Philotic Web

Check this out, then tell me it's awesome.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11917279

Yeah, i saw it earlier... that guy has to have nerves of steel... the train right in front of him and he drags the other guy just in the nick of time!

Check this out, then tell me it's awesome.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11917279

Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap. My heart was in my throat! I think watching it without sound made it even more dramatic.

Daaaaang that's nuts. He just saunters over and casually saves the day.

Have scientists cured HIV?!?!

So... Japan had a huge earthquake...and a resulting tsunami.

Discuss.

I am so thankful that Hawaii and the west coast of North America were largely untouched.

I have seen some of the pictures of these earthquake-shattered homes, all flooded out, and ON FIRE. That just strikes me as massively unfair! I know that's silly to say, but I felt the same about the possibility of pestilence in Haiti after their earthquake. As if things weren't already bad enough.

I'm sad for everyone who died, and grateful that it seems it was relatively few, especially for such a massive quake - 8.9!!!

I'm not sure what else to say, because any time there's a disaster like this, all I can think to say just seems trite.


***

Oh, and because things were crazy at the time and I never commented, apparently, this is AWESOME news about HIV. It's still going to take time and proof and a lot of people will die in the meantime, but it gives me hope for the future.

I'm not sure what else to say, because any time there's a disaster like this, all I can think to say just seems trite.

This. (I guess I could add the stupid comment that whenever stuff like this happens, I now think of Cameron but I'm not sure he would take that in the spirit it's intended to be taken.)

I'm assuming people have seen this video?

I don't want to be the fool to start saying, "We're having more earthquakes now, aren't we? The world's going to end!" but man, they seem to be hitting harder, if not more often. Haiti last year, Christchurch this year, and now this monster in Japan? I had a dream last week about us getting a big earthquake and it's freaking me out that we could.

It's crazy about the nuclear plants. It's like... well, most of the people who were around when Hiroshima got bombed are dead, so here's some more radiation, Japan! Geez.

Unfortunate about that one nuclear power plant. Japan actually has 55 nuclear power plants around the country, which is awesome. The sad thing is, they prepared for events like this extremely well, they just didn't expect something so massive. In any case, what annoys me is how everyone keeps dropping in the name Chernobyl and saying that a massive disaster is going to happen. It can't. Not only is it a different reactor design, but Chernobyl didn't have a containment vessel around the core.

Sad thing is, this is just going to be more fuel for the anti-nuclear nutters to use.

Also sad is that you won't see headlines like: Japan well prepared for massive Earthquake - could have been much worse.

Cool facts: The coastline of Japan moved 8 feet, and the axis of the Earth tilted 4 inches.

Still, very sad all around.

Also sad is that you won't see headlines like: Japan well prepared for massive Earthquake - could have been much worse.

Actually the front page of the New York Times had this article which was all about how Japan was so well prepared for this and thus saved countless lives.

Good!

Unfortunate about that one nuclear power plant. Japan actually has 55 nuclear power plants around the country, which is awesome. The sad thing is, they prepared for events like this extremely well, they just didn't expect something so massive.

Hmm, really? That's not what I've heard. What I gathered from discussing this with some nuclear people I know is that the situation is bad (not Chernobyl, but closer to Three Mile Island; still a problem), but is due to the plants in question being rather antiquated.

If the inner containment chamber isn't breached, then all is fine. If it is breached, then things are terrible. But, it's not nearly as bad as the news is letting on.

No break for them yet, an expected 3 meter tsunami, eta 15 minutes.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/prayer-ritual- ... 1-663.html

This incident just strengthens my conviction that there should be mandatory "world religions" classes in all high schools. That is so dumb.

To be fair, they might have notified the flight crew beforehand. I can understand why people might be alarmed.

Praying isn't illegal, and few would count praying as a threatening act. Odds are it didn't occur to them that following a generally non-offensive part of their religion would constitute a security concern.

I can understand the security concern, but this is something that surely a quick discussion with the passengers would have resolved.

I mean, I know a terrorist is never gonna admit to being a terrorist, but you could trick him, like by asking him how many virgins he's gonna be gifted with in the near future, or by drawing a stickman and writing "Allah" with an arrow point to the drawing and seeing if he flies into a rage.*


*Not all terrorists are Muslims, and most Muslims certainly aren't terrorists.

Odds are it didn't occur to them that following a generally non-offensive part of their religion would constitute a security concern.

And a fairly well-known one. I mean, Orthodox Jews tend to be pretty distinctive.

And what sort of half-way intelligent terrorist would wear his bomb openly on his forehead, of all places?

Three Mexican Jews? Who wouldn't be suspicious?

In all seriousness, that is rather ridiculous. I've never actually seen an Orthodox Jew praying, but I don't understand how it could be construed as threatening. Are people really that paranoid about unfamiliar languages/rituals? Sigh.

the prayer thingy is seriously weird looking, i admit, but it doesn't look anything like a bomb, seriously nothing to worry about.

the problem is two things
1: religious chanting can freak people out.
2: not enough people actually know what a tefillin is or looks like. but the box goes on the forehead and the leather strap wraps around the arm.

And of course, a fearful mind isn't exactly the most rational one. People jump at shadows.

Three Mexican Jews? Who wouldn't be suspicious?

I laughed. Then I mentally changed your post to

Three Mexicans? Who wouldn't be suspicious?

and laughed a little more.

Canada's governing party found in contempt of parliament

I guess I'll be sending off for my absentee ballot next week...

Vote's in, parliament is down. We'll see what happens next.

This makes Canada's fourth federal election in seven years.

I almost hope that the NDP and Libs ask the GG for permission to form a coalition. That way we can skip the hassle for another couple years.

I'm very glad we have a constitutional lawyer in office as GG right now.

I'm very glad that Harper went out on the contempt issue and not the budget.

I'm kind of hoping that a coalition is formed and replaces the Tories without an election first. Hopefully after that eventually falls apart either Ignatief will have smartened up or be replaced, and in that time maybe Harper will be replaced. I'd love to be able to vote for someone instead of merely voting to try and keep someone else out.

I am ever so slightly warming up to Ignatief.

That said, brilliant move, Elections Canada. Make your advance polling day during the Easter Triduum. Get shocked when all the churches who regularly host the polling stations say "we're booked, sorry." LOL.

In other news: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8945476 ... _with_bus/ That's my housemate. What it doesn't say is his bike is unscathed, all he got was a concussion and a few stitches, and the front of the bus got shattered. I think I live with Superman...

Hey guys, did you know that there is a Canadian election going on right now? And the vote is on Tuesday!? And it looks like the NDP (a, by American standards, very left wing party) will be the official opposition and might even win!!?

For a lot of its history Canada has had a de-facto two party system. The NDP is a third party. It is crazy that they suddenly seem actually viable.

Hey guys, did you know that there is a Canadian election going on right now? And the vote is on Tuesday!?

The vote is on Monday.

I have to admit, in the past I've been one of those "I'd probably vote for the NDP if I thought it wasn't pointless" types.

It's still probably pointless in my riding. And as of right now I don't plan on voting at all. But I think that it's most likely a good thing that the NDP is becoming more prominent.

Hey guys, did you know that there is a Canadian election going on right now? And the vote is on Tuesday!?

The vote is on Monday.

Whaa!?

I have to admit, in the past I've been one of those "I'd probably vote for the NDP if I thought it wasn't pointless" types.

It's still probably pointless in my riding. And as of right now I don't plan on voting at all. But I think that it's most likely a good thing that the NDP is becoming more prominent.

VOTE!