| Author |
Message |
    
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 4937
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 1:37 pm: | 
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I heard the BBC criticize the Indian government for callousness, for not having the warning infrastructure ready. They point out that these disasters are a question of when, not if they happen. |
tulip
Citizen
Username: Braveheart
Post Number: 1806
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 1:39 pm: |
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I'll venture to say this:
I would very much like "my" president to go ON the air and express "my" country's concern and grief over this. Money is never enough, but just a public statement of condolence would be very nice, and very American.
...but nothing... |
jjkatz
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 487
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 2:00 pm: |
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I heard that Bush sent letters of condolence to the leaders of all of the countries affected.
But a public statement urging Americans to contribute to the relief effort if they can would be nice too. |
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 208
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 3:55 pm: |
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I highly recommend this charity as one of my personal favorites:
http://www.brothersbrother.org.
They have consistently received stellar ratings on their finances and their business model is superb. You can be certain your money is being put to good use. See the web site for details.
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Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7115
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 3:56 pm: |
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According to a blurb on Captivate.com in our elevators the death toll is now estimated to be over 50,000.  |
hismom
Citizen
Username: Hismom
Post Number: 188
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 4:31 pm: |
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I generally avoid the soapbox area, but it seems to be up to 52,000 now.
The American media's fixation on how many Americans have perished seems to make us look even more self-centered than we did before. On the Yahoo home page it looks so stupid to see 8 Americans dead just under the headline "Death toll rises to 50,000+".
I, too, would like to see a public offer of condolence/support from the President. Even better I would llike him to scrap the ostentatious show of "donor support" they are calling the inaugural and send the estimated $40 million they are spending on that to the relief effort.
Kudos to the UN person for calling the $15 million "pathetic". |
mtierney
Citizen
Username: Mtierney
Post Number: 712
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 4:51 pm: |
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The word not included in reporting re the US's contribution is INITIAL - that's what Colin Powell said. For the UN to criticize us at this juncture is galling.
Another horror which might befall the people affected - and the volunteers helping - are the landmines which were buried throughout a region and are now floating up! Can it get any worse?
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Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4603
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 5:22 pm: |
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The world is in mourning for those who died and much of the world has been rendered speechless. Does our language even have the words to adequately describe what has happened along the coasts of the Indian Ocean? Does anyone's?
In 2001 a number of us stood by and watched two towers collapse killing thousands of people. The sheer numbers of dead left us numb. The tsunami left over ten times that number dead. How does one deal with that?
It's good to see how many of the nations of our planet are coming together to try and help the cities, towns, and villages devistated by this tragedy rebuild. Lists of organizations coordinating this effort are in every newspaper I read today and were mentioned in every news broadcast I heard. I guess that's a start but it won't bring the dead back to life.
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Debby
Citizen
Username: Debby
Post Number: 1467
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 7:33 pm: |
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The cover photo of the NY Times was just devastating. So many babies and small children!
And of course, this is just the beginning. The disease and starvation that will occur in these areas is expected to wipe out an equal number. |
sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12832
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 7:44 pm: |
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Anyone going to the beach next summer? |
sullymw
Citizen
Username: Sullymw
Post Number: 434
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 8:49 am: |
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I hated that photo on the front page of the Times showing the dead babies and children. I think it was uncalled for. |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 420
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 9:06 am: |
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I believe over night it went from 57,000 to 70,000. It is unbelievable the way the death toll is rising.
I also heard on the news last night that the US was being criticized for not giving enough aid. |
jjkatz
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 493
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 9:39 am: |
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I don't think we can use casualty counts to compare the earthquake/tsunami disaster with 9/11. 9/11 was a deliberate act, carried out by human beings against other human beings. Even though the death toll was much lower than what we're seeing now, in a way 9/11 was still much worse.
It irks me too how many news outlets are feeling the need to point out that a handful of Americans were among the dead, like that somehow makes it worse. And the "supermodel survived tsunami" stories that are coming out are pretty annoying and tasteless too. |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 300
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 9:45 am: |
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I might have thought that some of the pictures being shown on TV were excessive (I had to distract my 5 year old through a section showing bodies in bulldozers yesterday).
But then I was watching CNN this morning when they were reading email from viewers who feel that the US shouldn't do anything to help.
I was embarassed to be from the same country as people who are asking why we should send any money to them when there wasn't a major international relief campaign after the florida hurricaines. Do they really think that Sri Lanka should have been sending aid to Florida??
Now 3 days later, Bush has finally made a statement, by phone. After about one minute of boilerplate about what ships we are sending, he's talking about Iraqi elections. rrrr
OK, back to talking about how much aid we give and will give. |
finnegan
Citizen
Username: Finnegan
Post Number: 156
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 10:15 am: |
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Amazon is making it easy to donate to the Red Cross's disaster relief fund - especially if you're already set up with one click shopping on Amazon.
www.amazon.com
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susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 303
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 11:19 am: |
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OK, much as I dislike Bush, I hve to correct my above posting about his statement today.
He still waited three days to say a word himself (which I find unacceptable), but I just saw the tape delay, and have to make two corrections:
1. There was a video feed (on about one hour delay) -- he did put on a suit and face a camera.
2. He was only talking about Iraq 2 minutes into the conference because the first reporter to ask a question had the appalling poor taste to ask about Iraq rather than Tsunami-related issues. |
HarDen
Citizen
Username: Harden
Post Number: 45
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 30, 2004 - 7:49 pm: |
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The Maplewood JR Women's Club is collecting NEW
under garments for Tsunami victims. All sizes, male and female, including children are needed.
There will be a donation bin at the Township Clerk's Office at Maplewood Town Hall. Drop off during regular business hours. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4625
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 1, 2005 - 12:18 pm: |
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The number of tsunami dead has risen to over 100,000 directly related to the waves which struck and inundated the Indian Ocean coast lines from one coast of the ocean to the other. Today I awoke to learn that some of these areas are now suffering from additional flooding, which is delaying efforts at relief and rebuilding even further.
A story on the BBC a few mornings ago blames the devestation in part to over-development of these coast lines in the name of tourism and the resulting removal of the mangroves which have helped to significantly reduce major flooding in this region in the past. So it seems at least part of the tragedy is being attributed to human disregard for the environment. Replacing these mangrove plantings will take time, assuming the nations involved are even wiling to do so.
Also heard on the radio this morning, a single person, said to have been buried in the rubble for a week has now been rescued. There seems to be some hope in that. |
Miss L Toe
Citizen
Username: Miss_l_toe
Post Number: 123
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 1, 2005 - 9:14 pm: |
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HarDen:
Are you sure that collecting undergarments is the best/most appropriate way to help the victims? How are they going to be distributed in the recipient country/countries?
I've heard on the radio that cash donations are by far the best way to help people, and Charitywatch - The American Institute of Philanthropy -(which monitors how charities are spending your donations and rate them according to their efficiency) has this to say:
http://www.charitywatch.org/hottopics/tsunami_asia.html
I lived in South East Asia for a number of years before our current expat posting in the USA so this disaster is very close to my heart. Please do note that the Asian people are extremely slight (petite) in build - men, women and children. Most adults would be typically a US size 0 to size 4 (women) and perhaps up to a US size 8 for adult males and most adults are from about 4ft 10" to approx 5ft 4" in height....and those clothes sizes are assumed that they they haven't lost weight due to lack of food or traumatization. |
anon
Citizen
Username: Anon
Post Number: 1557
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, January 1, 2005 - 11:35 pm: |
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Miss L Toe:
Thanks for the link. It seems the best contribution is cash to one of the highly rated charities. |
Marvin Gardens
Citizen
Username: Marvin_gardens
Post Number: 160
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 2, 2005 - 12:04 am: |
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You know the U.S. would really like to help but...we're kind of busy right now and we don't have much money left for helping people. If you want to bomb them let us know and we'll be right over. We always have plenty of money for that but seeing at they don't have much oil, I doubt it will happen anytime soon |
overtaxdalready
Citizen
Username: Overtaxdalready
Post Number: 311
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, January 2, 2005 - 8:14 am: |
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Silly, jerky post. |
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