Zone, zone, zone, zone, zone, water pipe, zone

Yes, actually, I have caught up with my actual work. There's been another reason for my absence. No, not a woman, I should be so lucky. No, not the Yiddish either - Vos lernstu, you say? A-zoy, a-zoy. S'ken alemol zayn beser, s'ken alemol zayn erger. You know. Slow going, but hopefully stumbling forward.

So what has it been? Two words. SimCity 4. That alone should tell you how good I'm finding the game. Public Planning has never been such fun, although budgeting is still a bitch, and they could really use a random terrain generator for those of us who don't like terraforming as much.

Three weeks until Quinze and my return to my favorite city in the world since 1999. playingpossum is there now, and I hope she's enjoying the city, even though her stay will be limited. And I really hope cadhla can make it so we can go used book hunting together. I can't tell you how much I love London, and I'm going to love showing you poor souls who are coming along with me around - my biggest fear is that despite my enthusiasm, you'll be dead bored or find my tour dead boring. But nu, we'll still try to have fun lurking around torture sites and going on ghost walks and touring the museums, yes?

(to my Jewish friends - do tell me if they find my dropping Yiddish in conversation annoying, patronising, offensive, or whatever - I know I'm not Jewish, and this new project might seem poseur-ish of me, but I do want to learn because I also like Jewish culture and folk wisdom. Plus, I love chopped liver and onions, but that's not really important.)

And to turn a meme on its head, here are my recommendations.

Movie: The Rookie - Dennis Quaid, Rachel Garrett (Walt Disney, 2002)
Book: Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett
Recording: The Producers, Mel Brooks, Original Broadway Cast Recording
LJ: sos_usa
Website: Television Without Pity
Next two months: Learn a new area of knowledge you've previously ignored or haven't learned.

Now, begone, and zay gezunt.

Ariba ariba, andale, andale!

Air Force official: Pilots should have known about allied fire

A videotape of the bombing released by the Air Force Wednesday showed the two Illinois National Guard pilots worrying just moments after the 500-pound bomb exploded.

"I hope that was the right thing to do," Schmidt said.

...

David Beck, Umbach's lawyer, has said that a fighter pilot has an obligation to protect himself and other U.S. pilots if he feels he is under fire.

Beck also has argued that Air Force-issued "go pills," otherwise known as the prescription amphetamine Dexedrine, used to keep pilots awake on long missions, may have impaired the pilots' judgment. The Air Force has said use of the pills is voluntary and the effects have been tested.

Gosh, I feel so much better now that I know that USAF pilots in combat zones only may be voluntarily HOPPED UP ON SPEED.

Fuck, I've been away from bitching too, too long.

Now you tell me

I just got the Prima Strategy Guide for SimCity 4.

Sons of bitches. This should have been the manual instead of the completely useless booklet that came with the game. Logam says that this is probably how they make money these days. Now I know why some of the things I was doing weren't working.

Today I shall digest the nuances. Tonight New Athens shall rise again.