Something you can do to help the troops in Iraq

[The Sanity Inspector]

An American housewife is coordinating a mass donation of air conditioners to our soldiers in the field.

-- bruce The dignified don't even enter in the game.

--The Jam

[Pete]

Hmm... the U.S. just about spends as much money on its military as the rest of the world combined spends on their military (source: newsweek). I'm all for supporting the troops, but if they need air conditioners I think maybe you should be emailing our politicians rather than asking me (a US taxpayer) to give up any more of my hard earned money.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I wonder where she thinks the air conditioners are going to get plugged in "in the field"?

[Desert Traveler]

Makes about as much sense as Clinton wanting to wire all those African huts for Internet. The ones with no electricity or phone lines.

STeve

[Dirk]

I noted this in one of the linked website's captions:

"He got 20 little cuts on his fingers from holding the air conditioner from the back."

Yow! That happened to me some years ago while hurridly installing a window unit. My fingers flinched reflexively at the now-distant horror upon reading that line.

Don't know why but it's the little, superficial injuries (like, say, paper cuts) that give me the willies when recalled. A broken collarbone was no big deal in comparison.

About the effort you've publicized: I guess I'm neutral on the concept. Seems fine and worthy on the surface, and I'm sure that the Home Depot is doing this with its customary, expected level of business efficiency. But is it really a wise use of our resources to be running A/C units to our troops? Particularly given that lack of consistent electrical power availability has been such an incredibly sore subject among the locals there? Could be counterproductive if this was spun the "right" way by hostile pro-Sadaamites, and used to rally support among those who are looking to lash back and kill our soldiers.

Merely idle speculation though.

-- Dirk (who included aforementioned 8,500 btu window unit with the sale of the NJ home)

[The Sanity Inspector]

Like wow, Scooby, look what B a r r y B u r k e J r . just wrote!

"G" stands for generators!

-- bruce The dignified don't even enter in the game.

--The Jam

[The Sanity Inspector]

Like wow, Scooby, look what "Pete" just wrote!

'Smatter, don't you believe in the power of the private sector?

-- bruce The dignified don't even enter in the game.

--The Jam

[jim]

that is the connection, Clinton and a housewife... about as much intelligence as a light bulb.. turn it on, turn it off... use the switch on the wall.... and watch their heads glow?????

[CBHvac]

Why? So that the ones they have already can be shipped back? Son in Law is heading that way, and got a couple of others that I know there...and they have AC there already... Its pointless, but if she feels like shes doing something...she just needs to know that 90% of them will be left behind...for the new Saddam..

[Jim]

I heard that the most popular present from home are those water bags you wear on your back, the kind worn by bicyclists and hikers. Apparently, those aren't standard issue yet. As a former desert hiker, I can see how they would be the right thing.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I'm sure there's so much extra jenny capacity there to run all kinds of 5000 btu consumer a/c units.

Barry

[danny burstein]

[Doug Miller]

And if the politicians provide them air conditioners, where does the money to pay for those ACs come from?

Taxes, that's where -- in other words, from your hard-earned money.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

[The Sanity Inspector]

I heard that the most popular thing was donated phone cards:

-- bruce The dignified don't even enter in the game.

- The Jam

[jemmy ducks]

The best support for our troops would be to get them the hell out of Iraq. Replace them with Rummy and G.W. -- the one can verbally bully them into submission and the latter can drink them under the table.

[RDKirk]

I have a couple of friends there who say they can't get enough baby wipes, boxer underwear (they wear out quick from the sand in the crotch), and large sized panty hose (keeps the sand fleas out of the crotch).