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Arthur C. Clarke Reports From Sri Lanka

Jeff Patterson writes "Sir Arthur C. Clarke has filed a damage report from his home in Sri Lanka on the Clarke Foundation page. He is fine, however 'among those affected are my staff based at our diving station in Hikkaduwa and holiday bungalow in Kahawa -- both beachfront properties located in areas worst hit. We still don't know the full extent of damage as both roads and phones have been damaged. Early reports indicate that we have lost most of our diving equipment and boats. Not all our staff members are accounted for -- yet.'"

8 of 704 comments (clear)

  1. wikipedia as a news source by pamri · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wikipedia has two articles churning out information about things as they happen besides info about the disaster that have already happened and they contain plenty of links to other news sources. See, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in India

  2. Re:You won't read anything about it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    DG is fine, asshole.

  3. South Asian Bloggers unite for Tsunami Help Blog by sanspeak · · Score: 5, Informative

    Some south asian bloggers have created a blog tsunamihelp.blogspot.com blogging about the latest news and information about the tsunami, agencies suppoting the victims and involved in relief, places where donations can be made, volunteering information and much more.

  4. tsunami Video by nodnarb1978 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Video here high bandwidth server, no worries. 4 different videos. Amazing footage.

  5. According to Various Agenceies by OverlordQ · · Score: 5, Informative
    The countries that bore the brunt of the tsunami had no notice of what was coming but the earthquake, the largest for 40 years, had been monitored by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu.

    "We don't have contacts in our address book for anybody in that part of the world," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration director Charles McCreery said.

    Story here. Since that didn't work, they called the State Department, who ALSO tried to find out who to contact, but again, due to lack of adequate warning systems/organizations, they failed as well.
    --
    Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
  6. Donations by riteshm · · Score: 5, Informative
    I am from India so I can talk about my country.

    Any of you planning to donate some money? Dollar may be losing ground but it still has 44 times more value than Indian Rupees. So if you donate 100 dollars that means 4400 Indian Rupees (INR). And to give you an idea what this could mean.. a normal meal in India is around 40 INR while cheap clothing is around 100-200 INR. And medicines per day per person won't be more than 100-200 INR. Taking some conservative estimates, your 100 dollars can save an Indian for 10 days till things get under control and one can start living on one's own. Kindly consider donating... Visit my blog http://ritesh.blogspot.com/ and this blog http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/ for some info on how/where to donate. Redcross and UNICEF are also accepting donations now.

    Regards, Ritesh

  7. Wobble != Orbit by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 5, Informative
    The Earth's orbit DID NOT change. What may have changed (slightly) is the angle at which the Earth sits in relation to the plane of the ecliptic.

    Short of a major loss or gain of mass, or impulse from a massive impact, the Earth just keeps trucking along in it's rut. While the energy is tremendous in an Earthquake, the energy just moves mass around within the same system.

    --
    "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
    --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  8. Who are you gonna call by TheAcousticMotrbiker · · Score: 5, Informative

    Oddly enough, the Arthur C Clarke Foundation is actually working on just that. Setting up an alert system for Tsunamis:

    http://www.clarkefoundation.org/projects

    PROJECT WARN in Partnership with the Japan US Science Technology and Space Applications Program (JUSTSAP)

    The purpose of Project Warn is combine enhanced communications and IT systems to provide warning of impending natural or man-made disasters and to provide on-going communications and remote sensing and GIS support during disaster relief operations. The Clarke Foundation is working with the Pacific Disaster Center, the Asian Disaster Mitigation Organization, the United Nations, and the US and Japanese Governments as coordinated through the JUSTSAP organization to carry out a suitable test and demonstration in this area. In particular a simulation and test is being planned in the Pacific Region in 2005 to determine to how to use the latest information and sensing technology more effectively in the advent of that a major Tsunami might impact an Asian country or island. Clarke Foundation personnel are providing technical advice and support on a volunteer basis to this project.