Tsunami in Japan

by kronos Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:39 am

I guess this is the right forum to talk about this? "Chatter" makes it sound so trivial and light-hearted.

I saw some pretty gut-wrenching footage. This huge wall of mud and debris was washing across this rice farm. From the aerial perspective it seemed to be moving pretty slowly, but then when you looked at landmarks on the ground, it became apparent that this wall was moving maybe 40 mph. Then they cut to another bit where you saw the wall of mud moving across a rice filed, approaching an elevated road with cars driving on it. I was watching this with my wife and we were hoping maybe the road was on an bridge and the wall would just pass under it. No such luck; the wall of mud hit the road and started sloshing the cars around before they cut to another camera...too disturbing too watch, I guess.

The tsunami has hit Oregon, but so far nothing big has happened. The sea level is rising and falling every 10-15 minutes or so, and of course there are the usual idiots taking a walk on the beach.

Is it me or are massive earthquakes and tsunamis a hell of a lot more common than they used to be? The planet seems to be spazzing out these days. What gives?

by **TexasBlue** Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:24 pm

I have yet to see anything. Just got home from work a bit a go. I think I'll wait to watch the regular news and see if they cover it. Very Happy

Seriously, it sounds bad from what I heard people at work talking about.

by kronos Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:55 pm

Yeah, it's bad alright. As in sickening; apocalyptic. Hundreds confirmed dead, there are probably thousands more, and there's a nuclear reactor that's facing imminent meltdown unless they release some "slightly radioactive steam" into the air.

by **TexasBlue** Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:19 pm

Gonna catch ABC news on this here in a few.

by **TexasBlue** Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:40 pm

Just watched the lead in on this. Man alive, this is bad shit.

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:36 am

One of the worst earthquakes on record apparently.

I wonder how long it'll be before the Fred Phelps' of this world start claiming it is because of their pagan Buddhist ways?

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:38 am

kronos wrote:Is it me or are massive earthquakes and tsunamis a hell of a lot more common than they used to be? The planet seems to be spazzing out these days. What gives?

The horrific Tsunami at Christmas 2004 probably upset the plates, making them more susceptible for the foreseeable future.

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:18 am

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:One of the worst earthquakes on record apparently.

I wonder how long it'll be before the Fred Phelps' of this world start claiming it is because of their pagan Buddhist ways?

Yeah, I can just see it now. He'll be over there with signs saying God hates Buddhists.

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:
kronos wrote:Is it me or are massive earthquakes and tsunamis a hell of a lot more common than they used to be? The planet seems to be spazzing out these days. What gives?
The horrific Tsunami at Christmas 2004 probably upset the plates, making them more susceptible for the foreseeable future.

Was reading about our San Andreas Fault on Wiki last night. One scientist thinks the next one there is going to be a doozy.

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:33 am

This just in: Explosion at nuclear power plant. Reactor undamaged and it was shut down prior to this as a precaution.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12720219

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:36 am

This report (from my beloved NPR) says that it wasn't nuclear in nature. I guess we'll see.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/03/12/134482611/explosion-at-japanese-nuclear-plant-not-nuclear-no-meltdown

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:40 am

The far left readers of the Minneapolis Tribune are hysterical over this and screeching that this is why we don't need nuclear energy. What those people (<---for a better word) need to understand is that Japan had some of the most stringent nuke regulations when it came to construction and earthquakes.

Cutting their noses off to spite their faces is the term that comes to mind. The Minnesota legislature voted a few weeks ago to lift the state moratorium on building nuke plants within the state. The left in Minnesota are just hysterical about that vote. The legislature is now controlled by the GOP here in Minn.

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:42 am

TexasBlue wrote:The far left readers of the Minneapolis Tribune are hysterical over this and screeching that this is why we don't need nuclear energy. What those people (<---for a better word) need to understand is that Japan had some of the most stringent nuke regulations when it came to construction and earthquakes.

That's bullshit. The reactor had already been shut down so unless anything goes catastrophically wrong there's not much to worry about.

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:47 am

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:
TexasBlue wrote:The far left readers of the Minneapolis Tribune are hysterical over this and screeching that this is why we don't need nuclear energy. What those people (<---for a better word) need to understand is that Japan had some of the most stringent nuke regulations when it came to construction and earthquakes.
That's bullshit. The reactor had already been shut down so unless anything goes catastrophically wrong there's not much to worry about.

That's how I responded to a few of those comments in that paper last night. Plus, I mentioned how we're so susceptible to earthquakes in Minnesota. slapping head

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:48 am

kronos wrote:I guess this is the right forum to talk about this? "Chatter" makes it sound so trivial and light-hearted.

If you want to change it, think of a different name. It was just a off-the-top-of-my-pointy-head name that I gave it way back when.

Or maybe we can have another subforum for news that isn't political, such as this.

Everyone chime in with ideas.

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:57 am

Perhaps "Social Issues" could be renamed "Current Affairs - Other"? and move this there? your call Tex.

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:03 am

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:Perhaps "Social Issues" could be renamed "Current Affairs - Other"? and move this there? your call Tex.

I wanted social issues to be a separate entity for things like race relations, death penalty or issues of the like.

Current Affairs sounds like a decent name for topics like the Tsunami.

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:27 am

Or yes, another sub-section for "Other Current Affairs". What does everybody else think?

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:38 am

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:Or yes, another sub-section for "Other Current Affairs". What does everybody else think?

Yeah, I want to get a few other ideas from others.

by BecMacFeegle Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:41 am

Current Affairs sounds good - though my first choice would be the Moss Eisley Cantina Very Happy

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:47 am

Har de har har.

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:04 am

We don't need to see a section called Mos Eisley Cantina, we're not the forum you're looking for... move along...

by The_Amber_Spyglass Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:05 am

Although, you did say before you could create a SciFi subsection. I said at the time I didn't think there would be much call for it but if people are interested then I guess "Mos Eisley Cantina" would be a good name for a scifi section.

Sheesh, this forum gets bigger and bigger Very Happy

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:12 am

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:We don't need to see a section called Mos Eisley Cantina, we're not the forum you're looking for... move along...

by **TexasBlue** Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:13 am

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:Although, you did say before you could create a SciFi subsection. I said at the time I didn't think there would be much call for it but if people are interested then I guess "Mos Eisley Cantina" would be a good name for a scifi section.

Sheesh, this forum gets bigger and bigger

I can do that. Does Bec really want that?

by BecMacFeegle Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:09 pm

I can do that. Does Bec really want that?

Bec hadn't thought of it, but now you come to mention it, Bec thinks that would be totally cool and promises she will post in such a subforum on a weekly basis (minimum).

Pleeeeaaaassseeee?

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