August 29, 2012

Unconventional Uses Of Google Maps


For some odd reason 'The Gun Seller' by Hugh Laurie was only translated to Hebrew in 2011. Maybe because the TV show House was in its last season, and everyone was talking about it.
Anyway, I bought this book at a discount (the infamous 'four books for 100 NIS').
I initially bought it because my wife asked for it, but then some time last week, I read it.
It's an OK book. Funny to read a book written in 1996 as if it's new, when the most terrible thing the guy can say about arms dealers is the first Gulf War (1991).
Anyway, at the end of the book our hero is in Casablanca, and the writer says that its a very boring industrial city.
I wanted to check him on that one. As far as I can tell it looks more like a French city then an industrial city in the English speaking world.
On the way to Casablanca, I stopped for a short visit to Tangier and Tetuan, two cities dear to the writer Mois Benarroche; he was born in Tetuan, and only came to Israel at the age of 12.
It was a lovely trip.



August 26, 2012

Public Google docs



Let me start off with an apology. I hope to write this blog on a weekly basis, but in fact I have not written in it in the past few weeks. Let's just pretend that I had and unexpected summer holiday, and get on with business.
The business I was at before the 'holiday' was Google Documents.
I was about to say that the next phase in my Google Document 'career' is to start making public documents.
Now don't get me wrong, I fully intend to start making public Google Documents in the coming year, it's just that so far I didn't get around to it.
You see, before making a document, such as my MA thesis about speculative fiction in Hebrew Literature, I need to complete it, and then translate it.
So, in short, writing blog posts is easier...