Hi Don, I'll touch on you last point first, as Jim Berkland once quoted to me from the great Philosopher KANT "Don,t talk about earthquakes, it only encourages them" (after the great Lisbon quake late 1700's. The phenomena of seismophobia is more prevalent in areas that have more earthquakes it seems. Japan, U.S. Calif., Iran and many other places it's all but taboo to speak of earthquakes. I can see why in many of those places that it's that way...So many people have been touched through earthquakes by the cold hand of death, that the memories of those hard days would only pollute the present with terrible memories of suffering from some recent event. I have had mixed reactions in just reporting events to people that already happened in their countries while they were here on vacation or business. Some say thanks but the Japanese (I'm generalizing) seem to regard the subject as taboo, even when they had family there. Here on Vancouver Island people are very open to dialogue about earthquakes because they haven't learned to fear them too much. Our emergency preparedness and education here is sadly lacking, and people welcome info that is illustrated by facts. And the fact that I do forecasts and carry my research on paper to show people helps. It's a fun game to play in the various coffee shops that I visit in several smaller towns. Definitely have a lot of interest here as seimophobia starts with a large quake and our last BIG ONE was 1946, before many of my friends were around. I have sure heard a lot of eyewitness accounts of the 1964 tsunami that struck Port Alberni fro Ak. A worker for the city took many photos and was asked to present them to parliament a short time later during an investigation of the disaster. He was so descriptive, as were others, that I feel I had almost been there. ( actually my dad was there and I was born February the next spring. Perhaps I was there!)
Please look up predicting earthquake on msn search and browse the first paragraph of some of the articles there. They all say the goal of earthquake prediction for large events would be great at ten days or less if it weren't impossible! My forecast for ten days are usually fulfilled within 72 hrs, the exta is just for accuracy of overall record. See how many of my last list happened immed? Onward and Upward, thx Don, take care in creepytown yer on the list...mb.