I probably shouldn't let a whole month go by without a reply, which doesn't leave a lot of time.
Aftershocks are s.. Bloody hell. We just had another one as I typed that.
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www.geonet.org.nz]
Anyway, the frequency and intensity of aftershocks has (have?) diminished. They still don't bother me much (yeah, right), but many people I know in Christchurch are in danger of whiplash from the snapping of their overstressed last remaining nerve. No matter how small the effect (slap in the face with a wet bus ticket) when it reaches slap 11,000 the next slap is not the same as the first slap, particularly when there's a very good chance that the medium may unexpectedly change from bus ticket to baseball bat (delivered by trebuchet).
The insurance money is running out. Insurance companies are collapsing. People are leaving the city, businesses are closing, infrastructure is still damaged, the very ground under our feet may at any stage be unable to support a single person, let alone a building.
On the other hand, after 30 years of very slow, much
(30 years? are you sure? Well, yes, you started about 1982 on the Commodore bulletin board with a 300 baud acoustic modem which output text more slowly than you could read it, then you got the 1200 baud modem, and later went through 9,600, the huge upgrade to 14k4, then the 28k8, followed by the (what was it? I don't recall - 35 something), followed by the ultimate state of the art 56k which was where you stayed for... quite a long time) less than broadband speed, I've finally upgraded to broadband. Quite fast broadband. Oh, and I bought a smartphone. Yay me.
And... that quake 5 minutes ago was magnitude 3.2, 6k deep and centered less than 1k from my home.
Once again, I've accidentally remained very close to topic for nearly ten minutes. I'm so sorry. To move to a lighter note, please, please check this out, verify the facts for yourself (be very aware of government suppression in many countries) and sign the petition. I know that the New Zealand Government (despite reports there is a deliberate high-level cover-up) remains unconcerned about this important issue, but perhaps you in your country can help.
Be aware that:
Dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Here in New Zealand it is the major cause of death in children 15 years and younger. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage.
Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.
Please, for your own sake and that of the children (think of the children! Who will think of the children?!), go to the following link, go back to the home page, look through the whole site, and do whatever you can to help make the world more aware of this huge problem, ignored and rejected by officialdom in almost every country in the world.
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www.dhmo.org]