Quake at the Smog

The thing about Los Angeles that I find very strange is that they have these smog alerts, and they recommend you stay indoors. Wouldn't you think that the air in the house comes from outside anyway? I mean I rang a friend there and had him go right through the place, he found the gas pipe, the electrical wiring, the water pipes - but nowhere did he find any air pipes. He checked his utility bill to be sure, and he wasn't charged for any air, but its only a matter of time before the City corrects that oversight! But for now, isn't it weird that they can say to their kids, "C'mon, I want you to get some fresh air! Everyone inside!"

Los Angeles and San Francisco are moving towards each other at a rate of 1/5 inch per year. It wouldn't surprise me to find that the City has no real plan for handling the 'Big One' but has already worked out who will be in charge of what borough and which of them gets the taxes, when the two cities do finally meet.

Someday soon, the San Andreas Fault is going to open up like the world's most accurate fortune cookie. There'll be thick noxious clouds of sulphurous smoke, foul choking dust from the depths of volcanic hell. The ground will cave in and the 'Lower Side' of town will be about 3 miles 'lower'. And all the radio will say is "Heavier than usual smog alert today, folks, and watch out for those new pot-holes on Main, that first one's a doozy." You've got the San Andreas fault, Owens Valley fault, Garlock fault, Banning fault, San Jacinto fault, the Pinto Mountain fault… in fact, over 230 different faults in the area. Why hasn't anyone marked this state 'Return to Manufacturer'? I mean come on, its faulty. Head down to your local church and tell the priest you want it fixed!

According to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center, the last major ruptures were in 1857 and 1906, and the mean interval between major ruptures is 100-150 years. Sleep well everybody!

Links
Southern California Earthquake Data Center
A long and complete list of faults in the area