The minimalist approach to updating

Yeah, I’m still here. I mostly just lurk at the moment – making the circle to my usual diary haunts without leaving much in the way of comments. For anyone who’s wondering, sorry about the stealth mode, but my brain seems to be short-circuiting when I try to go into response mode. I really do still give a damn about you all.

School is keeping me busy. The course I’m taking isn’t too difficult, but there is a lot of sheer memorization that keeps me occupied. I’m in the school’s library 9:30 am through 6:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I have surprised myself by keeping breaks to the absolute minimum of bathroom pit stops necessary to ensure a comfort level commensurate with the ability to study. Other days I usually put in at least two hours a day studying, frequently more. My intent remains to come out with top scores in the class, and it turns out I’ve got a bit of competition from a few of the other students, so I continue to push.

The situation in Japan has thwarted my study activities this morning. The pictures coming in from the areas affected by the quake/tsunami/reactors have been so remarkable that I feel it’s almost an obligation to watch. As usual, I find myself arguing with the newscasters, who seem to be secretly hoping for a worst case scenario at times.

The science of earthquakes fascinates me, and I’ve been keeping a close eye on the map at United States Geological Survey’s site. The sheer number of aftershocks marked on the map has obliterated the portion that shows the Pacific east coast of Japan. I’ve noted with some amusement that maps off this site have been used by various news groups who credit Google Maps as the source. A good reporter always goes to the original source, not a mirror site; it tells you a bit about the quality of reporting going on these days.