 Poster: A snowHead
|
Skiing great Ingemar Stenmark was sunbathing on a beach in Thailand when he saw an immense wave roaring to shore. He began running for his life ESPN reports.
"The water from the first wave disappeared, but then it came back with terrifying speed," Stenmark told Swedish media...
Stenmark, a Swede who won two gold medals at the 1980 Olympics and 86 World Cup races, was with friends in Khok Kloi, about 30 miles from Phuket, the popular tourist spot. He and girlfriend Christina Sylvan were not injured. Sylvan's father, Bo, was hurt but not seriously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I'm glad he survived, but what an awful thing for everyone in that area - it's really quite astonishing how powerful nature is compared to us puny individuals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
puts all the nonsense about the "war on terror" into perspective, doesn't it? I am feeling fortunate and humble, in the face of the immense suffering - with more to come as whole communities on places like the Andaman islands are without fresh water and food. My daughter is diving in Thailand. She was over in the affected area (Krabi) last week, and was due to return there yesterday. The earthquake happened when she was on an island on the other side of the peninsular for just two days break over Christmas. She even managed to get to the only international phone on the island to let us know she was OK - before we had even switched the TV on and seen the disaster unfolding. I sat there watching it feeling very selfish to be so relieved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Quote: |
| The FCO has issued an emergency number 0207 008 0000, for relatives and others who wish to check on relatives and friends affected by the tsunami or to pass on information about them. |
From my previous experience with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, they are not always onto an emergency situation quickly or very effectively and there was some criticism on Sky News yesterday that there were not enough lines and operators on that number.
It seems to me an on-line system for relatives to use might be a partial solution to this phone overload problem. A database rather like this. Where you can leave details of names of people about whom you wish to have news and then receive an email if any news of a match comes in. I already get email travel advisory notices automatically from the FCO so they are not averse to new technology. And they run a forum. Here is their home page. The Travel Advice section is useful and check out the Visa information if you are going anywhere exotic, or even the USA. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Given the scale of the disaster affecting almost all of the area surrounding the Indian Ocean, I think very few organisations could even bergin to cope with getting accurate information on the situation, the fact that the FCO even try is much to their credit.
Current reports put the confirmed death toll at arround 25,000 but it is possible that this could rise to over 100,000. One place, Meulaboh town on Sumatra's west coast is the closest town to the epi center with a population of about 40,000, currently there is no sign of life there. This before we have the likely effects of cholera and disentry that is likely to follow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
D G Orf, I give the FCO full marks for trying but they were stated as trying to get information on approx 10,000 Brits. Now that sort of number is not huge. What about a major terrorist attack on a football stadium, for example ? Perish the thought.
My point is the information is available - even if widely scattered geographically in this disaster. People were trying to phone it in. But failing. If instead they could get it onto a web-based system that would surely help. Not to replace the hot line but in addition to it. Actually, there is no real reason why this has to be an FCO project. Some sort of centralised 'national emergency' system could cope with terrorism and natural disasters, train crashes, etc. Does UK have such a thing ?
Sky TV were accepting incoming emails and text messages and running them as a streaming banner. Lots of poeple seemed to take advantage of that spur of the moment facility.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Like everyone else, I have been watching this the consequences of this tragedy develop from an earthquake with a few hundred dead to a catastrophe with many thousands dead and maybe millions homeless. It all just seems unreal. Life is steady, life is constant, the seasons come and the seasons go, we get the odd storm or flood, but nothing we can't deal with. Then this.
I am amazed everyone seems to have acted to rationally, and so supportive. I'm sure if I saw a huge wave in the distance as I lay on the beach I would have just stared and refused to believe the reality. Then it would have been blind panic as it hit.
Now the question is: what are we going to do to help?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ