My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all who are suffering from that devastating 8.9 quake, the biggest in Japan's history. Having experinced first hand the frightening 7.4 one that hit here in 1989, I can't imagine what a 8.9 one would be like endure.

Here on the US West Coast (San Francisco Bay Area, we've received an official warning that a small tsunami wave is due to hit our shore in about 1/2 hour.