Earthquakes are an amazing thing. I was very disappointed that I did not feel Saturday’s 2 4+ earthquakes in San Fernando. Roger and I were in the car so we missed all the fun. Today is the 6th anniversary of the Kobe Earthquake (M6.9) which hit almost a year to the day of the Northridge Earthquake (more on that tomorrow.) Kobe was a wake up call to the citizens of Japan who thought the damage in Southern California couldn’t happen there. Fortunately, both quakes helped advance knowledge significantly in areas to improve construction and safety.
In other anniversary news, 10 years ago Bernard Shaw, Peter Arnett and John Holliman got treated to an eye-popping fireworks display in the first war ever broadcast live on TV. It certainly was a spectacle to behold, regardless of whether you think that it was a war for cheap gas or to liberate a country (or perhaps both). I remember being in the dorms at the ripe age of 18 thinking that at any moment I could be drafted. It was a scary thought, but fortunately my roommate Tom reassured me that all the reserves would go first and it would be some time before they reactivated the draft. It was a strange, surreal time to be in college. Everyone had their opinions that ran the full spectrum, and people seemed to be walking on eggshells and just raw with emotions.