journal features

Yawn, was that another eruption

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Miyakonojo, Kyusyu, 2009.12.30

I was woken this morning at 07:30 by another volcanic boom that rattled the house.

No one else seemed impressed. But then again, not everybody even noticed the soundwave from yesterday's eruption, so I shouldn't be surprised.

But I'm impressed with that volcano. As shown in this map, the mountain (which forms a round island in the lower left of the map) is 35km from Miyakonojo and 65km from Nichinan. That strikes me as a goodly distance for a soundwave to travel and still be strong enough to shake houses.

No matter. We headed for the home of Mari's uncle and (Danish!) aunt and made mochi.

rand()m quote

The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.

—Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov