Scooped

As alert readers over at LGF astutely pointed out, the Bowden piece mentioned below is actually a reprint of an article he wrote for The Atlantic, chopped conveniently in twain for newspaper consumption.

So there. Now there’s no reason for me to link to the Inq’s Sunday version. *grin*

Posted by Doug on September 18th, 2002 | No Comments Posted in Blogger Import, Politics

Sun to Sell Linux PCs

In what has to be one of the worst-disguised, highly-telegraphed moves in recent IT industry history, Sun announced today that they will be selling Linux-based PCs.

These PCs will likely be beefier versions of their Sun Ray thin clients, although, who knows? Maybe they’ll sell a model intended to replace their low end Sun Blade SparcII workstations.

I still don’t know why Sun and Apple haven’t joined forces. “Macs on the desktop, Suns in the server room” makes so much sense, it’s almost ridiculous. Perhaps McNealy and Jobs don’t see eye-to-eye…

Posted by Doug on September 18th, 2002 | No Comments Posted in Blogger Import, Linux

The Life of a Tyrant

I’ve managed to track down Mark Bowden’s piece Inside the World of a Tyrant (Part 1) that originally ran in the opinion section of this week’s Philly Inquirer. For those who don’t recognize the name “Mark Bowden”: Mr. Bowden is the author of Black Hawk Down and Killing Pablo, among other works. In fact, Black Hawk Down originally ran as a series in the Inquirer.

Bowden’s piece provides a good overview and some insight into Saddam Hussein’s background and motivations. While not bursting with information, it does talk about his humble upbringing, his false sense of “civility”, his distrust of his advisors and his political acumen.

A very interesting read. I’ll post the second part when it becomes available (probably Sunday or this coming Monday).

Posted by Doug on September 18th, 2002 | No Comments Posted in Blogger Import, Politics

Willow Grove Air Show

My wife, two friends and I attended the Willow Grove (PA) Air Show on Saturday (9/14) and came away highly impressed.

Of note was the combined field assault demonstration put on by the military. It featured a Marines forward recon team inserted by Bell Huey in order to mark the target. Two overflights of F-18s and A-10 Warthogs served to soften the target enough to allow two Stallion helicopters to deploy two squads of Marines. The Marines’ advance was covered by two Apaches, a LAV (light-armored vehicle) and more air support from the F-18s and A-10s. A Stallion then dropped off a Hummer which the recon team used to exit the field. More air cover/suppressive fire and the Stallions returned to extract the Marines.

Also noteworthy was the Thunderbirds (the Air Force’s precision flying team). (On a side note: the turning radius of the F-16s seemed to be such that they turned around roughly right over my house 2 miles from the Willow Grove air base. I got a secondary show on Sunday afternoon just by standing on my front stoop. *grin*)

All of this served to drive two points home to me:

  1. I very much would not want to be on the receiving end of the US’s military fury. The speed, grace, agility and deadliness of the US’s air arsenal was plain for all to see. I think that any but the best equipped and most prepared foes should quake in their boots at the mere mention of US air power. But then again, I’m a bit of a jingoistic patriot, so what do I know?
  2. We are incredibly fortunate to have no personal knowledge of modern warfare on our home soil. We are blessed to not have to cringe with the sound of jet engines, to not look with fear and trepidation skyward at the sound of a helicopter’s rotors.

May it be ever so.

Posted by Doug on September 16th, 2002 | No Comments Posted in Blogger Import, General, Military

Greece to Ban Campers, Lamerz, n00bz

What the…?

Greece, in an effort to fight illegal online gambling, has banned all video games. All of them. No Playstations. No computers. No Gameboys. No bleedin’ Snake games on your Nokia. All because the state apparently has no capabilities to distinguish legit games from illegal gambling machines/websites.

How insane is this?

If you’re going to the Summer Olympics in Athens, be sure to leave your Gameboy at home.

And no dice. They’ll be confiscated at customs along with your toenail clippers and umbrellas. Mmmmkay?

Posted by Doug on September 3rd, 2002 | No Comments Posted in Blogger Import, Politics, Video Games

Update

An update to yesterday’s post.

*sigh*

Diana, we hardly knew ye.

Posted by Doug on August 27th, 2002 | No Comments Posted in Blogger Import, General
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