Really, it was no big deal

(Continued from previos comment ... 650 character limit) A small lesson the richter scale: M2 (2 on the richter scale) is 10 times more violent that M1 (not twice). and M5 is 10,000 more violent than M1. To put this in perspective with respect to Northridge 1994, this earthquake was 20 times less violent. Or in other words, consider 20 of last week's earthquakes hitting Northridge atr the same place at the same time. And to put into perspective what caused the tsunami in Asia in 2004 .... that one was 4,000 times stronger than last week. So, CNN... please spend 4,000 time less effort reporting such minor events.

Aditya @ 5:11 PM PDT, Aug 2, 2008

LOL!! I couldn't agree with you more. I sent a simple text message to my dad who lives half way around the world that there was an earthquake in LA - I am safe - DO NOT take CNN International seriously. It was midnight where he lives, and he immediately switched the channel to CNN and called me... and I had to reassure him for 20 minutes that it wasn't anything...really. I also agree with supplementing the logarithmic scale. When the earthquake was downgraded from 5.8 to 5.4, no one I spoke to realized that it meant that the earthquake was 2-3 times less violent. Richter scale lesson to follow.

Aditya @ 5:11 PM PDT, Aug 2, 2008

Thank you, thank you, thank you. In the middle of the earthquake, in a booth at the local Wendy's, I had to get my nine year-old's attention. "Do you feel that?" "Feel what?" "The shaking -- it's an earthquake!" "Huh. So that's what everybody's afraid of?" Yeah. It wasn't 'til I got home I learned it was a MAJOR EVENT. You can always tell a MAJOR EVENT in Southern California, because, like a warm spring drizzle, the presses stop and the TV channels interrupt regular programming so that everyone south of Oxnard can call in to say they felt it and tell how worried they were that Uncle Morty's ashes wobbled on the mantle.

hecowe @ 10:34 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

totals

dunstan @ 9:48 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

When Arnold became Governor , he succeeded Davis who California historically kicked out of office. I was one who voted for his ousting. I did not realize it could get worse. Arnold has cut education hurting our kids and making great teachers jobless. Now, he has cut thousands of state workers boosting the unemployment rate. As if a trip to the Dmv. was not bad enough, now we can spend twice the time in line. When will the Arnold realize taxes, especially on the rich is a way to balance California's budget woes. We got rid of Governor Davis, it is now time for history to repeat itself.

mark @ 9:47 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

You are dead on! The earthquake was just an excuse to take the rest of the day off for so-called stress. Your article was very funny and entertaining. Thanks for making me laugh!

Theresa @ 9:07 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

I resent the excessive TV coverage of this quake. It was horrible to see TV stations foist wall to wall coverage of fallen shampoo bottles and cracked wallboard. They pre-empted all of daytime TV to show us over and over again the same fallen shampoo bottles and the same cracked wallboard. Reporters in choppers and vans were scouring the quake zone for more cracked wallboard and more fallen shampoo bottles.You'd think dozens of people died by the way the news stations took over the airwaves. The TV coverage inflicted far more human suffering than the quake itself.

Patricia @ 7:53 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

1000%, not 1%. Everything else is spot on though. From the news coverage you'd think it was the apocalypse. I live a mile from the epicenter and a few things fell off my bookshelf.

Tom @ 5:50 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

Perfect, Joel. I'm sending your column to all my Midwest relatives.

LovesTheBeach @ 5:44 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

So in other words, your family is stupid enough to believe whatever mainstream media shows them?

Farrell @ 5:30 PM PDT, Aug 1, 2008

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