Boston Marathon Bombing Thread

[MetalDog]

I heard that the cell service was shut off on purpose as cell signals have been used to trigger bmbs overseas.  The most firm number of dead that I have seen and heard is two, but I've heard as many as twenty six.  And the only other Grog I know who might be in or have family in the area is W8taminute.  I used to have his cell, but now I can't find it.  Anyone seen him around here?

[TheCommandTent]

Some of the pictures coming out of this are just horrible. The sides are covered in blood and people young and old with lots of bleeding and open wounds.  Thankfully all the medical staff on hand for the marathon were so close.  I am sure their response saved many lives.

[OJsDad]

The one shot from up high you can see how covered the sidewalks are in blood.  It sounds like there were ball bearings loaded with the explosives.  It also kind of looks like it might have been directional.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

My prayers go out to all who have been affected by this. I'm concerned that this could be an opener for more attacks on open-air events that draw substantial crowds in urban areas. It is hard to secure every side street, storefront, and doorway in a city such as Boston.

Nobody would want to live like that. It's better to close the borders to the countries that spawn them.

[Tuna]

My brother inlaw was taking photos near the finish line earlier, but thankfully he was in Fenway area when the blast occurred.. luckily the one under the grandstand didn't go off!

[JasonPratt]

I'm a bit surprised the various OpForces (for want of a better word) haven't tried disparate small-scale bombings of open-air gatherings like this. Not as big-scale symbolic, but would seem far more effective at cranking up and sustaining fear.

Then again, they do use random small-scale bombings like this in other countries. So the more interesting question is, why haven't they bothered to do so in the US? I mean on a continuous frequent attempt (I assume they've tried before on occasion and been foiled, if NCIS is anything like reality. ;) ) That would be hard to stop, and the effort at trying to stop it would be far more costly to us at numerous social levels than it would be for them to get volunteers to martyr themselves into paradise (perhaps with a bit of help from hashish).

[JasonPratt]

My prayers go out to all who have been affected by this. I'm concerned that this could be an opener for more attacks on open-air events that draw substantial crowds in urban areas. It is hard to secure every side street, storefront, and doorway in a city such as Boston.

Nobody would want to live like that. It's better to close the borders to the countries that spawn them.

Or perhaps that's one of the enemy goals: immigration being the sincerest form of flattery, emigration to the Great Satan ought to be shut down. How to do that? -- get the Great Satan Itself to shut down immigration from the terrorist's home population.

[Tuna]

My wife's scrapbooking friend was at the finish line she has yet to hear from her  :(

[LongBlade]

My wife's scrapbooking friend was at the finish line she has yet to hear from her  :(

I'm sorry to hear that. Keep us posted.

[LongBlade]

DTW, you were the first guy I thought of. Glad you and your wife are OK.

My wife and I used to live in the Back Bay. We loved it. I cannot imagine this happening there. It's terrible news.

We will catch whoever did this and they will regret it.

[W8taminute]

My family are ok thank goodness, thanks for the concern MetalDog.  But after what happened today I just don't know what to think or say.  One of our colleagues from Japan was visiting and he entered the Marathon today.  Supposedly the director of our group was going to pick him up afterwards.  Haven't heard anything from them though.

[Staggerwing]

Glad to hear you are ok W8t. I hope your co-workers are alright as well.


I am still concerned that this may be a case of pen-pal jihadism.
Some stateside-residing uckerfay with a need to prove something trolls the wahabiwebs and posts smack-talk until one day he gets an untraceable reply that says "Here is a $5000 visa internet gift card and a PDF on how to make your own claymores. Now have fun, kid!"

That kind of thing can be very hard to trace back to the source and would be a cheap way for well-financed and internet savy off shore AQ cyber-franchisees to cause a lot of fear for very little risk. Multiply that times a few hundred a year and we could have a real crisis of civil-liberties v. public safety on our hands that will make previous issues pale in comparison.

[JasonPratt]

^^ Exactly what I was thinking, Staggerwing.

[MetalDog]

My family are ok thank goodness, thanks for the concern MetalDog.  But after what happened today I just don't know what to think or say.  One of our colleagues from Japan was visiting and he entered the Marathon today.  Supposedly the director of our group was going to pick him up afterwards.  Haven't heard anything from them though.

Good to know you're ok.  Lost your cell number in a Contacts transfer from my old cell to my new cell.  If you still have mine, text me so I can get yours.  And please let us know if your peeps are ok.  Really scary not knowing :(

[Gusington]

Tuna hope your wife hears from her friend soon. Glad to see you posted...just remembered that you're up there. My other buddies in the Boston suburbs all checked in thankfully.