Due - this may be a last post on Atomic Bob's - and hopefully it will reach you.
I do not mind criticism - in fact, GOOD criticism is and always has been welcomed by me. That fact is really indisputable - and easily proven in my posting history.
The problem has been the PERSONAL ATTACKS (being stupid, self-obsessed, taking critical comments as attacks *your assumption*, etc. ) that is flagrant flagellation.
To the argument core: You think that SIRENS in the McKinney Texas region in the middle of the night serve a useful purpose in 'alerting' people - and I state that they are almost totally worthless.
From that simple disagreement - this has grown.
I stated that there is no shelter available for people to 'seek and find'. These are tract homes, there are no basements, no crawl spaces under which to go, no 'bomb shelters' - these are concrete slab houses made like match sticks, and priced as if they are gold. A well anchored mobile home is FAR SAFER than these houses in both a tornado and, on the Gulf Coast; definitely safer than 99% of the houses during a hurricane - given equivalent 'location' considerations. That is an engineering fact - not an opinion - backed up by actual testing standards and by empirical evidence. Mobile Homes are pretty much 'prohibited' in almost all areas of the country - very few places allow them - thanks to the lobbying efforts of the 'housing industry'.
You stated that one should 'tune in to AM820' and have a 'battery operated radio'. I stated that the SIRENS should at LEAST be accompanied by a voice announcement of what is going on.
My statement and attitude on that is FAR more acceptable than yours, Due. People that had NOT been aware of the weather - have been woken up by the SIRENS - are disoriented to start with - and certainly 'tuning in' and PERHAPS catching a broadcast on 820 will cost them precious time if, indeed, a tornado is imminent. A voice announcement just makes freaking sense - in what would REALLY be an extremely time sensitive emergency.
Are you AWARE of how large an area the 'emergency broadcast system' of 820 covers ? You might want to CHECK that before berating me for treating that as a fairly USELESS source of EXTREMELY LOCAL INFORMATION - unless you really feel that people should be huddled under their beds or in their closets or interior bathrooms during the duration of damn near ANY thunderstorm in the entire North Texas area - an area that is larger than ANY of the New England States - by an incredibly large margin.
A voice announcement over the LOCAL SIREN SYSTEM (of which they are fully capable and routinely tested) telling people WHAT is going on saves precious seconds, if not minutes, tens of minutes - in GIVING GOOD INFORMATION about the nature of the emergency that is setting off the siren - something that 820 is entirely INCAPABLE of doing for such a large and dispersed audience that needs ACCURATE LOCAL INFORMATION quickly.
Do you know the difference between the various nomenclatures used in evaluating tornado threats ? Do you know what the criteria is for setting off those sirens ? Doesn't really matter whether YOU, personally, are aware of them - most people are not.
Next point. Henny Penny and The Boy who cried wolf - Of what use is a siren system that goes off ROUTINELY during ANY thunderstorm in the area ? Not much - it breeds complacence and contempt for the warnings - ANOTHER damn good reason on why I called those SIREN warnings next to useless.
So, yes, Due - my criticism of the 'ad hominen' approach stands - and I will point out that you are VERY quick to 'personalize' criticism rather than attack the basic premise and argument at hand. Don't be so quick to JUDGE people, Due - it just comes back on you.
Sincerely,
Dave
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good ...
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