I informed a couple of acquaintances yesterday about the earth tremor in Ulverston, Cumbria. One who lives in neighbouring Lancashire (next to Cumbria) said he didn’t feel it. Though the tremor measured 3.7 on the Richter scale, it was a deep one at more than 8 kilometres below surface level, and it’s effects weren’t felt that widely throughout the North West. In the conversation with this guy I conceded it was minor, but stressed it was the third significant tremor in Britain in 2009. Actually it could be counted as the fourth, as there was a Richter 3 earthquake in Goxhill, Lincolnshire on 11th April. That wasn’t strong enough to attract media coverage but nonetheless Richter 3 earthquakes are not a daily happening. Richter 2 tremors are quite frequent in the English Channel and rarely noticed by anyone. While the British Geological Survey has downplayed the Cumbria tremor as a normal event that happens annually on average, the fact remains there has been no recent period in recorded seismological history where several minor earthquakes in Britain have occurred within four months. By significant, I mean ones that have been felt by people. What does this all mean? I’m waiting for a bigger earthquake to strike the UK this year that will leave scientists puzzled as to what is responsible for the increase in seismic activity. And I also believe the big one might cause damage to buildings and possibly injuries. When it comes it might be a cue for people to seriously consider the prospect of a future cataclysm as outlined on this site. Nobody has affirmed my prediction fulfilment of a Richter 3.5+ earthquake in Britain, which I suspect is because the Ulverston tremor wasn’t powerful enough to open their eyes. But the trend is clear and it’s unlikely to subside. I’m bracing myself for this bigger event and anyone else who does is not unwise.

Yesterday a large sinkhole formed in the early afternoon in a busy road of Manchester. I noted this also occurred only a couple of hours after a minor earth tremor in Cumbria on the same day, also in the north west. Question is, could they be related?

This morning a Richter 3.7 earthquake rattled the northwest of England in Cumbria. This fulfills a prediction I announced at the start of the year where I said ‘I believe there will be another earthquake in Britain this year that will make it into the news. That means it will roughly be Richter 3.5 or higher.’ Although the article states there is an earthquake of this magnitude once a year in Britain, they have not always been reported by the media if you trawl though archives. Todays seismic twitch unlikely caused any damage, but it is already the third tremor in Britain in 2009 reported by the media after a Richter 2.8 one in March in Folkestone, Kent, and a Richter 3.3 one in the Shetland Islands in January. I still suspect one of Richter 5+ could strike before the year is out.

An MSN article on the tremor quotes Dr O’Mongain of the British Geological Survey (BGS) as saying ‘The last recorded earthquake in Britain took place in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, last February [2008]‘. This is incorrect. There have already been minor earthquakes this year in Folkestone and the Shetland Isles as I mentioned above.

The latest Obama Administration gaffe sounds too ridiculous to be real. White House official Louis Caldera approved the low altitude flight of Air Force 1, the presidents jumbo jet, over New York City yesterday morning for a photo shoot. The plane was escorted by a fighter jet behind. The White House advised New York City authorities about the operation but did not tell them to warn the public in advance! As a result the sight of the low flying aircraft sent thousands of office staff pouring onto the streets.

The plane just cleared the buildings near the Jersey City Medical Centre and shook the hospital’s windows as it passed overhead, said Mark Rabson, a hospital spokesman.

An Administration official described President Barack Obama as also being furious when he heard about the incident and the confusion it caused. The President hasn’t publicly addressed the matter. There are no plans to ask for Mr Caldera’s resignation, according to the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Well Mr Obama ought to aplologise if his personal jet was responsible for scaring thousands of people during these nervous times when the trauma of 911 still lingers in the public conciousness.

A moderate quake measuring 5.6 in magnitude struck southwestern Mexico near the resort city of Acapulco on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Office workers piled out onto the streets, many wearing face masks because of the swine flue outbreak. Kind of strange when germ outbreaks, earthquakes and floods coincide within a short time frame in the same area, it portends something more ominous for the future.

The coastal Eskimo village of Newtok in Alaska has voted to move 9 miles away from its present location due to flooding induced by melting sub-soils caused by climate change. It’s easy to doubt climate change if your local area is not adversely affected, but for many Alaskans it’s a stark reality.

I returned to England on Friday morning with mild satisfaction that I completed my objective of charting new territory in the USA during a 3,500 mile car journey, which I believe is the longest one I have undertaken. In retrospect I crammed too much driving into a short period, but I don’t regret the ambitious trip. I’m not too exhausted from the jet lag as I envisaged though it will likely catch up on me this week. The holiday reinforced some existing views I have of the US and also provoked some revised insights on various social issues. Unfortunately compared to previous years I was dismayed at the level of aggressive driving I witnessed on many Interstate highways. This may be a minor issue for some people but I tend to take it seriously, as an indication of the contemporary attitude of the public. I know the US economy is sagging and many citizens are getting edgy but I don’t see that as an excuse to drive as if you’re the king of the road and endanger the lives of others. And that includes trucks as well as cars. Not everyone drove recklessly obviously but I won’t forget several hair raising incidents on the road. That grumble aside the weather was excellent for most of the route, and the motels were up to scratch. One of the best driving segments during my journey was the one from southern Maine to north east Maryland, which took me through New York City via the George Washington Bridge. The traffic was busy but lively enough to make it exciting as I observed the scenery passing through. America may be battling a recession but you wouldn’t necessarily guess that from the bustling activity everywhere. Whatever problems America has, as a relative of mine remarked ‘it’s always on the move’.

Yesterday I attended the first paid attraction of my epic journey. I went for a day out to the Kennedy Space Center, a few miles to the east of Titusville. Saw the Saturn V rocket and took a ride on the popular Shuttle Launch experience. In the evening I drove over to Orlando where I’m staying for three days. Today I visited Sea World. I managed to snap great photos of dolphins, seals, alligators and other creatures. Expensive but still a memorable day out, and the temperature rose up to the late 80s. However, all the power has depleted on my digital camera and I didn’t bring my battery recharger with me. Oh well. Tomorrow I might go to Univeral Studios, as I noticed from roadside billboads that it’s hosts some Marvel superhero exhibits there.

I don’t know what else to say. Nothing really political, as it’s a vacation and I’m preoccuppied with sticking to my itinerary than scanning the internet for relevant topics of discussion. And I’m not inclined to reveal any negative observations in order to avoid dampening the spirit of this trip. With that in mind, I’ll probably defer my next blog entry until I ‘m back home on Saturday 25th April. I appreciate your patience if you’re a regular reader, as the visitor stats have dropped since I’ve been on holiday. I realise the bland details of my itinerary are not of interest to everyone, but I thought I would provide an update to the blog rather than let it go into hibernation. If anything momentous happens on the remaining four days of my trip then I will strive to post a comment. I’m certain that my visit here will inspire new issues to write about in the future.

Well I finally made it. I conquered America. This afternoon I turned off Exit 289 on the I-95 to arrive in Palm Coast, Florida from my starting point in southern North Carolina this morning. Since I left southwestern Ontario on Monday via the Quebec/Vermont border, I’ve clocked up over 2220 miles on the odometer. The temperature hit 70F when I got down into Georgia today and then palm trees started to become noticeable. I enjoyed the passage through Jacksonville, FL on the I-95, which allowed me to view the city centre. Upon arriving in Palm Coast I spotted the Post Office, and then stopped off there to buy 10 postcard stamps. I’ll probably have to write out my postcards tommorow evening to ensure I’ll send them from Florida. Yes, I’m only here for a blink of the eye but still hope to see some major attractions during the next three days. I could have flopped out in my motel room but I decided to venture out and survey the immediate area given I’m only here for one evening. I drove to a nearby beach, paying a $2 toll to enter the resort area, and I was impressed with the surroundings. Plenty of palm trees and lush vegetation complete with a gentle ocean breeze. I spent about 45 minutes on the beach watching the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean riding in. It was peaceful to sit there and reflect on the trip. There wasn’t many people on the beach at the time. I felt reasonably relaxed, as I know full well you can’t assume every beach is safe to go to for the solo visitor. I definitely want to come back to Florida and I’ve only been here 5 minutes.

I was grateful that I woke up today without a car lag headache and primed with energy to hit the I-95. The temperature in Maryland was mild this morning, much more so than the chilly nip in the air in Maine yesterday morning. Fuelled up around 8am and then left North East Maryland bound for southern North Carolina. The traffic on the I-95 was very heavy, particularly as I reached the Washington DC area. It was here that I was aggressively tailgated by some maniac drivers. Most of the tailgating was futile because there was a long line of vehicles in front of me including trucks. Trying to nudge me out of the way is not worth the effort when there’s dozens of other vehicles to budge. I stood my ground however, and most of the offenders gave up quickly. I reminded myself that the I-95 is one of Americas major north-south arteries, and often busier than many other Interstates I’ve driven in prior years. I still maintain that drivers are getting more impatient and selfish. Is this an outward display of the tense and uncertain times we’re living in?

When I passed south of Richmond, VA the traffic calmed but was still heavy. I stopped off at a Virginia welcome center at Fredericksburg and took off my sweater under the beaming sun, so bright that you could think it was summer already. Good job I brought my sunglasses. By the time I reached the North Carolina welcome center it warmed up further. Took several photos of the center, and asked a lady if she would take a photo of me with her camera. Later around 5:30pm I reached my destination stage in southern North Carolina. As an added bonus I managed to get down here on one full tank of mid-grade gasoline, which is quite efficient for 45 litre tank.

Tomorrow I have to drive a slightly longer leg to Palm Coast, Florida. I admit I was overly ambitious to fit in a Florida stopover in a short vacation encompassing the northeastern US and Canada but I did it as I was not sure if I will be able to return in the near future. A personal benefit of my gruelling itinerary is that I’ve notched up the number of states I’ve visited in total through my traversal of the New England region, and I will add another tomorrow when I arrive in Florida.

One other thing I should mention is that taking my laptop with me has helped immensely to dynamically co-ordinate this grand journey i.e. reserving motel rooms online and checking distances between places. I’ve also sent mail updates to a relative as well. In the pre Wi-FI era I would have need to have planned this trip more thoroughly before embarking on it.

It seems like ages since I posted my previous entry when I arrived in the US and then popped into Canada to visit relatives. As time is limited I will save the finer details for a post vacation essay, similar to the two travel essays I wrote in 2007. For personal reasons I won’t discuss the relatives visit, except to say that the weather in southwestern Ontario was cool but sunny, about normal for now. On Monday 13th April I drove from southwestern Ontario to Cornwall, Ontario, a distance of nearly 400 miles. It was easy going at first until I passed the Waterloo area on Highway 401 near Toronto. Then I was tailgated by cars severely several times, reminiscent of infuriating incidents on motorways back home in England. Generally the standard of driving is quite good in North America, but in the last few years I have noticed a more aggressive attitude by many motorists. It was the first time I had driven through Toronto, so I was unprepared for it I suppose. A section of Highway 401 in Toronto holds the record for being the widest highway in the world. Once I passed the metropolitan region it subsided and I was able to relax. The other little gripe about this stage of the journey was the absence of rest areas that you get in the US. If you need to relieve yourself on the 401 then you must go into a service area and use a toilet at fast food outlet or gas station, which by default are normally intended for paying customers. Anyway, apart from that grumble I turned up at the pleasant town of Cornwall on time, though too tired to write an entry, as I also had to email a relative. I stayed at the Best Western for the evening. Not the cheapest place, but well worth paying the extra for the quality. In the morning I was impressed by their complimentary continental breakfast - they spread just about every breakfast dish you could imagine, from fruit such as freshly cut pineapple and melons, to cereals, muffins, quiche, eggs, and waiter service menu for a cooked breakfast to order. Even a mini-bakery in the breakfast room itself. Cornwall appeared a nice place to hang around but my demanding itinerary meant I had to leave early on Tuesday (14th April) morning. The drive out of the town took me along the St Lawrence River. I skirted by the side of the Seaway Bridge, which connects Cornwall to New York State on the American side. Stopped off to take a few scenic photos of the St Lawrence. I was heading to York, Maine, (near Portland) via a special route through the border towns of Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont. I went via Montreal, which was busy, but not as hectic as Toronto was. The road network was quite extensive through the city, with many huge retail outlets on either side as I approached the city centre where I would veer south on Autoroute 10 in the direction of Stanstead. The weather was excellent too. South of Montreal the terrain started to become hilly and I saw ski resort signs dotted around. Just after midday I finally arrived in Stanstead, the town I read about on the web before the trip, for being located bang on the Canadian/US border. I rolled down the car window and asked a couple of locals if they knew where the library was. I was very close from my supplied directions but was confused because there wasn’t a sign nearby indicating which building it was. I parked the car to get out in an attempt to locate it on foot. Standing in front of the post office I asked a middle aged man wearing dark sunglasses who came out. He immediately pointed to a building up a street in front of us. That question lead to a very interesting half hour conversation, and I couldn’t have chosen a more informative person to learn about the town. This guy explained to me that if I wanted to enter the library, I couldn’t drive up the street; I would have to go around it to another street and declare entry at US customs. Although the border line runs though the library, the entrance is only on the American side. The guy had lived in Rock Island (now amalgamated into Stanstead) for many years and remarked how before 911 there was no problem with locals going across the border. But now he said, all movement is closely monitored. I would not have guessed that the end of the street was partly in the US. He pointed up to a telephone pole where he said a camera was mounted to observe all movement in the street. I said to him, wouldn’t it have been simpler to put a warning sign up and an American flag at the end? Perhaps that was deferred to prevent a feeling of division in the area, as historically there are many friends and relatives between these two tiny communities. It does illustrate how 911 created division, paranoia, and an intensification of the big brother society for everybody. I thanked the local guy for his advice, and drove around to US customs. After posing standard questions they asked me to park my car in a designated spot and go inside the customs house for an interview. When I described my whirlwind trip schedule it raised their eyebrows. And I don’t really blame anyone for thinking that; it’s not a conventional vacation/holiday by any means. As usual, I’m trying to cram as much in as possible in two weeks. Anyway, I was asked to fill in a customs form and an agent inspected my rental car. After that I was given the green light to proceed. US customs are renowned for being strict, though that might reassure those who are worried about border security. I turned back around and drove to the Haskell Library, the building I saw earlier from the Canadian end of the road. Here was the moment of mild excitement I was waiting for. I entered the library and walked into the reading room on the left with the black border line running through the middle of the room. I decided to stand with one foot in the US and the other in Canada. There can’t be many places you can do that where the border is visibly demarcated, unless you live out in the west where farmland straddles the international boundary of the 49th parallel. And why not? Visitors to the Greenwich Observatory in London, the site of the prime meridian (0 degrees longitude), often stand with one foot in the eastern hemiphere, and the other in the west. As I did so I thought it was a pity that Canada and the US could not have put aside their differences to join as one with so much in common. The idea of Canada joining the US is a large, debatable topic in itself and one that divides Canadians, with many who are content to stay as they are, without the animosity there is to the US in many parts of the world. But the library/opera house was nevertheless built on the border as a symbol of friendship between the two countries that were born of the same mother and shared so much history in their early years. I then continued on to join I-91 to head due south into the heart of Vermont where I would exit on highway 302. The mountinous scenery was an attraction on the journey, and I saw warning signs for Moose. There wasn’t much traffic on the highway. At one of the rest areas I engaged in a nice conversation for 15 minutes with a centre advice clerk who gave me useful maps and asked me what sights I recommended in England. It wasn’t long before I was on the 302 and crossed over into New Hampshire, the sister state to Vermont you could say. Passed by some large ski resorts, and the road winded through valleys and forests all the way to Portland, Maine. From Portland I joined the I-95 to go south to a place called York. I took a wrong turn but after checking the motel address directions at a gas station at Kittery I was able to get back on track. I arrived at the motel around 8pm, quite later than planned.

This morning – Wednesday - I woke up in my York motel room with a heachache. In case it was a sign of dehydration I drank several cups of water. It didn’t abate, however, which I attributed to forgoing evening meals on my gruelling schedule where I covered over 800 miles in less than two days. From past travel experiences, I’ve learnt that under nourishment and tiredness can bring on a headache. I thought fresh fruit snacks and a filling breakfast would suffice but it didn’t. So when I fuelled up at a nearby gas staton I bought some aspirin. I felt slightly better when I was cruising on the I-95. The traffic was intense but I handled it ok and looked forward to getting near New York City. I got snarled up in traffic in the New Haven, CT area, but after that I was up to 70 mph again. I try to eat healthy on trips in the US, so just after Bridgeport, CT I went into MacDonalds for a Chicken Ceasar salad. They’re tasty, and good value in my opinion. The grilled chicken was just what I needed. When I got into New York the traffic was the least you might imagine for the Big Apple and I was still a couple of hours before rush hour. I got across the George Washington Bridge without any significant delay and was able to quickly glance to the left at downtown Manhattan in the distance. I then carried south on the I-95, which is dead straight for many miles. It rained heavily in New Jersey, a useful wash for the car. Saw Newark airport to my right with the lights of incoming planes landing there. I had to pay varying tolls on the I-95 today in different states but I discovered that my car is equipped with EZ-Pass, a device that allows use to use specially marked toll plaza lanes with a reader that charges the toll to your debit/credit card. At 4:30 pm I arrived at my destination in northern Maryland. Compared to yesterday, I arrived on schedule with fewer stops and not so weary. And in retrospect it was quite exhillirating to drive through NYC, demanding as it is on your concentration and driving skills.

I apologise if this blog entry is not intellectually stimulating. It is rather a live travel journal and I will probably reveal the deeper afterthoughts more substantially when I return back home. I’m travelling to Florida, and tomorrow I shall be up early in the morning to drive to Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Pleased to report I arrived in Detroit after a smooth journey, although being totally frank I overslept slightly and was compelled to rush out of my residence to drive to Heathrow to park my car and catch the shuttle bus to Terminal 4. The flight was better than I anticipated. Fully loaded, half of the passengers were from a travelling school music band from Lansing, Michigan who had finished a classical music performance tour in London and Paris. I was seated next to an 11th grade girl from the group. She was rather tired and blase but I tried to make conversation to liven up things and help pass time. Between London and Paris she preferered London for being friendlier, and even a bit safer, as some of her schoolmates were pick-pocketed. The flight was one of the best ones I recall in recent years though we had to fasten out seatbelts for an hour when the headwind picked up to 94 miles per hour over the mid Atlantic. Scary to think that’s hurricane force. The plane dropped its speed to 460 mph, maintaining a steady course, but then after passing the southern tip of Greenland the wind fell to 60 mph and it was able to accelerate above 500 mph to compensate for lost time. There wasn’t much turbulence. You have to commend the skill of pilots, because considering the plane also left Heathrow 20 minutes late we still arrived almost on schedule at Detroit around about 12:10 pm EST.

At the immigration desk I was asked a barrage of questions sternly, and one reason for this is that border protection agents (as they’re now known) are wary of lone travellers. It can vary, however, as last year I cleared through New York immigration en route to the west without any interrogation, just a glance at the passport. Despite being weary I answered every question immediately as if I was on a TV quiz show and also produced my travel itinerary as proof of my intentions. After fingerprinting and a photo shot I proceeded to collect my holdall. I then caught the courtesy shuttle bus to the rental car depot where I picked up my pre-reserved car. The weather was gorgeous and mild, and nearly all the snow that fell in the Detroit area several days earlier had melted. I accepted a Toyota Prius, a hybrid car, instead of the Mazda 6 I was expecting. All rental car firms reserve the right to change the model advertised, so I wasn’t going to argue. Now while I’m technically competent with most devices, I was perplexed on how to start the vehicle as you must use a combination of a power button, brake, and unconventional mini gear stick. After fumbling through the operating manual for 20 minutes I was finally able to get the show on the road. The Prius also features a fancy electronic display and a touch screen mini-monitor. So far it’s been very easy to drive, and what’s more it boasts superb fuel economy, which will save me a few dollars over my long circuit of eastern North America. The only small drag is that at 6″3 I don’t have much leg room in the drivers seat. Without futher ado I headed northbound on the I-94 towards Port Huron, which was 80 miles away. The traffic was quite heavy and the drivers were aggressive as I travelled through the central Detroit area. Plenty of weaving in and out and unnecessary tailgaiting. I had to keep my wits about me given I was jet lagged, but after entering Macomb county on the outskirts of the city it settled down and I could relax. I was driving to Port Huron first to visit a mall at nearby Fort Gratiot in order to buy some sale price jeans from Sears I saw on the web. I thought it would be prudent to get that done in case I don’t have time later in the trip. When I get down to Florida I would rather enjoy the weather and recreation sites than go shopping if you know what I mean. From Fort Gratiot I crossed over the Bluewater Bridge at Port Huron into Canada where I will be visiting some relatives for three days. Fortunately the bridge wasn’t that busy even though it’s the second busiest crossing between the US and Canada. At other times it can get choked with traffic.

I wasn’t too exhausted when I concluded my journey yesterday but on second thoughts it was ambitous of me to promise a blog entry on that day. Anyway, looking forward to unwinding and seeing my relatives in Ontario before I resume the trip to re-enter the US on Tuesday. I might post an entry tommorow but if not the next entry wil be on Monday 13th April.

After talking extensively and opitmistically about my pending North America trip, where I will traverse 3,500 miles in a rental car in just two weeks, the time has finally come. I’m due to pack the rest of my bag and rucksack this evening and will retire to bed early tonight as I must be up well before dawn to drive to the airport. All being well I should be able to post my next blog entry on Thursday evening, around 8pm Eastern Standard time, describing anything memorable about the journey which I hope will be plain and smooth touch wood. Not a great fan of flying but I can handle up to 8 hours on a plane. Although there’s inflight moves in the screens on the back of the seats, I usually can’t relax to watch them and end up tracking the real time flight map as I listen to my iPod. I will be in transit to Ontario, Canada after I land in Detroit after noon on Thursday, which will not take long compared to the latter legs on the trip. Sun was shining gloriously this morning; lets hope the weather is just as nice over in eastern North America.

If I have time I might post another entry/add further commentary later today.

MSNBC have explored various motives for mass shootings in attempt make sense out of the orgies of carnage of late. When it gets to profiling killers it offers the following quote;

Most mass murderers, like most serial killers, are middle-aged, white males, like Robert Stewart — the man who walked into Pinelake Health and Rehab in Carthage, N.C., on March 29 in an apparent search for his estranged wife. But that profile, coupled with the large body count, is where the similarities seem to end.

But are they? Aside from Robert Stewart last week, when you closely inspect the list of US mass shootings provided by them (in a scrollable box in the article) that is not glaringly obvious. If we class the subjective term middle age at the earliest to begin from the age of 40 - its usually applied when we reach our late forties - then the first eligible candidate on the list working back in time was Terry Ratzmann, aged 41, in 2005. Then you have to go back to Mark Barton, aged 44 in 1999, and then eight years prior to George Hennard in 1991. Out of the complete list of 22 incidents only 6 individuals meet the criteria of being white and middle aged. That’s just 27% of the total. I mean, I don’t regard anyone aged 28 or 32 to be middle aged unless MSNBC have their own interpretation of that stage of life. The list also shows that 6 gun incidents were perpetrated by under-21s, and several of the massacres in the last two years were not carried out by white males at all.

The list (copied and pasted below) is not complete by any means. For example it omits the Long Island Railroad massacre of 1993 where 6 were killed, and the Hmog hunter who shot 6 other hunters in Minnesota in 2005.

I’m not trying to single out any one group but I do resent the media’s implicit defamation of white middle aged males by using them as a convenient scapegoat without sifting through the historical data properly. In reality mass murderers have hailed from all age groups and more recently people of non-European descent as well, especially so during the last decade than in the seventies when it could be generalised that many of the mass shootings where committed by white males aged over 30. I checked the seventies and eighties cases on the list and the perpetrators were under the age of 40.

I read the following comment on another blog on the issue which succinctly sums up my position;

There are 300 million people in this country. The actions of a handful of spree killers says little that’s reliable about society at large.

That hits the nail on the head. Although these tragedies have escalated disurbingly, they still represent a tiny number of crimes out of the overall population and do not reflect wider societal patterns.

March 29, 2009:
Robert Stewart, 45, shot and killed eight people at Pinelake Health and Rehab in Carthage, N.C. before a police officer shot him and ended the rampage.

March 29, 2009:
Devan Kalathat, 42, shot and killed his two children and three other relatives, then killed himself in an upscale neighborhood of Santa Clara, Calif. Kalathat’s wife was critically injured.

March 21, 2009:
Lovelle Mixon, 26, shot and killed four Oakland, Calif., police officers after a traffic stop. Mixon was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers.

March 10, 2009:
Michael McLendon, 28, killed 10 people — including his mother, four other relatives, and the wife and child of a local sheriff’s deputy — across two rural Alabama counties. He then killed himself.

Feb. 14, 2008:
Former student Steven Kazmierczak, 27, opened fire in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, fatally shooting five students and wounding 18 others before committing suicide.

Dec. 5, 2007:
Robert A. Hawkins, 19, opened fire with a rifle at a Von Maur store in an Omaha, Neb., mall, killing eight people before taking his own life. Five more people were wounded, two critically.

April 16, 2007:
Seung-Hui Cho, 23, fatally shot 32 people in a dorm and a classroom at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, then killed himself in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Oct. 2, 2006:
Charles Carl Roberts IV, 32, shot to death five girls at West Nickel Mines Amish School in Pennsylvania, then killed himself.

March 21, 2005:
Student Jeffrey Weise, 16, killed nine people, including his grandfather and his grandfather’s companion at home. Also included were five fellow students, a teacher and a security guard at Red Lake High School in Red Lake, Minn. He then killed himself. Seven students were wounded.

March 12, 2005:
Terry Ratzmann, 44, gunned down members of his congregation as they worshipped at the Brookfield Sheraton in Brookfield, Wisconsin, slaying seven and wounding four before killing himself.

March 5, 2001:
Charles “Andy” Williams, 15, killed two fellow students and wounded 13 others at Santana High School in Santee, Calif.

Nov. 2, 1999:
Copier repairman Byran Uyesugi, 40, fatally shoots seven people at Xerox Corp. in Honolulu. He is convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

July 29, 1999:
Former day trader Mark Barton, 44, killed nine people in shootings at two Atlanta brokerage offices, then killed himself.

April 20, 1999:
Students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, opened fire at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves in the school’s library.

May 21, 1998
Two teenagers were killed and more than 20 people hurt when Kip Kinkel, 17, opened fire at a high school in Springfield, Ore., after killing his parents.

March 24, 1998:
Andrew Golden, 11, and Mitchell Johnson, 13, killed four girls and a teacher at a Jonesboro, Ark., middle school. Ten others were wounded in the shooting.

Oct. 16, 1991:
A deadly shooting rampage took place in Killeen, Texas, as George Hennard opened fire at a Luby’s Cafeteria, killing 23 people before taking his own life. 20 others were wounded in the attack.

June 18, 1990:
James Edward Pough shoots people at random in a General Motors Acceptance Corp. office in Jacksonville, Fla., killing 10 and wounding four, before killing himself.

July 12, 1976:
Edward Charles Allaway, a custodian in the library of California State University, Fullerton, fatally shot seven fellow employees and wounded two others.

Aug. 20, 1986
Pat Sherrill, 44, a postal worker who was about to be fired, shoots 14 people at a post office in Edmond, Okla. He then kills himself.

July 18, 1984:
James Oliver Huberty, an out-of-work security guard, kills 21 people in a McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, Calif. A police sharpshooter kills Huberty.

May 4, 1970:
Four Kent State University students were killed by Ohio National Guard troops during a campus protest of the invasion of Cambodia. Nine people were wounded.

Aug. 1, 1966:
Charles Whitman opened fire from the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin, killing 16 people and wounding 31.

The US jobless rate rose to 8.5% in March, it’s highest since 1983. This MSNBC article describes how a job centre in Portland, Oregon is struggling to cope with unprecedented demand by the unemployed, whether recently laid off or not. The pressure on the centre is compounded by a cut in its federal Workforce Investment Act funding, which pays for training, which was slashed by 34 percent in 2007, and by another 30 percent in 2008. If unemployment does pass 10% then it could mark the entering of a severe depression.