Washington Monument cracked

I was raised in earthquake country. Growing up in Compton and then Orange County, I lived in fear of The Big One that was supposed to have us sliding into the Pacific Ocean and turning Victorville homes into beachfront property.

 Earthquake preparedness became second nature, and without thinking about it I knew the answer to the question, "What's the safest place to be in an earthquake?"

 The answer: "Someplace else."

I would also accept "Nebraska," "Iowa," and "Wisconsin." (In all seriousness, if you really are in an earthquake, ducking your head and spine under a solid piece of furniture or a doorway is the best you can do.)

 I can only imagine the freakedoutedness of Washingtonians (of the DC variety) when they had a 5.8 quake. That's nothing to scoff at, especially in a part of the country where earthquake-safe buildings are not exactly the norm.

 Indeed, there were plenty of worries that the temblor would be a tumbler, with damage reported at the Washington National Cathedral and the Washington Monument. In fact, the Washington Monument apparently cracked (but rumors that it was leaning like Pisa were untrue).

 Meanwhile, several Republican presidential candidates noted that the Washington Memorial had never been damaged by an earthquake until Obama became president. "Just sayin'," noted Rick Perry.