But this is it, do you understand me? This is it. I'm well out of that shit.
The British just got bombed: Glenn is doing his usual good job at rounding up reactions. My own: my prayers go out the dead and injured, of course. The death toll seems to be less than in the Madrid bombings, which is cold comfort to those missing family members right now, I know.
And we need to be very, very careful that we make sure who set off the bombs before we make reply to this. That applies as equally to those ready to blame this on the hardcore anti-globalization factions as it is to those assuming that it's al-Queda or some other violent Islamist group. We'll know more in a day or two; save the plans for retribution until we have a better idea of what's going on.
Moe
PS: Obviously, it would be rude of me to post something non-geeky and not expect replies in the same vein. But let me be explicit: no ad homs or rudeness will be tolerated, and my tolerance levels have become exceptionally low. Go somewhere else to get your partisan screeding in.
PS: Contact information for the British Embassy here.
Another Update: Ranting Prof's covering this, too.
And another: Bull Moose calls for public displays of the Union Jack in solidarity. I've had one on my desk since the Iraqi liberation; it was the matter of a moment to elevate it.
Yet Another Update: Red Ken's statement on the bombings was very good: it said what needed saying, and said it well (via Liberal Street Fighter). For those who are interested, a character (favorably) based on him is fairly prominent in this...
Last Update on this topic, probably: To everyone who I haven't said hello to, yet: hello.
As I said elsewhere, decorum has marvelous sound-deadening properties, for those with the skill to properly wield it.
And although I see no harm in giving AQ a few unusually hard whacks just in case they were involved, I do agree that positive ID is very, very important.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 07, 2005 at 03:12 PM
Nice to "see" you Moe. Thanks for the note on the Union Jack...I've added one to my art blog.
Posted by: Edward | July 07, 2005 at 03:51 PM
"As I said elsewhere, decorum has marvelous sound-deadening properties, for those with the skill to properly wield it."
That leaves me out, then.
Posted by: Moe Lane | July 07, 2005 at 03:51 PM
Hey, Edward. You have an art blog?
Posted by: Moe Lane | July 07, 2005 at 03:55 PM
yeah...click on the name...Mac hangs out there a bit (and despite the banner, it's mostly politics-free)...
Posted by: Edward | July 07, 2005 at 03:58 PM
Add a smiley to that; I'm juggling three things right now. :)
Posted by: Moe Lane | July 07, 2005 at 04:01 PM
Hi, Moe.
On the off chance you haven't seen it yet, you might like what
Ken Livingstone had to say.
Posted by: Jesurgislac | July 07, 2005 at 04:05 PM
three blogs or three lives?
Posted by: Edward | July 07, 2005 at 04:05 PM
Edward has an art blog?
I gotta start going to the meetings. That's two blogs I now have to add to my read list.
No one tells me anything...
Posted by: double-plus-ungood | July 07, 2005 at 04:14 PM
Moe!! Hi!
Posted by: hilzoy | July 07, 2005 at 04:15 PM
Actually, I was about to add it; Edward's art blog entry reminded me.
My sympathies and best wished for your nation and people, of course.
Posted by: Moe Lane | July 07, 2005 at 04:16 PM
Hey, Moe, thanks for the solidarity. I grew up when the IRA were doing their thing, and once was in an area where the Police had to carry out a controlled explosion, but what strikes me today, which I don't think I've heard too much about in reports from New York and Madrid, is the compassion of so many people contacting others to see if they're okay. I've been doing that to many I know in the affected areas, and many have done it to me. Compassion will defeat hatred.
P.S. Union Flag, actually, though... only correctly the Jack in a few occasions... blogs not one of them, I'm afraid! Hoist on a ship, it's the Union Jack. Usually, properly called the Union Flag.
Posted by: James Casey | July 07, 2005 at 04:19 PM
I didn't know Jack about that, JC (sorry)...what exactly does "jack" mean in that context?
Posted by: Edward | July 07, 2005 at 04:24 PM
One blog to rule them all.
Well, sorta.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 07, 2005 at 04:34 PM
ahoy hoy. don't know enough about geekstuff to contribute much here, but it's good to know you're writing.
Posted by: Katherine | July 07, 2005 at 04:36 PM
Edward, a jack is a flag flown on a staff at the bow of a ship, yer see...
Posted by: James Casey | July 07, 2005 at 05:05 PM
Hmmm...if that's so, what's a "man jack"?
Sounds painful.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 07, 2005 at 05:13 PM
Hey, no one said English had to make sense, Slarti...
Posted by: James Casey | July 07, 2005 at 05:22 PM
In fact, we'd get rather upset if you tried to make the language sensible...
Moe, thanks for the solidarity, and to somewhat assuage your concerns: we're unlikely, as a nation, to call for vast retributive campaigns. We'll do this with five, six and the special ops people. We've learned an awful lot of lessons in Ulster about how not to fight terrorism, and after a quarter of a century I think we've got it a little bit right.
So no worries, mate. We'll get it sorted.
Posted by: McDuff | July 07, 2005 at 05:43 PM
Moe, you suck and are ruining this blog.
.
Posted by: Macallan | July 07, 2005 at 06:18 PM
(Just for ol' times sake)
;-)
Posted by: Macallan | July 07, 2005 at 06:18 PM
Yo, Moe, glad to see you're manifesting again -- albeit in strange, scarey, apolitical form.
Time to pry: When's the weddin'?
Posted by: von | July 07, 2005 at 06:50 PM
Moe, I found ObWi after you left, so I just wanted to drop by and say "thanks."
Posted by: ral | July 09, 2005 at 08:45 PM