Tuscaloosa Tornado by AURaptor

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Tuscaloosa Tornado

POSTED BY: AURAPTOR
UPDATED: Thursday, May 5, 2011 13:34
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VIEWED: 1652
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Thursday, April 28, 2011 1:55 PM

America loves a winner!

Pretty much speaks for itself...

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Thursday, April 28, 2011 2:06 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Gawd, yeah. I've actually been turning in to the news today, just because of what's happening. My heart goes out to all those folk, this is a disaster of epic proportion.

The Day of the Flip Phone...there are videos all over TV that people took before they scurried for cover. Scary just to see, can't imagine experiencing it!

And they talk about our earthquakes! I'll take an earthquake any day over this kind of horror...and the death toll keeps climbing. I heard today we have more tornadoes in America than any other country in the world. When I told Jim he said "Yeah, I can't even remember the last time I heard about a tornado anywhere but in America". I can't, either.

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Thursday, April 28, 2011 3:02 PM

HARDWARE

Yeah, I heard from a local that Tuscaloosa is totally destroyed. Probably $200-$300 in damage.

Okay, not funny. But I'm only concerned for the people, not the property.

The more I get to know people the more I like my dogs.

...and he that has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. Luke 22:36

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Thursday, April 28, 2011 3:09 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

I confess, I made light of the damage to T-Town, until it became apparent of how bad it really was, and the terrible loss of life. Over 250 lives lost from this storm, and most coming from the state of AL.

Credit the President for going down there and drawing attention to this horrific event.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Thursday, April 28, 2011 4:45 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Makes me glad I live where I do, but even we are not immune to the wrath of nature - wasn't that long ago a tornado trashed Dundee and another hit Monroe, both of which are spitting distance from here - the tornado siren is pretty much the only thing which'll send me scurrying for cover while on the job, and we had it go off night before last, although with these puny outdated prefabs, I ain't exactly sure being inside would help a whole bloody lot.

-F

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Thursday, April 28, 2011 7:05 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

I've been away at the ocean and haven't seen the news in a few days, AL doesn't get hit that often so this was a big thing, its a big thing even for people who do get hit a lot, such a large loss of life. :(

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Friday, April 29, 2011 5:08 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

And the aftermath....

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Friday, April 29, 2011 5:29 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/04/29/tornados-kill-hund
reds-as-barack-obama-declares-state-of-emergency-in-alabama-115875-23093390/

Meanwhile, Obama pledges more federal spending for one of the states that already takes among the most federal dollars and pays in among the fewest. I believe Randroids would refer to Alabama and Mississippi as "parasites" and "leeches" living high off the federal tit.

Where is the outrage from the right at such a waste of taxpayer money? Where is Pat Robertson to claim that this is surely a sign that God hates the South and is striking back at them for their evil ways? Where are Limbaugh and Beck claiming that this is their payback for secession and the Civil War?

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 12:34 AM

DREAMTROVE

We just had one here. It made a racket, really and unbelievable constant roar. Fortunately for us, we have lots of trees, and a tornado can take out a couple hundred, but that's about does for it. I recall one last year took out a mile swatch and change, crossed the lake, and took out some more. This last one got both sides of the road. And the power lines of course.

That's what a ship is, you know - it's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs.

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 2:48 AM

KWICKO

It's weird, because we HAVEN'T had tornadoes around here - yet. Seems to me May is our worst month for 'em, but I may just be remembering it that way because of the one that wiped the town of Jarrell off the map in '97.

http://www.itouch.net/~radar/html/jarrell.html

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 3:05 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/04/29/tornados-kill-hund
reds-as-barack-obama-declares-state-of-emergency-in-alabama-115875-23093390/

Meanwhile, Obama pledges more federal spending for one of the states that already takes among the most federal dollars and pays in among the fewest. I believe Randroids would refer to Alabama and Mississippi as "parasites" and "leeches" living high off the federal tit.

Where is the outrage from the right at such a waste of taxpayer money? Where is Pat Robertson to claim that this is surely a sign that God hates the South and is striking back at them for their evil ways? Where are Limbaugh and Beck claiming that this is their payback for secession and the Civil War?

Other than stating how completely ridiculous and asinine the above post is, there's no reason for a reply.

Death toll from the storms stands at 328 across the South, and 238 in the state of AL alone.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 3:35 AM

KWICKO

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Rick "GoodHair" Perry whines that Obama loves Alabama more...

http://www.salon.com/technology/how_the_world_works/2011/04/29/rick_pe
rry_askes_for_federal_handout/

This part is particularly bitter irony:

Quote:
"[T]he state legislature, meanwhile, recently proposed slicing $34 million out of the Texas Forest Service's $109 million biennial budget, with most of the cuts coming from training and equipment grants for volunteer crews who deal with wildfires."

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 3:55 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Trying to equate the need for very real world emergency assistance to the continuation of pointless ,excessive bureaucratic pork barrel projects isn't worth my time.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 5:12 AM

KWICKO

Your point is that we NEED federal assistance for Alabama and MIssissippi. Why? Because people died? Because 300 people died? What's your number cut-off? How many have to die before you believe in getting the federal government involved? How many before it becomes an "emergency"? Not many have died in the Texas wildfires, granted, but millions of acres have burned, and hundreds of homes. Is that not a suitable emergency because not enough people died, or because not enough damage was done, or because it was over a longer time period and a wider swath of destruction?

Odd that you consider training emergency personnel to deal with fires "bureaucratic pork", though. I'm sure there are people in the Northeast who view federal money for tornado victims as the same kind of useless federal pork.

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 6:59 AM

THEHAPPYTRADER

Seeing massive destruction and tragic loss of life reduced to childish arguments and partisan politics assures me my pride in RWED in not misplaced. Clearly Alabama is not liberal enough to be deserving of federal assistance, which is probably why it was hit by tornadoes. The appropriate response to a tragedy such as this is not "how can I help" but rather "I told ya so, now such on my... agenda..."

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 9:09 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:

The appropriate response to a tragedy should be "how can I help"

Pretty self evident, for most. Those who want to divert attention away to petty infighting.... not worth any amount of time.

Don't live in the state of AL, but want to help ? This # may be of use....

1-800-264-1225.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 10:09 AM

BYTEMITE

I'm afraid of twisters to the point of phobia. Never been in one or anything, just the description of them and what they can do is the scariest thing I can imagine. A lot of my nightmares when I was a kid were tornado centric.

I need to give to more to charity.

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Saturday, April 30, 2011 2:43 PM

KWICKO

Quote:
Originally posted by TheHappyTrader:
Seeing massive destruction and tragic loss of life reduced to childish arguments and partisan politics assures me my pride in RWED in not misplaced. Clearly Alabama is not liberal enough to be deserving of federal assistance, which is probably why it was hit by tornadoes. The appropriate response to a tragedy such as this is not "how can I help" but rather "I told ya so, now such on my... agenda..."

I take it you weren't here for any of the healthcare debates, or the debates over whether or not we should be at war in Iraq. Those were also times - there are thousands of them in this country every single year - where people's lives are lost and there families are destroyed by the simple fact that they don't have adequate healthcare. What I was told then, and have been told nearly every single day since by the right-wingers here, is that "it's not the government's place" to take MY money and decide who needs it more, or when, or where.

In my state, I have a governor who last year talked openly - and to huge applause from the right, I might add - about our state seceding from the United States. He also turned down over $950 million dollars in federal education funding, opting instead to close schools and fire thousands of teachers, rather than take that evil federal spending.

Now, that same governor wants to know why the President isn't responding more quickly to his demands (not requests) for federal funding to help defray the costs of fighting wildfires which have claimed millions of acres and hundreds of homes, and some lives as well, including the lives of some first responders who were killed in the line of duty.

And those same right-wingers who decry the federal government and its spending at every turn and every opportunity? They're now cheering the idea that some of that spending and largesse might be headed their way

By the way, my first question WAS "How do I help?" That's why I went ahead and donated to Red Cross, since they're usually first on the scene. And although I realize that they aren't the most efficient organization, they're there, and they're helping, so by ME giving to them, *I* can in a sense help the people in those areas most affected, even though I can't physically go there and actually physically HELP them.

Closer to home, I'm providing a place to stay for some of my family, who were forced to evacuate in the face of the fires. We had a few dozen homes burn a couple miles from here, but the fires have been held at bay so far, at least in my area. Again, I wish there were more I could physically *DO* to help, but I'm here providing shelter and support, and I've made a few runs out west to help move stuff and people to safety.

So while I'm asking "How can I help?", I'm also asking "How can my government help?" The hypocrisy of the situation is, there are plenty of so-called "small-government conservatives" who are asking the same question of their government, even while decrying every effort of ANY government to use federal tax dollars to actually HELP anyone other than the very richest among us, who need no help at all.

Rappy insists that anyone who finds themselves in need of help or government assistance does so by choice, or by a series of what he calls "bad choices". I'm bringing his words back to him, and throwing them in his face, to point out his hypocrisy.

Rappy, aren't all these dead and displaced people really in such dire straits through their own decisions? What I'm asking you is WHY you think *I* should pay my tax money so that the federal government can help them.

I'm not saying I shouldn't pay my taxes. That's YOUR position. You've said over and over and over again that YOU don't want YOUR tax dollars to go to helping the unfortunate or lazy. Weren't the people of Tuscaloosa too "lazy" to move to somewhere that doesn't have tornadoes? Didn't they make bad life decisions if they find themselves in these circumstances? That's your entire Randian argument; I'm merely showing you how and where it falls apart.

For the record, I hope the federal government does all it can for the people of Alabama, Mississippi, and everywhere else hit by these killer storms. I also hope they'll help those Texans wiped out by these wildfires. So far, that DOESN'T include anyone in my family, but I'm still glad that I paid my income taxes this year anyway!

But, Happy, I think it's cute that you think it's petty and partisan to bring up politics when rural conservative areas get wiped out by natural disasters; I can only hope you'll still hold onto that same feeling when it's poor people being asked to die due to a lack of healthcare, or when it's some liberal left-coast city hit by an earthquake or tsunami.

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

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Monday, May 2, 2011 1:35 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Yeah Byte, tornadoes can be really scary, I think a lot of people, especially people who don't face them on a regular basis so don't have experience, are afraid of them. I don't think I've ever heard of a tornado hitting where you live though, so I think you will be safe. Every once in a great while in OR we have a little tornado, maybe once every several years. There are occasional funnel clouds spotted but then they disipate and nothing comes of them. Several months ago we had an actual tornado in a town an hour and a half south of me, it did some noticeable dammage, demolished a couple of buildings, no one died thankfully, but it was a big thing here because it is so rare to get a tornado that causes dammage. Its tough for the people down there where these major storms have been happening. i hope things settle down for them weather wise.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Monday, May 2, 2011 3:14 PM

KWICKO

See, in Texas they're quite common - enough so that we tend to not get concerned at all until we get a confirmed Tornado WARNING in our specific area. I've seen a few, but never been near any real damage. They're really quite random, and probably 90% of the time, they just stir up some dust and knock over a few trees. But once in a while, one hits a town and causes all sorts of hell.

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011 2:28 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
See, in Texas they're quite common -

They're really quite random

They're common ? They're random ? Can't seem to make up your mind now, can ya? Oh, they're commonly random. OK , that makes more sense.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011 4:01 AM

BYTEMITE

We have tornados, but they usually aren't strong and can't form well because of the mountains. So they're also really rare.

Apparently either an F0 or a gustnado went right over my house once, and I didn't even notice it. The news called it a tornado, though. Go figure. You'd think with how warily I was watching that storm I might've seen something but no. About all it did was strip some branches and shingles and break the gate on our fence.

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011 8:24 AM

KWICKO

Tornadoes themselves are fairly common. Where they strike is quite random, as is whether or not they do a large amount of damage.

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with putting those two concepts together in your mind. I notice it's a problem you often have, holding two concepts in your head at once.

Maybe you should just let the adults talk, dear; you're clearly in over your head.

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Thursday, May 5, 2011 1:34 PM

KWICKO

In related news, Alabama's entire GOP delegation in the U.S. Congress voted to end funding for tornado forecasting warning systems.

http://hypervocal.com/news/2011/alabmas-entire-gop-delegation-voted-to
-cut-tornado-forecasting-warning-systems/

How very ironic. I wonder if they're rethinking that vote about now.

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