# Mt. St. Helens **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973 "2004-10-13T06:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/21 "2004-10-14T11:11:15Z")
I remember the eruption well, even though I was on the opposite coast (and was 8 years old) when it happened. My granparents lived in Yakima and set me a huge plastic jar filled with ash. I was the hero of the second grade when I brought that in. Anyway, there’s always a chance that St. Helens may once again become the America’s Mt. Fuji, although not in the good way: about once a year the local researchers start fretting over Fuji having another eruption. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/22 "2004-10-14T11:26:17Z")
I have two words for you. White Island. A whole island of taunting evil volcano-ness. It will probably do nothing but produce a toxic lake just to taunt us. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/23 "2004-10-14T11:31:15Z")
Oh I have to mention, a recent TVNZ talk show had an interview with Thom and Kyan (2/5 ths of everyones fav gay boys) and Thom mentioned White Island…the fame of the stinky, sulphur-ess-ness has spread. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/24 "2004-10-14T11:53:25Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > I was alive when it blew in '80, but I certainly missed it. > > I was one. One of what? ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/25 "2004-10-14T12:33:17Z")
> [@New Yorklebees](#): > > You cocktease of a volcano. I wanted to see some Pompei in this bitch, and what do you give me? “Renewed lava dome growth?” Fuck you. When come back, bring Pompei ? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/26 "2004-10-14T14:18:57Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > One of what? One of “years-old”, I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/27 "2004-10-14T15:21:49Z")
From someone who watched with anticipation… …I did so believing there would be no death or injury or property damage (everyone had been evacuated, taken all their most precious belongings). I see this is a sensitive issue now for those who actually went through it. Honest apologies to all. ☹ Now I feel bad. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/28 "2004-10-14T15:42:31Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > I have two words for you. White Island. A whole island of taunting evil volcano-ness. It will probably do nothing but produce a toxic lake just to taunt us. Isn’t Mt. Ruapehu more of a concern? I saw some cool footage in Te Papa, and folks told me that the last eruption ('96 was it?) has sundry negative economic and environmental effects (skiers on the N. Island certainly had a bad season). I was 10 when St. Helens erupted, and was a comfortable distance away (Maine). I do remember the incredible sunsets we had, and being obsessively interested in all things volcanic that year, even to the excusion of dinosaurs and model jets. A big but relatively harmless ash plume might be a nice aesthetics-enhancer, along with the awesome foliage we’re having in N.E. this year. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/29 "2004-10-14T15:55:34Z")
As is usual for the bleeding hearts here, you are too nice, **Kythereia** 😉 , but I bet this time the logging companies won’t have as much say in the size of the evacuation zone. What I don’t bet is that the USGS will have more trouble finding volunteer volcano watchers than they did the last time. There are always plenty of people who think they are immortal. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/30 "2004-10-14T16:17:36Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > There are always plenty of people who think they are immortal. And those of us who _know_ we are. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/31 "2004-10-15T05:06:39Z")
> [@New Yorklebees](#): > > You cocktease of a volcano. I wanted to see some Pompei in this bitch, and what do you give me? “Renewed lava dome growth?” Fuck you. Y’know, I feel the same way about the Korean DMZ. Geez, what’s the point of having two modern armies facing each other across a fifty-foot ditch, while one of them slowly starves into desperation, along with the possibility of tactical nukes and nothing happens? What a rip! I really want to see a modern meatgrinder war, so fast that even CNN can’t keep up. That’d be coo-ul. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/32 "2004-10-15T06:04:25Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Y’know, I feel the same way about the Korean DMZ. Geez, what’s the point of having two modern armies facing each other across a fifty-foot ditch, while one of them slowly starves into desperation, along with the possibility of tactical nukes and nothing happens? What a rip! I really want to see a modern meatgrinder war, so fast that even CNN can’t keep up. That’d be coo-ul. Easy to say when you’re in Montreal! 😃 I remember my first week living in Seoul, I was uncomfortably aware that I was within easy artillary range of the DMZ. No one told me that Seoul holds regular drills in case of invasion (or they did at the time anyways). One day, I was home napping in the middle of the afternoon (split-shift at work), and suddenly the city was filled with air-raid sirens sounding _ **LOUDLY** _! I was jolted awake… and shortly thereafter a couple of fighter jets screamed over the top of my building. Your brave pal Astroboy threw himself under the bed, thinking “Oh shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit!!! WaddamIdoinhereandnotsafebackhome?” And then, nothing… the sirens cut off after about ten minutes, and I crawled out brushing dust bunnies from my chest hair. No one at work was even phased when I got back in; they were used to the drills. I lost ten years of my life huddled under the bed that day. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/33 "2004-10-15T06:36:29Z")
> [@Astroboy14](#): > > I lost ten years of my life huddled under the bed that day. So before that, you were Astroboy04? Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/34 "2004-10-15T06:38:41Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > I have two words for you. White Island. A whole island of taunting evil volcano-ness. It will probably do nothing but produce a toxic lake just to taunt us. I’m pissed it hasn’t killed [Dino](http://www.geonet.org.nz/whiteisland.html) yet. Every few days I go back expecting a melted lump and nothing. Heh, looks like another nut went up there yesterday between 3 and 4 PM. Dino’s holding something now. What the hell is that? I don’t really remember St. Helens but I lived in Hilo back in 1984. I got to see fountains from Kilauea and glowing red flows of lava pouring down Mauna Loa at the exact same time. That was a freaky night, red to the right of me, red to the left. You never forget that. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/35 "2004-10-15T14:04:47Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > So before that, you were Astroboy04? > Heh. No, no… read carefully! I was Astroboy24! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/36 "2004-10-15T14:19:33Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > From someone who watched with anticipation… > > …I did so believing there would be no death or injury or property damage (everyone had been evacuated, taken all their most precious belongings). > > I see this is a sensitive issue now for those who actually went through it. Honest apologies to all. ☹ > > Now I feel bad. You might be the most sympathetic person on the face of the earth. So, you watched in anticipation wanting to see a big volcano have an explosion. Right on. Blow baby blow. Then, you realized that people could be negatively effected by said volcano. Then, you presumably stopped rooting for the volcano, right? What’s to apologize for? Your thoughts didn’t kill anybody. I, on the other, want to see that mother fucker BLOW. There’s always going to be a little loss of life with natural disasters that are worth anything. That’s what makes them fun. It’s not like you know any of those people. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/37 "2004-10-15T15:34:11Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Isn’t Mt. Ruapehu more of a concern? I saw some cool footage in Te Papa, and folks told me that the last eruption ('96 was it?) has sundry negative economic and environmental effects (skiers on the N. Island certainly had a bad season). > > I was 10 when St. Helens erupted, and was a comfortable distance away (Maine). I do remember the incredible sunsets we had, and being obsessively interested in all things volcanic that year, even to the excusion of dinosaurs and model jets. A big but relatively harmless ash plume might be a nice aesthetics-enhancer, along with the awesome foliage we’re having in N.E. this year. I can’t discuss Mt Ruapehu. All such talk is banned in my house. I have a overly phobic child thanks to bloody Ruapehu. When it decided to puff and spout and not much more the child was about 4. We have a large dormant volcano in the middle of Auck harbour. The child woke up screeching about Rangitoto for MONTHS! In his dreams we were under a pile of lava. So Ruapehu lost my respect. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/38 "2004-10-15T15:37:10Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > I’m pissed it hasn’t killed [Dino](http://www.geonet.org.nz/whiteisland.html) yet. Every few days I go back expecting a melted lump and nothing. Heh, looks like another nut went up there yesterday between 3 and 4 PM. Dino’s holding something now. What the hell is that? Oh be patient! 😃 It is a groovy seething mass though eh! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/39 "2004-10-15T15:52:28Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > The child woke up screeching about Rangitoto for MONTHS! 😕 Oh, Rangitoto is _not_ some New Zealandish version of Dorothy’s little dog. It’s a [volcanic island](http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/001~Other-Places/002~Auckland/Rangitoto-Island-Scenic-Reserve.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973/40 "2004-10-15T15:57:47Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Blow baby blow. Great. Now I can’t get “Disco Inferno” out of my head! :mad: 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-st-helens/268973.md?page=3)