• Hot Off The Presses

    Zimbabwe: More Details Emerging

    April 22, 2008 - By 

    The Times – Bob’s Mad Scramble For Weapons The Sunday Times has established that this week’s Chinese shipment of arms turned away from Durban harbour on Friday was just one of several botched attempts by the embattled Mugabe regime to buy arms this year. One well-placed Zimbabwean defence industry official told the Sunday Times: “In the first three working days after the election, there were queues of people outside (arms procurement) offices — police, the presidential bodyguard unit, army, the CIO. There’s lots of stuff happening today… it’s amazing, frankly, how many people all over the world are mobilizing to…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Hot Off The Presses

    Zimbabwe: An Yue Jiang Lost, Stolen, or Strayed?

    April 21, 2008 - By 

    The An Yue Jiang, the Chinese ship that’s supposed to be carrying tons of arms for Zimbabwe left Durban for port or ports unknown; some thought it was headed for nearby Mozambique, but the Mozambicans pulled an Amy Winehouse and denied it access (after first denying it was headed their way, hmm). Now it’s thought to be headed to Angola (there’s a lovely thought, how much of the cargo will actually stay in whatever port eventually accepts it?). The BBC News site has some smuggled video footage (they are banned from officially reporting from within Zimbabwe, but get around it).…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    Passover for the Impatient

    April 19, 2008 - By 

    My husband David and sundry other relatives will enjoy this. A PASSOVER SERVICE FOR THE IMPATIENT. By Michael Rubiner Opening prayers: Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.) Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.) Overview: Once we were slaves in Egypt. Now we’re free. That’s why we’re doing this. Four questions: 1. What’s up with the matzoh? 2. What’s the deal with horseradish? 3. What’s with the dipping of the herbs? 4. What’s this whole slouching at the table business? Answers: 1. When we left Egypt, we were in a hurry. There was no time for making decent bread. 2.…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    The McDades Are Coming!

    April 19, 2008 - By 

    Through one of those felicitous Internet things, I just found out that Canadian Celtic/fusion band The McDades are coming to Chicago’s Abbey Pub, and my husband David and I might get to see them. I happened upon them at a Chicago Celtic Fest a couple of years ago, bought the CD, and have enjoyed it on my iPod and now iPhone ever since. Comments on that post are closed (I should think about re-opening old comments…), but one of them contacted David, probably by doing a whois. Anyway, we might get to go, if things work out. They have a…

  • Flickr - Moblog - Parish: Holy Moly (ECUSA) - Today

    Wii bowling at the retirement home

    April 19, 2008 - By 

    Today being the third Saturday of the month, some of us from the “nurturing” team at Holy Moly/St Nicholas were at Asbury Park for the ecumenical service we do. On my way in, I spotted this on the schedule board for the day: there we are at 10:30, in direct competition with the Wii Bowling. And let me say, the Wii virtual bowlers were kicking ass and having a great time, from the sound of it. We had a pretty good time too – Tim from choir showed up, so we “made a choir” and stood together. Finished with “Amazing…

  • SABRE2th Tigress: Book 'em, Dano. - Today

    Very Freaky Friday

    April 18, 2008 - By 

    I’m already having a bad day, and it’s not even noon yet. All seemed normal until I went to leave: the garage door was stuck halfway open. I didn’t notice it until I checked the rearview mirror and couldn’t see the street. There was enough light to see by when I went out, so my blinkers were on and I thought “David left the garage door open.” Well, not quite. I couldn’t open it or close it, and last time it got stuck, the red release handle caused the whole thing to drop down and bust the springs, which were…