The Asia Quake

The most recent reports have 23000 people dead, a number that is most certainly going to rise. This quake, at magnitude 9.0, released 100 times the energy of the world's largest thermonuclear weapon. That is a devastating amount of power. For more technical info on the quake, consult the USGS.

Now, I was browsing the CNN website, and on the front page, under the main headline, was a story about how a regular on Oprah had survived. I couldn't bring myself to click the link. 23000+ people dead, but at least an Oprah regular has survived. Does that make it better?

This quake is the 4th largest since 1900. Now there's concern that with the decaying bodies that disease and groundwater contamination could become a major issue. This will get worse before it gets better.