Earthquake has hit Japan

[Skykid]

Derailed from what exactly? While we're waiting for Magic Knight to check in, new information on the aftermath of the earthquake arrives constantly.

I didn't mind the discussion (well, the factual info) but the tone of the exchange seemed a little out of place.

It did give me an idea for a 2D fighting game in which the cast is primarily scientists that go at each other with uranium rods, textbook projectiles and nuclear fireballs though.

[maxlords]

moozah and austere:

PLEASE STOP! If you want to discuss nuclear reactors and nuclear physics, make a damned thread for it.

That being said...someone posted on the persons thread about MK being found? Did I read that right GP?

[austere]

It did give me an idea for a 2D fighting game in which the cast is primarily scientists that go at each other with uranium rods, textbook projectiles and nuclear fireballs though.

Now that's one game I'd gladly star in, I'll bring the liquid nitrogen though. You can guess what I'd call myself.

As for moozooh's subsequent response, I've already taken it to PM as I implied I would. Thus greg, you don't have to worry about "derailment" as a result of your very own (valid and EXTREMELY on topic, given the on-going disaster) question that moozooh took the time to answer. Three posts so far pleading for thread derailment control. You could say, the thread is being derailed by derailment complaints... should I complain about them or will this create an infinite loop?

[ryu]

That being said...someone posted on the persons thread about MK being found? Did I read that right GP?

he found him on some public source that pretty much anyone can edit. there's also a chance someone might have the same real name as magic knight and that that other person was entered there.

hoping for the best is all we can do right now

[spadgy]

I'm a bit late to check in but I'm glad to hear most of our regulars are OK and our Japanese residents' spirits seem to be good (It will be nice to hear directly from MK of course).

This thread has also been a fascinating read that's done a lot more than the mainstream news in giving me even a tiny sense of what's going on in Japan. Thanks for taking time to give us those first hand reports.

His point is that an exchange over the correctness of your statements regarding the inner workings of a nuclear reactor shouldn't really be debated in this thread to such a degree. It seems more reasonable to focus on Magic Knight's wellbeing, and the condition of the nuclear reactor.

I'm inclined to agree with Skykid's sentiments here (and like his diplomatic tone too). Of course a thread about a tragedy can still contain a bit of debate (and humour), but let's all resist the urge to bicker over details when we're talking about something that's profoundly effected some of our regular members, and let's try not to be provocative when reminding people they might be getting a bit carried away with their arguments.

There's been nothing wrong with debating the details of power stations inner workings, or the reaction to that debate, or anything else discussed here, but at times the tone has been a bit out of place. This is a time to be sensitive, bite our tongues and be positive. We don't want to derail this thread with arguments or arguments about arguments.

In other words, lets all try being nice (as most here have been)!

And to contradict all that somewhat, it's been really nice to see almost everyone pulling together in this thread and forgetting some past disagreements to check that everyone is all right! Good for us.

[scrilla4rella]

This makes me sad to be an American. Check out these comments if you want to be disgusted.
http://i.imgur.com/9d9GZ.jpg

[Alien Soldier]

Magic Knight
Home address: 気仙沼
Status: Someone has received information that this person is alive

That's nice if it's true. Better than the other one!
[Name changed to protect the innocent]

Thanks Paul, I hope this google thing is reliable.

[Vyxx]

This makes me sad to be an American. Check out these comments if you want to be disgusted.
http://i.imgur.com/9d9GZ.jpg

People are Bastards.

[moozooh]

This makes me sad to be an American. Check out these comments if you want to be disgusted.

Don't pay attention and definitely don't let this shit get to you. Wretched people tend to crawl out when their object of spite is weakened.

[Skykid]

This makes me sad to be an American. Check out these comments if you want to be disgusted.
http://i.imgur.com/9d9GZ.jpg

Pearl Harbour always gives me a chuckle. A day that will live in infamy for being a crock of shit from beginning to end. The real event was about as realistic as the Michael Bay movie: a completely engineered attack by FDR who purposely cut off oil supplies to Japan (despite being illegal in war, apparently) without any notice or communication whatsoever, leaving their war effort without its primary benefactor and suddenly up shits creek. It got to the point where they retaliated by attacking Pearl Harbor (an attack the US was aware of days prior) giving FDR an excuse to join World War 2 and get his hands on all that filthy money. They even got to test a couple of new bombs on some innocent people as a bonus and then take part ownership of the country in years to come. Nice folk.

If anyone ever doubts the complete baloney that was Pearl Harbour, you only have to ask why the fuck the Japanese, already stretched on several fronts, would then turn their guns on the worlds strongest military superpower in a seemingly unprovoked attack. Answer: it was a provoked attack.

They're a bit nuts, but not that nuts.

[Kakizaki]

This makes me sad to be an American. Check out these comments if you want to be disgusted.
http://i.imgur.com/9d9GZ.jpg

Pearl Harbour always gives me a chuckle. A day that will live in infamy for being a crock of shit from beginning to end. The real event was about as realistic as the Michael Bay movie: a completely engineered attack by FDR who purposely cut off oil supplies to Japan (despite being illegal in war, apparently) without any notice or communication whatsoever, leaving their war effort without its primary benefactor and suddenly up shits creek. It got to the point where they retaliated by attacking Pearl Harbor (an attack the US was aware of days prior) giving FDR an excuse to join World War 2 and get his hands on all that filthy money. They even got to test a couple of new bombs on some innocent people as a bonus and then take part ownership of the country in years to come. Nice folk.

If anyone ever doubts the complete baloney that was Pearl Harbour, you only have to ask why the fuck the Japanese, already stretched on several fronts, would then turn their guns on the worlds strongest military superpower in a seemingly unprovoked attack. Answer: it was a provoked attack.

They're a bit nuts, but not that nuts.

I have seen a more than a few of those comments over the last several days and they sicken me as well. I would also tend to agree with Skykid that many people don't fully grasp the factors that led to Japan's decision to attack Pearl Harbor but I do think you may be oversimplifying things a bit and over vilifying the role of the U.S. There is a very long string of cause and effect - cutting off scrap iron and oil supplies was not exactly unjustified considering what Japan was doing in China and Korea - not to mention their movement southward towards SE Asia (I'm leaving a ton out here as well). I get what you are working towards Skykid (and somewhat agree - Japan took a calculated risk with Pearl Harbor because they needed to buy time and felt threatened), but stating that U.S. actions were meant to provoke an immediate Japanese response is a tad off. Unfortunately, things had been slowly building up towards a confrontation for many, many years. Twenty years prior to Pearl Harbor, the U.S. State Department was having a hell of a time attempting to reign in large investment bankers in the U.S. from essentially bankrolling Japanese expansion into Manchuria (in the defense of the bankers, they did believe that they were funding railroad expansion). It is one huge cluster fuck that can't be easily explained and there were a lot of hands in the pot at once (not just the U.S.).

Anyway, that is neither here nor there. The fact remains that these comments regarding 'karma' and Pearl Harbor are idiotic. If these people believe in karmic retribution, I wonder how in the hell they would explain 9/11. I would also be fearful of what type of retribution we (U.S.) could face for slavery or for firebombing civilians during WW II. Yikes. Blah, I just tell myself that shit like this (asinine PH comments) are the ramblings of a very vocal minority and hope I am somewhat correct in my assumption.

[greg]

This makes me sad to be an American. Check out these comments if you want to be disgusted.
http://i.imgur.com/9d9GZ.jpg

Hell, this makes me ashamed to be a human being. It's either this "Pearl Harbor" bullcrap (I'd say two atomic bombs more than payed them back for the attack) or it's people bitching about the dolphin cove (one isolated place in the whole entire country) or that Sea Shepherd crowd bitching about Japan hunting mink whales (which aren't even endangered). Stupid people are stupid.

What kills me in that collage of quotes (I assume that's from Facepalm users) is how many times "God" is brought up, as if God Himself is responsible for all this. I'm pretty sure it's morons like this is what Christ was referring to when he said "I know ye not." Let God do the judging, retards.

[Blackbird]

I'm not entirely sure I buy your presentation of events, Skykid. Not without factual proof, anyway.

Regardless of "who is to blame", few, if any, of the people affected by this disaster are involved with Pearl Harbor in any way. They are simply innocent people that need help presently, not enemies from a rapidly distant past.

Let's concentrate on what is actually important now.

[Skykid]

I would also tend to agree with Skykid that many people don't fully grasp the factors that led to Japan's decision to attack Pearl Harbor but I do think he is oversimplifying things a bit

Completely, but I don't want to write an essay. In simple terms, it wasn't an unprovoked attack.
In the eyes of folks in China and Korea, the US actions were more than justified. They wouldn't have given a damn if they'd dropped twice as many nukes and levelled the entire country, such was their plight. If I put myself in their shoes, I can understand the sentiment too.

But even though it shouldn't piss me off, thick bastards like the ones in scrilla4rella's link get my goat. While I don't want anyone to take this personally, many people outside of the US consider any attack on America to be some kind of 'karma' for a century of global misdemeanours. I can't think of any respectable civilised country who would so brazenly consider 10,000 Japanese dead at the hands of a natural disaster to be some kind of opportunity to crow patriotic waffle at the top of their lungs.

The only time Brits ever mention the war with Germany is in footballing terms (even though they always kick our asses), beyond that bygones are bygones.

Anyway, forget it. Just got fired up. Wish you hadn't posted that link at all to be honest.

[Kakizaki]

The only time Brits ever mention the war with Germany is in footballing terms (even though they always kick our asses), beyond that bygones are bygones.

Sure, but don't treat what was said on facebook or other social media outlets as official U.S. sentiment. Don't lump us all together. That isn't exactly fair. Also, I can think more than a few examples of the U.K. talking a shot here or there at Germany but again, that is neither here nor there.

But yeah, the lesson here is that history is rarely black and white and there is usually more than one 'truth'.

edit - not sure why I only quoted that snippet.

[scrilla4rella]

My friend had a good point, "in America's defense, stupid people are everywhere.". My theory is that a lot of these people have a guilt complex. Or maybe they think that it's too trendy to express sympathy for Japan. They are tired of reading about people's "prayers" so they rock the boat with a little Glen Beck-style incendiary. Look, this is NOT the time to be provocative!

[Skykid]

Sure, but don't treat what was said on facebook or other social media outlets as official U.S. sentiment. That isn't exactly fair - I can think more than a few examples of the U.K. talking a shot here or there at Germany but again, that is neither here nor there.

But yeah, the lesson here is that history is rarely black and white and there is usually more than one 'truth'.

No, I'm not that short sighted, and I apologise if it sounded as though I lumped a nation into a polarised mentality. Americans are lovely people with an impressive sense of heart and passion. It just irks me that US negativity like the aforementioned always seems to manifest itself in some kind of pro-patriotism, or worse, pro-christianity.

[louisg]

Sure, but don't treat what was said on facebook or other social media outlets as official U.S. sentiment. That isn't exactly fair - I can think more than a few examples of the U.K. talking a shot here or there at Germany but again, that is neither here nor there.

Exactly. Nationalistic idiots are nationalistic idiots, just let it be-- getting upset won't change it. We know pretty much everyone here on the forums isn't like that.

[GaijinPunch]

he found him on some public source that pretty much anyone can edit. there's also a chance someone might have the same real name as magic knight and that that other person was entered there.

hoping for the best is all we can do right now

Yes, anyone can edit it, but I would hope people are decent enough not to. While someone might have the same name, it's matched against an address as well, so that's unlikely. ave over at Assembler stated that he contacted his family, family his friends, friends wrote on his wall, someone updated the Google Finder.

Pearl Harbor

While there are a LOT of factors that make it a complex issue (What Skykid wrote isn't necessarily wrong, but you get into all kinds of issues of whether it was necessary or not: I'm sure China & Korea are glad it was done) it will derail is more than the fission tangent.

[Skykid]

Oh dear. Second explosion at the Fukushima plant and impending second Tsunami! Watching on Live TV now. Looking very worrying.

[CMoon]

Jesus

[Kakizaki]

Oh dear. Second explosion at the Fukushima plant and impending second Tsunami! Watching on Live TV now. Looking very worrying.

I have seen several feeds disputing the second tsunami. Not sure what to believe. There is so much conflicting info right now.

[Skykid]

Oh dear. Second explosion at the Fukushima plant and impending second Tsunami! Watching on Live TV now. Looking very worrying.

I have seen several feeds disputing the second tsunami. Not sure what to believe. There is so much conflicting info right now.

Second Tsunami warning has officially been declared as over. Helicopters spotted something out at sea that looked like a 3 meter wave about an hour ago, but it's come to nothing.

Seems to be a lot of scare stuff going on.

The second explosion at Fukushima has been confirmed, although no news as to how serious yet. They keep mentioning they're expecting a second major quake in 3 days time too.

[Aguraki]

quake displaced earth axis by 10cm
news keep saying no major leaks etc... and meanwhile 200 000 people are being evacuated.
the situation is under control...
stop bitching about karma and grammar fight and just hope things get better.
Also prepare donating and sending things,japan is a rich nation but Im sure they gonna need help.

[Evilmaxwar]

quake displaced earth axis by 10cm

Yes, and japan is also 6 feet closer to America now

[TLB]

What is with all this derailing bullshit? Why are you guys talking about Pearl Harbor when we need to be thinking about Magic Knight and all the other people in danger and dead over in Japan. Japan is what this thread is about, guys, not Pearl Harbor and karmas!!! Jesus!

[rancor]

Just got back from my walk - Day 2 report. There is still no gasoline to be had. At all of the supermarkets, food hoarding is well underway. However the stores are still at about 50% capacity which means they are getting restocked overnight. People are buying a weeks worth of food at a time now. On the other hand, gas is not available and I see fools cruising around the city smoking cigarettes just looking out the window. I feel like I'm completely out of step with everyone because either they're taking this all way too seriously, or they all know something that I don't. Small businesses are all open, as is the local Denny's. The post office is not open, although I did get my mail today. Garbage is being picked up, and the old men are cleaning the parks in the morning as usual. Aside from the fact that people are buying all the food available and there is no gas, I'd say that things are fairly normal. There was another moderate sized quake this morning at about 10am - I was inside 7-11 checking the inventory when a few things fell off the shelves.
Another sign that things are getting back to normal is that regular, inane Japanese TV returned at 1pm today. For the last few days it's just been constant news on every channel. Now at least we can once again see how TV celebrities dress their dogs on the weekends.
I didn't go to work today, but I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow. I'm a bit scared to go back so soon because I definitely dont want to do another +20k walk home again if another quake hits.
My family has plenty of rice, noodles, some meat, batteries, water in the bathtub as well as 40l of drinking water, candles, The car has a full tank of gas, and we have plenty of infant formula. Is there anything I'm leaving out? On one hand I dont want to be one of these people I see freaking out, but I also dont want to be unprepared.
At least there was some good news today. The Prime minister said today that the citizens have done such a great job conserving power that the rolling blackouts have been pushed back. That makes me feel good, because I know the people of my city back home would never pull together in that way. .

[brentsg]

Thanks for the detailed update rancor.

[t0yrobo]

I've read a bit that they're expecting some areas to remain underwater permanently as well. I'd imagine thats a fairly normal result of such a huge quake, but damn. Just heard they're predicting over 10,000 dead in Miyagi prefecture alone .
I can't imagine how long it will take for everything to get cleaned up. At least it already seems to be handled better than the nastiness in Louisiana a few years ago.

I met some guy named Greg from Grand Rapids, Michigan along the way and we kept each other laughing with dark humor.. "You know that there was someone whose first day in Tokyo was today.. And they went to the top of Tokyo tower.." hahaha.. we laughed about that one for a while.

I think one of my girlfriend's former classmates named Greg was living in Japan (could've been Korea too, I dunno). Did you happen to see if he had a large scar on his neck, it'd be an amazing coincidence if it were him.

[CMoon]

My family has plenty of rice, noodles, some meat, batteries, water in the bathtub as well as 40l of drinking water, candles, The car has a full tank of gas, and we have plenty of infant formula. Is there anything I'm leaving out?

You said they were rationing power. I assume this means you only have intermittent refrigeration. How do you keep the food (specifically the meat) from spoiling? Sensationalized news has made it a little unclear how bad the situation is out there with power plants--perhaps you have a feeling if the situation will get worse or better.

You sound like your pretty well set. If you ever camp/hike, a lot of that stuff can double for a survival kit (like a camp stove, water purifier); but from your description it sounds like the worst has already happened and you aren't going to get to a situation like Katrina *crosses fingers*. Although a 20 mile hike back home doesn't sound like fun, getting back on a routine is probably for the best.