If there was ever a website that I didn't need to know about, it's Quake Prediction.com. Actually, knowing about the site isn't the worst thing in the world, but knowing about and following the guy's twitter account might just be the dumbest thing I've done recently. As if I didn't obsess enough about earthquakes before (I actually asked jparks what would happen if I was getting an epidural and an earthquake happened during it and I became paralyzing from getting my spine nicked. The instructor at our child birth class looked at me like I was insane, but I swear that is a valid concern.) now I can have earthquake predictions sent directly to my phone! And look, the Bay Area can expect an earthquake in the next couple of days! Joy of joys now I get to spend three days wondering when my house will collapse.
I have a flair for the dramatic.
I'm not blindly believing whatever predictions this guy throws out, I'm believing him because he predicted the quakes in Los Angeles earlier this week and one right predictions makes you an earthquake genius in my book. And speaking of those quakes, let me confess to being a self centered asshole. When I read that they had just happened, I didn't think "I hope no one was hurt!" No, I thought "Thank god they happened now and not when I'm in the area in two weeks! And this means the pressure will be released and I'll not have to worry about any while I'm there! win-win!" So yeah, I'm an asshole.
After I told jparks about my new web obsession and his eye rolling stopped, he showed me an app for the G1 that alerts you to earthquakes around the world. Because even if the earthquake happens 10,000 miles away I need to know about it. And the best part about having this info on my phone is that when it alerts me to an earthquake in another part of the world, I can look at my current surroundings and figure out what thing would crush me if the earthquake had happened to me right then. So far CostCo, Lowe's, and Home Depot seem like the scariest places to be during an earthquake. So many heavy items stored high above my head just waiting to crush me. Fun!
Some might call this a sickness, I call it a hobby.
Did you know that I was once getting a pap smear during an earthquake? NOT MY BEST MEMORY.
ReplyDeleteI have 10 days until "Hurricane Season" starts here in Florida. I'm not one of those assholes who gets one of those hurricane charting map --- mostly because you can get that shit tracked for free online.
ReplyDeleteI never really worried about hurricanes until five years ago when Central Florida (and most of Florida in general) was demolished by four hurricanes. We lost power for two weeks. In the middle of summer. With 8,000% humidity. Not only did I lose all of my precious Korean food --- I have to horde it because it's hard to find around here and some of it my mom cooked and froze for me --- but sitting around a near-windowless apartment at night, with only heat-generating candles to light your way, well, that was pretty sucky.
And then, the part about how we went the second week without power because the generator (or whatever) outside our building was blown and IT WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE ENTIRE AREA really sucked.
So yes. I am obsessed with the Atlantic and the Gulf Coast from June through November. (Is it me or did it get extended or something? Dammit.)
Oh and PS - I have never (thankfully) experienced an earthquake.
They're little earthquakes though, you won't feel them.
ReplyDeleteThat's one reason I don't want to move to earthquake states. I think you are brave for living there and it's good you are concerned about them bc, well, they happen - it's not like some of my random paranoias. I personally have my tornado plan all ready - and yup, we are much more likely to get more hurricanes. I bet you are safe though because of building codes and whatnots so just stay away from wharehouse stores and you'll be good. And don't they say pets know first - right? So just force one pet to ALWAYS be at your side and then you too will know something up ahead of time. Heck, you could become a famous earthquake predictor!
ReplyDeleteI took Geology in college and I had to chart every earthquake that occurred during the entire semester. It was a lot.
ReplyDeleteNightly news is on your side and predicting the worst - which means you might be good and safe bc news is more about money than accuracy.
ReplyDeletePets do know first. Several years ago, my aunt and uncle's normally very chill great dane came in their room at 4am and kept barking really loudly. He wouldn't leave and about a minute into this, a major earthquake hit LA (they live in Santa Barbara). It wasn't catastrophic in SB but it still shook the pictures off the walls.
ReplyDeleteI always make sure that there aren't any glass framed pictures hanging in places that will fall and create broken glass to walk over barefoot if I'm trying to escape my home during an earthquake. I also make sure that there aren't any bookcases that will fall over and block my exit. I put earthquake kits in the cars and closets, then I basically forget about it and pretend we live in an earthquake-free zone.