Tsunami [OT]

[ToddT]

The final toll based on what i have heard seen may never really be known, given the part of the world the event occured and it's scale.
As for the china quake, wasn't that quake that china found out their technique for predicting quakes was useless? or was that back in the 60'S
the Sumatra quake is the 4th largest in 40 years, 9.0. chile had the largest at 9.5 the Alaska quake in 67(?)was a 9.2 and triggerred tsunami' that killed poeple in

Hawaii, California and possibly Japan, its what lead to the warning system in the pacific, ironically Thailand is a memeber of that, for their east coast. the threat of tsunamis in the indian ocean is considered very low, consequently, given the price tag for an early warning system, it's very low in the area's list of priorities.

[Rathar]

I spent a considerable amount of time traveling in this area of the world and it's rough seeing all these casualties pouring in from cities, towns and villages I have known.

Sorry about your village in Lanka, really lovely country.

[Ruatha]

AT- Now you are being much to cynical!!

[David E. Gervais]

I agree AT, after the 9-11 attack, they were parising that they had recieved over 60 million in support funds (from the people making donations) but the sad truth, is that even up to a few months ago, many of the families that suffered losses in the tragic event have not seen so much as a penny from the collected funds. I mean how hard is it to keep track of about 3500 families that were 'directly' affected by 9-11 and make sure they get a piece of the funds that were donated for the sole purpose of helping them.

The way 'relief funds' are handled when taken in from donations is disgusting. I would not be surprised if 0% of the funds ever got to the victims. Oh, I forgot, they had to fill out the 'relief-action' fund request form under article 1010101 of the bull**** law in order to get a piece. If the victims failed to submit the necessary forms then the unclaimed money goes to the A**hole who is in charge of the fund.. Ususlly a bank.

Aarg, too bad that these 'temporary' 'relief fund' things didn't have to follow rules.

but I digress, sorry,

Cheers!

[Ruatha]

The red cross uses most of the money for aiding people, some goes to administration but that is unavoidable.
Most help orgfanizations do a good job, there will always be scams, so go with the big organizations, they usually (not always) are under strict control.

In Sweden we have bank account numbers that starts with 90, anyone wanting such an account must agree to strict supervision that the money goes where it's intended and that administartion is kept to a minimum.
I belive such things exist in many countries.

Most people involved in aid and help does it for good reasons, don't forget that!

If you are in doubt, join your local red cross organization and help out, watch and see.
I personally know several people who have worked under primitive conditions in africa and asia as doctors and nurses for the red cross and medicine sans frontiers and belive me, they don't do it to make money!

[AgentZero]

I think the really sad part is that if in, say 2010, you made a graph of the numbers of people known to have died 'unnatural' deaths, this disaster will just create a small blip as opposed to a spike. Millions of people die horribly every year, and often in great numbers, and yet we only hear about the ones like those in Asia because their demise was much more spectacular than most.

On a side note, one of my managers is missing in Thailand at the moment, which makes me feel kinda guilty, given the fact that we harboured a mutual abhoration for each other, I can remember wishing they'd stop living on one or two occasions, and now it looks like I may have gotten what I wished for, even if I never meant it seriously. Fate is cruel.

[Trantor]

I don't know anyone who was touched by this tragedy, not even anyone who knows anyone who was touched by this tragedy. We are quite removed from it. The numbers are so large that it becomes hard to grasp. Still, many of my friends are making donations to relief organizations in the triple digits.
I hate to make it sound like a competion, but most of them are not rich by any means. Still, we all realize that this Tsunami was really bad. Anything anybody can do to help, they should.
This is a US government web site, a list of relief orgs:
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_...i/ngolist.html

[bearclaw]

My wife's father lives in India and was hit by the waves. He's originally from England and is your sterio-typical high-class Englishman. After he retired from being a Computer Engineer (origially worked on developing the Main-Frame Computer), he decided that India was the place he wanted to live. His first choice was Sri Lanka but they don't allow immigrants. He build a house right on the beach on the east coast of India.

Luckily, he built his house to western standards and it's nearly all concrete and brick. He saw the wave coming and knew that they could not get away in time. By the time he saw the wave it was about 6 meters (18 feet) when it crashed. Him and his wife went to the second floor of their house and simply waited for the water to receid. Except for some electrical outlets on the ground floor, apparently their house survived with minimal damage. The rest of the village they live in, however was not so lucky.

I've attached pictures of their house before and after the wave hit.