I am not amused!

— Posted inUncategorized — 2 min read

I had a shocking morning today :irked: …

I woke about 6 and, after checking work mail and ensured no order came in overnight, went back to sleep intending to enjoy a modest Saturday morning sleep in.

My morning slumber was rudely disrupted by a sharp jolt, closely followed by rumbling rolling shake, not strong, but menacing because the intensity fluctuated in a way that made you feel it could be a primary shake of the big one. :insane: I got out of bed, grabbed the old cycle helmet I kept under bedside table and braced against corner. The shake subsided as I "got ready (for what? :rolleyes:)"

My sleep-in was apparently over. I went to the lounge, started modem & laptop to check how strong the quake was. After some interim estimates from geonet.org.nz, the confirmed figure was M5.8, deep in the Pacific Plate subduction zone. I went to USGS quake site to double check and was a bit intrigued their figure was M6.3. Then I opened TVNZ site and got a hell of shock seeing a headline "M7.3 hit Japan"!

I follow @USGSBigQuakes on Twitter. I'm supposed to receive text for every quake M5.5 or higher. Why the hell did I not get the notification for M7.3 last night!? :irked: I Was Not Amused!!!

After fuming for a few minutes, I settled down a bit and recalled I actually saw the big circle over Japan when I checked the morning quake. But the significance of it didn't register to my head. :doh: :doh: :doh:

It was very very lucky that the quake wasn't damaging. Otherwise I would never forgive myself for relying Twitter for information and not taking other measures to properly monitor quake situation in Japan. I spent the rest of morning looking for reliable quake information apps and installing to my Xperia.

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  1. Quite a wake-up call, eh, MM? Glad your folks are OK … We just happened to watch the Japan quake on the telly that evening. It was about 7:18 in the evening, as I recall.Get yourself a good Stahlhelm, with a nice liner, so that damned iron isn't sitting on your head … it's 'way better than styrofoam.

  2. Scary… :worried: I'm glad those earthquakes did not cause much damage.

  3. Thanks, dW and Sami. I checked Japanese Meteorological Agency shaking information page and was pretty sure my parents were OK. But often people injure themselves in a quake not by falling object of anything, but by having fall trying to evacuate. So I called mum & dad later to make sure they were OK. I also asked dad to send me a mail when they had another sizeable, concern causing quake. Originally posted by derWandersmann:

    Stahlhelm

    Maybe a little overkill? I only need to protect my head from falling ceiling board, etc, not bullets. The bike helmet is indeed made of styrofoam with plastic shell. Its an old model designed without much consideration to fashion. I once had a rather nasty spill falling over handlebar and hitting my head on asphalt tarmac. But the helmet protected my head perfectly. So I know I can rely on it for my head safety. 😉

  6. Mum, Glad your OKAY!!! Hope you are catching up on your sleep……

  8. IMO twitter is a complete waste of time. O_O The only way to receive reliable information is directly from the source (and this more or less means that everything that *usually* passes as "social media" is also a waste of time). I have an *unusual* definition of "social media" — it's simply the entire WWW (and people just have to learn to be able to identify sources of information correctly… HINT: "whois" 😉 )Glad to hear you're OK 🙂

  10. Originally posted by bestopop:

    twitter is a complete waste of time

    It all depends on how serious the sending authorities take there communications. Here in Canada, at The Weather Network and locally in Calgary at the City Depts. and at News Stations, they take it very seriously, more seriously the Email. I get lots of good info on Twitter though the day, and more handy than getting in my Email account if I am out. The Transit tweets are especially helpful and useful. I personally don't send many tweets, apps I use do, but one can get good reliable 2 way comm with the City Depts here as well as Transit.

  11. Twitter has its uses. I have used Twitter to report local newspaper about error in their article. Twitter was the only means for some people to get information in a disaster, such as the Christchurch Earthquake of February 2011.

  12. Well, when 9/11 happened, the Internet more or less collapsed. Also, I would have expected phone companies in Japan to report that their technology saved XYZ number of people from dying in the Earthquake/Tsunami, but I heard nothing of the sort (Japan is supposed to be technologically advanced, isn't it?). The original idea of twitter was good, but the signal/noise ratio dropped… — and also the whole idea of receiving random updates is all good + funny, but it's not really a good basis for getting "valuable" information (and by "valuable", I mean something like "stuff that I want to see" — for that, searching for [stuff that I want] is usually better). </RANT ;)>

  13. Originally posted by bestopop:

    Also, I would have expected phone companies in Japan to report that their technology saved XYZ number of people from dying in the Earthquake/Tsunami, but I heard nothing of the sort

    You need to learn to have some respect. I will not tolerate anyone using deaths and tragedy to make their clever point and cover their ignorance. You were welcomed as a guest here. If you don't know how to behave like one, go somewhere else.PSAnd do not email me any more. If you have something to say to me in response, do it here in public comments.

  15. I am currently not as common in Oper as usual. Now I read of your terror on 08.12. I am glad that you're okay. :yes:

  16. Thanks, Ange. I'm feeling a lot better now. :)@Crysta 😉 A former secondary school teacher

  20. Thanks, Deb. It's a beautiful but thrilling life we have here in Wellington. But for now, weather is beautiful, strawberries are cropping like a dream and life is good. Enjoying a great start of summer. :cool:@Crysta 😉 (I'm on the work account and without Tamil's toolbar user.js So a commoner smilie has to do, I'm afraid.)

  23. Hi, Jill. Thank you for your concern. :)We do live on a shaky ground at the rim of Pacific. The last big one that hit this region was in 1940s, and the next big one is not supposed to be due. But given those devastating large quakes around Pacific in the recent decade, we do get nervous. :insane:

  24. I didn't know about this! :doh:Too much time spent on Facebook! :awww:

  25. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    I'm on the work account and without Tamil's toolbar user.js

    O.o The BOSS doesn't allow Tamils Toolbar? ….. Hey wait a minute …. I thought you were the BOSS???

  26. Originally posted by qlue:

    Too much time spent on Facebook!

    :no: :no: :no: :no: :no: :insane: :insane: :insane: :insane: :insane: I have to confess. I'm happily assimilated by the G-collective. But F's Big Brother strategies & tactics are so creepy and offensive. :yuck: F repulses me. (In the tone of Matt Smith :p) Originally posted by crystalacey:

    I thought you were the BOSS???

    Yes, I am. I've recently bought a third laptop (the most reasonably priced, no frills big heavy workhorse model from a relatively reliable brand, you know?) for work, in case the current 5+ years old work laptop develops another fatal failure. I've been trying to set it up but haven't got around to getting the toolbar.

  28. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    I have to confess. I'm happily assimilated by the G-collective. But F's Big Brother strategies & tactics are so creepy and offensive. F repulses me. (In the tone of Matt Smith )

    I would agree! But I've been using the chat feature on FB, and the person I've been chatting with is using OperaMini. Google+ doesn't work well with Operamini :awww:

  29. If you have a good reason to use their service, I'm sure you also take necessary caution not to let them compromise your privacy. 😉 Is Google Talk chat client not an option? Does it use too much data or battery charge?

  30. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    Is Google Talk chat client not an option? Does it use too much data or battery charge?

    I'm not sure about compatibility issues there. (I don't know what phone she uses)Of, course, it would require her to get gmail as well! :p

  31. I see. "Whatever she uses" does sound like a good operational reason. 😉

  32. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    I've been trying to set it up but haven't got around to getting the toolbar……I'm happily assimilated by the G-collective.

    Sounds to me like GoogleDrive would be an asset. Are you using that? FB is turning me off more and more too, but that is where some people are …. OH Well …..

  33. I've already got the toolbar script on my private laptop and all I have to do is to put that in Public directory and copy that over here to the work laptop-2. Simple enough but I'm just too lazy to do it in a hurry. :pOriginally posted by crystalacey:

    FB is turning me off more and more too, but that is where some people are …. OH Well …..

    I reckon they are on the down-hill already. It's just the general public doesn't know it yet. A bit like Internet Explorer is still being used by many … :left:Enjoying Friday evening, Crysta? 🙂 I hope you are not buried under the recent big snow.

  34. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    Enjoying Friday evening, Crysta? I hope you are not buried under the recent big snow.

    Yup! Playing with my Trains. It is cold here but the storm you refer to is about 500 miles south of us. We have snow but not that much. It is a white Christmas here this year.

  35. Keep warm, my friend. :)BTW I've just made a friend request. I thought I should post something at your site, but don't seem able to. So hope you don't mind me making the request while not posting anything at your site.

  36. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    BTW I've just made a friend request.

    I thought we were Friends??? O.o I guess something Deleted it :sherlock: I will approve it after this but posting is not manditory!!! Post only if you want to, when you want to…..

  37. Originally posted by crystalacey:

    I will approve it after

    :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: Originally posted by crystalacey:

    I thought we were Friends???

    You'd think, aye? I've a few people like that. Good friends & enjoy chatting with each other whenever we meet, but neither of us got around to actually adding the other. In my case, I always hesitate a bit if I haven't posted anything at their sites, start thinking about what I might say & where (tricky if they don't have blog or friends-only) and end up forgetting about it. :p Well, better late than never.

  43. Originally posted by crystalacey:

    Its fun to dream, Mum, but I would never last the trip ….

    You never know. You might win a lottery or receive an inheritance from an unknown relative. You could make a lot of stop overs, or travel on a cruise ship. 😉

  44. :no: You missed my point. My health wouldn't handle it anymore. I haven't traveled since the mid 90's and it did me in then….. 🙁

  45. Oh, Crysta. I did not know that. I'm so sorry for being insensitive. :(Still though, a good lotto win could build you a mansion with a large air-conditioned conservatory, with big warm pool, sandy beach and tropical flowers inside. 😉

  46. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    I'm so sorry for being insensitive. Still though, a good lotto win could build you a mansion

    :no: offense taken Mum, you were just on the wrong Track, That all….. Mansion sounds fine ….. but doesn't one need to gamble??? :no: Sorry no interest in Lotto, Pichinco(SP?), or any other kinds of gambling here. There never has been …..

  47. Originally posted by crystalacey:

    you were just on the wrong Track,

    😆 I was! :doh:Cheers, for the big hug, Crysta. 😀

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