Before my blog on earthquakes, two newsworthy items: The lull in the Iran War is over.  Iran lobbed missiles at American bases in the Middle East. Here is the backdrop: Way back in February, Netanyahu and Trump felt that, if they could surprise Iran with a serious series of bombardments, they could assassinate the Supreme Leader, plus many dozens of top government leaders, stimulating the people to rebel and overcome.  Israel and the USA could then swoop in, establish a new government, and totally demolish any nuclear ambitions. The USA/Israel did succeed in killing Ali Khamenei and 53 leaders.   Here is the complete list . However, Iran knew someday this would happen, and they organized a plan to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, and if necessary, also the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Here is the current situation. The people did not rebel, a new government formed and Iran has been able to maintain control over the two oil flow choke points. They also are not idiots....

We just left Hawaii, which has been getting the worst floods in two decades .  We came to Las Vegas, where Google AI reports: As of March 23, 2026, Las Vegas is experiencing a historic heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to   97°F (36°C)   at Harry Reid Airport. This marks the  highest temperature ever recorded in March , breaking the previous record of 94°F set just days earlier in the same week, and far exceeding the previous all-time March high of 93°F from 2022.   Interestingly enough, it all depends on exactly where you live and go.  No problem about the rain in Nuuanu.  During the two-week period, we never lost electricity at all.  Went out to dinner in Las Vegas yesterday, and while the peak high in this city is at 4PM, around 5PM there was a slight breeze and I actually felt quite comfortable walking around.  Of course, it's still March, and the temperature goes up in the Summer. Okay, first, Las Vegas does not rank up there with ...