• NO somebody vandalized it; good job, you freaking moron source

• » This is really depressing because: Well, let’s see. The system was built in the wake of the ultra-deadly 2004 tsunami. And it’s going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix. So yeah, read into that what you will, guys. That said, since the quake was so close to the islands, it may have been tough to react in time, anyway.

• 7.7 the magnitude of the quake, which hit the country Monday

• 40+ number of people reported dead in the wake of the quake, which hit near the Sumatra region
• 380+ number of people reported missing; an entire village was swept away after a massive wave hit it source

• no
  deaths the good part about yesterday’s big quake in New Zealand
• $1.4 billion the estimate of damages from the quake; that’s the bad part source

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• To give you an idea of how bad this could be, Christchurch is the second largest city in the country. Fingers crossed. source

• We’re not sure what, but it’s pretty weird. Jean, pretty much the most famous Haitian in the world, plans to take his deep knowledge of economi … oh, who are we kidding? He’s like Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. He’s famous and riding a strong wave of good will, and that high profile and good will may actually be helpful in rebuilding earthquake-torn Haiti, because (while he may only come with a level of political experience equivalent to Alvin Greene) he has charisma and can keep the tragedy on people’s minds. Someone has to. source

• 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit D.C.; that’s not a metaphor, guys source

• Since films were silent back then, we’re guessing you won’t mind the Air soundtrack that comes with and fits the tone of the whole thing pretty well. One think we’ll note about the cityscape here: Nearly all the buildings you see here no longer exist. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake flattened them. Either way, it’s a pretty awesome clip. source

• With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake. If not, I’m sure [Sadeghi] can come up with a rational explanation for why the ground didn’t rumble.
• Blogger Jen McCreight • Regarding her attempt to test out an Iranian cleric’s bizarre theory that promiscuous women cause earthquakes. The Indiana atheist’s suggestion? She wants to encourage female bloggers to take part in a “Boobquake,” where they dress as provocatively as possible and see whether or not it actually causes a quake. This is hilarious, plus it’s picking up steam. While McCreight backed off from her original stance slightly (she’s encouraging donations to Islamic womens’ rights organizations and earthquake recovery groups, and plans to add some scientific data to make it worthwhile), it should be fun to watch on Monday. As long as the cleric is actually wrong, that is. source

• 1,706 killed in last week’s earthquake in the remote Yushu county
• 1,000 bodies have been cremated since the quake happened source