Hello all.

This week’s RAWRlog is a bit weird. Mostly because things currently here in Norway are also weird.

As you may already know by now, Oslo was rocked by a massive car-bomb, and a lot of kids were gunned down on the island of Utøya. At this stage it appears very clear, that both are the work of a madman by the name of Anders Behring Breivik. The details of what happened, I will leave to the news networks, and history to write. What I would like to write of, are how things kind of are here in Norway.

I know most or RAWRtacular’s readership hails from the US, and thus I’m certain many would remember the feelings they had towards the events of 9/11 when they happened back in 2001. Although this weekend’s events have more in common with the Oklahoma Bombing than the 2001 attack, the effect to Norway as a whole, does have the same power as those planes when they hit the towers. Although this country is made of vast mountains and endless wilderness, Norwegians consider themselves to be a small country. With a population of one 5 million, that is understandable. So when nearly 100 innocent people are killedin cold blood, it leaves a mark….which everyone here can feel.

To my shame, this has not effected me as much as my adopted people. I grew up in Ireland through a lot of what was known as ‘The Troubles’, where the threat of bombing and death from terrorists had always existed for us, and although it was mostly confined in Northern Ireland, daily reports of shootings and car-bombs served as reminders that groups were out there killing innocent people like us for the sake of a ’cause’. This weeks events in Norway, seem hauntingly familiar. In Ireland the Troubles ended many years ago, and the shadow of terrorism has long been lifted from my home island. Some extremists may still exist, but things are at least ‘safe’ now. As a result of those years, I think we Irish may simply be desensitized by the likes of this weeks events. That, I believe, is the real evil of terrorism. It’s not the fear itself…but the twisting it can do to an entire people…to make them familiar enough with hatred, to not be surprised by it’s results.

Norway will carry on. The Norwegians have taken this with incredible courage and maturity. They remained united in spite of Breivik, and not because of him. Things will be alright.

My Bad

One final point in this week’s RAWRlog.

Yet again, as my bad-luck would have it. I posted a Back Office page, just before a massive disaster, that resembles the disaster itself. Last time, I posted a ‘Caller-Tsunami’ page, just before a real one hit Japan and killed thousands. Last week, I did it again. I posted a continuation in my ‘Angry Birds’ parody, which featured the explosion of the ‘Black Bomber Bird’ from the previous installment. Although that in itself doesn’t resemble the attacks in Norway, the whole scene-work of having Mike and the Pigs running down a corridor to escape a huge blast, draws too many comparisons to the Government bombing in my mind. It was too late to pull the episode, so I issued a warning on Facebook before publishing, along with RAWRtacular’s message of support. I’m sorry if that page managed to cause offense. It was not my intention at all.

Next week’s Back Office will be a tribute to the victims of this disaster.

-Rawr