BREAKING NEWS - MASSIVE EXPLOSION AND FIRE - NJ [Actually, Staten Island NY: AM]

ME | 2/21/03 | SELF

[LonePalm]

I just turned and looked out my office window and saw a column of black smoke rising towards Union Beach/Perth Amboy NJ.

I then felt the force of an explosion rattle my window.

[juzcuz]

Hey guys there's just been another explosion, now it's at a chemical company in Texas.

[headsonpikes]

"Fellow"

You got me....;^)

And of a certain age, in my precincts.

But not necessarily 'harmless'; rather, 'of good will'. ;^)

[Redcloak]

The crack of a high velocity explosion, even though it was produced by a supersonic wave within the explosive, still travels to your ear at ~1000 FPS. Thus any high frequency sound that might have been in the sound for LonePalm to hear would have arrived at his location at the same time as the deep rumble. The geese may have been startled by the impulse that traveled through the ground. The speed of sound in earth is ~30,000 FPS. Let's see if the math works out...

LonePalm hears the explosion ~15 seconds after noticing the smoke plume. The total time it takes the sound to arrive was ~42 seconds. (8 X 5280 / 1000) Let's say that it was 5 seconds from the time he noticed the geese to the time he saw the smoke; 20 seconds total. So the geese moved ~22 seconds after the explosion. But the impulse traveling through the ground would have arrived in under 2 seconds. (8 X 5280 / 30,000) So the geese would have startled over 20 seconds after the pulse hit them. Thus nothing accoustic from the explosion caused the geese to move. It's more likely that the movement of the smoke plume attracted their attention.

[freeperfromnj]

Hey guys there's just been another explosion, now it's at a chemical company in Texas.

Just been another explosion? Is this in addition to the one in Midland, TX this morning?

[juzcuz]

No other..
That's the one I was talking about.

[hoot2]

"Under Marshall law we would be forced to watch reruns of Laverne and Shirley. "

thats why kirchoff's law is better;
the "effects of cheese" are negated...

[Prince Charles]

And now another refinery is on fire in San Diego. Time for a raghead tin foil alert!

[MHGinTN]

"That about cover it?" ... how would I know, I'm the one who asked for the explanation, Maximus. "He's a better man than Clinton", or "Oh yeah? What do you think we'd have if Al Gore was president?" That has an interesting double meaning since even Al Goron would have been a better man than sinkEmperor.

[harpseal]

Since itis clearly way too early for a definite cause of the fire and there has just been another refinery fire reported in San Diego I agree most heartily on not ruling anything out. Then again gasoline barges and refineries have a strange tendancy to be fire hazards.

[rohry]

"The absolute WORST of FR (Creationists, Premillenialist dispensationalism Apocalpyse nuts, Buchananites, WOD supporters, Gold Bugs, conspiracy nutters, etc.) is as equally stupid as the worst of DU, but 90% of the remainder of FR posters easily make up for our worst 10%."

What is your point? I guess I am a little thick...

Are you accusing me of some thought crime or something?

[Happy2BMe]

"And now another refinery is on fire in San Diego. Time for a raghead tin foil alert!"

To hell, you say!?

[Happy2BMe]

"Since itis clearly way too early for a definite cause of the fire and there has just been another refinery fire reported in San Diego I agree most heartily on not ruling anything out."

Nah - three major industrial fires all within three hours of each other all on the same day is mere coincidence.

Everything is normal.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

Are you accusing me of some thought crime or something?

No, no, no...far from it. It was just an FYI ping to expose an obvious enforcer of thought crime. The "Gold Bugs here are equals with the worst of DU" comment was too arrogant and laughable to pass up without sharing.

Sorry if you took it the wrong way. :)

[af_vet_rr]

To go into panic mode is to seal you doom.

BUT - I am glad people question - OKC still has me wondering and I am no tin foil hatter.

Yes, people who go into panic mode so easily are very unreliable and can be more a danger to themselves and others, than anything they perceive to be a danger. It's like the "I'll give up some rights to feel a little safer" crowd - they don't realize that giving up rights here and there is more dangerous to them in the long run than any terrorist attack.

I am glad people still question as well. It's when they cross the line and assume certain things with no basis/experience.

[rohry]

Yeah I took it the wrong way. I apologize for my thickness...

"I guess I am a little thick..."

Thanks for the ping...

[af_vet_rr]

If this WAS NOT a jihad attack, it served several very useful purposes:

If your enemy can make you cower and jump at every bus crash, plane crash, or chemical-related fire or explosion (or night club accident) then he has defeated you.

[CyberCowboy777]

[Happy2BMe]

"If your enemy can make you cower and jump at every bus crash, plane crash, or chemical-related fire or explosion (or night club accident) then he has defeated you."

I'm not defeated. Are you the enemy?

[TomB]

Nah - three major industrial fires all within three hours of each other all on the same day is mere coincidence.

OK, I've heard about Staten Island, where are the other two?

[Minutemen]

.....the impression I got was that he was more interested in filming than spreading the warning.

An old Hollywood saying......The Show Must Go On