Things that cause Earthquakes (but not really)

I always have to laugh when people confuse coincidence with cause and effect. It seems like there's a new study every few months that tries to pass off some barely statistically significant correlation as some kind of earth shattering news.

Just recently we had the revelation that "people who eat a lot of chocolate are more likely to be depressed". REEEALLLY??! Isn't that kind of like saying that "people who take aspirin are more likely to have headaches"? Or that "people who are hungry are more likely to eat food".

Yes, there probably is a connection, but I find it ridiculous how the headline writers purposefully try to get it backwards. They want to write something like "CHOCOLATE CAUSES DEPRESSION!" But then they try to weasel out of that completely obnoxious statement with a slightly less obnoxious "CHOCOLATE may CAUSE DEPRESSION!!!" I await the headline that says "EATING FOOD MAKES YOU HUNGRY!!!"

What's that? Murdoch's WSJ? OMG.

Which brings us to Earthquakes and Volcanoes.

After Iceland's Eyjaffpoi23tl;k2!%! erupted, we had some crazy cleric say that earthquakes are caused by boobs. 

This of course led to the more awesome "BoobQuake 2010"

Frankly, when I think about recent events in Iceland, the financial meltdown is a stronger association.  You might as well say that "a worthless currency causes volcanoes!" Lookout Greece, you're next!

And then I remembered that southern California and Mexico just had a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. I guess that proves that "EASTER CAUSES EARTHQUAKES!!!!"

So unless you want to anger Ruaumoko, you'd better stop celebrating Easter!

Cower before the god of Earthquakes.