Australia's Worst Natual Disaster.

[Yugo]

Oof, that's sad. I hope you're all doing alright over there. 

[Janus Whitefurr]

I also hope there aren't too many eucalyptus trees near where you guys are. My biology professor told us in class that those trees can blow up if the oils in them get hot enough.

The oil in the trees vaporises, and the instant pressure created causes KABOOM. It's all natural, of course.

Anway, just posting here to go oh my god at this article. Political/religious posturing using the bushfires. To use my aussie friend's vernacular: What a ghoul. Ugh.

[Vidar]

I also hope there aren't too many eucalyptus trees near where you guys are. My biology professor told us in class that those trees can blow up if the oils in them get hot enough.

The oil in the trees vaporises, and the instant pressure created causes KABOOM. It's all natural, of course.

Anway, just posting here to go oh my god at this article. Political/religious posturing using the bushfires. To use my aussie friend's vernacular: What a ghoul. Ugh.

The magnificent PZ Myers agrees wth you.
I don't care how religious he is. To use a disaster to promote your own stupid ideas is reprihensible.

I hope the aussies get things under control soon, and that there will be no more deaths. Houses can be rebuild, humans can not.

Also, maybe this will do something about those pesky drop bears.

[Valynth]

I also hope there aren't too many eucalyptus trees near where you guys are. My biology professor told us in class that those trees can blow up if the oils in them get hot enough.

The oil in the trees vaporises, and the instant pressure created causes KABOOM. It's all natural, of course.

Anway, just posting here to go oh my god at this article. Political/religious posturing using the bushfires. To use my aussie friend's vernacular: What a ghoul. Ugh.

The only thing that surprises me is that it took this long for the assholes to try and take advantage of a mentally stressed people.

I still want to row to Australia and kill the bastard...

[Tapewolf]

Anway, just posting here to go oh my god at this article. Political/religious posturing using the bushfires. To use my aussie friend's vernacular: What a ghoul. Ugh.

That is just awful.  It's not even internally consistent, since his claim essentially seems to be that God is punishing Australia for killing unborn children - by using an action that will result in precisely that.

Silverfox is in north Queensland, far away from this stuff, but rather ironically she's dealing with the tail of a cyclone that's created a lot of bad weather and flooding. I live in New South Wales, which is kind of getting the edges of both the rain and the fires - stuck in the middle, heh - but again, at a safe distance. I'm not sure I know if anyone here is from Victoria, but my sister lives down there and while she's not directly affected, she's close enough to the blazes to have been informed that she may need to evacuate.

Thanks for the heads-up.  Where's RJ based?

[Janus Whitefurr]

Thanks for the heads-up.  Where's RJ based?

"I'm okay, I'm in NSW about 5-6 hours north of Janus. But I'm so worried about what's going on. "
~ from a journal entry by Zina asking her Aussie buddies to get in touch after the disaster hit.

[Zina]

So far everyone I know in Oz-land has checked in, except for one person, and she lives in Victoria, so...
I'm a tad worried. =/

[Turnsky]

So far everyone I know in Oz-land has checked in, except for one person, and she lives in Victoria, so...
I'm a tad worried. =/

anyone we know?

[Zina]

Nope.

[Janus Whitefurr]

Also, maybe this will do something about those pesky drop bears.

Sorry, we look after those and let them back once everything's okay, because of those pesky tourists always thinking they're safe... >.>

[Zina]

That is seriously one of the cutest pictures I have ever seen. I d'aaaawwwed so hard.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Damn, that's pretty rough. I hope you guys stay safe.

I also hope there aren't too many eucalyptus trees near where you guys are. My biology professor told us in class that those trees can blow up if the oils in them get hot enough.

Usually that's when the flames are licking on the outside of the trunk, but not always.

In the Ash Wednesday fires (caused by, amongst other things, not enough fires in the preceeding years, so excess undergrowth lying about) there were reports, if I remember, of the heat being enough to explode trees ahead of the flame front - thereby setting up the equivalent of an FAE.

Also, bits of exploded tree were ignited, sucked up, and thrown two kilometers ahead of the flame front. "firebreaks" are a little pointless in that situation, unless you bulldoze an awful lot of width, across thirty or so kilometers of flame front. And can pick up and move when the wind shifts... :-/


It's not just the animals and insects in Aus that are out to get you.

[Brunhidden]

I also hope there aren't too many eucalyptus trees near where you guys are. My biology professor told us in class that those trees can blow up if the oils in them get hot enough.

The oil in the trees vaporises, and the instant pressure created causes KABOOM. It's all natural, of course.

its like popcorn with extra shrapnel.... which now that i say it sounds strangely appealing

That is seriously one of the cutest pictures I have ever seen. I d'aaaawwwed so hard.

i would agree except i once saw a much better 'daww' with more humor- my family went to the zoo and noticed they were giving the gorillas a drink out of a Mt. Dew cup through the chain link fence. i asked, and they said the gorillas saw the zookeepers drink dew and wanted some themselves, although the cup contained pineapple juice. plenty of 'daww', the zookeepers even give the gorillas hugs, noogies, and the occasional high five when their medical coverage allows. we then asked if the gorillas could use straws, as i had heard of wild gorillas making straws out of leaves and the chain link fence seemed hard to drink through, and they responded 'yes, but they blow bubbles with them so we don't let them have any'

seriously though, i would be more concerned with the rest of the wildlife, not all the animals in the blast area were as photogenic or as unanimously cute as a koala, think of all the poor venomous demon critters that nobody is giving drinks to or relocating to less ashen lands

[rabid_fox]

Dirty convicts deserve it.