Historic Earthquake among other things..
Apr. 5th, 2024 08:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. In case you missed it - 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake hit the Northeastern US today. It's epicenter, according to the US Government Earthquake Center was Whitehouse, NJ. It was, however, felt all the way out to the tip of Long Island, to Baltimore, MD, and up towards Burlington, Vermont. And there were after-shocks. (I didn't feel any after shocks as far as I know, but the quake itself was the biggest I've felt. The last one was way back in 2010 - I think, and it was just 2.05 or 3. And we left the building that time - mainly because we didn't know any better, and we thought it was a gas explosion. I remember standing on the sidewalk a block away from the building for a solid hour waiting with my co-workers until they told us what it was.
The Air Train Building in Jamaica, Queens shook for about five minutes, or maybe it was one minute? It felt like five. I was in the middle of a pre-negotiation MS Teams Meeting, when it felt like someone was shaking my chair. I looked around. Then realized the floor and walls and desk top appeared to be moving.
I pulled down my ear phones and asked my cubical mates if their cubicles were also moving or if it was just me?
Cubicle mates: Not just you. Ours are moving too.
Another voice: Actually it's the entire floor.
Another: We think it might be the whole building.
Me: Anyone know why?
Voice: we've sent a message out to Anthony.
Another one: Should we leave?
Me: No.
Another voice: No, we were told not to leave if the building shakes, remember?
I go to meeting.
Project Managers (who've all gotten up from their conference table and are giving it the side-eye): uhm, we're going to step away for a bit.
Me: Okay, why?
Project Managers: We think it's an Earthquake.
Me: Wait, it's shaking where you are too?
Project Managers: Yes.
Me: Don't leave. You aren't supposed to leave the building if it is an earthquake, you know that right? You are better off staying put. Get under the table or something.
(They are all standing under the doorways and staring at the table.)
Intercom: This is your Building Fire Safety Director, and Intercom Support - we've been instructed to provide you with the following message - we've just experienced an earthquake. Repeat we've experienced an earthquake, it has been confirmed. Please stay where you are seated. Do not leave the building. We'll check and make sure everything is okay - but it probably is, since this is a very sturdy building.
Me: It was just confirmed as an earthquake.
Project Team: Yeah - apparently a 4.8. We saw it confirmed too.
Me: So it was shaking all the way out in Hillside?
Project Team: No, we're in Valley Stream and yeah.
Me: The whole building shook.
Project Team: The table started bouncing. (no wonder they'd stepped back from it and gave it the side-eye.)
Intercom: This is your Building Fire Safety Director - we're pleased to inform you that the building is perfectly safe and secure, and it was in fact an earthquake. No need to be alarmed.
It was hard not to be. I felt shaky for about an hour afterwards. As did everyone else. It took a while for it to feel a if the building wasn't shaking any longer. Felt like having vertigo. Which BYT and I commiserated over. Then all our phones gave off a high pitched alarm - informing us there had just been a 4.8 earthquake in the area. They were a bit late to the party, since this was an hour after the earthquake.
The alarms went off about four times. A high pitched whine. We had to push on the alarm to make it stop.
No damage anywhere that I'm aware of. Just shook up a bit. I texted my brother, who informed me that he couldn't feel it in Hawaii. I texted back that I should hope not, since hello, Tsunami. Here at least, we don't get that.
This is kind of historic. NYC has not had an earthquake of this magnitude in 130 years.
2. Crazy Workplace
The Port Authority vs. the Homeless Population of NYC
Apparently they've decided to close the Air Train Building (where I work) between the hours of 12 am and 5 am, except to ticketed airline passengers, employees, and railroad employees (basically those of us who work in the building). There were signs stating that starting on Monday, the building would be closed between the hours of 12 AM and 5 AM to anyone but ticketed airline passengers and employees. And it was a violation to enter without either a ticket or an employee id. And violators would be fined, and taken away. No loitering etc.
Basically this is the latest in the Port Authority's on-going battle with the Homeless population and Meth Addicts that are camping out in the Air Train Building.
I asked my co-workers about it. They pretty much had the same response that I did..."eh, good luck with that."
Babs: How are they going to manage this?
ME: I don't know. I'm not sure the people they are trying to keep out even read, let alone care.
Babs: No, I mean do I need my ID, do I have to show it to someone -
Me: You plan on showing up at the office between midnight and 5 AM in the morning?
Babs: Why not - it's easier to get work done. No one is there.
Me (I give Babs the side-eye): well, I guess you could get in - they did say people with employee ids.
Babs is not the most logical person on the planet.
There are two types of homeless in NYC. The ones who are slumming to make money (usually have tin cans, dogs, books, and backpacks, with a nice if somewhat ratty blanket to sit on) and the actual homeless - who want to be left alone and you don't dare go within five feet of, if you can help it. (Impossible - since they line the lobby and the entrance to my office building.) They carry knives. Smell. There are no pets. Just grocery carts carrying all their belongings. And they are either meth addicts or crazy.
The one's I see are mainly in the second group - and they are camped out in the Air Train Building. I have to navigate around them in the lobby to get the office. They've put up barricades to keep them out of certain areas and as an attempt to keep them out of the lobby and camping out next to walls. It's not working. They are either meth addicts or insane.
When we all moved to Manhattan briefly and got to experience the first category of homeless, basically the people begging while reading a book or petting their dogs. My co-workers scoffed at them as fakers. Once you've seen the real deal, there's no going back.
3. Very happy it is Friday.
But I wish the World would stop telling me that my mental and physical health is at risk because I live alone. Bugger off world. I live in an apartment complex. I'm not that alone.
The Air Train Building in Jamaica, Queens shook for about five minutes, or maybe it was one minute? It felt like five. I was in the middle of a pre-negotiation MS Teams Meeting, when it felt like someone was shaking my chair. I looked around. Then realized the floor and walls and desk top appeared to be moving.
I pulled down my ear phones and asked my cubical mates if their cubicles were also moving or if it was just me?
Cubicle mates: Not just you. Ours are moving too.
Another voice: Actually it's the entire floor.
Another: We think it might be the whole building.
Me: Anyone know why?
Voice: we've sent a message out to Anthony.
Another one: Should we leave?
Me: No.
Another voice: No, we were told not to leave if the building shakes, remember?
I go to meeting.
Project Managers (who've all gotten up from their conference table and are giving it the side-eye): uhm, we're going to step away for a bit.
Me: Okay, why?
Project Managers: We think it's an Earthquake.
Me: Wait, it's shaking where you are too?
Project Managers: Yes.
Me: Don't leave. You aren't supposed to leave the building if it is an earthquake, you know that right? You are better off staying put. Get under the table or something.
(They are all standing under the doorways and staring at the table.)
Intercom: This is your Building Fire Safety Director, and Intercom Support - we've been instructed to provide you with the following message - we've just experienced an earthquake. Repeat we've experienced an earthquake, it has been confirmed. Please stay where you are seated. Do not leave the building. We'll check and make sure everything is okay - but it probably is, since this is a very sturdy building.
Me: It was just confirmed as an earthquake.
Project Team: Yeah - apparently a 4.8. We saw it confirmed too.
Me: So it was shaking all the way out in Hillside?
Project Team: No, we're in Valley Stream and yeah.
Me: The whole building shook.
Project Team: The table started bouncing. (no wonder they'd stepped back from it and gave it the side-eye.)
Intercom: This is your Building Fire Safety Director - we're pleased to inform you that the building is perfectly safe and secure, and it was in fact an earthquake. No need to be alarmed.
It was hard not to be. I felt shaky for about an hour afterwards. As did everyone else. It took a while for it to feel a if the building wasn't shaking any longer. Felt like having vertigo. Which BYT and I commiserated over. Then all our phones gave off a high pitched alarm - informing us there had just been a 4.8 earthquake in the area. They were a bit late to the party, since this was an hour after the earthquake.
The alarms went off about four times. A high pitched whine. We had to push on the alarm to make it stop.
No damage anywhere that I'm aware of. Just shook up a bit. I texted my brother, who informed me that he couldn't feel it in Hawaii. I texted back that I should hope not, since hello, Tsunami. Here at least, we don't get that.
This is kind of historic. NYC has not had an earthquake of this magnitude in 130 years.
2. Crazy Workplace
The Port Authority vs. the Homeless Population of NYC
Apparently they've decided to close the Air Train Building (where I work) between the hours of 12 am and 5 am, except to ticketed airline passengers, employees, and railroad employees (basically those of us who work in the building). There were signs stating that starting on Monday, the building would be closed between the hours of 12 AM and 5 AM to anyone but ticketed airline passengers and employees. And it was a violation to enter without either a ticket or an employee id. And violators would be fined, and taken away. No loitering etc.
Basically this is the latest in the Port Authority's on-going battle with the Homeless population and Meth Addicts that are camping out in the Air Train Building.
I asked my co-workers about it. They pretty much had the same response that I did..."eh, good luck with that."
Babs: How are they going to manage this?
ME: I don't know. I'm not sure the people they are trying to keep out even read, let alone care.
Babs: No, I mean do I need my ID, do I have to show it to someone -
Me: You plan on showing up at the office between midnight and 5 AM in the morning?
Babs: Why not - it's easier to get work done. No one is there.
Me (I give Babs the side-eye): well, I guess you could get in - they did say people with employee ids.
Babs is not the most logical person on the planet.
There are two types of homeless in NYC. The ones who are slumming to make money (usually have tin cans, dogs, books, and backpacks, with a nice if somewhat ratty blanket to sit on) and the actual homeless - who want to be left alone and you don't dare go within five feet of, if you can help it. (Impossible - since they line the lobby and the entrance to my office building.) They carry knives. Smell. There are no pets. Just grocery carts carrying all their belongings. And they are either meth addicts or crazy.
The one's I see are mainly in the second group - and they are camped out in the Air Train Building. I have to navigate around them in the lobby to get the office. They've put up barricades to keep them out of certain areas and as an attempt to keep them out of the lobby and camping out next to walls. It's not working. They are either meth addicts or insane.
When we all moved to Manhattan briefly and got to experience the first category of homeless, basically the people begging while reading a book or petting their dogs. My co-workers scoffed at them as fakers. Once you've seen the real deal, there's no going back.
3. Very happy it is Friday.
But I wish the World would stop telling me that my mental and physical health is at risk because I live alone. Bugger off world. I live in an apartment complex. I'm not that alone.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-06 01:25 pm (UTC)>>With this and the solar eclipse coming up, it gives you a fresh perspective on your place in the universe.<<
It truly does. We're but tiny specks, albeit tiny specks that can create a lot of damage if we want to - but still.
I didn't feel any aftershock - oddly enough. Although it is possible I did and did not know it. I work near trains, I'm used to vibrations. It took us all a while to figure out what it was. The first time in 2011? We thought it was a gas explosion. But now - we have instant communication with people far far away. I was on a Teams Meeting with people who were all the way out on Long Island. The project team was hilarious - they jumped up from the table and retreated to the doorways of the conference room and were staring at the table as if it had come to life on them unexpectedly. I had to talk them out of leaving the building, let alone the conference room. Engineers. Sigh. Worse. Railroad engineers.
Bankers are clearly more intelligent.
Weirdly the dogs seemed to be less upset than people's cats. Did your wife give the cat or your son the treats?
We're not really getting much in the way of a solar eclipse. Even if I took the day off - I wouldn't see much more than I did last time. It's partial in our area. Only Total in Buffalo, and Buffalo is supposed to be cloudy that day. So if you want to see it? Go north of Buffalo, I guess? My brother used to care and visit places where it was visible - but this year he took off to Hawaii - he got off on telling me he didn't feel the earthquake, being in Hawaii.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-06 03:10 pm (UTC)Ha ha. But now I'm seeing my wife toss a chicken nugget into the kitchen and my son scrambling after it.
Bankers are clearly more intelligent.
Eh. Debatable.
The storm was more problematic.
Definitely. My supposedly waterproofed basement sprung new leaks. We have to bring a new set of guys in. Kill me now.
I'm done with April showers. Can we have the May flowers?
no subject
Date: 2024-04-07 01:00 am (UTC)Well, probably only takes two bankers to put in a light bulb, while it definitely takes five engineers. (One to measure, one to determine which ladder to use, one to climb the ladder, one to hold it, one to figure out which light bulb to plug in - and one to write the scope of work for the light bulb that needs to be purchased.)
I'm right there with you on the April showers. Actually I'm done with showers period for the time being. I had to brave torrential rains to get to a doctor's appointment in King's Highway this past week, it was not fun. And I really don't want to brave them again to get to one on Atlantic and Hicks street in Brooklyn. That one is about a twenty minute walk from the subway.
I'm tired of getting soaked just trying to get to work and the doctor's office. Enough already. Also I need sunshine. I'm getting depressed.