Learn something new every day

I did not know this (from the racewalking e-list):

This race is a reminder that racewalking started in England with footraces between coachmen as to who could be first back to their employers with the most ale still in the pails. Since they couldn't run or they would spill too much ale; they developed the special gait of racewalkers--one foot on the ground, knee straight and a very smooth balanced forward motion; "fair heel and toe."

Quake-y day

We just had an earthquake: a 3.4 in Orinda. Huh, there have already been 2 others around the same magnitude/same area this AM. Hmm.

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/

It's oddly gratifying to correctly distinguish the office building shaking because a bus or a truck has hit a pothole, which jolts the building, from an actual earthquake. This earthquake rolled, as most of ours do. The one that weirded me out a month or so ago was a slam/jolt. I'm still surprised that it was below 4.0.