Explosion in Waco/West

[Marlat]

I'm merely opining. I have no bubble, no side, no opinion.

Right.....lets see..

Tragedies are tragedies. I don't find them very different.

I personally consider the Boston Marathon bombing to be a minor blip on the world radar.

Relative to three days ago, there is no comparison.

The earthquake is also a window into the disturbing nature of national American media.

...

I'd bet half of America doesn't even know it happened.

I disagree it isn't about tragedy. It very much is getting coverage due to the tragic nature of it.

I do agree though that the reason it gets coverage on media seems to be the "mystery" surrounding it.

I I find it compelling a significantly larger tragedy is basically ignored for coverage on how to lose weight while fighting inflammation.

Yep, no opinions there. We're definitely dealing with consistency on a huge scale!

 

[Michael Jewels]

Brad, you're the first person I thought of when I heard this.

Glad to hear you're OK; will pray for everyone in Waco.

Mike

 

[GregC]

Investigating in an objective manner is no "card playing". I have no dog in the hunt so don't assume I do.

If you take my comments as any sort of emotion you might want to re-consider your ability to evaluate people's demeanor from text-based conversation. *rolls eyes 45 times in comment*

PS - West, Texas is roughly 20 miles from Waco. Not 100.

Yes, the way you ignored almost all differing opinions early on in this thread in such an objective manner was impressive. I see a possible judgeship in your future.

 

[Deathblade Eric]

It's simple. The news media can't use an accident to sell fear (and as a result, advertising) as well as they can use terrorism. An accident happens, and people want to know about it, and that is the end of it. Even if the news spins it as a systematic problem in the safety at chemical plants, percent-wise, not many people live close enough to chemical plants to make it a real concern.

Terrorist bombings, on the other hand, can provide weeks and weeks of fear mongering which keep people tuned into the news, which keeps advertisers happy. Terrorist bombings can happen anywhere, they aren't limited to a mile radius around a plant, so everyone is at risk.

Quoted for truth.

One prime reason for the Boston Bombing being high-profile news in the UK is that this weekend is the London Marathon - so there's all sorts of security implications/fears for the media to get stuck into.

Major kudos to the people of West - the reports I've seen all seem to show the community getting stuck in to help each other out; and my sympathies go out to all caught up in it - especially to the families of the firefighters who were on the scene when it went up.

P.

 

[fourstringdrums]

I live in New Hampshire and haven't seen much about Texas, which is a shame because I want to know what's going on. But as much as Texas was a bigger disaster, the Boston bombing was local for us and therefore the only thing on the local stations right now.

 

[DigMe]

It's been pretty cool how all of the surrounding community has completely enveloped the people of West in every way. From the Baylor students forming a line all the way around a building to donate blood to the outpourings of money, clothes, etc.. Someone who works at a popular local pizza joint posted to Facebook that a physician from Mass General in Boston ordered a bunch of pizzas to the ER here at Hillcrest in Waco where they treated over 100 from the blast. Pretty amazing.

It's crazy how many people I know who we're affected by this either being directly displaced or who had family members injured or displaced.

Brad, you're the first person I thought of when I heard this.

Glad to hear you're OK; will pray for everyone in Waco.

Mike

Thanks, man.

When I heard this blast I thought it was SpaceX doing their regular rocket tests. I can hear those at my house. I thought it was just a really short one.

bc

 

[michael_atw]

Yes, the way you ignored almost all differing opinions early on in this thread in such an objective manner was impressive. I see a possible judgeship in your future.

All possible opinions?

Someone said CNN was running it round the clock. That was false from my experience.

It seems like most everyone ripping at me was at work and not even at home experiencing the news at the time.

There were a couple other things, nobody really had any information. If you read your own post in response to me, you provided nothing but sarcasm and an attitude. I see something possible in your future as well...but I'll keep that to myself.

 

[michael_atw]

Yep, no opinions there. We're definitely dealing with consistency on a huge scale!

My apologies. I'm human. I did say I was "opining" and incorrectly said I had no opinion when I did (even though in successive posts I readily admitted I had an opinion).

Still, no bubble. Like I said, irrelevant to me one way or another in the sense that I only want information that is objective as possible.


What is interesting is right now, all the "big three" have blacked out their programming and have had it going for some time this morning. Not for Texas, though.

 

[michael_atw]

Perhaps, but its an accurate description of how you present yourself in this forum.

I barely post in this forum. I barely post in any forum.

There is a reason for that. It's because forums are second-rate for human conversation.

As exhibited by the fact that one person can rip into another while ironically believing he can know a person by 10 posts in a forum.

But I digress on personal attacks. I'll leave that to others who think they are better than I.

 

[michael_atw]

Lead story on NPR this morning prayers go out to TX

It was definitely a lead story everywhere. But the substance with regards to it was much more fleeting, it seems to me.

 

[guy n. cognito]

What is interesting is right now, all the "big three" have blacked out their programming and have had it going for some time this morning. Not for Texas, though.

You mean, because police engaged in a firefight with terrorist on American soil, killing one who is possibly wearing a bomb? You mean, because the other escaped and is still at large.....virtually locking down the entire city? You mean, because those two terrorist killed an officer overnight?

It is interesting, but not for the reason you think.

 

[michael_atw]

You mean, because police engaged in a firefight with terrorist on American soil, killing one who is possibly wearing a bomb? You mean, because the other escaped and is still at large.....virtually locking down the entire city? You mean, because those two terrorist killed an officer overnight?

It is interesting, but not for the reason you think.

No, it's still interesting. It actually validates what I've opined about the media. They run with news that can be broadcast in real-time it seems. Which makes me wonder if tragedy in media is something relative to that. And how the media views tragedy along with how people view these tragedies (through strictly the media lens or if they view them through a more connected lens)

What do I think, anyways?

 

[DigMe]

I heard from my coworker today. She said that some of her children's classmates have not yet been found. Her children go to the middle school that was destroyed. While the explosion happened after school hours doubtless many children lived in the apt complex next to it that was demolished.

bc

 

[sloasdaylight]

I heard from my coworker today. She said that some of her children's classmates have not yet been found. Her children go to the middle school that was destroyed. While the explosion happened after school hours doubtless many children lived in the apt complex next to it that was demolished.

bc

Jesus.

 

[DigMe]

This was posted as a status update by Dr. George Smith, a DO who was teaching an EMS class near the nursing home that was across the street from the fertilizer plant

I was finally given access to a computer this morning for a while. Jean and I are ok. Jean has no injuries and I am sore. I have multiple cuts and abrasions, I have a fairly large chunk out of my nose, but I am not worried about the scar. I am truly blessed for all the love, support and prayers you have all given me and it is all truly appreciated. It is only thru the grace of God that I survived. The entire roof over me collapsed. It is indescribable, the force that kind of explosion has. In the blink of an eye, I heard a tremendously loud boom, was knocked to the ground and covered in rubble. I am happy to say that we got all 127 residents out, and only lost one at the evacuation center, he was a very elderly, in the 90s and was very ill when this happened.

I normally would have gone straight to the fire and Jean normally doesn’t ride with me on EMS calls. By the grace of God, something told her to come with me. When I saw how huge the fire was, I knew I had to lock down the nursing home in place, with the toxic chemicals, I was moving the residents from the hall close to the fire, shut out all a/c and put wet towels under the doors. 90% of the residents on that side had been moved to the other side. Jean was in my truck when the explosion went off and she said she thought the truck was going to roll over, it broke all the windows on the blast side and the windshield, and messed up doors and hood.

When I managed to get out of the nursing home, I couldn’t connect to a cell phone tower and our repeater system was blown up, so no ambulance radio, I went to the helicopter bay because they have a satellite phone and that is how we contacted the outside world. I managed to get to my son. It is by the grace of God that he is alive. He was downstairs in his house sitting on the couch in front of his bay window. Something told him to go upstairs to his game room. Before he set down upstairs, the blast went off. The force of the explosion forced hundreds of shards of glass into that couch and he would have been killed. GOD was truly beside us protecting us that night.

My house and clinic have severe extensive damage. All the sheet rock in the ceiling has fallen and there is 6 inches of insulation over everything. All doors and windows have blown up, same for office. Yesterday, ATF completely locked down the half of the town near the explosion and NOBODY can get to it. I was able to get my Ford fusion out from the ruble and it is what I am driving for now. It turned very cold and rainy the next morning, so that did not help our cause. Right now we are just going day to day.

As you know I have been inundated with press, somehow they got my cell phone number and my sons. When I won’t answer, they call my son. He was on CBS Good Morning Thursday. I have been on CNN with Piers Morgan by phone, live with Anderson Cooper Thursday night, Good Morning America Thursday morning, but they could not get a satellite signal, so it was taped. I have talked to BBC, The Chinese news network and Taiwan news. If any of you get New York Times there should be an article Sunday, I had to spell Osteopathic for them, but hope they will list that I am a DO, same for San Antonio Express.

We are all suffering, all of the 12 deceased EMS and Firemen were personal friends. We had a very tearful body recovery, we were not allowed at the site, full hazmat suits were required, as everybody was found, and honor guard of firemen in hazmat suits stood guard over it. Each one was placed in a body bag and draped with a flag, they were brought out one at a time, with about 50 firemen standing at attention saluting them as they were taken to the refer truck, bagpipes were playing amazing grace the whole time. We will have some very tearful funerals over the next few days.

I did critical incident stress debriefing yesterday with my EMS people. There was an EMT basic class going on when it happened, they only had 2 more classed to go. We were not able to communicate, but my EMS people did well, talk about baptism under fire. We evacuated over 200 injured enough to take to the hospital, many more walking wounded, had to change triage sites 3 times--due to more explosive potential and this was all done in less than two hours and WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS. I hope I have not rambled too much and excuse the spelling errors, I am using a borrowed laptop. Jean and I are staying at a friend’s house. Just got a call from one of the Regents at Texas A and M University and they are trying to locate a portable building for me to see patients in so I can get back to work. Again I am truly BLESSED to be alive and to have such good friends in and out of the Osteopathic Profession. Please continue to pray for us as we try to recover from this truly disastrous situation. GOD BLESS you all.

bc

 

[DigMe]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

bc

 

[Michael Jewels]

That's some story.

I believe someone was watching over them.

Thanks for posting this, Brad.

Mike
P.S. He had to spell Osteopathic for someone in the press?

 

[MakiSupaStar]

Dang. Like others have said, you were the first person I thought of, Brad. I don't know anyone else out your way. Good to see you're all supporting each other and helping each other through it. Positive vibes from So Cal, for sure.

 

[1958Bassman]

I saw this yesterday and it looks like the company wasn't going along with the rules WRT on-hand materials, reports were incomplete and permits were missing-

http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/20...n-concerns-over-safety-regulation-and-zoning/

 

[DwaynieAD]

All possible opinions?

Someone said CNN was running it round the clock. That was false from my experience.

It seems like most everyone ripping at me was at work and not even at home experiencing the news at the time.

There were a couple other things, nobody really had any information. If you read your own post in response to me, you provided nothing but sarcasm and an attitude. I see something possible in your future as well...but I'll keep that to myself.

I've already asked you once but I will ask you again. If you're going to misquote me please, at least, quote me first.