I wonder whether the famous 72 virgins would be all girls, all boys, or some of each? And I wonder how old they would be - they might all be the ages of Ann Widdecombe, or Joseph Ratzinger.
Hmmm the 72 virgins thing. A religion based around martyrdom and reaching paradise for being true to a set of rules passed down by a deity who was never proved to exist, outlining a paradise from which nobody can return to tell everyone how good it is, and why 72 virgins? whats the significance of that number? and where do they get all the virgins from? certainly not Pensnett! And to kill people in the name of religion? and that includes Christians / Muslims Catholics/ Protestants, Shia / Suni et al, Ill never understand. The taliban have made a statement saying that they are not responsible for the Boston Bomb and that it was an atrocity. Interesting softening of their radical views?
This is a terrible incident and I have sympathy for all the victims. I do keep expecting Batman to show up in the videos on the news though.
Some home grown terrorism for the US, now maybe all those American Irish that donated their hard earned cash (mostly not knowing where it was going) towards the 'Fight' will get a feeling of what the people of UK and NI went through for decades? Remember the IRA bombed the Lisburn marathon killing 6.
Whilst I have the utmost sympathy for the innocent victims of this attack, it's ironic that Boston was a hotbed of PIRA support not so long ago. I hope all those who supported PIRA atrocities with fund raising events, and openly paraded through the city with support banners, are having trouble sleeping at night. Let's not forget this isn't the first marathon targeted by terrorists. PIRA planted an IED under an Army transit van in Lisburn in 1988, killing six and injuring many civilians. Edit. You beat me too it Drinky ;-)
Funny what makes the news and what doesn't... Three Americans are killed in Boston and it's on TV 24 hours a day. 55 People died in car-bomb attacks in Iraq on the same day - no mention... I'm not saying either is right, just pointing out the inequity of the TV coverage.
Keep the IEDs coming; by the time I get to book my ticket to Laguna Seca it'll only cost fifty quid fly-drive
My deepest sympathies go out not only to the dead, but to those maimed in the explosion. One moment you're fit healthy and running in a highly prestigious event, the next second your previously finely honed body is a bloody shattered mess, and for what? no accident, nothing achieved, someone just decided to take your reason d'être away from you...faceless...mindless....cruel. I can only relate to my own experience, which is not even remotely comparable - a scratch by comparison, but to go from competitive runner to cripple in the blink of an eye is something that just cannot be put into words. Determination on the surface, but there are always occasional dark moments behind closed doors when you've just tried for the 999th time to do a completely menial task and failed - even the most motivated and determined recovery hits setbacks. Mark my words though, next year there will be people finishing the 2014 boston marathon with prosthetic limbs - those people will stand as a very emotive symbol of the free worlds desire that terrorism will never win.
Massive explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant this morning... Might be an accident but seems a bit suspect.
Okay, okay, I was just trying to make light of a bad situation. My mate Jim ran in the Boston marathon; I feel kind of sorry for him as he ran his best ever time and finished really well, but of course his achievement was totally overshadowed by the bombings. For the record he finished in 3rd, 11th and 18th place.
