Slightly off topic - Extreme Weather

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tony S. said:

"Extreme Weather : A Guide & Record Book", (c) 2004, Christopher C. Burt
.... I've gotta wonder if such hellish conditions helped
foster extremism over there.

-Tony

Its a bit more complex that the weather. Start reading US and UK news
sites.

Indeed, though the news is at best cloudy on such topics. Of course what I
said isn't true, but living in such an extreme place can alter one's
worldview, and influence those who are raised there. No, not just the heat,
but everything there.

Are external forces (policies) partly to blame or do they just make good
rallying cries? Is envy of prosperity, brought into living rooms via TV and
movies a very big contributing factor, as my favorite author
(http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/) on the subject has suggested in one of his
books, probably.

My own view is that it's largely an over-zealous religious belief system
that is the biggest problem. That there is ready fuel to stoke this zealotry
is perhaps an oversight on the part of western countries, but history
suggests that there's very little that can be done to stem the expansionist
extremism of a relatively young religion that has not yet learned some
measure of practical tolerance for others, and whose most extreme core is
determined to reject modernism and wishes to turn back the clock 1300 years
or so. The tacit support, and in many cases overt cheering for OBL in both
Muslim societies and Arab communities all over the world is clear evidence
that the extremism is only really seen as such by outsiders, something
denied the leaders but obvious to almost everyone, though far too
problematic for governments to admit and to address head-on.

-Tony

You just opened up a can of worms.
I've taken the liberty to change the Subject.

Tony S. <[email hidden]> wrote:
....

Tony, if you think a book about the weather is great.................you
really need to get out more.

Quoted message said:

My own view is that it's largely an over-zealous religious belief system

that is the biggest problem.

thank god we in america have no such problem....

Quoted message said:

has not yet learned some measure of practical tolerance for others,

"The Constitution of the United States, for instance, is a marvelous
document for self-government by the Christian people. But the minute
you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian people and
atheistic people they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our
society. And that's what's been happening." -- Pat Robertson, The 700
Club, Dec. 30, 1981

Quoted message said:

and whose most extreme core is

determined to reject modernism and wishes to turn back the clock 1300
years
or so.

yeah!...we only want to turn the clock back several decades.....

Tony S. said:

"Extreme Weather : A Guide & Record Book", (c) 2004, Christopher C. Burt
<snip>Snipped for brevity.</snip> I've gotta wonder if such hellish >conditions helped
foster extremism over there.

-Tony

I don't do politics on the internet but your question about extreme
weather brought back memories. Growing up in the 60s the global
landscape was pretty simple for a kid like me. The US, Britain and Nato
were the good guys, the Soviets, Warsaw Pact and the assorted Soviet
groupies around the world were the bad guys.

While serving in the US Navy I was fortunate to visit several countries
on both sides of Africa and the Middle East. Without giving
consideration to local politics, transportation, rainfall, natural
resources or any of the other variables, I remember thinking at one
point: "No wonder this part of the world is backward and undeveloped.
It's too damn hot to get motivated to do anything."

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tony S. said:

"Extreme Weather : A Guide & Record Book", (c) 2004, Christopher C. Burt
<snip>Snipped for brevity.</snip> I've gotta wonder if such hellish

conditions helped

Quoted message said:

foster extremism over there.

-Tony

I don't do politics on the internet but your question about extreme
weather brought back memories. Growing up in the 60s the global
landscape was pretty simple for a kid like me. The US, Britain and Nato
were the good guys, the Soviets, Warsaw Pact and the assorted Soviet
groupies around the world were the bad guys.

Yea, wasn't really trying to be political in the original post, just came
out in my response.

Quoted message said:

While serving in the US Navy I was fortunate to visit several countries
on both sides of Africa and the Middle East. Without giving
consideration to local politics, transportation, rainfall, natural
resources or any of the other variables, I remember thinking at one
point: "No wonder this part of the world is backward and undeveloped.
It's too damn hot to get motivated to do anything."

I had similar thoughts when on an extended visit to India. In and out of AC
into pretty wicked muggy heat was enough to stress my immune system and take
away my appetite. It gets hard to think in that kind of environment
sometimes. India also has a great deal of very bright people though, and a
rich cultural history. That the likes of Ramanujan came from south India is
interesting. In his case, poverty and some unknown force turned his
attention inside. It's amazing that his math, done the better part of 100
years ago, is still inspiring new breakthroughs in applied mathematics and
science.

-Tony

Quoted message said:

Tony S. wrote:
I had similar thoughts when on an extended visit to India. In and out of AC
into pretty wicked muggy heat was enough to stress my immune system and take
away my appetite. It gets hard to think in that kind of environment
sometimes. India also has a great deal of very bright people though, and a
rich cultural history. That the likes of Ramanujan came from south India is
interesting. In his case, poverty and some unknown force turned his
attention inside. It's amazing that his math, done the better part of 100
years ago, is still inspiring new breakthroughs in applied mathematics and
science.
-Tony

Good point regarding Indian brains and cultural history. I also had a
chance to see India courtesy of the U.S. government. Those were the
days, (as an 18-19 year old kid.)

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My own view is that it's largely an over-zealous religious belief system

that is the biggest problem.

thank god we in america have no such problem....

Yea, thank god we have the real God to steer us straight 😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

has not yet learned some measure of practical tolerance for others,

"The Constitution of the United States, for instance, is a marvelous
document for self-government by the Christian people. But the minute
you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian people and
atheistic people they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our
society. And that's what's been happening." -- Pat Robertson, The 700
Club, Dec. 30, 1981

It's all relative, err or what I mean is... you can get the job if you're a
relative, or are of the faith and worship in the culture of life --
otherwise we'll just keep saying the things we want to trigger you with
using scripted evocative words so that you come to believe, or until your
neighbors come to believe our disinformation (even though of course we don't
believe it ourselves), and act as if there is a real scientific debate about
things like evolution, so that both sides can have equal time on the matter,
nevermind that it's really like 99.999% to 0.001%. We know you won't be
bothered when we put out doctored research reports, such as the recent one
studying outsourcing. If we say there's no proof that anyone lost their job
in the US due to outsourcing, we know many many of you just love and trust
our president so much you'll believe it...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and whose most extreme core is

determined to reject modernism and wishes to turn back the clock 1300
years
or so.

yeah!...we only want to turn the clock back several decades.....

Not only several decades, some want to you to be - what was it - 3/5 of a
person again Lance.

-Tony