First hurricane to make landfall in Spain.

And it seems to have finished our drought… thank you for it! Anyway it did not arrive as hurricane, it was only a big and nice storm.

Arabic?

- Chuck

Tropical Storm Alpha, the record-breaking 22nd tropical storm of this unbelievable hurricane season, has come ashore over Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Heavy rains of up to 12 inches could cause heavy loss of life in Haiti, where 98% deforestation rates have left the island highly vulnerable to flooding from even ordinary fast-moving tropical storms like Alpha. In the event a major flood disaster does ensue, dictating the retirement of Alpha’s name, there are no contingency plans on how to replace Alpha’s name on the list. Alpha is moving fast enough that I am hopeful a major flooding disaster will be averted in Haiti, though.

Well, at least there is symmetry.

Tied for most storms in a single season. Tied for most hurricanes in a single season. Most category V hurricanes in a single season. Most powerful season on record. Most powerful hurricane. First use of the “V” or “W” names, ever. Only the second season to ever use the “R,” “S,” or “T” names. Earliest formations of a season’s fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh storms. Most storms in July; most storms before August. First hurricane to make landfall in Spain.

And now you can add, first time we’ve ever had to break out the Greek alphabet.

And we’ve still got all of November, folks…. I’m expecting to see Gamma before this is all through.

Enter Hurricane Ω Alpha

First there is the Rapture, in which God’s loyal followers suddenly disappear from Earth and enter his kingdom.

This is the initial die-off due to a global infrastructural collapse, where the least adapted and most dependent are quickly “gonners”.

But the tribes are God’s loyal followers, not the civilizationists! The Rapture is the tribes re-entering God’s kingdom, ie Paradise, ie “the forest”.

Then comes the Tribulation, a seven-year period of rule by the Antichrist and severe hardship on Earth. During this time, nonbelievers who remain on Earth will have a chance to convert to Christianity but will be hounded by the Antichrist and his minions

This is the resurgence of the tribe (the tribulation!) and quite a nasty period for the remaining civilized - as they fight to hang onto their former levels of complexity, energy, control and hierarchy. During this time, the civilized have a chance to convert to a new tribal way - or be hounded into their own extinction.

The Antichrist are the remaining civs, not the tribalists. Budding tribes will indeed have to go through hardships as they try to work out an entirely new way of life while fending off or avoiding struggling civilizationists. And I do like the “tribulation” reference. Both “tribe” and “tribulation” are from Latin, the former tribus originally referring to a division of the Roman people, the latter tribulare meaning to press or oppress. Anyways, it is an interesting English coincidence.

Then comes Armageddon, when God comes back to defeat Satan in a devastating battle. Ultimately, there is Judgment Day, when those who are with God live on in Paradise, and others are eternally condemned to Hell.

The gods of the earth return, muster their power, and deliver civilization it’s final death blow. Ultimately, there is judgment day, when those who are with the gods live in Paradise on Earth, and the others are eternally condemned to… (well, eternal condemnation is bad enough, ain’t it?)

Yup, I would say being condemned to an eternity of Neolithic-level agrigulture and hierarchy (the original punishment of Adam and Eve) would be pretty hellish.

Man, this Bible book is really quite amazing! Too bad more people don’t read it…:)

Roxy

I thought the whole point of having Jesus come to earth to be sacrificed was to avoid any further need for punishment of the human race??

Well, it’s not my story - I was just reversing the spin on the fundie’s story and playing it out. But your point fits in there, nicely reversed as it is…

And in the end, I didn’t even make the civ hold-outs go to hell; they get to live out their fate on earth… Extinction.

-Jim