Last Friday, Japan was hit by a big earthquake, a huge Tsunami and now a nuclear crisis. This must be the worst disaster, in our lives. Thousands of lives were lost; and the tasks ahead are mammoth. We have all read about this tragedy in the papers, the internet and the television. How fragile is life. How unexpected can tragedy escalate to what it is now. And, to our friends, our families, and to the people we do not know.
We have been around for the last 45 years. What a shock! Feel free to express your thoughts and your feelings.
Terence Seah
The sky out there is so dark and my mood is so deep down …. why our earth become like this disaster happened one after another
God bless Japan and all of us
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Such happennings remind modern man that Nature is all powerful, that human existence is fragile. So we have to remain always humble because it is the truth and pride is falsehood.
Well said CharlesW.
Most Singaporeans feel quite insulated living in the shallow part of the Sundar Shelf shielded by the Indonesian Islands and the Malay Peninsular. But the Indonesian islands are part of the earthquake fault-line and they are pretty near to us.
The last major volcanic eruption here happens in 1883 at Krakatau near Bali. Scientist belief that much of SE Asia were covered with volcanic ash and it was total darkness for weeks. The ashes eventually falls down to earth before the sun appears.
If that happens today, modern planes and shipping traffic will be affected for weeks. Food crop will wilt from lack of sunshine. When the dust starts to settle they will go into our machines, eyes and lungs. If your HDB lifts stops, your lungs may not be able to hold out from climbing the stairs up to your home. Instead of death from drowning as in tsunami, we will die from bad air or lack of it.
Lets’ enjoy and be happy before it is too late and don’t forget to be good or you may not go up to heaven….even if it is covered in ash.
FOR ALL the inventions and innovations modern Japan has had given to mankind, we feel sorry that it has to succumb (mercilessly)to the mighty force of nature. Yes it goes to show that human beings are no match for nature, despite their mighty and intelligent machinery and equipment. We can only pray that all the doctors, engineers and scientists are doing their best to repair the damaged cities and alleviate the sufferings of the people.
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Massive earthquake followed by tsunami that damaged anything along it’s path, kilometers inland and directly caused two reactors with a nuke meltdown – all happened almost at the same time in one of the most developed countries in the World. Our hearts are with all the people there who are trying their best to manage and control the situation.
Hewlee
When I saw the images of the earthquake and the tsunami online, I can feel for those who were caught in the midst of this catastrophe. How terrifying it must be for them!
I pray for those affected and also for the country of Japan.
Ros
It’s a tripple whammy for the country and that makes it one of their worst disasters. I can’t help but think of how Mediacorp or as some bloggers called them, Mediacorpse, Mediacock in their recent PR blunder in seizing the opportunity to get ads. I’m glad they got the flak they deserve!
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When the Act of God strikes, there’s nothing anyone can do to avoid. We cannot be reminded enough that ‘Life can be so Short’ and to make the most of it while we’re still on this earth. I’m sure each and everyone of us here felt for the people of Japan and can only pray and help in whatever way we can (e.g. there are already some NPOs e.g. Rotary clubs) collecting alms to help these victims. Lisa
I am dissappointed that our country has sent only sniffer dogs as aid to Japan. Surely with our improved economy the government can help in more ways? :(
The earthquakes are highly unpredictable and are not within our control despite the advancement of seismology.
But the accidnets at nuclear plants and their poor maintenance causing leaks can also have far reaching catastrophic consequences. When the accident happened in 1986 in USSR, the meltdown caused widespread radiation causing instant deaths and illnesses from exposure. It also inflicted great damage to the environment.
When men unlocked the secrets of the atoms, by using certain materials such as uranium for fusion or fission, there is tremendous release of energy.When this is not properly controlled, and the nuclear rods have a meltdown
the radiations will spew out like volcanic lava.
Should small countries like Singapore build nuclear plants.
You may want to contribute your thoughts on this issue
Can’t help to think that such occurences are happening rather frequently. Is this a sign of the times! Somewhere I read ‘ and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven’.
Really have to set our house in order and do good and cherish frendship and be more tolerating of each others. Not to waste time on petty issues but whatever is good, whatever is of good report, dwell on these things!
Dan
Indeed, Dan. ‘Not to waste time on petty issues……..’
With the weather forecast for Japan – cold and snow, it will further settle the radioactive materials into the soil which means the whole food chain will be affected.
Already with global warming and now with this latest catastrophe (what with the meltdown on top of the earthquake and tsunami), one can’t help but wonder is time running out for us? Something to ponder.
All the more to live while we can; not just passing through.
Dan and Geraldine
Even if it ends today I am happy I had good times and bad. But I think mankind will continue to be on earth for a long time to come. Only we will be different.
I remember in Hyde Park, London watching this guy dressed in aluminium foil and carrying a sign that reads ‘THE END IS NEAR’. That was in 1970’s, over 30 years ago. We are still here.
With ‘development’, human grow taller and bigger. We also live longer. But we have to spend more time in hospitals and have steel and plastic parts inside our bodies to keep us alive. We are still human, but we are now dependent on artificial drugs, hard metal and plastics. We also have artificial faces and buttocks. But we are still human?
If radioactive particles befalls us, we just live with aluminium foil as our skin. We are still human?
Nature will inflict pain on us once a while. If nature don’t do it, rest assured, we human will do it to ourselves.
This is the way.
Someone just reminded me that I forgot to mention silicon boobs. Yes we are still human but with big silicon chest.
For a closer look of the city BEFORE and AFTER the devastation, copy and paste this address on your browser.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html?ref=asia
When the pictures appear, you see a vertical white line with a blue tab in the middle. Drag the blue tab left or right.
Tian Soo @16
Hahaha!! You have mentioned one of three tragedies that hit us male seniors: “man boobs”!
The other two are “beer bellies” and “muffin tops”!
I do really sympathise with the Japanese for their current situation… but it would seem that they should have taken more precautions on their nuclear programmes. First, they had the atom bomb dropped on them (to end a bloody war that took the lives of thousands of innocents in the Far East as well as China). Then the country is on a fault line which means that earthquakes and tsunamis are a constant threat. Finally, their building of nuclear power plants seem to be tempting fate and chance.
I must salute the Japanese for their resolute and admirable response to their triple tragedies which are still being played out.
How would Singaporeans react in similar circumstances?
I shudder to think… as I observed the crowds at the recent OG sale: Pushing, queue jumping, yelling, even quarelling with each other! We lack every social grace… what would happen when it is our lives that are at stake?
The mind that sends rockets into space – the same mind gets tossed about,like flotsam, in a Tsunami. Catastrophic natural disasters put human intelligence in perspective, lest Man thinks he is in control of the Universe.
Hi Jasmine, I doubt mankind has ever harboured such arrogance to ever believe that “he is in control of the universe”. Greater & greater diligence & efforts have been maintained by mankind in their quest to better understand our world & the universe around us, & to better our lot & most importantly better understand the meaning of our existece. These are praiseworthy & commendable spirits. Earth quakes & other natural disasters on our mother earth precedes the cave man, so it’s in this context, I found yr comments incomprehensible. hehe
Dear Jasmine, I sense your frustrations of living in a troubled world. Yes, this is a troubled world where there are nations who indeed harbour the “greatest heights of arrogance” playing GOD to fellow human beings(or do they consider others human) just because they have more nuclear weapons than others. Parts of my heart goes out to Japan of course, but the larger parts goes out to those who have died in the middle east who numbered in the hundreds of thousands e,.g. in Iraq. as a result of the direct & indirect actions of such arrogant nation. This is my greatest concern today, that the greatest source of destructions is in the human heart, who have no qualms to murder others like they are flies, who inflict deaths on others much more than any natural disasters can hope to match.
I like and agree with Jassmine’s comment – ‘Catastrophic natural disasters put human intelligence in perspective, lest Man thinks he is in control of the Universe.’ Well said.
Just look at terrorism, amongst other things that mankind somehow conveniently think they can do whatever. Now we know who’s the boss (whatever your religion).
I also agree with Kenneth’s comment about the Japanese calm demeanor; the way they handle and help each other out in this nightmare.
Want to share this about the latest in HK. Idiotic people bought out all the salt; excuse me, salt? Queuing, getting ugly and of course you know some simply wanted to have their frigging faces on the news to get their pathetic 2 seconds (instead of 15 min) of fame?
The other day I saw on the news that HK has a reactor (totally forgot) and I was thinking if this happened here, we would not die from breathing contaminated air. We would die of pushing, shoving, stampeding from ugly human beings who think they should live instead of you.
The reason why salt is sold out is because uninformed/naive/kiasu people think it helps to fight against radiation.
If you have diabetes, high blood pressure and can’t wait to pass on……………….
Potassium iodine only helps the thyroid to a certain extent but not other parts of the body. So eat salt if you are so inclined.
As the people of Japan begin to deal with the shock, grief, clean up and long term recovery, our thoughts and sympathies are with them at this time. The loss of life and the scale of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami are difficult to comprehend. And the fear of radiation. Its real.
Watching all those live video footages on CNN, CNA … gosh.. really touching. Just reading about it in the papers, by first hand accounts from victims of the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear blast, can bring tears to your eyes! How fragile human life can be. These natural disasters are inevitable. It has to happen. It had already been predicted. The predictions has come to pass .. “in the last days, there shall be great earthquakes… and there will be more sufferings…. But my people will be saved ..”
But we can’t discuss religion on this website. I was reminded it is a taboo subject.
Our hearts are with all the people there who are trying their best to manage and control the situation. May God bless them. We can only pray.
Yes. Catastrophic natural disasters put human intelligence in perspective. Well said, Jasmine.
Yes, I do agree with Kenneth that the Japanese are an extremely organized lot of people, and their response to these triple tragedies is indeed admirable. But rest assured, earthquakes don’t naturally happen in Singapore, and we’re relatively safe, for the time being. And we do not have nuclear plants! Whew… thank God for that. We only have to grabble with crowd pushing at dept store sales! Yea, a complete lack of social grace. They should address this at a young age, in schools. What to do? That is another topic, all together.
Yes, let’s just live life to its fullest, whilst we still can. And at the same time, help the less fortunate. We can donate, or do our part to bring a smile to at least one person, a day. Try, at least. Let’s not allow disagreements to get into our way. Let’s live in harmony. World peace!
It’s TGIF. For those going to the Kovan party tonight, let’s let our hair down. Those who prefer the quiet of their home, stay happy. For those holidaying in Phuket .. . enjoy the full moon beach party. For those in Krabi, or Seam Reap, etc.. enjoy..!
Yes. Let’s enjoy & live life. Whilst we still can. No need to rush out to buy salt? !! Those keen on singing/dancing, get in touch with me.
Hi Henry #20, #21
My comment (#19) is open to interpretations as it has a figurative sense. Your view (#21) is one interpretation of “..lest Man thinks he is in control of the Universe”. Actually you ‘comprehended’ #19 intuitively…lol! :)
Hi Geraldine (#22), Lydia (#24)
Am relieved both of you had no problem ‘comprehendng’ comment #19 :)
Hi Jasmine #25, thank you for your fair comments.
But I think we still have to distinguish clearly the good works of mankind in general and the black sheeps of contemporary world history in particular.
Those rogue westerm regimes are descending into North Africa like a pack of wolves. The story of the subjugation of the middle east continues…..
Hi Henry #26,
I have never supported the IRAQ war. Worse, there was never a justification right from the beginning. After the war, I thought we saw the end of Bush. How can one American push for a war which resulted in the loss of so many lives?
Then, came Obama. He justified an attack on Libya, just because he cannot be seen as doing nothing. Another decision, made by one man. Sad.
Terence Seah
Chief Terence#27,
It’s exactly my sentiments. Sad world. Today’s western propaganda papers (ST) wrote abt Gadaffi n ICJ ( Int’l Court of Justice) My mind immediately says “pls don’t talk cock, bring on Bush first then we talk abt the rest”
So Sad World. So wht to do. Let’s PARTTYYYYY…Now I’m tempted to join Tian Soo’s Erotic Mongolian night hahahaha
If I remember correctly, there is in our history books a Commodore Perry who brought an American warship right up the river to Shanghai and blast the city into submission. Than the ang-mohs divide the city among themselves and take whatever they like and feeding opium to the Chinese to keep them weak. They did the same in Xiamen, Macau and Hong Kong.
China have to develop its military quickly or history may repeat itself.
The talk of human rights and love of humanity are bullshit.
Only the Mongolian girls are real.
The US Human Rights policy was invented by some neo-conservatives back in Bush 1’s time.
It was just an excuse for hiding US foreign policy which had ulterior US interests at heart. Consider now the anti-Gaddafi sentiment fanned by the west
ern media. They know that there is US$70 billion belonging to Libya’s national reserves. But as Gaddafi was a dictator, (he was in control without holding any ministerial post), the decisions about the fund was effectively done by the family. If he is dead or disappears or is indisposed to travel, the fund will over time be taken over without anyone knowing about it. And US$70bill is not a small sum.
Further any instability generated will be a plus for the western powers as the ME in Africa was generally anti-US.
The instability generated will invariably attract new jostling for power and influence in north Africa, considering the oil they have and the strategic location they hold over Europe.
All these moves can onl;y be made under cover of Human Rights as anything else will show naked western aggression and greed.
It is interesting also to see the 100+ Tomahawk missiles shot at Libya under the excuse of establishing a no-fly zone.
It is not coincidental that more losses were sufferred by the Libyan military than the rebels, some of whom are known Taliban militia, the same Taliban that were arming and training the suicide bombers. The same Taliban that are guilty of the worse Human Rights murders in Afghan and Pakistan.
This may sound like a good fiction but than again it may be precisely how credible the strategy has been all these years.
There are many countries which are guilty of harm and wrongs against ordinary humans, but there has been no action. Even here.
So any stories about Mongolian gals? Can tell during the Men’s night or during the MMeet?
The liberalisation of the lending biz has seen a proliferation of moneylenders much to the consternation of Kuo and his credit counsellors.
Easy money feeds the ecstasy of gamblers who can now punt at not 1 but 2 casinos with glee till they go crazy and then with all money gone, they flee leaving behind sobbing families down on their knees.
The timing cant be more perfect.
With the 2 casinos charging away, more people open moneylending shops bcos there’s no cap on how much interest one cannot charge. A free economy has never been this free.
It is a tragedy in the making. Many lives are for the taking when debtors cant pay up. “You can take my life; money I no have”. That’s the attitude of desperate debtors/gamblers.
Hit the problem where it exists. Imposee an interest cap. Strike at the rogue moneylenders.
But these are not exactly happening as is wished.
Hapless borrowers who let their ATM cards and bank accounts be used by lenders so as to avoid harrassment, are easier to catch. Far-fetch to nab the big boys.
And the problem continues to snowball.
Strange enough tho, when the polis rounded up and handcuffed 12-14 year old children recently for handing out leaflets of taieelongs, there was an uproar, from a woman reader of the ST in particular. It takes a puerile mind to see kids of today as pure and innocent. Kids have been counselled too often, too much and many hv learned to out-talk their counsellors. Like heroes.
Lock them up and they will start to cry. Back to zeroes. And that’s how deterrence works.
That same woman will be the first to scream murder at the polis when runners come knocking at her neighbour 5 doors away. People like herm when they seek protection, they forget what damage their protestations might have caused, sigh.