More omens

[xiphias]

Okay, first a big-ass meteor, and a flu-like plague with a fatality rate of 3.5% (the Spanish Influenza of 1918 was 2.5% fatal), the discovery of an even bigger, even meaner giant squid, and now unseasonable winter weather over the ENTIRE FUCKING UNITED STATES!

Can't this President TAKE A HINT?

Comments

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

You forgot the talking carp.

risefox speculates that if perhaps it was still Nancy Reagan running the white house, these things would get a lot more attention.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

Er, rosefox

[redbird]

I suspect that he's the sort of Christian who believes that his worldly success is the sign of divine favor, and therefore such omens must be aimed at someone else.

[noveldevice.livejournal.com]

Heh, we forgot...it's all Clint...er, Osam...uh, no, wait...who was it this week? Oh, right! Saddam Hussein! It's all Saddam Hussein's fault!

[arib.livejournal.com]

Playing devil's advocate for a minute, you're letting your view of world events color your interpretation of things the same way he is using his.

Winter weather in April isn't all that uncommon, we had a seder in the snow sometime in the mid-nineteen eighties, and my grandmother remembers a few when she grew up in NYC. They've known of the existance of ubergiant-squid since the 1920s, this is only the first time they've found a whole specimen, which should definitely make us evaluate our environmental behavior, especially around Australia, where (IIRC) it was found. Thus far, the area hardest hit by SARS has been China, a country that leans against the war in Iraq. However, needless to say, the fact that SARS even exists scares the living bejeezus out of me.

So our earstwhile Jesus-freak, I mean President, could rather easily think that SARS is only afflicting "those poor heathens," it's just a little snowy outside, and his plans to destroy the environment are proceeding apace.

On the other hand, it seems like that meteor's got his name on it...

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I don't really buy omens to the extent that I'm implying in these posts. I don't believe that Hashem interferes in daily life in such obvious ways -- the talking carp, if it happened, would have been a human deciding to come back and be a fish, not an actual action by Hashem. Hashem gave the Torah to us, and, from that point forward, this world was basically our responsibility. Hashem does give strength and healing to people, but that's about it, as I see it.

Really, what these "omens" posts are, is, I was trying to come up with an argument that I thought, if presented to President Bush, might actually get through to him. It's more of a rhetorical exercise than anything else.

Discord

[(Anonymous)]

Actually the broken weather can also be taken as a sign of the fact that we've messed up the biosphere in general over the past few centuries and its coming back to bite us big time. The jet stream is a bit out of wack, the magnetic field is fluxing and the atmosphere is being disturbed by all those big nasty explosives being set off in huge amounts.

Weather was also a bit wacky during WWII, Vietnam etc. We're just seeing that there is this interconnection of cause and effect thats being magnified.... the butterfly wings can affect a hurricane, then dropping more bombs and missiles then we did during the entire Gulf War in a single day is likely to have international weather repurcusions.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

"Ribit."

"Pleased to see you too. Er, boys, I know you're having a good time here on the lily pads, but things are getting really bad in the US."

"Ribit?"

"Yes, I tried a meteor. And a plague, and unseasonal storms, and even a lightning strike at Blair's plane -- the British are helping them. I haven't been subtle here. I even sent a talking carp and a kraken. None of it worked."

"Co-ax! Co-ax! Ribit, ribit, ribit."

"Thanks. I really appreciate the support."

"Ribit, ribit, mutter, ribit..."

The Rain of Frogs Last Resort Para-Cavalry lined up in position one more time.

Rain of Frogs Last Resort Para-Cavalry

[ms-violet.livejournal.com]

The French should be pleased.
"Cherchez les cookbooks, Jean-Claude! You weel nevair believe zis one!"