A positive story from the Tsunami

[Oreo]

This is a story...that really moved me. I guess maybe because I love animals and happy endings. A very happy story out of so much sorrow.

[MartinBradley]

Nice to hear something positive coming out of this disaster, which has certainly moved everybody worldwide, even prisoners here in England gave up cigarettes over New Year, and donated money to the Tsunami relief fund.

[RabidKitten]

Those are some kind hearted prisoners. I think the prisoners in the US here gave up gang banging in the showers for an entire day out of respect for the lack of gang banging going on there. It touches the heart, doesn't it? Even google put up a little link that gives suggestions on how to help them out over there. *sniffle*

[rustedtight]

Originally Posted by RabidKitten

Those are some kind hearted prisoners. I think the prisoners in the US here gave up gang banging in the showers for an entire day out of respect for the lack of gang banging going on there. It touches the heart, doesn't it? Even google put up a little link that gives suggestions on how to help them out over there. *sniffle*

Yeah right......... n hookers kept their legs crossed all day..... have a little respect for the 150 thousand dead.. if you have nothing positive to say please, in respect of the dead, shut your mouth, or it may be mistaken for your ass.

[Qwerty]

Originally Posted by RabidKitten

Those are some kind hearted prisoners. I think the prisoners in the US here gave up gang banging in the showers for an entire day out of respect for the lack of gang banging going on there. It touches the heart, doesn't it? Even google put up a little link that gives suggestions on how to help them out over there. *sniffle*

Is that a joke or what? If someone made a joke like that about the 3,000 or whatever killed on 9/11 you would hear about it for sure. I wouldnt excpet something like this from you Rabid.

[Qwerty]

Care to comment Rabid?

[RabidKitten]

Yes, I have a comment or two. Firstly, not to sound mean, of course, but you need to learn the edit button. Rusted would be the expert on how to make ones mouth resemble their ass. And really, I give no appology for what I have said. Really I think that everyone who has commented has misread and misunderstood my comment.

But first, before I get into my redeming commentary, a side note. The happenings on 9-11 are completely different than those of this tsunami. Firstly, the happenings on 9-11 were an attack, an act of war from another people who are honest to gods psychopaths. Poor souls who were propaganda'd to death into thinking some rather outragious things, but never the less, it was a concious thing that could have been prevented. This was a natural, blameless desaster. Those people know of the risks that they take when they live there. Yes, it sucks when my house floods, but it is something that happens here in Minnesota, and I accept that fact just as I accept the fact that we get tornado scares constantly, and some day my house could be ripped right off its foundation and I could be impaled and pinned to a tree by a piece of straw. But I accept the risk. Yes, it is unfortunate when people in Tornado Alley get blown away and killed by a tornado, but it's called "tornado alley" for a reason. Yes, it is a shame when people whos houses are on a cliff, on stilts half in the water get washed away, but it is risk that you conciously take when you put your damned house on stilts in the middle of a river (which I still can't understand why one would do that once their house it taken away for the 5th time). The only similarities between those two happenings, 9-11 and the tsunami, is that I am tired of the hype and the moaning and groaning between the both of them. Commentary to the contrary is the price one pays for making their views known, and a price I happily recognize and pay.
What irritates me is the world can say "Oh, a million people in rowanda are systematically being murdered by people...that sucks...oh well." and pull the UN out and ignore any kind of help they can give when there are millions of people crying out to the world for help and there is something you can do to -prevent- the deaths, but they go on for months about a natural desaster that, while being very tragic, is really just a pissing contest between the countries. Who can send more aid, who can care more, who can prove who wrong. It is a natural desaster, nothing can be done to prevent it, and these people -knew- they were in a tsunami area. That's like people in Florida acting -surprised- when they get hit by a tropical storm or a hurricane. They know the risk and accept it. Just as those poor souls who were killed in the tsunami knew the risks and accepted them. It is sad, but gods, when the world takes no measures of prevention when a million people are being systematically -murdered- over a span of -months-, but then has a hissy fit about this natural desaster that could not have been prevented at all, it just irritates me. But really, that is neither here, nor there, it's just an irritation of mine.

Now for my retribution.

My comment was not saying anything disrespectful about the dead. It is sad, and my goodness, I certainly am saddened by the mass loss of life, and while I am irritated about the pissing contest and by the lack of help in other places, I am glad that people are at least doing something -some- of the time.
My point here was...what usefulness does giving up cigarettes in the UK do? It's completely useless, it does nothing for the people dying or caught in mudslides or anything. It is an empty gesture used to make people -feel- like they're doing something when indeed they are doing nothing. It's simply and attempt at selfish self preservation. And what does it matter what a bunch of murders, rapists and convicts do? I'm sure that there's some little orphan in the tsunami area right now going "Gosh, my house is gone, my mom and dad died and my dog is missing...but hey, child pornographers in the UK aren't smoking today, just for me! Yahoo."
My point was to bring to light the fact that it is a nothing, selfish gesture by people who are lower than scum by comparing it to something that is indeed a totally useless contribution.

Oh, and Rusted, I really doubt that anyone in the tsunami would really care or think what I said about a bunch of ignorant criminals was disrespectful in any way to their dead. As a matter of fact it had absolutely -no relation- to the dead what-so-ever. So really, you should be more careful in what your ass...I mean mouth says or you may find your foot accompaning it more frequently.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Qwerty. And I meant no hostility towards you, Martin, or your comment, just the stupidity of the gesture.

[Qwerty]

Originally Posted by RabidKitten

Yes, I have a comment or two. Firstly, not to sound mean, of course, but you need to learn the edit button.

It was to bump the thread. At that stage I ddint know you were sick.

Originally Posted by RabidKitten

The happenings on 9-11 are completely different than those of this tsunami. Firstly, the happenings on 9-11 were an attack, an act of war from another people who are honest to gods psychopaths. Poor souls who were propaganda'd to death into thinking some rather outragious things, but never the less, it was a concious thing that could have been prevented.

So, asuming your comment was made in jest, it would have been perfectly ok because "they knew they lived in a danger area" or whatever? Are you honestly joking?

Originally Posted by RabidKitten

It is a natural desaster, nothing can be done to prevent it, and these people -knew- they were in a tsunami area. That's like people in Florida acting -surprised- when they get hit by a tropical storm or a hurricane. They know the risk and accept it.

Because people living in a developing country have the choice of moving house (that is if they own one). That is an extremly ignorant thing to say rabid. Your basicly saying we and they shouldn't be surprised because it was a "known tsunami area" (there are actually no "known" tsunami areas as a matter of fact). Your only images of third world countries is obviously very distorted and I can only asume it has been the product of the poor media and movies.

Originally Posted by RabidKitten

My point was to bring to light the fact that it is a nothing, selfish gesture by people who are lower than scum by comparing it to something that is indeed a totally useless contribution.

It's actually not selfish as such. That is the whole point. An act of un-selfishness. I agree that its meaningless but that doesnt mean its selfish. Is lent selfish? Thats pretty bloody pointless and stupid in my opinion.

Anyway, I see where u were comming from when u said what you said but I still disagree with you.

[RabidKitten]

Originally Posted by Qwerty

It was to bump the thread. At that stage I ddint know you were sick.

The edit button does the same thing. Just so you know for future reference. At least it does as far as I know.

Originally Posted by Qwerty

So, asuming your comment was made in jest, it would have been perfectly ok because "they knew they lived in a danger area" or whatever? Are you honestly joking?

Nope, doesn't make it ok. If you recall, I was talking about how everyone fusses over this kind of natural tragety but then gives nothing and no concern over the man made ones in Rwanda. That and the world likes to pick and choose which areas to concern themselves with. Just saying that people are responsible for where they choose to live.

Originally Posted by Qwerty

Because people living in a developing country have the choice of moving house (that is if they own one). That is an extremly ignorant thing to say rabid. Your basicly saying we and they shouldn't be surprised because it was a "known tsunami area" (there are actually no "known" tsunami areas as a matter of fact). Your only images of third world countries is obviously very distorted and I can only asume it has been the product of the poor media and movies.

My views on third world countries has nothing to do with the view on this tragety, really. It just so happened that this tsunami was in a third world country, but concidering that you know nothing about my views on the 'third world' portions of the world, I would keep those hasty remarks to yourself.
Also, people being poor or in third world countries or even war torn countries doesn't stop people from moving. There's always the option of, oh, I don't know, picking up and going somewhere else if you feel you're in danger enough. Plenty of people all over the world, third world countries or not, that do it.
Once more, please do not make anymore hasty generalizations or assumptions about me or my views since you know absolutely nothing about either. It simply makes you look ignorant.

Originally Posted by Qwerty

It's actually not selfish as such. That is the whole point. An act of un-selfishness. I agree that its meaningless but that doesnt mean its selfish. Is lent selfish? Thats pretty bloody pointless and stupid in my opinion.

Yes, it is. See, it is a theory that nearly every act of charity is in essence a selfish act since people tend to only give when they can and not when it costs them something. Why do people give charity? Because they feel bad. So they do something in order to make themselves feel less 'bad' about what happened. It's just like those "Send 9 cents a week for a child in a third world" commercials. How much of that money actually goes to the children, really? And really, there are much more meaningful ways to help people, but people find that throwing money at problems is easier than actually doing something that will matter. There are those who don't just throw money at problems, but those people are few and far between and I tip my hat to them.
*laughs* Are you actually comparing Rapists, Murderers and Child Pornographers giving up cigarettes to Lent?? *Laughing* I'm sorry, but that's just funny. First of all, Lent is a -religious- act...and religious acts in general tend to be things that people 'just do' because they 'should', of course, that's how religion works for a majority of people anyway. The unfortunate syndrom of "Well my parents are this so I am also" or "I've been doing it since I was 3 so I'll continue to even though I don't give a crap about what it means".
As for Lent being selfish, I don't know, it could be seen as it. I don't know, I find it hard to believe that God or Jesus or whoever doesn't want people to eat meat for a certain amount of time on a certain day and to give something up. It just doesn't seem to have much of a point behind it. So what purpose does it serve but self satisfaction that you're doing something when really, you're not. But I'm not here for a religious debate.
Lent is nothing like Rapists giving up cigarettes. And really, I don't know why anyone would get upset on my suggestion of criminals giving up gang banging in the shower because if it's "In honor and an unselfish act of sacrafice" as you suggest, then that makes it ok, in your definition, doesn't it?

Originally Posted by Qwerty

Anyway, I see where u were comming from when u said what you said but I still disagree with you.

That's fine, you're welcome to disagree. *shrug* Of course, really I'm saying that everything is overkill when it comes to natural trageties verses man made trageties. And also that people seem to think that it's ok to pick and choose which natural trageties to help out with. Like I said, funny how people make a big deal out of this, but we just scoff and call people stupid when they live in tornado valley and have to rebuild their lives, or sit by and watch as florida's torn apart again.
People everywhere have to take procautions for where they live. I put plastic up on my windows when winter hits. I try and get landscaping done when flood season comes around. I move people and things out of the attic and ready the basement when tornado season hits. And sometimes that's just not enough and nature kicks your butt. Just how it happens. Not to say that it isn't good to help those who need it, but the pick and choose stuff bothers me. But, as I said before and you gave me no credit for, at least people are banding together -some- of the time. It's better than none of the time, I imagine. Just irritates me that the world turned it into a pissing contest by yelling at the US, specifically.

But, as a side note, I like how you pick and choose what to comment about and completely ignore anything else I had to say. I also like how nearly every comment from you is calling me "Stupid" "Ignorant" or my views "Distorted" or "pointless". You obviously need a lesson in how to not make yourself sound discrediting when discussing a topic. Namecalling is a fallacy and really only makes you seem unintelligent. Also, the terms "Pointless" and "Distorted" are really subjective. Who decides what is pointless or distorted. Or really what is stupid or ignorant for that matter. So many things are subjective in the world and ideas that are purely subjective, so that is why people try to stay away from namecalling and also snap judgements and final judgements in discussions. It's all subjective.
At least when I called names, it was about criminals in the UK who thought that giving up cigarettes (By the way, a product that only causes discomfort and death in those who use it and those who are around those who use it). So really, giving the properties of cigarettes, it was -better- for the criminals to give them up. Oh no, what a self sacrafice, I'm getting healthy! AH! The pain, the suffering! Maybe a better parody would've been Heroin Addicts giving up syringes in honor. Or perhaps to push it further, that mobidly obese people joined the YMCA and took up jogging in honor of them.*snickers*

[Tigerblade]

just to put in my two cents on the topic... i think a few of us (myself included, the first time i read through it) missed the line that the prisoners "donated money to the Tsunami relief fund". martin, correct me if i'm wrong, but does that mean they gave up smoking and donated the money they would otherwise have used to buy their cigs? if so, then it makes the act slightly more meaningful. not that i particularly care what criminals do (in any part of the world), but its something more than just giving up smoking.

and yes, rabidkitten - i've heard of that theory about selfish charity, and personally i believe it. to what *degree* is it true, who knows, but it makes sense.