130,000+ people die due to tidal wave in Asia... (1 Viewer)

[Chris]

That's something a lot of people are discussing now. There is some pressure to turn some areas into wildlife preserves to help rebuild the wildlife lost.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Regarding the beachgoers returning....

I many cases these places are resort towns. In most cases, beachgoing leisure is their sole economic product. What happened was terrible but how long before they are "allowed" to be back in business? How long to we penalize them, adding economic ruin to what they've already been through for every day they're out of business? All in the name of good taste?

 

[Brian Perry]

Interestingly, in today's WSJ, it was written that many if not most of the animals in the area survived due to their "sixth sense." Apparently there were documented observations by people that herds of antelope and other animals fled to higher ground well before the tsunami hit land. It raised the question of what do animals know and when do they know it. They recounted the story of how an entire city in China was saved one time because the hibernating snakes came out of the ground during winter (even though they later froze on the streets) and the people immediately evacuated. A couple of days later there was a 7.3 magnitude earthquake.

I wonder if any humans were saved in the case of this tsunami, not from traditional warning methods (which were basically nil), but by reading the behavior of animals.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Maybe some of the animals. I'm not sure if all of them got the message -- I heard about a pair of dolphins that ended up in a swimming pool! You'd think that they would have heard it coming and split.

I know dogs freak out before earthquakes, and the birds know something is coming up before it happens too. I'm sure there is a research group out there trying to figure out why they know about it, and we don't! We're not so smart after all, huh?

Glenn

 

[Ray Chuang]

Glenn,

Some scientists have said that because many animals navigate by sensing the Earth's magnetic field, they must have sensed the sudden change in the magnetic field near the earthquake zone (the Earth's magnetic field near earthquake zones have been known to suddenly change just before an earthquake) and fled to safer ground just before the earthquake occurred.

 

[Danny Tse]

Those 2 dolphins were on the news here....they're trapped in some kind of pond.

 

[todd s]

 

[todd s]

It was amazing to see that guy stuck on the "raft" of trees who survived 10 days at sea. It is nice to hear a survivor story after all this horror.

On a side note. In the NY Post they had a picture of some people in Sri Lanka and one of the people was wearing a shirt with Osama Bin Landen on it. I wonder how he felt wearing that shirt while running to a US helicopter getting relief supplies from the US??

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Yeah, I can see a soldier whippping out his sidearm and shooting the idiot - just for being stupid, if nothing else. JK

I think I need to go into the reconstruction a little more. If a hotel gets repaired and gets going again, I see this happening.

The hotel's food, both western and eastern menus, would come in by truck. There isn't any problem with that at all - but the workers in the hotel eat what is grown/made locally. If the local farms are gone (underwater) they won't live nearby. I am assuming that the locals are still alive.

If they aren't, and the hotel gets them from the next village down the road - well, the hotel might have to go way, way down the road before they find enough workers.

How's that?

Glenn

 

[Dave Poehlman]

I don't know if this has been posted yet or not, I've been steering clear of this thread as it's too depressing.

However, my brother has sent me this site showing before and after aerial photos of the damage. Some of them are pretty amazing (click the toggle button to flip back and forth):

http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/8.html

 

[DaveNel]

They said today, With all the bodies found and ones
that are confirmed missing the toll will be over 200,00 to 250,000 Thats sad..

 

[andrew markworthy]

I first posted a long rant about people's complaints about lack of gratitude to the USA, etc, but then I thought, no, that's just going to entrench opinions even more. So instead I thought I'd say this:

To combine two old cliches, it's better to give than to receive, and anything is better than nothing. It doesn't matter at the end of the day who gave the most - only that we all helped.

It also doesn't matter what the recipients of this aid think of the USA or any other country for that matter; only that we were able to show compassion. On the day you give only on condition that you are loved or admired in return, then a key part of your humanity dies.

This is not a minor event in a remote part of the world that will quickly go away once the corpses have been buried and the dtritus cleared up. It is no hyperbole to say it is one of the worst natural disasters the world has faced in its recent history and will be a dominant feature for the next decade.

Incidentally, if you try The Hunger Site (http://www.thehungersite.com) at the moment, you'll find that you can click daily to donate (at no cost to you) to the relief agencies.

 

[todd s]

Andrew, Well said. I never give a gift and expect to get something back. It just saddens me when I hear people so quick to criticize.

 

[Mary M S]

My Nephew is in Sir Lanka, will be back the 14th, I am wondering what all he will have seen during his time there.
Am Concerned for him, especially when seeing reports such as this AM on CNN, reporting a grenade being lobbed into a funeral gathering. He arrived Colombo, but is working in the harder hit areas nearby. From the two contacts we have had with him, it appears that although many in his group have extensive construction skills; they are being utilized only for cleanup. One day, part of the group plays with children, next day working with a Red Cross Surgeon doing light RN type work. Cleaning / bandaging lacerations etc, He said, this is to free the Surgeon for amputations and surgery. The next day hauling out debris away from obstacles making giant piles of it, so that later bulldozers can more easily access the pile for removal. Then they rotate the day’s assignment again.

This is his first emergency relief trip with his church. The rest of the crew of 12 had prior experience in disaster aid. He has been several locations in the past, such as Uzbekistan, but never under these conditions.
Had to get all his Malaria (and other nasties) shot protection just before he left.
It sounds trite, but has proved very important that his mother at her son’s request has worked on acquiring Teddy Bears during the 1st week of his departure. His crew of 12 people left with 150 bears amongst their medical supplies.
He asked her to collect for the 2nd / 3rd and 4th teams being sent out on different departure dates from Texas, over the coming two weeks.

His Mom sent e-mail out to her School Website for bears. A parent e-mailed a copy to the Today Show. The very next day Katie Couric interviewed my Sister on the Today Show (very quick short segment via satellite) regarding the Schools “Bear Drive” Now my Sister has her Bear count growing exponentially like a Star Trek “Tribbles” episode.

Two individuals donated 1K Bears each. She has received calls from as far as Canada and France. Bank of America is helping with the cost of at least one shipment as it is impossible for the several different Church teams scheduled to go to carry more than a fraction of the bears with them. Shipping overseas is an issue.

My sister had not heard from her Son for several days after his group left. The middle of the night before her just scheduled morning interview on the “Today Show” he called her. One of his first comments to his Mom was to ask, “Had she gotten anywhere on the Bear collection?” She said “Funny you should ask” He talked to her two days later after the “Today” story aired when she was attempting to get their contact address in Sir Lanka for delivery location for Bank of America. He said “MOM, what have you done! I talked to the Church Office in Waco earlier today , and they said something about 50K bears!!!!.”

All will all be used,,,,,and needed. His first call to ask his Mom how the Bear drive was going he stated that the 150 they had carried over with their group, were gone the first day. He said the reason part of the 12-man crew plays with the children every day, is that even the children with parents still alive are extremely depressed. They were not playing, speaking or laughing. Often mute and only nodding, when spoken to by adults, even family members. He said the first and only smiles they saw on the children’s faces during the first several days with them were when they had received one of the bears, and during subsequent days each time the child would pick up their own bear to hold it again. The rest of the time, he states, they are in shock and subdued.

He said he never dreamt that something like a Teddy Bear really could show such a profound effect on children, during large tragedy suffered!

 

[Mark_vdH]

Pretty bad quality, but this shocking Banda Atjeh video shows how fast and forcefully the water rose:

http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams...05/atjeh12.wmv

 

[Matt_M]

Thanks for the link Mark. This video seems to show more than any others the power of the tsunami. The amount of the debris floating down the main road seems unreal.

 

[Henry Gale]

There is a different editing of that video available at MSNBC.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

 

[TonyD]

it's hard to figure out were that clip is from that link.
in what section is it located?

what is the clip called?

ok, i found it.
it's called tsunami's power.

try this may or may not work.

http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1...36425ac4e7&rf=

 

[Chris]

We heard word today that was somewhat mixed. Most of the help from many different countries (US, Japan, UN, etc.) were asked to try and leave.. as soon as possible. While there is plenty of work to be done, the local governments are facing lots of pressure from religious who are demanding that everyone leave.

Basically, the word is going out in the temples on an almost daily basis now that the Tsunami was an act of god upon them for harboring Jewish people :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: And pressure on government officials to get rid of US/UN/etc. forces that have helped maintain Israel/etc. is very intense on the part of these "religious" people.

So, while the US and others may commit a lot of money, we're going to find ourselves quickly at odds with the cleanup effort.

Anyway, that's the latest word from over there, for those that wonder how it goes ;(

 

[Chris_Morris]

Well, Indonesia did say the other day that they wanted the US troops out ASAP, and that next time they have a disaster that they didn't want our help. :rolleyes
The quote I read:

Chris