Just wanted everyone to know Hawaii is still above water. The earthquake woke me up this morning but it didn't feel as bad as they say it is; I think there were worse quakes when I lived in Japan. It really seemed like a 4.0, at least not more than a 5.0 but I guess the official report for the quake is over a 6.0.

Power was knocked out through the entire state; it took 10 hours to get power back at our house. This is the part I don't get. Supposedly the power was shut down through failsafes, but everywhere else I've been was able to get power back within four hours. I don't know how the power grid infrastructure is setup here, but judging by how the rest of the state's services are, it's a complete cluster***.

There was a landslide on the Big Island but no damage I'm aware of here on Oahu. I guess some houses shifted off there foundations and at least one wooden house just fell apart (which doesn't mean too much because a lot of these houses have termite damage or are over 50 years old and aren't maintained very well).

Lots of rain added to the paranoia of people. People are lined up for gas making it look like the gas lines from the '70s. Since there's very few people with gas stoves, it seemed like everyone was out looking for a place to eat. The people going to the stores acted like the end of the world was coming; they cleaned out the few stores that did have power. I can't understand why these people don't have enough gasoline or home supplies to keep them going for a day or two until things get back to normal.

The biggest observation I have from this is that the state is in no way prepared for a true disaster, whether it's an tidal wave, earthquake, volcano, or even that bird flu they're so paranoid about. I won't be disappointed to leave here when my tour is done.

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Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.

Glad to hear you folks are, "keeping your heads above water" out there.

Sounds like there are lots of things that concern people. I have fond memories of the Gas Shortage. You know, "Hey boy, go get the OTHER plates off the wall in the garage. We got to go get gas."

Hopefully the Islands will stay intact until your next assignment.

Mark

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work."
--Thomas Alva Edison
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--Benjamin Franklin
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
--Hugh Downs

I am really glad that you're okay. When I heard the news, I immediately thought of you.

Thank you for letting us know that everything's alright, and don't fret the small stuff.

If it were me, and I had to encounter a natural disaster, I will probably be still shaking but also grinning like a kid that I am still in one piece.

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