I just got to the computer and am reeling in shock to learn of the earthquake. I am monitoring The Lede Blog at the NYTimes, my favorite source these days for breaking-every-minute news.
To our collective relief, liberal japonicus mentioned (in comments on the previous post) that he is in North America at the moment, and that his Japanese family is mostly in the western part of that country, farther from the epicenter. This post may be used for any other updates or significant news. I have to go see Mr. Taxes today, so I'm pressed for time, but you-all may consider this an open thread.
That makes two in a row, then. The other one is a bit lighter.
Maybe this is an open thread on disasters and death and news that's in all the news media.
Posted by: Gary Farber | March 11, 2011 at 11:05 AM
Major disasters are always a good time to check your own disaster preparedness, so that in the event it happens near you, you will be positioned to help others, rather than need help.
Tomorrow we will pull out the Apocolypse Box and go through, get rid of dated items, make sure that we have the right mix of food, water, clothes, and shelter. We have lots of camping/backpacking gear so we are generally well prepared for "roughing it" for a while. Probably refill the propane for the grill so we can still cook, change out the 10 gallons of gasoline in the garage, tune up the generator, etc.
Posted by: jrudkis | March 11, 2011 at 12:57 PM
For what it's worth:
I'm not planning on worrying, myself. Also, it's bright and sunny out. Ta!Posted by: Gary Farber | March 11, 2011 at 01:34 PM
Cool graphic here of Tsunami effects in the Pacific:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/
Enjoy that while you can because NOAA's funding for earthquake, tsunami research and warnings is going to be gone soon.
Because it's science. Besides, the elitists at NOAA made up the idea that earthquakes in one portion of the world can cause damaging wave action across the globe.
They just want to scare us to secure their pensions and health care.
Also, I demand (non-negotiable), as do a great percentage of the ignorami, otherwise known as American voters, that not one penny of my tax dollars (stolen, remember?) should go toward "foreign aid" for Japan or any other country damaged by this earthquake and its effects.
The theft stops now to insure that the entire 50% of the U.S. Government Federal budget that goes to foreign aid be cut to zero.
We're broke. We're broke.
Do you know what I do to people who steal from me?
Moreover, President Obama should announce on Friday that all budget negotiations with the Republican Party are permanently canceled.
Why? Because he will also announce this evening that he is ordering the Treasury to default on the entire $14 trillion dollar national debt.
The bonds are worthless. No interest payments and good luck collecting the principal face value.
Burn the joint down. Just do it.
This will of course enable those mistreating Bradley Manning (do more with nothing? -- no thanks -- point me toward Galt's Gulch wherein a man and a horny woman can make good money running a private sector torture outfit) to abandon their posts and Manning may go free.
Because we're broke.
Mr. President, burn the f*cking joint down.
Posted by: Countme--In | March 11, 2011 at 01:44 PM
This has to stop.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/us-japan-quake-nuclear-clinton-idUSTRE72A4LR20110311?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews
I'm telling ya ... we're broke.
Why hasn't Mickey Cantor condemned this action .... this theft of my money?
Spending my money to prevent a nuclear meltdown in Japan is tantamount to stealing my money so that liberals' spastic little kids can "compete" in the Sthepecial Olympicths.
It would be cheaper to send them to Siberia, which is now in northern New Hampshire because of the global warming hoax, to rot and die.
Paying for delivering this coolant could tip the U.S. Government into default and submerge the world's world's financial system in a catastrophic financial tsunami.
Someone, please stop them!
Please.
Posted by: Countme--In | March 11, 2011 at 02:24 PM
Oh, but don't forget Count Me - we do have to make sure the Westboro Baptist Church is provided, though, with a rolling bandwagon run on just ethanol so that they can roam around wherever they see fit to scream and yell and otherwise condemn us for our wickedness and destruction of moral fiber given that our actions brought on the earthquakes and tsunami.
Posted by: sekaijin | March 11, 2011 at 11:55 PM
Hey, the US government could pay for one-way tickets to Japan for the Phelpses (provided the regulations on the export of hazardous waste do not interfere).
Posted by: Hartmut | March 13, 2011 at 07:24 AM