LOL! So you live in Oakland? Reading about earthquakes is interesting, it's very unreal to me, of course, although that freeway collapse is something that really freaked me out at the time. Nothing so graphically shows how death can just take a second when you are thinking about what you need to do, all the familiar things like picking up kids from day care, making supper, reading the newspaper, watching your favorite TV show, and then boom. Gone.
I am a regular reader of Coevolution Quarterly, Stewart Brand had a very good article about volunteering after an earthquake, based on his frustrations with his own efforts after the one in, what was it? 1989? All I can remember is that he says wear boots with steel shanks, because you are going to be wading through glass when you try to rescue people. And stay away if you can't help, don't get in the way. I forget the rest. The magazine is down in the basement, I have a complete collection, even Issue # 2 (or 3?), which was co-edited by the Black Panthers, and is very hard to find. Which is worth an essay in and of itself, but I am not up to it. |
