However, if we had an earthquake right now, as soon as I grabbed Annabel, rode it out, and made sure Dylan was OK, the first thing I'd want to know was which fault it'd been on and the magnitude, and even while I was trying to work out the structural integrity of the house and decide whether it was safe to stay, my mind would be whirling to put it in some kind of scientific and historical context compared to other quakes in Seattle and around the world. That's just the way I am.

Heh. No, I get it. But I do think you're wise to be careful about indulging it out loud without that explanation right now; it's a real-world situation and why court the reaction from those affected if it isn't immediately needed?

I wanted to know what fault Loma Prieta was on, because it helps to gauge the likelihood of aftershocks. The interest there had practical immediacy for me. It was very odd, sitting out in the garden and BBQing because no one who knows SF history would dream of turning on a gas stove after a big quake, the entire city dark, and the sky crimson over the Marina, where fires had broken out.

I understand the statistical fascination Susan. We get so much detail on the local news about the meteorological data that we get to be experts. It is way more detailed than the weather channel. In the past when I have evacuated and listened to national weather I was frustrated with the superficial statistics.

The emotional factors and the academic elements are not the same thing.

However, if we had an earthquake right now, as soon as I grabbed Annabel, rode it out, and made sure Dylan was OK, the first thing I'd want to know was which fault it'd been on and the magnitude, and even while I was trying to work out the structural integrity of the house and decide whether it was safe to stay, my mind would be whirling to put it in some kind of scientific and historical context compared to other quakes in Seattle and around the world. That's just the way I am.

That's pretty much how we dealt with the Nisqually quake at work.

Well, after all the Californians stopped shouting out their best guesses as to the magnitude and we'd evacuated the building, that is. (Yes, I sat next to Engineering.)

Of course, when I finally got home (knowing I wouldn't see Paul, who still worked in news at the time, much for several days), I dealt with it by applying a the contents of a bottle of red wine to self while watching a scrambled Eminem concert on Pay-Per-View.

I find both approaches soothing when under stress.

The emotional factors and the academic elements are not the same thing.

Definitely not. They're coming out of different areas of the brain. But, they don't preclude each other. Just, not too many people can be both simultaneously. So, yeah, definitely have to be careful where we step during ongoing emergencies.

Man I hope so. Pity they couldn't have shown any competence for Katrina in the first place. Wonder if FEMA will have to fill out forms in triplicate to the completely inept DoHS overlords on this one?

They'd better not. Once when it came as a surprise was awful enough, but if the country's populace saw similar fucked-upedness and lack of concern for human lives in the face red tape for the second time in a month, we might not have to wait until 2009 for a new administration.

I dealt with it by applying a the contents of a bottle of red wine to self while watching a scrambled Eminem concert on Pay-Per-View.

We went to our friends' house and had life-affirming junk food.

No doubt lives will be saved because of all the media about Katrina.

I hope so.

why court the reaction from thoes affected if it isn't immediately needed?

Well, I'm not trying to court it--as I said in my edit, the way I look at these things comes so naturally to me that I'm still surprised on the (relatively rare) occasions it causes misunderstandings. You'd think I'd have learned after 9/11, when I walked into misunderstandings right and left for a few days there before I realized that Dylan was literally the only person I could be honest around, since being honest meant analytical ("Why is everyone rushing to support the president? This changes nothing about his competence.") and a bit pugnacious ("Dammit, let's play football this weekend to show the terrorists they can't make us stop living our lives! And I notice none of these people who want to call off the rest of the baseball season play for or root for contenders.").

Just, not too many people can be both simultaneously. So, yeah, definitely have to be careful where we step during ongoing emergencies.

Yeah, I think the reason I sometimes put my foot in my mouth is that I can do both simultaneously, and I tend to lean on the academic elements. I mean, I'm worried about our friend Chris, but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it other than pray for his safety. So I turn to analysis, and find comfort therein.

I dealt with it by applying a the contents of a bottle of red wine to self while watching a scrambled Eminem concert on Pay-Per-View.

I chugged a bottle of Pomerey champagne the night of Loma Prieta, as if it was soda. Only occurred to me afterward that that's what left me miserable for days; at 5:17, when the quake hit, I'd been home from having a cyst removed from one breast and I was tanked up the gourd on painkillers. It was REALLY fucking surreal.

So I turn to analysis, and find comfort therein.

This is me. My daughter was in a car accident once and called me to tell me so. When I didn't immediately freak out she got pissed and said I didn't care. I told her, "You're calling me, right? So I'm guessing nothing is majorly damaged or you 1) wouldn't be calling me or 2) would be calling from the hospital." She calmed down, but it took her 3 or 4 years to come to grip with it and understand not getting freaked is not the same as not caring. But I put the energy into freaking where it is necessary, not where it isn't.