Earthquake expert Klaus Jacob, a professor at Columbia University, explains how a tsunami works and gains height as it reaches shore "In The Arena."  FULL POST

 Ryan McDonald, an American who teaches English in Japan, talks about the amazing video he shot of Friday's earthquake.  FULL POST

Professor Cham Dallas of the University of Georgia explains why Japan released radioactive steam at two nuclear reactors after a massive earthquake. FULL POST

Eliot Spitzer describes video of Minamisoma, Japan, wiped out by a tsunami from an earthquake, as "absolutely shocking."

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s five OFF-SET questions is Lisa Katayama, blogger at tokyomango.com (Everything You Ever wanted to Know About the Birth City of Godzilla, Gundam, All-You-Can-Eat-Shabu-Shabu, Panty Vending Machines, and Me.)

She writes about culture, technology and human rights for such publications as Wired, Popular Science and The New York Times Magazine. She is also author of the book, “Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan.”

As soon as you heard the news Friday morning and began reading or watching news reports of the earthquake, what were your immediate reactions?

 I heard the news on Thursday night from my aunt in Hawaii. By the time I turned to Al Jazeera and NHK for visuals, I had confirmed that my family and most friends in Tokyo were fine, which quelled any panic I might have otherwise felt. What disturbs me now is the fear and uncertainty that everyone–individually, and collectively as a nation–is feeling back home as the sun comes up this Saturday morning and the tremors creep closer to the Kanto region.  FULL POST

In today's Number of the Day essay (3-11-11), Eliot quotes assistant professor Eric C. Martin of the School of Management at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Martin will be speaking later this month about the response to the Haiti quake a year later. He says, "International development assistance efforts to rebuild Haiti after its devastating 2010 earthquake leave much to be desired."

Martin visited Haiti this past January and today, when the devastation of the Jan. 12, 2010 quake is also on our minds, we asked him what he learned on his trip.

The main theme out of Haiti was the need to coordinate action between NGOs (non-governmental organizations), bilateral and multilateral players.  AND more importantly, to work with and through local institutions in an effort to rebuild the institutions as well the country.

The problem in Haiti was that government in general had limited capacity – and that already weak capacity was devastated by the effects of the quake. So the international community had a limited pool of competent local partners to work with; aid tended to flow through international NGOs. It was just easier at first, thus more efficient in the short run.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, this makes sense, as we were less concerned with solving Haiti's long-term chronic problems (improving government) and much more concerned with addressing the acute needs on the ground (saving lives).

But in doing so, this created a dynamic where, now a year later, still, little assistance goes through local channels. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s OFF-SET questions is John Armbruster, of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of the Earth Institute of Columbia University. In January, he celebrated his 40th anniversary as a seismologist.

What specifically are you  working on?

I am studying earthquakes under Vancouver Island on the West Coast, and I have now eight years of data in my own computer.

My personal project is to develop a better method for detecting and locating smaller events. These are tiny—with a magnitude of around 2.

But this has a practical implication, because this portion of the coast of North America is capable of an earthquake as big as the one today in Japan. FULL POST

Today’s Number of the Day is 8.9.

That’s the magnitude of the devastating earthquake that hit Japan at 2:46 p.m. local time. It’s the most powerful earthquake to hit that nation in at least 100 years.

The images of the quake, the aftershocks and the walls of water from the tsunami that followed now pour across our TV and computer screens—along with the numbers that scientists generate to help us try to understand the impact of natural disasters

Since 1900, the biggest earthquake in the world occurred in Chile on May 22, 1960, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.  At a magnitude of 9.5, approximately 1,655 people were killed, 3,000 were injured, and 2,000,000 were left homeless.

The earthquake in Alaska on March 28, 1964, was the biggest one to occur in the United States, since 1900, with magnitude 9.2.

 And the worst on record? It was in 1556 near Huaxian, Shaanxi (formerly Shensi), China, in which more than 830,000 people were killed.

 Which brings to mind Haiti on Jan. 12, a year ago. That quake killed more than 300,000 people and left more than a million homeless.

 People there are still suffering.

Eric Martin, an assistant professor of management at Bucknell University, visited Haiti in January. He will be speaking later this month about the response to the quake and says, "International development assistance efforts to rebuild Haiti after its devastating 2010 earthquake leave much to be desired."

President Barack Obama earlier Friday offered his condolences to Japan and said the United States was standing by to help "in this time of great trial."

How much help can the U.S. now afford? FULL POST

Here's what's on my mind today, Friday (3-11-11):

1. The Wisconsin debate has been totally hijacked by clichés: “Attack on the middle class”, “attack on working families”, “subversion of democracy”. Charles Lane frames the debate perfectly: “It’s not democracy when the citizens have no control over the pay and benefits of the people that work for them. It’s not collective bargaining when union representatives sit on both sides of the table.”

2. Wisconsin just reduced the power of one of the biggest special interest groups in the country: the government itself.

3. Kind of a big deal: the nation’s second largest radio owner, Cumulus, just bought the third largest station owner, Citadel.

 4. A few weeks ago the Saudi’s tried to buy off a potential revolution from their people. Yesterday they fired bullets in the air. Tomorrow?

 5. ESPN has a 30-for-30 type documentary on Michigan’s Fab Five this Sunday. Long shorts, black socks, black shoes – Webber, Rose, Howard, King, Jackson – these guys were a big deal. I’ll be watching. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s five OFF-SET questions is Frank Donatelli, chairman of GOPAC, the Republican Party's preeminent education and election center dedicated exclusively to Republicans who are seeking state and local offices.

Donatelli was asked by Senator John McCain to serve as the Deputy Chairman of the Republican National Committee during the 2008 presidential elections.  His previous appointments have included serving as an Assistant to President Reagan for Political and Intergovernmental Affairs and as Deputy Assistant to the President for Public Liaison at the White House.  Mr. Donatelli served on White House Chief of Staff James Baker’s team that negotiated the 1984 presidential debates, a role he reprised as a Senior Advisor to Bob Dole in 1996.  He was also a Regional Political Director for Ronald Reagan and was active in the presidential campaigns of George H.W. Bush.

Are you surprised by the depth of the emotion that resulted from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s bill?

Frankly, yes.  Collective bargaining by government workers is a relatively new phenomenon as it was virtually nonexistent until the 1970s.  Indiana eliminated collective bargaining for public employees in 2005 with very little reaction.   Almost as many states prohibit collective bargaining by government workers as allow it.

Government unions hold vital public services hostage and are not shy about opposing governors and mayors who oppose their demands.   As a result, government workers generally get higher pay and benefits than private sector workers and job security is much higher.    Given Wisconsin's structural deficit of $3.6 billion next year, many of these generous benefits just cannot be sustained indefinitely by Wisconsin taxpayers.  Governor Walker's bill is an attempt to address this perilous situation. FULL POST