Click pic to see the entire pictorial

After publishing this report, journalist Michael Yon, a former Green Beret, had his embed canceled by the British Ministry of Defense. See more of his work here.




  1. bobbo, am I like this when I drink says:

    “As early as February 2005, Michael described the violence in Iraq as a civil war. In 2006, he said we were losing in Afghanistan. In 2007, he was the first reporter to claim the success of “the Surge.” When he first voiced these opinions, they were extremely controversial. Now they are conventional wisdom.”

    So, what is he saying about the Brits in Afghanistan? I didn’t read anything too controversial in the embiggum.

  2. pecker says:

    bobbo, you should look through the pictures and read his very cromulent blog.

  3. bobbo, read more carefully says:

    #2–pecker==I looked at the pictures==nothing there, all war photo’s are the same. I skimmed the reportage and saw nothing warranting his being ousted. He did “disagree” with formal British positions and I can see that being grounds for removing him but what he said, that I found, was not as controversial as what I posted from the other links in the posting.

    What SPECIFICALLY do you think readers of this blog should note?

  4. bobbo, we think with words says:

    #2–pecker==I wanted to check before I said this: your use of the word “cromulent” is actually exactly wrong assuming you wish to be consistent with the tenor of your post.

    Given that interpretive faux pas, I look forward to your supportive evidence.

    Live and learn.

  5. pecker says:

    bobbo, your first post sounded as if you had only read the embiggum from which you quoted. You asked “So, what is he saying about the Brits in Afghanistan?”
    I was just trying to point you towards the other link where he discusses the Brits in Afghanistan.

  6. pecker says:

    # 4, many thanks for helping to embiggen my vocabulary.

  7. bobbo, we think with words says:

    #5–pecker==well done. My quote was from the “other” links Uncle Dave provided. I doubt the same verbage is in the embiggum–but it could be.

    Let me help you out a bit. Near the end of the reportage, Yon talks about the Taliban control of the electricity grid pointing out that the Brit report of their sabotage of it is clearly wrong. That is simple disagreement. “IF” he had gone further to make the bigger point about the Brit position overall being similarly obviously a creature of fiction, then an important/controversial point would have been made, such as those I quoted, but he stopped short.

    Congrats though. Most people posting here refuse to learn anything from anyone. I look forward to your future disagreements.

  8. pecker says:

    Oh, I was just trying to make fun of your use of the word ’embiggum’.

  9. bobbo, we think with words says:

    #8–pecker==nonetheless, you are capable of more. Your use of embiggum was correct, your use of cromulent was wrong. With your backpedaling, I’m not sure you understand what is clearly before you, but we shall see.

  10. chuck says:

    Actually the cromulent spelling is “embiggen”.
    Morans.

  11. bobbo, we think with words says:

    Yea, I was gonna check it but how upset should any person be about misspelling made up words?

    From that perspective, I was having fun. I’m sure you are too?

  12. pecker says:

    this is what i love about blogs, the absolute confusion 🙂

  13. Improbus says:

    Entropy is once more the victor.

  14. bobbo, we think with words says:

    #13–Improb==do you mean history, especially the future, is always entropic? That being true, its rather meaningless as a general comment.

    Do you have anything specific in mind?

  15. pecker says:

    Thermodynamics tells us that everything tends towards higher entropy and greater disorder. But, if you look at life on Earth, everything has got more complex for millions of years. It sure is a puzzle.
    It could be that things have got as complex as they can and everything is now starting to break down – would explain why Boltzmann killed himself.

  16. Mr Diesel says:

    The British probably thought he was a little too hard on them is my guess.

    They can’t take a joke.

  17. bobbo, we think with words says:

    #15–pecker==originally, entropy was mostly about thermodynamics/physics but more recently, more relevantly to what is most likely Improb’s point unless he is as irrelevant as you, entropy has taken on a linguistic/communication application regarding the uncertainty of outcomes as in the outcomes of geopolitical situations such as: Whats going to happen in Afghanistan?

    In context, you can bastardized the physics of entropy in its application to the disintegration of ice molecules or of Boltzmann himself.

    But I assume we are all above that?

  18. pecker says:

    bobbo, completely lacking a sense of irony, said “Your use of embiggum was correct, your use of cromulent was wrong.” and “unless he is as irrelevant as you”

    Catching you out with the ‘cromulent’ landmine must have hurt. Please sober up.

  19. bobbo, we think with words says:

    #18–pecker==what do you mean? YOUR calling his blog cromulent means you think his blog is made up or false or not very good.

    I read his blog and think it is very good.

    Explain your thinking or xxx (to be completed on your response.)

  20. pecker says:

    bobbo, ‘cromulent’ doesn’t mean anything, neither does ’embiggen’.
    You used the word embiggun in post 1, I followed with cromulent in post 2.
    Both of these words were coined in the same Simpsons episode and they both sound ridiculous. I even bothered to look it up for you. It’s called ‘Lisa the Iconoclast’ – you will find it from the link I gave you in post 6.

  21. Mr Diesel says:

    I thought the blog was good as well but I’ll be damned if I continue to agree with you Bobbo.

  22. wumpus says:

    Interesting read. Just looking at the pictures reminds me of the smell — no lunch today.

  23. bobbo, we think with words says:

    #20–pecker===”xxx” was “apologize for making a simple mistake, easy and life affirming to do so.”

    AND you do neither. When you said “this is what i love about blogs, the absolute confusion” I thought you were being overly self reverential.

    I see I was correct.

  24. RTaylor says:

    Let me tell you lads. I’m from Irish Ancestry. It may have taken 800 years, and many rebellions but most of Ireland is now a free Republic. The idea of an insurgency to to kill the occupations desire to continue. It’s a war against the heart and minds of people, forged in the death of a few. You can’t win in Afghanistan. Save your young and leave this place. It’s a Hellish landscape and only fanatics can flourish there. If the bloody CCCP couldn’t win with unlimited rules of engagement, how can NATO’s limited policies win?

  25. chuck says:

    #24 – the only successful occupation method is to slaughter the local population. This has worked out great in North America.

    I would argue it was partially successful in Ireland (since many Irish are from English descent). But this applies to England too – The Anglo/Saxons are all foreigners – from Germany.

  26. pecker says:

    bobbo said, ‘AND you do neither. When you said “this is what i love about blogs, the absolute confusion” I thought you were being overly self reverential.’

    Please go back and look at the thread. Could I have been amused by your similar lack or irony towards chucks message. No. Never. The bobbo ego would never let that one pass.

  27. The0ne says:

    IRREGARDLESS Mr Pecker and Bobbo! hahaha

    Now what this article about? O.o

  28. bobbo, we think with words says:

    Now pecker–chucks post was funny and contextually proper. Yours still isn’t.

    I’ll make one last try. Do you recognize you characterized Yon’s blog as cromulent in Post #2 which means that you think it is made up or not very worthwhile?

    Is that what you meant to say?

  29. pecker says:

    Sorry Theone, I do think Michael’s blog is very good. I was trying just trying to point bobbo to the second link then he set upon me.

  30. pecker says:

    # 28 bobbo, I told you in post 20 and 6 the origin and lack of meaning of the word cromulent.


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