g'nite parvez

Uhhhh...this is not good.

Yes, and you can also say goodbye to our supply line to Afghanistan. There just aren't that many alternatives to going through Pak, and all of them are bad.

i mentioned this earlier

Anyone know what happens to Pakistan's nukes? I assume they are under the control of whoever takes over.

The hits just keep on comin', don't they.

I got a bad feeling about Pakistan....

Well, now Obambi can invade all he wants...

Crap. As much as I don't like this guy, what do we know about the possible contenders?

Best we can hope for, civil war and a military coup taking over

heard this on drive-time radio earlier.

sounded omnious.

re: #3 joncelli

This might make it easier for us to operate in the tribal areas of Pakistan. I would rather we were never doing business with them in the first place. India would be a much better ally.

re: #8 rsquare

I'm sure he has a plan...

He certainly understands the ummah:

The Muslim Ummah, or the Islamic world, he said was presently living in darkness.

"Today we are the poorest, the most illiterate, the most backward, the most unhealthy, the most un-enlightened, the most deprived, and the weakest of all the human race," he told the delegates [to an Islamic "science and technology" conference].

Source: BBC News, 16.02.02

Pakistan----One instance where abortion at birth may be considered.

Bad News

The Ron Paul blimp was recently spotted in Karachi

re: #13 sngnsgt

Is it super duper secret like J f'in K's plan?

I have to wonder the idiots in Congress are going to try to further reduce funding to the Pentagon.

Sounds like that would be a bad idea --huh?

re: #10 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Best we can hope for, civil war and a military coup taking over

True, than they can hack each other up instead attacking neighboring countries.

You think the situation in Pakistan is unstable now, wait until Obama has the U.S. invade!

I don't think it has to do so much with his nest egg; Sharif wants his head on a platter for what Musharraf did to him in 1999 - revenge is a dish best served cold in prison. Musharraf is angling for a deal that will keep him out of prison. Impeachment was the option used by the Parliament to get him to quit the government, and it's put enough pressure on him that they've pretty much got him out the door.

The problem, well one of many, is that it doesn't really change things.

Pakistan will still be a mess even after Musharraf is gone. The government is going to continue the flip flop appeasement/crackdown against the Islamists, and fighting continues to break out sporadically along the line of control with India.

And then there's the nukes.

India's locked and loaded.

re: #19 Maximu§

True, than they can hack each other up instead attacking neighboring countries.

Yup. India is going to have some interesting times ahead.

Pakistan needs to wait their turn.

We've got enough crazy bidness going down in the world, right now.

Hold, please.

The Army seems to be sealing the deal to get him out of power - they're pushing for the resignation and what happens to him going forward.

I think they want to get this situation behind them and avoid impeachment.

re: #9 Mars Needs Neocons

Crap. As much as I don't like this guy, what do we know about the possible contenders?

Right. Musharraf is at least known and understood.

I can assume that Pakistan has the means to deliver those nukes? Anyone know about range, types of systems?

re: #12 Killgore Trout

That's not really the big issue. Take a look at a map of Afghanistan; the only other route there that doesn't go through Pakistan goes through several other countries, many of which are unstable or hostile (and the one from Turkey requires crossing the Caspian Sea!). I repeat: the mission in Afghanistan is f***ed if the Pakistanis go against the US.

re: #24 Cognito

Pakistan needs to wait their turn.

We've got enough crazy bidness going down in the world, right now.

Hold, please.

LOL

It does seem as if everything is happening all at once. It's almost like fate is supporting McCain.

Time for a first class FOB in India.

We live in interesting times.

re: #26 reine.de.tout

Right. Musharraf is at least known and understood.

Better the evil you know...

Seriously, how long before Obambi comes out saying it's all McCain's fault because he (in his disguise as GW Bush) supported Pakistan.

re: #31 pat

We live in interesting times.

Ah yes the old Chinese curse.

re: #26 reine.de.tout

Right. Musharraf is at least known and understood.

{reine}

Thank you for lead today, I can't believe I read the whole thing.

Makes me wonder what would be going on in Pakistan if Bhutto had lived.

re: #30 rawmuse

If we do that, we would have to make a policy of violating Pakistan's territorial integrity on a regular basis. All the alternatives are bad.

re: #28 joncelli

I am sure that the loss of Pakistan as an ingress/egress route has been thoroughly gamed and all options vetted. We pay people to do this, and most of them are pretty good.

re: #27 Walter L. Newton

Mostly short range stuff. But good enough to cause trouble if the wanted to. Nuking Delhi would really suck.

The new Pakistani government knows that they can't alienate the US, not with the trade and aid that comes annually. They'll squawk about US airstrikes but I suspect they'll work the pay to play. Besides, if they alienate the US, it would naturally push the US to work closer with the Indian government (which we've been doing for some time now).

re: #32 Mars Needs Neocons

Better the evil you know...

Seriously, how long before Obambi comes out saying it's all McCain's fault because he (in his disguise as GW Bush) supported Pakistan.

Obambi, and the NYT, and Kos, and HuffPo, and CNN, and MSNBC, and the list goes on.

Obama is so weak and silly on foreign policy that ordinary reporters are throwing themselves under his bus to save him. He is pitiful. Just pitiful.

re: #4 noshariaincanada

i mentioned this earlier

Yeah, I'd seen articles of impeachment on wiki's front page. It was obvious that Musharraf was not going to survive this. I'd commented about this mess at Ace's.

Good job MSM for covering the Olympics and Edwards to exhaustion, while slipping the Georgia mess somewhere at page 7 and not covering Pak at all.

re: #34 jorline

{reine}

Thank you for lead today, I can't believe I read the whole thing.

T'was fun, wasn't it?

re: #40 reine.de.tout

Obambi, and the NYT, and Kos, and HuffPo, and CNN, and MSNBC, and the list goes on.

It's all the same hydra.

re: #35 Sharmuta

If Bhutto had lived I wouldn't be so worried. Her assassination demonstrated that Pakistan is not ready for democracy. Whatever happens after Musharraf I can almost guarantee that it's going to have to be another dictatorship. They are not ready to join the modern world.

Don't worry folks. The Pakistanis respect the way Barack pronounces their country as Pahk' ee stahn

they will be nice to us as long as Barry is in charge

re: #38 Killgore Trout

Mostly short range stuff. But good enough to cause trouble if the wanted to. Nuking Delhi would really suck.

Well, that sucks. The're going to need something a little longer range. Maybe they could go shopping in Iran, I saw some neat stuff in an on line catalog about a month ago.

/

re: #43 reine.de.tout

T'was fun, wasn't it?

Good time for all...lol

re: #35 Sharmuta

Makes me wonder what would be going on in Pakistan if Bhutto had lived.

Bhutto would not have lived, no way no how; the term "snowflake in Hell" comes to mind. (Not that she was any sort of angel herself.)

re: #42 Zimriel

Yeah, I'd seen articles of impeachment on wiki's front page. It was obvious that Musharraf was not going to survive this. I'd commented about this mess at Ace's.

Good job MSM for covering the Olympics and Edwards to exhaustion, while slipping the Georgia mess somewhere at page 7 and not covering Pak at all.

well the MSM knows what matters, right?

Anyone here know any Pakistani's?

I had one working for me, he lasted 2 months before I kicked him to the curb.

-First day at work he carved his name on our tree out front.

-Called the wife's boss "big" and than said it was a compliment in Pakistan.

-Had breath like a rotting donkeys butt.

-married his first cousin and the kids were always sick.

-got sick, threw up on the conference room floor and layed down in front of the copy machine saying "I'm OK, just let me rest"

the list goes on and on....I hope he doesn't represent the rest of Pakistan, but I have a feeling he does.

re: #27 Walter L. Newton

I can assume that Pakistan has the means to deliver those nukes? Anyone know about range, types of systems?

Donkeys, mostly, which are sufficient to get the bomb to Afghanistan, or even the Pak ports we use.

Of course, the donkey would probably die of radiation poisoning afterwards, just from carrying the materials, and any nuke explosion would kill 10000x more civilians than American targets, but Allah will sort them out.

re: #39 lawhawk

Do you think there's any chance their nukes will be taken out of the country or somehow secured before Musharraf jumps ship?

Gotta go all,

If I don't come back,

weet dreams!

re: #51 Maximu§

Anyone here know any Pakistani's?
. . .
the list goes on and on....I hope he doesn't represent the rest of Pakistan, but I have a feeling he does.

Now, I worked with a Pakistani and had just the opposite experience. Smart, very hard-working, knew what he was doing, technically capable and also able to supervise and manage . . . one of the best employees around.

Same old, same old. Will the Pakis align with Moscow or not? You can be sure the Russkies are working them hard right now.

Pakistan would seem to be the new 'mad dog of the middle east'.

Phelps..six gold medals...six world records.

He also has 26 individual world records.

re: #53 Killgore Trout

The issue came up before - in 2007, and I don't think anyone got a satisfactory response, which figures given the need for secrecy and protection of the weapons. While it might be nice to think that the weapons will be secured by the US, I think they're going to be sitting put under army control. It's the ISI you have to worry about.

re: #51 Maximu§

Anyone here know any Pakistani's?

I had one working for me, he lasted 2 months before I kicked him to the curb.

-First day at work he carved his name on our tree out front.

-Called the wife's boss "big" and than said it was a compliment in Pakistan.

-Had breath like a rotting donkeys butt.

-married his first cousin and the kids were always sick.

-got sick, threw up on the conference room floor and layed down in front of the copy machine saying "I'm OK, just let me rest"

the list goes on and on....I hope he doesn't represent the rest of Pakistan, but I have a feeling he does.

I know some Pakistan med students who are quite lovely.

Tough to generalize about people, really.

itellu3times

Donkeys, mostly, which are sufficient to get the bomb to Afghanistan, or even the Pak ports we use.
Of course, the donkey would probably die of radiation poisoning afterwards, just from carrying the materials, and any nuke explosion would kill 10000x more civilians than American targets, but Allah will sort them out.

Imagine glowing donkeys that light their own way down the dark trail to Afghanistan.

re: #59 jorline

Phelps..six gold medals...six world records.

He also has 26 individual world records.

Phelps is just awesomely incredible!

"Pakistani," that is.

re: #56 reine.de.tout

Now, I worked with a Pakistani and had just the opposite experience. Smart, very hard-working, knew what he was doing, technically capable and also able to supervise and manage . . . one of the best employees around.

Thats good to hear....the one I had was a POS.

re: #63 reine.de.tout

Phelps is just awesomely incredible!

He's a machine.

re: #59 jorline

Phelps..six gold medals...six world records.

He also has 26 individual world records.

Hope he's clean as a whistle.

re: #63 reine.de.tout

Phelps is just awesomely incredible!

Wish I could eat like him....

too much work to burn it off tho...

re: #67 paint-right

Hope he's clean as a whistle.

I'm pretty sure he is. They test after every race.

re: #69 buzzsawmonkey

Isn't there Pervezive corruption in the Pakistani government?

Not as Musharraff used to be.

re: #69 buzzsawmonkey

Used to be, but there's a Nawaz Sharif in town.

re: #71 OldLineTexan

Not as Musharraff used to be.

LOL, OMG, that's still going on?

“But no one is actually in the mood to see what it is going to be like to be in the post-Musharraf era.”

Now that's a masterful understatement.

I wonder what India is thinking. Pakistan has limited delivery capabilities, and it's old enemy India is within its delivery zone.

I am not privy to all the documents pertaining to quid pro quo or other types of arrangements between nations. But it seems to me that Pakistan is an enemy of the US, and I don't see what we have gotten from treating them with kid gloves. Do we have bin Laden? Have they flushed the Taliban from the Pashtun regions? They have triangulated and played games, and Musharraf is just a survivor and not an "ally."

Pakistan is the conduit for a lot of Wahhabi fundamentalism. It's Saudi Arabia's little doormat. It's a lost and wayward and lawless excuse for a state that is just a major center of Wahhabi training and exchanges. It's full of madrassas, guns, weapons and dealers of all that is evil.

The axis of evil is Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia again and Iran. Pakistan is the Saudi entity's doormat, so it's a little partner in the axis of evil, just as Syria is a willing doormat of Iran.

Where is the moral clarity? We have not tackled the axis of evil.

If the relationship becomes zero, we will spke their atomic arsenal at any cost.

/don't ask

re: #73 reine.de.tout

LOL, OMG, that's still going on?

I dunno, jest got here myself.

re: #70 Cognito

I'm pretty sure he is. They test after every race.

He only has enough time in the day to swim, eat and sleep.

Each meal he has contains twice the calories I eat in an entire day. I can't imagine.

Hmm. Also, a lot of Pakistanis are actually Indian Muslims who fled there after partition. (Bangladesh by contrast was ethnically Bengali, and didn't take as many other Indians.)

For whatever reason I won't bother psychoanalysing, after 9/11 a lot of (actual) moderate Muslims transformed into the Michael Moore cheering, Israel baiting, hijab wearing (if female) "moderate" Muslim we too often see today.

Bye bye, Pakistan.

Prediction: The Army Takes Over after a short time ...

If you are trying to read the tea leaves here, the man really running Pakistan right now is really two men. Zardari, from Balochistan, and also Benazir Bhutto's Widow Husband, and Baitullah Mehsud.
Baitullah owns the hill people in FATA, and he's started to overun the NWFP areas as well, Peshawar's pretty much encircled.

Zardari runs PPP, and has the Sindh and Punjab, Pakistan's most populous areas.

I can't help but think that some of this (the getting rid of Pervez) is due (at least in part) to U.S. insistence on "democracy" (the adage, "Bush proposes, the rest opposes")...I was watching the Beeb (always good for news from the "Developing World" -- that's Britain's former colonies), anyway, the Beeb was "reporting" on Pervez's stepping down (to avoid the impeachment charges), and how delighted everyone is...(whatever possibly imperils the West, the Beeb is delighted with)...the Beeb also did a "feature" about a Britain initiating and having the "largest petition" in da World signed..and the "petition?" yeah, it was a Pakistani petition (signed by millions) to stop "terrorism!" Ja. Ok (I heard the first signatory was Osama -- I' m just joking.) anyway, the Kashmir is also very dangerous right now (tensions heating up)...not a great time to have Pakistan de-stabilized...

re: #31 pat

We live in interesting times.

That is a Chinese "Curse"

re: #65 Maximu§

Thats good to hear....the one I had was a POS.

I think also you have to be very careful about stereotypes and extrapolations from one or two people you know.

I also think that some stereotypes have some basis in truth and also that some cultures are defined by their middle and some by their top. My point, to take two fairly neutral groups -- meaning groups that generally are not sensitive -- what we think about as really good from Italian culture is generally conveyed by its elite whereas what people tend to admire about Japan is a product of their middle class.

The exception across the board would be food, which I think gets spread around the world by immigrants, though Japanese and French cuisine are probably brought by restaurateurs.

One way to see if you think a stereotype is true is to measure the ridiculousness of its opposite.

"African Americans are terrible at basketball and show no talent for singing."

"Jews are very uneducated and have no aptitude for business."

re: #67 paint-right

Hope he's clean as a whistle.

I'm sure that someone as driven is smarter than that. You don't work that hard to chance losing everything to a tinkle test.

Beside that...they would have put a turd in his punch bowl earlier if he was dirty and would have never allowed him to thoroughly destroy every opponent.

re: #81 LSD

Prediction: The Army Takes Over after a short time ...

Which half of the army... the Musharrif supporting, kinda pro western part, or the in-bed-with-the-Taliban secret police bit?

re: #81 LSD

Prediction: The Army Takes Over after a short time ...

I wouldn't be counting on that. The armies on the outs with the populace. In the past they could do this, right now no. Kiyani has come out and said specifically that the Army would abide by civilian rule and not interfer in the impeachment if it goe forward.

re: #51 Maximu§

Anyone here know any Pakistani's?

Yes, unfortunately. I am not saying all Pakistanis are of a kind, but it is amazing how many Pakistanis are engaged in the grunt work and thuggery of global jihad, not even realizing that they are stupid pawns in a game. There are now great Pakistani equivalents of rich oil sheiks with jihadi sympathies or just the desire to pay protection money to jihadis. There are not great and powerful Pakistanis. But they are damn willing to engage in trench level jihadism for their masters. And they are naturals at petty thuggery. It's a failed state. It's a culture that is not a culture. It's roots are Indian, but it was severed from history by Islam. Pakistan is a bastard culture, and it shows.

re: #62 Maximu§

Imagine glowing donkeys that light their own way down the dark trail to Afghanistan.

OK, got it.

And, and, there's more - I can see a glowing Obama rising into the clouds, while we're talking donkeys, and his tail hangs down further than his feet, and nickels are falling from the clouds, bringing change, and sore heads, and cracked windshields, to all!

re: #84 buzzsawmonkey

Al Qaedi, Al Qaeda
Al Qaedi, Al Q--hahahahahahaha
Al Qaedi, Al Qaeda
My nuke-sack on my back.

West Side Story?

re: #90 Purple Prose

Yes, unfortunately. I am not saying all Pakistanis are of a kind, but it is amazing how many Pakistanis are engaged in the grunt work and thuggery of global jihad, not even realizing that they are stupid pawns in a game. There are now great Pakistani equivalents of rich oil sheiks with jihadi sympathies or just the desire to pay protection money to jihadis. There are not great and powerful Pakistanis. But they are damn willing to engage in trench level jihadism for their masters. And they are naturals at petty thuggery. It's a failed state. It's a culture that is not a culture. It's roots are Indian, but it was severed from history by Islam. Pakistan is a bastard culture, and it shows.

I think this is a really good point. We think of ethnicities as static things and therefore critiquing them is hard since it may sound bigoted; making fun of something people cannot change.

But there could be a peace movement in Palestine that defines the culture in a hundred years or so and immigrant groups change places all the time in terms of how others view their collective personality.

Your post makes you think of the reality in which a very young culture is born and it may be true.

re: #92 experiencedtraveller

West Side Story?

The Happy Wanderer.

Btw, since things are getting interesting in Pakistan once again, here's a good link with many English version Pakistan papers:

[Link: www.chitralnews.com...]

Word of warning: each one comes from the view of a political, tribal, or religious faction. Many of them are owned by the same people, but they are tailored for particular segments, and you will find widely varying views, from those of the govt' to those of the Taliban.

re: #52 itellu3times

Donkeys, mostly, which are sufficient to get the bomb to Afghanistan, or even the Pak ports we use.

Of course, the donkey would probably die of radiation poisoning afterwards, just from carrying the materials, and any nuke explosion would kill 10000x more civilians than American targets, but Allah will sort them out.

"Well Barack... one of our donkey base commanders... went a little funny in the head..."

re: #92 experiencedtraveller

West Side Story?

bzzzzzzt

re: #92 experiencedtraveller

West Side Story?

"Der Frohe Wandermensch"

re: #97 Occasional Reader

bzzzzzzt

Uhhh...

Disney!

Musharraf is the Tito of the east asian bloc. Mat not be the best one could hope for, but he did keep a lid on things. Now? The pot may boileth over.

The Happy Wanderer

OT

Just a bit on stereotypes. I did a lot of aptitude and interests testing today. About 12-15 hours worth to go. Since this is through an agency that helps the disabled, and I was referred by vocational rehabilitation, I'm sure that the tester wasn't expecting much. He started off by saying he had been doing this work for 30 years. After doing the computerized battery of skills and interests testing we sat down to go through the results.

First section he told me not to expect huge divisions. "Anything over 50% shows an interest. He then turned the page. He said he had never seen 100% in a category before. In 30 years he said mine was the first. After going over those results for a bit we then went to skills.

Once again he said 50% was the average line. He said not to expect any totals to be really standout. He said math would probably be my lowest percentage.

He was right, math was my lowest at 84%. He said he had never seen such high scores. I laughed and asked him how many people he knew that were in the top 1 percent on all their elementary and high school aptitude tests. I also said that the school psychiatrist 25 years ago claimed I had an IQ of ***. (I'm not going to mention it. Don't hold much stock in IQ points myself) I said personally I hadn't seen much proof to back up that theory. He just shook his head while he walked away.

He had a set perception and stereotype because I have needed assistance to find work. I destroyed his perceptions, and hope he learned a lesson for the future.

Sorry about the rant. Long testing day, and I'm tired. Another 3 days to go. Tomorrow, then next Thurs and Fri.

Leaving just ahead of the impeachment. Will he do a double peace sign too? /Nixon humor

re: #35 Sharmuta

Makes me wonder what would be going on in Pakistan if Bhutto had lived.

Isn't it her husband that is working with Shariff to get Parvez out?

re: #102 Mars Needs Neocons

Glad to hear your testing went well. I hope they're able to help you find a good job.

re: #98 Alouette

"Der Frohe Wandermensch"

It sounds a bit nasty in French...

le vagabond heureux

re: #68 mamashawna

Wish I could eat like him....

too much work to burn it off tho...

I sorta do eat like him, but I forget to burn it off, sadly

re: #38 Killgore Trout

Mostly short range stuff. But good enough to cause trouble if the wanted to. Nuking Delhi would really suck.

Our entire tech support industry would disappear if Pakistan nuked Hyderabad. How would we ever get our computers fixed?
/Sarc.

OT
Those Chinese women gymnasts are tiny!

re: #106 Walter L. Newton

re: #98 Alouette

"Der Frohe Wandermensch"

It sounds a bit nasty in French...

le vagabond heureux

Everything sounds dirty in French.

Of course in German, everything sounds like it's about overrunning Poland.

re: #109 pat

OT
Those Chinese women gymnasts are tiny!

Those Chinese women gymnasts are 12-14 years old.

re: #102 Mars Needs Neocons

It's interesting why people like to pigeonhole each other. We miss out on so much by doing that. Congratulations on such outstanding results. It's especially nice when you can make people think twice about their stereotypes/perceptions.

re: #35 Sharmuta

Makes me wonder what would be going on in Pakistan if Bhutto had lived.

Bhutto had her chance. Didn't make much of it. A lot of corruption, not a lot of strength. She was NOT the answer for Pakistan.

re: #102 Mars Needs Neocons

I took a battery of "interest inventory" and aptitude test about 30 years ago. I remember the tester mentioned that I scored like "an Asian male" on the spatial relations test. (I am a Jewish female)

I also remember one question the examiner asked, "What is the main theme of the Book of Genesis?" I answered, "The covenant of G-D with a righteous family." He said, "I have never heard that answer before." I said, "Nobody else you tested has read past the first chapter." :)

re: #91 itellu3times
You left out the huge purple sombreos and the bats.

re: #105 reine.de.tout

Glad to hear your testing went well. I hope they're able to help you find a good job.

They've been trying for almost a year. My previous caseworker helped me find jobs to apply for and between the two of us we doubled my output. My current caseworker sends my to classes on things I already know, and to testing.

Not holding out a lot of hope on that front. Decided a few months ago that if I'm going to get a job, I can only rely on myself.

I'm about to accept a job selling cars. And as I expected, my interests assessment said that is the last thing on earth I should be doing. At least they have two weeks paid training followed by two months salaried work before it goes pure commission. I can pocket a couple checks before my mind snaps and takes me out for a while.

re: #108 Kosh's Shadow

Our entire tech support industry would disappear if Pakistan nuked Hyderabad. How would we ever get our computers fixed?
/Sarc.

I work cheaper than Pakistani's.

/

re: #110 Occasional Reader

Everything sounds dirty in French.

Of course in German, everything sounds like it's about overrunning Poland.

I saw a production of "Chicago" in Paris about 5 years ago, a professional company from Quebec. It soulded really "slinky and silky." The language worked really well for that music score. And I'm not that crazy about the show, but that I liked. It confused my last wife, though, she only spoke Spanish.

re: #110 Occasional Reader

Everything sounds dirty in French.

Of course in German, everything sounds like it's about overrunning Poland.

LOL Stereo stereotypes!

re: #116 Mars Needs Neocons

. . . And as I expected, my interests assessment said that is the last thing on earth I should be doing. At least they have two weeks paid training followed by two months salaried work before it goes pure commission. I can pocket a couple checks before my mind snaps and takes me out for a while.

That's not a bad plan at all, really. And who knows - perhaps there will be a customer who you will click with, who has non-sales job somewhere that needs doing, and for which your skills will be particularly good?

Maybe not, but you know, sometimes things happen for a reason, and in the end you end up in a better situation that you expected, if you're open to being watchful.

re: #117 Mars Needs Neocons

I work cheaper than Pakistani's.

/

Seriously, one of the companies I want to work for is trying to get companies to outsource their work to MT. They discovered it was cheaper than using India or Pakistan.

re: #117 Mars Needs Neocons

I work cheaper than Pakistani's.

/

Dogbert's tech support:

"Stand on a chair and yell 'does anyone know how to read a manual?'"

There's something creepy about gymnasts.

The seem... stunted, to me. Stuck in some prepubescent place.

re: #118 Walter L. Newton

It confused my last wife, though, she only spoke Spanish.

De donde es?

Hey all y'all - looks like we're about to reap what we've sown - Bush shoulda stood by Musharraf back when Musharraf finally had the armed forces take out the "Red Mosque" in the capital.
Instead, and no doubt due to the total effin' incompetency of our State Department (well, almost total) we decided he wasn't: a) democratic
"enough" and b) wasn't going to bring the NW Frontier Provinces under control.
Never mind that his attacking the Red Mosque was a HUGE sign that he was going after Al-Q an jihadists where he could, and that he was at least as democratic as anyone has been in Pakistan in decades and now we're gonna wind up with a possible, if not probable, radical Islamic government with nuclear weapons and the missile systems with which to deliver same.
Same old, same old.

re: #82 Thanos

I cannot imagine sharing of power in Pakistan. It's to unstable.

So, if one of the two has to go which one will it be?

re: #108 Kosh's Shadow

Our entire tech support industry would disappear if Pakistan nuked Hyderabad. How would we ever get our computers fixed?
/Sarc.

I get about 100 spam emails every day from Mary Xee offering to "outsource website design." I've managed to filter out most of them, but about 20 or so always get through the filter and end up in my Spam folder.

I don't think even nuking China would get rid of Mary Xee. She is something out of a horror movie.

re: #12 Killgore Trout

This might make it easier for us to operate in the tribal areas of Pakistan. I would rather we were never doing business with them in the first place. India would be a much better ally.

They would be if they got up off their ass and unban the Band of The Banned! Look closely at that list. There is a Lizard on there.

re: #62 Maximu§

Imagine glowing donkeys asses that light their own way down the dark trail to Afghanistan.

There, fixed that for ya!

re: #117 Mars Needs Neocons

I work cheaper than Pakistani's.

/

I do a better job at tech support than the Indians. I handle my wife's questions. And we're still married.
Understand, she's a lawyer (criminal defense), and if the computer isn't acting right, she needs to get it fixed immediately, even if I'm at work and can't see what problem she's having.
Like I said, we're still married, so I must be doing a good job.

re: #113 Russkilitlover

Bhutto had her chance. Didn't make much of it. A lot of corruption, not a lot of strength. She was NOT the answer for Pakistan.

And I wasn't suggesting that. I guess it's pointless for me to ponder- what's done is done and there are no "what ifs".

re: #114 Alouette

I took a battery of "interest inventory" and aptitude test about 30 years ago. I remember the tester mentioned that I scored like "an Asian male" on the spatial relations test. (I am a Jewish female)

I also remember one question the examiner asked, "What is the main theme of the Book of Genesis?" I answered, "The covenant of G-D with a righteous family." He said, "I have never heard that answer before." I said, "Nobody else you tested has read past the first chapter." :)

LOL

Now of course biblical questions would get the questioner into deep shit. This is the human services industry after all. Overheard them all talking today about the presidential campaign, every single one was going for Obambi.

re: #123 Cognito

There's something creepy about gymnasts.

The seem... stunted, to me. Stuck in some prepubescent place.

Contrary to the rumors, the average age of the Chinese team is 36.

Well, I just figured out why my digital camera is always out of power. I just went thru about 200 pictures and 30 video clips of my kids picking their noses and sticking their tongues out.

re: #132 gearhead

hahaha

re: #113 Russkilitlover
WIth respect, Bhutto had TWO chances to claim power; the first time she looted the national treasury more than any of her predecessors or successors.
She posed as, and was taken by the Westerm MSM as a "democrat" when in fact she was out for her and her family first, second and last.

re: #124 Occasional Reader

De donde es?

And that confused me. I don't speak Spanish. Something about "where or what is?"

re: #120 reine.de.tout

I always keep my options open now. Stuck with too many jobs, years after I should have run away.

re: #119 paint-right

P. J. O'Rourke once wrote that;
"German is a language that was developed solely to afford the speaker the opportunity to spit at strangers under the guise of polite conversation."

Putin's on the prowl and Musharraf is leaving. I'm cold all over.

re: #136 Walter L. Newton

And that confused me. I don't speak Spanish. Something about "where or what is?"

Your last wife spoke only Spanish, and you don't speak Spanish?

Well, I guess you couldn't fight.

The question: Where is she from?

re: #139 MandyManners

Putin's on the prowl and Musharraf is leaving. I'm cold all over.

Hope !

Change !

re: #123 Cognito

There's something creepy about gymnasts.

The seem... stunted, to me. Stuck in some prepubescent place.

I love watching gymnastics, but I also remember the torment of having to DO gymnastics in gym class. I'm 5'10 and have been since I was fifteen. I did all my growing early. Trying to do gymnastics was torture. I was 10 ft. off the ground on the beam (hence my fear of heights, today, I believe) and on the unevens, I kept smashing my feet into the ground. The floor - forget it! My brother used to describe me as a giraffe on roller skates. Pretty much sums it up. Only thing I could do was run very fast in a straight line (nothing under a 440) and ride horses.

re: #133 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Well, I just figured out why my digital camera is always out of power. I just went thru about 200 pictures and 30 video clips of my kids picking their noses and sticking their tongues out.

Save them for blackmail when they're older and care about such things.
"Do what I say, or this picture of you picking your nose gets sent to your girlfriend/boyfriend"

re: #142 Russkilitlover

Coulda been a swimmer!

/Is that you, Amanda Beard?

re: #129 Kosh's Shadow

I do a better job at tech support than the Indians. I handle my wife's questions. And we're still married.
Understand, she's a lawyer (criminal defense), and if the computer isn't acting right, she needs to get it fixed immediately, even if I'm at work and can't see what problem she's having.
Like I said, we're still married, so I must be doing a good job.

No... No... I won't go there. I learned to NEVER help my last wife with computer problems. No way, to hot to handle. I couldn't get one sentence out of my mouth and she would complain that "I was talking down to her."

Well, I was, in a sense, since she didn't know what to do.

re: #130 Sharmuta

And I wasn't suggesting that. I guess it's pointless for me to ponder- what's done is done and there are no "what ifs".

I know. But her "come back" attempt was unfortunate. Just stirred an already boiling pot.

re: #138 swamprat

LOL

re: #143 Kosh's Shadow

Save them for blackmail when they're older and care about such things.
"Do what I say, or this picture of you picking your nose gets sent to your girlfriend/boyfriend"

Oh, I already got that planned. There was one heiney video, so that pretty much has her in lock down come HS.

re: #129 Kosh's Shadow

I do a better job at tech support than the Indians. I handle my wife's questions. And we're still married.
Understand, she's a lawyer (criminal defense), and if the computer isn't acting right, she needs to get it fixed immediately, even if I'm at work and can't see what problem she's having.
Like I said, we're still married, so I must be doing a good job.

I know exactly what you mean.

re: #144 Cognito

Coulda been a swimmer!

/Is that you, Amanda Beard?

Oh! I could swim, too. Big shoulders and all. But once I discovered horses, I never went for any other sport. Then I discovered boys - wow, was that a mistake! Shoulda stuck to horses!

re: #140 Occasional Reader

Your last wife spoke only Spanish, and you don't speak Spanish?

Well, I guess you couldn't fight.

The question: Where is she from?

I should have be clearer. I meant that she didn't understand any other language than Spanish. I can get by with my French. She is Pueble Indian and Spanish (Spaniards by way of Florida, not Mexico, as she so many times reminded people).

re: #151 Walter L. Newton

I should have be clearer. I meant that she didn't understand any other language than Spanish. I can get by with my French. She is Pueble Indian and Spanish (Spaniards by way of Florida, not Mexico, as she so many times reminded people).

Gee, my typing stinks tonight. Even I can smell myself.

re: #142 Russkilitlover

I love watching gymnastics, but I also remember the torment of having to DO gymnastics in gym class. I'm 5'10 and have been since I was fifteen. I did all my growing early. Trying to do gymnastics was torture. I was 10 ft. off the ground on the beam (hence my fear of heights, today, I believe) and on the unevens, I kept smashing my feet into the ground. The floor - forget it! My brother used to describe me as a giraffe on roller skates. Pretty much sums it up. Only thing I could do was run very fast in a straight line (nothing under a 440) and ride horses.

Try roller derby. It's the coming thing, no age , height nor size limits and all the fun of smash sports , but with rules and roller skates!

The names alone are worth the price of admission!

wonder when it will go Olympic?

Swamprat bites his tongue. Swamprat leaves for a bit to make tea.

re: #145 Walter L. Newton

No... No... I won't go there. I learned to NEVER help my last wife with computer problems. No way, to hot to handle. I couldn't get one sentence out of my mouth and she would complain that "I was talking down to her."

Well, I was, in a sense, since she didn't know what to do.

Don't feel so bad about that Walter...my ex-wife is the same way. And, for that matter, so was my most recent former girlfriend. She frakkin' wanted freebies for everything, including subjecting her mother to WinXP.
That's where I drew the line.

LGF got a mention in the Denver cyanide investigation.

re: #123 Cognito

There's something creepy about gymnasts.

The seem... stunted, to me. Stuck in some prepubescent place.

Something creepy about your comment. You really don't know much about the sport, Cognito.

re: #155 Macker

Don't feel so bad about that Walter...my ex-wife is the same way. And, for that matter, so was my most recent former girlfriend. She frakkin' wanted freebies for everything, including subjecting her mother to WinXP.
That's where I drew the line.

That's why I was a programmer, not a support tech.

Hey, watch the XP slams :)

re: #135 realwest

WIth respect, Bhutto had TWO chances to claim power; the first time she looted the national treasury more than any of her predecessors or successors.
She posed as, and was taken by the Westerm MSM as a "democrat" when in fact she was out for her and her family first, second and last.

Yup. She was a western media darling for a while. And it appears she was even able to cloud our state department's vision. Musharraff has been walking a tightrope for a long time with only cursory support from the US. He was our own "useful tool." Now he may be gone and we have no Plan B. Way to go State Department!

re: #158 Walter L. Newton

That's why I was a programmer, not a support tech.

Hey, watch the XP slams :)

Actually I have managed to train a fairly stubborn woman on computers. She has even been able to operate without me around. Says I'm a good teacher.

re: #156 Bobblehead

LGF got a mention in the Denver cyanide investigation.

I emailed that article to Charle's yesterday, and also emailed the reporter. They make it sound like the Dirie post was posted to LGF, which is not correct. Charles linked to an article that linked to it.

re: #139 MandyManners

Putin's on the prowl and Musharraf is leaving. I'm cold all over.

what comes around... goes around

re: #141 Shug

Hope !

Change !

AIIIIYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

roller derby, 2008

re: #146 Russkilitlover

I know. But her "come back" attempt was unfortunate. Just stirred an already boiling pot.

Spot on. She only came back after Mushararf was pushed by the US to grant her amnesty (conditional, iirc) for her looting of the Pakistani treasury. She was Prime Minister of Pakistan twice (1988–1990; 1993–1996) and she was a Shia Muslim by faith. I would very much hazaard the guess that the Jihadists had her killed, not Mush.

re: #157 The Shadow Do

Something creepy about your comment. You really don't know much about the sport, Cognito.

I didn't mean to ding you down! Oops. My apologies.

hey Lizards,long time no post for me and I missed ya all...anyone else get the feeling that we are literally watching the beginning of World War 4? the news is flying right now and,esp. if nobama is elected,this will continue...we are already being tested and the world knows that dear W. is on a short leash...one can only hope that our president is being underestimated again and can somehow temper this volatile situation...oh,and Georgia is a rest stop on the way to the real craziness coming in Pakistan and India,these people are batshit nuts...can we STILL run Cheney/Bolton?

re: #109 pat

OT
Those Chinese women gymnasts are tiny!

They are 12 or so.

re: #126 Ledger1

I cannot imagine sharing of power in Pakistan. It's to unstable.

So, if one of the two has to go which one will it be?

Well Baitullah is the Leader of the TTP Pakistan Taliban, he has a list of 300 PPP party members to die by assassination ... Zardari probably heads it. It will be interesting the next few months. I'm seeing signs that the Pakistan Army is actually going after leaders of the Taliban rather than performing mock punitive expeditions as they have in the past, so I think that PPP has realized that they've reached a "them or us" situation. The breakdown of the ANP brokered peace with the Taliban was because of a PPP poison pill in the negotiations.

re: #162 HoosierHoops

what comes around... goes around

Huh?

re: #166 MandyManners

I didn't mean to ding you down! Oops. My apologies.

It's OK. Just be sure to down ding cog while your at it.

re: #165 realwest

A one-armed-paper-hanger. That's been Musharraff for the past 10 years. I really marvel that he is still alive. And if anyone deserves amnesty and a place of rest, I believe, it is him.

re: #169 Thanos Hey my friend - as long as your prognosticating, who do you think will come out on top - no matter how temporary that may be - in the immediate future?

Nothing against Bela Karolyi, but he REALLY needs subtitles.

re: #172 Russkilitlover
Yeah, I mean - just seems to be traditional that the leader of Paki loots the treasury, so if he can get out and find a safe haven, he'll be more than "OK"! LOL!
But I really don't think the Army is gonna let him be impeached, arrested or jailed - he has too many long and deep (read: he helped make 'em rich) friends in the Paki military - for that to happen.

re: #84 buzzsawmonkey

Al Qaedi, Al Qaeda
Al Qaedi, Al Q--hahahahahahaha
Al Qaedi, Al Qaeda
My nuke-sack on my back.

Disney! At the 2:05 mark.

re: #169 Thanos

Well Baitullah is the Leader of the TTP Pakistan Taliban, he has a list of 300 PPP party members to die by assassination ... Zardari probably heads it. It will be interesting the next few months. I'm seeing signs that the Pakistan Army is actually going after leaders of the Taliban rather than performing mock punitive expeditions as they have in the past, so I think that PPP has realized that they've reached a "them or us" situation. The breakdown of the ANP brokered peace with the Taliban was because of a PPP poison pill in the negotiations.

Without a strong leader, with world experience, Pakistan could be one weak leader after another (like Lebanon) until falling to the group that can organize the best (like Lebanon). And they will have Nukes (UN-like Lebanon). I can see the US/India going in to get those nukes in the event of chaos.

re: #169 Thanos

Well Baitullah is the Leader of the TTP Pakistan Taliban, he has a list of 300 PPP party members to die by assassination ... Zardari probably heads it. It will be interesting the next few months. I'm seeing signs that the Pakistan Army is actually going after leaders of the Taliban rather than performing mock punitive expeditions as they have in the past, so I think that PPP has realized that they've reached a "them or us" situation. The breakdown of the ANP brokered peace with the Taliban was because of a PPP poison pill in the negotiations.

/translation, Pakistani atomic armament will not fall to the Al Qaeda/Taliban, we're in that deep

re: #5 Killgore Trout

Anyone know what happens to Pakistan's nukes? I assume they are under the control of whoever takes over.

I believe in the first few weeks of the Afghan war, a "deal" was supposed to have been made to "secure" the weapons with the US....Have heard differing versions since then...

Here's the good news...

Armageddon is that much closer...and I think we will kick ass and take names.

/btw...I just noticed a VISA ad during the olympics that said "Go World!"
Screw a damn s.o.b. corp. that can't even root for its home country.

re: #175 realwest

Musharraff is one Paki leader who I haven't heard a lot about looting the treasury. I really believe he has been trying to keep a lid on his volatile country and figure out what the Hell to do. The US has been an on-again, off-again help to him. But even though I was trepidatious at his coup, I have been hopeful of his pragmatism. Now? Who knows? It could be a wide open field.

If he was our ' main ally', then I guess Ahmadinejhad is our good buddy.
Mushy talked out of both sides, grinning at us while he was winking at Al Quaeda
' shhhh, carry on, kids, but keep it down, will ya.... your Dad will be so mad if he finds out I let you party down here'

I love the atheleticism of the gymnasts but I hate it that it seems so much of olympics coverage is devoted to it.

and in the winter it's all ice dancing and figure skating.

So I am watching reruns of To Catch a Predator instead

re: #179 Marvo76

I believe in the first few weeks of the Afghan war, a "deal" was supposed to have been made to "secure" the weapons with the US....Have heard differing versions since then...

/say no more

re: #19 Maximu§

True, than they can hack each other up instead attacking neighboring countries.

It may be that India will take care of the problem since it is their baliwick....good thing we are negotiating a "nuke" deal with them

re: #182 tradewind

If he was our ' main ally', then I guess Ahmadinejhad is our good buddy.
Mushy talked out of both sides, grinning at us while he was winking at Al Quaeda
' shhhh, carry on, kids, but keep it down, will ya.... your Dad will be so mad if he finds out I let you party down here'

I don't think you are correct. Musharaff has been trying to keep his region from exploding.

btw - please don't call him "Mushy," that is so completely disrespectful. I'd like to see YOU in his position.

re: #27 Walter L. Newton

I can assume that Pakistan has the means to deliver those nukes? Anyone know about range, types of systems?

Space wars has been publishing several articles about their various missle tests in the last few years, that might be one place to look or if you have a subscription to Jane's defense weekly....

Where is Pervez going to live the rest of his life?

re: #188 Attaboid

Where is Pervez going to live the rest of his life?

I hear Miami is nice...

re: #188 Attaboid

Where is Pervez going to live the rest of his life?

Saudi Arabia? The Riviera? Monaco?

re: #156 Bobblehead

LGF got a mention in the Denver cyanide investigation.

Sister: Denver Cyanide Man "Not Terrorist". Why? Because He Was a Muslim. "He was not a terrorist," Dirie's sister told CanWest News Service on Wednesday from the family home in Ottawa. "We don't want to hear that word. It is against our religion."

[Link: mypetjawa.mu.nu...]

She must think we are idiots.

re: #38 Killgore Trout

Sorry hadn't scrolled down that far to see this...good info!

re: #181 Russkilitlover
Well my two Pakistani friends down here (each of whom has family - quite a large number of family members actually - still in Pakistan, said the reason Mush was able to hold on as long as he did was because he didn't steal EVERYTHING that wasn't nailed down...........until he was pressured into letting Bhutto back and then he just went crazy on stealing the public funds. Course they each told me that that's a way of life in Pakistan (btw, one of them is a US Citizen - since way before 9/11 - and had family members injured in the bombing in Lahore yesterday. Fortunately they are gonna be ok, but he told me that in Lahore, folks were lucky to get 5 hours of electricity a day - that none of the Presidents or Prime Ministers there were able to really get substantial "Public" (as we understand that word) backing, because they spent such comparatively small amounts of money on Paki's infrastructure).

re: #188 Attaboid

Where is Pervez going to live the rest of his life?

Reno. Under the name of Pablo Fernandez, proprietor of Pablo's Wedding Chapel and Free WiFi.

So, I went to bed, got a full nights sleep, woke up because I heard the dog - and now I find it is not quite midnight! Going to be a long night.

We're so screwed.

re: #193 realwest

A damn shame to be sure. For a country to so neglect its people for a spotlight on the world stage.

re: #188 Attaboid

Where is Pervez going to live the rest of his life?

Crawford Texas.

re: #179 Marvo76

I believe in the first few weeks of the Afghan war, a "deal" was supposed to have been made to "secure" the weapons with the US....Have heard differing versions since then...

The USA contributed $100M to create a terrorist safe system. It likely involves passcards, combinations, keys and codes. Likely a four person entry to remove and arm. I would guess the money was evenly divided between construction and security. We did the same for the Ruskis during the cold war, most people don't know that.

re: #179 Marvo76

The US /read 'State'/ always assumed that the ChiComs were in charge of Pakistan's nukes, and wouldn't let them get too carried away with India.
At least that's what one conventional wisdom used to read.
That Realpolitik not looking so smart right now.
.......Oh great.... SciFi channel is playing ' The Day After' .... and the info says it's some retro film about the Russians nuking us over East/West Germany thing.
Line: ' They just hit one of our ships in the Persian Gulf '.
And this flick was made in 1983.....

re: #197 Russkilitlover

A damn shame to be sure. For a country Obama to so neglect its his people for a spotlight on the world stage.

Just a general change that still holds true. Especially since so many of his people are under the bus now.

re: #196 Lynn B.

We're so screwed.

You got a mouse in your pocket?

re: #173 realwest

Hey my friend - as long as your prognosticating, who do you think will come out on top - no matter how temporary that may be - in the immediate future?

Zardari if he lives.

re: #196 Lynn B.
Why do you say that?

Say Goodnight, Pervez

And moi, aussie.

'Night all. Hope we're not in a shootin' war with Russia in the am.

re: #191 pat

[Link: mypetjawa.mu.nu...]

She must think we are idiots.

Following the links at your link, did you know that the hotel they found the cyanide guy in starts at $199 a night?

[Link: wizbangblog.com...]

re: #198 Mich-again
LOL! If he moves to Crawford, they'd better triple up on Bush's Secret Service protection!

re: #206 galloping granny

Following the links at your link, did you know that the hotel they found the cyanide guy in starts at $199 a night?

[Link: wizbangblog.com...]

I saw that. Pretty fancy for no sheet change.

I don't know what we're all so worried about. We could live in Britain - it looks like they have a really big (no pun intended) problem! /

Obesity poses as grave a threat to Britain and the NHS as terrorism, a Government adviser has warned. 'The threat to our future health is just as significant as the current security threat.'

re: #186 Russkilitlover

Oh what ev...
Bhuttos' are thinking ' payback's a bitch'......

He said this 10 days after taking over in October 1999.

I dont panic, I am not scared. I have faced death many times. Last time was when I was 7 minutes away from death on Oct 12 1999. I am only scared of God. God has brought me to this point. God has chosen me for leading this country. He will protect and help me.

This movie is suddenly scaring me. Just something about those nukes streaking across the farm country spooking the horses as they spew up out of the silos......

re: #170 MandyManners

Huh?

that didn't come out right..sorry

re: #208 pat

I saw that. Pretty fancy for no sheet change.

That it is. Also pretty high ticket for a Somali immigrant. Much of the population seems to be involved in taxi driving or chicken processing.

BTW, I checked out the cost of that sodium cyanide. Not very spendy. But it does not come as a powder, and it is a restricted chemical. Takes 15-30 days to get approval to buy the stuff. If you get approval. Doesn't seem that a Somali immigrant would qualify for approval - at least not without some serious chops in the scientific community, which should have appeared in the story by now.

[Link: www.sciencelab.com...]

re: #209 Killer Tomato

I don't know what we're all so worried about. We could live in Britain - it looks like they have a really big (no pun intended) problem! /

either that or they are trying to get everyone to tighten their belts since rations are gonna get real short real soon...

re: #214 galloping granny

but his family said he wasn't a terrorist because it was against his religion.

Don't forget it got pretty nasty in Somalia in the last year or so. The name Saleman is from one particular Somalian clan that didn't do so well in the gang war.

re: #51 Maximu§

Only from the back seat of a cab.
The Somalians are more polite, and the Nigerians are better drivers.

re: #216 pegcity

Yeah, and there is no compulsion in Islam........

I guess we can thank Great Britian for chopping up India and creating this fucked up Islamic den of shit.

re: #211 Mich-again
Hey Mich - who said that?

re: #220 astronmr20
Not to mention Israel and the Palestinian protectorate.
Yeah, the Brit's have a lot of explaining to do!

re: #222 realwest

Not to mention Israel and the Palestinian protectorate.
Yeah, the Brit's have a lot of explaining to do!

Well,

Iran, Iraq, etc.

I've managed to hook up a bit of computer time during lunch break between subjects today.

I see life isn't really getting better. >_>

re: #220 astronmr20

I guess we can thank Great Britian for chopping up India and creating this fucked up Islamic den of shit.

Yup - along with virtually all of the problems in the middle and near East.

Rare footage.

/feel free to move against what happened

Rare footage.

/feel free to move against what happened

This could be good. Our "special" relationship with Musharraf was inhibbiting the military action we could take in Pakistan.

When he goes the situation will be ambiguous enough for us to flood over the border into Waziristan and kick ass (we'll call it "restoring law and order" - hell the Russians can get away with it).

It would be nice if, as a parting act, Musharraf actually invited us in after his resignation.

re: #188 Attaboid

Where is Pervez going to live the rest of his life?

I heard he has Georgia on his mind.

Our 'special' relationship with Pakistan is based upon their nuclear weapons and the decision that Al Quaeda could get it's hands on nukes and a subcontinental nuclear war is in no ones interest. The latter is not necessarily true.
Many people forget that Pakistan was originally reluctant to agree with US policy re Afghanistan. It was threatened directly. Either let us help you secure those nukes or they will be destroyed. India was informed. Naturally India preferred the latter, but it was not willing to help us out, was it?

re: #231 pat

Our 'special' relationship with Pakistan is based upon their nuclear weapons and the decision that Al Quaeda could get it's hands on nukes and a subcontinental nuclear war is in no ones interest. The latter is not necessarily true.

/say no more

There is room to hope that whatever new leadership takes charge in Pakistan, the reality of having nukes will be sobering. Having them puts you at greater risk of getting hit with them, after all...nobody is going to retaliate with nukes if you don't get them mad by using nukes first, and you can't do that if you don't have them.

Those things are scary, and grownups walk carefully when touring a dynamite warehouse. It's a lot easier to talk big when nothing really rides on your talk. When the mantle of leadership and responsibility descend, whoever takes charge will probably be more cautious than they've been while maneuvering for the top slot.

For our part, we should keep the rhetoric sober and restrained. It's deceptively easy to talk big on the internet. Fortunately and unfortunately, what we say here can have consequences.

re: #157 The Shadow Do

Something creepy about your comment. You really don't know much about the sport, Cognito.

I never claimed to know anything about gymnastics. But that's a ridiculous prerequisite.

I'm commenting on the people themselves. And it just so happens that I'm a person. Prerequisite filled.

And I'm sorry, there's something creepy to me about tiny, heavily muscled young women who speak in squeaky little girls' voices.

No special knowledge of the sport required.

re: #5 Killgore Trout

Anyone know what happens to Pakistan's nukes? I assume they are under the control of whoever takes over.

We outsource Armageddon to India.

The political parties in Pakistan are highly corrupt, and lack the confidence of the people. That said, Pakistan is a democracy. Extremists Muslims are numerous in Pakistan, but probably not a majority. (The ISI (Pakistani secret intelligence service), which is supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan, is a separate, and difficult, problem).

The real question is how hard the democratic, pro-Western parties will fight. Although flawed in some respects, Bhutto sacrificed her life for pro-western democracy. How many others are prepared to do so?

re: #234 Cognito

"Creepy" isn't the right word. What's weird about the Chinese gymnasts is that they're underage. Basically, they are very talented prepubescents. A friend of mine who is a former gymnast told me what no one will say publicly (the subtext behind the complaints that the Chinese female gymnasts are underage):

Size matters in gymnastics, but in reverse. The smaller you are, the faster and more easily you can maneuver your body mass. China's use of small, underage girls on its gymnastics team was cheating, not specifically because of their being underage, but because it enabled China to compete with a group of girls who have the advantage of smaller size.

China is the host country, and no one will articulate this. Instead, we're hearing vague complaints about "underage". Who said cheaters never prosper?

re: #10 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Best we can hope for, civil war and a military coup taking over

Kragar -

More or less, you have recited the History of Pakistan - where history repeats itself with a stammer. Hopefully better luck this time.

-S-

Goodnight, Pervez

Credit where credit is due. He is leaving while still breathing. More than you can say for most folks that have run Pakistan.

re: #109 pat

OT
Those Chinese women gymnasts are tiny!

Yeah, most 10 year old girls are......

Oh, silly me, I meant 16 year old girls...

/roll eyes

Maybe it's time for the US and UK to send in the Gurkas and spec ops guys.

re: #51 Maximu§

Anyone here know any Pakistani's?

I know this thread is dead, but I worked with a Pakistani intern at a company I worked for a few years ago. He was a Pakistani Christian, who I turned on to LGF, actually. He loved it...heh. He always talked about how much he dreaded to ever have to return to Pakistan; how the Muslim discrimination against Christians was unbearable. He told me how Muslim women would spit in your face and push you into the street if you walked near them. As a Christian, you need to keep your eyes looking down at the sidewalk, and always walk on the opposite side of the road from a Muslim.

Last I heard from him, he was about to get sent back to Pakistan, since his papers were messed up somehow. He was a good guy.

re: #243 Pyrocles

I know this thread is dead, but I worked with a Pakistani intern at a company I worked for a few years ago. He was a Pakistani Christian, who I turned on to LGF, actually. He loved it...heh. He always talked about how much he dreaded to ever have to return to Pakistan; how the Muslim discrimination against Christians was unbearable. He told me how Muslim women would spit in your face and push you into the street if you walked near them. As a Christian, you need to keep your eyes looking down at the sidewalk, and always walk on the opposite side of the road from a Muslim.

Last I heard from him, he was about to get sent back to Pakistan, since his papers were messed up somehow. He was a good guy.

If you can find your Pakistani freind, have him change his name to Pedro, and have him re-enter through Nogales or El Paso.

the countdown just ticked once more