Earthquake Resistant Design–How Safe are WE?

MoonHowler

As one looks at the twisted rubble on TV in Haiti, somewhere along the line, one starts taking personal stock. The what if??? That horrible moment when you move the tragedy in Haiti to Prince William County, or Washington. D.C. if you reach out. How would our building codes stand up to a 7.0 earthquake?

If an earthquake occurred in Washington, D.C. would we have buildings still standing? Many are older architecture. What would happen to our government? How about our archives? Would our skeleton government rush off to wherever they are set up for an emergency?

What if the epicenter were Lake Jackson? Would our homes be earthquake resistant or would we pretty much look like Haiti? Do you race outside or do you hunker down like for a tornado? Frankly, I have no idea. East coast girl here.

This topic came up with friends last night. All were smug. We all felt our homes and apartments would withstand an earthquake much better than the buildings in Haiti. How about that Imperial palace. That looked like a pretty fancy place before the earthquake. The ‘after the earthquake’ didn’t look so good. Pretty much rubble.

These are probably questions all of us should have an answer to, rather than just resting on our American building code laurels. I am not so sure my smug safety attitude is at all accurate. How would Prince William Building codes hold up to a moderate or severe earthquake? How would our national government and its buildings hold up?

 

United States Geological Survey Information regarding earthquakes

It’s That Time of Year Again: 24 Begins

MoonHowler

The TV show 24 starts tonight, Sunday, January 17 at 9 pm on DC Fox 5.  The season premiere will be a 2 night 4 hour show.  24 star Kiefer Sutherland will again spend a season going through 24 hours of incredible espionage, terrorism attack, counter terrorism, an arsenal of weapons and probably torture.  This season’s 24 will take place in New York City.

Jack Bauer, the hero of the show, has seen more lives than a cat.  A grandfather, he is beaten, shot, tortured, kidnapped, drowned, imprisoned, poisoned, drug injected, and just about anything else you can lay on the human soul, and he lives to fight another day.  He continues to be fired and brought back in to government service.  24 has had both a black president and a woman president.  In that respect, it is quite futuristic. 

It is also that time of year when Elena and I have to square off over the reality of 24.  I say art imitates life.  She feels 24 is pure fiction.  I justify some torture using the TV show 24.  Elena rejects torture under any circumstances.  So, there’s the trailer for the Moon-howler/Elena segment of 24 also.  Hopefully, our readers know that while we disagree on some issues, we can agree to disagree.  We just wanted to include you all in our annual tiff over the show. 

(P.S.  We also disagree on PETA.  We will do that one in the spring, in time for the Kentucky Derby.)

Washington Post Editorial: Governor McDonnell

MoonHowler

Today’s Washington Post Editorial pointed out many positive attributes of Governor McDonnell, who was sworn in today at noon in Richmond at the State Capitol. It is a worthwhile read so therefore will be reprinted in its entirety.

GOV. ROBERT F. MCDONNELL — he sheds the hyphenated “-elect” at noon Saturday — has struck many of the right chords in the run-up to his inauguration as Virginia’s 71st governor. His performance during the transition, at once wary of partisan triumphalism and mindful of the state’s grave challenges, has been as focused, disciplined and effective as his successful electoral campaign last fall. That has set the stage for him to lead a state that, despite solid past management and a wealth of natural advantages, is reeling from a national economic downturn.

A key to Mr. McDonnell’s success in setting a constructive tone so far has been his cabinet appointments. In electing to retain Rick Brown, who has been Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s finance secretary, the incoming governor has opted for stability and continuity in the area of state government that needs it most. And in tapping former Prince William County Board chairman Sean Connaughton as his transportation secretary, he has picked a proven, able and pragmatic administrator to focus on Virginia’s most urgent problem: its badly overwhelmed transportation network. It remains to be seen whether Mr. McDonnell, who pledged to address the transportation crisis in his first year in office, will, in fact, deliver a critically needed plan to generate fresh and dependable new funding to build roads and bridges.

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