Mosul Fights Back

It figures--you post a Christmas tune, and it's followed by a horrific suicide bombing in a mess hall. My own observations of this are as follows:

• 99% of the good folks in Mosul are still happy that Saddam isn't in power. The other 1% had their privileged position stripped from them, and they hate us for it.
• Once in a great while, the rats get lucky, but their rate of survival is Zero. (The mathematical concept of Zero was invented by the Arabs)
• Mosul is fighting back, both Americans and Iraqis. What Al Jazeera doesn't want you to know is that we are winning, and Iraq will have elections as scheduled.
• America's own history is somewhat parallel to what we are experiencing here. Remember Valley Forge and the struggle for independence? What most Americans forget is that Washington lost several thousand revolutionary troops to the elements. His circumstances were much graver than what we are facing in Mosul, and he won.
• The enemy is in it for personal gain, through any means possible. The thought that everyone in Iraq will have a free voice and equal access to the blessings of liberty is repugnant to them.

It's tough, but things worth achieving usually are. Stand by your troops no matter what.

--GT

Joy to the World

(Fiddle) Nice one to tinker around with on the fiddle. In fact, all the Christmas tunes are fun to tinker with.

It was chilly in my palace office this morning, so it's a bit short!

Time for Christmas Tunes

Ah, December. Time to break out the Christmas tunes. This time last year, I had played fiddle at a Christmas play at a church. Now that nearly a whole year has passed in Iraq, it's time to expand the repertoire.

The Christmas tunes this year will be played in the foyer of Uday and Qusay Hussein's old palace in Mosul. It's called "Qasr Arimeh" (Castle of Spears--the pointy kind, not the Brittany Spears kind). It's vaguely gratifying to play traditional Christmas tunes on a plaintive ol' fiddle in a castle that was originally erected to gratify the excesses of a couple of ruthless (and now dead) Iraqi gangsters. How the wheel turns.

I've downloaded MIDI tunes to all my favorites, and am systematically getting them under control on the fiddle (my definition of "under control" is recognizable to the average listener). Everything comes out with a Celtic or Bluegrass flavor, which is of course by design. :)

I have about a dozen to record, ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is already posted), so keep your eyes peeled.

Mosul, Iraq could use peace on earth, and good will toward men right now! That's why we're here...

Cheers,
GT