Thursday miscellanea #563

Oh, my goodness, is the cool weather welcome. I find it reinvigorating and restorative every year, but I need it so much more than usual this time. Great to see you, mid-40s through upper-60s.
Did you know that Merriam-Webster changed the definition of “sexual preference” to include that was an “offensive” term the very day U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett used the term “sexual preference” during her hearing and Senator Mazie Hirono compalined about it? I mention this to make a political point and a linguistic one. The dictionary has always dictated and reflected. That’s how “wrong” things get in the dictionary, and why you’re not zinging me as much as you think when I tell you something’s wrong and you find it in the dictionary. Obviously the motivations of those who judge such things are important when it is so easy to change the “official” definition. Indeed, this isn’t a case of sloppy language being normalized, but a real-life manifestation of an Orwellian memory hole. How long will BoWilliams.com—and this bullet—be here? I hope for a good long while yet. I’m two days from being online here continuously for 14 years. (But I bet, ultimately, it will be a shorter time than Merriam-Webster online.)
It became public knowledge yesterday that Huntsville will be getting a Trader Joe’s at the MidCity District development on the former site of Madison Square Mall. Trader Joe’s locations are built cautiously, and if they’ve committed to one it says continued good things about the Huntsville area as a long-term market for such. I imagine I will have a crowd dispersal wait of several months before I visit.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19. As I write he is asymptomatic, and as he generally takes excellent care of himself, it seems likely he will remain that way. The university has long tested every player daily, and will test everyone in the football program today. So far the Saturday night game with Georgia is a go. Here’s hoping this stays a minor inconvenience and nothing more, Coach.
And on the much less important but still notable topic of that upcoming game, wow. Thanks to an all-cylinders offense Alabama was able to hang on and beat Ole Miss Saturday evening, but in terms of yards allowed, it was the worst Alabama defensive performance in program history. Ole Miss gashed Alabama for 636 yards, which is only 141 less than they would have gotten had the Alabama defense never taken the field. Get your brain around that. I hope there is a great deal of improvement on that side of the ball Saturday night, because I think Mac Jones and company will find the UGA D much less like a candy store.
We used Top Line Tires for many years, both because the owner was a family friend and because they did light-to-moderate mechanical work fairly and competently. Plus, Lea and I were both comfortable with her talking to Gregg, the manager at the Madison location, by herself. Now that Top Line is gone, the first shop I used (really in a hurry and without much consideration) was Tire Discounters on 72 near County Line. On the strength of two transactions so far, color me impressed. Good prices and professionalism are there, and I am motivated to return again.
Christmas Day is ten weeks from tomorrow. You’re welcome.

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