Hurrah for 2 years of you guys! I forward links to Aqoul more than to any other blog, that's for certain.

A couple of random things to offer.

First, this from the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/30/AR2007083001848.html

For some reason, I found this article hilarious. It descrbes the administrations efforts to spin congressional delegations visiting Iraq . . . with somewhat limited success.

But even such tight control could not always filter out the bizarre world inside the barricades. At one point, the three were trying to discuss the state of Iraqi security forces with Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, but the large, flat-panel television set facing the official proved to be a distraction. Rubaie was watching children's cartoons.

When Moran asked him to turn it off, Rubaie protested with a laugh and said, "But this is my favorite television show," Moran recalled.

Porter confirmed the incident, although he tried to paint the scene in the best light, noting that at least they had electricity.

At sort of the other end of the spectrum, I ran across this blog, which I found disturbingly banal.

http://livesstrong.blogspot.com/

That's an awesome statement to the quality of Iraqi government.