… or Kicking off at the Iraqi Blogodrome. a happy sink a dirty heart a playful leaf the soul of art : ) ( : poem by April Girl It's a football special today. With Iraq through to the finals of the Asian Cup bloggers are alight with comment on the national team. And there's more, read about how one Iraqi blogger has had enough of blogging; how to survive a trip through Baghdad International Airport; what it is like to have the Iraqi army move in next door; Why Iraqi oil is so critical to the world and much,much more. And, if you read to the end, why one blogger got banned from YouTube. Today's side quotes are from Iraqi poet and blogger April Girl. all sparks happy all sparks sad nothing makes sense and nothing is bad i write for nothing and nothing i write to please my soul or satisfy my mind to tear my heart or tear do my eyes sigh-filled lungs and restless beats of a pump of tongues poem by April Girl If you read no other blog post this week read this one… Marshmallow26 has had enough of blogging and signs off with spite and vitriol: I know the fact that “Bloggin” is something to vent and express your ways and thoughts and come up with something new every time you write, but since my thoughts keep reoccurring in my posts like an echo and tells no story about life and experience except for: death, killing, boring, bombs, terror, surviving as if the terrorism becomes something we should bow for when it comes to talk about it…as if we will lose our taste of writing and visitors to the site if we don’t mention that we are the most Dog on poor nation on earth! And yet, we are!! What will I gain if I still talk and blab about the Iraqi prime vampire and his entourage? Nothing but a pointless drivel!! What difference will my articles make? Nothing!! Who cares if I say that I spent 30 consecutive hours at home begging God with my prayers to get the power back on?? Not much! What is my goal in this shitty life after I lost so many opportunities of studying abroad? Bewail my bad luck and try the same shit again! What am I doing trying to encourage those who lost hope and faith while I’m acting worse?? Mocking them!! … The chaos and violence escalation affect my daily basis life big time, I can’t digest all that and keep going in this life…what have I done to live in the war and experience the difference between the sound of explosions whether its and IED or VBIED??? What? HUH?? What is my fault to have such a heart, a heart that melts and aches for its beloved folks, or for any bloody scene in reality or on TV?? Why should I care that much? I need a break from my blog, … until there will be something new, fun, real and exciting to write about I will get back with Iraqi Roses… Until then…peace be with you all. And its for rants like this that I really want her to come back :( we might discover or we might not the truth of time and that of the dot be with me or be not be to be and for nothing else it might matter when we rot an easy ending a bright red rock a hardened smile on an old maidens frock show me the way to disengage and free this thought poem by April Girl Football crazy This is the first time that Iraq has made it this far in the Asian Cup. For Neurotic Iraqi Wife the significance of this means more to her than (to quote Muqtada Al-Sadr) watching grown men running after a ball: The game on Sunday is crucial. Especially because its against the Saudis. God, I hope and pray we will win, I really do. I wanna bring their noses down for once. I know I shouldnt be judgemental and I know I shouldnt generalize for many of my friends are Lebanese, Jordanians and Palestinians but in general the Arabs did nothing but hurt us. They hate us, they hate us because they dont want to see a beautiful unified flourishing Iraq…. Iraqis were always respected in the Arab world, before and during Saddam's time. People from Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Jordan begged to come here to get the Iraqi nationality. Ofcourse with their benevolent leader, they were always treated better than the Iraqis themselves. I remember when I used to travel with my parents and say we are Iraqis, its like we've just said we are royalty. But now, now being an Iraqi means nothing but a destitute poor country. … This is the reality that we live in. We have become like some disease that everyone runs away from. No Pain No Gain adds: Seeing Iraq win in soccer is one of the most cherished sensations for an Iraqi.