Mohammed Fadhil reports on Iraqis' election preparations. There are security concerns and solutions being proposed, as well as political activities we'll find familiar:

Most of the [200 political] parties are focusing now on the universities in an attempt to win the students votes and they're holding lectures and events in the universities to advertise for their platforms and lists.

In the city of Najaf, the Hawza suspended the activities of its school and asked the students to stop working on their [research] and head to the provinces to encourage the people to vote.

The higher commission will grant all candidates a chance to speak through the media (papers, TV and radio) for a certain time for free and has asked the interested candidates to contact its offices to enlist their names on the broadcast schedule that is going to be coordinated with the Iraqi media.

For those who haven't heard, there are 7,200 registered candidates running throughout the country. Mohammed also debunks what's apparently an urban legend being circulated by those opposed to a democratic Iraq.

Finally: if "Philistine" has come to mean "disbeliever," "Iraqi" ought to soon be short for "courageous, indefatigable, not to be trifled with." (Link from Omar.)

IN-AP-PROPRIATE: Sometimes a hydra is just stuck trying to walk in seven different directions.