Busytown by Jolisa Gracewood

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Busytown: The shakes

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  • Carol Stewart,

    I'm not entirely sure what to make of this piece by Chris de Freitas arguing that earthquake forecasting has been an expensive failure and that focusing on reducing vulnerability is the way to go.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    As a local climate change denier, de Freitas might have a broader interest in denigrating geological science. Of course the Herald left that bit out..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    Well, it was hard to argue with his point about reducing vulnerability and increasing community resilience.
    Who knows, perhaps he is doing a Bjorn Lomborg.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Canterbury talkback host Mike Yardley yesterday told the Herald that Mr Parker had proven himself to be an effective leader in a time of crisis

    Quite. Taking a leaf out of Rudolph Giuliani's big book of photo ops was all that was needed, make sure you have at least one high ranking member of the Police and/or fire Department standing behind you when speaking to the Media. What could he have done to screw up his image? run around screaming "What the fuck am I supposed to do about it, it's not my fault"

    I'm not entirely sure what to make of this piece by Chris de Freitas

    Perhaps someone should slap him with a copy of John Ripley Freeman's "Earthquake Damage and Earthquake Insurance:
    Studies of A Rational Basis for Earthquake Insurance, also studies of Engineering Data for Earth-quake-Resisting Construction" ( New York: McGraw-Hill 1932).
    It's hardly a new concept.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Given this, and what else I threw out, the next thing we can expect is an invasion of eleventh-century Norman knights bent on reclaiming the Holy Land.

    Lucy? I love you.

    Have just been to the supermarket. Bought sparkling wine and steak. Going to take some time to celebrate our good fortune as a family, yes we are. While trying really hard not to feel guilty about all those worse off than we, some of whom we know and love.

    There has been a really strong urge to gather and socialise with other people. Last couple of nights have been very giggly. (A friend of ours was trapped briefly under his tallboy. Turns out none of the kids knows what a 'tallboy' is, so some interesting and not all that improbable assumptions had been made.)

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    Don't know why I waited for GeoNet to tell me the 12.35pm aftershock was 4.5. Emma could have told me straight away it was under 5.0, and to not worry about the flurry of 'big aftershock' tweets.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    I've been pretty wrapped with the way things are going at present.

    My neighbours had SAR tear down their two chimneys.

    Keep Calm & Carry On

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Don't know why I waited for GeoNet to tell me the 12.35pm aftershock was 4.5. Emma could have told me straight away it was under 5.0, and to not worry about the flurry of 'big aftershock' tweets.

    We are apparently, getting soft. The last one was long and significant enough to be worrying, where yesterday it might not have registered.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I remember that after-the-fall sort of feeling as I mentioned above - after Loma Preita people didn't seem to know when it was OK to go on with their lives - no one says "OK, it's over" - you just have to ease back into it

    Hopefully the worst of last night's storm passed you by (how is Islander doing?) gusts over 100km/hr last night, we had a tree come down in our drive, missed the car by 6 inches

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    I have a fuller understanding of the mad man who screams at the wind, I've been swearing at the shaking ground.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    @Paul C - fine thankyou - 2 new leaks (small) in my octagon roof - the shaking I suspect...the lagoon's in high flood so no 'baiting for a couple of days.

    O, and lucky car! (Unlucky tree.)

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Isabel Hitchings,

    I've been swearing at the shaking ground.

    Mr 8 spent a chunk of yesterday afternoon stamping round the garden yelling "bad earthquake" and giving Mother Nature a good telling-off.

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2007 • 719 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Mr 8 spent a chunk of yesterday afternoon stamping round the garden yelling "bad earthquake" and giving Mother Nature a good telling-off.

    I keep hearing about kids being extremely annoyed with the earthquake, which is certainly better than being scared.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    My daughter texted me to tell me about the tree in the driveway and the damaged mailbox but she was wrong the mailbox had actually been done in by hoons the night before (4th time in 5 years)

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • dyan campbell,

    I'm very glad all you down south people are alive and kicking. I hope pets and animals are doing okay as well. This certainly makes that motorway upgrade in Auckland look like a very sensible investment.

    none of the kids knows what a 'tallboy' is, so some interesting and not all that improbable assumptions had been made.

    This reminds me of the assumption a friend of mine (from Timaru, of course) made as a child when her sister said an old nun - mutual teacher of theirs had "died on her at school". For a couple years Helen believed her sister had spent a morning at school trapped under the corpse of an elderly nun.

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 595 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    That will be the crazy part of future Chch - a waterway will have changed course and suddenly become a lake or something. Council will have to figure out if it's worth spending a million dollars returning it to what it was or just leaving it as it now is and adjusting everything around it.

    The pic of the Avon in Hagley Park in a link upthread is pretty wild -- it looks like the riverbed might now be higher than the playing fields, which is where all the water presently is.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    the mailbox had actually been done in by hoons the night before

    Surely you mean Looters?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I'm not sure you can loot an empty mailbox - perhaps you have to stuff a few bills in it or something

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I was being ironic as in how the HOS would have described it.
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    I keep hearing about kids being extremely annoyed with the earthquake, which is certainly better than being scared.

    That seems to kick in once the novelty fades. Initially it's like it's snowed, only much more so. Rubberneckers are still coming from all over to check out the giant sinkhole in the street here. The kids all seem to go for total immersion and want to get right down into it. I can hear their delighted squeals right now as they discover how deep it really is.
    Which is a worry with aftershocks still happening.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Blimey, Joe. Any chance of getting the thing roped off? Alternatively, you might be able to get their attention with these pics of a seriously giant sinkhole.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    . . . a seriously giant sinkhole.

    Here in the flat South, big enough to disappear a couple of 8-year-olds is considered giant.

    That aftershock just now had a rather disturbing rolling quality. Next door's cat has taken it rather badly and vamoosed once more. I wonder where they go?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • paulalambert,

    Both my chimneys are on the verge of falling, and that was a bloddy long jiggy aftershock just now. I wouldn't be hanging around sinkholes if I was small (I bet my teenage son is up the road somewhere near you).

    chch • Since Dec 2006 • 107 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    The pic of the Avon in Hagley Park in a link upthread is pretty wild -- it looks like the riverbed might now be higher than the playing fields, which is where all the water presently is.

    I have a very distinct memory of biking down that street, ooh, a month ago, about quarter past eight on a lovely crisp winter morning with the mist hanging over the Avon and rolling up onto the playing fields under the willow branches, and thinking "This is really lovely, I'm glad I saw it before I went."

    Now I'm really glad.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I wonder where they go?

    Look up, look down, look under. I'd suggest any place they think they are hiding. My dog does attempt the "as high as possible" position, and I have seen Russell's cat up a curtain in a timely manner when he was frightened.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

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