Overwhelmed by today's newspaper...

[scottieking]

If you are like me (and the rest of the world) I think the magnitude of this earthquake is really starting to take hold. As I read my newspaper this morning, I became quite overwhelmed with emotion and awe.

To start, the stories of surivial are just incredible. I've been to Thailand and can envision what the day must have been like just before the wave hit. I pray that my friends travelling are fine (one teacher I work with has a son he still hasn't heard from yet)

Then the magnitude of the event. According to the Globe, the eathquake was so powerful it actually shifted the earth casuing it to wobble on its axis and to increase the Earth's rotation by a fraction of a second.

But it all came crashing home to me in the picture of a young child , Karl Nilsson, age 7, holding a sign that says "looking for parents and two brothers". Stories of children wandering around alone, bodies washing ashore, complete chaos.

I'm sickened and stunned and helpless. And yet, it was an earthquake, a tsumani and despite the lack of early warning systems in enpoverished nations, I have little place to throw my frustration.

I'm overwhelmed by the hurt of the world. This most certainly stands to become a global defining moment. And all I can do is watch.

[Cosmic ChrisC]

But it all came crashing home to me in the picture of a young child , Karl Nilsson, age 7, holding a sign that says "looking for parents and two brothers". Stories of children wandering around alone, bodies washing ashore, complete chaos.

That was a difficult picture to look at. He seems so lost.

A recurring nightmare I have is of a tsunami. It became a reality for so many people. These past few days, I've been engrossed in this tragedy. I feel I need to get away from it a bit. I've been reading everything about it in the newspaper and watching CNN and Newsworld a bit too much. I did the same thing when 9/11 happened and I was kinda depressed for 7 months. What put me back on the map? A trip to California for five Phil & Friends shows! haha!

But really, it's sad to see the world suffering like this. And here I am drinking beer, surrounded by good food to eat.

Do you think you could handle seeing dozens of bodies burning in front of you? You wouldn't think so, but I'm sure they didn't think so either.

I'm pissed off at the lack of communication too...this could have been prevented.

Anyway, this is a tragedy that hopefully will bring about some good in this world somehow.

OK, I need another beer!

[Velvet]

There will be a donation jar at the nero show tonight. Please give anything you can.

[AD]

I'm pissed off at the lack of communication too...this could have been prevented.

Um..... No. I don't know how to stop a tsunami. Early warning systems aren't in place there because the systems they have now give too many false alarms which undermine the credibility of the whole system. And even if there was a warning issued, I don't know how all the people living in abject poverty would be able to receive such warning...

It's great to see so much co-operation among nations and aid agencies though..

There's something about the Xmas holidays lately, last year was Bam, now this...

AD

[Cosmic ChrisC]

I'm pissed off at the lack of communication too...this could have been prevented.

Um..... No. I don't know how to stop a tsunami. Early warning systems aren't in place there because the systems they have now give too many false alarms which undermine the credibility of the whole system. And even if there was a warning issued, I don't know how all the people living in abject poverty would be able to receive such warning...

AD

Yeah, that's sorta what I meant by lack of communication. I got lazy and didn't explain. It's crazy how this kinda thing can happen in 2004, how there's still people living in poverty, not able to listen to radio or TV.

Velvet, good to know there'll be a donation box tonight. The money should be sent to the Red Cross after. I think it's the best place to send it. IIRC, about 90% of the money goes straight to the countries in need.

[Velvet]

Red Cross it is.

I started the collection at my birthday party and we're well over a hundred bucks so far. I heard on the radio where they were dropping 1,000 cases of bottled water in an area that held 4,000,000 people. I think many of the people that survived are gonna keep on dying for a while, and every little bit can help immensely.