North Gate Radio

Earthquake Geek

A few weeks ago, locals marked the 20th anniversary of the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake. The 1989 trembler stopped the World Series and left part of San Francisco’s Marina District in flames. But not everyone believes earthquakes are all doom and gloom. Reporter Tyler Sipe has long been fascinated by earthquakes. He hung out with a woman who has an even stronger passion for plate tectonics…

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Click here to view a map of the Hayward fault.

The Hayward Fault runs through UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium. The two newer looking steps were replaced after a 4-inch gap was formed from the fault's continuous creep.

The Berkeley Hills are believed to have been thrust up by the Hayward Fault on one side and the Calaveras Fault on the other. The land is being squeezed between the two faults, making the hills . The Berkeley Hills are still growing in elevation, but at a very slow rate.

Doctor Peggy Hellweg is a seismologist at the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory.

Doctor Peggy Hellweg points to a digital broadband seismometer. Dozens of seismometers, old and new, in addition to other earthquake information can be found in U.C. Berkeley's McCone Hall.

Our next story is about a different kind of disaster -- the public humiliation that you feel when you get up to speak to a room full of people -- and everything goes horribly wrong. Clayton Trosclair sat down with Nicole Maxali, a stand-up comic who’s still honing her act. She’s been performing for two years now, and has had her share of disasters on the stage.

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Comedian Nicole Maxali To hear the uncut, dirty jokes from Nicole’s set, click here.

Throughout the Bay Area, historical sites are said to be haunted by spirits who just can’t move on. One such hotel—the Faculty Club here on Campus—is rumored to house the ghost of an old professor who lived there until his death in 1919. Reporter Caitlin Eschmeets with a psychic medium to see whether there’s any truth to the tale.

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Self-described psychic medium and animal communicator Charles Peden looks for spirits in room 219 of the Faculty Club.

Web audio extras: To hear more about Charles Peden's psychic abilities click below.

In Oakland, a city known for its high crime rate, 2008 has been a somewhat calmer year. There have been 94 homicides as of Oct. 26, down from 109 at the same point in 2008. However, violence can flare up unexpectedly, as it did in North and West Oakland late this summer. Ali Winston reports from Oakland.

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It could have been the end of Soul Food Farm. A sudden fire ripped through the property, located some 50 miles east of San Francisco. The blaze caused about $25,000 in damages. But now efforts to save the farm are in full-swing, thanks to friends, family and facebook. Melanie Mason has the story.

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