Final update, Measure J results
http://thesource.metro.net/2012/12/02/final-update-measure-j-results/
These are the final results, posted this afternoon by the Los Angeles County Registrar. Measure J needed two-thirds approval, leaving it .56 percent short of passage.
In terms of actual votes, Measure J is a little more than 14,000
votes behind what it needed to pass.
As we noted the other day, turnout was less in 2012 than in 2008 when Measure R was approved with 67.9 percent of the vote.
In 2008, a total of 3,001,783 votes were cast in the Measure R election. The final numbers this year show that 2,863,951 votes were cast for or against Measure J.
At the polls, Measure J received 64.72 percent of the vote. Among just the late absentee and provisional ballots, J got roughly 70 percent of the vote.
Here is the Registrar’s news release:
November 6, 2012 Presidential General Election FINAL BALLOT COUNT RESULTS

As we noted the other day, turnout was less in 2012 than in 2008 when Measure R was approved with 67.9 percent of the vote.
In 2008, a total of 3,001,783 votes were cast in the Measure R election. The final numbers this year show that 2,863,951 votes were cast for or against Measure J.
At the polls, Measure J received 64.72 percent of the vote. Among just the late absentee and provisional ballots, J got roughly 70 percent of the vote.
Here is the Registrar’s news release:
November 6, 2012 Presidential General Election FINAL BALLOT COUNT RESULTS
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean C. Logan announced the following Final Election Results as of today, December 2, 2012.
Today’s update included 35,565 additional precinct ballots. This brings the total ballots cast to 3,236,704, which accounts for a 70.46% voter turnout. For vote totals on specific contests, please visit lavote.net.
Certification of the Nov. 6, 2012 General Election is scheduled to be reported to the California Secretary of State on Tuesday December 4, 2012.
The mission of the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk is to serve Los Angeles County by providing essential records management and election services in a fair, accessible and transparent manner. For more information, visit www.lavote.net.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/02/japan-tunnel-sasago-collapse-tokyo_n_2226563.html?ncid=GEP
(There are many articles on the Internet on the tunnel collapse. Google "Sasago Tunnel" to find them.)
One of Japan's longest tunnels has collapsed, trapping vehicles amid reports that at least five people have died.
Sections of concrete fell from the ceiling of the Sasago tunnel, 50 miles west of Tokyo, crushing cars and blocking the road with debris, report Sky News.
The operation has been suspended amid fears that more sections of the tunnel could cave in. The entire road has been closed, blocking one of the major routes out of the capital.
One man told NHK broadcaster how he walked for an hour to get out of the 2.7 mile tunnel after seeing "a concrete part of the ceiling fall off all of a sudden when I was driving inside. I saw a fire coming from a crushed car".
A spokesman for Yamanashi Prefectural Police told Agence France-Presse: "A number of charred bodies were confirmed inside. The number of dead is not known."
Comments to the article
How horrendous. This is one reason why the idea of travelling in a tunnel worries me, particularly the channel tunnel as there is no way out for a vast length. Poor Japanese hit again by tragedy.
bad workmanship somewhere along the line
There are several other possibilities, including hidden damage from an earthquake. We do not yet know the cause, and should not be quick to condemn the design or workmanship.
No doubt the Japanese will carry out an urgent and thorough investigation much faster than we would in similar circumstances.
My sympathy to all involved and to their families.
With the greatest respect that is just an assumption. The rock above the tunnel may have developed hidden fissures over the years due to earthquake activity. If that is the case no amount of concrete in a tunnel lining would stop it collapsing.
It is not about workmanship but how much we trust our technology in the natural world.
i notice that one end of the tunnel is conventional shape and the other is worryingly square......and by the looks of the one set of internal pics from the monitor , the collapsed section, looking at the sections on the ground, seems to be square construction also..... which is a fundamental design flaw, as with their continuous seismic activity, the pressure above builds..... this is my first impression as a USAR technician..... gdp
In no way am I an expert at these things, but do know that a 'round/oval' shape can carry more weight then any other. I noticed the round vs square difference too.
Pure speculation, although it is true that a circular tunnel is the strongest form.
Our own Dartford tunnels look almost square, with slightly curved sides and roof.
However the structure is circular, and is hidden by a lining. I do not know for sure but suspect that the same is true of the "Square" part of this Japanese tunnel.
If you look at the photos of the 'square' end again you will see that the tunnel itself is indeed a curved structure.
The tunnel comes out under a steep embankment and, in case of rock fall or landslide the tunnel is terminated in this way to prevent damage to the tunnel lining.
Notice the massive support beam over the end of the tunnel, that is there to protect the end of the tunnel from impact damage from above. The structure was probably put there when work on the tunnel first started and left in place.
Regarding the design of the tunnel it is certain that it was scrutinised by leading authorities with experience of tunnel building world wide before work started. It was an ambitious undertaking that probably cost billions, they would have taken no chances on the actual design.
a long reply: speculation or not...... it collapsed....the billions investment failed the deceased. there was and is a fundamental flaw in the design, similar to their nuclear facility... Actually i chair the UNESCO Global Task force for Building Codes..... so I speak with an intelligent eye...but agree we dont have the full design specs infront of us...... However i will now state very publically, that whilst we within the UN are concentrating upon developing resilience within multi risk developing countries, emerging with fast urban development and increasing populations....... the Developed Countries of US, Japan and the UK etc are all experinecing enormous Natural and Man enhanced disasters of structures and within their rural environments..... I believe we have become very complacent, and do not review our structures and resiliences sufficiently in the holistic approach. By Looking for the small cracks unfortunately we unfortunately miss the bigger picture. Too many assumptions and not enough investigation. I think on this occasions it is a situation of multiple accumulative small seismic events,and possibly motor traffic vibration inside, settling the ground above and around, compacting it tighter and tighter into a heavier concentration, until one day the designed tunnel casing fails.
Don't know, but a 4.7km tunnel in an earthquake-ridden country doesn't appeal to my highly tuned sense of self-preservation which is what we're calling cowardice nowadays.