then maybe it is time to panic.

Yes, but I already have the panicking part covered.

Dad was at his first professional baseball game last week, in Seattle, and brought up concerns about the type of roof architecture used in various stadiums (heck all the nearby stadiums where I grew up are open air.)

Safeco Field is built to withstand a 7.5 quake, IIRC. The foundation is anchored to bedrock and the roof is such that it won't collapse as much as fall off track in The Big One (TM).

The old Kingdome was built in a similar way to the Superdome -- reinforced concrete with two rings of rebar at the top and bottom. The dome was so strong, in fact, that there were questions about whether they could effectively implode the stadium when they tore it down in 2000. In the end, they actually had to do a bunch of demo on it before they could even think about imploding it.

There was a sci-fi series whose name I've forgotten where they discover the Kingdome roof post-earthquake at the bottom of the Sound -- intact.

I was wondering about that - I mean sure, the Superdome gets you high up, but how is it structurally. Well, they must be relatively confident or they wouldn't be herding people there. It'll be interesting to see what happens if the lower levels flood, though.

Does gathering as much info as possible make it better or worse for you, Dana? Cause if it makes it worse, I suggest you just turn off the tv and radio and sort of arrest the progression of panic

Me, give me all the info. I'm an info junkie and I can sort of focus on the gathering of info over the panic. Not knowing makes me crazier (because I imagine the worst of the worst, as if my knowing could actually do a damn fucking thing...but hey, that's my head.)

Well, they must be relatively confident or they wouldn't be herding people there.

What made dad and I wonder was that the Red Cross wasn't going in to set up. I guess their concern is if they have to evacuate it, it would just be more people to get out, rather than more people to assist the evac.

Cause if it makes it worse, I suggest you just turn off the tv and radio and sort of arrest the progression of panic

I'm not sure. Husband has taken control of the TV, and I'm chatting with shrift. It's not like anyone has anything new to say, anyway.

I'd hate to be stuck in a stadium for days or weeks, but they tend to design them for worst-case scenarios. Safeco Field is supposedly one of the safest places in Seattle to be in a quake, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Superdome is the most hurricane-proof bit of NO.

Ack, that's hard, Dana. May shrift provide you with welcome mirth. Or porn. Whichever. Maybe just set aside certain allottments of news, no news the rest of the time.

In first world issues... I have a LOT of fresh sage this year. Someone please give me suggestions about what to do with it all.

Melt some butter, then put the sage leaves in it. Press the leaves gently with a spoon to release the flavors. Suddenly you have a tasty and elegant topping for pasta. Especially good as an accompaniment to lamb.

Also, dry some of it, send it to sageless people in need of sage.

They may even be able to work some sort of rosemary exchange.

(My rosemary is insane.)