2010 April | BoWilliams.com

I’m sorry I made a joke about the oil spill yesterday

Consumption, Current Events 5 Responses »

Apr 302010

I definitely feel bad about it, and I apologize. Call it insufficient appreciation of the problem’s magnitude. As I read about it today, I became quite sad. It’s one of my favorite parts of the world, after all.

I also feel for the businesspeople, from the shrimp boat captains to the restaurateurs to the property managers, who are really going to be punched in the stomach by this thing. It’s an awfully shaky economy in which to try to hoe a new row on the spur of the moment, and some won’t make it. God be with them.

Thursday miscellanea #85

Menagerie 3 Responses »

Apr 292010

I’m not sure I care for Facebook crawling all over my other pages I visit now. I want things in the boxes I put them in.
Is this Noah’s Ark? It’s beginning to look like an intriguing possibility. I’ll have to think about that.
It wasn’t bad, but I never quite got the sense of wonder and horror I think they were going for with Coraline. Whether that is a shortcoming of the film or of me, I couldn’t say. I do think it’s creepy enough to make it a poor choice for any viewers under 10 or so.
We have spent $35 million, including $20 million in state and federal funds, saving the California condor. There were 22 when we started in 1987; now there are 349. So that money has “saved or created” (heh) 327 birds, at a cost of more than $107,000 each. Is it worth it? I don’t know, but that’s damned sure enough money to ask the question.
We’re finally getting an oval IndyCar race for the fifth event of the season, and I’m hyper-paranoid about the weather. Right now it’s supposed to be partly cloudy on Saturday in Kansas City, but rain is forecast in front of it and behind it. I hope the timing holds.
Oil slick! What do we do? Set that sumbitch on fire! Love it! Take lots of photos!
The soulless, witless “supervisors” of Santa Clara County, California have banned Happy Meal toys. (Because kids get the toys with the unhealthy food, and the promise of the toy promotes childhood obesity. Follow?)

Doesn’t the anti-Arizona rhetoric make you proud?

Annoyances, Current Events, Liberty, Politics 6 Responses »

Apr 282010

So you might have heard a little something about Arizona’s new law, intended to curb illegal immigration. As Rich Lowry rightly points out, Arizona is only seeking to enforce the existing immigration policy of the United States. (The federal government might try it sometime.) Here are a few reactions:

Cardinal Roger Mahony “can’t imagine Arizonans now reverting to German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques.”
“When I heard about it, it reminded me of Nazi Germany,” said Hispanic Federation President Lillian Rodríguez López. “It reminded me of South African apartheid.”
“If this reminds you of how the gestapo was enabled to catch hiding Jews, it would be understandable,” a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial hyperventilates.

This is a small sampling from “leaders” and prominent opinion makers. There are other nice details floating about. How about a swastika made of refried beans smeared on a government building?

Remember, though, it is the tea partiers who are fouling the state of public discourse with their vile hatred and absurd comparisons.

Banal kvetching

Annoyances 3 Responses »

Apr 272010

I was out of alignment yesterday. It was much too easy for me to get off in the weeds and pissed off about something, and much too hard for me to get back.

So I texted Saintseester last night from Aaron’s soccer practice (which began 10 minutes late, ended 20 minutes late, and occurred in a brisk cold wind with occasional drizzle—not that I am complaining). I figured, what are friends for if not to dilute your misery?

She blew a bunch of sunshine up my ass about positive energy and making the best of things and hope springing eternal. (Actually, she didn’t, and thank God for that. If ‘seester ever goes all Pollyanna on me, I’ll immediately suspect she’s been possessed, which will be really something, as I don’t believe in such.)

Anyway, slept reasonably well, and it’s a new day. I’ll make it a good one. If it’s to be, it’s up to me! See me smiling? Heh.

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day is May 20

Annoyances, Current Events, Politics, Religion 3 Responses »

Apr 262010

Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris has declared May 20 Everybody Draw Mohammed Day—a response to Comedy Central’s recent unfortunate decision to cave to threats in the name of Islam and heavily censor an episode of South Park.

Quoting Andrew Mellon at BigJournalism.com:

The bottom line is that the First Amendment guarantees free speech including criticism of all peoples. We are an equal-opportunity offense country. To censor ourselves to avoid upsetting a certain group (in a cartoon no less) is un-American.

It is especially egregious because it represents dhimmitude. We are sacrificing our law and our heritage to Sharia. The law of our land is the Constitution and beyond that the natural law granted to us by our divine creator.

“Equal-opportunity offense.” Indeed, Mr. Mellon. Indeed.

Of course, we could laugh off as silly this notion that depicting Mohammed is forbidden, but people die over it, you see.

No worries, though. I’m sure Everybody Draw Mohammed Day won’t come to that. I’m sure that reasonable, intelligent, tolerant Muslim leaders will roundly denounce any threats of violence, thereby defusing this dangerous nonsense perpetrated and perpetuated by a few radicals and preventing innocent people from being murdered. Because that’s what always happens.

Right?