Real piracy
In a not-so-subtle reminder to flip up the page on the calendar, TV has started screening Christmas fare. This afternoon, a Jim Carrey adaptation of A Christmas Carol, followed by a Jim Carrey adaptation of the Grinch story. Don’t let your kids join you for these; dark is the new bright. And long. I had time to go for the groceries without missing a beat.
Of course, that’s not the only thing you can learn on a quiet weekend. Out on the Wet Coast, UBC has a whole department devoted to playing with seals and sea lions. Pinnipeds, for the scientifically inspired. Looked like fun, but the seal isn’t a beloved critter on the other coast, where humans are forced to share in the bounty of the sea. Lobster fishers get their traps robbed. Nets get torn. Different views of things.
I’m curious about an unfolding story out of Seattle. Somebody stole a ferry boat, which made the authorities very angry. Send in the SWAT. I’m trying to figure out how the lone sailor managed to get the boat unmoored and into open waters without someone in a paid position taking notice. My experience with loading docks is that there are a lot of people there, waiting to wave their arms in the “fill the decks with cars” process. What happened out there? Of course, the charges of piracy and grand theft vessel are now under consideration. Here’s hoping the courtroom testimony will enter the public record, just so I can hear the explanation. “The boat was late leaving, so…” might not cover the crime.
