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Nomination ... Uncertainty

After being absent from the Internet during few days, I returned to find my inbox flooded with dozens of e-mails with the title "Congratulations". In mid-March "Baghdad Burning" won the best blog nomination of Africa and the Middle East and received a Bloggie , so I thought that the sudden rush (surge) of e-mails of congratulations were due to that esteemed blog award for (we would like to thank the academy ....)

But I was surprised to find that BOOK "Baghdad Burning" had been selected for the Samuel Johnson Prize! , a prestigious British award for works of nonfiction. I do not even know he was in the short-list and I received a big surprise ... I told myself I had to be a mistake because the other names on the list were selected very famous until I received confirmation British publisher Marion Boyars.

Since then I am a bit stunned. I feel as if all this were happening to someone else, and I have to keep reminding myself as I fill the water tanks, while clean kerosene stoves to keep them, while changing the roles of newspaper in the parakeets cage (" I hope you know that the person who is cleaning your cage is a nominee Samuel Johnson).

I would just add that no matter if the book wins or loses, the fact of being on that list is, in itself, an incredible honor.

Baghdad Burning (Feminist Press)

Baghdad Burning (Marion Boyars)

- posted by river @ 11:23 PM

Day April Fools ...

O 'kithbet Nees' as is known in Arabic.
If the current Iraqi government would choose ANY day as your day What would be better than the 1st of April? After all it is called appropriately enough "The Day of Fools. "

stupidly have been trying to keep a government together since they announced the results of the elections. S @ And we've been waiting patiently. It's like being under the threat of punishment for weeks and weeks until finally you want the punishment to be realized once.

do not think anyone thinks they will do some improvement or significant changes, only @ s who are tired of waiting for the final formation. People need to know who will be in power because they need to know who to pay bribes, or who have a check mark (tazkiya) when they need to do something. We need to know to guide us as religious party's henchmen take an Interior family.

have so far been discussing Prime Minister's chair so far. I'm almost hoping that Bremen were back here again to organize the full version of "Puppet on A Month" as the 2003.

In any case, if you tell a joke about the "Day of April Fool" to an Iraqi (though late, or maybe next year), I suggest the following:

1. "You know I will be out this summer! (For best effect suggests breaking a candle for the half and throw it in the air with a whoooop ...!). "

2. "You know The Americans have said they will go to 2010 and that will not leave permanent bases behind! (You have to say with a straight face.) "

3. "You know They have found three bodies on the fringe of trees on two streets away! "

4. "You know, at last the government formed !!!." Puppet

5. "You know, I have not stopped to ________ (fill in the name of a relative or friend, everyone knows someone in prison these days )!!!"

6. "You know, Chalabi has resolved the crisis gasoline! "

7. "You know, there are no longer religious militias have been banned throughout the country! (This has to be said quietly, just in case)

8." Good news! The U.S. will make public how they were spent billions of dollars of Iraqi oil and donations!

9. "You know, going to rebuild the country and think it will take five years!"

10. "You know, I've caught Zarqawi! (This only works with Iraqis who believe they really exist).

- posted by river @ 10:46 PM