NOW? Now they’re talking about it?  Over 20 years ago my neighbor and I went crazy over the fact that our building didn’t seem sufficiently supported, and we had the base strengthened.  Neither of us was satisfied, and now the standards have changed, but the engineer we spoke with last month predicted that in our neighborhood it wouldn’t matter.  

We’ve had earthquakes all along in Tel Aviv.  I remember writing in these pages about standing in my sister-in-law’s kitchen and watching the refrigerator move. 

In other words, the hysteria now is at least 20 years too late.  And I think it takes a long time and a lot of money to prepare building codes and to make sure everyone is safe.