Super Nintendo Entertainment System

A Letter to all Blokes....

2007-03-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Men of the World,

I have a confession to make:

While I consider myself to be the ultimate motorbike-riding, gym-owning, shaved head, big-bicepped (made that word up) Alpha Male Warrior, I have, on several occasions (okay, many) been known to experience.... fear (please keep this between us as I wouldn't want the girls to find out and possibly think I'm weak... or worse, human).

And while I'm getting things off my chest, I've got a few other confessions:

I've been wr..wr..wr... wrong (there, I said it)... on numerous occasions.
Hard to believe, I know.

I've cried... and not because a bug flew in my eye or I was cutting onions (I know you're losing respect for me by the minute).

I've expressed my emotions to another human being (crazy I know).

I've had a conversation with another male about relationships and feelings (surprisingly, neither of us spontaneously combusted).

Anyway, I thought I'd drop you all a line because it has come to my attention that there exists wide-spread confusion about (1) the role of the male of the species and (2) acceptable and expected behaviour of the male... and who better to clarify such issues for all mankind than the ex-fat kid who cries through chick flicks.

Unlike the DVD player or the microwave oven, it seems that we blokes come with neither an instruction manual, or any form of warranty.
Sure, there have been a few 'how-to' guides for men... but take a look around, they're clearly not having the desired impact; maybe only the girls are reading them!

And not unlike other 'household appliances', we have so many 'features' and capabilities that we never even test drive... or know how to use (the sympathy, the apology and the humility capabilities, just to name a few).
Most of us are kind of like those mobile (cell) phones with two thousand features... but all we do is make and receive calls... 'cause we have absolutely no clues how to use the thing properly!

My extensive(!) research tells me that some of the younger males of the species have been receiving mixed messages and lessons from the elder males of the tribe who are often confused, uneducated, emotionally dysfunctional, sick puppies themselves.
And with role models and mentors such as these, what hope is there for our future Alpha Males to be well-balanced, emotionally healthy, loving, caring men?
Assets to society?

When Junior 'learns' from his father that it's okay to scream at mum(mom) he receives a (bad) lesson in human behaviour, relationships and being a husband.
And when he gets taught that same lesson over and over for years it makes sense that eventually he embraces dear old dad's mentality and communication style... and so the dysfunction, the destruction and the pain continue.

While I'm still a work in progress, it has been my pleasure to consult with thousands of blokes over the years working through all kinds of issues ranging from lowering body-fat, to learning to deal with criticism, to learning to become a more effective communicator, to learning to cope with and overcome all types of fears.

There's not a bloke on the planet who doesn't experience fear... but for some strange reason we men seem compelled to regularly demonstrate how fearless we are.
I've even heard men brag how they are.... afraid of nothing.

"Mate, nothing scares me."

Always remember this wise old proverb:

"Show me someone who has no fear.. and I'll show you an idiot." (C.Harper, 2007)

Well... all 'wise old proverbs'.... have to be new proverbs at some stage.

No, we don't want to be controlled by fear but there are times when fear is 'normal' (even sensible) and it's okay to acknowledge that fear... and no, that acknowledgement does not put our manliness into question.
Clearly some men confuse stupidity with bravery or toughness.

Just watch Jackass Two.

And now we have young men all across the world demonstrating how effectively they can mimic their Jackass heroes by putting themselves through massive physical pain and mutilating themselves in front of their buddies... to be just like their famous role models.

So clever.
And fearless.
We are a society which teaches and condones stupidity.

"Hey don't ask me about my anger issues or my fears or insecurities... but watch me put this massive fishing hook through my cheek and watch me shoot this rocket out of my ass."

If only I wasn't telling the truth, it would be amusing.
Sadly, it is true and it is tragic.

Okay, so we're not going to 'fix' this issue with one small article (post) but I thought we could start with some simple guidelines of acceptable and unacceptable 'bloke behaviour'.

Here we go:

1. Crying - good, healthy even. If you're crying all day, every day; not good.

2. Punching people who disagree with you - not good (as a rule).

3. Being scared occasionally - normal, healthy.

4. Abusing people in traffic (although not only a male behaviour) - not good.. and not surprisingly, achieves nothing but stress.

5. Threatening people - stupid, immature, unnecessary... actually a sign of weakness.

6. Admitting you don't know something - very good.
While a rarity in testosterone land, it actually shows a sign of confidence, maturity and good self esteem. Give it a go... it's liberating.

7. A compulsion to show people how physically strong, athletic, co-ordinated and tough you are - pathetic and embarrassing.

8. Admitting you are wrong - good.
Don't rationalise it, justify it or explain it... just go the humility route and say "I am wrong, sorry."
End of story.
Simple, but rare.
When we admit that we are wrong but then endeavour to justify it... we ruin the moment.

9. Holding a conversation about something other than sport - good.
If you can actually incorporate some dialogue about your feelings and emotions, even better. If the conversation lasts for more than three minutes and you are completely honest; bonus points.

10. Reading the paper while your partner pours out her heart to you - not good. Stupid, in fact.
Potentially dangerous.

11. Man hugging. Good. Healthy to a point.
Personally not a fan of excessive whisker on whisker contact.... but overall it shows a certain level of emotional maturity. Many blokes will run into a burning building to save their buddy but never tell the same buddy how they feel about him or demonstrate any affection.
"Don't be stupid Craig, he just knows."

12. Farting - good. Healthy. Hilarious.
Doesn't matter how old you are; farts are always funny.
(Didn't expect that did you girls... and by the way, why are you reading this; it's for us blokes!)

Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is an Australian motivational speaker, qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.

He can be heard weekly on Australian Radio SEN 1116 and GOLD FM and appears on Australian television on Network Ten's 9AM.

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper

Privat

It Is A Great Time To Be One Who Plays Video Games

2007-03-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

There is something special about the video games of today. The people who enjoy playing them are living in a very exiting time. With the recent releases of Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 (and Xbox 360 a little while back) the gaming experience has been raised to a whole new level. You know there must be something really exciting about the newly released next generation video game consoles if people are willing to camp out in front of stores for a week before their release and then stampede inside the store once they open the doors.

While the hype was substantial leading up to the releases of Nintendo Wii and Sony's Playstation 3, there is also something to be said for customer satisfaction in these cases. These customers are so happy with what they have already seen in the previous products of these companies that they cannot wait to get their hands on whatever products they are offering next.

The new features that these new systems offer such as Motion-Sensitive Remotes, Online Gaming, Wi-Fi Support and High Definition Game Support have customers fighting to be the first ones to have them. It is doubtful that any of them minded the camping out in front of the store part though, because they probably all had a PSP (Playstation Portable) with them and were playing all the cool PSP downloads they got from the Internet. You can now bring your video games with you where ever you go on the planet.

Sony and Nintendo are now neck and neck in the race for technological dominance of the computer game industry. While Playstation 2 dominated this race for years since it's debut back in 1995, Xbox 360 came on the scene and became a competitor. Nintendo suddenly vaulted to the front of the race when they recently released their Wii console. This system takes gaming to a whole new level. It has a revolutionary type of motion sensitive remote control that allows the user to get off their seat and actually get some exercise as they punch, swing, kick and dance their way through the games.

Sony released their Playstation 3 console soon after Wii was released and they jumped back to the front of the race alongside Nintendo with this action. Wii is selling for a little bit less than Playstation 3 is selling for, and this is a big plus for parents on a budget, impressive features aside. However, Sony's new system has many impressive features of it's own such as DVD Movie Playback capability and a 60GB hard drive available. These two systems have a little bit of an advantage over Xbox, for it does not have a motion sensitive remote control.

Xbox will eventually have a system that is comparable to these two systems. The main reason that Xbox 360 is still in the game is because they have such a huge selection of games that go with their systems. The Xbox 360 console has 116 games that can be played with it, while Playstation 3 has 41 and Wii has 47 games. It will not be long before a new version of Xbox 360 is released and then the race will have 3 companies running neck and neck at the front.

Playing a video game these days is like stepping into another world and leaving reality behind for a little while. The technology that is involved with the production of these games is definitely on the cutting edge. Things like next generation motion capture, high definition graphics and motion-sensitive remote controls have made today's video gaming experience nothing less than exhilarating, and to some extent liberating. Your problems disappear once you escape into the world of a video game.

The quality of the graphics, the level of interactivity and the variety of features these spectacular computer games offer these days are like nothing ever seen before. Playing these games is a great way to lose stress and forget about your problems for a little while, even if it is just for twenty minutes during a lunch break. Gameboy and Sony's PSP units have made it so that you can play games just about anywhere.

It is an exciting time to be a video game player. Technology has advanced to the point where you are no longer just playing the game, but you are actually in the game. If you are the kind of person who just loves to play video games, then you must agree that it is a great time to be alive.

Michael P. Connelly is an Author, Artist and award-winning Filmmaker who writes on a variety of topics that effect people in their every day lives.

CLICK HERE For More Information on the topic of this article

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Connelly

Download Free Games For The Psp

2007-03-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

So you're looking to download free games for the PSP, will this article may just help you out. Right now, as you read this, there are literally thousands of free games that you can download for your PSP. When most people think of downloading free games for the PSP they are thinking Sony umd games, but this isn't always the case. The fact is right now, depending on what firmware you are running,you can be downloading and playing games within five minutes.

If you are looking to download free games to your PSP then the fact is that you will first have to downgrade your PSP. Downgrading means we change the system firmware to an earlier version, in this case are 1.50. This particular firmware allows us to take advantage of some built and exploits in the PSP, which means we can actually download games off the Internet and play them. Now there are an abundance of sites currently on at the Internet that proclaim to have thousands if not millions of games, ready for you to download on your PSP (which by the way is a load of crap). They neglect to mention that you have to have a downgraded PSP to be able to download all these free games.Now for those who have a 1.50 PSP or who have downgraded to a 1.50, the doors are now wide open to the world of downloading free games for your PSP.

Okay, let's just assume you have the 1.50 PSP, because really that's what you need to download free games. From here we can do a range of things. Firstly, we can download an emulator which will allow us to play old school games. These emulators basically turn our PSP's into Game Boy's, Nintendo's and Sega Master Systems in fact, you can just about get any of the earlier handheld consoles and play those games on your PSP providing you find the correct emulator. This means that there are literally thousands of games that you could download for free and play them on your PSP.

You can also download games made for the PSP, known as homebrew games. These games have been made by PSP enthusiasts who know a bit about programming and have made their very own games for the PSP community. These homebrew programmers want you to try out their games and they want you to help develop, play and make them better. Now again, there are hundreds if not thousand of these types of games available to you to download for free.

Now you're probably asking " what about umd games, can I download these? ", will the truth is, "yes" you can in fact download umd games as well, although only in certain situations. If you are to download a umd game off the Internet (and there are a lot to download) you should own the original umd game or else you are stealing property, which is against the law, and rightfully so. Please do not download games that you are not legally entitled to do so.

Now remember, all of this means nothing unless you have downgraded your PSP first of all, so before you can even contemplate downloading free games for the PSP you better find out how you can downgrade your PSP.

There are a stack of places on the Internet which will tell you how to downgrade your PSP. But be very careful where you get your software and your instructions on how to do the downgrade because if it all goes wrong, which is quite easy if you don't follow instructions exactly, you will be left with a brick (brick meaning to PSP that is useless, or good for a brick).

My advice is to downgrade your PSP today, so, you too can enjoy the benefits of downloading free games for your PSP.

Terry Dunn is webmaster of http://www.PspVideoGuide.com the only resource online that shows you step by step using video how to turn your Psp into a fantastic multimedia centre.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Dunn

Running Linux On The PlayStation 3 Console

2007-03-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

One of the many features of the PlayStation 3 is that it's capable of using Linux, which means that owners of the PS3 can customize their system and get lots more out of it. Game consoles tend to be designed in order to prevent foreign systems from running on them, but Sony have gone in total the opposite direction with the PS3, allowing an experienced Linux user to personalize their system. Most of the gaming systems will be intentionally locked so that other systems will be unable to run, so the PlayStation is unconventional in allowing this. The only thing that is not possible with the PS3 is to run accelerated graphics.

The PlayStation 3 isn't the first gaming system to allow Linux. The Xbox also utilizes this feature, but the PS3 differs in several ways. To start with, the PS3 is more powerful. In addition, the Xbox requires an additional chip to run Linux, whereas the PS3 is capable of running it without. In fact, it's completely free to run Linux on the PlayStation 3.

Here are some options that you have with the Linux on the PlayStation 3:

With an addition of a keyboard and mouse, the PlayStation 3 can be used like a PC. Not all PC programs are able to adapt to the PS3 environment, as least not yet, but Linux enables you many choices.

Run your own operating system. This is a great advantage to those that would prefer to personalize their system.

Make sure of the Internet. You can search the web on your PS3 with the Firefox internet browser.

Use the office software package. Although, at present it's been reported that Windows doesn't run that well on the PS3. However, in the future, Microsoft may consider creating a version of Windows that can run on the PlayStation 3. There is no official word on this at the moment.

Run various kinds of emulators. This will allow you to play of your favourite games of yesteryear on your brand new PlayStation 3.

Play a variety of media types, such as CD's, DVD's and ROM's. With Linux running, you can listen to music or watch movies on your PS3

Connect to share networks. This will enable you to save and retrieve file on a outside server, meaning a saving in memory.

There is one slight problem with getting Linux on your PlayStation 3 console though, and that is because it's difficult to install and hard to use. At this moment, it's pretty much restricted to the programmers and hobbyists. In the future, hopefully, there will be a more user friendly interface to accompany Linux on the games console. Since PS3 emerged, most programmers like to use Fedora Core to run Linux on their PS3's, but there is now a new system in town called Yellow Dog, which is intended to be used specifically on the PS3. Yellow Dog is being highly rated and gaining exposure.

Still, the best thing about Linux is that it's totally free. All you need is a PlayStation 3, the necessary cable, a USB keyboard and mouse, a USB flash drive and various other accessories to make the installation run smoother... ok, so if you don't already have all that stuff, its not really free, but Linux itself certainly is! It may not be that tough to install, if you've used Linux before. There is a wide choice of websites out there that provide tips on installation, and most seem to recommend Yellow Dog. You will also discover many great ideas on how to run Linux in the gaming forums.

For more information on the PlayStation 3 try visiting http://www.andallconsoles.com/, a popular games console website that provides console news, tips, and game reviews for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Lintern

Xbox vs. PS2 Game Consoles

2007-03-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the two most popular gaming consoles currently on the market: Playstation 2 (PS2) and Xbox. PS2 is a Sony product, while Xbox is owned by the software giant Microsoft. Many different people have worked with these gaming systems inside and out, attempting to determine which system provides the best performance for your hard-earned gaming dollar. Here we take a look at each gaming system and compare the specs and performance of each. We will attempt to answer that age-old question: which is the better gaming system, Xbox or PS2?

You can take a look at a table comparing hardware specs here.

There are many specs in addition to the ones listed above, but these should give you some idea of just how close these two game consoles really are. If you are looking for pure processing power and graphics capabilities, the Xbox appears to have a slight advantage. In addition, its computer-like features, such as a built-in hard drive are nice to have. With the PS2 you must purchase a memory card if you run out of storage room. When comparing raw power and extra features, the Xbox wins - but you have to keep in mind that the PS2 was released first, and there are additional things to consider besides system specs.

What about Multi-player Capabilities?

Both the Xbox and PS2 have multi-player capability. You can hook up a series of both consoles so that you and your friends can play games together at the same time. The Xbox may be connected using a home LAN system, much like your home computers (here's another example of how the Xbox is more like a specialized gaming computer). The PS2 may be connected using a link cable, not a LAN. This system may be cost prohibitive for some gamers, since you have to own multiple consoles, seperate TVs for each, and several copies of the same game (yep, that's expensive).

Of course, you can always ditch the local network and play through the internet. Bboth PS2 and Xbox allow you to play online against a random assortment of opponents. Xbox uses Xbox live, a fairly well supported online gaming network. PS2's network is not as popular as Xbox Llive, but it works fairly well all the same. If you are really into multi-player, it seems that Xbox is probably the best console for you.

Xbox Games vs. PS2 Games

When deciding which of these two game consoles is best for you, you should certainly take into consideration what types of games each offers, and which games you are most interested in playing. PS2, having been around a little while longer, tends to have the larger game library, but Xbox is not terribly far behind. In addition, Xbox tends to produce games geared more towards adults than children. The graphics seen on the new Xbox games are also clearly a step ahead of PS2 graphics. There is, however, nearly a PS2 game for everyone, and there are lot of PS2 games geared towards teenagers. If you are looking for games for kids, the Nintendo Gamecube may actually be a better choice than either of these two - and it's cheaper.

Other Considerations

Some other things you may want to consider when comparing PS2 and Xbox is the controller provided by each. These may not seem like a big factor at first glance, but people usually prefer one type of controller over the other. The Xbox controllers tend to be slightly larger than PS2, mainly because Xbox is designed with older gamers in mind. You can always buy a converter in order to get one game console controller to work with another.

As far as price goes, PS2 has typically been cheaper than Xbox. As of the time of this writing (Dec. 2004), PS2 retails for about $150 and Xbox $100. Game prices are very similar for both game systems, with most new games costing about $30 - $50.

The bottom line is, PS2 is a little older than the Xbox, and is geared for a younger gaming crowd. If you are buying this console for a teenager, the PS2 may actually be your best bet - they have more games, the console is cheaper, and the games are more appropriate for that age group. The Xbox is a little more expensive, has fewer games, but it out-performs PS2 and has more adult-oriented games.

Bradley James is a senior editor for http://www.scinet.cc, a consumer electronics review website. You can find more information about Xbox vs. PS2 at: http://www.scinet.cc/articles/xbox-vs-ps2/xbox-ps2.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bradley_James

List of SNES games

2007-03-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is a list of about 750 games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (a 1990s Video game console, abbreviated SNES), organized alphabetically by name.
Specifically, this is primarily a list of North American releases, particularly with respect to the publisher and release dates given, with European-only releases indicated as well. In most cases, a European release came months later (or sometimes never), and sometimes was published by a different company. For additional release information on a given game, see that game's article. Efforts have been made to make note of alternate (i.e. European) game titles within the table.
For a similar list pertaining to the Super Famicom in Japan, see: List of Super Famicom games. All games fan-translated from Japanese that were never released in North America and/or Europe will be found there.
See Lists of video games for related lists.

2006-09-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

#64 Virginia Cavaliers Preview

Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#64 – Virginia Cavaliers 7-5 SU; 6-6 ATS

Fargo’s Take The Cavaliers have had four straight winning seasons and four consecutive minor bowl appearances. However, that is not what head coach Al Groh envisioned when taking over at Virginia five years ago. He talked about bringing the Cavaliers to the top of the ACC and competing for a National Championship but that has not happened, not even close. 2006 looks to be his toughest year with Virginia attaining a winning record being his biggest challenge. Gone are four assistant coaches from last season along with the some of the biggest playmakers that Groh has had on both offense and defense. Suspensions and departures over the spring and summer raised red flags about the players he’s brought to Charlottesville. Of the 24 players who signed letters of intent, eight failed to meet either NCAA or University standards and were not admitted. If Groh can put together a winning season and another bowl bid, it could be his best job since returning to his alma mater but those goals are a stretch.

Returning Starters on Offense – 5 The offense slipped slightly last season and things could be much worse this year. Gone is quarterback Marques Hagans, who could do just about everything on offense, and he will be replaced by an inexperienced signal caller in Christian Olsen. Olsen emerged from spring practice clearly ahead of Kevin McCabe and Jameel Sewell but he has just 23 career pass attempts to his credit. Also gone is leading rusher Walter Lundi, who did not have a spectacular 2005 but whose leadership will be sorely missed. The offensive line needs to replace three starters including D’Brickashaw Ferguson, the first lineman to be taken in the NFL draft. The strength of the team is at wide receiver where the top six players are back but that does little good if Olsen doesn’t have the time to get them the ball. This could very well be the lowest output offense since 2001 when it averaged just 20.8 ppg.

Returning Starters on Defense – 6 Like the offense, the defense has plenty of holes to fill as well. After allowing only 17.7 ppg in 2004, the unit allowed 23.3 ppg, which was a solid 40th in the country, but the talent was there to be much stronger than that. The front seven was a solid group but that is now the weakness of the defense as four key starters need to be replaced. The strength lies in the secondary where eight experienced players are back, including the recent reinstatement of safety Tony Franklin, last years team captain. Mike London takes over as the defensive coordinator and his job isn’t going to be easy especially with so much inexperience at key positions. The defense is very young but there is huge potential, especially at linebacker. With Franklin back, there are only two senior starters on the entire stop unit and both reside in the secondary.

Schedule The potential is there for a fast start to the season and that will have to occur because the back end of the slate is next to impossible. The non-conference games are not very daunting with home games against Wyoming and Western Michigan and road contests against Pittsburgh and East Carolina. If Virginia can somehow go 3-1 in those games then six wins are a definite possibility, but no guarantee. The Cavaliers start ACC play with road games at Georgia Tech and Duke but then the next three are at home against Maryland, North Carolina and NC State, all games that could go either way. Then the fun begins. Virginia travels to Florida St., hosts Miami (Florida) and travels to Virginia Tech in its final three games. The Cavaliers better have a 6-3 record heading into that stretch because they won’t be winning any of those contests.

You can bet on… Virginia has underachieved since Groh took over as he has been blessed with some enormous talent in his five years as head coach. The Cavaliers no longer have that heading into the season so they are going to need to do some overachieving if 2006 is going to turn out to be a successful campaign. Virginia has six home games on the schedule this year and with the Cavaliers going 22-9 against the number at home since Groh took over, the potential is there for more profits in this season. The problem lies on the road where Virginia is only 6-13 ATS as a road underdog since 2000. Five of the six home games are winnable so if they can keep that home edge, another minor bowl game is a definite possibility.

Playstation

2006-09-05T02:33:00.000-07:00

Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami, 1964

The 1964 Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake and the resulting tsunami struck without warning on Good Friday, March 27.

It was a quiet spring day in Anchorage, a holiday. Temperatures were seasonably mild with a moderate amount of snow on the ground. Children had the day off from school, and customer traffic in the stores downtown was light. Many residents were preparing or enjoying dinner at home. At 5:36 p.m. a major earthquake began to shake the ground, and the earth beneath Southcentral Alaska moved in waves for the next four long minutes.

Parents and children slipped, stumbled and fell on shifting floors in a panicked effort to get outdoors to escape breaking windows. Two inch cracks appeared in the ground in many places. Roads wrinkled and split and Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage broke apart and collapsed 10 feet or more. The Government Hill Elementary School twisted, shifted and became unusable in a moment. The outside wall of the J.C. Penney building crashed to the street. In the Turnagain residential district the ground liquefied like quicksand, slid away, and swallowed up 75 or more homes.

The four minute earthquake released the energy roughly equivalent to 10 million times the force of an atomic bomb. The mass of the earth and ocean absorbed most of the force, but manmade structures in the area could not absorb the rest of the force without suffering massive damage. Total property damage was estimated at $500 million.

Anchorage was crippled as gas lines and water lines were severed abruptly. Residents resorted to melting snow for water while awaiting repairs. Four days later students returned to available schools as life in Anchorage began to recover.

The Earthquake

The center of the Alaska earthquake was located about 75 miles east of Anchorage and about 55 miles west of Valdez. It began 14 to 16 miles deep in the earth’s crust, a comparatively shallow depth, where the Pacific plate dives beneath the North American plate. The huge subduction zone is located at the north end of the Ring of Fire, a semicircle of volcanic and earthquake activity that defines the rim of the Pacific Ocean.

The earthquake fault, more precisely the thrust fault, which was the cause of the Good Friday earthquake stretched 750 miles from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to Valdez. The Pacific plate that day moved an estimated 25 to 30 feet northward, diving beneath the North American plate. The grinding of the two massive tectonic plates caused the Alaska earthquake and measured 8.4 on the Richter scale. In later years the measurement of the Alaska earthquake was upgraded to 9.2 on the Mw, or moment magnitude, scale as the Richter scale was determined to be inaccurate at measuring very large earthquakes above 8.0. Within a day of the initial major earthquake 11 more tremors of 6.0 or greater shook an already nervous population. In fact, aftershocks continued for nearly a year.

The earthquake caused the ground to displace upward by as much as 25 feet on several Alaskan islands and by nearly 3 feet upward at the city of Valdez. In other areas the ground displaced downward as much as 9 feet, for example in the town of Portage.

The Alaska earthquake on Good Friday was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America. It was the second strongest ever recorded worldwide, surpassed in strength by the 9.5 Mw earthquake in Chile on May 22, 1960. The recent December 26, 2004, earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra measured 9.0 Mw. The deadliest earthquake occurred in Shensi Province, China, in 1556 where over 830,000 residents perished.

The Tsunami

Tsunami is an adapted Japanese word meaning “port wave,” a reference to the fact that the wave’s danger and destructive power only become evident as it approaches the shore.

During the 1964 Alaska earthquake the North American plate released upward, displacing a huge volume of ocean water and causing a seismic wave, a tsunami, to travel outward. The wave traveled at an estimated 450 miles per hour in the deeper ocean in a long wave of almost imperceptible height.

As the tsunami wave passed over the continental shelf and approached shore its length shortened, its speed decreased and its height increased as the massive volume and weight of water prepared to release its incredible energy on anything in its path.

At the shallow Valdez Inlet the wave reached a maximum height of nearly 200 feet. Further on, at the old town of Valdez, a 30 foot wall of water struck and demolished all structures. Twenty eight Valdez residents died when the tsunami crashed ashore. Valdez was later rebuilt at a higher elevation and further from the waterfront.

In Seward, Alaska, the earthquake caused a portion of the bay to slide. The slide caused a local tsunami which devastated Seward’s port and downtown district, both of which were eventually rebuilt. Twelve residents perished in Seward.

The small town of Portage was leveled by its own local tsunami and never relocated or rebuilt. Another local tsunami struck the small port of Whittier killing 12 residents.

The Destruction

The original tsunami traveled about 8400 miles. It caused damage in the Hawaiian Islands and along the Oregon and California coasts. A 20 foot wave struck Crescent City, California, and killed 10 residents. The tsunami was responsible for the deaths of 16 people in Oregon and California.

The tsunami killed a total of 122 people in three states. By comparison, the earthquake resulted in 9 deaths.

It has been more than 40 years since the Alaska earthquake and tsunami. In the meantime construction materials and building practices have been enforced to produce structures more capable of surviving strong earthquakes. Also in the meantime, the population in Alaska’s vulnerable areas has increased tremendously.

Smaller earthquakes along Alaska’s subduction zone and other fault zones occur on a daily basis, presumably relieving the internal pressures that would otherwise produce another massive earthquake.

However, nobody knows with certainty when, where, or whether another huge and destructive earthquake will strike Alaska.

Nintendo