Question: is “Upinak” a native name? It looks “Alaskan”
Rod on July 29, 2008 at 9:50 PM

Rod, look at my name. up in ak. Nothing native about it.. hehe :)

California had a mild-to-moderate earthquake today, centered in a mostly rural area of the high desert

Better check a map. The high desert is on the other side of the mountains.

“We wonder how the actors and other personalities did. Is Paris Hilton ok?”

Oh gotcha. But that is ok, I am “Living” the Anchorage summer. it isn’t cold more like rainy, but it was like this in the early 80’s… yawn.
upinak on July 29, 2008 at 7:04 PM

I envy you, Upinka. Anchorage and all of Alaska is beautiful. I even love the winters up there. Spent one in Anchorage and one in Fairbanks courtesy of the Army.

Question: is “Upinak” a native name? It looks “Alaskan”

- The Cat

calbear on July 29, 2008 at 5:07 PM

Of course the location of an earthquake is relevant! It depends upon the fault. This earthquake struck on the Chino fault. If it was on the San Andreas fault, the Newport-Inglewood fault, the Santa Monica fault, or the Hollywood fault, then there would be more cause for concern (especially on the San Andreas.) Most buildings in the Chino Hills area are below five-stories high, and those that are near that height are new and not unreinforced masonry, which is the most dangerous type of building to be in or near during an earthquake.

There should always be due cause for concern, but not “zomfg its the big one run for your lives AHHHHH!!!1111″

“Accounts of the 1857 earthquake indicate that several shocks indicate that several small to moderate size California shocks preceded it by 1 to 9 hours. In particular, two foreshocks were widely felt. A study of felt areas and intensities of these two foreshocks by Professor Kerry Sieh of the California Institute of Technology indicates they were similar to the Parkfield main shocks of 1901, 1922, 1934, and 1966. Sieh concluded that the 1857 foreshocks were magnitude 5 to 6 earthquakes located within an area that includes the Parkfield section….”

It reminds me of the sign I had on my race car trailer that read…”first comes no fear…then comes oh Shiite!”
Liberty or Death on July 29, 2008 at 7:18 PM

I have been in the 2 2003 here in Alaska, the 1 in WA in 2001, the 1 in Alaska in 1989 and I think one more, but forgot the year. All about 7.5. Pucker effect stops after 6.9 I think and you just hold on for dear life.

I have also been in 7 volcanos explosions (6 if living in WY when Mt St Helens erupted doesn’t count). Now THOSE are scarey!

I’m an idiot.

If you shake a brown cow, do you get a chocolate mild shake?

upinak on July 29, 2008 at 7:12 PM

A better question is his. If you cause a dairy to laugh, will milk come out of its nose?

Now the Loma Prieta quake? That was some rockin’ and rollin’.
John the Libertarian on July 29, 2008 at 5:12 PM

Yep, I was at an intersection in the Clayton/Concord area on my way home from work when it hit and my car was a rockin…but not in a good way if you know what I mean.

Still pisses me off. Lived most of 52 years in California and have only felt one small earthquake that did no more than rattle the kitchen cabinets and set my lamps to swinging.

Such a disappointment.
Bob’s Kid on July 29, 2008 at 5:09 PM

Having grown up in Northern California I can tell you that being in an earthquake is a bit of a thrill at first that thrill quickly goes away when it becomes obvious it’s a “big one” and it seems to last forever and you can actually see the ground rippling just like when a stone is thrown into water…then it quickly goes from thrilling to major pucker factor!

It reminds me of the sign I had on my race car trailer that read…”first comes no fear…then comes oh Shiite!”

upinak on July 29, 2008 at 7:12 PM

That’s exactly how they do it.

And, if you shake the cow while feeding it bacteria, you get cheese.

Um, actualy these smaller quakes are a GOOD THING.
The pressure needs to be relieved… and its better to have a series of small earthquakes, then for it to store that energy for a big one.
Romeo13 on July 29, 2008 at 5:03 PM

Whoa, hold on there! Big earthquakes can strike at any time, regardless of how many smaller ones take place.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/faq.php?categoryID=6&faqID=110