After reading recent discussion by some Iraq bloggers re future implications for women in Iraq, i have done some other reading and found this A Thermodynamic Interpretation of History; Chapter 4 The Liberation of Women which is an interesting read if you take the time.

Notes; The article fails to mention that the point of stasis desired by the nation state is the point at which all adults are independent enough to have their own incomes and so be able to consume sufficiently to keep the economy afloat, but to also be dependent enough on each other to raise children, for children are both future consumers and also current valuable pressure points for marketers of consumable goods.

The article also fails to mention that once women have attained their happy autonomy and are working and dating as "free floating sharks" they have less time to reproduce. So, the population begins to decline, in turn meaning there are less consumers, in turn meaning less is consumed, in turn threatening profits, in turn threatening the survival of capitalism/ the nation state. So, capitalism/ the nation state develops into a sequence of fluctuating degrees of freedom, where freedom is let out on a leash where desirable and pulled back to the kennel when not.

But, the future need not be grim, so long as people become aware of the forces that are shaping their lives there is also the chance to in turn shape those forces to ones own advantage.

BTW, if you are busting to make a comment (I can't think why, seeing as not much is going on in this blog right now) please accept Iraq Blog Counts deepest apologies but the shoutbox provided (free) by Activetopic seems to have a complete life of it own and keeps vanishing. Perhaps if there were more visitors or if anyone showed particular concern about the provision of a more committed comments facility, then Iraq Blog Count would look into other alternatives.

In fact, guess what, i think i'll hold a referendum about it.

Those in favour of better comments facilities please say Aye, those opposed, you can say Nay. Now send your vote to; email Iraq Blog Count

(If there are no votes there will probably be no change).

There are some interesting recent posts at Hammorabi including;

- Situation in Iraq - political geology and atmospherics.

- Who is Ali Sistani?

- Discussion over the fate of ratholes, plus pictures.

- And excellent pics of a silver Lyre and a 2000 year old Electric Cell able to produce two volts found near Baghdad.

Iraq Blog Count is bored. There are no new Iraq blogs to count, or maybe there are but they are way of the radar and exist in a dimension entirely of their own, which nobody else (nobody = Emigre, seeing as Emigre is a nobody) knows about.

There are no new Iraq blogs to count. Nearly even cheated and counted a Kurdish blog; Kurdo's World but managed to exercise restraint and instead dealt with boredom by pestering Kurdo in his comments, fortunately Kurdo seems to possess a relatively peaceable and chatty persona and didn't seem to mind. Maybe if there were more Kurd'o blogs i could start a Kurdistan Blog Count. Anyway, if you're looking for more variety and interested in the bigger picture, pop along to Kurdo's World if you haven't already.

In the meantime (there is quite a lot of it - meantime, at the moment, as there are no new Iraq blogs to count) found this description of Greek philosophy by some guy called Martin West;

Early Greek philosophy was not a single vessel which a succession of pilots briefly commanded and tried to steer towards an agreed destination, one tacking one way, the next altering course in the light of its own perceptions. It was more like a flotilla of small craft whose navigators did not start from the same point or at the same time, nor all aim for the same goal; some went in groups, some were influenced by the movements of others, some traveled out of sight of each other.

"A flotilla of small craft", i like it, it reminds me of blogging.

Philosophic digression; if all bodies are nobodies, and Emigre is a nobody, does that make Emigre everybody? Ok, so there are no new Iraq Blogs to count and Iraq Blog Count is filling in space. Is that still too obscure? well, how about this then, there are too few Iraq bloggers. (and no, i'm not one of them).

Re Raeds post Jan 22 2004; Where is Raed.

A reminder that these people have been through hell with the constant uncertainty and destruction inherent in having ones local cities and towns pelted by bombs. A reminder that some of these people also are privileged to little pieces of regular hell via email and comments facilities.

A reminder that these too few people have still managed to maintain enough heart to bring views, gossip and regular discussion to the rest of the world, without being paid for it - absolutely, in fact, for free. Absolutely, in fact, for the sake of freedom itself - at least in an effort to remind us that there still is such a thing, even if under duress. And at a cost, a cost to themselves, to their private lives, identities, and invariably to their bank balances - for blogging, though an exercise in freedom of speech, is not actually a toll free exercise in itself.

Raeds post, a reminder that all bloggers are only human and that most humans crave only to get on with life with as little trouble as possible, preferably without hatemail. So, here's to all Iraq bloggers, to all bloggers, to Raed, to Winston Smith, to Anne Frank, a post in respect, a post for the sake of a post, a post without any new Iraq blogs to count, a post, in memoriam, to freedom of speech.

Healing Iraq is threatening to post recipes. This is good, now if we can just get Bush and Blair into the kitchen, hey lets throw in that guy who's head of China, and just for fun that other dude from Israel... would it be rude to dress Saddam in an apron? Maybe Osama could peel the onions. Make food not missiles, fight it out in the pantry if need be - but only with the plastic cutlery, thanks.

Meanwhile Iraq Blog Count has been too slack and has not found any new blogs to count. So, if you're stopping by why don't ya go get yourself a snack and then go visit these other more motivated, more interesting, more on the edge, more informative, more much very good whatmorecouldyouaskfor more;

Baghdad Burning she rocks

Ihath she rolls (and writes letters)

A Family In Baghdad Faiza moves forward with courage

Where is Raed anything u like, it is here, including with *new improved* Raed, well actually not really, he is just the same as usual, which is charming in itself - quote: Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the most irresponsible of them all? unquote Raed. Which reminds me of something else i saw today; Snow White and the Madness of Truth
The director of the museum has the final say; "You can have your own view of what this piece of art is all about, but it is never, never allowed to use violence and it is never allowed to try to silence the artist," he said.

Healing Iraq another link never hurt noone

Live from Dallas Fayrouz is rightfully miffed when she gets fined for not voting, and still has faith in a land where she can chose between two completely similiar demonarchies.

(A demonarchy is a cross between a democracy and a monarchy, it is where you can chose between parties that have become family affairs. A bit like being able to chose which royal family you like best, a bit like a reality game show, only less real. Both families will make sure before elections that they are seen to attend completely different convivial occasions but after elected will do their damnedest to be invited to the same parties with the richest hosts and best after dinner perks. A demonarchy is also the name used to refer to the elected party, as after elections all other parties are almost totally forgotten till the next election. A demonarchy likes at all times to maintain a semblance of order and, even though it makes up its own rules as it goes along, has nothing to do with anarchy).

and now... if you haven't already... why don't ya go exercise your online democratic (ha, democracy, u had forgotten what that was, no? well just when u began to think it was a figment of your imagination) ...here it is... *VOTE* for your fav blog.

Punk spirit of rude satire lives on in NYC.

Someone in the shoutbox has mentioned Iraqs mass graves. Iraq Blog Count did a search and has found it necessary to publish several links, as there is no single website to cover this subject in its entirety satisfactorily.

These links are hoped to provide a view of an emotive issue which so far has been sparsely documented, bearing in mind this is a human issue of depth which has barely yet been exhumed, and bearing in mind that a few links in a blog can hardly pretend to be definitive. These graves are matters of peoples personal grief, deserving of respect and dignity. These graves are also a public affair in that they are the graves of people buried en mass, and in that they have been unearthed at a time when the media spotlight is held full in the faces of their relatives.

I have always had a personal aversion to the camera held in the face of grief, and for that reason have had a think before linking to this first site: so if you click on this site let it be in respect for peoples mourning and less in morbid curiosity; The Mass Graves

Baghdad survey

Kurdistan Observer Jun 13 2003

Middle East Times Sept 12 2003

PR Media and International Speakers Nov 9 2003 and the same article at USA Today 11/08/2003 and also at Redding.com Nov 9 2003

Last Superpower.net Nov 9 2003

Wanniski Dec 14 2003


As i said this is an emotive issue and documentation has barely begun. Most of these links are opinion based. It appears so far that these graves date to three main periods, the most recent being the 1991 Gulf war. It appears that a number of these sites are war graves.

Revised Map Iraq blogs.

aliraqi chat site.
IraqiMusicdotcom

Childhood's Voice Article about the Seasons Art School, an art therapy school in Iraq.

More articles at Electronic Iraq's Art and Culture page.

Iraqi Writer.com;
We are an open group of Iraqi artists and writers who initiated two websites: iraqiartist.com and iraqiwriter.com to represent the Iraqi artists, writers and their works. We are volunteers to this effort and we don’t receive any assistance or guidance from other organizations. We believe in democratic values and the right to free speech, expression and creativity. We welcome all Iraqis from around the world and their products. Arabic/English


The summary is ours

And ash of illusion

is for the adventitious.

(last lines from Carts of Numbers by Saad Jasim)

Sophia will soon be in Iraq, she's not yet but if you want to follow her you'll find her blog in the sidebar links, near where Voices in the Wilderness is linked.

It must be a peace without victory. Only a peace between equals can last: only a peace, the very principle of which is equality, and a common participation in a common benefit.
Woodrow Wilson Jan 22 1917

The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.
Jefferson 1787

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
Lincoln

Why did i post these 3 quotes? I am not sure, i found them just before i read the latest post at Healing Iraq.

Sun Of Iraq New

New Today: 1
Total: 26

To know the animals is to know the animal in you.
If you talk to the animals
They will talk with you
and you will know each other
If you do not talk to them
you will not know them
and what you do not know
You will fear
What one fears one destroys
(Chief Tes-wah-no Dan George 1899-1981)

more proverbs;
Arabic proverbs more Arabic proverbs and one more

Persian proverbs and more

Turkish proverbs and more

Lamentable in its proximity, the lamp held to violence allows all, who are willing to unhitch their identities from it, a chance to examine and understand violence at its worst.

Now it is time for the rise of reason.

Broken. Haven't been able to publish for 4 days.

Faiza is being translated at A Family In Baghdad. Insightful, from the heart posting.

Circus 2 Iraq nope this isn't satire, somebody is really trying to send a circus over. Found at Future of Iraq Portal

Censored

Electronic Iraq a news portal.

The Iraqi Taxpayers' Bridges photographs.

click here to find out more about who posted the bridge photographs.

Baghdad Bulletin unfortunately "printing of Baghdad Bulletin was indefinitely halted on 15th September due to fiduciary concerns", still, interesting.

Iraq 2.0 New blog; Omar Masry, Civil Affairs.

Have added this blog to a new section here called Humanitarian Iraq Blogs, am trying to think of a better name for this section but that will do for now.

Notes;
1. New links and sections are added to the bottom in the sidebar, this way it is possible to view links chronologically without having to read through all the archives to find out when they were added. I am observing that this method seems to be reflecting a progression of events as they unfold.

2. The reference links have been divided into two sections now; Reference and Online Culture, to make things easier to read.

"When there is no hope, we must invent it." Albert Camus

MEMORANDUM FROM THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT Baghdad, July 12th, 1932 A bit dry, but interesting, scroll down a bit and read DECLARATION OF THE KINGDOM OF IRAQ.

Iraq Hack: A Reporter's Blog Text and visuals live from Iraq; Tom Popyk, freelance journalist.

(Nice portrait, Tom.)