snip
14 August 2009
Watched TV for a few hours to see if there were any stories about me. Nothing today. I did see that temptress Sarah Palin on CNN though, practically naked as usual – wrists showing, ankles, hair, everything. Oddly enough, she was talking about death panels. I have always advocated them as a quick and efficient way to punish people for stealing fruit or shaving, but she seemed very dismissive of the idea. At one point she actually said "Obama's death panels" instead of "Osama's death panels", but the interviewer didn't pick her up on the mistake. Stupid woman.
5 June 2010
Very hot. Spent afternoon in the courtyard, reading and thinking. It is lonely here, but also very peaceful. At times like these, war and death and western imperialism seem a world away from this little seat under the olive tree. If next door's ball comes over that wall one more time today I'm going to put a bullet in it before I throw it back.
snip
15 August 2010
Tonight is book-club night, and everyone in the compound is angry with me because I have picked the Qur'an again. They all say they have read it before. I say, but have you memorised it? They say, you always hijack the discussion! This is true, I suppose. Abu says it is his turn to pick. No way, I tell him. Never again, not after Angela's Ashes.
snip
3 November 2010
Can't tell whether to be pleased by US election results. Their system is so complicated! Two houses of legislature, president, cabinet, judiciary – as far as I'm concerned it all adds up to one great big Satan. I guess the Republican win is bad for healthcare reform, and therefore good (more Americans dead, no extra work for us) but I'm finding it hard to feel pleased
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/12/osama-bin-laden-diary-blasphemous