I'll have to check the US geo page (they track the shakers and post data) for the New Madrid you mention - Love the "fat tails" reference!! We mostly get the aftershocks down here, but my Mr. insists we're going to move before California reorganizes itself.

Shakers can definitely make you feel insecure - I remember when that Carole King song first came out (oops, dated!) - we used to laugh at the concept of that being, like, pleasant -?!

Grasshopper usually doubles in size when "the earth moves under her feet . . ."