10/7/23

 Saturday, October 7, 2023

In bed before 10, up at 6:25.  43°😬, high of 55°, windy, AQI=17😀, wind NW at 15 mph, 9-17/30. 0.1" of rain in the last 24 hours.  Sunrise at 6:55, sunset at 6:22, 11+26.

"Nightly News"    Rough night with GERD at 11 pm from reckless eating of almond bark after dinner.  In the brr from 11 till after 3, coughing, sipping water, blowing my nose.  Second minor GERD around 5, back to brr.  Geri had an unrestful night also, up twice doing crosswords, and letting Lilly out.  Ellis tells us she's been awake since 4; she was sound asleep at 7:06 last night, very tired.  Tonight she attends a fashion show in which Sharon's friend Chantel will be showing some of her creations.  She is 'a bundle of energy,' enjoying life, engaged in some program she enjoys on her iPad.  Geri is preparing bacon and eggs for her at 6:45 a.m.  Today will witness some serious napping chez Clausen.

Morning.  It is a blessing to be a tired, worn-out 82-year-old with bad plumbing and sundry other infirmities, after a bad night, and living with ancient memories stirring not only regrets but remorse for "Things said or done long years ago, / Or things I did not do or say" in the presence of a happy, engaged, life-embracing, joyful and enthusiastic 9-year-old girl who has grown up in a loving home with loving, emotionally healthy parents and who is so glad to be alive.  

Big day tomorrow.  Sarah's 54th birthday.  Lilly's 14th birthday.  Kitty and Jim's 57th anniversary.  

Best Buy.  I ordered a 2 terabyte external hard drive this afternoon for $79 on sale.

Gaza/Hamas has invaded Israel.  This appears to be the most serious military situation in the Middle East since the Yom Kippur War in 1953.  I'm wondering what Hamas' strategy is and whether its attacks will be joined and coordinated with others by Hezbollah from Lebanon or by Palestinian forces in the West Bank or within Israel proper.  And what is Hamas' endgame?  What will be the impact on the U.S. brokered efforts to explore the establishment of peaceful relations with Saudi Arabia?  One military commentator on CNN today said approximately 5,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel.  Where did those thousands of rockets come from?  How did they get from wherever they originated into Gaza?  Am I correct in thinking they probably came via tunnels from or through Egypt?  Gaza has been under blockade for many years, land, air, and sea - how do so many weapons get into Gaza?  If indeed they came from or through Egypt, what does that say about our long-standing economic and military support for Egypt's military dictatorship under General al-Sisi?  What does this widespread attack say about Israel's and America's intelligence resources in and around Gaza?  How was it possible that the Hamas soldiers were able to break through the security fences surrounding Gaza, go into Israel's territory, and capture so many Israeli hostages?  What should we expect by way of defense, reprisal, retaliation, and revenge from Netanyahu's fascist government?  Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world - Hamas' supporters and perhaps (who knows?) Hamas opponents and others who are nonpolitical, men, women, children, old men, old women, almost 780,000 in all.  The population density is 42,600 per square mile in Gaza City.  We will undoubtedly be seeing unimaginable carnage.  What role will Russia, Iran, and Syria - and the US - play in this situation?  Will the role of the US be marginalized?  How will all this play out in the Biden - Trump presidential campaigns?   Will Biden look like a 'paper tiger', ineffectual as in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan?

Why am I reminded of the Tet Offensive?  of the 9/11 attacks in the U.S.?