The Viginia Tech shooter wrote “Ismail-AX” on his arm. The blogosphere is trying to divine what it means.

It could be his nickname, or a reference to the Ismael in Moby Dick or the books of Daniel Quinn (he was an English major), or the Arabic form of Ismael (which could mean Muslim or Christian radicalism), or the Hashshashin, or the sputterings of a mind diseased by violence, or something entirely different.

Using The Anagram Server on ‘Ismail Ax’ produces nothing meaningful.

We may never know what it means. If it, in fact, does…

Update:

Re the Muslim link the wingnut Right is slavering to find

The chances of a South Korean born young man having any connection to Islam is about the same as the chances of the next Baghdad suicide bomber being a Mormon.

Furthermore…

[tags]Ismail Ax[/tags]

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Simsbury CT. Photos taken 18 hours after the worst of the rains stopped. The bridge had been underwater.

The normally placid Farmington River

This house is right next to the river, quite near the bridge.

[tags]Nor’easter flooding[/tags]

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WorldBankPresident details ten, count ‘em 10, allegations against Wolfowitz, with more coming.

Apparently World Bank insiders are happily leaking them all sorts of info. Stay tuned!

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From Andrew Sullivan

There is so much we don’t yet know about the Virginia Tech massacre, so much that keeps changing, so much to be angry about, and to be terribly sad about, that catching up, let alone opining, seems simply inappropriate. I know it’s my job, but blogging breaking news like this is something I don’t want to do.

Slaughters like this happen every day in Iraq. For the traumatized family and friends of those killed both here and there, may they have someone who can pick them up and carry them when they think they can’t go on.

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Instead of generating electricity offshore then having to somehow get it to shore, just generate hydrogen from water instead. Windhunter wants to build a prototype.

Tip: Ecogeek

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From reader DJ

From a flyer from the local Countrywide rep in Cedar City, UT:

In recent weeks there has been a huge decline in product availability in the subprime field. All lenders are tightening their guidelines and providing less options…

As the number 1 lender in America, Countrywide is pleased to announce that we are still holding a competitive stance in a declining market. Where many other lenders are now unable to help homebuyers we are holding strong to our slogan of ‘Countrywide Can’.

Inquiring minds want to know, what is it Countrywide ‘can’ do? Continue making high risk loans to those barely able to pay even before the mortgage payment resets to something way beyond their ability to pay? Not a good business model, you ask me. Maybe they’re doubling down, perhaps they have so many loans going bad they figure they can get out of the mess by issuing more, even riskier loans?

Maybe they should just go to Las Vegas, where compulsive gamblers are welcomed with open arms.

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