Explosions at Boston Marathon

[sbr]

From comedian Patton Oswalt's Facebook page

Boston. Fucking horrible.

I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity."

But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.

But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

[Razgovory]

Looks like 3 dead now.

[DontSayBanana]

Looks like 3 dead now.

They were interviewing a doctor who was saying that the concussive force meant there was enough internal brain trauma going around for that number to rise within the next couple days.

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah, and they've confirmed that shrapnel was definitely involved in the devices.

[jimmy olsen]

Yeah, and they've confirmed that shrapnel was definitely involved in the devices.

Yeah, ball bearings. I've been surprised at the low fatalities given that.

[mongers]

stop trolling each other for tonight, guys.  Let's stay cool and discuss the event, please.

Um, this is Languish, which moto seems to be, play the man not the ball.   

[KRonn]

One of my neighbors, his wife and kids usually go to watch the Marathon every year. They skipped it this year, though they would have been far away from the attack area anyway. Another neighbor is a cop, on a SWAT team, and he'll be in there all night he said.

Over a hundred injured, including some young kids seriously hurt.

[Admiral Yi]

Just got a company email that says they've shut down cell phones in the Boston area.

[KRonn]

Just got a company email that says they've shut down cell phones in the Boston area.

Yeah, they did shut them down, but people could still text. One of my neighbors was texting with relatives in Boston.

[Capetan Mihali]

Can't tell if the bombs were in a building, or behind or under the main grandstand;  the first one looks like it was actually in a building.  They were definitely on Boylston Street though, between Dartmouth and Exeter.

Casualties talk is bad.  Limbs are missing.  The first video, there were definitely people within the blast area.

We need Count and Captain Mihali to check in.

Thanks Seedy, I'm fine, as is everyone I know.  Only thing I was directly worried about was a doc of mine's office is in the Copley area, and I was worried him or his staff might have been out on lunch checking out the Marathon (esp. since it's Patriot's Day here in Mass.), but they were fine.

[Capetan Mihali]

Just got a company email that says they've shut down cell phones in the Boston area.

Hmm, I've got service in Somerville...made a call to Jamaica Plain (in the city of Boston) an hour ago and it was fine.

[Capetan Mihali]

Haven't quite caught up with the thread, but any news on who the people killed were?

[Sheilbh]

Haven't quite caught up with the thread, but any news on who the people killed were?

The only one I've heard about is the 8 year old

[CountDeMoney]

Apparently there's a hell of a lot more people shorter than they were this morning.

[Capetan Mihali]

Haven't quite caught up with the thread, but any news on who the people killed were?

The only one I've heard about is the 8 year old

Yeah, just caught up with the thread and OvB's report of the child. 

Earlier this evening there were reports of something going on in the Harvard Square T station...dunno know if it was just an abandoned Market Basket bag or something more serious. 

Boston Police are asking people to avoid coming into the city, according to the TV on at the liquor store a minute ago. 

Speaking of which, I get a feel of palpable tension (beyond the general gloominess) from all the South Asian and Middle Eastern small store owners I run into on my daily route for coffee, cigarettes, seltzer, gum, beer, etc.