Movin’ On Up: September 22nd Council Winners

The Council winner for September 22nd walked away with first place -- and deservedly so.

Done With Mirrors posted a long story from an American woman who worked in Iraq helping to coordinate the rebuilding of that sad country’s infrastructure. Here story was so moving that I posted excerpts myself, not something I usually do. In case you missed it, here is more from ‘You’ll Never Know What We Did’:

Reconstruction is the eternally under-reported third leg of the Iraq story (the other two are overthrow of Saddam and removal of his threat, and establishing a stable Iraqi popular control of the country). It was part of what we went in there to do, and its success or failure is part of the full measure of success or failure of our entire operation.

Yet on this important story, our media blew it. Who can name a single contractor who did work in Iraq, besides the one that begins with “H” and maybe Blackwater USA? How many people can describe accurately the relationship between Halliburton and KBR? How many faces of Iraq contractors did you ever see in the news, except the ones who got kidnapped and beheaded? How many were the subject of news stories, or were quoted in any of them?

- - - - - - - - - -

How does this whole process even work? When you say “contractor,” probably the image that comes to mind is the guy you hire to replace your back porch or lay a new sidewalk. Is it like that — he writes you a bid, you sign it, he works, you pay him…

This is important information. Please read every word she has to say before you listen to one more story on the Iraq “mess.”

Gates of Vienna placed second for That Was Not a “Blunder.” It’s Just An Excuse to Kill Infidels. Regular readers have already seen it. If you haven’t just click the link.


Joee Blogs — A Catholic Londoner finished first in the non-Council nominations. His post, Just Outside Westminster Cathedral Today..., is about his experience on coming out of church in London shortly after the noise and nonsense about the Pope’s speech was beginning to gather steam. Having decided to ignore the blowback from Benedict’s address and not post on the subject, he had his mind changed for him by a group of Muslims who attempted to intimidate the churchgoers at the cathedral:

Unfortunately after Mass today at Westminster Cathedral it was shoved in my face. Holy Mass on a Sunday is the very source and summit of the Catholic week, so my family decided this Sunday to make the trip to Westminster Cathedral together. As we came out about 100 Islamists were chanting slogans such as “Pope Benedict go to Hell” “Pope Benedict you will pay, the Muja Hadeen are coming your way” “Pope Benedict watch your back” and other pretty hateful things. I’ll post more pictures of it when I get more free time. It was a pretty nasty demonstration. From 11 — 3pm they chanted absurd things, literally just outside the Cathedral. And from 11- 3pm (and indeed all day, every day) like every day of the week, faithful Catholics and non-Catholics (mainly tourists) wondered in and out of the magnificent Church, largely ignoring the furore of hatred this crowd of muslims was trying to stir up.

Click on the link to see his pictures. I tell you, it becomes more and more a good idea not to leave home without your camera.

Second place was Murdoc Online for his post What Did You Do This Summer?. There is no way to describe this pictorial journal. I can only urge you to go see it. Decide which picture is your favorite. I finally picked “Did Your Kids Have a Sleepover”? The incongruity of the rug they’re sleeping on stayed with me.

Of course, you know where to find the rest of the usual suspects: The Watcher’s Place.