MikeJ in the comments to the previous thread has alerted us that there are some serious events occurring in Indonesia and Australia.
There are reports of at least one, and possibly multiple explosions in Jakarta and a running gun battle there as well.
In Australia the Sydney Opera House and Manly Wharf have been evacuated as security personnel seem to be conducting a precautionary search of those facilities, as well as ships in the port area.
As is always the case these are developing events and the details are likely to change several times before we actually know what is going on.
——-UPDATE 12:10 AM——-
Thanks to FlyingToaster in the comments we can now update that the Sydney police operation has concluded. There was, apparently, a bomb threat on one of the ferries. So that’s good news. The reports from Jakarta are still evolving, here is a link to The Guardian’s live feed/update page.
Mnemosyne
Yikes! I think Sarah Plain & Tall is in Sydney, so I hope she checks in. We have at least two other frequent commenters in Oz as well, but I’m not sure of their proximity to Sydney.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
I’ll wait for actual details, and revisions to them, before commenting about world events. I will say, however, that salt on watermelon does make it sweeter, and salt on grapefruit makes it not bitter.
Also, too, 3 year old girls are still feeling libeled by your comparison of their testosterone levels to that of Rupert Murdoch. They would like you to take that back, right now, and apologize.
FlyingToaster
The Australian problem looks like it’s over, according to the SMH.
Bomb threat on a Manly ferry; since all of the Circular Quai ferries going toward the Pacific pass the Opera House, they evacuated it as well.
Cheryl Rofer
For Jakarta, my Twitter feed says
7 explosions, including 2 suicide bombs
4 people dead, including 3 suspects
10-14 gunmen
Also some photos of multiple smoke sites, presumably from the explosions.
Things are still happening, and I agree with your caution that immediate information is often incorrect.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
Horrible. :-(
Adam, can you, or another front pager, mention to Cole (maybe on Twitter) that the last few days the web site has become ungodly slow around midnight (ET). Like minutes to make a connection to refresh the page, slow.
It seems to last 10 minutes or so and is usually better by ~ 1210 AM.
Maybe the hamsters need to be fed or something?
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
Adam L Silverman
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Fine, three year old girls have more testosterone than Rupert Murdoch. Happy now?
Amir Khalid
@Mnemosyne:
Viva BrisVegas is in Brisbane, as I recall, hundreds of miles from Sydney. I don’t know for sure where debbie(aussie) and The Mighty Trowel are.
Adam L Silverman
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: I’ve gone through it several times each night too. In fact just went through it. I’ll email Alain and cc Cole. I don’t do twitter.
GregB
We can at least all agree this is a sign of President Obama’s weakness? Can I get an Amen?
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Adam L Silverman: I believe they will be. Thank you. I certainly like that statement much better.
Adam L Silverman
@FlyingToaster: @Cheryl Rofer: Thanks, just updated the original post.
David Koch
Can you imagine the media freak out and blame if 9/11 had happened under a Democrat.
Of course, it’s okay if you are republican.
Adam L Silverman
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: @efgoldman: Done, I just emailed Alain and cced John Cole. I normally hear back from Alain sometime the following morning. If he doesn’t chime in directly, I’ll let you know what I find out.
Anoniminous
@Amir Khalid:
Good to know you are out of it.
Adam L Silverman
@David Koch: They did a pretty good job of freaking out with a Republican in the White House if I recall correctly.
max
Well, they’re blaming the Jakarta action on Daesh.
max
[‘Those guys really want some attention.’]
Anoniminous
According to the Guardian “Three suicide bombers involved in attack on Starbucks cafe.” I know friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks and I know their coffee sucks and they overcharge for what they serve but blowing the place up is a major over-reaction.
GregB
@David Koch:
The Democratic President would have been impeached.
I just read about the Hainan Island incident when a US spy plane collided with a Chinese military plane. 24 US airmen were held for ten days. The American plane was disassembled and sent back three months later. The US paid $34,000.00 for the 10 days of “room and board”. Bush sent a letter of condolence to the widow of the Chinese airman who went missing and there was also a “letter of the two sorries” sent by the US.
Read about it on Wiki, you will fume with rage at this memory-holed incident.
BillinGlendaleCA
@GregB: Thanks Obama.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: True.
Adam L Silverman
Time for me to rack out. Feel free to update in the comments if you are an insomniac, or live where its late morning already, and see any new developments about what’s happening in Jakarta.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@Adam L Silverman: Thanks muchly.
Also, thanks again for your detailed posts on the Refuge events and background. It’s appreciated, not just because it gives us something substantial to talk about besides tRump’s latest outrage…
Cheers,
Scott.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Adam L Silverman:
Could you also ask Alain when we could get a site-update update? No news since about Christmas, and the site-update threads under “About Balloon Juice” are old and closed to comments.
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): Hmm. Not a particularly good sign.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Omnes Omnibus:
I’m trying to remain cautiously hopeful. Maybe we’re still waiting on that f’amazeballs commenting plug-in.
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha….!
ETA: I think Alain stayed on to do some clean up work after the “god mode” moment, but, at that point, the project withered. I may well be wrong. A couple of posts up will show that I can be.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Omnes Omnibus:
Hey, I kept a straight face.
Too lazy to check now, but I thought Alain was saying that things were still in process right up until the moment he (seemingly) disappeared. I was allowing for a holiday hiatus, but we’re well past that now.
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): My theory isn’t supported by the written record, but by the facts on the ground. IOW, speculation off of a few insufficient facts.