Burning, electrical, feathery doom

[sigma7]

Fire at The Pines in Topeka. Of particular note to former residents on my f-list.

One of the houses in Manhattan that the tornado last week missed got hit by lightning this morning. I'd quote some of the story, but The Associated Press is being idiotic about bloggers and quotes, so I'll just paraphrase.

Speaking of, here's a list of everything in town seriously damaged, destroyed or otherwise annihilated. I've yet to see a media report about a reported suicide in town by a resident of one of those homes, but that could well be because of media policies regarding suicide. There's no consensus on the topic, and typically smaller publications err on the side of omission rather than deepening the wounds of survivors. In many cases you can make a compelling argument that proper publicity and context can redeem suicide coverage, and the framework of last week's storm and its catastrophic effect similarly make covering the act warranted. It's a vivid and painfully brutal example of the psychological damage that still lingers invisibly after the clouds have parted and cleanup begins, a reminder that your typical Midwestern stoicism isn't invulnerable or necessarily even workable.

Also, think twice before you shop PetSmart. Especially for a cockatiel.

Comments

[erica-roo.livejournal.com]

The obituary said that he died in his home and that's it. I imagine that the family would like to keep it as quiet as possible, but that's not likely in a town this size.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how I feel about that. Part of me says that this is something that needs to be acknowledged and understood and not suppressed and ignored. And yet I can't blame a family for wanting the rest of the world to just go away, unrealistic as that may be.

I think this is the last I'll mention about it, and certainly don't want to link to it; don't want a Google a few years down the road making the connection if the family feels thusly about it. I can respect their decision, even if I don't necessarily agree with it.

[erica-roo.livejournal.com]

The police record in the paper now has details. Vague details, but more information than the obituary.

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Oddly, despite looking horrible, Little Apple Toyota didn't make the list of Seriously Damaged.

[jenny0.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, Parrot Fever sounds vaguely fabulous. It would be a great name for a disco in Key West.

[ravenskye8.livejournal.com]

*waves*

I'm catching up... but wanted to let you know I'm glad you've survived relatively unscathed... :)

(I was a mite worried - but was happy to see that you posted pretty much right after our local news ran the tornado story... *whew* :)