Latest from McClatchy Iraqi Bloggers: Cheer for Soccer Heroes, But Beware of Hummers

By: E&P Staff For the past several months, E&P Online has been featuring postings by McClatchy's Iraqi staffers in Baghdad on their Inside Iraq blog. Often they comment on the personal side of war, trying to cover it, and everyday hardships, but their full names are never given.

Here are the three latest posts which present a wide variety of moods and slices of life.
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About two hours ago, our national soccer team won the match of the quarter final against Vietnam in Asia championship and now we passed to the semi final match. Our forward star Younis Mahmoud got the two goals, they were both great goals but the second one was the most beautiful one in the whole championship. Mahmoud celebrated by kissing the Iraqi flag he puts on his left hand. He took us to a new world where no politicians could ever take us too because Younis Mahmoud is a real Iraqi man while our politicians are only politicians having two citizenships, they are never pure Iraqis and they will never be ones.I just wanted to say thank you very much our young men, thank you for pleasing all the Iraqis, thank you for unifying all the Iraqis, thank you for being so loyal Iraqis....GOD Bless you young men, GO Forward men and get the golden cup to return smile back to the drooping lips of your people.
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In a country occupied by the most powerful state on earth, signs of submissiveness are sure to be seen ? whether performed with unconscious simple mindedness and out of growing habit, or with grudging reluctance by people who find it a little offensive to bow low to foreigners in fighting gear who have the authority to shoot and kill you if your car didn't stop immaculately, as quickly as it should - for any possible reason.

So beware, unwary driver; if the American Hummers are in view, pull up to the side of the road at once and stay put - with your eyes averted, until they disappear "over the horizon", if you don't ? don't blame anyone for the consequences.

Check your brakes every day; get better quality glasses; put mirrors that enable you to see 360+ degrees. If there is more than one person in the car, make sure that each is keeping watch in a different direction.

No excuse is acceptable. STOP INSTANTLY ? or bear the consequences.

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In stead of spending the day off with my son and wife, I spent almost 8 hours trying to fix our home power generator which had been broken for days. I had to fix it because its almost impossible to stand the heat of the Iraqi summer.

To make things worse, the local power generator that we get power from is broken and it wouldn't work until coming Monday, so, to fix or not to fix that was the question, I started my war with the Chinese piece of scrap at 12 pm At the very end of the "war," I found out that I had to change the carburetor. I changed it and yehhhhhh, the piece of scrap is working properly. It was 8 pm. Since I won the war, I started shouting and giving orders " turn on the refrigerator first and wait for three minutes and then turn one the air cooler and wait for another three minutes and then turn on the water pump." At last we could have some cool air and have comfortable dinner.