Sunday, February 27, 2005
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The Oscars!
I realized tonight that the Oscars are very exciting. I am hapy for all the winners and the losers. I mean come on, they all got $110,000 gift bags! WOW!
Oh yeah, I don't care what you say...Johnny Depp is COOL! He has got to be the White Prince!
Friday, February 25, 2005
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Love What The Person You Love Loves
I must now call upon my fellow convoginators for money, uhhh, I mean assistance. I have an assignment to pick a tune and harmonize it with seventh chords, but I don't know what tune I should do. I want something fun, as in along the lines of Sesame Street or some Irish diddy, but I am completely open to suggestions. So please give me your wonderful opinions.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
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Social Security History and its Changes
1935 - The Social Security Act, which covered workers in commerce and industry, was signed by President Roosevelt.
1937 - The Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) required workers to pay taxes to support the Social Security system. Payroll taxes were 2%.
1939 - Social Security was expanded to cover dependents and survivors. Payroll taxes were 2% . 1950 - Coverage was expanded to job outside of commerce and industry, and benefit levels were increased. Payroll taxes were 3%.
1956 - Disability Insurance was created, and expanded over the following years. Early retirement at age 62 for women was permitted. Payroll taxes were 4%.
1961 - Early retirement at age 62 for men was permitted. Payroll taxes were 6%.
1972 - Automatic cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs), which index benefits to inflation, were introduced. The formula to calculate increases initially overstated inflation by 25%, and people born between 1910 and 1916 received an unintended windfall. Payroll taxes were 9.2%.
1977 - The mistake in the benefit formula was corrected. The "notch" refers to the difference in benefits paid to the group that received the windfall and those who retired following the formula correction. Social Security was thought to be actuarially sound. Payroll taxes were 9.9%.
1983 - The National Commission on Social Security Reform was created in response to the actuarial unsoundness of the system. The commission called for 1) and increase in the self-employment tax; 2) partial taxation of benefits to upper income retirees; 3) expansion of coverage to include federal civilian and nonprofit organization employees; and 4) an increase in the retirement age from 65 to 67, to be enacted gradually starting in 2000. Again, Social Security was declared actuarially sound. Payroll taxes were 10.8%.
1985 - The Social Security Trust Funds were moved "off-budget" so that the funds earmarked for the Social Security system would be tracked separately from the rest of the budget. Payroll taxes were 11.4%.
1986 - COLAs were increased to respond to minor levels of inflation. Payroll taxes were 11.4%.
1993 - The amount of taxable benefits for upper income retirees was increased to 85%. Payroll taxes were 12.4%.
1996 - The Social Security Trustees' Report stated that the Social Security system would start to run deficits in 2012, and the trust funds would be exhausted by 2029. All members of the Advisory Panel agreed that some or all of Social Security's funds should be invested in the private sector. To keep the unchanged system actuarially sound, payroll taxes would have to be increased 50%, to 18% of payroll, or benefits would have to be slashed by 30%.
1997 - All members of the presidentially-appointed Social Security Advisory Panel agreed that some or all of Social Security's funds should be invested in the private sector. To keep the unchanged system actuarially sound, payroll taxes would have to be increased 50%, to 18% of payroll, or benefits would have to be slashed by 30%."
1999 - The Social Security Trustees' Report stated the Social Security Retirement System's unfunded liability increased by $752 billion since the 1998 Trustee Report was published. This brings the total long-term unfunded liability to more than $19 trillion.
More Interesting Facts
We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. --Winston Churchill
The following is from a Retiree Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced theSocial Security (FICA) Program. He promised: 1.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary,
2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program,
3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year,
4.) That the money the participants put into the independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the General operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program, and,
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the Federal government to "put away," you may be interested in the following:
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent "Trust" fund and put it into the General fund so that Congress could spend it? A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically-controlled House and Senate . Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding? A: The Democratic Party.
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities? A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the U.S.
Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants? A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive SSI Social Securitypayments! The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!
Roosevelt believed that Social Security should be partly placed into the private sectors hands by 1965.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ah... Mein Pistole.
I think I get some form of seasonal depression around this time of year. There's simply no other plausible explanation for me to sit on the ground for a week at a time and begin to wonder if I'm in the right career field. It's not that I didn't want to go flying, it's just that I couldn't without risking icing up an airplane that is not certified for it. After several days, the lazy part of me takes over and I almost hope to wake up and see ceilings at 100 feet and visibility reported as a quarter of a mile. I'm ready for Spring.
In an attempt to dull the searing pain of boredom that even affects non-high schoolers, I decided to eBay a bunch of stuff that I don't use anymore in an effort to have enough cash to make a rather extravagant purchase for someone in my situation. God bless ebay, I made enough to get my very own Walther P99. Some may recognize it as the current issue James Bond pistol, but that was just icing on the cake to me. I wanted something I could trust, but I didn't want a Glock because that's what your average cop carries these days. Really the Walther is just a bit more of an uppity handgun, and every now and then I like to live above my means. The prospect of owning a German handgun got me thinking about the differences between the stereotypical German of the 1940's compared to his modern day counterpart. Observe:
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Sterotypical German Circa 1940's (to be spoken in a voice similar to Col. Hochstetter of Hogan's Heroes
"WHAT IS THIS MAN DOING HERE!"
Stereotypical German Circa 2000's To be spoken in the voice of Mike Meyers as Dieter of Sprockets from Saturday Night Live
Touch My Monkey!
My... how far they've come. Of course, at Convoginators we strive to avoid stereotyping individuals unless it's absolutely funny or we have nothing else to do at all. It's time for bed.
Jeff C. P.S. Sorry about the randomness of this one...
Things as of late have got me wondering. You ever notice how bored we all are? I mean come on, from the college student to the lowly public school teacher, there seems to be nothing to do or talk about. Look at the news lately. Michael Jackson, Paris Hilton and the weather. There is something spooky. If Michael Jackson was in a white bronco with Paris Hilton, a chimp and 3 underage children, then the mud slides in California wouldn't be able to even make it on the FOX news ticker. You ever notice that when you are around someone (usually older) and you have nothing to talk about, the uneasy silence gets to be too much and what do you say? "How about that weather?" Isn't that what the mainstream media is doing to us now? Talking about the weather, entertainment or any other topic absolutely useless to our subsistence on this planet. I just notice that when it gets this drab, we begin to squabble even more. Tension builds and tempers flare, even good friends get tired of seeing each others face. So...can't we all just love one another? (hahaha...sorry I had to write that...during holidays when my mother and I are at each other's throats, my sister always says that...) Actually, this ramble is just one big observation. Take it as you will and speak ill of me under your breath.
Oh yeah, and I will attempt to stop all the "vicious rhetoric" that I spew on this site. Notice I said "attempt!" It will be hard. I AM a fat, loud mouthed, middle-aged drama...not queen...guy! Oh and loser...to which I lost again lately...stupid Mario brothers.
I spent twenty some odd or even years of my life wondering how in the world some people got certified to teach what-have-you in the public school system that I managed to call home for just over twelve years of my young life. I went on to wonder who in the world found it necessary to hire certain individuals who attempted to instill various aspects of knowledge in me in this institute of higher education that I now refer to as my place of employment. It's not that I now think that these individuals were better qualified for the jobs that they held throughout the process of my education than I did at the time; far from it. I consider many of them to be just as inept as I had originally feared, some of them even more so than I ever imagined. Something in me has changed, however, as I now understand a fraction of what these people went through on a daily basis.
For those of you not in the know, I'm currently instructing aviation students at a to be unnamed state university in a rather windy state just to the west of "the natural state." I currently have eight students that I am flying with, and twenty-eight that sit in a classroom with blank looks on their faces as I try to instill in them the knowledge necessary to be a professional commercial pilot. It's a tough job, it doesn't pay very well, and it's downright disheartening at times. How you ask? Try being motivated enough to prepare a good lesson and continue to genuinely care for the well being of students when it is obvious that they would rather not be there. I make the class as interesting as I can. I break up monotonous information with funny or interesting stories, I try to encourage class discussion, and I even borrowed a great idea from an educator that I have only recently begun to realize just how good he is at his job. (I threw Tootsie Rolls just like Mr. Kopecky) I can still hear crickets chirping when I ask a toss up question to the class, and everyone looks like they aren't even present in mind, just body. One person even went to sleep, and promptly woke up when I beaned him with a Tootsie Roll. Why do I even bother anymore? It's actually quite simple. Every now and then after class someone (usually the same few people) comes up to me and asks a question about aerodynamics or regualations and this prompts a ten minute discussion going above and beyond the material covered in class, and I see them smile and say, "thanks." Little moments like that make teaching worth the headaches. It's the same feeling I get when after fifty botched landing attempts something clicks in the student's head and he finally greases in a landing without me having to do anything to save life, limb, or property. They smile, their eyes change from sheer frustration to almost pure elation and they usually say as nonchalantly as they can muster, "that's not so hard afterall..."
Where am I going with all of this you might ask? (I'm assuming quite a few questions, because once again, allow me to point out that none of you care enough to ask them.) Teaching isn't as easy as you think, especially when you go out of your way to make your teacher/professor think that you don't want to be in their class at all. Do me a favor, if you don't want to be there, don't show up. I'd rather have a class of five students who wanted to learn than thirty kids who would rather be playing Halo 2. If you don't show up, don't complain about your grade. Drop the class, or better yet, change majors.
In addition to using entirely too many commas, I hope that I have provoked some thought in individuals who may have recently become disgruntled with school. Please don't think I'm coming down hard on you, I've been there myself, I know what you're going through. Interestingly enough, we all have, even the teachers that you may not wish deal with anymore. I'm not a musically incliined person myself; I need a bucket to carry a tune. On the other hand, I did notice that music was not the only thing taught in band. A great deal of my problem-solving, leadership qualities, and social skills were all incidental learning that came out of my otherwise wasted music education. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
It's time for bed. I've got some a lot of work and a little bit of liberal bashing to do tomorrow. Jeff C.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
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Hi... my name is Jason.
Hi. My name is Jason and I live with my parents. I am 37 years old and I'm currently in between jobs. I have been featured in many commercials, I'm sure you've seen me. I'm that guy... "Sweetguy_16"... the one who talks to the young girls and tells them I'm a 15 year old quarterback who is just looking to fit in, I do this because women my age have lives and would never dream of talking to me. I get my kicks by acting cool on random blogs. The highlight of my life was when my ISP stopped charging me by the minute and gave me one flat rate for unlimited minutes. WoW.. that was nice. When I say I'm in between jobs I mean that my last job was six months ago when I was fry cook at Andy's and I might add that I was a shift leader. However I was fired when I was caught in the act with who I called my "Fry Daddy". I really didn't see what the big deal was, but apparently it isnt sanitary to put it there. Who Knew. I have applied at several places around town, but to no avail. Apparently no one is looking for a middle aged man with stuff stuck in his teeth, by stuff I mean peices of fries from when I worked at Andy's. Yes I know it was a while ago, but I just need something to remember it by. Anyways, I just wanted to give yall a little background about myself, because you seemed kind of upset by my comment. Now that you know, I hope that you cut me a little slack. You see, the internet is the only place that my true self can shine. If there was an internet president, I could almost gaurantee that it would be me. So I apologize if you took it the wrong way, now you know that it might as well been coming from a 3 year old. Well it looks like its about time for me to hit the ole' dusty trail, and by that I mean Dragonball Z is on, and its not one of the re-reruns.
Oops, I left out Fat! I would like to thank my fellow convoginators for coming to my defense...you guys are happenin'. Jason, you are exactly right! I am fat, I am middle-aged and I am a loudmouth. Oh yeah, and I lose frequently at Mario Kart to my 9 year old daughter, so yes I am a loser. I am however a father, a husband, a teacher, a friend, a musician, an American (and proud of it) and a Christian. I feel that all that easily trumps my loser status in Mario Kart. So... I'm good.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am the missing link...
Fellow convoginators, I have uncovered what could quite possibly be the most profound analysis ever to find its way onto the vast expanse of the world wide web. Being a longtime fan of Calvin and Hobbes (a comic strip about a young boy and his stuffed tiger/imaginary friend), I was quite taken back to learn that Calvin may in fact be Tyler Durden of Fight Club fame... If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself. Someone with much more free time on their hands has figured this out:
Monday, February 14, 2005
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A Love Story for Valentine's Day
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat: They took some honey, and plenty of money Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar, "O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful Pussy you are, You are, You are! What a beautiful Pussy you are!"
Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl, How charmingly sweet you sing! Oh! let us be married; too long we have tarried: But what shall we do for a ring?" They sailed away, for a year and a day, To the land where the bong-tree grows; And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood, With a ring at the end of his nose, His nose, His nose, With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will." So they took it away, and were married next day By the Turkey who lives on the hill. They dined on mince and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand on the edge of the sand They danced by the light of the moon, The moon, The moon, They danced by the light of the moon.
"I never watched the Oscars. Come on, it's a fashion show," Rock recently declared."What straight black man sits there and watches the Oscars? Show me one!" Rock added: "Awards for art are f---ing idiotic."
You know, he is the one that is HOSTING. So what does that make him? I guess GAY and f---ing idiotic to boot!
Sunday, February 13, 2005
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Only the Curious Have Something to Find
Well, since Josh and Berno want to know, here it is, my Ireland story...
It all began when I was a youngster walking through the rows of books at the Hempstead County Public Library. There was a video that depicted the poem "The Owl and the Pussycat," a poem loved by vast amounts of Irish children, in animated form. I fell in love with the poem. Little did I know the effect it would have on my very being...
Later in my youth I read Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, who is of course Irish. Great book! Anywho... in eleventh grade I read "A Modest Proposal," which is also by Jonathan Swift. It was hilarious! By then I knew that there was something different about the Irish. I went on to read more poetry by Irish folk, and eventually read my favourite book ever. Angela's Ashes. I recommend it to everyone. The humor, the wit, the story, the plight, the River Shannon, it all put things in perspective. Of course, then I had to read 'Tis, which was just as witty. This led to the reading of Frank's brother's book, A Monk Swimming. Malachy is every bit as good a writer as the brother.
Thus, being intrigued by the little I knew of Ireland's history, I read up on the subject a great deal and fell in love with the place. How could one not want to visit such a place after seeing just one picture!? And everything about it is so interesting... the history, the legends, the traditions, the language, the plight, the culture, the music, the names, the immigrants, the troubles, the literature, the food, the climate, the landscapes, the pint... there is no end to the reasons I want, no, need to visit the Emerald Isle. Perhaps I shall live there one day...
I could raise sheep and own a Bed and Breakfast for people all over Europe to praise. I'd drink the pint every now and then when I need a break from the children, John Liam and Carmen Beatrice, who would of course be hurling stars and support me in my old age as I am feeling the effects of the damp from the River Shannon. Moore and Broaders will come back to where they belong and provide entertainment for the aging seashell, and I will eat fish an' chips all the day long. Then my ashes will be scattered across the great Irish landscape.
May no Cluricaun steal my sheepdog for a race, seashell
Okay, so my good friend Berno and I were wondering .... what is Chelsea's unhealthy obsession with Ireland? I mean, are you Irish? Because I am Irish (or at least descended from those who are) and I don't have a dire longing for the Emerald Isle. Hell, I don't even have this extreme a longing to return to the site of my birth. So what is it?
Saturday, February 12, 2005
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What' New(s) ?
Tonight I had to slap myself to make certain I wasn't dreaming considering what I saw on CNN Headline "News". They had a long feature about a bunch of penguins at some zoo. Seems these penguins ( the males ) were 'confused' as to which other penguin to, lets say, procreate with. I couldn't believe how long and how many different shots were taken to display these 'lovers'. I can't believe that with all the real NEWS in this world, CNN would lower themselves for an article like this ! Not to mention the fact that by putting this on for so long, it only continues to desensitize folk to sex in what already is an over-sexed world full of over-sexed people. But if you want news, here's news ! Major Mike left home, family and friends to fight in a war to make a nation other than our own free….Billy and Betty Capps are still in Honduras ministering to the Lencas and seeing a great harvest of souls into God's kingdom….Last week there was six inches of standing water in the KINGDOM office of the Menteca. We may all take the time to send an email to CNN to help them find real news stories since it seems they are no longer capable of such reporting on their own.
I believe Jeff C. is far from alone on this touchy subject. I too am made sick by construction, especially when it delays my homecoming. Last night after staying a few extra hours in Conway to clean the flat (that's an entirely different story altogether), I hopped in the Sanoma and headed toward the greater Hope area. Little did I know that I would arrive thirty minutes later than expected. The construction on I-30 had traffic backed-up for what looked like miles. There were cars infront of me as far as I could see, and there were cars behind me probably further than I could see.
In actuality, the construction on I-30 has cleared up a great deal. It is considerably wider, and the length one must drive between two extremely close concrete walls has shortened. All of this said, I've never seen the traffic so bad on that particular stretch of road. The equation of stupid workers and stupid drivers equals quite an unenjoyable Friday night. Someone's Daddy isn't doing his job right...
Friday, February 11, 2005
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Apologies...
My absence may have been dually noted and celebrated by blog readers the world over, I apologize for this delightful inconvenience and will do my absolute best to provide the most insightfully insipid posts for the viewing public in the future.
I come today to blog about something near my heart: my stomach. Well... not really my stomach, well, sort of. You see, road construction makes me sick to my stomach. I've started loathing every single orange barrel that blocks my pursuit of happiness. Can anyone explain to me why it is necessary to block off fifteen miles of interstate to patch less than fifty yards of concrete? Why is the highway department so much more efficient at tearing things up than they are at fixing them? For instance, it took them less than one day to cordon off and destroy over two miles of interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and Stillwater. If history is any guide, it will take something in the neighborhood of five to six months to patch that little stretch up. That is even one of the better time frames pertaining to road construction (or lack thereof.) I'm sure many of you remember how long the construction projects in the Arkadelphia area took. Anyone in the Conway area will attest to the hassles associated with merging onto I-40. Are they any closer to fixing ANY of the onramps... probably not.
I'll stick to flying, even though it took longer than predicted, Stillwater tore up a runway, lengthened it by 1,400 feet, and had the FAA approve it in less time than it took to resurface a few hundred feet of onramp. It's also quite uncommon to find orange construction barrels thousands of feet in the air.
Jeff C.
P.S. At least we get to laugh at those "My Daddy Works Here" signs...
All relevant topics have been exhausted and the seashell lacks words on anything less, except that the Send Seashell to Ireland Fund has not seen significant increases in the past month. You must realize that we will be paid back ten fold through my sheep raising profits, not to mention the B&B. Perhaps I could also open a pub. It's quite clear that once we have a representative in the Emerald Isle the money will be rolling in, so why not start buying those shirts?! We must think about the good of the company and the little man. We deserve what's coming to us, if not more! Buy, buy, buy! Contribute to your convoginators and the good of the chocolate-milk drinking community! Do not let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass you by! Buy within the next ten minutes and you will receive a sense of worth and accomplishment! Order now!
Last night I spoke with CaraP. During our conversation she asked me if I was watching the Super Bowl. The thought struck me, "Is it that time of year again ?" My answer to Ms. C. was "No". It would have been "No" unless by some cosmic fluke our house would have been drawn into some sort of vortex of insanity at which time someone's hand may have been forced to turn on the TV at that exact moment the game was on ( that moment, by the way seems to last from sometime just before 6am until long after midnight the next day ). Anyway, CaraP commented that the commercials were 'bad'. Hmmm, I had heard that this year the commercials were supposed to be better censored than the previous years. I asked. Ms. C what was 'bad' at which time she said that she had just seen a commercial with a voluptuous women on it !!! I had to agree I couldn't think of anything more disgusting than to 1:) have to watch a football game ( something I haven't done since 1971 ) and 2:) have to sit and look at a commercial with an old fat woman on it !! You see I know exactly what voluptuous means. It comes from two greek words; 'vel' - meaning very and 'lumptoo' meaning fat . I took two years of high school German which gives me the credentials for higher linguistic criticism. I must admit it does bring me a bit of pride this year to realize that not only am I clueless as to the final score, but I don't even know who played !!
Thursday, February 03, 2005
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yay for snow...
it doth snoweth. Yesterday that is. It snowed at the midnight hour and stopped at about noonish. It was pretty much melted by nighttime and there is zero snow today. But hey .... it snowed. Here's some pictures. I had to have an excuse to use my new camera.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
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State of the Union
Great State of the Union. It was a little long, but that's OK. I liked what he had to say about social security. He is right on. Naturally, the Democratic rebuttal was crap. As was the "booing" in the gallery by the democrats. Harry Reid (D-NV) was full of hooey. He used the phrase "immoral burden" concerning the 2 trillion added to the current deficit. HA! Immoral...well, democrates would now about that...from Gary Hart to Bill Clinton with a little Ted Kennedy thrown in for good measure. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) lets us know that the dems have a plan for getting our troops out of Iraq. This woman and the democratic party are full of poop. One of those key points in the democrats plan to get us out is to accelerate the Iraqi economy. They want to pump billions of dollars into their economy, but not into social security for our people and our economy. I must say that democrats are the biggest whiners and finger pointers on the face of the planet. They seem to have all the answers, had 8 years to fix everything and still screwed it up.
President Bush is the right man for the job. He is doing the best he can in a country perverted by 8 years of indecent and immoral idiots who call themselves democrats. (notice I used immoral correctly that time) I think that he is realistic and knows that there is no end to defending the United State and freedom. Whether it be in Iraq or some other desperate country on the face of this planet, we are going to continue to stomp the poop out of terrorism and injustice around the planet. We are the WORLD POLICE (great cartoon name). Remember, they are fighting over there to keep us safe over here. DON'T EVER FORGET THAT!
"When I look at the ink on my finger - this is a mark of freedom... I didn't think I would live long enough to see this moment." - Kassim Abood (During the Iraqi elections voter's index fingers were dipped in indelible ink to indicate they had voted, the terrorist gangs in Iraq threatened to behead anyone found with the mark.)
"We had all kinds of feelings in our minds while we were on our way to the ballot box except one feeling that never came to us, that was fear. We could smell pride in the atmosphere this morning. Everyone we saw was holding up his blue-tipped finger with broad smiles on the faces while walking out of the center. I couldn’t think of a scene more beautiful than that..." – Iraqi Citizen
"I have been waiting for this day, I have been dreaming of this day to tell my grandchildren that in the first election in the history of Iraq I was the first woman to vote." - Lamaa Jamal Talabani
"This is democracy... This is the first day I feel freedom." - Karfia Abbasi, Iraqi Citizen living in the so-called "triangle of death"
"My family and my children are very happy. The people should be united and not be afraid. We were afraid for 35 years under the oppression of Saddam, and today is our chance." - Muhanned Fadhil
Recent headlines concerning the war in Iraq have focused on the loss of human lives, the ongoing insurgency, and the possibility of increased terrorist activity leading up to the Iraqi elections. However, the elections took place over the weekend, on schedule, and with limited disruptions.
Results of the voting will be revealed during the next 10 days as votes are counted, those candidates elected to the 275-member transitional National Assembly will choose a largely ceremonial president and two vice-presidents. They, in turn, will pick a prime minister and a cabinet that must be ratified by the assembly. The newly elected assembly, which will serve an 11-month term, must then begin the arduous task of drafting a constitution. Iraqis will hold a national referendum in October to accept or reject the constitution. If the document is approved, Iraqis will vote in December for a permanent government under the constitution. If the document is rejected, Iraqis will repeat the whole process, voting for a new transitional assembly to draft a new constitution.
Ah... Mein Pistole.
