There are times when an 'off topic' topic is necessary. I feel this is one
of those times.
I sent the following message to the Premier of my province. Should you feel
the same way I do then you will know what to do.
These people need help and they need it now. Not tomorrow-now.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

Mr. Premier
There are many problems in your office that require 'looking after'. The
problems in the aftermath of the disaster resulting in the earthquake in the
Indian Ocean must take precedent.
I send this message to you because I don't know who else to contact. The
people there need help now! Not tomorrow but now. And they need it now in
large numbers....large and immediately spread over a vast area. It is a
massive problem!
I can only hope that the 'ones' in 'charge' feel the same sense of urgency
that I feel. And that they are able to meet the necessary requirements.
Gary Davis
Fort Langley, BC

Feeling quite helpless on the other side of the planet, I've given $100.00
to Medicine Sans Frontieres (http://www.msf.org) they already have Doctors,
support staff, and medicine on the ground in Aceh. It's a great
organization, in my opinion, with the vast majority of one's contribution
going towards actual relief and very little for 'overhead'.

The American wing of this organization is 'Doctors Without Borders'
(http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/). They make online donations very
easy, and of course it's tax deductible.

Dave

"gary" wrote in message
...
There are times when an 'off topic' topic is necessary. I feel this is one
of those times.
I sent the following message to the Premier of my province. Should you
feel
the same way I do then you will know what to do.
These people need help and they need it now. Not tomorrow-now.
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

Mr. Premier
There are many problems in your office that require 'looking after'.
The
problems in the aftermath of the disaster resulting in the earthquake in
the
Indian Ocean must take precedent.
I send this message to you because I don't know who else to contact.
The
people there need help now! Not tomorrow but now. And they need it now
in
large numbers....large and immediately spread over a vast area. It is a
massive problem!
I can only hope that the 'ones' in 'charge' feel the same sense of
urgency
that I feel. And that they are able to meet the necessary requirements.
Gary Davis
Fort Langley, BC

No, it's not necessary. Post your bedwetting whiny crap elsewhere.

Maybe those idiots will finally install some detection equipment. Now
that's necessary.

As for the lives lost, I think the (old Jay Leno) Doritos ad said it
best- Don't worry, they'll make more.

P.S. Anyone else notice that it took just three days for someone to
figure out a way to blame the US for it?

John Thomas wrote:

Maybe those idiots will finally install some detection equipment.

As I understand it, the project is underway, but will not be active
until sometime in 2005.

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 15:10:35 -0500, Chelsea Christenson
wrote:

John Thomas wrote:

Maybe those idiots will finally install some detection equipment.

As I understand it, the project is underway, but will not be active
until sometime in 2005.

If you are referring to a tsunami detection system in the Indian Ocean
I understand that there are no plans but it is being discussed now.
The issue is that this is an expensive system to detect an event that
has not occurred in recent history (until last Sunday).

Developing countries are not inclined to spend big sums to protect
against such remote threats. It has nothing to do with intelligence.
In fact, it is logical. Unfortunately, logic does not control natural
events and thus disasters happen.

Hysterical demands "to do something" invariably result in a waste of
scarce resources.

Similarly, there is no Atlantic Ocean system to protect the eastern US
coast. There are no "big" fault zones in the Atlantic like those that
exist in the Pacific, hence a reduced, but non-zero, tsunami threat.
At least, that is what the scientists say. I expect that will also be
subject to renewed debate.

I only hope that a thoughtful debate trumps the political pressure.

Sigh.

John

John Bachman expounded:

If you are referring to a tsunami detection system in the Indian Ocean
I understand that there are no plans but it is being discussed now.
The issue is that this is an expensive system to detect an event that
has not occurred in recent history (until last Sunday).

I heard that the head of the Australian government is looking into
funding this system (now).

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

what i heard was a detection system would take 2 hours to come up with a warning and since land masses in the indian ocean where much closer together than in the pacific the wave would hit before or at about the same time as the warning could be issued....what i also heard was if you are ever at the coast and the sea suddenly goes out a very long way for no apparent reason don't call your freinds and family over to come and look, instead run away very fast.

I have to agree. If they have any schooling at all I cant understand why they dont
1. teach about hazards like earthquakes, tsunami, fires, etc.
2. teach every child to swim.
many of the people drowned because they couldnt swim well enough to a tree or
something between waves. during waves nothing can be done.
but I doubt it takes 2 hours. I heard that the warning goes out immediately when
quakes over 5(?) are recorded. they dont wait for an actual tsunami to be seen.
sorta like doppler radar showing "signature" triggers the alarm horns going off.
Ingrid

Eyebright wrote:
what i heard was a detection system would take 2 hours to come up with
a warning and since land masses in the indian ocean where much closer
together than in the pacific the wave would hit before or at about the
same time as the warning could be issued....what i also heard was if
you are ever at the coast and the sea suddenly goes out a very long way
for no apparent reason don't call your freinds and family over to come
and look, instead run away very fast.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Sometimes ancient wisdom is the best. I have read that one of the strongest
"taboos" of the native Hawaiian culture involved the danger of turning one's
back to the ocean. (I'm guessing they had a similar one about sleeping on or
near the beach). Obviously observation had taught them valuable lessons
which were inculcated in future generations via the mechanism of religion.
(I imagine something similar dictated many of the Jewish dietary laws).


" what i heard was a detection system would take 2 hours to come up with
a warning and since land masses in the indian ocean where much closer
together than in the pacific the wave would hit before or at about the
same time as the warning could be issued....what i also heard was if
you are ever at the coast and the sea suddenly goes out a very long way
for no apparent reason don't call your freinds and family over to come
and look, instead run away very fast.


--
Eyebright