Subscribe to Excerpts
Subscribe by Email
Once again, southern California is prey to wildfires, an environmental hazard that has become commonplace as the earth has heated up. But I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
Archive for the ‘Disasters’ Category
August 30th, 2009
April 19th, 2009
…went in dumb, come out dumb too.” LSU is doing its best to make Randy Newman right about this, with a remarkably ham-handed firing to shut up one of its most distinguished faculty (more here). Apparently, like so much of Louisiana, they would rather have a nice steady flow of federal money coming [...]
April 7th, 2009
Category: Disasters
Just in case you think buildings that can’t survive earthquakes are only a problem in other countries with weak codes and corrupt enforcement, think again. Memphis and Boston are coming due for big shakes, and they are full of old masonry buildings that will cause hundreds, maybe even thousands, of deaths. I’m probably safer [...]
April 6th, 2009
Category: Disasters
unreinforced masonry buildings do. No earthquake ever hit anyone in the head or buried a child; forget about the earth opening up and swallowing people. It’s heavy stuff falling on you that kills, period. Piles of brick and stone with rooms in them in seismic zones are scheduled for demolition, either at a time [...]
September 10th, 2008
The LHC doomsday scenario and similar risks.
