News – Leading off with Privacy

First off we have a little note for those concerned about privacy and access to info about you. Apparently, if you go to Google’s search engine and enter your phone number into the search box(with area code, properly separated by hyphens: 111-111-1111), it will show your street address(except for those who are unlisted and the like). I tested and lo there it was. You can go there and have it removed if you wish to not be displayed. Information passed to me by Dawning, from Spooky’s Gal’s diary.

There is a little more info on Jessica Lynch. Personally, I’m surprised she wasn’t killed rather than captured as it seems she was more or less determined to fight to the death rather than be captured. Very lucky. Depending on your PoV.

I heard last night that both a Blackhawk chopper and an F-18 Hornet had been downed last night. In the case of the Hornet, the military is looking into it as a friendly fire incident. If it was shot down by enemy fire or our own Patriot missiles its no less an embarrassment. Personally, I think it being friendly fire is more embarrassing.

They’re also saying that the prominent Shi’ite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Sistani, issued an edict that the Iraqi people be calm and not hinder the US troops. Personally, I don’t think that will have any effect unless there is a broadcast of the cleric stating the edict in person. It could be seen as a potential trick otherwise.

US forces are, apparently, looking to take Baghdad’s airport as they get within spitting distance of the city itself. The chemical attack threat was reduced as well.. that again brings up the purported fear that Iraq has chemical weapons. I suggest once more, what if the US was wrong?

The UK troops at Brasa are trying to win the hearts and minds of the folk there. Meanwhile US forces have the bridges at Nassiriya, vital or supply lines, but still haven’t removed all hostiles from the city itself.

Today’s papers covers maters such as the above, as well as the fundamental split in how some papers see the military’s next moves after Baghdad is reached. The question is will they strike quickly or will they wait for the 4th to get geared and up to the line? Fred Kaplan of War Stories says the Republican Guard is overrated. Personally, I agree in some ways. If the Guard seeks to fight straight up, they’ll get crushed. But I doubt they will for long before melting into the shadowy world of strike and fade guerrilla tactics.

Iraqi strategy seems to be shifting again. Mines are now being deployed. Deplorable, yes. Surprising? Nope.

On the homefront, Bush is still trying to push for his tax cut, despite Senate voting to slash the sum in half. May he fail to pass that monstrosity. Another feather in his cap is the vote by a House panel to let him drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Yes, that’s much preferable to looking for alternate sources of energy so we don’t have to rip more out of the ground.</Sarcasm>

Jerks.

Are our government agencies prepared to defend against terrorist threat? This Wired article says no, as they have yet to determine(after five years) what resources need protecting and which don’t.

Predictably, the Internet is a vast resource for most, 77% of wired Americans checking out the war online with 19% of those stating it has shaped their opinions.

In light of the growing show of bias in American news stations, has Al Jazeers’s own focused coverage become less objectionable? Personally, I’ve never looked at Al Jazeera as a ‘level source’. Then again, I don’t’ see most of the major US news stations as that either. But all considered, Al Jazeera is just, in ways, a mirror opposite of the same themes in US television for the most part. Bias is a two way street. Somewhere in the middle they cancel each other out.

A dispatch from Iraq highlights a talk with an Iraqi defector. Freedom is a universal concept, but its when one looks at the details of the region that subtle differences crop up. Now that we’ve started, lets not screw this up.

Truthout points out an article that questions the possible shift in US goals in this Iraq War. Weapons of Mass Destruction have slid down the list some as of late.

Israel’s killing more Palestinians, which will lead to Palestinians killing more Israelis, which leads to more Israelis killing Palestinians, which leads to.. well, you get the idea. Nothing new here.

Microsoft’s next target or annihilation is Google. My money is on Google.