Home, home on the web…
Recession is biting in the US with pawn shops around the country reporting a ‘dental gold rush’ according to this story in The Times:
“People are really cashing in. If a dentist passes away, their kids come in with a big pile of gold teeth,” said Scott Taber, owner of Taber Coins
Today, according to this BBC News story, marks the 140th anniversary of the last major earthquake to strike the Hayward Fault, one of the many fault lines which criss-cross the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Hayward Fault, which runs directly through Oakland to the east of downtown San Francisco, is described on the USGS website as a “tectonic time bomb, due anytime for another magnitude 6.8 to 7.0 earthquake.”
The 1868 quake was described at the time as the “great San Francisco earthquake” until the magnitude 7.8 shock on 18 April 1906. You can read a report of the damage on the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Only 12,00 people lived in Oakland at the time, in mainly wooden buildings, but the possible consequences today are enormous and so many parties have come together to form the 1868 Hayward Earthquake Alliance to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the 1868 ‘big one’ and to raise public awareness of another imminent quake.
These historical photos show the destruction caused by the quake to old wooden structures. Joking aside in the title of this post, spare a thought for those living in the area now. Budding geologists and seismologists should take a trip and check out the sites courtesy of this handy field guide to one of North America’s most dangerous earthquake faults, including a 96 page PDF field trip planner.
Pondered buying a great book today on movable homes (not just caravans) and came across A-Z Wagon Stations which are built and located at A-Z West, “the historical site of the five-acre Homestead Act“.
The prototype for the A-Z Wagon Station is inspired by two different generations of “wagons.” The covered wagons used by the original settlers of the West, and the station wagon of the 20th Century
The wagons are great to look at and a really innovative way of building small, living spaces in remote places.
Honda car adverts - always clever, going that little bit further to stand out from the crowd.
Well now you can take your Civic for a spin down Avenue K outside Lancaster, CA and listen to Rossini’s William Tell Overture (the Lone Ranger’s theme tune) played by your tyres passing over well placed grooves on the road, LP-style.
Best be quick though as the road is going to be paved over later this week after complaints from nearby residents. If you can’t make the trip watch the video to hear the music:
I haven’t been to the glorious golden state since working on a travelling carnival back in 1994 - a shocking gap of 14 years. I’m due to pass through again in Jan 2009 and had hoped to find it just as laid-back as when Pete Wilson was Governor.
Now, according to Chris Ayres in the Times, it turns out the ‘SUV-driving, health Nazis’ may well have taken over:
Welcome everyone, to Nannyfornia: Birthplace of the Ban, Capital of the Clampdown, Mecca of the Moratorium. Or you could just call it the new Mild, Mild West.
As we head towards 4 November 2008 and the great Obama vs. McCain shoot-out it seems the Democrats have already won in California and are embarking on some serious Nanny-state style clampdowns. I can’t wait to get there (via Route 66) and see for myself .
California Uber Alles anyone?
