We are the first people in the history of the world to watch these events unfold live on CNN. Therefore we oversensationalize our modern disasters because we get a front row seat.

By "Modern Disasters" do you refer to natural disasters, or the collapse of a 100-story city Tower due to lackadaisical engineering?Many of you are talking media POLITICS. This is not what this thread is about, or what it needs to be. By the way, I strongly believe CNN did a GREAT job covering the events with incredible speed and accuracy and I am not one to trust most media sources.

Video:

.Cheers,- jahman.

By "Modern Disasters" do you refer to natural disasters, or the collapse of a 100-story city Tower due to lackadaisical engineering?Many of you are talking media POLITICS. This is not what this thread is about, or what it needs to be. By the way, I strongly believe CNN did a GREAT job covering the events with incredible speed and accuracy and I am not one to trust most media sources.

Tracon,I'm sorry if I offended you or anyone else by my post...I was just using the iReporters as an example of CNN utilizing a creative way toobtain information when a newsworthy event occurs. I totally agree with you thatCNN is doing a great job covering this event; like you, I don't trust most of themedia as well. :( You're also correct; the thread is about the disaster itself. I just hope the aid gets to them quickly, and the JASDF will be able to open the airports & roads close to the affected areas so they can get aid in. It's stillgetting cold there at night, and essentials are slim. :( Alan :(

Sittig here in Japan 48 hours later and we are still getting noticeable after shocks. I keep thinking something bigger is going to happen. Maybe on 3-15 day if theory holds true.H=8A=1A=1R=18P=11magnitudes range from 8.9 to 9.1M_WThe epicenter was reported to be 81 mi off the east coast.38.321_N_142.369_E =44=8The conspiracy theories related to HAARP pretty much run the entire spectrum of the imagination of conspiracy theorists. Many of the theories are summarized on sites such as this one.

• Earthquakes: Sites such as this one suggest that HAARP has the capability to cause earthquakes at practically any point on earth. As best I can tell, they suggest that HAARP modifies the ionosphere and, consequently, modifies the magnetosphere. The site above says "The magnetosphere is vital to the stability of the tectonic plates that float on the surface of the earth". However, I haven't found any site, other than similar conspiracy sites, that substantiates any connection between the magnetosphere and stability of tectonic plates. Fluctuations in the magnetosphere are associated with auroral activity, commonly known as the "Northern Lights." Given that the sun causes fluctuations in the magnetosphere constantly and causes significant fluctuations during solar storms, the lack of a link between solar activity and earthquakes further calls into question a link beteen the magnetosphere and plate tectonics. Lacking documentation of a connection between the magnetosphere and tectonic stability, a connection between HAARP and earthquakes is speculation not based on science,

Never even heard of HAARP till you guys mentioned it.

Tracon,I'm sorry if I offended you or anyone else by my post...Alan :(

You didn't do anything. News can be a touchy topic for some people...

Sittig here in Japan 48 hours later and we are still getting noticeable after shocks. I keep thinking something bigger is going to happen...

I keep on thinking the same thing; I don't know why. Maybe it's just the frequency and magnitude of the aftershocks.The nature of tectonic movement is basically the magma under the Earth's crust relieving pressure at certain "seals", or where the edges of the plates move against each other. That pressure is created by geologic forces, not by anyoutside force. Alan :(

By "Modern Disasters" do you refer to natural disasters, or the collapse of a 100-story city Tower due to lackadaisical engineering?Many of you are talking media POLITICS. This is not what this thread is about, or what it needs to be. By the way, I strongly believe CNN did a GREAT job covering the events with incredible speed and accuracy and I am not one to trust most media sources.

By modern disasters I mean anything that has been televised. I did not have September 11th on my mind when I made that comment and I didn't make it to criticize CNN or any other media.I watch these things just as any other person would. I was pointing out the difference between people today and people who lived in the past. When Mount Vesuvius erupted and wiped out the city of Pompai, CNN was not there to cover that event. Today and for the first time in the history of the world these disasters are covered in great detail in everything from CNN, BBC, CBC and every Tom, Dick and Harry with a cell phone. Some of these historical events were more devastating then events that have occurred in the past 50 years. However we sensationalize recent events due to the fact it is all televised for everyone to see at home. Their was a recent Earthquake here in New Zealand not far from where I was and the entire world looked upon us then just as they are looking to Japan today. Just a fact of life today is all. Nothing to do with politics.I am also greatful to all the help and support the world has offered my country during our recent difficult time and proud that New Zealand was requested by Japanese Officials to help, and are over their to assist in anyway that we can. In the mean time I will do just as I did with the last earthquake here in Christchurch. Donate to the Red Cross and donate blood.

the earthquake that hit Japan is every devastated. My deepest sympathy to thus people who are affected on that earthquake. I hope Japan can recover soon for the damage that earthquake inflected.

Just posted on SOH, now here.Japan hit by 8.9 quake less than an hour ago!Are you guys watching the footage on CNN?! This is incredibly scary stuff. It is nothing but tremors and tsunami's now. Harbors are completely flooded and airports are all but buried.TURN ON CNN.

You couple all these aftershocks (Yes we are still taking hits) these reactors loosing control and I know how the Japanese will downplay a situation to show that they are in control and self sufficient. If the tremors don't kill us then the radiation leaks will. I am still trying to get out of this country, freaking Continental took off on time, knowing fully well that the freeways/roads/trains were shut down, Half of the pax on my flight got left in the terminal. I was tempted to try and hotwire a JAL 777 and take my chances, but PMDG didn't model one.

Therefore we oversensationalize our modern disasters because we get a front row seat.

We're really going to get front row seats if those reactors explode... The jet stream will carry that cloud across the whole northern part of the hemisphere... It's time for that well deserved vacation to New Zealand...

We're really going to get front row seats if those reactors explode... The jet stream will carry that cloud across the whole northern part of the hemisphere... It's time for that well deserved vacation to New Zealand...

Here in New Zealand we are a Nuclear Free Nation. I believe that Nuclear Reactors on Fault Lines are a risky undertaking. The ones in Japan are soft water reactors meaning they need to continue to pump water on them to keep them cool. Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors are much better as when the pumps fail the reactors can sit in the heavy water and remain cool. China and Canada uses pressurized heavy water reactors, which are the better systems to use, especially if you are going to build a nuclear reactor on a fault line. Or take the New Zealand example and just don't use them. When you live in a country like New Zealand or Japan the advantages are you are sitting on a hotbed of Geothermal Activity, same with Hawaii. This is a great resource for Geothermal Energy. This is pumping up the boiling hot mineral water from underground to spin an electrical generator. Truth is you don't really need to have a nuclear reactor to boil water to spin a generator when you are already sitting on top of an unlimited supply of boiling water. Just pump it up from below and use that to spin the generators.Just some things to consider in light of this recent disaster. I do not have anti-nuclear beliefs, I just think it is risky business on top of fault lines. We will see how the Japanese handle this disaster and what policy changes they take in the coming months and years. Here in New Zealand the US Navy is not even allowed to dock a nuclear powered ship in our ports as per our Nuclear Free Policy, and rightfully so. I wouldn't want an earthquake and tsunami cracking open the hull of a US Navy ship on our shorelines. Our islands are too small to risk that sort of contamination.