Big Ol' Smitty

WTF is this?

http://gottheeinternet.ytmnd.com/

Legit good news. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/commo...55E1702,00.html

I liked his 2004 solo album.

Pentagon: Iraqi troops downgraded No Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The only Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support has been downgraded to a level requiring them to fight with American troops backing them up, the Pentagon said Friday. The battalion, made up of 700 to 800 Iraqi Army soldiers, has repeatedly been offered by the U.S. as an example of the growing independence of the Iraqi military. The competence of the Iraqi military has been cited as a key factor in when U.S. troops will be able to return home. "As we see more of these Iraqi forces in the lead, we will be able to continue with our stated strategy that says as Iraqi forces stand up, we will stand down," President Bush said last month. (Full story) The battalion, according to the Pentagon, was downgraded from "level one" to "level two" after a recent quarterly assessment of its capabilities. "Level one" means the battalion is able to fight on its own; "level two" means it requires support from U.S. troops; and "level three" means it must fight alongside U.S. troops. Though officials would not cite a specific reason for downgrading the unit, its readiness level has dropped in the wake of a new commander and numerous changes in the combat and support units, officials said. The battalion is still deployed, and its status as an independent fighting force could be restored any day, Pentagon officials said. It was not clear where the battalion is operating within Iraq. According to the congressionally mandated Iraq security report released Friday, there are 53 Iraqi battalions at level two status, up from 36 in October. There are 45 battalions at level three, according to the report. Overall, Pentagon officials said close to 100 Iraqi army battalions are operational, and more than 100 Iraq Security Force battalions are operational at levels two or three. The security force operations are under the direction of the Iraqi government. The numbers are roughly the same as those given by the president last month when he said 125 Iraqi combat battalions were fighting the insurgency, 50 of them taking the lead. "In January 2006, the mission is to continue to hand over more and more territory and more and more responsibility to Iraqi forces," Bush said. "That's progress." http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/...=cnn_topstories

What Mos Def and Talib Kweli have you heard? Mos only has the two solo albums, and they were all pretty good. I definitely wouldn't describe them as "major misfires". Kweli's "Quality" and "The Beautiful Struggle" were both very listenable, too. Their "Blackstar" album was fucking great. If you want to try some edgier conscious hip-hop, I would give Dead Prez, The Coup, and/or Immortal Technique a spin. Also, "Stay Fly" by 3-6 is good. Jeezy is shit.

We need more threads with Matt Young's expert political analysis.

Oh, Fox.

Even evil Muslim barbarians, I3K?

We have a bill banning abortion pending in Kentucky, too.

Take that back! na NA na NA

Hmm...perhaps I should reconsider...

Hi!

For some reason I'm really psyched about this game. I'm reluctant to get back into an MMORPG (haven't played one since Everquest about 4 years ago) because of grad school, girlfriend, etc. But for some reason I think I'm going to end up buying this and playing it. A lot. Edit: SHIT! Wrong folder! Sorry!

There's more than 18-24 of us!

That mosque that got bombed was one of the holiest sites in Shi'ite theology. The remains of 2 of the 11 Shi'ite imams were there. A lot of people ain't gon' be happy.

Or his "Matt Young" account.

Why so prickish? Do you post "big" articles?

Bryant Gumble makes Malcolm X look like Wayne Brady?!?

A person in perfect physical condition and a person in a wheelchair are entering a building. You ignore the person in the wheelchair (maybe even mock them a little bit) and lay down your coat so the other guy doesn't step in a puddle.

So was the story about your friend holding the door real?

Sens. Biden & Brownback are sponsoring legislation to send NATO troops to assist the AU. Bush has also been talking more about Darfur lately. So things are looking up for those of us who would like to see something done.

Liberalism at its finest!