Quaking All Over

I am back. Finally. It has been busy and I have also been lazy. Baseball, work and, of course, we NEED a new bathroom at the old homestead. The best part is that yesterday the earth shook in these parts. We had a fucking 5.0 earthquake strike this area!

It was kind of cool, too. I was working from home and I was at my computer when I heard some rattling. I thought that there was something wrong with the fridge and when I got up I could hear the rattle from the mirror hanging in the front. I could not hear construction noises, so I headed upstairs. I heard the shower doors rattling and then came into our bedroom, only to hear the mirrors hanging on our wall shaking. I knew it was a tremor or earthquake.

I put on CP24 and they were showing coverage of Obama's conference after firing/forced resignation of General Stanley McChrystal. They then broke away for some "Breaking News". My earthquake conclusion was confirmed.

No damage, so la di dah. Then again, is this a harbinger of a greater quake to come? Are we prepared? Is our infrastructure (homes, buildings, bridges and roads) capable of dealing with a larger quake? This should be a call to figure this stuff out so that we can be prepared should it strike again, soon and with more force.

The funny thing is that the other day, Sunday, the Wife and I were watching a thing on earthquakes and how structures were built and tested on the US west coast. It showed that midsize steel structured buildings in Los Angeles could withstand a largeish quake centered along the San Andreas Fault. If the quake is centered in the LA Basin, where a faultline lies in downtown LA, then there will be MASSIVE damage to all structures.

It also showed that the causeway in Seattle was built on information that is obsolete. That means that double decker bridge is not capable of withstanding a big quake in Seattle. They are keeping an eye on it, and it is very old, and it needs far more than "keeping a" fucking "eye" on it. It is all about money to pay for rebuilding infrastructure and maintaining infrastructure. That is not really there. I am not sure how disaster relief money will help as that job will be massive. Then again, it may become one in a series of Mother Nature make work projects. It may be better than a war, though that, too, may be on its way.

Depressing thought and there ain't nothin' funny 'bout that! I am going to quake away for today. I must remember to regale you all with my experience at the Pavement concert on Toronto Island with the Lad. Ciao!