Earth Shifting On Its Axis...Again

Putting all of our petty woes into perspective
At any time and without warning
a quake of such magnitude that an entire country moves
and the earth itself shifts on its axis

(CNN) -- The powerful earthquake that unleashed a devastating tsunami Friday appears to have moved the main island of Japan by 8 feet (2.4 meters) and shifted the Earth on its axis.


"At this point, we know that one GPS station moved (8 feet), and we have seen a map from GSI (Geospatial Information Authority) in Japan showing the pattern of shift over a large area is consistent with about that much shift of the land mass," said Kenneth Hudnut, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Reports from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy estimated the 8.9-magnitude quake shifted the planet on its axis by nearly 4 inches (10 centimeters).

To put things in perspective
the Sendai earthquake was about 1000 times more powerful than the earthquake in New Zealand

Like after the 2004 tsunami which killed 230,000 people, the US is sending in the Pacific fleet, literally.
But how much help aid can they offer at this point with thousands dead, thousands missing
power and water out for millions
and a potential Chernobyl style meltdown.


Glenn Reynolds, for years, has been linking to sites about disaster preparedness. 
It's one thing if you live out in the wilds of Idaho or Wyoming to have this list and/or this list of emergency supplies. 
But who in a major metropolitan area keeps these things around the house?
At the very least, anyone who lives in California should have one of these at home and in the car.
I've ignored the whole subject of disaster preparedness for years
Perhaps today is the day to start taking it seriously.