January 11, 2008

"I invite all the people to enjoy peace, because the snow means peace."

It snowed in Baghdad, where no one remembers ever seeing snow. Symbolism was perceived:
"It's a sign of hope. We hope Iraqis will purify their hearts and politicians will work for the prosperity of all Iraqis."

36 comments:

Hoosier Daddy said...

See Bush failed again. I bet none of our troops have the appropriate winter clothing. I have no doubt the Brutal Bagdahd winter will have our troops in full retreat akin to Napoleon fleeing from Moscow.

Ron said...

Imagine using your shovel for removing something other than shell casings! How novel!


...and a million 'snowball fight' jokes come to mind...

Snow angels? Just don't go there...

Peter V. Bella said...

Allah Gore is on the way to investigate whther the anomaly is evidence of US contributions to Global Warming and climate change. He will be handing out copies of the Goran to Iraqis.

Anonymous said...

If it can snow in Baghdad, Hell can freeze over.

Peter V. Bella said...

It is nice that a traffic cop is cowering to avoid snow instead of shrapnel and bullets. It is heartening that Iraqis consider snow a sigh of peace. It is soulful that Iraqis are saying enjoy peace because snow means peace; instead of kill the yankee occupiers.

Roger J. said...

Ummmmm: did all the comedy writers who were on strike move to this blog to keep their skills honed? I mean, Trooper York, Titus, and now Hoosier and middle class guy coming on strong. Whats up with that? (I know keep a towel by monitory to wipe up coffee).

Henry said...

It does mean peace.

A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.

James Joyce, The Dead

Kirby Olson said...

Innocence.

Chip Ahoy said...

How lovely, the purity of it all.

Now that they have snow they can probably use a little Frost.

There's a patch of old snow in a corner
That I should have guessed
Was a blow-away paper the rain
Had brought to rest.

It is speckled with grime as if
Small print overspread it,
The news of a day I've forgotten --
If I ever read it.

MadisonMan said...

Coincidentally, it also snowed in Madison. But here, it didn't mean peace, it meant shoveling.

Irene Done said...

Odd -- I just finished reading Paglia's column and was thinking about her comment on weather: "Catastrophic weather is built into the American experience. Europeans, with their more moderate, predictable weather, rarely have our terrifying encounters with the sublime. It may be one source, aside from Christian fundamentalism, of the American instinct for the apocalyptic."

bill said...

Snow Days, Trip Shakespeare

It's coming down
Slow day for the teacher
And her wheels are spinning now
On account of winter, Mrs. Braintree
All the roads are closed
And the stores are loot for vagabonds

Peter V. Bella said...

Questions:

Are snowballs in the hands of Iraqis considered weapons?

How would they decorate a snowman?

What is Iraqi for Frosty?

Do they have a luge or bob sledding team?

Just curious?

KCFleming said...

The snow brings a moment of peace and clarity.

Though they have promises to keep,
And miles to go before they sleep.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Are snowballs in the hands of Iraqis considered weapons?

Only if they put grenades in them.

What is Iraqi for Frosty?

Daiquri, with a twist of course.

Do they have a luge or bob sledding team?

No but I heard they are working on putting together a figure skating troupe. Tonya Harding supposedly is being approched for the coaching job.

Someone needs to tell them not believe any GI who are selling lemon snowcones.

Bob said...

The Iraqis know about snow. The north up in Irbil gets snow eavery winter. But Baghdad usually gets cold drizzle. And yes our troops get good cold weather gear. Its just we can't find it after being roasted all summer long.

Roger J. said...

Snow in Baghdad on the first anniversary of "the surge." Interesting indeed. Say--has anyone heard from Harry Reid? and how is that civil war going? and anyone remember the Lancet study? how about that Anbar province--soon to be turned over to Iraqi control. Amazing what the passage of time does to predictions.

Peter V. Bella said...

Hoosier Daddy,
Ya got me.

Trooper York said...

Frosty the Baghdad Snowman: Is there a thermometer around here?
Abdul: Over there in the wall. No that is an IED.
Frosty: the Baghdad Snowman: Oh no, I think I am in trouble?
Abdul: Why is that?
Frosty the Baghdad Snowman: Because I am a Sunni Snowman, I don’t know if
I am going to melt first or have them blow up my frosty ass.
Abdul: Well at least you can get to paradise and meet up with some virgin snow.
Frosty the Baghdad Snowman: I should have moved to Brooklyn with my cousin
Achmed the Snowman. We could have had an Italian ice cart together.
Abdul: Later for you, infidel snow creature. I am going to hang out with Ruhi the
Red Nosed Reindeer. He is at least a Shiite. You are just in the Shite.
(Frosty the Baghdad Snowman, Al Jazeera 2008)

Peter V. Bella said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Peter V. Bella said...

Baghdad
Akmud Hussein
Exclusive
Moslem News Service

Violence broke out in Baghdad this afternoon. The peace that the snow was to bring turned in to religious furor and violence. American G.I.s, ignoring Moslem culture, built two snowpeople in a courtyard in front of their headquarters. One was male, one was female. They were scantily adorned in western type garments; hats and scarves only. They were placed close together, with their limbs touching.

Angry Molsem crowds converged on the square lead by Imam Mudhut Joub. The were armed with rocks and stones of various sizes. They immediately stoned the snowwoman and beat the snowman to pieces.

The Imam and crowd were aroused because the snowwoman was not clad in hajib. “The law is the law. Koran is explicit on this.” The Imam wailed. When they tried to storm the headquarters, young Americans repelled their attacks with snow balls while taking cover in snow forts. The crowd was disbursed. No Americans were injured.

A military spokesman said a good time was had by all.

Trooper York said...

(a Charley Buni Christmas in Baghdad)
Lucy Van Pelt Azziz: You're the innkeeper's wife.
Frieda Asaad: Do innkeeper's wives have naturally curly hair?
Lucy Van Pelt Azziz: They might but we wouldn’t be able to see if you were wearing your burkha you infidel whore. Peppermint Habibah, get the stones we must punish this abomination.
Charley Buni: Good Grief. Allllaaaa aaalllla aaakkkka!

Hoosier Daddy said...

AlGore: Great Gaia! Snow in Bagdad! This is intolerable I know the administration is behind this! I must consult the Goracle! (begins chanting) Ohm mani patri ohm...

Mother Earth: Yes?

AlGore: Mother Earth! Oh Giver of Life, Nurturer of all Living….

Mother Earth: Yeah yeah yeah, what do you want? Kinda busy here. I have a couple of scheduled eruptions, a typhoon and some I’m debating on a 65% chance of precipitation over Central Texas in the next day so I do have things to attend to.

AlGore: Mother Earth! I am convinced that the Bush/Cheney regime, the ones who usurped my ascension to the Presidency, have built a weather machine and are making in snow in Bagdad! I’m sure Haliburton has the contract and Blackwater is running the machine!!

Mother Earth: You’re kidding me.

AlGore: No! It’s really happening. I think they’re doing it to convince the Iraqis that snow is pure and peace should prevail but more so to discredit me and the consensus on climate change!!

Mother Earth: Al, I’m 4.5 billion years old, think of climate change as a sort of global menopause.

AlGore: But its getting too warm!!

Mother Earth: It’s called a hot flash you idiot! Once it passes I’ll turn into a frigid old bird like Tipper. The only hot air doing any damage is coming out of your pie hole. Weather machine my Grand Canyon. Bush couldn’t screw in a light-bulb standing on a merry go round and Cheney is too busy checking his blood pressure every 15 minutes to worry about anything else. Why not write a book on how not to lose an election and quit wasting my time?

AlGore: Bu….buuu..ttt….Mother Earth!!!!

Mother Earth: I think I can fit a sinkhole in Tennessee sometime this week…..

Anonymous said...

Democracy! Whiskey! Snowy!

Trooper York said...

Oh the people outside are frightful,
But the burning cars are so delightful,
And since we've got bombs to blow,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

The war doesn't show signs of ending,
And I've bought some caps for popping,
The expectations are turned way down low,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,
How I'll hate going out in the surge
But if you'll really are not my shiite,
On the way home I'll be purged.

The car fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're out bombing,
But as long as you love me so,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

(Baghdad Winter Wonderland)

Roger J. said...

Trooper wins the thread

Original Mike said...

Snow??? You call that snow?

Hoosier Daddy said...

Trooper wins the thread

Ditto. Hard to top that one.

Trooper York said...

Now, now we still have to hear from several of the other comedians on Althouse. I mean what about Doyle and hdhouse. They have to be kidding, don't ya think? Plus Cedarford has to put it all in perspective and let us know how the snow is the fault of the Jews. So let’s get all the votes counted before we declare a winner, this isn’t Florida after all.

Anonymous said...

Trooper is in the "Zone" today.

Peter V. Bella said...

Roger said...
Trooper wins the thread

Recount! I want a recount. There were chads and some guy named Diebold rigged the whole thing, then some UFOs came and stole some ballot boxes.

I demand a recount now or, or, or...



I will stamp my feet, pound my fist on the table, and, and,and...

Christ, do I sound like a Democrat or what?

blake said...

Middle Class Guy wins the "Most Likely To Be Kucinich" award.

You lose the race but gain a hot wife.

Peter V. Bella said...

O Christ! Just what I need. I finally got over the last wife!

Roger J. said...

OK--just how DID Kucinich pull that off?

John Stodder said...

The new Baghdad theme song. Take it away, Dino:

Ahhhh, it's a marshmallow world in the winter,
When the snow comes to cover the ground.
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,
I wait for it the whole year round!

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly,
In the arms of the evergreen trees;
And the sun is red like a pumpkin head,
It's shining so your nose won't freeze!

The world is your snowball, see how it grows,
That's how it goes, whenever it snows.
The world is your snowball just for a song,
Get out and roll it along!

It's a yum-yummy world made for sweethearts,
Take a walk with your favorite girl.
It's a sugar date, so what if spring is late,
In winter it's a marshmallow world!

It's a marshmallow day in the winter,
When the snow comes to cover the ground.
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,
And we wait for it the whole year round!

Just you remember that,

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly,
In the arms of the evergreen trees;
And the sun is red like a pumpkin head,
It's shining so your nose won't freeze!

You must remember that,

The world is your snowball, see how it grows,
That's how it goes whenever it snows.
The world is your snowball just for a song,
Get out and roll it along!

It's a yum-yummy world made for sweethearts,
Take a walk with your favorite girl.
It's a sugary date, so what if spring is late,
In winter it's a marshmallow world.

Unknown said...

God bless them all.