Everybody got an email from the Iraqi ISP saying that email and internet services will be irregular and maybe cut off for long periods in the next 48 hours. "Maintenance and improvement of the service", may be that should be translated to "screwing the firewall bolts a bit tighter" or maybe they are just dealing with that weird SQL-Slammer-virus-thingy, Uday's news paper wrote about it today on the last page. Either way it makes posting a test of patience.

I don't watch enough TV, just so that no one tells me I have been hurting the Iraqi average TV time I spent a lot of the last two days watching Iraqi channels. Great entertainment. You see Saddam, in order to prove that he is A-OK, is almost daily on TV. He gets a number of officers and asks them questions which he answers himself. He actually said that the west probably thinks that he can't sleep at night these days and has to take sleeping pills; well you are wrong he sleeps every night very well, because he knows his people "are pleased and happy". Well that explains the feeling I have. So, no sleeping pills for saddam, maybe he can give me his. And to prove how relaxed he is he serves the officers tea, coffee and sweets and drinks it with them *gasp*. Of course the coffee sits waiting until he says something like "well, drink your coffee men no one likes cold coffee" and as if pre-rehearsed they all lift the small cups and take a sip in one single synchronized move, it looked hilarious. There is also a program called “guardians of the nation – humat al watan” which used to be only once a week now it’s every day around 7:30. It is the official ministry of defense program and between announcements to draft reservists or such we get little sketches about evil evil western governments. [They are not shown on the Iraq Satellite Channel so you can’t see them. But you can watch the daily saddam hour]. Latest reservist news? Well, if you were born between 1958 and 1951 you are officially off the hook, no more military service for you boys, and the guys who drew the short straw are 1971 and 1966, you are up next. Probably the worst time to do your reservist training. The possibility of paying your way out of the two months is canceled out because Qusay himself is overseeing the training of the reserves.

in the mean time: Me and the girl from Gotham, we be playin’ Blogger Ping-Pong She has got some You ain’t got none