Grab-bag

1) The Shulchan Aruch says that the preferred lashon for sefirah is BaOmer (the TaZ concurs) while the Shlah and the Arizal (as well as the Mishnah Brurah) prefer LaOmer. Hence, it is interesting that, although the Arizal was the one who popularized the observances of Lag BaOmer, he did not call it by that name.

2) Is one yotzei if he counts "Today is the 2nd day of the omer", instead of "Today is two days to the omer"?

3) How do the laws of hastara for a sotah differ from the laws of yichud, if at all? My question is based on the gemara in the beginning (2-3?) which mentioned an opinion that the lashon of kinui is used by the sotah because it causes animosity between the women and other men, in that they might not know that her husband was makneh her, and therefore will be put off by the fact that she will not be mistateres with them, anymore, which implies that prior to her kinui, such hastarah was mutar.

4) The haftara of the 2nd day of Pesach, which I leined, ends precisely at an apex, as beginning with the very next passuk, the kingdom of Yehudah begins to plummet, through the downfall of Yoshiyahu, the persecutions under Yehoyakim, the timidity of Tzidkiyahu, the churban, the assassination of Gedaliah, and the subsequent abandonment of the land against Yirmiyahu's warnings. I later quipped to the gabbai that I was contemplating concluding on an Eichah riff. It might have been a good idea, if for no other reason that than of a "mah nishtanah" to arouse the sleepy congregants into wondering what the context of this nevuah was.