What's today? May 19 already? Well, I guess that means summer is coming. Have you ever spent a summer in Baghdad? It gets pretty damn hot around here. The temperatures probably approach those of hell itself, which means the people around here really really really REALLY love their air conditioning.... IF there is electricity, that is.

Here's an interesting fact: Prior to the war, Our country's electrical output was averaaging about 4400 megawatts a day. Not quite enough to meet full demand, but still sufficient to meet our basic needs.

Since the occupation began in 2003, the Americans have sunk over a billion dollars and two years of work into Iraq's electrical grid. So what do you think the daily electrical output is after all that work? At least 6000 megawatts? Maybe 7000 or even 8000?

Nope.

Try 4000-4200 megawatts.

That's right: The electricty supply is even tighter now than it was prior to the Americans taking over. Pretty impressive, eh? And people are going to be royally pissed when the thermometer hits 48 degrees celsius and they switch on the A/C only to get a big fat stinkin' load of squat. I may not have a lot of experience trying to win the hearts and minds of people, but I'm fairly certain that's not the way to do it.

Sure, things were in sorry shape when I ran the place. But wasn't all that supposed to be corrected once I was out of the way? Wasn't my removal supposed to improve the daily lives of the Iraqi people? This is going to be the third summer since the so-called liberation of Iraq, and the people are even worse off!?!?

The people of North Korea better pray Bush doesn't liberate them.