The Real Magoo

Koran Burning

Mr. Magoo — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 23:07:28 +0000

Burning books, flags, and effigies is a rather juvenile form of protest, but given the reaction Rev Jones has received you’d think he threatened to burn Muslim babies.

Many of my fellow Christians have castigated Rev Jones because his actions are not consistent with Christian love. Fair enough. But is the sudden world-wide condemnation of the reverend out of love for our Muslim brothers or out of fear? Not fear that Rev Jones will follow up his book-burning with a Kristallnacht, but that the Muslim community might do so.

Burn an American flag? Ho hum. Burn a Bible, desecrate a crucifix? Yawn. Burn a Koran? OMG, quick, lets all condemn him before something blows up!

When Rev Phelps and his followers from the Westboro Baptist Church take to the streets with their “God Hates Fags” signs, it produces only lukewarm condemnation from the Christian community, nothing like the outrage-a-thon that greeted Rev Jones. Why? Because no one is worried that a drag queen is going to strap on a suicide vest, even if he could find one that matched his shoes.

Now he’s agreed to not burn the Korans tomorrow. Although his reasons are vague and ever-changing, they are certain to be interpreted in the radical Muslim community as a response to implied threats of violence.

Burning a Koran probably wouldn’t bring any converts to Christianity, but cowering before Islam will likely send a few to them.

grrrr

Mr. Magoo — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:18:37 +0000

There have been so many claims recently that federal workers now make more than workers in the private sector, so I decided to check the current federal pay scales.

I left federal service in 1997, and got a significant pay raise. I have gotten a raise every year since then.

If I had stayed in the federal service and not received any promotions in the past 14 years, I would be making 6% more than I am now. Had I gotten a single promotion in 2000, I would be making 16% more than I am now. So it appears those claims are correct.

Trickle down

Mr. Magoo — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:06:56 +0000

“In the second quarter, we generated $1.2 billion of cash from operations, up 8 percent from the same period a year ago.”

And I got a 2.5% raise.

Safety

Mr. Magoo — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:35:56 +0000

A few days ago I was going upstairs and overheard this exchange from the safety inspectors heading down:

“There’s supposed to be a sign here telling people to use the handrail.”

“We had to take the sign down because it was a safety hazard. People’s clothes kept catching on the corners.”

Bonus silliness: None of the safety inspectors were using the handrail, perhaps because there was no sign telling them to.