The contributor known as Phantom has tendered his resignation from the Daily Brief and has requested that all his posts be removed. I have complied with his request.
That is all. Carry on, people.
Varifrank has another excellent post, where General McAuliffe (he of “Nuts!” fame) comes back to life and gives a press conference about Iraq. My particular fave section of it goes like this (italics are McAuliffe):
You people talk about the resolve of the “insurgents” but you never talk about the resolve of the people who have come across the globe for no other purpose than to free other men from tyranny. By your actions you have done more to empower the enemy than any of the madmen that have been fighting us. You shower then in glory when you should be shaming them by their actions.
Sir-David-of-NBC decided to try to trip up the General with the tried and true trick of the none too subtle use of the “race card”,
“General, when you talk about “the enemy”, are you referring to Islam?”
He let out a hiss and shook his head. “Son, The enemies that our country has been fighting has always been the same, even when the enemy was our brothers in the confederacy”. “ The Enemy” is the enemy of mankind. “The Enemy” is any person or power who believes that one man is the property of another. “The Enemy” is any person or power who seeks to destroy instead of build, imprison rather than embrace, Starve rather than feed. “ The Enemy” from my time wore different uniforms and came from a different places than yours, but they were the same. “The Enemy” you fight today are no different than the men who met me with the demands of surrender in a farmhouse in Bastone. The men who marched a generation into camps and killed them en masse are still here today. The difference is, in my day, we were appalled and disgusted. In your day, so long as its not Americans doing it, you ignore it. Pol Pot kills 7 million people, you said nothing, Rwanda, Iraq, Darfur the list goes on and yet, because America is not the force that caused it, you excuse it. Frankly, some of you even defend it.
Son, if you and yours in this room continue to give these people the mantle of legitimacy, then the men under my command who died back there in Bastone will have died in vain. The war against the enemy of mankind didn’t end in Berlin or Tokyo or Seoul, that war goes on today. That war is being fought by men and women every bit as brave as the men who I served with in the past.
My favorite retired USAF reservist, Baldilocks, points to a post by Varifrank, wherein he waxes eloquent regarding US relief efforts for the tsunami survivors.
Juliette quoted this portion (below) of Varifrank’s post, which made me curious to read the rest of it. The excerpt is more powerful when you read the entire post. The speaker is a Hindi man, who lost family in the disaster. He was responding to someone else’s sneering comment about the US military aid. Apparently the sarcastic commenter saw no value in sending an aircraft carrier. Varifrank set them straight, and then his friend spoke up:
"Can you let your hatred of George Bush end for just one minute?
There are people dying! And what are your countries doing? Amazon.com
has helped more than France has. You all have a role to play in the
world, why can’t you see that? Thank God for the US Navy, they dont
have to come and help, but they are. They helped you once and you
should all thank God they did. They didnt have to, and no one but them
would have done so. I’m ashamed of you all…"
A friend of mine sent me this opinion article this morning bashing President Bush over his Inaugural Ball.
Forget Iraq and South Asia, It’s Party Time
Grrrr. Like this chick at the LA Times has any idea what the troops, or the “common man,” think. I consider myself pretty common, and I could give a rat’s behind whether or not the President has a large expensive Ball, a small one, or even not one at all.
It’s a very rare occasion when the NYTimes’ editorial board and I are of like thought, but this is one:
Sometimes an idea comes along that is so stupid, all you can do is stand back, give it some room, and stare:
THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
Gene Autry is turning over in his grave.
The Air Force powers that be made occasional institutional stabs at calling those quarters designated for the single enlisted types �dorms� or �quarters�, much as they tried referring to the mess hall as a �dining facility�. They were usually roundly defeated by hundreds of years of traditional nomenclature; while official documentation made a wistful show of calling it a dormitory, everyone else�especially those living in it— went right on calling it a �barracks�, even if it did rather look more like a college dormitory building, and less like the open-bay with fifty bunks and lockers arrayed with precision in two open rows the length of the place, which is what most civilians think of as a barracks.
Such barracks do still exist, of course; in basic training, for one, and on deployments in the field, for another, but in the main junior enlisted military personnel living on-base doss down in a wide variety of buildings in varying degrees of newness and repair, at bases and posts in practically every time zone. Generally, the older the building, the greater the odds that the room will be a small one, and not have to be shared with a roommate (or several), but the latrine/shower/washing area will be a central shared facility. There may even be a common lounge or day-room, sometimes even a kitchen attached. Newer barracks offer larger rooms with a semi-private bathroom, but the additional onus of having to share the place with a roommate. In any case, the walls are painted in some institutionally invisible no-color, and furnished in one of three basic styles prevalent in the military world: GSA Tacky, El Cheapo Danish Moderne or Budget Motel Functional� or an unappealing combination of all three.
Whether the barracks is old or new, privacy and quiet are almost nonexistent and aesthetic considerations minimal at best. Growing up in a large family, attending a rackety boarding school, or residence in a commune may be the best preparation for barracks life. (For certain life situations, the barracks life may be a material improvement.) It is my experience that only young troops, blessed with physical stamina and low expectations really enjoy it. With maturity comes a longing for peace, privacy and not to have to put on a robe and slippers and schlep down an icy corridor at 2 AM to take a pee� let alone having a teen-aged airman, all bright eyed and bushy-tailed at 6 AM pop into the women�s latrine while you are attempting to apply foundation, blusher and mascara and chirp, �Gee, Sgt Hayes, you�re the same age as my mother!�.
No, after a certain age, you only want to share a bathroom with teenagers to whom you are related by blood. Also, after a certain age, you really, really want to keep a degree of separation between the people you work with, and the people who are privy to your off-duty life. Such a degree is just not attainable when living in a barracks. A degree of quiet is not attainable either, because many of the other residents appear to have been raised by wolves, have purchased expensive stereo systems courtesy of the BX Deferred Payment Plan, and are charmingly clueless about the offense given when cranking up their latest CD rattles pictures on the walls� of a room three doors away. At 2 AM. That the building was constructed by the lowest bidder anyway, and the dividing walls appear to be made out of sheets of Kleenex and a thin skin of plaster only intensify the amusement when a guy who works for you takes to noisily and energetically schtupping the women who live on either side of your room on alternate evenings. And the two women cannot stand each other� oh, yeah, you don�t need to watch a soap opera when resident in a barracks, just being there provides all sports of entertainment.
Eventually it all begins to pall; you get sick and tired of other peoples� messy love lives, drinking bouts and jam sessions all conducted at top decibel. You also get sick and tired of the interest that other people are taking in your life� especially the tedious official interest taken by your command, the barracks management and assorted high-ranking nosey-parkers in the state of your devotion to housekeeping in what is after all supposed to be your home. On a regular basis, any assortment of these interested parties can demand entrance to your room, and inspect the state of the refrigerator seals, the windowsills, whether the bed is properly made and what you have left on the top of the dresser. Such interior inspections are not performed in the married housing areas, which house personnel of the same rank and which are also maintained by the military. Of course, even a government landlord has a vested interest in making sure that all quarters are not allowed to degenerate into slum hood. And some few military personnel— single and married alike— do give the impression of having been raised by wolves as far as housekeeping abilities go. But still, the different treatment rankles.
Most military people tend towards the fastidious side of the scale and eventually the single ones living in the barracks tire of repeatedly proving it to every Master Sgt. Tom, Major Dick and Colonel Harry who wants to satisfy themselves about how the troops are doing by tromping heavily through your not-so private bed-sitter. So after a couple of years of barracks life, the older troops decamp� either marrying or renting a place of their own, were one can at least leave an unwashed coffee cup on the end-table without exciting unfavorable comment from someone who doesn�t live there also. They do spend the rest of their lives, though, being rather exacting about lining up shoes, and hanging shirts just so.
…but this guy is clearly not a Marine, at least to a former Airman who was shown this one by a former Soldier who asked me, “Isn’t this an Air Force guy?”
Update: Looks like the Marines also have Tech Sergeants.
And I just noticed “Marine soldier.” Argh!
Update II: Per SgtMom’s request, let’s start with insignia:
And that from just googling “us military insignia.”
Cap’n Ed, over at the Captain’s Quarters, is spearheading a fund drive for the Tsunami Relief fund at World Vision.
Ed’s suggestion is that those who can afford it donate their take-home pay on Jan 12. One day’s pay, coming at a time that’s in between bill-paying for most folks, donated to a top-rated charity to help out those who are less fortunate than we are, right now.
If you can’t afford to donate an entire day’s pay, donate what you can.
He announced this idea on Jan 1, and as of Jan 4, his readers have already raised over $10,000. If you’ve not donated anywhere yet, and were wondering where to give, I respectfully suggest you join Ed’s readers and help him reach his goal of raising $25K by Jan 12.
To: Trolls
From: Cpl. Blondie
Re: This Weblog
I’m going to take a chapter out of my mothers’ book and tell you something; you might not like very much, but if the troll boots don’t fit, don’t worry about it. If they do fit then this is for you!
1. This is a blog that features writers from diverse backgrounds who have one thing in common ,and that is the Military: past and present.
2. We write about our lives, our families, what makes us angry, what makes us happy, and what fills us with anguish, among other things.
3. I used the blog during the war (when I could access it) to keep up on what was going on with my family, what was going on in the world (yes were carrying news and links from all over the world in it), and what was going on at home.
4. I have made amazing friends and connections from it. If I were in trouble then I am secure in the knowledge that I would have support from my blog friends and the people who are fans of this site. Case in point when I was traveling from oneside of the country to the other, there was no end to the advice and offers of places to crash on my trip.
5. At this site WE ARE A FAMILY.
In conclusion : Trolls beware, we terminate them with extreme prejudice, and all before breakfast ***burp***
Sorry about that.
Sincerely
Cpl. Blondie
…because some mornings a “reflection” just doesn’t cut it:
The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it’s yours. But to win it requires total dedication and a total break with the world of your past, with the doctrine that man is sacrificial animal who exists for the pleasure of others. Fight for the value of your person. Fight for the virtue of your pride. Fight for the essence, which is man, for his sovereign rational mind. Fight with the radiant certainty and the absolute rectitude of knowing that yours is the morality of life and yours is the battle for any achievement, any value, any grandeur, any goodness, any joy that has ever existed on this earth.
What brings this on? Freezing rain with a brief break changing to sleet and snow and then about a foot of snow on top of all that coming at us in the next 24 hours and I’ve got WAY too much to do to just hide from it.
Another note about my student in Iraq —
He has established a website that he hopes will be a clearinghouse for good news about Iraq. He just got it started, but it looks pretty promising. Some of the stories are his own, I think. Others he has gleaned from various sources. And he’s soliciting more!
Here’s the URL: www.iraqgoodnews.com.
I have a former student who is a reservist now serving in Iraq. He has given me permission to include some of his news in my posts. Here’s some good stuff from his December newsletter (arrived today):
During the month of December they held Grand Opening Ceremonies for the Albu Seffa and Al Ahbab Water Compact units which were renovated and started the renovation of the Ishaki Water Compact unit. The renovation of the Al Raffei and Tedmur schools were started, and the construction of the Al Bouhitry, Al Kharzig, Al Eaatedal, Al Qudas, Al Esraa, and Maan Bin Zaeedh schools were started. A good month!
The next(and hopefully last) big hurdle for us is the elections at the end of January. Preparation have been underway to help ensure that they are successful and safe. Of course the insurgents don’t want to see this happen and are doing everything that they can think of to disrupt things. We expect things to be rather interesting around here for the next month.
He also points us to an online comic that puts some perspective in the Christmas giving season. Check it out.
We seem to have been rocked by an exceptional level of tragedy these past couple of weeks. California Representatives Shirley Chisom and Robert Matsui have just passed on.
While I have frequently disagreed with their politics, I have always admired the tumultuous path they took to greatness.
Radio Paradise, my favorite commercial-free web-radio station, is looking for a new logo. Winners get a hundred bucks, a link, some recognition, and some RP SWAG.
Those who follow the Byzantine Pakistani political scene will consider this a must-read. Those who don’t will likely find it confusing:
General Pervez Musharraf has finally pronounced on the uniform issue. His announcement that he has decided to keep both offices of army chief and president of Pakistan was long in the offing, especially after the Senate passed the two-offices bill on November 1, 2004 and its chairman, Mohammadmian Soomro, in his capacity as acting president, deemed it fit to sign the bill into law on December 1 last year.
General Musharraf says he has not violated the Constitution and is only following the decision of both houses of parliament reached through a democratic process of majority vote. There is no point in trying to look into this claim since all sides are aware of how he swung this ‘democratic’ vote and the degree of probity of this exercise. Let’s just consider that he is technically right on this count. Even so, it is important to see if he has good reasons for doing what he has done since he chose to speak directly to the people of Pakistan.
From the American perspective, this is likely a good thing. Musharraf has, thus far, shown himself to be one of the more enlightened despots of the Islamic world, as well as someone the US can deal with. He has also proven quite skilled at walking the tightrope of Pakistani power. And, while our administration agrees with me, the BBC reports “uniform dismay.” But as could be expected, they exagerate:
Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, member of the executive committee of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), said the president’s speech had reflected the aspirations and wishes of the nations. He added that the businessmen were with the president. “The president’s speech will not only promote peace but will improve the country’s image abroad,” he said.
Mr Sarhadi said at this critical time, the president should keep both offices with him. “The president’s claim that trade with Afghanistan will cross $1 billion and the economy will get a boost will have a positive affect on the stock market and will attract foreign investment also,” he added.
In an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday today, the UN’s Jan Egeland, “Mr. Stingy”, after citing the logistics bottleneck in getting aid to the tsunami victims, said the US military was “worth it’s weight in gold.” And then he went on to praise the Navy for providing desalinization so promptly.
Hell Yeah! No nation, or combination of nations, in the world can match the airlift capibility, particularly the helicopters to go the “last mile”, of the United States. And, of course, our naval capability is unique in the world today. But all that doesn’t come cheap. A C-141 goes through fuel like it has holes in the tanks. And most governments couldn’t even afford to operate a Carrier Battle Group.
This from GWU’s National Security Archive:
Davis, CA, 23 December 2004 – University of California,
Davis professor Larry Berman today filed
suit against the CIA under the Freedom of Information
Act, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California,
seeking release of historic President’s Daily Briefs given to
President Johnson during the Vietnam War.Represented by the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine and by the
National Security Archive of George Washington University, Vietnam
expert Berman is challenging the CIA’s
"blanket policy" of refusing to release
any PDBs, even historic or innocuous ones that risk no damage
to national security."The 9/11 Commission had to fight tooth and nail to get
excerpts from PDBs about the threat from bin Ladin," commented
Professor Berman, the author of three books on the Vietnam War.
"But ten PDBs
from the Johnson era came out before the CIA imposed
its stonewall policy. Together, these releases prove that the
PDBs should be reviewed and declassified like any other records,
not set aside in a permanently closed vault."
I believe Prof. Berman will prevail. But is this lawsuit really necessary? Certainly, the CIA needs to maintain security. And a blanket ban prevents screw-ups. But a more liberal policy with respect to historical documents is in order.
We have just finished cleaning up after being swamped with a sudden surge of porn spam. Comments were turned off, while we updated our spam-repellant filters, and scoured all the old posts, and wished torments involving fire ants, jars of honey and spiked clubs on the perverts who originated the stuff…
David Holcberg at the Ayn Rand Institute has an opinion of the recent disaster that may shock some:
As the death toll mounts in the areas hit by Sunday’s tsunami in southern Asia, private organizations and individuals are scrambling to send out money and goods to help the victims. Such help may be entirely proper, especially considering that most of those affected by this tragedy are suffering through no fault of their own.
The United States government, however, should not give any money to help the tsunami victims. Why? Because the money is not the government’s to give.
Every cent the government spends comes from taxation. Every dollar the government hands out as foreign aid has to be extorted from an American taxpayer first. Year after year, for decades, the government has forced American taxpayers to provide foreign aid to every type of natural or man-made disaster on the face of the earth: from the Marshall Plan to reconstruct a war-ravaged Europe to the $15 billion recently promised to fight AIDS in Africa to the countless amounts spent to help the victims of earthquakes, fires and floods–from South America to Asia. Even the enemies of the United States were given money extorted from American taxpayers: from the billions given away by Clinton to help the starving North Koreans to the billions given away by Bush to help the blood-thirsty Palestinians under Arafat’s murderous regime.
The question no one asks about our politicians’ “generosity” towards the world’s needy is: By what right? By what right do they take our hard-earned money and give it away?
The reason politicians can get away with doling out money that they have no right to and that does not belong to them is that they have the morality of altruism on their side. According to altruism–the morality that most Americans accept and that politicians exploit for all it’s worth–those who have more have the moral obligation to help those who have less. This is why Americans–the wealthiest people on earth–are expected to sacrifice (voluntarily or by force) the wealth they have earned to provide for the needs of those who did not earn it. It is Americans’ acceptance of altruism that renders them morally impotent to protest against the confiscation and distribution of their wealth. It is past time to question–and to reject–such a vicious morality that demands that we sacrifice our values instead of holding on to them.
Next time a politician gives away money taken from you to show what a good, compassionate altruist he is, ask yourself: By what right?
He’s right to a point. Here in the US, we have a tradition of private giving which outstrips other nations of the world. Further, you can be sure that any money directed through government channels will experience a high degree of waste, and likely some substantial corruption.
On the other hand, the maintenance of infrastructure is a classic, if arguable, function of government. $350 million dollars is really a trifle, relative to either the size of the US economy, or the size of the need in the effected area. Further, the militaries of the world, specifically the US military, is in a unique position to provide desperately needed assistance. There simply exists no faster way to get things like helicopters and desalinization equipment to the area.
So there I was, doing a bit of organization, (another New Year’s resolution) when I get a Yahoo mail notification. It was a comment on one of my posts, and I knew it wasn’t going to be good when I saw the “name” of the emailer: “rape porn.” Don’t know if it’s just me, but looks like the freaks are out today in full force…
If you don’t care to give cash (or even if you do), Chief Wiggles invites you to help him fill a FedEx plane for the tsunami victims.
May this new year be everything you wish it to be.
To all the good friends I have met at this site during 2004,
HAPPY NEW YEAR,
And may God in His goodness, bless you every one!
Joe Comer
and
Nurse Jenny
Finally, a moment to post something! After a harrowing end of semester followed by a two-week trip to Florida to visit the parents, we are settling back into a routine (I hope).
My life management skills are in need of renewal. I cannot have another semester like this past fall. I’m going over some of Stephen R. Covey’s material, including his new book, “The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness” (got it for Christmas; so far, I like it) and trying to figure how to improve my ability to manage my activities better.
Anyway, I’m hoping to finally and fully adopt the 7 Habits. I’ve always felt they held a great deal of promise, and I think it’s time to see if that’s the case. As a (somewhat modest) start, I make the following New Year’s Resolutions:
1. Get to bed by 10 each weeknight, up by 6 every weekday (this will be the hardest — I am by nature not a morning person, but I know I’ll be able to get a lot more done if I get up earlier than if I stay up later).
2. Post something of significance to this website at least twice a week.
3. Do 20 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week.
4. Learn a new skill, take up a new hobby, or develop some as yet unknown talent (I’m considering learning to play the mandolin — what do you think of that?).
And I’m asking you to hold me accountable.
Feel free to share your own resolutions. Fellow Daily Briefers?
And of course, have a great and prosperous 2005!
From Lt Col Sage and the whole Sage family.
Relatively, not that bad, according to the Disaster Center:
| Country | Year | Day | Month | Disaster | Region | Continent | Killed | |
| 1 | NA | 1917 | Epidemic | NA | ALL | 20,000,000 | ||
| 2 | Soviet Union | 1932 | Famine | Russia.Fed | Europe | 5,000,000 | ||
| 3 | China, P Rep | 1931 | July | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 3,700,000 | |
| 4 | China, P Rep | 1928 | Drought | E.Asia | Asia | 3,000,000 | ||
| 5 | NA | 1914 | July | Epidemic | Rest.Europ | Europe | 3,000,000 | |
| 6 | Soviet Union | 1917 | Epidemic | Russia.Fed | Europe | 2,500,000 | ||
| 7 | China, P Rep | 1959 | July | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 2,000,000 | |
| 8 | India | 1920 | Epidemic | S.Asia | Asia | 2,000,000 | ||
| 9 | Bangladesh | 1943 | Famine | S.Asia | Asia | 1,900,000 | ||
| 10 | China, P Rep | 1909 | Epidemic | E.Asia | Asia | 1,500,000 | ||
| 11 | India | 1942 | Drought | S.Asia | Asia | 1,500,000 | ||
| 12 | India | 1907 | Epidemic | S.Asia | Asia | 1,300,000 | ||
| 13 | India | 1900 | Drought | S.Asia | Asia | 1,250,000 | ||
| 14 | NA | 1957 | May | Epidemic | NA | ALL | 1,250,000 | |
| 15 | Soviet Union | 1921 | Drought | Russia.Fed | Europe | 1,200,000 | ||
| 16 | NA | 1968 | Epidemic | NA | ALL | 700,000 | ||
| 17 | Ethiopia | 1972 | Famine | E.Africa | Africa | 600,000 | ||
| 18 | China, P Rep | 1920 | Drought | E.Asia | Asia | 500,000 | ||
| 19 | China, P Rep | 1938 | July | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 500,000 | |
| 20 | China, P Rep | 1939 | July | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 500,000 | |
| 21 | India | 1920 | Epidemic | S.Asia | Asia | 500,000 | ||
| 22 | India | 1965 | Drought | S.Asia | Asia | 500,000 | ||
| 23 | India | 1966 | Drought | S.Asia | Asia | 500,000 | ||
| 24 | India | 1967 | Drought | S.Asia | Asia | 500,000 | ||
| 25 | India | 1926 | Epidemic | S.Asia | Asia | 423,000 | ||
| 26 | Bangladesh | 1918 | Epidemic | S.Asia | Asia | 393,000 | ||
| 27 | Bangladesh | 1970 | 12 | November | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 300,000 |
| 28 | Ethiopia | 1984 | 14 | October | Drought | E.Africa | Africa | 300,000 |
| 29 | India | 1924 | Epidemic | S.Asia | Asia | 300,000 | ||
| 30 | China, P Rep | 1976 | 27 | July | Earthquake | E.Asia | Asia | 242,000 |
| 31 | China, P Rep | 1927 | 22 | May | Earthquake | E.Asia | Asia | 200,000 |
| 32 | Ethiopia | 1974 | April | Drought | E.Africa | Africa | 200,000 | |
| 33 | Uganda | 1901 | Epidemic | E.Africa | Africa | 200,000 | ||
| 34 | China, P Rep | 1920 | 16 | December | Earthquake | E.Asia | Asia | 180,000 |
| 35 | Sudan | 1984 | Drought | N.Africa | Africa | 150,000 | ||
| 36 | Japan | 1923 | 1 | September | Earthquake | E.Asia | Asia | 143,000 |
| 37 | China, P Rep | 1935 | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 142,000 | ||
| 38 | Bangladesh | 1991 | 30 | April | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 138,866 |
| 39 | Soviet Union | 1948 | 5 | October | Earthquake | Russia.Fed | Europe | 110,000 |
| 40 | China, P Rep | 1908 | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 100,000 | ||
| 41 | China, P Rep | 1911 | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 100,000 | ||
| 42 | China, P Rep | 1922 | 27 | July | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | E.Asia | Asia | 100,000 |
| 43 | Ethiopia | 1973 | Drought | E.Africa | Africa | 100,000 | ||
| 44 | Mozambique | 1985 | Drought | E.Africa | Africa | 100,000 | ||
| 45 | Niger | 1923 | Epidemic | W.Africa | Africa | 100,000 | ||
| 46 | Italy | 1908 | 28 | December | Earthquake | Euro.Union | Europe | 75,000 |
| 47 | China, P Rep | 1932 | 26 | December | Earthquake | E.Asia | Asia | 70,000 |
| 48 | Peru | 1970 | 31 | May | Earthquake | S.America | Americas | 66,794 |
| 49 | NA | 1972 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 62,500 | ||
| 50 | NA | 1973 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 62,500 | ||
| 51 | NA | 1974 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 62,500 | ||
| 52 | Bangladesh | 1942 | October | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 61,000 | |
| 53 | China, P Rep | 1910 | Epidemic | E.Asia | Asia | 60,000 | ||
| 54 | India | 1935 | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 60,000 | ||
| 55 | Pakistan | 1935 | 31 | May | Earthquake | S.Asia | Asia | 60,000 |
| 56 | China, P Rep | 1949 | July | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 57,000 | |
| 57 | India | 1935 | 31 | May | Earthquake | S.Asia | Asia | 56,000 |
| 58 | Canada | 1918 | January | Epidemic | N.America | Americas | 50,000 | |
| 59 | China, P Rep | 1912 | August | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | E.Asia | Asia | 50,000 | |
| 60 | Guatemala | 1949 | October | Flood | C.America | Americas | 40,000 | |
| 61 | India | 1942 | 14 | October | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 40,000 |
| 62 | Martinique | 1902 | 8 | May | Volcano | Caribbean | Americas | 40,000 |
| 63 | Bangladesh | 1965 | 11 | May | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 36,000 |
| 64 | Iran, Islam Rep | 1990 | 20 | June | Earthquake | S.Asia | Asia | 36,000 |
| 65 | NA | 1943 | Drought | E.Africa | Africa | 35,000 | ||
| 66 | Turkey | 1939 | 6 | December | Earthquake | W.Asia | Asia | 32,962 |
| 67 | Cape Verde Is | 1946 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 30,000 | ||
| 68 | Chile | 1939 | 24 | January | Earthquake | S.America | Americas | 30,000 |
| 69 | China, P Rep | 1954 | August | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 30,000 | |
| 70 | Italy | 1915 | 13 | January | Earthquake | Euro.Union | Europe | 30,000 |
| 71 | Bangladesh | 1974 | July | Flood | S.Asia | Asia | 28,700 | |
| 72 | Niger | 1931 | Famine | W.Africa | Africa | 26,000 | ||
| 73 | Soviet Union | 1988 | 7 | December | Earthquake | Russia.Fed | Europe | 25,000 |
| 74 | Cape Verde Is | 1920 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 24,000 | ||
| 75 | Guatemala | 1976 | 4 | February | Earthquake | C.America | Americas | 23,000 |
| 76 | Iran, Islam Rep | 1939 | January | Earthquake | S.Asia | Asia | 23,000 | |
| 77 | Colombia | 1985 | 13 | November | Volcano | S.America | Americas | 21,800 |
| 78 | Niger | 1910 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 21,250 | ||
| 79 | Niger | 1911 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 21,250 | ||
| 80 | Niger | 1912 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 21,250 | ||
| 81 | Niger | 1913 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 21,250 | ||
| 82 | China, P Rep | 1974 | May | Earthquake | E.Asia | Asia | 20,000 | |
| 83 | India | 1905 | 5 | April | Earthquake | S.Asia | Asia | 20,000 |
| 84 | Iran, Islam Rep | 1978 | 16 | September | Earthquake | S.Asia | Asia | 20,000 |
| 85 | Somalia | 1974 | Drought | E.Africa | Africa | 19,000 | ||
| 86 | China, P Rep | 1933 | Flood | E.Asia | Asia | 18,000 | ||
| 87 | China, P Rep | 1930 | 10 | February | Storm | E.Asia | Asia | 15,000 |
| 88 | Indonesia | 1917 | 21 | January | Earthquake | SE.Asia | Asia | 15,000 |
| 89 | India | 1977 | 12 | November | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 14,204 |
| 90 | Bangladesh | 1965 | June | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 12,047 | |
| 91 | China, P Rep | 1907 | 21 | October | Earthquake | E.Asia | Asia | 12,000 |
| 92 | Iran, Islam Rep | 1962 | September | Earthquake | S.Asia | Asia | 12,000 | |
| 93 | Morocco | 1960 | 29 | February | Earthquake | N.Africa | Africa | 12,000 |
| 94 | Soviet Union | 1907 | 21 | October | Earthquake | Russia.Fed | Europe | 12,000 |
| 95 | Soviet Union | 1949 | Landslide | Russia.Fed | Europe | 12,000 | ||
| 96 | Bangladesh | 1963 | 28 | May | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 11,500 |
| 97 | Bangladesh | 1961 | 9 | May | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | S.Asia | Asia | 11,000 |
| 98 | Cape Verde Is | 1900 | Drought | W.Africa | Africa | 11,000 | ||
| 99 | Hong Kong (China) | 1937 | 28 | August | Cycl.Hurr.Typh | E.Asia | Asia | 11,000 |
| 100 | Nigeria | 1991 | January | Epidemic | W.Africa | Africa | 10,391 |
Of course, it is highly debatable how “natural” the famines in the Soviet Union, Bangladesh and Ethiopa were.
Steve Park supplies this first-hand account of the rescue/cleanup work after the tsunamis on Phuket:
We stopped at a hastily arranged rescue center along the side of the road. Across the road were hundreds of bodies lined up, most left in the sun because all the trees are gone and they only had one awning to erect to provide a little shade. The sight and stench were horrible.
We put big gobs of Vicks VapoRub up our nostrils and started helping bag the bodies. But the pick-up trucks kept coming, bringing more bodies faster than we could wrap them in plastic and bed sheets (there were no proper body bags).
Later in the morning, some Thai rescue teams arrived and took over our work. By early afternoon, more awnings arrived and some body bags arrived. We then walked back towards the hills, behind the large naval boat that was washed over a kilometer from the beach.
We found several bodies in the debris back on the hill. Later, walking back towards the beach, the smell of decaying bodies buried under the rubble was everywhere. But there is so much debris, that heavy equipment will be needed to remove it. One rescue team from Taiwan was digging through rubble by hand and recovered one body. At one point, people started screaming and yelling, “the water is coming.”
The death toll now stands at over 150,000.
Big Band leader Artie Shaw has past away at 94. While I’m confident far fewer people will be as affected by his passing as that of Reggie White, It is highly arguable which of the two had more impact on the world in which we live.
If you are unfamiliar with his entrancing clarinet work, and brilliant arrangements, you’ll get a chance to hear his Nightmare on the movie The Aviator. Who knows, perhaps you’ll go on to other Shaw classics, or even move beyond, to the likes of Rich, Carmichael, Coltrane, or Paul? What a wonderful thing that would be.