Aside

“You know,” he began, deadpan, “that in Islam we believe in angels. We believe that, after death, the person has to go into the ground and an angel comes and asks three questions. Who was your God? Who was your prophet? And what was your book? The right answers are: There is only one God, Muhammad is the prophet, and the book is the Koran. “So then this Muslim died. And the angel came and said, ‘Who is your God?’…

Most of the al Qaeda surveillance of five financial institutions that led to a new terrorism alert Sunday was conducted before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and authorities are not sure whether the casing of the buildings has continued since then, numerous intelligence and law enforcement officials said yesterday. More than half a dozen government officials interviewed yesterday, who declined to be identified because classified information is involved, said that most, if not all, of the information about the buildings…

WASHINGTON — The federal government warned Sunday of possible terrorist attacks against “iconic” financial institutions in New York City, Washington and Newark, N.J., saying a confluence of intelligence over the weekend pointed to a car or truck bomb. Specifically, the government named these buildings as potential targets: –The Citicorp building and the New York Stock Exchange in New York City. –The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank buildings in Washington. –The Prudential building in Newark. U.S. Warns of Possible…

Neat/infuriating articles from around the country/world: [Neat] Muslims in Las Vegas, Part I: A Straight Path Through Sin City “What happens here, stays here,” winks the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in a national advertising campaign. The cityscape is awash in straightforward invitations to adult frolic. Seminude vixens beckon from freeway billboards, taxicab placards and newspaper racks, taking seductive bites out of apples, coiling themselves around serpents, posing seven across, hip to bare hip, buttocks flexed. What’s a good…

For those of you who missed it.

Is there a rule that says that once the Dodgers get a great catcher who has matured with the team and has dreamed of playing for the club, and that all the fans know and love that he gets traded away to the Marlins? Dodgers, Marlins Make Six-Player Trade The Dodgers on Friday sent three key players, catcher Paul Lo Duca, reliever Guillermo Mota and right fielder Juan Encarnacion, to the Florida Marlins for pitcher Brad Penny and first baseman…

While the most vocal objections to the resolution’s emphasis on sanctions had come from Algeria, China and Pakistan, there exist major differences over what course of action to take even within the European Union. France’s foreign minister, Michel Barnier, said Tuesday that the African Union should be permitted to solve the problem without outside involvement, while Germany has favored tough action from the international community and British Prime Minister Tony Blair went so far last week as suggesting sending troops.…

My parents want to see me more before I head east, and so (sorry Maria!) I’m flying down back to LA on Friday night, returning Tuesday and will see most of you guys on Thursday! I introduced Rachel to boogie boarding yesterday. She seemed to take to the waves pretty well. Before Rachel and I got on the road to head northward, I finally sold my laptop. So for $100 difference (with a rebate), I’m getting something similar to Boyk’s…

Obama for Senate 2004 — Obama for President 2012 [Video] The Candidate (May 24 2004, The New Yorker) The Other Man of the Hour (July 27 2004, Washington Post) Obama Making a Name for Himself (July 27 2004, The Los Angeles Times)

So now I have a roommate for real: Ian Lague, of Oregon. I met him at the Columbia new student orientation. He’s cool.