The non-apology apology and other thoughts on a Thursday

Somehow I don't think many people were comforted by the non-apology apology made by Bishop Richard Williamson, the previously excommunicated Catholic priest and member of the beyond-ultra-conservative Society of St. Pius X. Among his other sterling qualities, Williamson has been a fervent Holocaust denier. Following the outrage that resulted when Pope Benedict "Really, Williamson is only slightly more conservative that me" XVI lifted the excommunication, Williamson went on record saying "If I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them...Observing these consequences I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks."

So basically, he's really really terribly seriously sorry that people got upset about what he said, not that he was wrong to deny historical fact or that he recognizes that he's a looney tune who believes that 11 million people didn't actually die during the Holocaust. For his next trick, he'll prove that the sun revolves around the earth, that if you sail too far to the west you fall off the edge of the planet, and that George W. Bush actually won the election in 2000.

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The Pentagon and the White House did a good thing today, reversing the 18-year ban on photos of returning war dead. By electing to operate under the same rules that govern photos of military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery -- the families of the fallen will be given the choice to permit or deny photos -- those who died in the service of their country will no longer be shrouded in secrecy upon their return home. The cost of war will no longer remain hidden away. While we may disagree with the rationale behind the war and loathe the politicians like Bush and Cheney who, after doing their all to avoid service, blithely sent U.S. forces off to fight, we absolutely must salute and honor the service sacrifice made by the women and men in the service of the United States. Lifting this politically motivated ban is an important step.

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On a lighter note, I want to know who thought it was a good idea to put an octopus in the same tank as the valve that opened into the offices of the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

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Give a big Bronx cheer to A-Roid who, after disclosing that an unnamed cousin injected him repeated in the butt with an unknown substance for three years, thought it was a good idea to have that same cousin come pick him up at the Yankees' spring training ballpark. Apparently, A-Fraud was not only young and stupid for three years in his late 20s but also apparently decided he liked the "stupid" part of that equation so much that he asked it to hang around for a bit longer in his 30s.

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Thumbs-up to the Obama Administration for practicing what it preaches, laying a verbal smackdown on a lobbyist who tried to listen in on a media-only briefing about the new budget.

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Apparently Nadya Suleman, the Octomom, has been offered $1 million to make a porn film for producer Vivid Entertainment. You know, I try to keep this blog on the virtuous side of the "Not Safe For Work (NSFW)" line so I'm just going to ignore all the tasteless jokes running through my head about "the diaper service delivery man comes twice" and a certain 1983 James Bond film and call it a night.