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09.28.2006
As you may
remember, at the start of the war against Iraq*, Donald Rumsfeld was
asked about the widespread opposition to the invasion, especially in
Europe, which stood in marked contrast to European support for previous
American military endeavors. His reply:
"Now, you're thinking
of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe. If
you look at the entire NATO Europe today, the center of gravity is
shifting to the east. And there are a lot of new members. Germany
has been a problem, and France has been a problem. But you look
at vast numbers of other countries in Europe. They're not with France
and Germany on this, they're with the United States."
While there has clearly been a major shift in the power
balance in Europe -- away from the snooty, wimpified West with its
effeminate citizenry, unseemly tolerance for Islam, and highfalutin
internet access and food purity laws, and towards the dynamic, manly
East with its frontier capitalism, git-er-done attitude, and
morning-fresh awareness of democracy and human rights -- the details of
what exactly we mean by "Old Europe" and "New Europe" is rather
vague. I have therefore compiled this handy guide for
travelers: learn where you are, what you're doing, who you should
avoid, and most importantly, whether or not the country to which you're
considering a visit is a staunch ally in the war on terror, or a
vacillating aggregation of wobbly surrender-monkeys.
NATION:
Albania STATUS: New
Old New Europe (committed troops to the Coalition of the Willing, but
only in non-combat roles) TROOPS COMMITTED:
120 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
shrugging, telling Marines "I wish I could help, really" ONCE KNOWN FOR: fiery
political rhetoric NOW KNOWN FOR: actual
fires
NATION: Andorra STATUS: Old
Europe (did not commit troops to the CotW) WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
no military
ONCE KNOWN FOR: highest life expectancy in Europe NOW KNOWN FOR:
lowest fun expectancy in Europe
NATION:
Armenia STATUS: New
Europe (committed to the CotW) TROOPS COMMITTED:
46 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
never complaining about the noise Mongolia made in the next tent ONCE KNOWN FOR:
that little unpleasantness a while back with the Turks NOW KNOWN FOR:
famous tourist attraction, a city in the sky
NATION: Austria STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
had to work the next day
ONCE KNOWN FOR: birthplace of Freud, Mozart and
Wittgenstein NOW KNOWN FOR:
birthplace of Hitler
NATION:
Azerbaijan STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
150 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
operating the ear-piercing kiosk at the new Sadr City megamall ONCE KNOWN FOR: nothing NOW KNOWN FOR: being
the only country in west Asia that doesn't end in "-istan"
NATION: Belarus STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
too much coffee, man
ONCE KNOWN FOR: intimate familiarity with the underside of
Soviet thumbs NOW KNOWN FOR:
delicious drink made from vodka, Kahlua and cream
NATION: Belgium STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
big argument between Flemish & Walloons
ONCE KNOWN FOR: tasty waffles NOW KNOWN FOR:
most boring country in Europe
NATION:
Bosnia and Herzegovina STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
36 CASUALTIES: 2 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
demanding two checks from Bush administration because, really, when you
think about it, they're two separate countries and all ONCE KNOWN FOR: being
a completely different country NOW KNOWN FOR: statue
of Bruce Lee
NATION: Bulgaria STATUS: New
Old Europe (committed troops to CotW, but then withdrew them) TROOPS COMMITTED: 462 CASUALTIES: 13 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
'locating' land mines ONCE KNOWN FOR:
supplying incompetent hitmen to SMERSH in Ian Fleming novels NOW KNOWN FOR:
Julia Kristeva
NATION: Croatia STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
if Bosnia and Herzegovina is doing it, it must be lame
ONCE KNOWN FOR: the Yugo NOW KNOWN FOR:
ethnic cleansing
NATION: Czech
Republic STATUS: Old
New Old Europe (currently has troops in CotW, but has scheduled their
withdrawal) TROOPS COMMITTED: 96 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
beer runs ONCE KNOWN FOR:
being forced to double-date with Slovakia NOW KNOWN FOR:
providing home away from home for drunken American students
NATION:
Denmark STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
550 CASUALTIES: 5 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
irritating terrorists with series of crude cartoon drawings ONCE KNOWN FOR: brooding
Prince Hamlet NOW KNOWN FOR: delicious
baked ham
NATION:
Estonia STATUS: New
Europe (committed to the CotW) TROOPS COMMITTED:
35 CASUALTIES: 2
(highest percentage of losses in the Coalition) MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
high-quality pornography ONCE KNOWN FOR: cacaphonous,
bewildering folk dances NOW KNOWN FOR: flat
tax which has ushered in 'economic miracle' for many happy foreigners
NATION: Finland STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
afraid their frost-covered bodies would melt in desert heat
ONCE KNOWN FOR: cell phone manufacturing NOW KNOWN FOR:
high suicide rate
NATION: France STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
didn't want to risk possibility of winning a war
ONCE KNOWN FOR: cultural capitol of the world NOW KNOWN FOR:
butt of cheap jokes by conservative pundits
NATION:
Georgia STATUS:
Super-New Europe (has committed more
troops to the CotW than originally pledged) TROOPS COMMITTED:
850 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
smiling patiently when US Army troops hollered "Hey, I'm from Georgia
too!" ONCE KNOWN FOR:
many, many portraits of Josef Stalin NOW KNOWN FOR:
'Tibilisi, The Atlanta of the Georgia That Atlanta Isn't In'
NATION: Germany STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
"no way are you blaming THIS one on us"
ONCE KNOWN FOR: Europe's economic giant NOW KNOWN FOR:
being the anti-France
NATION: Greece STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
foresaw few opportunities for yelling "OPAA!"
ONCE KNOWN FOR: birthplace of civilization, art, commerce,
drama, democracy NOW KNOWN FOR:
ass-fucking
NATION: Hungary STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 300 CASUALTIES: 1 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
going on snipe hunts ONCE KNOWN FOR:
historical birthplace of the Rubik's Cube NOW KNOWN FOR:
competing with Turkey for country used most often in lame puns
NATION: Iceland STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 7
(MAN WAY TO GO ICELAND!) CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
leaving ONCE KNOWN FOR: ice
NOW KNOWN FOR:
Bjork
NATION:
Ireland STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP: too
drunk ONCE KNOWN FOR:
loud-mouthed, inebriated brawling NOW KNOWN FOR:
loud-mouthed, inebriated cowardice
NATION: Italy STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 1600 CASUALTIES: 33 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
managing to keep their government from collapsing for the entire
duration of their stay in Iraq ONCE KNOWN FOR:
fashion, cuisine, industry NOW KNOWN FOR:
the Mafia
NATION:
Kazakhstan STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
29 CASUALTIES: 1 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
being at the vanguard of the New Europe despite technically being
located in Asia ONCE KNOWN FOR: Cossacks NOW KNOWN FOR: Borat
NATION:
Latvia STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
136 CASUALTIES: 1 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
Doombots ONCE KNOWN FOR: lunkheaded
hockey players NOW KNOWN FOR: Ingride
Udre, the hottest Speaker of the House since Tip O'Neill
NATION: Lichtenstein STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
U.S. already had a guy to run the popcorn dispenser ONCE KNOWN FOR:
it's a country...AND a ski resort! NOW KNOWN FOR:
thanks to The Mouse That Roared,
most people think it's made up
NATION:
Lithuania STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
50 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
winning CotW Battle of the Bands with black metal group "DËTH" ONCE KNOWN FOR: Laurence
Harvey NOW KNOWN FOR: Charles
Bronson
NATION: Luxembourg STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
it's fucking Luxembourg ONCE KNOWN FOR:
the world's only remaining Grand Duchy NOW KNOWN FOR:
least necessary of the Benelux nations
NATION:
Macedonia STATUS:
Super-New Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
55 CASUALTIES: 3 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
Minotaur Brigade ONCE KNOWN FOR:
getting into big arguments with Romania over who gets credit for
Clement of Ohrid NOW KNOWN FOR:
being a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie,
for some reason
NATION: Malta STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
trying to get their head together ONCE KNOWN FOR:
famous attempt in 1972 to join with Andorra, San Marino, Luxembourg,
Lichtenstein and Montenegro to get up enough people for a soccer team NOW KNOWN FOR:
inextricable association with Thomas Pynchon's V.
NATION:
Moldova STATUS: Old
New Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
12 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
always there to brew up a fresh batch of beet jam ONCE KNOWN FOR:
being the most easily-forgotten of the Soviet republics NOW KNOWN FOR:
being the poorest country in Europe
NATION: Monaco STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
other three guys in the country were on vacation
ONCE KNOWN FOR: Princess Grace NOW KNOWN FOR:
Prince Albert
NATION: Montenegro STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
weren't exactly sure if they were a real country ONCE KNOWN FOR:
only Slavic nation with a name people could pronounce NOW KNOWN FOR:
sitting out all that former-Yugoslav-republic unpleasantness
NATION: Netherlands STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 1345 CASUALTIES: 2 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
HOND IN DE GOOT ONCE KNOWN FOR:
being tall and blond NOW KNOWN FOR:
being Holland, and the Dutch, and the Netherlands, and who knows what
NATION: Norway STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 150 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
reminding soldiers from Minnesota of home ONCE KNOWN FOR:
interesting cheeses NOW KNOWN FOR:
socialism
NATION:
Poland STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
900 CASUALTIES: 17 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
telling American officers "yes, yes, I heard that one" ONCE KNOWN FOR: hilarious
managerial jokes about submarines with screen doors NOW KNOWN FOR: hilarious
presidential jokes about having been forgotten
NATION: Portugal STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 128 CASUALTIES: 0 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
clarifying meaning of "Brazilian" to US troops, president ONCE KNOWN FOR:
being that country stuck on the end of Spain NOW KNOWN FOR:
world champion rink hockey team
NATION:
Romania STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
628 CASUALTIES: 2 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
bringing the klezmer music ONCE KNOWN FOR:
gypsies NOW KNOWN FOR:
slightly fewer gypsies
NATION: Russia STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
forgot where they put their economy ONCE KNOWN FOR:
dirty rotten commies NOW KNOWN FOR:
dirty rotten mobsters
NATION: San
Marino STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
entire population outnumbered by residents of a single apartment
building in Tikrit ONCE KNOWN FOR:
being really fucking tiny NOW KNOWN FOR:
being really fucking tiny, but also pussing out in Iraq
NATION: Serbia STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
Bill Clinton wouldn't let them ONCE KNOWN FOR:
starting WWI NOW KNOWN FOR:
being the last country prior to Iraq that the US bombed the shit out of
NATION:Slovakia STATUS:Old
New Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:104 CASUALTIES:3 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:pretending to speak Arabic and nodding politely when
Iraqis complain ONCE KNOWN FOR:coming after "Czecho-" NOW KNOWN FOR:being mistaken for Slovenia
NATION: Slovenia STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
Slovakia already had it covered ONCE KNOWN FOR:
capital city contained most combined uses of the letters "lj" NOW KNOWN FOR:
synonymous with "slovenly"
NATION: Spain STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 1300 CASUALTIES: 11 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
promised to take out any bulls employed by insurgency ONCE KNOWN FOR: the
Inquisition NOW KNOWN FOR:
failure of one-time ruling party to learn from Bush administration
proper methods for blaming terror attacks on political opposition
NATION: Sweden STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
Viking gene diluted after years of cross-breeding with Danes ONCE KNOWN FOR:
bikini teams NOW KNOWN FOR:
inexplicable assassinations
NATION: Switzerland STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
why start now? ONCE KNOWN FOR:
one of the world's oldest democracies NOW KNOWN FOR:
hoarding Nazi gold
NATION: Turkey STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
eyed dozens of Muslim neighbors nervously ONCE KNOWN FOR:
beloved Thanksgiving meal NOW KNOWN FOR:
inability to make up mind whether it's in Europe or Asia
NATION: Ukraine STATUS: New
Old Europe TROOPS COMMITTED: 1650 CASUALTIES: 18 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
wheat ONCE KNOWN FOR:
breadbasket of the Soviet Union NOW KNOWN FOR:
nuclear waste dump of the Commonwealth of Independent States
NATION:
United Kingdom STATUS: New
Europe TROOPS COMMITTED:
7200 CASUALTIES:
118 MAJOR CONTRIBUTION:
bullet-catchers ONCE KNOWN FOR:
having a huge empire upon which the sun would never set NOW KNOWN FOR:
helping America maintaine their huge empire upon which the sun will
never set
NATION: Vatican
City STATUS: Old
Europe WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN UP:
Pope was sick ONCE KNOWN FOR:
holy seat of the Catholic Church NOW KNOWN FOR:
really crappy basketball team
*: Incidentally, as
of this summer, the stated objectives of the military occupation forces
in Iraq are as follows:
1. Ensure that Iraq
is at peace with its neighbors
2. Make Iraq an ally in the War on Terror
3. Ensure the security of Israel
4. Teach democracy
5. Install a representative government in Iraq that respects the
human rights of all Iraqis
6. Ensure that Iraq has a security force that can maintain
domestic order and deny Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists