Massive Earthquake Strikes Haiti

[Overstreet]

 The paper this morning had it right. I forget the actual words but it went this way.  There is no standard building code in Haiti. Many buildings are unsafe on a good day.

In the Haiti pictures, I see concrete buildings with no discernable reinforcing. Of course they fell down. Just like unreinforced masonry buildings will fall down if shaken. Like the marina district in San Francisco. One of the bad things with old buildings. They are built for graviety loads. Shake them side to side and they fail.

Can it happen in Florida? Sure we have earthquakes too. But our building codes are a little better. Jacksonville is not specifically in a seismic zone.  Savannah on the other hand is in a seismic zone and its soils become somewhat plastic on a normal day. The problem here is that a shake will cause soils to move and become "plastic”, or more liquid, and not support shallow foundations. The building then settles and falls apart.

[KenFSU]

Death toll expected to be well over 100,000.

Absolutely awful.

[reednavy]

Death toll expected to be well over 100,000.

Absolutely awful.

Such a shame, but not surprising. When you have piss poor leadership for decades that don't really care about the people of the country, and this is what can happen. That and added with last decades several tropical systems, and this country has easily been set back over 50 years. However, that isn;t really saying much, this is Haiti afterall.

This may sound bad, but hopefully this is the wake up call to Haiti that they need to change or they're good as gone as a nation.

[Dog Walker]

Bos was just being his usual, sarcastic self.  Ignore the bad behavior, reward the good behavior.  Unless it's your kid then you smack them when they're bad!

[tufsu1]

A work colleague was in Haiti for a meeting yesterday....we believe he was staying at a hotel that collapsed and no one has heard from him yet.

Several sites have been set up for finding folks...including this one

CNN link: http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=381628

[heights unknown]

It's a valiant effort that all on Earth are pledging to do, and are doing for Haiti, and rightfully so; in another thread we were talking about how to get rid of homelessness.  The U.S. has pledged to help in a more than huge way for the Haitians, and again, rightfully so.  But what angers me is that we hunch our shoulders over homelessness like we don't have a clue as to how to solve it, but yet, we give billions and trillions to foreign countries, and again, not banging Haiti, they need the help believe me, but if we were as valiant and liberal with the money in helping our own people here in America, whether its the homeless or someone wanting to start a business, our country would be much much better off.

"HU"

[reednavy]

So odd that we're responding to this many days faster than Bush did to Katrina. Just sayin'.

[heights unknown]

So odd that we're responding to this many days faster than Bush did to Katrina. Just sayin'.

Yep; we can band together and find the money for Indonesia, Haiti, Bangladesh, Somalia, and I could go on and on; but finding money to build shelters to attack the problems that causes homelessness for those that want out of that situation is too hard for our government (powers that be).

"HU"

[chipwich]

It's a valiant effort that all on Earth are pledging to do, and are doing for Haiti, and rightfully so; in another thread we were talking about how to get rid of homelessness.  The U.S. has pledged to help in a more than huge way for the Haitians, and again, rightfully so.  But what angers me is that we hunch our shoulders over homelessness like we don't have a clue as to how to solve it, but yet, we give billions and trillions to foreign countries, and again, not banging Haiti, they need the help believe me, but if we were as valiant and liberal with the money in helping our own people here in America, whether its the homeless or someone wanting to start a business, our country would be much much better off.

"HU"

I think it is the perception that many homeless in the US do it to themselves and basically seek being homeless through thier own choices, where Hatians (in this case) did not have a choice.  The Earthquake happened to them, they did not do it to themselves.


Also, there is a dire situation over there where hundreds of thousands (possibly millions if not mitigated or helped) will loose thier lives in the coming days if a spectacular effort is not given to help these people.

I feel much better about sending money to feed and house children, mothers and families than I do funding the rehabilitation of an alcohol or drug user.  I understand they need help and are in most cases good people who just need a helping hand, but in natural disasters, I feel more of an urge to help the helpless.

There were many homeless in New Orleans that most folks would not pay any attention to during the good times, but during the emergency efort (when it finally arrived), I think mostor all Americans felt a need to lend a helping hand to the people of that city regardless of social or housing status.

[Bostech]

Fox News commentator-"Only good thing about all this (Haiti earthquake) is that United States exists".

[Dog Walker]

Weird statement?  What do you think he was trying to say?  Was he saying that only the U.S. was sending help?  If so, he is wrong.

[samiam]

Where was all the help when Katrena hit Mississippi Louisiana. They still need help there

[Bostech]

Ehh Fox News.
Half a day they were talking about Sarah Palin as new contributor to Fox,half about Obamacare and at the end of segment they mentioned earthquake in Haiti and try to make it look like how great they are for helping people.
Just another day on Fox News.

But Rob Paterrson knows why earthquake happened to Haiti.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59NCduEhkBM

I guess this makes sense,people of NO were cursed for refusing to be slaves and they were cursed with hurricanes.

[Bostech]

There is video of earthquake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXHopCrs46U

[Dog Walker]

I hope that Pat Robertson's reputation will finishing tanking after a statement like that!  What a complete asinine, insensitive, ignorant, superstitious, close-minded, sanctimonious, bigoted, fool he is!

Now ask me what I REALLY think of him.