If nothing else, we did lose a few Americans in the disaster. Even if you don't think we should fly flags at half mast for all the other deaths, would it make you feel better if we were flying the flags at half mast for our own?

I think it's a nice, if useless, gesture.

When 9/11 occurred, I remember many nations lowered their flags to half-mast in the ensuing days. Maybe it's just me but I appreciated the symbolic gesture.

I think it's appropriate for us to now lower our flags given the magnitude of the tragedy.

There were many people who died in the Florida and surrounding areas due to terrible storms, but you didn't see a president wanting a half-staff then.

A terrible tragedy has happened, and I think the US has demonstrated their empathy due to donations, in addition to $350 million and rising, but if we were to lower a flag due to worldwide tragedies, we would see the flag at half-staff, year-round, just about every day of the year.

Can't we all just GET ALONG?

The Canadian government has upped the aid to $80 million dollars.

Bush just upped America's pledge to "Elvendy Gabillion dollars".

:lol:

And that's a lot of money, right?

Has anyone read anything about the impact the tsunami had on East Timor?

http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/03/news...ex.htm?cnn=yes

Peacock network plans to air a live benefit special in response to the Asian tsunami disaster.

January 3, 2005: 6:03 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - NBC Universal on Monday said it will air a live benefit special across all of its broadcast and cable platforms on Saturday, January 15. The program is intended to raise money for the victims of the Asian tsunami.

The hour-long, music and celebrity driven broadcast will air live at 8 p.m. to the viewers on the East Coast, tape delayed on the West Coast.

All NBC Universal broadcast and cable stations -- including NBC, USA, Bravo, Trio, Sci-Fi, MSNBC and CNBC -- are scheduled to broadcast the event.

Phone lines will remain open throughout the evening, according to NBC Universal.

Yay! I was wondering when the celebrities would hit up the Low/Middle classes for $$$. Why not give up some of the bling for a month? Hell, even a week. I'm sure that would help..

Good. If we can pull out all the stops when a terrorist attack kills 5,000 people here, we should be able to do even better when a freak of nature kills 150,000+ people overseas!!

I'd have to think that they were not affected because they are geographically "shielded" from the earthquake. They are still very unfortunate people.

That's what I said earlier. Tons of them made MILLIONS over the last year when many Americans are jobless, wroking multiple jobs to make ends meet, or only working part-time. They should be able to come up with some serious change.

Not according to critics....

Actually, in Middle Earth, adjusted for inflation it's around 3 shillings.

The latest bad news I've heard mentioned:

1. There have been reports of child abuse in some of affected areas due to large numbers of orphans. They also say there's a concern that "child predators" will take many of them away. Great, 1st you lose your parents then you're abused. :(

2. The coral reefs in the ares where the quake occured have basically been turned to sand and rubble strewn across the sea bottom. This means coral dwelling sea life is now homeless. I wonder how this will affect the ecosystems in those areas?

Just saw a roommate from college on the news... he was on Phi Phi island or something and the place he was staying in was destroyed. He and his wife are in a Bangkok hospital right now and coming home soon, only minor leg injuries.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-1-2005_pg4_21

De Silva gave few details of the case of the gang-raped 17-year-old girl, which occurred in the area of Galle on the southern coast but not in a refugee centre. Hours after being washed ashore and left orphaned and homeless, she was raped by six men, he said.

Since Friday, two other cases of suspected abuse of children were reported, including one by a man who attempted to molest his granddaughter, de Silva said.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-020.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-020.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-020.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-020.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-020.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smiley-020.gif

Homeless coral: "Say brother, can you spare a plankton?"

Sandra Bullock donated 1 million. The EU, with a population size equals the US donated 35 million, heard this on Joe Scarborough last night. Who's being stingy now?

Doesn't matter what the U.S. does or how much we donate - we will always be seen as stingy, wrong, and somehow the underlying cause of it all.

Leonardo DiCaprio gave an unspecified amount. Given that he had a pretty big experience shooting The Beach on an island over there that was totally destroyed and that he's done a lot of environmental work over time, I suspect that "unspecified" means "HUGE."

Linkin Park gave 100k and started a fundraising initiative, Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat gave a lot. We'll be hearing a lot more of stuff like this over time.

Actually, I think he donated less. Kinda odd the amount wouldn't be mentioned. It could only help him. But if he only donated $100,000, and then compared to Sandra Bullock, then I can see why the amount is kept private.

I forgot which newspaper... maybe a chinese one but he donated $25k. I wouldn't call that a lot for a celebrity.