Get off the beach! Tsunami coming!

[cecilia]

Hawaii getting 8 foot waves right now

scary!

[cecilia]

I guess I must be watch news that doesn't view this as a sports event.

One large fact is that the Japanese are incredibly prepared for quakes. just saw a report by an American in Tokyo who said Everyone in the train station where he first experienced the shaking were Very calm, at first just expecting the train to continue running, watching whatever TV news being broadcast at the station to gain more info and eventually walking home. No panic. Very calm.

Having electricity is important to keep communications alive during rescue procedures. They have very strict building codes, they practice evacuations regularly. And so on.

we should all learn something from that.

They expect problems to come up and they have a list of solutions all ready to implement.  

My heart goes out to all those people as I know what it's like to live through a quake. And i also applaud them for their intellect and guts

[cecilia]

That's one of the reasons I'm more hopeful about the Nuclear Plants situation.
This isn't Russia or even America here (not that I don't have high regard for my own USA.. ), this is Japan.

I think it's likely that they are the best prepared people to handle this type of issue, not just Earthquakes and Tsunami's, but also in dealing with Nuclear issues...
I'd be a bit less optimistic if it happened here..  Could be wrong, but..

When talking about Tsunami here on the Oregon coast, someone asked our State geologist if we were lucky this time.  She basically said yes and no.
Yes, because we got the other end of it.
And no, because if it has happened off of our coast (and we have similar subduction plates), we would be in much worse shape than in Japan because we are much less prepared...

desiv

Americans are pathetically unprepared. that's because the corporations have taken over the country and they don't give a crap about anyone but their profits.

let's hope the revolution in Wisconsin inspires the rest of the country to stop this downward spiral

Very sad day. Mother nature kicks out yet again... 2012??? Who knows but sorrow for all those involved. Lets get our boys out the wars and go help re build this place. Carpe Deim...

nature has been doing whatever the heck she wants from the beginning. this is hardly new.

the main difference now is that we KNOW every disaster before, during and after it happens. in every gruesome detail. We can either become fearful and depressed by this or we can rise to the occasion and prepare for them.

The Japanese have used the second method and are Survivors.

and by the way, I completely agree with your point about war. what a stupid, ridiculous waste of time, resources and lives that is. America is in an economic mire because of stupid wars for oil/profit.

we need to save use our energy and resources to help each other live good, useful lives.

[cecilia]

Is Wisconsin seceding?!  And what does this news mean for the price of cheese?

SERIOUSLY??? YOU don't KNOW the so called GOVERNOR of WI has colluded with the Koch bro to destroy the unions?? that means teachers, firefighters, cops, etc   - he doesn't want them to have bargaining. That is like going back 100 years when workers were slaves

this has been in the news for weeks now. wake up and smell the coffee

he and other state governors want to get rid of unions all over this country. if that happens the middle class is destroyed.

that is not the country I want to live in, frankly

[cecilia]

I live in Middle America so I am safe.

What's the deal with these bunk media scientist claiming that Global Warming caused the events in Japan?! They did all the research to make this a fact over night hugh?!?!

no one is seriously expressing such a simplistic notion.

I swear this new so called scientific age of reason that we are entering into is no more real the the religions of the days of old. Myths built upon myths built upon myths, all used to scare man kind and persuade them into what ever direction they want to go. (Not to say that some myth don't contain a higher esoteric truth, or that God  and Natural Law are not real).

please educate yourself on what science really is and not what religious kooks try to make believe it is.

http://www.xenu.net/archive/baloney_detection.html

science is self-correcting, disciplined and always based on reality not mumbo jumbo.

and it's science that has made lives of many WAY better than it ever has been. i for one do not wish to go back to the days when most people were slaves.

if it wasn't for science you wouldn't be typing your words on a computer to be read by people thousands of miles from you.
science respects reality and the way the universe really IS. and smart people want to work WITH nature to make life for everyone a creative wonderful experience. it IS possible by using one's Brains.
not by wallowing in fantasies.

[cecilia]

Of course! Science is a fact.

incorrect. Science is LOOKING for facts. LOOKING for reality. and only through testing and experimentation do we make sure we really have it correctly.

like many people you simply don't understand

religion is about faith. taking someone's opinions and making it the center of your life.

science is about discipline and scepticism. it takes hard work. which is why many people run from it

[cecilia]

Hey, take it to Fox, or CNN. Whichever you prefer.

the news media don't care about reality. they want to feed you pablum

[cecilia]

Science is not about morality. Its about testing and examining the world.
 
That views can change in the light of evidence is a strength, not a weakness.

finally, a rational person

[cecilia]

Like with any occupation, you have good scientists, and you have bad scientists.  Part of science is disagreeing with other scientists, and even trying to discredit them with better empirical evidence, or more unambiguous research methodology for acquiring it.

what Franko  and many others don't seem to understand is that science is self-correcting.

if you can't prove what you say, then what you say is ignored and the discussion moves on to what has been proven. scientists spend their time experimenting, discussing, proving, disproving.

[cecilia]

cecilia:

I agree that's notable that the Japanese are calm in such disasters.  Also notable and admirable how they are so disciplined as to be orderly and follow rules, even when it's obvious they wouldn't need to in a particular situation.  For instance, in this crisis the traffic was not flowing, yet they still wait at red lights to cross the street.  Though I think the most notable and admirable thing is how they are not inclined to go looting, or taking advantage of the situation for greedy purposes.  This is markedly different from most of the rest of the world.  I think it demonstrates the Japanese sense of honor, that most of humanity does not possess.

it's a beautiful thing

[cecilia]

Sorry but I understand perfectly well that science is like every other aspect of humanity, flawed...

Science is created and conceived by humans who by their very nature are flawed. As I say I'm not religious in any shape or form but at the same time as that I believe in science I don't kid myself that it has the answers to everything in the universe...

Science is LOOKING for the truth of the universe. even though you claim to not be religious you have that religion mindset that assumes everyone has all the answers.

sciences assumes that we do Not have the answers and is busy looking

the rational Carl Sagan used to say that humans are that part of the Universe that is examining itself

unfortunately some humans don't even want to bother to look

"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them." - Isaac Asimov

[cecilia]

We all have our prophets Frank, some of us (like moi et Karlos) believe the last one died ~1400yrs ago.

There are others who have more recent personal "prophets".

I'm a Proud Atheist and I've never taken drugs

and before some silly person make the ridiculous comment that atheism is like a religion let me point out that I follow no rituals, no holidays, no statues, no prayers, no "beliefs" based on make believe voodoo....and so on

I simply state than NO ONE has Ever proved the existence of any "god"

ever.

that's not a 'belief'
that's a fact