Priorities and Projects

I had a fairly busy weekend, up until the point yesterday afternoon when my son Evan was struck by a car while riding his bicycle in the area of Sherwood Park. Then what I call the 'quiet crisis' mode kicked in. I define this as something that requires your full attention and then some, and makes time fly rapidly.

I got to the park about a minute before the ambulance and fire truck did. The GJFD personnel were organized and professional, and Evan was well cared for. They suspected a femur fracture, and applied a traction splint to Evan's leg. I rode to the hospital with him.

The Emergency Department staff at St. Mary's were calm, pleasant, competent, and organized. Luckily, Evan suffered no fracture, just a deep bruise. He's very sore today, not to mention very fortunate. I told him that God must have big plans for him, but in the meantime he had better start wearing a helmet and watch what's coming down the road.

The four hours from accident to discharge from the hospital felt like 45 minutes to me. Not a good feeling at all.

Aside from working on two or three projects, including a post that has taken a lot of research and generated a lot of discussion with others, my blog has enjoyed the most page loads and visits today in its' history. Over 300 visits so far today.

In looking at the data, it appears people are looking at two older New Yorker cover pictures that I have posted over the life of this blog. This is presumably in response to the controversy that broke this morning over this week's cover.

The artist and the magazine have defended their portrayal of Mr. and Mrs. Obama in this manner, insisting that it is satire and nothing else.

I subscribe to the New Yorker, and have thoroughly enjoyed the manner in which they have skewered prominent figures in politics, entertainment, and elsewhere in the past. This appears to be more of the same to me, and regardless of what you think of Obama it appears that the satire label applies well. I'm wondering if the artist was thinking of Angela Davis when he drew Michelle Obama that way.

Those who are sensitive to symbolism will likely take offense to the apparent portrait of Bin Laden or Al-Sadr on the Oval Office wall, as well as Old Glory stoking the fireplace. That's probably a little over the top for a magazine like Time or Newsweek, but the New Yorker has been doing this kind of stuff for many years.

Like it or not, the government can't stop it, and that's what matters. If you don't like it, then don't buy the magazine.

Time to work on other things, and keep an eye on my boy. Have a great day.