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Gerardd

607 karma · joined March 24, 2014

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Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
I think it's fine, I didn't notice any hearing loss... Will get an audiogram to make sure.
Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
No, not at all... I didn't notice any hearing loss. I would still have to get properly examined and maybe get an audiogram.
Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
Unfortunately PayPal is not supported in Lebanon. We are trying to setup a GoFundMe campaign (also not supported) through an international intermediary.
Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
True, thousands were left homeless. This disaster could not have occurred at a worse time for Lebanon. Hospitals are already at their maximum capacities due to the COVID-19, and the country is in an unprecedented economic crisis... The donations will go primarily into rebuilding the hospital in order to serve the community again. If the donation by card does not work, please consider using the bank account wire transfer (Outside of Lebanon IBAN).
Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
This is a good article about the physics of the explosion: https://www.wired.com/story/tragic-physics-deadly-explosion-...
Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
Indeed for luck... Things are already better thanks to our community and supportive friends and family. Thank you.
Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
Thank you for your kind words. The hospital's psychiatry department already setup a nearby clinic for free support to all healthcare workers.
Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
Thank you. My house is 4km away and didn't sustain any damage. However other buildings within the same range had their glass shattered. The blast was even heard in Cyprus (234 km). NASA's ARIA team mapped the likely extent of damage: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-maps-beirut-blast-dama...

I also went up to the hospital's helipad today and can see the massive crater in direct sight: https://imgur.com/FAtIo4F

Gerardd··on Welders set off Beirut blast while securing explosives
We were 600 meters away from the blast walking peacefully in the popular Beirut street Mar Mikhael. The scale of the explosion was surreal [1]. I hugged my sister and thought it’s our last moment. We miraculously survived with only a few scratches. Ten days have passed and there’s not a single minute I don’t think of what happened and emulate different scenarios where I could’ve died. I also work at the most affected hospital that became instantly non-operational and had to be evacuated with over 17 patients, staff, and visitors dead [2].

Please consider donating [3].

[1] https://youtu.be/SkIYjNGiaoA

[2] https://youtu.be/JIxuwE_WPXw

[3] https://www.stgeorgehospital.org/stgeorge-donation

Gerardd··on Spending $5k to put Zimbabwe on Street View
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Gerardd··on Spending $5k to put Zimbabwe on Street View
I was impatient for Street View to reach my country so I made my own back in 2014. I took photospheres of my university campus and made a website for it using an embedded Street View container. I did it as a personal project. The university ended up discounting a reasonable chunk of my tuition as a recognition and for my effort! First I was taking individual photos on my DSLR and stiching them manually then I continued the bulk using a spare Android phone which made everything (slightly) easier (auto stiching, geo-tagged...) but I still had to stand at each point and take 18+ photos for each photosphere. You can check it on http://discoveruob.com
Gerardd··on Fake review factories that run on Facebook and post five-star Amazon reviews
Nowadays, going on Amazon for product hunt is equivalent to searching for a malware-free good quality torrent.