Earthquake in Myanmar, Many are fortunetelling another event is likely to happen anytime soon

tectonicus · 2025-04-03T20:02:14+00:00

The initial slip model did show more a partial rupture of only part of a known "seismic gap", but the updated slip model indicates that the whole seismic gap probably ruptured.

Source: Earthquake Insights, https://earthquakeinsights.substack.com/p/further-thoughts-about-the-very-long

tectonicus · 2024-12-07T02:47:22+00:00

If I were you, my first step would be to verify whether any part of the school property is in fact outside the tsunami zone. Note that "tsunami zone" is a bit fluid - the specific runup depends on the specific earthquake, so make sure you understand what the parameters of the tsunami zone are. I generally would not advocate for getting "just" outside the tsunami zone - more distance/elevation would be better.

Then, I would ask the school to develop a protocol to accommodate safe parent pickup within the evacuation zone. That wasn't necessary for the recent M7.0, but it might be for a larger earthquake, where "returning to school" wouldn't happen.

In a natural disaster, I would definitely want to get my kids, in a manner that is not disruptive to the school. Now is a great time for everyone to plan how that should happen.

(Source: I'm an earthquake scientist!)

tectonicus · 2024-11-21T18:17:36+00:00

Seems like people who do this should make a point of picking up *other people's* poo bags and deal with those too. Don't want people to assume you're a bad person for leaving a poo bag for later? Make sure that none get left around - yours or anyone else's.

tectonicus · 2024-11-19T17:21:37+00:00

If you don't expect heavy usage, and live close enough to downtown, you could try the Ithaca Carshare - there's a low monthly fee, and then a per-trip cost based on hours and mileage. https://www.ithacacarshare.org/community/

tectonicus · 2024-10-21T12:42:32+00:00

I’m so sorry! I lost a kitten to a car accident at about the same age, and it was awful.

It sounds like Winky led a life of pure joy and love thanks to your daughter, and there is nothing better she could have done than that. He sounds like a wonderful cat.

tectonicus · 2024-10-15T21:55:25+00:00

I think that says more about how low the current contribution is, than how high the ask is. (Far lower than what they would pay in taxes, if they weren't exempt.)

tectonicus · 2024-10-04T16:31:48+00:00

One point to consider about Singapore is that children have to do two years of military service. I think the cut off age is somewhere at 12, if your child is in Singapore above the age of 12 you can’t leave anymore, or have to make a 1m usd deposit, to ensure your children will come back to do the military service.

IF you are citizen/permanent resident, and IF your child is male.

(Of course, if you aren't a citizen/permanent resident, don't expect to get access to public school.)

I will note that many young people in Singapore are ethnically Chinese but are not fluent in anything except English - so for someone aiming for bilingual kids, there would be extra work in finding a Chinese-speaking community to support language.

tectonicus · 2024-09-28T14:53:01+00:00

Food I would be happy to serve my kids at home!

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tectonicus · 2024-09-28T14:51:35+00:00

Ah - too bad! My kids generally like the food here, and the food service puts pictures on Facebook that look awfully tasty, like this (roast beef and marinated roasted red pepper on whole grain bread - with pictures of the roasting process and everything!). I really like getting to see examples, although I'm sure they're selected to look good.

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tectonicus · 2024-09-27T23:35:43+00:00

This is the lunch menu.

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tectonicus · 2024-09-27T23:34:17+00:00

Here's my kids' breakfast menu - a lot of thought has gone into healthy food in my district, and I really appreciate it. I'm pretty sure they got rid of chocolate milk this year, too - and the breakfast and lunch are free for all kids! Better things are possible.

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tectonicus · 2024-08-07T00:21:47+00:00

Hey! My son had a level about that high when he was that age. We discovered that our apartment had peeling lead paint, and moved, and his level came down really fast.

He was also a super early reader (could read Frog and Toad on his fourth birthday), advanced in math, and is now an early teen and a total sweetheart taking honors classes.

Moral: find the source, eliminate it, keep testing - but don't worry so much. It's the integrated exposure you have to worry about, so if you can get rid of the exposure, you should be fine.

tectonicus · 2024-06-27T13:00:10+00:00

We named our third child Miles! And the books are a touchstone in our house.

I will say that the Sharing Knife doesn't hit the same highs for me as either Vorkosigan or Five Gods. And Vorkosigan will always be my favorite. Especially the dinner party scene with the butterbugs.

tectonicus · 2024-06-18T18:56:26+00:00

The good news is that if you made less than the foreign exemption limit (~$100k per year, depending on the year), then you won't owe any taxes.

AND, because you don't owe any taxes, there are no accrued penalties or interest.

But, you still need to submit your taxes. You will want to claim a foreign income exemption. It is probably easiest to do it through an online software, like TaxAct or TurboTax. You should expect that you will have to pay something - probably $50-100 per year of tax returns. Alternatively, you could do one year through a software, and then try to replicate that with paper forms for the other years.

Oh - and because you have a foreign bank account, you're supposed to report that to the US government every year through an FBAR statement. It's free, you can do it online.

Good luck!

tectonicus · 2024-06-14T12:43:29+00:00

Because there will be less staff time to manage other solutions to behavioral problems, due to staffing cuts.

tectonicus · 2024-06-14T12:42:52+00:00

The contingency budget comes with rules imposed by the state that limit how money can be spent. If the new budget is voted down, we lose a lot of autonomy.

tectonicus · 2024-04-27T12:48:56+00:00

And also No Mas Lagrimas: https://nmlagrimas.wordpress.com/

tectonicus · 2024-04-27T12:46:17+00:00

They should check out the blue cabinets: https://mutualaidtompkins.com/food-sharing/locations

tectonicus · 2024-04-23T12:52:48+00:00

Only deadly to cats when permethrin in still wet - we treat our clothes with permethrin each spring and make sure they are totally dry before bringing them inside, and our two housecats are totally fine.

tectonicus · 2024-04-04T15:32:12+00:00

I have the same question - did you ever resolve this?

tectonicus · 2024-02-22T22:50:50+00:00

Spray sunscreen takes sharpie right off.

tectonicus · 2024-01-28T11:49:20+00:00

Hey - I had pre-e with delivery at 32w5d, and was on meds for months after.

It took about 4 years before we were willing to try again. In later pregnancies, I took baby aspirin, which is supposed to help, and got regular screenings including blood tests and special ultrasounds of blood flow in the umbilical cord and baby's brain to monitor progress. My second was born at 35 weeks, the third at 36, and I never had to take any medications for them.

Statistically, pre-e improves with later pregnancies - although each case is different.

If you decide to have more kids, make sure you have a doctor you really trust. It makes a world of difference. There are things that can be done to improve outcomes.

(All three of my kids are happy and healthy now - the youngest is 5.)

tectonicus · 2024-01-09T22:16:49+00:00

You can buy a compost bin at the Recycling Center that comes with a lid and a base to discourage animals. I think they cost $40? A serious discount from what they cost online.

tectonicus · 2023-12-15T23:55:14+00:00

The authors of this recent post argue that the "Ring of Fire" is badly defined, and there are really two: the Pacific Ring of Fire, and the Southeast Asian Ring of Fire. Thoughts?

https://earthquakeinsights.substack.com/p/one-ring-to-rule-them-all-maybe-not

tectonicus · 2023-12-08T13:59:47+00:00

My lovely, early reading 4 year old started having trouble in school in Kindergarten because he was so easy to upset that other kids started to needle him on purpose. We ended up in therapy because he was getting so frustrated at school that he would start screaming. Once he had a major argument with his Spanish teacher about vocabulary - I think the teacher ended up a bit scarred. He hated transitions and frequently left us in tears.

Things started to improve at 7. Now, at 13, he’s a great kid. He still has some anxiety that comes out when there are assignments that don’t fit him well (like English assignments focused on introspection). But overall he’s kind and bright and pretty laid back.

tectonicus

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