Winning Hearts and Minds....

Assholes.

Via Boing Boing: Iraqi children run desperately for water bottle held by soldier

Via CNET News: Report: Pentagon investigates YouTube video of U.S. troops

The U.S. Department of Defense is investigating at least two video clips that appear to show American soldiers in an unfavorable light during contacts with Iraqi children, according to a report in the British newspaper, the Metro.

A clip found on YouTube titled "Iraqi Kid Runs For Water" appears to show U.S. soldiers amusing themselves by watching children chase their truck in the hope the soldiers will make good on their offer of a water bottle.

"You want some water? Keep running," shouts a soldier, who laughs at the scampering boys. He asks, presumably whoever is taping the scene "Are you getting this?"

And from 10 Zen Monkeys [hat tip Boing Boing] - Is Iraq really THAT bad?

This roundup of YouTube clips is meant to give a small sense of what it’s like for the people who are killing and getting killed in Iraq — a view that, limited as it is, one can’t possibly get from the mainstream newsmedia.

It's the holidays, do something good.

And if you're already doing something good... well, do another thing good.

It's a mitzvah. It'll get you into heaven. It'll help your karma.

Whatever works for you.

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The JET Mid Year Seminar

Still not entirely sure how it happened, but I ended up presenting a workshop at the Sasaguri JET midyear seminar - "Language Activities to Foster Basic and Practical Communication Abilities."

The mountains of Sasaguri...

During the workshop, having cleverly distracted the 40-odd JETs and Japanese Teachers with cunningly disguised "activities", Kathy and I took a break for a photo op. Kathy was responsible for doing nearly all things Japanese for the workshop, and I owe her a sincere debt of gratitude for all her co-presenting/moderating/language help. What this means is she's entitled to have me assassinate one person of her choosing, no questions asked, at a time and place to be determined. Or something.

Fellow reprobate Bobby, who tries to convince everybody he's all noble and "Christian" [Hi Bobby!] was kind enough to give me, Kathy and Tim a lift to and fro from Sasaguri, so to pay him back we took him out to eat the last day of the seminar.

We ended up going to a place he knew called [wait for it]... Chili Joe! "The best mexican food in Fukuoka." And it truly was. Mexican, tex-mex and all that kinda thing is a rarity here in the land of the Rising Sun, so to find a restaurant that makes great mexican food - homemade salsa and guacamole, lots of sour cream, burritos, chimichangas... the works. My new favorite restaurant. [For the name alone... CHILI JOE!!!!!]

No man takes my quesadilla. And lives.

Any restaurant with a giant chili on the wall? With a mustache? Two big thumbs up!!!! Sandy and I went back on Friday and indulged as well, it was so good...