This Week in the Mercury
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Twitter I Didn't Hear this Boom Shit but the Twitters Did.
Posted by Sarah Mirk on Sun, Mar 28, 2010 at 9:50 PM
No one's really sure what the initial explosion-sound was, but the aftershock was the Twitters exploding with discussion of this #pdxboom! Conspiracy theories! Jokes about aliens! Triangulation!
I live right in the middle of the boom epicenter and I didn't hear anything. Looks like a lot of my neighbors heard it, though. Sigh. I wish I talked to my neighbors somewhere other than on the internet. If I wasn't so busy blogging on a Sunday night, I would throw a #pdxboom block party. And maybe if it wasn't raining.
1
yes, i did hear "the boom" tonight ( heard the one a few weeks ago too) and yes, i did in fact run to Twitter. do i have issues??
5
i thought everyone in portland these days moved here from outta state - WHERE THUNDER IS COMMON. has it been so long people?
6
Alternate gag:
A Portland Police Officer shot and killed a propane grill that a Department spokesperson claims was "covered in blood (or possibly A1 sauce)" and was "wielding a 6 inch razor spatula" while remaining completely motionless in a very menacing fashion.
From the PPD's official press release:
"Officer Briseno approached the Southeast Portland barbeque where the suspect was believed to be. A male grill, later identified as "Coleman" brand, greeted Officer Briseno by raising his internal temperature by 6 degrees Fahrenheit, though Briseno immediately saw that Coleman had blood on his grilling surface.
Officer Briseno asked Coleman if he needed help but Coleman did not respond. Officer Briseno saw that someone left a plastic spatula on top of Coleman and immediately began to back up in order to provide distance between himself and the suspect. Briseno also started giving commands to Coleman to drop the weapon and called for immediate cover officers.
At this point Coleman was bumped by one of the barbeque attendees and rolled slightly toward Officer Briseno. Officer Briseno continued retreating and shouting commands to Coleman to drop the weapon. Coleman remained an inanimate object.
At this point, Officer Briseno was unable to continue retreating due to stepping in dog poop, but continued to give commands to Coleman to cease grilling and drop the spatula. Coleman remained motionless and Officer Briseno fired two gunshots.
Officer Briseno saw Coleman roll toward him at speeds approaching half a mile per hour, despite the two bullet holes in his cooking surface. Officer Briseno gave more commands to drop the spatula but Coleman continued to mimic a terrifying immobile outdoor cooking appliance.
Officer Briseno then fired two more shots into Coleman's pressurized propane tank. At this point the transient grill maliciously exploded, killing Officer Briseno instantly and slightly wounding three barbecue attendees.
When asked for comment, the attendees wished to remain anonymous, but all felt fortunate that they were wounded by a massively pressurized fireball before Officer Briseno had a chance to shoot them as well."
More...
A Portland Police Officer shot and killed a propane grill that a Department spokesperson claims was "covered in blood (or possibly A1 sauce)" and was "wielding a 6 inch razor spatula" while remaining completely motionless in a very menacing fashion.
From the PPD's official press release:
"Officer Briseno approached the Southeast Portland barbeque where the suspect was believed to be. A male grill, later identified as "Coleman" brand, greeted Officer Briseno by raising his internal temperature by 6 degrees Fahrenheit, though Briseno immediately saw that Coleman had blood on his grilling surface.
Officer Briseno asked Coleman if he needed help but Coleman did not respond. Officer Briseno saw that someone left a plastic spatula on top of Coleman and immediately began to back up in order to provide distance between himself and the suspect. Briseno also started giving commands to Coleman to drop the weapon and called for immediate cover officers.
At this point Coleman was bumped by one of the barbeque attendees and rolled slightly toward Officer Briseno. Officer Briseno continued retreating and shouting commands to Coleman to drop the weapon. Coleman remained an inanimate object.
At this point, Officer Briseno was unable to continue retreating due to stepping in dog poop, but continued to give commands to Coleman to cease grilling and drop the spatula. Coleman remained motionless and Officer Briseno fired two gunshots.
Officer Briseno saw Coleman roll toward him at speeds approaching half a mile per hour, despite the two bullet holes in his cooking surface. Officer Briseno gave more commands to drop the spatula but Coleman continued to mimic a terrifying immobile outdoor cooking appliance.
Officer Briseno then fired two more shots into Coleman's pressurized propane tank. At this point the transient grill maliciously exploded, killing Officer Briseno instantly and slightly wounding three barbecue attendees.
When asked for comment, the attendees wished to remain anonymous, but all felt fortunate that they were wounded by a massively pressurized fireball before Officer Briseno had a chance to shoot them as well."
8
I am certainly am one of those recently moved out of state to portland. I remember thunder well and it wasn't thunder. It was weak where I was at, but def. Not thunder.
9
Tasteless? Really? That's your complaint? That my overly verbose gag about the Portland Police being so trigger happy that they have started shooting inanimate objects under suspicion of fulfilling their primary function is tasteless?
I don't even know what to say to that. Thanks? Yeah. Let's go with that one. Thanks Cubano!
I don't even know what to say to that. Thanks? Yeah. Let's go with that one. Thanks Cubano!
10
It was such a big fucking boom that I was thinking "That's a HUGE fucking boom! I wonder what the hell it is!" well before it was complete.
13
Yup heard it. Figured it was random thunder, so I only told twitter that I was taking a shit, and watching Lost.
15
I thought it might have been the meth house down the street finally exploding. I walked down there this morning and there was stuff all over the front yard...but unfortunately it is the same crap that has been there for two months and the house was still intact.
18
I figured all the people auditioning for the Biggest Loser just jumped at the same time.
Also, +1 for Nex.
Also, +1 for Nex.
20
Based on that map and the lack of any damage I think the Reed chemistry department should be looking for any missing amounts of alkalai metals such as potassium, caesium or sodium and the folks down at the Rhoddedendron Garden and gold course should look for craters on the bottom of the lake near the edge. Because it sounds like a prank my high school chemistry teacher once described.
Also, +1 for Nex and +2 for Elgordo.
Also, +1 for Nex and +2 for Elgordo.
21
Have any of you ever heard a sonic boom?
I didn't hear it (live by Alberta), but from all the descriptions, it sounds exactly like what would happen in LA every 6 months or so when they would do a rocket test out of Edwards AFB, or the shuttle would land. Giant, house rattling boom - like someone blew up a highrise downtown - with no visible cause.
Any military high-speed aircraft testing going on these days? And no, I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat, I've just experienced this before.
I didn't hear it (live by Alberta), but from all the descriptions, it sounds exactly like what would happen in LA every 6 months or so when they would do a rocket test out of Edwards AFB, or the shuttle would land. Giant, house rattling boom - like someone blew up a highrise downtown - with no visible cause.
Any military high-speed aircraft testing going on these days? And no, I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat, I've just experienced this before.
23
I live in southwest portland and I heard it. My partner and I were sitting in our living room and it was close enough to vibrate our balcony. We still dont know what it was.
24
pipe bomb apparently at a water park by the sellwood bridge according to KPOJ am 620 news update, as per Portland Police.
25
'twas a pipe bomb:
News Release from: Portland Police Bureau
PORTLAND POLICE INVESTIGATE LOUD EXPLOSION
Posted: March 29th, 2010 1:11 PM
Last night at approximately 8:05 p.m., 911 calls were received about a loud explosion being heard near the Sellwood Bridge. Portland Police Officers and Fire Bureau personnel responded to the area but were unable to locate what caused the explosion. This morning, investigators from the Portland Police Bureau's Explosives Disposal Unit, (EDU), went to the area after reviewing information from citizen's calls to 911 and from local blogging information.
Investigators did locate evidence of a large pipe bomb this morning in Powers Marine Park that appears to have been detonated. Investigators believe that the sound was amplified in an easterly direction because of its placement near the bank and river and due to the low cloud cover. Police do not have any evidence at this time that anyone was injured during the explosion or that any property damage occur ed.
This is an ongoing investigation and EDU officers will continue to investigate this incident.
News Release from: Portland Police Bureau
PORTLAND POLICE INVESTIGATE LOUD EXPLOSION
Posted: March 29th, 2010 1:11 PM
Last night at approximately 8:05 p.m., 911 calls were received about a loud explosion being heard near the Sellwood Bridge. Portland Police Officers and Fire Bureau personnel responded to the area but were unable to locate what caused the explosion. This morning, investigators from the Portland Police Bureau's Explosives Disposal Unit, (EDU), went to the area after reviewing information from citizen's calls to 911 and from local blogging information.
Investigators did locate evidence of a large pipe bomb this morning in Powers Marine Park that appears to have been detonated. Investigators believe that the sound was amplified in an easterly direction because of its placement near the bank and river and due to the low cloud cover. Police do not have any evidence at this time that anyone was injured during the explosion or that any property damage occur ed.
This is an ongoing investigation and EDU officers will continue to investigate this incident.
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