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What will they think of next?
Oct. 25th, 2002 10:09 pmWithout meaning to, I find I have accepted a fair amount of work. What I find interesting is that all three jobs are coming to me in rather unusual formats.
Job A, for client S, arrived as a series of scanned images in a PDF file. Job B, from the same client, arrived as a series of oversized drawings via FedEx. Job C, from client A on the East Coast, comes in the form of a series of JPEG files that weigh in at nearly a meg apiece, and which must be accessed via ftp.
Job A is done; B is started and is due Monday; and I'm currently downloading JPEGs as I type this (they're due next Wednesday).
* * * Otherwise, everything seems peachy. When I arrived at the ham breakfast this morning, the buzz mostly concerned the couple that died the other day. I've been quietly listening to what people have to say about the tragedy, and I find it curious that there can be such a wide range of opinion about people. Some people I've heard have characterized him as a nice guy, and her as a shrew; others saw them as an angel married to a monster. Whatever the case may have been, may they rest in peace.
* * * Based on some reading of the Russian media on the 'net, I've come to the conclusion that some kind of hostage situation is happening in at the NORD-OST theater in Moscow. It involves Chechens and several hundred hostages. At any rate, that's all that I think I can reliably extract from news reports.
Just about any level of information that proivides more detail is sketchy and contradicts other, similar information. I recall reading that women and children had been released early on in the ordeal. That appears to be not true (based on TV images). I recall reading that foreigners have been released (nope). Some reports indicate that the terrorists are threatening to start murdering their victims at 6 am local time (about now?); other reports say the slaughter will start at 10 am. (By the way, only moral cretins that work at media outlets would use words such as "militants" or "rebels" to characterize the people who took over the theater, but I digress...)
I find it difficult to believe this act is not somehow connected with the situation in Iraq. Reviewing recent events, it would appear that the French have been recently bloodied enough by acts of terrorism to sort of lead the charge in keeping the U.S. from entering Iraq. (It also helps they've been selling hundreds of millions - if not billions - of dollars worth of technology to Iraq, on credit, that may not be repaid if the regime that signed for the goods is no longer in power.) I'm wondering if the militants among the Arabs aren't thinking that perhaps a bloody nose delivered in the heart of Russia might not encourage the Bear from telling the Eagle to lay off.
If they do think so, they have awfully short memories and obviously care not a whit about history. I seem to recall, back when I was in the Marines, some heated squadbay debates with regard to whether it would be possible to attack Russia with conventional forces and win. (The general consensus was not only "No!" but "Hell, no!" if it turned out we were in the position of the aggressor.) In any event, the ghosts of Napoleon and Hitler could testify to how good or bad an idea it might be to attack Russia.
Of course, I've also read that Baghdad has recently signed a number of agreements with the Russians with regard to oil, in which the Russians stand to gain mightily if the Iraqi regime stays in place. However, if the Chechen terrorists make good their threat to kill their hostages, and if the Russian leadership gets the feeling that the Chechens and Iraqis are operating to a common plan (Saddam Hussein has already condemned the terrorists, which to me is evidence that they are operating to such a plan, because normally no Arab leader ever condemns such acts, but again I stray...), well, then those agreements will not be worth the match it would take to burn them, because historically, one does not smack the Bear on the snout with a 2x4, drawing blood in the process, and expect to live to fight another day.
I'm starting to babble, so let's change the subject.
* * * Shannon's mom, Ellen, and her sister Sarah (and her husband Josh, and thier kids) arrived in town a couple of days ago. They're staying at Drew and Shannon's. Currently, we have Sunday dinner planned with the whole gang. I'm looking forward to it.
Cheers...
Job A, for client S, arrived as a series of scanned images in a PDF file. Job B, from the same client, arrived as a series of oversized drawings via FedEx. Job C, from client A on the East Coast, comes in the form of a series of JPEG files that weigh in at nearly a meg apiece, and which must be accessed via ftp.
Job A is done; B is started and is due Monday; and I'm currently downloading JPEGs as I type this (they're due next Wednesday).
Just about any level of information that proivides more detail is sketchy and contradicts other, similar information. I recall reading that women and children had been released early on in the ordeal. That appears to be not true (based on TV images). I recall reading that foreigners have been released (nope). Some reports indicate that the terrorists are threatening to start murdering their victims at 6 am local time (about now?); other reports say the slaughter will start at 10 am. (By the way, only moral cretins that work at media outlets would use words such as "militants" or "rebels" to characterize the people who took over the theater, but I digress...)
I find it difficult to believe this act is not somehow connected with the situation in Iraq. Reviewing recent events, it would appear that the French have been recently bloodied enough by acts of terrorism to sort of lead the charge in keeping the U.S. from entering Iraq. (It also helps they've been selling hundreds of millions - if not billions - of dollars worth of technology to Iraq, on credit, that may not be repaid if the regime that signed for the goods is no longer in power.) I'm wondering if the militants among the Arabs aren't thinking that perhaps a bloody nose delivered in the heart of Russia might not encourage the Bear from telling the Eagle to lay off.
If they do think so, they have awfully short memories and obviously care not a whit about history. I seem to recall, back when I was in the Marines, some heated squadbay debates with regard to whether it would be possible to attack Russia with conventional forces and win. (The general consensus was not only "No!" but "Hell, no!" if it turned out we were in the position of the aggressor.) In any event, the ghosts of Napoleon and Hitler could testify to how good or bad an idea it might be to attack Russia.
Of course, I've also read that Baghdad has recently signed a number of agreements with the Russians with regard to oil, in which the Russians stand to gain mightily if the Iraqi regime stays in place. However, if the Chechen terrorists make good their threat to kill their hostages, and if the Russian leadership gets the feeling that the Chechens and Iraqis are operating to a common plan (Saddam Hussein has already condemned the terrorists, which to me is evidence that they are operating to such a plan, because normally no Arab leader ever condemns such acts, but again I stray...), well, then those agreements will not be worth the match it would take to burn them, because historically, one does not smack the Bear on the snout with a 2x4, drawing blood in the process, and expect to live to fight another day.
I'm starting to babble, so let's change the subject.
Cheers...
