A long sad week leaves me grateful for everything I have, http://boatermouth.com//index.php?vi...ntent&Itemid=8.

Enjoy your weekend. May it find you in the company of people you love.

Great piece, Matt. Down here in LA people are sure paying more attention to the Tsunami Zone signs. With active faults just offshore we should. Those terrible images from Japan sure are a wake up call.

btw, I've been to the original Surf City, it's in New Jersey! Just another reason for the Jersey guys to rag us.

Thanks, Phil.

I was born up here but grew up in Southern California. I heard a news story about extremely low-level radiation plumes actually reaching your area and people panicking and rushing out to iodine pills.

I actually lived in the Valencia during the 1992 Northridge earthquake. It's hard to imagine, but the 9.0 quake in Japan was more than 3,000 times as strong as the Northridge quake.

You're right about the Jersey thing, too. And Jersey does have great surf ... in the winter, when you have to walk through the snow to surf in 38-degree water. No thanks.

It's amazing, isn't it Matt? I was in Hollywood for the Northridge quake. Weird how the energy traveled, hitting a building bad but the one next door untouched. But that one that hit Japan, 9.0!

I haven't met people who are in a panic over the radiation plume. I'ts supposed to rain this weekend, so there is some chance of particulates falling. Who knows? Every guy my age, from anywhere in the world, has a little bit of bikini in his nutsack. Atoll, that is.

My prayers are with the Japanese. You're right; we need to enjoy what we have, while we have it.

Rain is most definitely headed your way. It has been pouring here all day ... we even had tornado warnings this morning in San Mateo County. That doesn't happen too often.

Glad to hear about the lack of panicky people. Panic never serves anyone.

All the best. Enjoy the decent weather while you can. If get a fraction of what we're getting, you're in for a wet weekend.

In LA the only thing that panics people is gray hair.

I'll break out the rain gear and put a little extra salt on my fries. The fallout won't hit as hard as the burger.

Have a great weekend yourself, Matt.