seticat

Please be aware that this is a 'stream of consciousness' sort of post so if I don't make a lot of sense, let me know. I just needed to write something to get the whole idiocy off my chest.

At least for a bit. I'm sure it will come back to slap me in the face like a dead fish.

** First 'They' decided that since *most* of the terrorists who are out to get America were Muslims, by association it must be true that all Muslims are terrorists.

Wrong answer. 'The Medieval Church' back in the Middle Ages decided that anyone who thought differently than they did were wrong, subversive, corrupt and going to Hell. Since these different people were already condemned by their own beliefs and actions, it was 'Their' right to either convert them to 'The One True Way' or rid the world of them.

'Our way or the highway' so to speak.

To that end, the Church supported several different Inquisitions. This support gave various Inquisitors free reign to torture and kill millions of people whose only crime was they thought differently than the Holy Roman Church. Folks like Jews, Pagans, Muslims and pretty much anyone who had someone who didn't like them. All it took was the barest hint of 'differentness' and it was off to the rack, the dunking chair, etc.

And anyone who thinks that the all of the Islamic population loves and embraces Al-Qaeda with open arms isn't thinking it through. If they did, don't you think that pretty much every other religion would have had it's butt kick at least once by now? Look at the following stats. Religions listed by approximate number of followers". And there are several sites that list this sort of stats if you think these are wrong. But the common denominator is pretty much #1: Christianity and #2: Islam. Fraction this further by looking at the number of different Christian denominations, their individual belief structures, their tolerance levels, etc.

If all of Islam wanted to kick our tukus, they'd have done a much better job than they have done so far. Let's be real. The numbers just don't add up.

** Then 'They' decided that the purposed Islamic Heritage Center planned for New York in the general vicinity of the World Trade Center rebuild *must actually be* a purposed center for Islamic terrorists. 'On Hallowed Ground', I believe the phrase being used is.

Wrong answer. Anybody actually look at that area? Porn shops, fast food and convince stores, gentleman's clubs', etc? Believe me, a center for education and worship can't help but bring up the general tenor of that neighborhood. Besides why would a terrorist want to build bombs in an open education center when he can make use of all the low end hotels, abandoned shops, etc in that general area with a lot less scrutiny?

Knee jerk reaction.

** Then 'They' decided it was okay to burn the Koran because it would 'send a message' to those who would try to strike terror into the heart of America.

Wrong answer. Have any of these idiots actually read the Koran? I did before I was deployed to the Middle East in '90-'91. It preaches honor and respect and a lot of other 'good ideas'. Is the problem the Book? No. It's the idiots who have decided that 'They Know Best' what the words actually mean. They're called extremists and They come in all flavors: Christian Extremists, Jewish Extremists, Muslim Extremists, and on and on and on.

They're called intolerant. They feel that *they* have been given *The One True Truth*, that those who don't believe as they do are wrong and because They're *Right* They can do anything they want because "God is on Our Side".

There's a name for groups like this. They are called 'Hate Groups'. And believe me, if *anyone* even suggested that it was okay to burn the Bible as a way to express displeasure about some Fundamentalist Christian actions and beliefs, there'd be blood in the streets.

Double standard? You bet'cha.

** So... how long will it be before 'They' decide it's appropriate and right to publicly come out and openly support the arrest and internment of individuals because of their religious preference?

At the rate things are going, not to long.

And the 'Witch Hunts' begin again.



"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me."

~ attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

Every situation has several sides: the perspectives of the two groups actually involved and then all the different points of view from onlookers. Here's one I hadn't heard yet and it's one I believe is worth reading and taking into account. 'Gaza flotilla participants created war atmosphere before confronting Israel' .

For those who are 'up in arms' about civilians being injured, let me remind folks of one thing. A metal pipe, if it hits you, can cause a lot of damage. Several people waiting for you to slide down a rope hit you with said pipe can be fatal. Same with slingshots and metal balls. Remember David and Goliath? A paint ball is seldom more than annoying. So if it were me and I was being attacked by folks who were swinging pipes at me and trying to break my skull with a slingshot, the desire to defend myself would be pretty strong.

I'm just saying...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/395143_stormonline08.html

[An excerpt]

Throughout Washington, 62 highways were closed, including all passes in the Cascade Range. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for 19 rivers in Western Washington, including the Nooksack, Skagit, Snohomish, Cedar, Nisqually, Puyallup and Chehalis. As of Wednesday afternoon 22 were at or above flood stage.

Flood warnings remained in effect through Friday in 14 counties in Western Washington and six in Eastern Washington, while 25 emergency operations centers were opened across the state.

... and ...

All the state's major east-west mountain passes over the Cascades were closed because of avalanche danger.

Google maps - Washington State

King 5 TV videos

10 counties now have emergency decelerations with more probably coming on board in the next day or so. The Red Cross is gearing up for the long run: shelters now and disaster assessments, cleaning supplies and food delivers over the next couple of weeks.

The river count is now up to 32 some that have crested over flood stage or will in the next 24 hours. 4 to 8 inches of rain in 24-48 hours on top of all the snow fall will do that.

There's talk that the Puyallup River Bridge on I-5 [like 4 to 5 lanes in each direction - major North South Interstate] may being eroded by the rapidly rising Puyallup River and if that happens, the bridge would be closed indefinitely severing the major N-S link from Canada through to Mexico. There's several spots along I-5 that's closed due to flooding. Hell, I-90, Hwy 12 and a bunch others are closed. There are a whole slew of towns that have been evacuated or totally isolated due to rivers rising and covering roads. All Amtrak service has been closed down between Seattle and Portland.

Closer to home for me there's concerns that the Tacoma Water Treatment system may become contaminated which would mean the tap water is unfit for consumption without boiling or other treatment.

Just some pictures here.

Yet another goodie from ysabetwordsmith.


Triple helix genetic material.


Tres cool!

There are still things that can reach out and simply grab me. The previous post with the link to Kieth Oberman's commentary was one of them. This link to a CNN vid of the current fires in Southern California is another.

This link is to a piece of
embedded video from CNN Video

This is the second big fire to hit them in the span of a couple of days and it comes right on the heels of a major one last month: very low humidity, higher than normal temperatures and high, Santa Ana winds. It's terrifying in it's power. Houses aren't burning, they're exploding. The wind is wicked, blowing embers everywhere, starting new fires. +10,000 people so far have been evacuated. The entire area has been asked to conserve power and water. Water is for fire fighting. And the area is running the risk of rolling blackouts as the fire threatens major power stations in the area.

I don't think it takes a high power psychic to get the feeling that this winter is going to be a major weather suck all around.