TresSugar

Front Page: Austria Cellar Daughter Awake, China Drains Quake Lake, TV Crew Abducted

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:00:24 -0700

Austria Cellar Daughter Awake: Kerstin Fritzl, the 19-year-old woman, and the oldest daughter kept in the cellar in Austria, has regained consciousness. Her illness in April tipped Austria's authorities to the incest scandal. Kerstin is the oldest of seven children fathered by Josef Fritzl, her grandfather, during the 24 years he kept his daughter Elisabeth in his cellar, captive while raping her repeatedly. Doctors say Kerstin still requires intensive medical care. Let out of the cellar because of her illness, Kerstin has been unconscious and in intensive care since then.

China Drains Quake Lake: China declared victory today over the brimming lake formed by landslides from the massive earthquake, threatening to flood downstream communities. Sichuan province's top official claimed a "decisive victory" over the potential crisis. A manmade channel caused the water to pour out and into the mostly evacuated town of Qinglian, a resident who remained in the area said. More than 250,000 people downstream had moved to high ground due to fear that the lake could breach its banks entirely. About 1.3 million people total live downstream.
Phillipine's TV Crew Captured: A TV news team from the Philippines’s largest network along with one of the country’s most famous journalists is believed to have been abducted by members of the militant group Abu Sayyaf. The journalist, a cameraman, and driver were on their way to meet with Abu Sayyaf when they were intercepted on Sunday by armed men in a province where Abu Sayyaf, which is fighting for a separate Muslim state in the southern Philippines, are known to operate. Abu Sayyaf is notorious for its kidnap-for-ransom activities and has terrorized Filipinos and foreigners alike. The militants have been blamed for several major terrorist attacks across the Philippines in recent years. The abductors have not yet made contact.

Front Page: Bush Goes to Europe, Spanish Truckers Strike, Quake Lake Still Rising

CitizenSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:58:08 -0700

Bush Goes to Europe: President Bush has just departed for a farewell trip to Europe's major capitals, taking news of both concern for and confidence in the US economy. His first stop is Slovenia for his final US-European Union Summit. He will also visit Germany, Italy, France, England and Northern Ireland. Expressing concern about the economy and soaring energy prices (which hit $4 a gallon over the weekend and could go higher) Bush said in a departure statement that a strong dollar is in the US interest and the interest of the global economy.

Spainish Truckers Strike: While Europe waits for Bush, tens of thousands of Spanish truckers have begun an indefinite strike over the soaring price of diesel, which has risen by 20 percent this year. They stopped work at midnight and began disrupting traffic at one of the border crossings between Spain and France. The protesters prevented other trucks from passing, and shut down car traffic. Most of the 90,000 truckers participating have warned that many supermarkets will run out of goods within days. The head of the transportation association said, "we are the ones who move the goods that this country needs to keep working. If we stop because we haven't got the money to buy fuel then the country will stop."
Quake Lake Still Rising: The water level in an earthquake-formed lake in China is still rising, despite efforts to drain it. Early this morning, the water level was more than 6 feet higher than the man-made channel created to solve the problem. Experts say the lake could burst at any time, flooding the homes of more than one million people. A quarter of a million people have already been evacuated from the area since the earthquake that caused the quake lake to form. Government estimates now put the quake death toll at 69,136 with another 17,686 people missing.

Sharon Stone Apologizes for "Karma" Remark. But What Is It?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 08:00:18 -0700

Sharon Stone has become a bit of a Karma Chameleon, and apologized for her statement that the earthquake was China's Karma coming back to haunt them.

She said, "Due to my inappropriate words and acts during the interview, I feel deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people." She's been removed from Dior ads in China following the incident.

Karma is an important concept for Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs - but what is it exactly? The word translated simply means "action". The doctrine of karma developed and taugh by the Buddha, a spiritual teacher thought to have lived about 2,500 years ago. It simply means, whatever comes into existence does so in response to the conditions at the time, and in turn affects what comes after it. How was Sharon Stone wrong? To find out, read more.

One teacher at the London Buddhist Centre, says that Stone's take on karma is misguidedly common. Her statement was incorrect, pegging an outcome the result of something done in the past, or a past life. The law of karma says the motive behind one's actions actually affects the outcome of that particular act. According to the teacher:

So an intentionally ethical action - for example to promote kindness, generosity, contentment - is more likely to have positive, beneficial consequences. An intentionally unethical one - to promote self-aggrandizement or greed - will be more likely to have unhelpful, even harmful consequences. Unhelpful, that is, for the positive well-being of either the doer or the recipient or both.

Stone might have been ignoring the other factors that Buddhists believe cause events - biological factors like viruses, psychological factors like stress, and environmental factors like the weather.

The Buddhist teacher concludes, "The earthquake in China or the cyclone in Burma have much to do with environmental factors," says Dhammadassin. "To invoke karma is more to do with our desire to nail things down and find someone to blame. But that's not ours to do."

Was her apology enough? Do people in the spotlight have a greater responsibility to understand concepts they speak about publicly?

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Poke! The Chinese Premiere Logs in to Facebook

CitizenSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:00:26 -0700

Since the earthquake, Chinese Premiere Wen Jiabao has made a bunch of friends. Over 13,000 of them to be exact - according to his hopping Facebook profile. He's become wildly popular for his fast and feeling response to the May 12 earthquake. At one disaster site, a collapsed school, the 66-year-old politician called out these touching words of comfort: "This is Grandpa Wen Jiabao, hang on child, we will rescue you!"

Since the creation of his page two days after the quake, Wen has gotten messages posted on his wall like "I love you, oh my God," "a model Premier for the world!" and the text-rageous, "it's so great 2 see u here!" For wasting no time rolling up his sleeves and heading to the worst hit locations with a bullhorn and hard hat, he seems to have eclipsed President Hu Jintao (who has no Facebook page of his own). Is an popular profile the answer? To find out, read more.

Saying things like, "the central government hasn't forgotten about this place. We will rescue those who are injured. If the roads are blocked, we'll use airplanes to lift them out," he provided comfort. But was it enough? Chinese parents are now lashing out at the government for suspect construction that allowed the schools to collapse in the first place. In one school of 900, only 13 made it out of the rubble. Can Grandpa Wen Jiabao help them forget?

Has he set the new example for how politicians should respond to disasters? Do some times call for a grandfatherly type with the presence of mind to have a Facebook profile? All in all, are you impressed with the Chinese government's response to the quake?

China's One-Child Policy Lifted For Quake Victims

LibertySugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:30:18 -0700

Chinese officials have announced that families, whose only child was killed or critically injured in this month's earthquake, will be exempt from the one-child policy, a decision that appears to be only fair.

The reprieve, which at first seems compassionate, highlights the unnatural quality of China's entire family-planning policy. A couple, dealing with the loss of their legal child, will have to apply for permission to have a "legal replacement." If the family already has an illegal second child, the parents will no longer be responsible for outstanding (and hefty) fines; but, fines already paid will not be reimbursed.

Recently China has been considering a modification to its three-decade-old one-child policy, which has prevented as many as 400 million births. As of now, however, reproduction is almost always limited to one child, unless a family is prepared to pay the price in fines.

Will permission to create a "replacement" life bring hope to these grieving parents? Does the government have any right to interfere with a citizen's reproductive rights, even if the society doesn't have the means to support overpopulation?

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Sharon Stone Says Earthquake Was "Karma." Outrageous?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:56 -0700

Over the weekend at the Cannes Film Festival, Sharon Stone had the opportunity to tell the world exactly how she felt about the earthquake in China (the death toll from which has just topped 65,000). Here's what Ms. Stone had to say:

"Well, you know, it was very interesting . . . I am unhappy about the way Chinese are treating the Tibetans . . . Then all this earthquake, all this stuff happened, I thought, is that karma? When you are not nice, the bad things happen to you."

While she did reference the Dalai Lama, and seemed like she was trying to make a point, the flippant delivery or the way she sort of smiled while she was saying it begs the question - is it even possible a natural disaster that killed 65,000 people is the result of bad karma? Then highlighting that she'd put her head down and helped out, even though the Chinese aren't "nice to you," makes one wonder - does Sharon Stone have a point or is she creating a little karma of her own?

China to Rebuild Devastated City Somewhere Else

LibertySugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:15:00 -0700

Following the recent earthquake, China plans to rebuild one of its worst-hit cities, Beichuan, in a completely different location. Of the city's 161,000 residents, at least 7,227 died in the quake. The region's Communist Party Chief said:

Safety is the top priority in selecting a new location and reconstruction. We plan to build a monument and a memorial to commemorate the quake victims on the previous location.

The questions of when and where to rebuild devastated areas often comes up after a natural disaster. Following the wildfires in Southern California last Fall, actress Jamie Lee Curtis summed up one line of thought:

We live in a drought, we build houses too close, and then we're shocked when this happens? This is not an act of God. This is an act of man.

After Hurricane Katrina hit low-lying New Orleans, some critics spoke out against the idea of rebuilding the city, which could eventually be hit by a similar hurricane. They argued that New Orleans, built like a bowl and located bellow sea level, is geographically susceptible to similar flooding in the future.

Are humans foolish to build cities in places that are prone to natural disasters? Would China's plan to choose a new location work for a place like New Orleans? How should we mitigate risks of destruction and death, when every place is susceptible to some form of random devastation? How risky is too risky?

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Disaster Fatigue Hits America: Giving Less to Recent Victims

LibertySugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Donating money for the victims of the Myanmar cyclone and the Chinese earthquake has not been an easy sell. Americans have given $12.1 million so far to the Myanmar cause, compared to the $1.92 billion that was collected for the 2004 Tsunami, and $5.3 billion for Hurricane Katrina. Donation amounts for China are not yet known.

One AP writer suspects that Americans have come down with "disaster fatigue." The article explains that the more bad news there is, the less likely Americans are to give. Americans, who unconsciously clump distinct occurrences as "faraway disasters" may feel helpless when hearing of mounting, and incomprehensible death tolls. Thus, by competing to be disaster of the moment, China and Myanmar have unknowingly dissuaded charitable individuals.

There may be other factors leading to a light trickle of donations. For some other explanations, read more.

China and Myanmar are isolated countries, which restrict international access. Their governments, a communist oligarchy and military junta respectively, may make Americans weary that their money could end up in the wrong hands. The lack of journalistic access, combined with other dominating stories such as the presidential campaign, may also prevent the cyclone and earthquake from being the hot issue of the moment.

Or maybe Americans could picture themselves as a beach tourist in Thailand back in 2004 or resident of New Orleans, but are having a hard time empathizing with the most recent victims in China and Myanmar.

Do Americans have disaster fatigue, or are there just too many other bills to worry about at home? Can the fatigue notion be applied to other issues, such as the Iraq war? As we hear more bad news, are we tempted to turn a deaf ear?

If you don't have disaster fatigue, and want to help, here are ways you can lend a hand to those in China and Myanmar.

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Front Page: Fleeing South Africa Attacks, Ted Kennedy Seizure, Disaster Zones Mourn

CitizenSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:56:56 -0700

Fleeing South Africa Attacks: About 6,000 people fled violent attacks in South Africa on foreigners. The attacks have left at least 22 dead, according to aid workers. Thought to be a "classic refugee situation," many of those seeking refuge in South Africa are Zimbabweans who have fled violence and poverty in their own country. Estimates show as many as three million Zimbabweans are living in South Africa. The immigrants receive the blame for social problems - unemployment, crime and a lack of housing - one Zimbabwean man said of the violence, "if we go back into the streets, they're going to kill us there."

Ted Kennedy Seizure: After being hospitalized over the weekend with stroke-like symptoms, Kennedy's doctor says, “preliminary tests have determined that he has not suffered a stroke and is not in any immediate danger." Kennedy, 76, is still in the hospital but resting and doing well.
Disaster Zones Mourn: Both China and Myanmar, who've each experienced devastation in past weeks, have declared three-day periods of mourning. In China, flags are flying at half-mast and a nationwide silence has been observed to mark the time it struck a week ago. Since the 7.9 magnitude quake, more than 71,000 people are dead and more than 220,000 people injured. In Myanmar, the junta has followed ally China's lead declaring their own period of mourning. Cyclone Nargis left about 78,000 dead and another 55,000 missing. After initially stalling aid, correspondents say the junta has promised to accept significantly more international aid to help cyclone victims.

Chinese Blame Government For Ignoring Earthquake Omens

LibertySugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:00:33 -0700

Prior to the devastating earthquake in China, ponds drained, cows threw themselves about, and toads swarmed the streets - warning the people of the oncoming natural disaster. That's the story spreading around the Chinese blogosphere, according to the New York Times. As the rescue efforts continue, the Chinese are going online and asking why the government ignored these warning signs.

The toad invasion did in fact happen, spreading terror among residents prior to the quake. But despite the debunking of the rumor that the Communist government ignored scientific seismological warnings, bloggers are leveling powerful allegations that the government negligently contributed to the disaster by ignoring the harbingers.

The article explains that even well-educated Chinese subscribe to superstitions, such as omens, portents, and lucky numbers rooted in ancient cosmology. But the Communist Party is not following along. In fact, the government has arrested four people for spreading quake-related rumors. That's hardcore!

Do you think governments should be watching toads, or nature in general, as part of their emergency preparedness plans? Even if the Chinese government does not believe in superstitions, it has to deal with a population that does. How will China deal with its people who believe that the quake is a sign that things are not well?

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