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[hector13]

The second one sounds great, though.

[Akura]

Ear is still ringing. Might be air pressure related, I didn't hear it at all today until I came home and entered my room.

[martinuzz]

Well, that was an unexpected turn of events.
Syria seems to be falling apart in just 3 days. HTS forces have reached the city limits of Homs despite Russian airstrikes.
If Homs falls, it is predicted that Assad will no longer be in control, and the country might split up in 3 parts.

[King Zultan]

Thee Syria's for the price of one war!

[pisskop]

... Assad as the state of affairs are over there, I doubt this will bring peace to the area.

[martinuzz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3IJXaw2_8E

Holy. That was no fireworks bomb, and no little anti-tank rocket either. That was a huge explosive.
Explosion wiped away 5 appartments in The Hague early this morning. 4 people have been taken to hospital, it is feared that another 20 are dead under the burning rubble.
Rescue services aren't able to search for victims because of fire and danger of collapse. Even rescue dogs are too heavy to enter the remains of the structure.

[Starver]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3IJXaw2_8E

Holy. That was no fireworks bomb, and no little anti-tank rocket either. That was a huge explosive.
Explosion wiped away 5 appartments in The Hague early this morning. 4 people have been taken to hospital, it is feared that another 20 are dead under the burning rubble.
Rescue services aren't able to search for victims because of fire and danger of collapse. Even rescue dogs are too heavy to enter the remains of the structure.

Aside from the detail of the car speeding away (not sure what the Youtube says, just yet, but knowing what the news has said and shown), there are plenty[1] of 'common or garden' gas explosions that are accidental/careless in nature that demolish buildings. Depending upon how the building was originally constructed, I can imagine even a 'trivial' accidental incident causing at least that much damage if basic design issues multiply the effects.

Clearly an emergency situation, though. A tragedy, definitely. Whether or not it's a crime (or criminal negligence, or criminals being negligent), that'll have to be up to the investigators to determine and deal with as they have to.


[1] Quick search for UK examples that I recall have happened fairly recently....
* Bedford: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly4y42vn0xo
* Newcastle: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8dl8gpz33o
* Swansea: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvzd7x4e4yo
* Sometimes *not* totally house(s)-destroying: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr0gdrdq05o

[Loud Whispers]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3IJXaw2_8E

Holy. That was no fireworks bomb, and no little anti-tank rocket either. That was a huge explosive.
Explosion wiped away 5 appartments in The Hague early this morning. 4 people have been taken to hospital, it is feared that another 20 are dead under the burning rubble.
Rescue services aren't able to search for victims because of fire and danger of collapse. Even rescue dogs are too heavy to enter the remains of the structure.

From the looks and the fact that the building was using gas heating + it's really fucking cold in europe right now, I'd say it's an 80% chance something broke with their gas in a catastrophic way

Generally doesn't make sense to go after social housing for a political statement. If crime/politics was involved it may have been someone blowing themselves up by accident whilst manufacturing something sparky but most likely just sad accident

[martinuzz]

I don't think it was social housing. The neighborhood is a mix of social housing, higher rent, and home ownership. The bottom floor held a furniture shop and a wedding dress shop (notorious for being money laundry sites for the underworld but that doesn't mean this one was). The floors above it held private owned residences is what I just read now, housing families with children.
A survivor has been found under the rubble and taken away to hospital. Four dead have been recovered so far as well. The search continues.
Newspaper speaks of two consequetive explosions now.

[Loud Whispers]

I don't think it was social housing. The neighborhood is a mix of social housing, higher rent, and home ownership. The bottom floor held a furniture shop and a wedding dress shop (notorious for being money laundry sites for the underworld but that doesn't mean this one was). The floors above it held private owned residences is what I just read now, housing families with children.
A survivor has been found under the rubble and taken away to hospital. Four dead have been recovered so far as well. The search continues.
Newspaper speaks of two consequetive explosions now.

The cause of the explosions is not yet clear, but Dutch police said a car drove away "at very high speed" shortly after, and have appealed for witnesses.

Foul play, perhaps? Inconclusive at this stage

[Truean]

Please do not quote

Buying Item. Politically neutral just practical: tariffs are going to increase electronics prices. Just buying before that happens. New girl salesperson, Gen Z, I deduce she's a single mom from multiple cues.

Anyhow, I know more about it than she does, the poor thing. She's a digital native, and knows some tech better, but I know my stuff that I use.
She doesn't comprehend the concept of sticker shock, or explanations, and doesn't do sales well / explanation of terms required for sale.

Her manager comes over.... No we're not having a problem. Your fine sales associate here was just explaining things to me and there was a slight misunderstanding we're glad to clarify.
I find quick common ground. She doesn't know what an NES or SNES is. She says she is a gamer but her knowledge of gaming history ends at the Wii. Ok, sure. I get it. This illustrates people's different familiarity with tech for her.... See also helps with explanation.

I end up walking her through it and doing the math for her.... I'm not taking the bells, but I do get some whistles so my bill increases slightly but not as much as she thought.

I end up teaching her sales, because her kid is 6 and it appears no one else is teaching her. The manager asks me if I want a job and points out they accommodate ADA....
He throws in a $45 discount on two accessory items.

Multiple WTFs here but at least she's coming out of this with commission.

Please do not quote

[heydude6]

It's genuinely fascinating that an "I'm speaking to the manager!" interaction ended up leading to him giving you $45 dollar discount. Well, maybe not when phrased that way, but he seemed genuinely grateful for your time which is indeed WTF!

[Truean]

Please do not quote

Yeah and it wasn't even an "I'm speaking to the manager," thing. I never call over the manager on anyone. The manager came over to speak uncalled.

I suspect he was watching his new employee who was clearly newly out of training. I've repeatedly covered for people for years.

If anything someone did a bad job training her. If she were my employee, I wouldn't send her out there like that. You arm/armor and train your troops to win.
So really I was supporting her and I made sure to note I prefer a human being and have no issue with them getting a commission.

As for his gratitude on my time, yeah it was a little odd but perhaps in a good way.

Please do not quote

[Starver]

The cause of the explosions is not yet clear, but Dutch police said a car drove away "at very high speed" shortly after, and have appealed for witnesses.

Foul play, perhaps? Inconclusive at this stage
[/quote]
...doesn't mean that it isn't someone who was kicked into 'flight' mode by the unanticipated explosion. Might have been a tad more conclusive (or at least even more of a coincidence) if they'd driven away moments before.

Questions will have to be asked, of course, and ideally answered. Mybe the car wasn't entirelylegally registered/insured and there was a premonition of figures of authority arriving to deal with the disaster (that was so clearly out of the league of the car's "owner"), or something similar. I pretty much had another three different ideas in mind, when I heard that detail, but I'm saving them for my next Hollywood elevator pitch. One's obviously spy thriller material, another is essentially SF and the third (maybe surprisingly) would actually fit a Romcom!

[Great Order]

I'd drive from that pretty fucken fast too.