Random thoughts...

This is not meant to be taken the wrong way, but if you have had any computer problems recently and called tech support, you probably talked with someone in India.

I've done a lot of that recently with a new computer and setting up a wireless network in our house.

Some of the folks I talked to were very good -- others not so good -- but I hope that they all made it through this disaster.

I suppose it isn't likely that they lived on the beach, but you can't help but wonder.

I don't know if this has occurred to anyone, but India has had worrisome relations with Sri Lanka often in the past, and allegedly really wanted to take the country over. Being somewhat suspicious, I wonder if the sudden appearance of a U.S. Aircraft Carrier battle group is serving two missions -- helping in the rescue mission, and serving notice on the Indian Navy which, according to NPR was off the Sri Lankan coast.

I hope that I'm wrong and that unpleasantness ended, but I hope more that India wouldn't take advantage of this kind of situation for political gains.

These both sound kind of silly on the face of it, but are things I think of when the old mind is idle.

I probably read too many Tom Clancy books.

Thailand Needs Help, But Not Money
 

I was watching the Newshour last night, and they interviewed an Assistant Prime Minister of Thailand. He was speaking in the middle of a devastated village, with dead bodies visible.

He said that Thailand does not need money. However, Thailand does need "technical help." Specifically, he said that they need people with experience in identifying dead bodies, as well as other types of disaster management.

I don't know if this need for halp translates across the board for devastated nations, but it does cast an interesting light on the now daily box score for national financial contributions.

All of this said, I encourage everyone to contribute what you can to one of the organizations that moe.ron listed earlier in this thread. I gave all that I could.

The cycle of life in the shadow of the tsunami disaster:

Seven NBA players to donate $1,000 per point
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK

Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal and four other NBA players have promised to donate $1,000 for every point they score in a game later this week to help victims of the Indian Ocean earthquake-tsunami.

Bob Sura of the Houston Rockets, Jalen Rose of the Toronto Raptors, and Pau Gasol and Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies also are taking part in the $1,000-per-point donations, which will be made to UNICEF.

"I first talked about it with Jermaine and Tracy right before New Year's. We talked about different ideas, and that's how it started," said agent Arn Tellem, who said he will match the highest donation made by any of the players.

Bryant, McGrady, Miller and Gasol will base the size of their donations on the number of points they score in Thursday's games, and O'Neal, Sura and Rose will donate $1,000 for each point they score on Friday.

Tellem said the program, called "Shoot-a-Thon," hopes to raise about $250,000.

"I think when more players find out about it, they'll get involved," Rose said. "Sometimes you hear a lot of horror stories about relief funds not getting to designated party, but in this case UNICEF will make certain that won't happen."

Also, the Harlem Globetrotters plan to donate at least $100,000 and match funds raised by the sale of game programs during their 2005 tour to over 200 cities in the United States and Canada. The money raised will also go to UNICEF.

"As concerned global citizens and ambassadors of goodwill, the Harlem Globetrotters feel strongly about doing something to help those who are suffering, especially the youth," Globetrotters owner and chairman Mannie Jackson said.

That ould be some painful isht. Sego palms arent necessarily the most comfortable things to touch. They are beautiful but everytime I walk by one I look liek I just got into it with a housecat; all scratched up. But I guess if its for survival....

US places 16th in GDP percentage for Tsunami Aid:

http://tinyurl.com/66xzj

Does that include the cost of running an aircraft carrier?

No it doesn't. This doesn't include much of the support in terms of naval vessels and security. Much of the burden for "global charity" really does fall on a few countries, and the UN needs to figure out how to spread that burden to other countries.

What it also doesn't take into account is private donations. How can you calculate donations "per capita" without taking that into account?

Additionally, what is pledged is never what is received. In Bam's earthquake, I believe 60% of what was pledged was received. These numbers are nothing more than publicity games.

Also it's funny that much of the aid by certain countries is in the form of "debt forgiveness". Yes people need food and are dying and I'm sure debt forgiveness is what they need right now. Hey moe.ron, you know how you owe me $50 bucks? If you ask to borrow another $10 bucks, I'll be kind and just say you owe me $40.

What is interesting is what I heard talked about on Dateline on Wednesday night. They were saying the response from Muslim countries were less than encouraging given their financial support for the families of suicide bombers and the sort.

-Rudey

The vultures are out

Link to the Story

Those vultures are damn scary.

My employer announced matching funds today for donations to the American Red Cross! I was glad they did that and will donate through them so that my donation is doubled now.

Dee

60% would've been a great number. The report I've read, only around $17.5 million of the $1 billion have been given.

Well it looks like the aid nujmbers are up even further...

Listing, also with per captia contributions:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/as...e/numbers.html

Australia's aid is impressive to say the least... while here in Canada fast-tracking for immigration and the adoption of orphans has been approved.

It's important to note that not all of Thailand was physically impacted by the tsunami. The southern islands and coastal areas were devastated, Bangkok and more inland areas were not affected at all. I just left Bangkok (literally, like 30 hours ago), and there was no sign of the disaster anywhere--except for a few collection areas for food and water to fly down to Phuket, which is about 300 miles away. As early as New Year's Day, people were back on the beaches that weren't affected. Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and the Phillipines were not impacted--in some ways, this is just a reminder of how many of "us" still lump the nations of SE Asia together.

I don't know if there's been a major difference in what news I got, being in Southeast Asia, and what people here in the States received. The true death toll will probably never be known due to bodies not washing back onto shore for various reasons as well as the fact that corpses are often being buried right where they are found, without notification of authorities. As recently as Wednesday, some of the local news channels were saying that some remote areas of Sri Lanka and Indonesia have yet to be searched, and these searches wil most certainly yield more bodies.

Get out the sword and start cutting...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4175695.stm
9 women claim to be mother of infant found after tsunami

man rescued 25 days after being stranded on island by tsunami.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4198973.stm