japanese earthquake and tsunami

At least a lot of those statuses and tweets are calling out the stupid people for being reprehensible.

P.S. Going to Japan today hup hup.
 

VKCA

(Virtual Circus Kareoky Act)
At least a lot of those statuses and tweets are calling out the stupid people for being reprehensible.
yeah


(tbqh I thought that was going to be full of people saying "oh god I hope those reactors don't explode and give us another pearl harbor")
 
what is that supposed to mean?
What do you expect? I'm speechless about what happened and I have no idea how strong a 8.9 is, but after hearing about the Haiti Earthquake last year and was 7.0, it seems that this is real huge earthquake. I never had an earthquake where I live, so I don't have much to say... besides hopes on families getting it together. Is there a good footage on people recording the earthquake with their camcorder as it happens?
 

VKCA

(Virtual Circus Kareoky Act)
What do you expect? I'm speechless about what happened and I have no idea how strong a 8.9 is, but after hearing about the Haiti Earthquake last year and was 7.0, it seems that this is real huge earthquake.
To put the magnitude in perspective of TNT explosive force, it would take 474 thousand tons of dynamite to have the same energy expulsion as the 2010 Hati earthquake (7.0), and it would take 336 million tons to have the same energy expulsion as the Japanese earthquake (8.9).

The Japanese earthquake was 709 times stronger than Hati's.

For Hati's earthquake, the death toll was over 250,000.
Estimates for the death toll in japan are around 1000.
 
To put the magnitude in perspective of TNT explosive force, it would take 474 thousand tons of dynamite to have the same energy expulsion as the 2010 Hati earthquake (7.0), and it would take 336 million tons to have the same energy expulsion as the Japanese earthquake (8.9).

The Japanese earthquake was 709 times stronger than Hati's.

For Hati's earthquake, the death toll was over 250,000.
Estimates for the death toll in japan are around 1000.
Japan has advanced systems in their buildings to prevent from earthquake causing major damages, but still... wow! 709 stronger and 250 times less deaths than Haiti's. Hope Japan can recover fast and save many people as they can.
 
What do you expect? I'm speechless about what happened and I have no idea how strong a 8.9 is, but after hearing about the Haiti Earthquake last year and was 7.0, it seems that this is real huge earthquake. I never had an earthquake where I live, so I don't have much to say... besides hopes on families getting it together. Is there a good footage on people recording the earthquake with their camcorder as it happens?
i don't get how saying what goes around comes around applies to the earthquake at all or what you said to explain it. So i'm still very confused and i am honestly hoping you didn't mean that japan had this coming in some way.
 

cookie

my wish like everyone else is to be seen
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for those who don't know, the magnitude scale is logarithmic: +1 magnitude corresponds to 10x energy, so x magnitudes more is 10^x times more energetic
 
Yeah, read earlier today that everyone at Game Freak was alive and well from Serebii, but this confirms it, so that means Pokemon still isnt going to end any time soon.

Thoughts and *prayers* going out to those in Japan right now. Just saw it this morning, and all I could think was *crap*.

Hope everything turns out as well as it can!
 

Chou Toshio

Over9000
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So I said I'd post some thoughts/reflections on the situation later...here it comes.

On Friday afternoon, it was a normal Friday. I'd gotten off of work at 12:30 because I only work half days on Friday. That morning I had played with my preschoolers and told them to look forward to our future English classes as they move on to the Elementary school next month. I was getting my hair cut at a local barber shop, about a 10 minute walk from my house-- suddenly the ground started shaking a bit.

"Hey, is the ground moving?" my barber asked. Yeah it was-- and soon the shakes were a bit more noticable, but felt like any small local earthquake. It was only when the Entertainment program we were watching got taken over by national news that we realized that it wasn't just our village, but the whole northern half of the country that was shaking. My eyes widened as live footage from the news station came on showing their shaking office and the computers and desk equipment crashing around the place.

Of course the first thing on the agenda was contacts-- I played the "are you ok" telephone tag with friends and relatives all around and outside the country. Tokyo, Chiba, Kyoto... thankfully slowly but surely answers came back with sighs of relief. My cousin's wife is Japanese and her family is from Chiba (a prefecture just east of Tokyo), and we're quite close, as I've stayed with her family a number of times. It took the greater part of Friday and Saturday to get in touch with them, but I was just glad when Maki-nee (her younger sister, who is a couple years older than me and always babies me like her little brother) got in touch with me to tell me everyone was ok.

Since then it's been a roller coaster of emotions, watching the footage and dealing with the situation-- even while being far separated from the actual action. Incredible relief that "phew, it missed." Utter disbelief, thinking how very easily it could have been my own town and myself (and subsequent empathy watching destroyed footage of a place so very similar to the one I now call home). An odd sense of normality, hanging out with friends on the weekend and going about a town that's pretty much "going on with life," unaffected directly by the massive events only just over 170 kilometers away. And of course, incredibly remorse for the families and people who have lost so much to this tragedy.

「ま、死者が出なくて住むといいよな」
"Well, it'd be great if this passes with no one dying."

Is what I remember saying half-seriously and half-casually to my hair stylist as the tremors stopped and we watched footage of falling desk work on Friday afternoon-- only two days ago, but it seems like it was ages ago.

Even now, the odd mix of fear as the situation with Fukushima's nuclear power plant continues to go unresolved. My family in Hawaii has called for me and my cousin Arisa, who is studying at Keio in Tokyo while also training in her Japanese dance, to come home immediately, and wait out the situation with the power plant at a distance, despite both of us being over 100 miles away. I can't say I blame them (and also would be lying if I said I didn't have real fear), and have decided to pack light, and obey my parent's call.

Nothing has been decided yet, but my family has already made arrangements for me to fly back home through Nagaoka on Tuesday, which in Aichi region, is thankfully even farther away from Fukushima. I will make the call of whether to stay or leave based on the developments of news on the nuclear plant tomorrow.

It's another odd mix of complex feelings-- on one hand, the fear for my own well being and the 覚悟 (kakugo, determination/readiness of heart) to act drastically if need be for that sake. On the other, a strange sense of shame/sorrow, a regret in feeling like I'm fleeing alone and leaving behind my students, friends and community. These odd feelings have allowed me to realize how, even in the mere half a year I have been here, I have come to call this place home, and truly care about the people around me. I know the faces of every single child in this town, and they all know me as well. The odds of anything happening to them are extremely remote, and yet I'm probably leaving for a bit-- and there's a strong regret in leaving them behind.

Logically it's unreasonable, since whether I'm here or not makes no difference to the safety of my students. Not having the Assistant Language Teacher around for a week of English classes will mean nothing in the long run of their English education. Nor does anyone think it's odd for me to leave-- to the villagers, my family's response to the situation is "very Japanese," and my obedience to them is also "very Japanese," meaning they have been very understanding of my situation. That said, being human, no amount of logic can erase an unease of heart.

I was at the supermarket today when one of my students ran into me-- he's in the 2nd grade. "Chou Sensei!" He ran up to me and made me play janken (rock-paper-scissors) with him while his older sister in the 4th grade (who is also one of my students of course) tried to pull him away "Hey, this isn't the time to bother Sensei!"

It really made my day.

As I bought a giant box of Crystal Geyser water bottles, and rolled up to the station to fill up on gas (waiting in what, a 2 minute line?), I couldn't help feel bitter knowing about what's going on so very far, and yet so very close to here.

What a crazy weekend it's been though.

It's just the same thing everyone's been saying-- but my heart goes out for those directly affected and struggling amongst it all. Watching a film on CNN of a mother, who looks so much like my own, crying as she looks through lists to try and locate her son... I just can't describe the emotions.

仙台、そしてその周りの地域の人々、ご無事を御祈りします。近い内に、それらの町町、そしてこの日本が、あるべき姿に戻り、立ち上がるように、御祈りしております。

"To the people of Sendai and the surrounding areas, I pray for your well being. I pray that soon, the many towns, and this Japan, will be able to stand, and restore its rightful appearance."

edit: Miyage prefecture is now estimating over 10,000 deaths.
 

VKCA

(Virtual Circus Kareoky Act)
Chernobyl will NOT happen. Worst case scenario is Three Mile Island.

edit:
If you have some time, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BHdsjo-NR4
I strongly suggest people watch this. It's very interesting, and relieving.
If you're scared off by the 1+ hour, just watch the last 20 mins are so, that's when he's talking about reactors, and how ridiculously safe they are. (And how unlikely it is that Chernobyl will never ever happen again.)
 

az

toddmoding
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i think you mean "how likely it is that chernobyl will never ever", or "how unlikely it is that chernobyl will ever ever"

it is a great lecture, i really enjoyed it, and thanks for the link

i wasn't trying to scaremonger with reports about the reactor, but i don't think the media (or at least the bbc; i think their coverage has been very good) are blowing it out of proportion in a frenzy either
 
I'll admit that when I heard about this first time in the news I wasn't so concerned, knowing Japan was a nation used to earthquakes.

And then I heard the magnitude.

For comparison, the one responsible for the 2004 Tsunami was 9.1-9.3, and we all know what devastation that caused. However, it should be noted that one holds the record for the longest lasting earthquake, while this one seems a standard length of a minute or so, but no less destructive.

My thoughts go out to those affected.
 
Looking at pictures of this was very sad. I saw the movie 2012 like two days ago and it kind of reminded me of that. Maybe it actually is coming....
Although it really sucks how this isn't getting better. My condolences to anyone who lost family or friends from this incident.
 

az

toddmoding
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just a heads-up: let's please ditch the mindless "oh my goodness 2012!!!!!" posts
 
To put the magnitude in perspective of TNT explosive force, it would take 474 thousand tons of dynamite to have the same energy expulsion as the 2010 Hati earthquake (7.0), and it would take 336 million tons to have the same energy expulsion as the Japanese earthquake (8.9).

The Japanese earthquake was 709 times stronger than Hati's.

For Hati's earthquake, the death toll was over 250,000.
Estimates for the death toll in japan are around 1000.
Well to be fair, Haiti's infrastructure was far from up to par, while Japan is essentially a magnet for natural disasters and was considerably more prepared for this. Even so, my heart goes out to all those in Japan, I hope the death toll rises no further, and while I am not religious, I truly wish I could help in this time of need.
 
Jesus on rye...Those people in the link need to know you can't blame a whole country for certain things. RW, those pictures really show how bad it was...and it truly is scary. My heart also goes out to those in Japan, but I'm also glad their buildings were built to earthquakes. If they weren't we would have a lot more deaths on our hands.

EDIT: Fukushima apparently exploded again..
And supplies and power running low in most places.
 

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