fear of arrest, and those deaths may never show up in any government agency counts.
It is also unclear how many people may have been abducted by insurgents or sectarian death squads, then slain and their bodies never found.
According to an AP count, at least 11,916 Iraqis have been killed in war-related violence since the first elected Iraqi government after the fall of Saddam Hussein took office on April 28, 2005.
Iraq Body Count, a private group that bases its figures in part on reports by 40 media outlets, puts the number of civilian deaths since the conflict began at between 41,041 and 45,613.
The Brookings Institution Iraq Index, maintained by Michael O'Hanlon, put the count between 20,000 and 37,200 as of July 5, 2006.
President Bush, in answering questions following a speech in December, estimated "30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis."
In a word...Crikey!
I'll admit I never liked The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. I found him kind of annoying and his show another noneducational joyride that I couldn't stand. It turns out he was quite the zoologist and a big conservationist and that's cool. I feel sad for his family and think how he died was tragic-but not all that unforseeable if you've seen his show. What has appalled me lately is the amount of covergae The Crocodile Hunter's death is getting. It's been on some channel for two days now-analysis, recreations, celebrations, pontifications. What the hell?
It further reminds me how much our media outlets pander and how lacking they are at reporting the news. Subsequently, we are an ignorant society, unaware of what WE are doing in this world and too easily amused and engaged by non-stories while real life and death news is taking place.
I want each of you to read this article from AP and think hard about what deaths our news outlets should be covering and what news we should demanding to hear.
By Rawya Rageh, Associated Press Writer | August 31, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq --Preliminary Health Ministry figures released Thursday show violent deaths in Iraq dropped substantially in August from record levels the previous month, despite a surge of killings in Baghdad in the past week.
At least 973 violent deaths were recorded throughout Iraq in August as of Wednesday, Dr. Riad Abdul Amir of the Health Ministry's statistics bureau told The Associated Press. They included 715 civilians, 80 Iraqi soldiers, 74 police and 104 "terrorists," he said.
The term "terrorists" likely include both Sunni and Shiite militants.
That represents a significant drop from the Health Ministry's July figure of 3,500 deaths, reported by Deputy Health Minister Adel Muhsin. He said that was the highest monthly figure recorded since the war began in March 2003.
According to an AP count, at least 966 Iraqis were killed in war-related violence in August and 1,015 were killed in July. These numbers include civilians, government officials, and police and security forces, and are considered a minimum based on AP reporting. They do not include insurgents.
The AP tally is compiled from hospital, police and military officials cited in news stories, as well as accounts from reporters and photographers at the scenes.
The Health Ministry's August figures included reports received from morgues and the interior and defense ministries.
According to Muhsin, about 1,500 of the July deaths occurred in Baghdad. Violent deaths in the capital fell to 550 in August, officials said Thursday. That was the lowest monthly tally in Baghdad this year.
U.S. officials attribute the drop in violent deaths to a major security crackdown launched Aug. 7. About 8,000 U.S. troops and 3,000 Iraqi soldiers were sent to the capital to search homes systematically and patrol the streets.
On Monday, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said the murder rate in Baghdad had fallen by 46 percent from July to August and "we are actually seeing progress out there."
The decline in Iraqi deaths has not been matched by a drop in American casualties. At least 62 U.S. service members died in Iraq in August, compared with 43 in July.
Ministry officials stressed the August figures were preliminary and a final count for the month would not be ready until next week. Nevertheless, officials said they were convinced deaths were down sharply.
"In June and July we were getting scary numbers," said Hakim al-Zamly, a Health Ministry executive director.
He said it was too early to determine whether the drop was a breakthrough but "there's definitely a slight, relative improvement."
Both U.S. and Iraqi officials have been anxious to talk up signs of improvement in the capital after weeks of ever-mounting death tolls and fears of all-out sectarian civil war. On Aug. 21, the Defense Ministry said "terrorist operations" had declined in Baghdad by 70 percent.
Some U.S. officials, however, have cautioned it is too early to tell if the decline in deaths is part of a long-term trend.
A surge of violence has killed more than 250 people in the Baghdad area since Sunday, raising questions about whether U.S. and Iraqi forces have indeed turned the corner.
However, National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie insisted Thursday that execution-style killings and sectarian violence have dropped by 45 percent in Baghdad in the last six weeks. He said that was mainly due to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's national reconciliation plan and the Baghdad security operation.
"There's definitely a much better sense of security among the general public," al-Rubaie said.
Accurate figures on the number of people who have died in the Iraq conflict have long been the subject of debate. Police and hospitals often give widely conflicting figures of those killed in major bombings.
In addition, death figures are reported through multiple channels by government agencies that function with varying efficiency.
The Health Ministry count is based on reports from hospital morgues throughout the country and mostly includes civilians. The Interior Ministry receives its figures from police stations across the country and can include both police and civilians. The Defense Ministry reports the number of soldiers and insurgents killed.
Although officials at the national level attempt to reconcile the figures, there is a possibility of double-counting.
Furthermore, accurate data is difficult to obtain from insurgent-infested areas such as Anbar province, which includes about 20 percent of Iraq's land area and where government institutions barely function.
Militias and other armed groups are often reluctant to bring their dead and wounded to hospitals for fear of arrest, and those deaths may never show up in any government agency counts.
It is also unclear how many people may have been abducted by insurgents or sectarian death squads, then slain and their bodies never found.
According to an AP count, at least 11,916 Iraqis have been killed in war-related violence since the first elected Iraqi government after the fall of Saddam Hussein took office on April 28, 2005.
Iraq Body Count, a private group that bases its figures in part on reports by 40 media outlets, puts the number of civilian deaths since the conflict began at between 41,041 and 45,613.
The Brookings Institution Iraq Index, maintained by Michael O'Hanlon, put the count between 20,000 and 37,200 as of July 5, 2006.
President Bush, in answering questions following a speech in December, estimated "30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis."
In a word...Crikey!
Sep 5, 2006
Can you see the wise men simply living, loving quietly, every breath He takes eternity till the sun turns black?
The title/lyric is from Ray Lamontagne's new album Till The Sun Turns Black, this is the title song. You can hear an interview with Ray and a few of his superb songs by clicking the title and listening to NPR's Weekend Edition segment with him.
I am much gentler these days, almost serene. I can't understand it except to say that certain situations call for certain gifts and I'm finding patience and calm to be new ones of mine. Where have I been since July 7-the last day I posted? For that matter, where have I been since May when Exposing My Thorns stoppped its regular sharing?
I was in New York and New Jersey for a few days
I was in Maine for a week on a Mission Trip
I was in Texas lining up a new job
I was at church camp for a week...twice
I was in Denver, Colorado on another Mission Trip
I spent some time visiting friends and family
I slept in my apartment in Fort Wayne 8 times this summer
I slept at church a lot more
I slept on airplanes and in vans a ton more than that
I drove with all my office stuff and some clothes to Kingwood, Texas
Where I've been serving as Youth Minister for 10 days!!!
There will be things to share about these travels, someday, but for now I wanted to get back in the swing of posting what was on my mind. Today it's the fact that where I once was forceful and intense, I am now an easy does it, smiling believer that it will work out in due time.
Is this age? Is this wisdom? Is this temporary?
I remember my first few days in Bluffton; there was such energy with which I had propelled myself out of Evansville and so much to be done I was quick in the thick of it. Ofcourse all the lasting work was done over time both places. Is it that knowledge that has mellowed my arrival. I am not timid, I am confident and energetic. I just believe in the fruition of my dreams here so much that I don't feel I need to sell them.
This lyric seems to put forth the notion that the wise men are in a hurry to get from place to place, away from Herod I'm sure, and to the promised Savior when all they should have done is watched him breathe in an out life.
I have reached some new mellow peace-not sad like other days of less intensity-and not without intensity, just not overpowering my other gifts like in the past. I feel I've reached some new awareness of my talents and set a tone that lays them out for all to see, but not in some showy or bossy or intimidating way. That sounds good right?
Why does it feel so unsettling?
I am much gentler these days, almost serene. I can't understand it except to say that certain situations call for certain gifts and I'm finding patience and calm to be new ones of mine. Where have I been since July 7-the last day I posted? For that matter, where have I been since May when Exposing My Thorns stoppped its regular sharing?
I was in New York and New Jersey for a few days
I was in Maine for a week on a Mission Trip
I was in Texas lining up a new job
I was at church camp for a week...twice
I was in Denver, Colorado on another Mission Trip
I spent some time visiting friends and family
I slept in my apartment in Fort Wayne 8 times this summer
I slept at church a lot more
I slept on airplanes and in vans a ton more than that
I drove with all my office stuff and some clothes to Kingwood, Texas
Where I've been serving as Youth Minister for 10 days!!!
There will be things to share about these travels, someday, but for now I wanted to get back in the swing of posting what was on my mind. Today it's the fact that where I once was forceful and intense, I am now an easy does it, smiling believer that it will work out in due time.
Is this age? Is this wisdom? Is this temporary?
I remember my first few days in Bluffton; there was such energy with which I had propelled myself out of Evansville and so much to be done I was quick in the thick of it. Ofcourse all the lasting work was done over time both places. Is it that knowledge that has mellowed my arrival. I am not timid, I am confident and energetic. I just believe in the fruition of my dreams here so much that I don't feel I need to sell them.
This lyric seems to put forth the notion that the wise men are in a hurry to get from place to place, away from Herod I'm sure, and to the promised Savior when all they should have done is watched him breathe in an out life.
I have reached some new mellow peace-not sad like other days of less intensity-and not without intensity, just not overpowering my other gifts like in the past. I feel I've reached some new awareness of my talents and set a tone that lays them out for all to see, but not in some showy or bossy or intimidating way. That sounds good right?
Why does it feel so unsettling?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
