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.

Read More

2 Former Presidents Lead Private Fund Raising Relief Effort

MoonHowler

Former Presidents Clinton and Bush have been asked by President Obama to head up private fund raising for Haiti relief, very similar to what President Bush the elder and President Clinton were asked to do. 

The 2 issued the following joint statement:

We are deeply saddened by the devastation and suffering caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti. The people of Haiti are in our thoughts and prayers.

We are pleased to accept President Obama’s request to lead private sector fundraising efforts. In the days and weeks ahead, we will draw attention to the many ways American citizens and businesses can help meet the urgent needs of the Haitian people.

Americans have a long history of showing compassion and generosity in the wake of tragedy. We thank the American people for rallying to help our neighbors in the Caribbean in their hour of suffering – and throughout the journey of rebuilding their nation.

For information on how you can contribute, please visit www.georgewbushcenter.com/haiti and www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake.

Both men plan to go to Haiti in the near future.  Right now, they would both be in the way because of security.  Both men look down-right distinguished in the above picture. 

USNS Hope Heads to Haiti

MoonHowler

Originally an oil tanker, the hospital ship, Hope, is the third ship to bear the name Hope.  She docks in Baltimore and can be readied for service in 5 days.   USNS Hope now heads out to Haiti to bring much needed medical help to the earthquake victims. 

USNS Hope is owned by the Navy and is considered a state of the art floating hospital, with operating rooms, state of the art diagnostics, and now a staff that is dedicated and impressive.  It can treat a thousand people at a time. 

With docks in shambles, the game plan for getting those in need aboard the Hope is unclear.  Americans should be proud of this floating hospital.  Wikipedia boasts:

Operated by the Military Sealift Command, Comfort provides rapid, flexible, and mobile medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces deployed ashore, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat. Secondarily, she provides mobile surgical hospital service for use by appropriate US Government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care incident to these missions or peacetime military operations.

 

There are other hospital ships currently in operation.

A Brutally Ugly Scene

MoonHowler

The following video is a hideously ugly scene of death and destruction and desperation.  Don’t watch if you are too sensitive.  As we talk of the previous troubles of Haiti and the corrupt government, the thuggery, the poverty, we also need to remind ourselves of the human struggle and the humanitarian aid that is needed. 

The Port-au-Prince area does indeed look like a war zone.  Perhaps in the wake of this disaster, a ‘Marshall Plan’ can happen.  There is no government left.  There is just human misery.  Maybe there is silver lining somewhere, if we dig deep enough. 

Right now is not the time to talk politics.  In a few weeks however, serious discussions have to take place.  But right now, all efforts need to be towards rescue. Rebuild comes later and that is the time for toughness and accountability.

Army Officers Could Face Disciplinary Action over Fort Hood Suspect

MoonHowler

As many as 8 army officers could face disciplinary action for failure to do anything about  Major Hasan who went on a rampage  and killed 13 soldiers at Fort Hood last November.  Defense Secretary Gates is expected to turn over findings to the Army for further consideration today.  The officers who could find themselves in trouble were those who supervised Hasan at Walter Reed during his training and who promoted him on down the line.  Those supervisors are being questioned why red flags were not thrown up over this soldier’s competence and behavior. 

According to Yahoo News:

The official said Thursday that a Pentagon inquiry finds fault with five to eight supervisors who knew or should have known about the shortcomings and erratic behavior of Hasan, who’s accused of killing 13 people at the Texas Army base on Nov. 5.

The official described the confidential report on condition of anonymity because it has not been made public.

According to information gathered during the internal Pentagon review and obtained by The Associated Press last week, Hasan’s strident views on Islam became more pronounced as his training progressed. Worries about his competence also grew, yet his superiors continued to give him positive performance evaluations that kept him moving through the ranks. That led to his eventual assignment at Fort Hood.

Recent statistics show the Army rarely blocks junior officers from promotion, especially in the medical corps.

 

The Army is not expected to delve into any contacts Major Nisan had with radical Muslim clerics.  That is part of his criminal case.  The Army is simply looking at the case from a supervisory point of view. 

Should 8 people be punished or is this typical behavior of government agencies?  There always seems to be a fall guy or 2.  Were those who supervised Hasan acting in the spirit of army political correctness?  Do governments, local, state, and federal, set a tone where certain behaviors are excused for certain groups of people?  Are different people held to a different standard because of sub-grouping?  Specifically, was Hasan allowed to be incompetent and erratic because he was Muslim?  Do people who ignore behavior from members of a group do so out of sympathy or out of fear of reprisal from the group members or the higher ups?  

Many of our contributors are former feds, military or local government employees.  We want to hear from you.  Feel free to choose an additional moniker if you need to double layer your anonymity.

Update:  From the New York Times:

Pentagon Report on Fort Hood Shooting Details Failures

Calling the military's defenses against threats from within
its ranks outdated and ineffective, Defense Secretary Robert
M. Gates said that the Army mishandled warnings about the
poor performance and radical views of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan,
the military psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in a
shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5. Several
officers who supervised Major Hasan during his psychiatric
training in the Washington area may be disciplined, he said.

The Dominican Republic Seals Its Borders

MoonHowler

The Dominican Republic has closed its borders and stationed its military on all borders with Haiti.  Only medical emergencies are being allowed in to the Dominican Republic.  Most of the passes into the country are 4-8 hours from the impacted area in Haiti.  Because of destroyed infrastructure, the trip is now taking 10- 12 hours.

It was unclear about traffic going the other direction, from the Dominican Republic into Haiti as rescue crews begin to arrive.   There is no air traffic tower at the Port -au- Prince Airport in Haiti.  Landing is possible but crowded and risky.  The harbor is so damaged that ships cannot dock.  Looting has become rampant and buildings are simply too dangerous to enter.  There is a huge risk of disease.   Aid workers are camped at the airport.  The Red Cross office in Port-au-Prince has been destroyed. 

Should the Domincan Republic close its borders to earthquake victims and refugees?  Is this behavior un-humanitarian?  Can the Dominican Republic absorb that many people?  Ethical questions become more immediate in the wake of a national disaster.

UPDATE:  Audio of Washington Post reporter going to Port-au-Prince via the Dominican Republic:

 

Ways to Text Help Donate to Haiti Relief

MoonHowler

Much is being done via new technology and social networking.  Information came out of Haiti minutes after the quake on Twitter and Facebook  mainly because of cell phone capabililties.  Now Americans can donate through their cell phones.

From myfox channel 5:

WASHINGTON – There are several organization that are responding to the urgent need to Haiti with mobile giving efforts allowing you to text to help.

The quickest way to provide monetary relief to those affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti is mobile giving. By texting a keyword to a designated short code via a mobile phone, a micro-donation of $5 or $10 can be made to aid the millions of people affected by this tragedy. 100% of your donation goes to the recipient charity, and the donation appears as a charge on your carrier bill, standard rates may apply.

Text the word “ Yele” to 501501 to donate $5
On behalf of the Yéle Foundation, the leading contributor to rebuilding Haiti founded by Wyclef Jean 

Text the word “ Haiti” to 85944 to donate $5
On behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International

Text the word “ Haiti” to 25383 to donate $5
On behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee

Text the word “ Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10
On behalf of the Red Cross in the U.S.

Earthquake in Haiti

MoonHowler

Last night, a 7.0 earthquake hit the country of Haiti which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.  Haiti is an impoverished country with a weak infrastructure and limited building codes.  Right now, there is limited information coming out of the country. 

Our silence on the blog should not be seen as indifference.  We simply don’t know much and the information on TV changes minute by minute.  However, I do want a thread up to show our support of this tiny nation and the people who live there.  Additionally, we have Americans in harms way.  The coast guard has begun rescuing Americans from the American Embassy there.

I cannot imagine an earthquake of that magnitude this close to the east coast.  Out west, around the ring of fire,  all ocean front land is peppered with tsunami warnings signs.  I don’t believe I have ever seen a sign on the east coast and I have been from Maine to Florida.  Perhaps these signs are new and I just haven’t been on a coastal route for a while.  But if Haiti, right below Cuba which is 90 miles off the US coast is having 7.0 quakes, we are all very much in danger.

UPDATE:
Pat Robertson being Pat Robertson. SHAME SHAME SHAME on Pat Robertston

UPDATE:  Actual Footage from earthquake.  Is this what it really feels like?

Kudos to Mike May, Who, Along With Maureen Caddigan, Stood Strong For Citizens

Elena

Mike May said it best last night in response to Corey’s cowardly move to defer the Avendale vote when he stated “citizens invested their time, from BOTH sides of the issue, and deserve a vote, up or down”. Maureen Caddigan was right there with Mike, voting against the deferral. Last minute deferrals are a sleazy way to ensure a Developer can live to “fight” another day. Wow, too bad citizens aren’t afforded the same right when we are on the losing end of a land use decision!

I don’t know why Frank P voted in the majority to allow the deferral as he was clearly arguing with Mike Lubely about this bizarre premise that Avendale wasn’t “really” in the Rural Crescent. Hmmm, if that’s the case then why is the application a Comprehensive Plan AMENDMENT. Amendment being the operative word! The board has NEVER voted to take Avendale out of the Rural Crescent and Frank was absolutely right when he challenged Lubely.

I cannot tell you how incredibly disappointed I am in Corey. His leadership role was critical, and he chose the wrong direction. Avendale ONLY benefits the Developer and is a drain for every county resident who pays taxes. The Rural Crescent is a valuable land use tool, not simply from a “green” perspective, but from a planning approach. If the last five years has taught us one thing, it is that you can’t build homes as a means of supporting an entire county economy, or for that matter, and entire country!

I don’t know about everyone else, but I am tired of being soley responsible for supporting the budget of an entire county. We HAVE to diversify the base of our County income, and living more than 80% on real estate taxes, is simply crazy from a financial perspective.

Dave Marsden Wins Special Election to Replace Cuccinelli

MoonHowler

Democrat Dave Marsden has  won the special election in the 37 state senate district to replace newly elected Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.  He narrowly edged out Steve Hunt, the favorite son of some Republicans in this area. 

Marsden’s opponent Steve Hunt attempted to convince voters that he was was not an ideologue, but apparently he wasn’t too convincing.   Anti-bvbl published  a postregarding Hunt’s involvement with a crisis pregnancy center that handed out erroneouos information to women in December.  37th district, which runs from Springfield to Centreville and includes Burke, Fair Oaks, and Chantilly.  The voters in this area are not right wing extremists and apparently rejected this type of candidate.   Usually ideologues come out in droves for special elections but it didn’t work this time. 

It is good to know that a main-stream candidates now represents the 37th–finally!  Currently the Virginia Senate is narrowly under Democratic control.  Congratulations to Dave Marsden.

Hit and Run Victim’s Family Looks for Car

MoonHowler

Monday night about 7:30 pm, a 50 year old lady was run down in the street, right on Grant Avenue near Byrd Drive in Georgetown South. She was simply crossing the street with a friend. The car that hit her kept on driving without regard for her welfare. The lady’s family is currently looking all over for a car that might have the kind of body damage that happens when it strikes a human.  The lady suffered life-threatening injuries. 

It is horribly distressing to learn that someone in our area is so selfish and callous that they would not even stop after hitting someone with their vehicle. Hit and Run is a felony. What is also disturbing is that I cannot find the lady’s name anywhere in the news. This lady has a name and is currently fighting for her life in the hopital. Can our local news agencies tell us a name so we can wish her well? Can the community help the family with any needs she might have? Can we send flowers or cards? When do we protect privacy to this degree? Something is wrong here. The lady has a name.

UPDATE:  The Manassas News and Messenger has updated its article on Ms. Morton who is struggling for her life at Inova Hospital.  Meanwhile her relatives continue their quest to find the car who hit her.  Ms. Morton was thrown 60 feet through the air.  Full article

This is a horrible story and the driver of this vehicle should be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  Meanwhile, our thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Morton and her family.  May she have a full recovery.  Kudos to the Manassas News and Messenger for doing a follow-up story on this heinous crime.