...more recent posts
New York anthrax case confirmed
An NBC employee in New York has tested postive for anthrax, network officials have told CNN. Details soon -
"anthrax is not cool anymore. we're changing our name to ebola."
Ode to the Middle of Nowhere
What is it about Central Asia?
From the so-called Aryans, to the Huns and the Hordes, not to mention Timur the Iron Limper; there's always some threat to civilization issuing from this inhospitable zone. Alexander the Great turned back there, along with Kipling's Britain (check the last verse). I can see why people want to leave, but what are they doing there to begin with? History's losers, forced beyond the margins, until they've grown as hard as the country? We're talking about people whose favorite sport involves a bunch of guys on horseback and a goat carcass. People expect the world to end in the Middle East, but I say keep your eye on Central Asia. Maybe we should ask Pynchon about it.
Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that the area provides the perfect name for the current military campaign. This has been a problem, as Operation Infinite Justice was dumped, supposedly in deference to our Moslem friends. Actually, it's got a ring to it, and will likely turn up as the title of a Schwarzenneger movie next year. Enduring Freedom, or whatever it is now, is no good. Clumsy, and whose freedom are we talking about? And forget Muslims, it ought to be objectionable to Christians. Doesn't the Bible teach that the works of man are passing, and only God endures? As far as I know, heaven is not a democracy.
I'm proposing Operation Baluchitherium, named after the largest land mammal ever to walk the earth. Imposing animals have a long tradition as totems and military mascots. I think a giant, extinct, hornless rhinoceros makes a fine symbol for our present deployment. And where's it from? You guessed it; Central Asia.
What is it with that place?
Our office building at 26 Federal Plaza was just evacuated. One of my clerks said he heard banging noises and then saw people running from the building. I looked into the hall and saw the staff of the security office next door running out. No PA announcement, no evidence of standard fire-drill type emergency procedures. It turned out to be noise from some construction equipment. They let us back in after about twenty minutes, and made an announcement that construction noises on the 14th floor may be ongoing. Didn't tell us how to distinguish between construction and terror noises. People are a bit edgy around here.
WWMD: What Would MacGyver Do?
now if only the rest of america didnt have to hear him.......
Random bird story for Alex: American oriole wings its way across Atlantic to Baltimore, Ireland
This item is in Slate's "Today's Papers" feature for 10/9/01. I can't find reference to it elsewhere. Are there any more details? It sounds like a major story if it's true.
"USAT fronts and everybody else stuffs word that yesterday a man broke into the cockpit of a Los Angeles to Chicago airliner. After a struggle during which the plane rocked violently, the man was subdued by passengers and, escorted by Air Force fighters, the aircraft then made a safe landing in Chicago."
From the L.A. Times (link via liberalartsmafia)
Winding up a speech, Bush said America will be tough and resolute to defeat terrorists so future generations can live in peace. "And there is no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail," the president said.Can't they get some animatronics or something so this guy doesn't have to speak for himself in public?
John Lilly died 09-30-01. Here's the Times obit.:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/07/obituaries/07LILL.html?searchpv=nytToday
we have begun bombing and i dont really know what we can do to have peace on earth, or what is best to do in this situation (i am just a wine dealer) but i fear that life will never be the same again, of course i am not knowledgable enough to agree with all of this but think he makes some good points (originally posted by dratfink)....
this probably seemed like a better idea a month ago.
all your opinions belong to us
I recieved this email today. Jim, what's the scoop on this supposed virus which attacks mac's as well as pc's?
Very Urgent!!!!!!!
PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR.
If you receive an email titled:
"It Takes Guts to Say Jesus"
DO NOT OPEN IT.
It will erase everything on your hard drive. This information was announced yesterday morning from ; AOL states that this is a very dangerous virus, much worse than "Melissa," and that there is NO Remedy for it at this time.
Some very sick individual has succeeded in using the reformat function from Norton Utilities causing it to completely erase all documents on the hard drive. It has been designed to work with Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. It destroys Macintosh and IBM compatible computers. This is a
new, very malicious virus and not many people know about it. Pass this warning along to EVERYONE in your address book ! and please share it with all your online friends ASAP so that this threat maybe stopped. Please practice cautionary measures and tell anyone that may have access to your computer.
Forward this warning to everyone that you know that might access the Internet.
Joyce L. Bober
IBM Information Systems Pittsburgh Mailing Systems
412 - 922-8744
guess i just inadvertently got as close to the president as i ever will. if youre keeping track that would be approximately 10 feet. his motorcade drove across grand st and then turned north on the bowery. as everyone was forced behind the baracades and blockaded onto the sidewalk, i wasnt going anywhere so i stood and watched like everyone else who was stuck between bowery and christie and beyond. as the motorcade made its way down the block, i was thinking it must have been a pretty odd sight from within the heavily armored oversized limo that carried the dignitaries to see the street lined four deep with asian americans many with flags outstretched. but maybe thats the type of scene you become immune to if you are often stumping across the highways/byways of america. but i would think now with the events at hand its hyperrealized.
i cant actually say i saw the shrub . the windows were semitranslucent and the only person i could make out was an older gentleman who wore large framed glasses as he waved to the onlookers. he looked like an investment banker or an ambassador -- old rich and familiar with the trappings of power.
the last police escort finally moved through and eventually all the cruisers that were blocking the intersections disengaged and finally the barricades were released and everyone sputtered on their way.
I ran an estate sale for my boss over the weekend. I now have a 70's style beigh leather sectional sofa (cheezy yet cool) , a set of 60's italian stainless steel pots and pans with cool handels (industrial chic) a new HP PC "pavilion" (super hotrod) and a 1972 pinball machine "wild lIfe" cartoon tarzan and jane motif (one busted rubberband, otherwise fully opperational) and a small bit of pay. Pinball competition anyone ?
now theyve really gone too far. strom thurmond just collapsed on the senate floor. (damn those terrorists!) can jesse helms be far behind?
my email and internet explorer are dead or so it seems, i opened an attachement from hungary and got the goo lash virus, jim what can we do if any thing, nortan antivirus zip disked in by linda has found 38 infected programs and 3 common virus's but could delete only 4 programs and one virus the 34 on my restore part of C disk cant be helped per nortan and i cant iE, OE but can use the rest of the computer......OUCH
wasnt someone yacking about david halberstam at aka? heres an interview with salon regarding the current crisis and the attitudes that helped it along.
i was just watching a little of the cbs sunday morning show. the human muppet aka senator lieberman was droning on about something. then they cut to the jingoistic insert before going to a commercial. as the music swells, bush gazes over a sea flag waving admirers. it looks like they are of the military persuasion. and i got nauseous and muted the sound while channeling i cant close my eyes and make it go away. and i thought, what song is that from? the subconscious radio station is always on.
the aol homepage had a link to the princeton review college rankings so i clicked through. it was either that or watch the fox sunday morning gabfest. no contest. i always like to see how the old alma mater stacks up against the competition. so theres all sorts of fun and pointless rankings. trinity college has a stranglehold on the second slot in the most homogeneous category and has the nineteenth spot on the reefer madness list. i can barely contain my school pride. but even more astounding was that i took the counselor-o-matic quiz to see where i would match up well with schools and the selection it came up with was trinity college. i guess it was fated all along. heres the counselor page if you are hopelessly bored.
A group of volunteers is joining the Library of Congress and the Internet Archive in San Francisco to piece together what the Web looked like during and after the events of Sept. 11, according to the Washington Post.
The project -- which will rely on Web pages archived offline after terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon -- expects to publish its results Oct. 11. Kirsten Foot, a University of Washington professor who is co-directing the effort, told the Post: "There is the potential for a new level of civic activism emerging. There's been a huge surge in people feeling compelled to make statements about the events online. We see it everywhere online, and we want to preserve a record of it."
Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, said the idea is to build a new kind of library. "This isn't just about historians storing stuff in a closet. We are trying hard to become a meaningful resource to people in real time," he said.
The Internet Archive can be found at archive.org.