The U.S. Geological Survey produced this map illustrating the 371 aftershocks (and counting) that followed the magnitude 8.9 earthquake on March 11.
As if they didn’t have enough work ahead them trying to rescue survivors and recover from the disaster, the people of Japan have to deal with the massive hangover that follows a shaky, over-liquefied bender of tectonic proportions.
In the span of 48 hours there have been two partial meltdowns, rolling blackouts, and 371 severe tremors.
NYT personal essay about the March 11 earthquake in Japan by Sandra Barron (@sandrajapandra).
“TOKYO — The first thing I was worried about was where to put my tea. I’d been sitting on the heated carpet in my apartment, working on a blog post about Japanese chewing gum. I stood up few seconds after the room started to sway. The TV was jumping. Buildings outside were swaying. A six-foot tall cabinet full of books was rocking. Things were falling in the kitchen and water was sloshing over the edge of the balcony, spilling from something above. I moved out from under the light fixtures and held onto a small table. I wanted to put down my tea cup, but there were no stable surfaces. Things were sliding around the floor.”
Follow Shu Uechi (@Touruma) on twitter for info on earthquake activity in Japan (also in English).
32 killed in tsunami after 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan. Tsunami warnings stretch to Hawaii, Philippines, and rest of Pacific.
Gallup polls put together a composite for the happiest man in America. New York Times reports that he must be “a tall, Asian-American, observant Jew who is at least 65 and married, has children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business and has a household income of more than $120,000 a year.”
When reached by phone at his home in Hawaii, Mr. Alvin Wong said,
“… my life philosophy is, if you can’t laugh at yourself, life is going to be pretty terrible for you.”
He continued: “This is a practical joke, right?”
One can’t help but wonder what the other end of the spectrum consists of.
Update: No need to wonder any more. The NYT followed up with a composite of the least happy person in America.
Publishers found yet another way to apply old paperback paradigms to new eBook technology. HarperCollins decided that US libraries will be alllowed to lend eBooks only 26 times before they are forced to buy a new copy (yes, libraries are being punished because, in theory, books don’t last that long. Not, however, in practice).
A delinquent oil tanker with a stencil that reads, “this looks a bit like an elephant,” gets removed for auction to the highest bidder.
“But this episode marks a new first: here, his small act of vandalism has resulted in a large suburban eyesore being tidied up. Which is an irony that I hope he appreciates.”
“According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released Friday, if the United States were to replace its dollar bills with dollar coins, as much of the world has done, it would likely save the country $5.5 billion over the next 30 years.”
This report from GOOD. I’d be willing to deal with the weight and jingle in my pockets if it saved America that much money. Not to mention how happy the DEA should be about this. Taking the $1 bill out of circulation is a guaranteed WIN for the War on Drugs. You know how much coke is on $1 bills?
Some hamburgler you are, Mr. Page. No, you cannot have your Jack in the Box and try to rob it at gunpoint, too.
A short story by B.J. Keaton. “It was going to be a bad day. Joshua Winters knew it from the moment he opened his eyes.”
