Clarifying yesterday’s post…

For those of you who missed it, yesterday I posted that there was an unconfirmed report of an American attack on Iraq, then changed it to a “nevermind, spurious info.” Here are the details of what happened/is going on:

There is a persistent rumor going around the middle east that on September 6, a large joint US/British strike force of about 100 warplanes struck large numbers of radar installations and antiaircraft defense stations in the western portion of Iraq, in the area of the Jordanian border, as a prelude to a ground invasion.

More details, links and some depressing news analysis.

Published in: on September 9, 2002 at 16:47  Comments (2)  
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Ah, nevermind.

Update to news story: Apparently the rumors of a large-scale attack were false, or at least exaggerated. Certain so-called respectable papers in the Israeli media tend to react in far too large a type to a routine assault; apparently it involved only 12 aircraft and 25 bombs, and was within the range of the ordinary low-level fighting in the area which has been going on for the past decade.

Continue about your business, nothing to see here.

Published in: on September 8, 2002 at 19:49  Comments (5)  
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News for the day

Another news story — in particular the second of the two, which brings up the questions:

  • What sort of idiot would participate in that?
  • What sort of fetish makes people wish to watch that?
  • And do I really want to know the answers to either of these questions?

Hopefully these three questions have piqued your interest sufficiently. I’m going to go run and hide now.

Published in: on September 7, 2002 at 17:22  Comments (3)  
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A good morning

I just got back from morning services for Rosh Hashanah at a very small, Orthodox synagogue in Boulder. There was something very good about this group; they weren’t obsessed with ritual forms like far too many of the Orthodox seem to be, but rather seemed to be people who just wanted to be together both for the liturgy and for discussing the ideas behind it. Prayer was mixed with discussion, and a great deal of singing and dancing. (Random language thought, not from today but relevant: The Hebrew word for ‘to rejoice’ is literally more or less ‘to be filled with song.’ The word for ‘rich’ is ‘joyful.’ Says something about the underlying ideas there)

Anyway, it was really all the things that a religious occasion ought to be — people there out of will and happiness, rather than out of some abstract obligation, and participating actively rather than just reciting from memory. Definitely a good morning.

And now, to get some sleep… 🙂

Published in: on September 7, 2002 at 12:10  Comments Off on A good morning  
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Your random news item for the day

First item on this page, sorta kinda work-safe… I can only hope that the woman in question is making this up, and working on the assumption that in Britain, it would sound normal.

OK, I really hope that she’s making this up.

Published in: on August 30, 2002 at 11:28  Comments (8)  
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Brain music. Neat.

Random news item

Published in: on August 29, 2002 at 15:55  Comments (2)  
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Mmm, sticky…




Take the Dessert Quiz

Published in: on August 29, 2002 at 11:15  Comments (3)  

News line of the day

“We’re still looking for either a naked man with huge eyes or an emu,” the spokesman added.

Well, I’ve been saying the same for years…

(The full story, here)

Published in: on August 23, 2002 at 10:42  Comments (1)  
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Amusing facts about the Mountain View Public Library

The Odyssey is filed under non-fiction. When I asked the girl at the checkout desk about this, she said “That’s weird. That’s, like, science fiction, right?”

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen are filed under fiction, under their author — Baron Munchausen.

The car manuals for Honda Civics are all filed under car manuals, but some years are under “Honda” and others under “Civic.”

The catalogue lists identical books under separate entries, and often multiple copies of the same book are filed in different sections of the library.

Is there a librarian in the house? Anywhere?

(Although to be fair: Apart from the total lack of organization, it’s a remarkably pleasant library. Very good places to sit and read or work.)

Published in: on August 21, 2002 at 23:50  Comments (4)  
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Well, that should have been obvious…

Simple LiveJournal hack: Add self to own friends list. This allows easy monitoring of comment threads spawned by one’s own postings, without having to pipe it all to e-mail.

I probably should have figured that out earlier.

(Besides, isn’t a certain section of the old Purity Test subheaded “I’m my own best friend!”?)

Published in: on August 21, 2002 at 15:26  Comments (10)  
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