Massive earthquake hits Indonesia, Tsunami kills thousands.

[Marvin Feltcher]

Sorry!

[kamome]

Jet Li escapes Maldives flooding

Yep, I saw a similar blurb on another Entertainment news website.

By the way, those people who see some kind of insidious or selfish motive behind GG's decision to go to Phuket are sorely misled. Come on guys, if you actually read her posts, you would see that she is being sensitive to the whole situation there.

[Mels]

Hey GG:

Looking forward to your return. I too would have gone if I could. I know that there are many tourist there continuing their vacation. Those that were there during the tsunami are still there as well because they werent in the effected areas. And more do come in each day.

I know that you and your friends are cautious and are in wonderment of what has happened as well.

I think Thailand is caught right in the middle. They have to deal with the devastation of what happened, but they also have to keep business going. If not, they will be worse off, in my opinion.

Enjoy your trip....I look forward to the shares you will have for us...

[AssKissinger]

http://www.bigdaikon.com/board/viewtopic.php?p=852252&highlight=#852252

blackcat, are you BigBossMan on Big Daikon, steal that from him or did he steal it from you? My guess is he stole it from you.

[james]

Looks like the U.S. just boosted their quota. I think that's pretty nice of them. I wonder how much CANADA donated? Canada never helps.

uhh.. canada made an initial donation of c$4 million which was then upped to c$40m (approx us $33m) once the scale of devastation was known. looking at the list above it seems to be a lot more per capita than a bunch of other well-to-do countries. not to say that we couldn't and shouldn't give more seeing as the amount pales against several recent boondoggles and we're running a budget surplus.

[puargs]

Hehehe, I'm just playing around, james.

[DJEB]

Why Randians are only good for mulch:

U.S. Should Not Help Tsunami Victims

...According to altruism--the morality that most Americans accept and that politicians exploit for all it's worth--those who have more have the moral obligation to help those who have less. This is why Americans--the wealthiest people on earth--are expected to sacrifice (voluntarily or by force) the wealth they have earned to provide for the needs of those who did not earn it. It is Americans' acceptance of altruism that renders them morally impotent to protest against the confiscation and distribution of their wealth. It is past time to question--and to reject--such a vicious morality that demands that we sacrifice our values instead of holding on to them.

It's always nice to hear the neurotic discharge of the truely asinine .

[AssKissinger]

Bigbossman




Joined: 28 Sep 2003
Posts: 2159
Location: Tsukuba
Posted: 2004-12-31 Fri 22:51:47 Post subject: Japanese media a disgrace

blackcat
Maegashira

Joined: 27 Jul 2002
Posts: 229

Recent Posts

Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:28 am
Post subject: Tsunami Tragedy. links to prove Japanese media a JOKE.

[blackcat]

Asskisser
WOW thanks for the link. Bigbossman whoever he/she is copied my post!
oh well there was no copyright anyway LOL.

What i`m getting at here is YES the J media did cover this story...as any should, just think of the scale!

but I don`t think they really have brought home the tragedy to the japanese public that other media has worldwide.(except US with "Saron" the deciever in control...his evil eye lookin for oil)

but when you look at the J medias coverage you notice all the human stories are about the japanese...not so elsewhere...also Jmedia LOVE the tear jerking stories like H soga, the child rescued from Nigata etc.

but they reserve that for themselves....the japanese papers were the same...NIHIONJIN FIRST...whatever next.
Pathetic.

[jingai]

[jim katta]

Here's a rather vivid account from a vacationing tourist at the scene of the disaster.

I was praying please don't let this wave just roll over us, please let it stop, let it break behind us and let us survive. I turned around once and saw the wave breaking between the trees and the two bungalows and just kept running knowing the water could still knock us down. We reached the resort reception area and people were in shock. And we all knew we were really still not safe. At that point we ran back to our bungalows and grabbed our passports and money and fled towards the highway.

Full Story HERE

[Mels]

Oh man, watching the new DVD I got---The Day After Tomorrow....

The scene when NYC got hit by a Tsunami scared the crap out of me.....I know it is because of the reality of what all those people faced the day after christmas.... I can imagine what those people must have felt when they saw the water coming.

[DJEB]

Were you able to figure our exactly why there was suddenly a big tsunami? It's just a wee hole in the plot.

[Mels]

DJBE, if you were asking me that question about the Tsunami, of course. Just that particular scene in the movie got to me is all.

[DJEB]

DJBE, if you were asking me that question about the Tsunami, of course. Just that particular scene in the movie got to me is all.

I just found it interesting that they would put this major scene in the movie, which was unexplained and unexplainable, that had nothing to do with the plot. I'm sure they spent a lot of money on it, so they could have gone to the trouble of explaining why it happened.

[AlbertSiegel]

GomiGirl is the greatest! I am happy she is doing what she can to help the local economy by visiting. I look forward to her stories and photos. GG has my full support.

[kamome]

I think there is a nugget of respectable opinion in Charles's posts, namely that he respects the Thai people and worries that Western tourists are engaging in some kind of cultural imperialism through tourism and benefitting themselves at the expense of Thais. I would agree with that to a certain extent, although I think there is such a thing as "good" tourism and "bad" tourism. Charles makes the mistake of lumping all tourism into the "bad" category.

But the bigger mistake is to extend that logic to GG and accuse her of being insensitive or contributing to the enslavement of Thais. In fact, whenever I have visited Thailand, I wondered who was really exploiting who. The Thai people believe that they are entitled to take as much Western money as they can bargain for, and even build into their economy a separate pricing tier for "farang" (gaijin). Also, how many people know a story or two about middle-aged men who were fooled into spending money on a bar girl?

Charles, I agree that the West is guilty of exploitation in certain respects, but I think you could have made a more subtle analysis of the whole situation in Phuket without alienating GG with your snide commentary.

[vir-jin]

That discussion reminds me about one I had with my friends before going to palestine to visit a friend of mine some years ago.
I would never regret having been there and seeing what really is going on- cause CNN cuts it's reports as it fits to rule the political opinion. Though I didn't go for that reason, but to support a friend mentally showing her my loyalty going through the same shit she was for one month- though I was able to go back to puppie wealthy switzerland afterwards- without any photos.
I payed for it being pointed at with MG's several times and living in a house surrounded by 7 tanks, martyre posters at every wall, no water and barely food. when I came home I couldn't stop from shaking for two whole days.

I was not able to stop anybody at what they were doing, it didn't contribute to better anyones life, besides the life of my friend and their friends and family cause I gave them hope somehow by showing up.

GG, guess you made an experience that made your life richer in one way or the other. and many of the people might have appreciated the 'neutralizing' appearence of foreigners after the shocking happening.
Hiroshima's sign of hope was the cable car- only reminder of everyday life that kept their spirit up after the atomic bomb as is stated in the museum through a impressing movie.
sorry for that selfinvolved post, but I had to-

congratulations.

[jim katta]

speaking of the dark side/exploitive side of south asia, check this out...

After tsunami disaster, Sri Lankan officials investigate reports of child rapes

A teenager who escaped death but was left orphaned and homeless by the Asian tsunami met yet one more agony: gang rape, one of several cases of child abuse being investigated in the disaster zone, an official said.

full story

[Mels]

DJBE, if you were asking me that question about the Tsunami, of course. Just that particular scene in the movie got to me is all.

I just found it interesting that they would put this major scene in the movie, which was unexplained and unexplainable, that had nothing to do with the plot. I'm sure they spent a lot of money on it, so they could have gone to the trouble of explaining why it happened.

Now I understand why you asked the question.
You are right, I dont recall there being a major earthquake before the tsunami. I did wonder why a tsunami... additionally,in the movie, they called it a Tidal Wave which makes it sound outdated.

I am guilty of going along with Hollywoods version of what the earth would go through if there was a catostrophic climate change due to the high rate of fossil feul being burned and pollution.

For pure entertainment, I did enjoy the movie and I always like when they throw in something Japanese....such as the hail storm in Tokyo.

[DJEB]

For pure entertainment, I did enjoy the movie and I always like when they throw in something Japanese....such as the hail storm in Tokyo.

As far as a Hollywood version of Tokyo, it was surprisingly good. It did have that certain strangeness that made it funny for us here in Japan.

I am guilty of going along with Hollywoods version of what the earth would go through if there was a catostrophic climate change due to the high rate of fossil feul being burned and pollution.

Well Hollywood's gotta make money. What would really happen? I dare not predict what will happen to the long-term outcome of a chaotic system but there have been a few observations made:

Substanial changes have occured over the past decade in the mid- to high-latitude North Atlantic Ocean.... we find that subpolar circulation may have been weaker in the late 1990s than in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Abrupt climate change has occured in the past (not like in the movie, though):

Abrupt climate fluctuations that occurred during both Holocene and Late Pleistocene times have been linked to changes in ocean circulation, but their causes remain uncertain. One of the largest such events in the Holocene occurred between 8,400 and 8,000 calendar years ago,, (7,650&#8211].

This event saw the bursting of an ice damn (like the event captured on video a few years ago in Iceland) causing over 100 trillion cubic metres of fresh water to spew into the Arctic Ocean. Nothing like that event is going to happen today.

Others say that "[url=http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4216][o]il and gas will run out too fast for doomsday global warming scenarios to materialise..."

Anyway, I'm way off topic, so I'll just say, the movie was fun except for the slander against wolves.

[Marked Trail]

It really could ....
Could It Happen Here? You Bet TIME--Time magazine, Sunday, Jan. 02, 2005

[Mels]

Regarding my previous post regarding some of my american friends not having a clue.....although delayed, they have finally gotten a clue.

I am happy to say that many of the stores I patronize have signs up to ask for donations. It took some time, but people I know are finally donating money for those countries.

I hope this does not sound out of line and perhaps someone has already asked this question or thinking on the same line as me.

Okay,money needs to be sent in to those devastated countries. Yes, agree 100%. Medical supplies and food supplies. Yes, agree 100% They need all the help they can get. No question about it.

But, what about those families that were on vacation there? I was just wondering about the support they are getting. I know that their respective country's are helping them ship their loved ones home. Are all govt's doing this? I know that the embassy and consulates are issuing passports/paperwork and clothing and perhaps some money to get them home. Is that true for all govt's?

I just could not imagine being over there and losing a loved one. I know that for that moment all I would think about is getting my loved one home...if I was able to locate them to bring them home. That would be my only focus.

BUT, if I had heard, for example, that any one of the those govt's in the effected countries knew that there was a possiblility of something happening, how would I feel? Regardless of the devastation, I may not have thought about it at the time, but as time goes on, would I feel angry? If they actually proved beyond the benefit of the doubt that certain govt's, such as Thailand for example, knew and were warned that something could happen, but did nothing, what would I feel?

After the initial shock of hearing what happened, I am now curious about these people that have had to go home after everything that has happened. Some were very lucky, nothing happened, but others had their whole family wiped out.....

As with any desaster, after some time passes, things start to come out of the woodwork. You start to hear reports of people hirng laywers, etc. Or has there been something set up by the world community to help these people? I know the focus needs to be on these countries to prevent more deaths.....gosh there is no question, but at the same time, there are also other groups suffering, such as those people flying home.

Just wanted to write out my thoughts abou this and wondered if anyone else was thinking about the same thing.

[GuyJean]

Sumatra got worked..
Look familiar?..

Maybe something good will come from this.. Like compassion..

note to self: live in dome house.

GJ

[kamome]

note to self: live in dome house.

[jim katta]

hmmm, maybe charles has a point. I just posted a pretty wild bit of news about children getting raped in the disaster area, and the posts that followed it had to do with 1)movie critique, 2)questions about aid for tourists, 3)fashion quips. do you guys even remember what this thread is about?

After tsunami disaster, Sri Lankan officials investigate reports of child rapes

A teenager who escaped death but was left orphaned and homeless by the Asian tsunami met yet one more agony: gang rape, one of several cases of child abuse being investigated in the disaster zone, an official said.

full story here

[Mels]

Jim:

After I had posted, I saw the news you had posted. I think you may have jumped to a conclusion on this one.

I read the information, got busy sending it out to my friends. letting them know the horrible things that are happening out there.
So, maybe I did not respond to what you wrote, but I wasnt ignoring it.

I still think that the tourist that were affected are as important as well. Maybe it is only me. But then again. there are so many facets to this tragedy, isnt there?

[Mels]

Jim:

When I was relating to the movie I saw, I was stating that it gave me a chill, making me imagine what those poor people must have gone through.

And I do think that aid to the tourist is part of this whole thread as the aid for all those people in the effected areas. So I will agree to disagree with you on this one.

The jeans and the back and forth bantering?? I just blow by it....like in any post, I take what I need and leave the rest.... this happens.

Thanks for the infomation about the tragedy that has been going on over ther with the children.....

[Mulboyne]

AP via Kyodo: Malaysian tuna ship discovers Indonesian tsunami survivor adrift in Indian Ocean
A Malaysian tuna ship rescued an Indonesian woman who drifted for five days in the Indian Ocean after last week's tsunami swept her out to sea from her home on Sumatra island, an official said Monday. The unidentified woman in her 20s was spotted alive Friday floating in waters near Aceh province, a spokesman for the Malaysian International Tuna Port said on condition of anonymity. The woman, who suffered leg injuries and was extremely weak, arrived for medical treatment Monday afternoon at Malaysia's northwestern Penang island, the spokesman said. No other details were immediately available.

[vir-jin]

do you guys even remember what this thread is about?

Perhaps if people want to discuss the relative social costs of Versace's Italian seamstresses vs. Levi Strauss' Thai sweatshops, they might be vaguely on-topic.

the progressive loss of courtesy- a pretence of establishment and expression of primitive hospitality itself, manifests in frankness today and may lead to a common exchange of bad manners- Paul Virilio

Dear BOSS,
Dear PREMIUM MEMBERS,
Do you agree with me that the big problem we face in that webpage is speed? the speed of encounter might persuade us to to mix up 'coming together' with 'colliding together'.GG was faster than everybody else, so what is that fuss all about? I don't get it!

Charles, I never thanked you for the book recommendation you made recently. It was a lot of help for me.