Tsunami

[macgyver]

I know it's a long way from most of us, but the latest death toll I read was 62,000, and will only climb higher. I think we all should send our prayers for all of those folks who are dealing with some of the worst adversity imagineable to most of us. I just think in times like this how lucky I am, and all of my family. I realize I might be coming across lately as a preacher, which is far from the truth, but things like this bring up the only answer I can come up with, and that is Lord will help all those folks through this time.

Lizards

[MarkR]

Thanks for opening the post Lizard, I could not get round to a pc before now. Â*

The latest number is on 120 000 people!!! They are experiencing enormous problems with dealing with all the bodies, not enough body bags or room in the mortuaries. The only option left at this stage is to bury people in mass graves!

Large part of this number due to tourists! We are talking about families and there children, lying on the beach that was smashed by the 300 mile/h wave! Of course they deserve all your prayers!!! Â*I know you guys are all American and a bunch of cool fellows, but think about this for a second..... What would happen if 120 000 Americans where killed while lying on the beach Â*

120k people die and it hardly makes the headline news! Â*For an example, I realize this is not very academic but just look at this post, two days after it happens before anyone thinks of talking about the ordeal Â*After lizard opened the post there was no replies on it for 9 hours, and 17 views on the post by the time I wrote this.

But nooooo, “who’s ready for some bloody football�, “joke of the day� and “Deer Hunting� has been kept very alive from the time lizard open up this post.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying everyone must be crying their eye’s out about the whole thing, but just take bloody notice of the world! And maybe the worst part about it, the probability of it happening in America is just as good as it happening in the east, so saying “it will never happen here" unfortunately don't apply!

For those who believe it’s a fairy tail only happening to Indian people with funny accents:

http://waxy.org/random/video/tsunami/patong_beach.wmv

http://waxy.org/random/video/tsunami/phuket.wmv

[BassNva]

the newspapers here have it front page every day.our country is GIVING millions and millions of dollars(unlike some european nations that are LENDING them money).there are fund raising drives and many different events going on to raise money to help those unfortunate people.
we just don't brag about it.so everybody thinks we're doing nothing.
america has always been there for everyone.you know that.
every single american is giving help to that country,and many others.it's our tax money that is going to them.
sorry,got carried away.i'll give the soap box back now.

[jeffman]

TOM,
I am glad you answered that, every time I tried all I did was get mad. Pres Bush has promised 35 million in aid, and congress is in the process of appropriating 300 million towards the damaged countries. Bush has sent one of our largest aircraft carriers with copters to help evacuate injured and to fly supplies into areas where there are no roads left. Also, an American non-profit organization has already landed with a million dollar payload of medical supplies and enough water purification packets for six hundred thousand liters of water. All items in that plane was donated by American fortune 500 corporations, and the non profit org advised that 7 more plane loads have been promised.
All this is in addition to the 17.5 billion (YES BILLION) in aid to the hurricane damages states, all of which is being paid by the American taxpayer. And like you said, the European countries that are doing nothing or "loaning" money for disaster relief are sitting on thier butts and screaming that the US is not doing enough. I think that Bush should back up and say "We will match anything that any other country will donate" and put the monkey on thier back for a change.
This is another case of the United Nations calling the shots and handing the good old US the bill. Congress thinks that a big payment will change the other countries outlook of the US in regards to the war. Nothing is going to change what other countries think of us until we quit handing out money to all of those who oppose us. If they have to come begging for a handout they may be a little more polite towards the good ol' US.
You can have your soap box back now.

JackL

[boisebassin]

Well said JackL....I didnt reply to this right away because I am a little torn on what these countries think of us,yea including the ones hit by this,but we are such a great country and "suppose" to care about others,have yet to see another country lend a hand to us.

[macgyver]

I really didn't expect this post to take this turn. I was only expressing my sadness for all of the people involved. Yes the USA has and always will be the leader in money and effort to all disasters. I agree with most everything said, especially the part about not bragging about it. I will continue to send my prayers to these folks, and hopefully all of you will also. No matter what folks think about the USA, this horrific catastrophe, is exactly that HORRIFIC. Even if it happened in IRAQ right now, I would still be praying for those folks also. And I can assure all of you, I'm not too happy with how many of the IRAQ people are killing our soldiers. I didn't want this to be a political issue, just a humanitarian issue. I will say that the USA is sending lots of money to these areas, when we could be using it for our SOLDIERS protection, and I still think it's the right thing to do. But many times we do many things for others at a huge cost to ourselves, and country. That's why I'm so grateful to be able to live here, with my family, because it's in our nature and society to try to help those folks dealing with adversity. MAY GOD BLESS US ALL.

Lizards

[zman]

Politics is everywhere and in everything, grasshopper. Especially when you get the UN involved.

The guy who called us stingy is just upset that the news channels temporarily stopped showing pictures of dead American GIs or talking about Abu Ghraib.

America is the world scapegoat for everything - except maybe a tsunami. But if they can't blame us for an act of God, then they will find something else to ***** about - for instance how much money we give after the tsunami. Nevermind the fact that we give more than any other country in both money and blood, that doesn't matter to them. We are the big bad, capitalist imperialist facist united states of america that is the reason for all the collective suffering of the world. Its our fault.

[Rich]

Found this the other day:

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/w...mp=GGGNtsunami

If you go over under the map on the right side under the Disaster Unfolds heading there is an interactive section where you can see before/after satellite photos, an animater path of the wave, etc. Worth taking a look at.

[boisebassin]

Didnt meen to come across the wrong way,I feel for those people,dont get me wrong,just ashame we take it on the chin all the time and it kinda gets old.

[mallard]

Actually, in terms of per capita, there are a bunch of countries ahead of the U.S. in terms of donations.

But this is not the issue at hand right now. The issue is, what are YOU going to do about it, whether Bob over in Timbaktu does anything or not?

[BassNva]

lou
didn't mean to give the impression i was jumping on you.i just wanted to give you a clearer pic of us.it seems a lot of people have the wrong impression of us.we're the same as you,no different.
and i heard mention of the U.S. causing the tsunami by testing a bomb.what a crock of ***t.

[Rob Mak]

i also heard that tom it came from a arab tv station -which don't like us any way-that would be one hell of a bomb -the quake tilted the earth axes-think of it this way all of the country's that got flatened were less than 10 feet above sea level. as they reporteded a 25 foot wave. lou check your math 300mile is a tad high-

as for myself **** do happen -now there is more air for me.



zooker

[ryan7261]

I was watching the Discovery channel, they said that a tsunami can travel 500km per hour, with out losing it's speed. Until hitting some thing that will stop it.

They said that Hawaii is the tsunami capital of the world and get them from places as far away as Alaska.

The also predict that apart of Hawaii will break of into the ocean and create a tsunami of catastrophic proportions.

Saying a 500 foot high, 100 miles long headed for the western seaboard of north america.Date time could be years or centuries who knows.

If you can see this program I recommend watching it.
Lets hope were long gone before this happens.

Oh ya what about the St. Andreas fault line off the coast of Calafornia?. they say most of the activity is in the Pacific ocean because of the continental drift.


Â*Robby.

[zman]

A tsunami could theoreticly travel across the world if it were never to be impeded by land. For instance, there were many fatalities in Somalia and the horn of Africa from this past tsunami - thats thousands and thousands of miles away from where the tsunami started.

As for Hawaii breaking off and creating one, well yea it can happen but a lot of those programs are just scaremongering. That type of thing has happened in the past (crackatoa) and it will happen again, but the people of LA shoulod not be living on pins and needles expecting a tsunami anytime. The San Andreas is a much better possibility for creating a tsunami, in fact there was an earthquake in that area around the turn of the century that was comparable to the one that created this most recent tsunami. The world series quake in 89 also might have been strong enough had it been located elsewhere.

The bottom line - life is too short to spend it worrying about tsunamis and astroids and the sun exploding.

[ryan7261]

Wait on second, The sun is going to explode?

Holy crap one more thing for me to worry about! :-/


Robby.

[zman]

Yea dude, I saw a thing on the discovery channel on it.

[fredhatch]

Oh great and I just got used to dogs and cats living together. 8)

[Bassin_Dude]

they also think that a piece of a half blown volcano the size of mannhatten island will fall into the ocean and send a tsunami travling 500mph that will hit the whole east coast of the us w/ a height of 60ft. they have no idea when this will happen though.

[zman]

Bassfisher, I heard next week.....per the discovery channel.

[jeffman]

THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING

[Rob Mak]

dang just makes me want to rush to church and be saved -this may take while-better start now.......

not that this will ever happen



bassman-would you call this a bread and milk situation?





zooker

[Rich]

I saw the same thing on Discovery-interesting, to say the least. Â*Here is a link I got in an email-you can really see the damage.

http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/

[danrw84]

Zooker,
When you're ready, you give me a call

Creek

[Rob Mak]

don't hold your breath geek it is highly UNLIKLY to happen ever...



zooker