Eloquence on the early transfer

In transit today; all things steady for now but in deterioration on the illness front...had to take a moment to post this. Thanks to everyone for the kind words offered as balm on our wounds.

The CPA turned over the keys to the car (but not the garage) two days early this morning, in an apparent attempt to avert having a ceremony upset by attacks either in the rest of the country or on the ceremony itself. That gambit seems to have worked; everything went as (hastily) planned. On the other hand, I think the administration was hoping for a more photo-op-ready sort of transfer, with networks covering the signature process and whatever other pomp they could wring from the circumstance. If they had good information that things were going to be chaotic had they gone through with the normal plan, obviously this was the smart tactic, and kudos for sacrificing the political moment in the name of safety. But in its hurried and friends-and-family-only kind of way, the transfer comes off looking like a Britney Spears nuptiual. From the AP article on the transfer comes about as concise an evaluation of the whole ordeal as I've seen:

"Iraqis are happy inside, but their happiness is marred by fear and melancholy," said artist Qassim al-Sabti. "Of course I feel I'm still occupied. You can't find anywhere in the world people who would accept occupation. America these days, is like death. Nobody can escape from it."

PS--saw F911 on Saturday; full review when I get back into the World.