Excuse me, but doesn't this seem bizarre or what?

[Baja Margie]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4135073.stm


I mean, how can they just lay on the beach like that? That's just too weird for me folks.

[tuvor]

1. Shell shock? I dunno.

[Baja Margie]

4. But, sippin on a beer and saying

"we've got a holiday to have..." ? How utterly selfish, why aren't they rolling up their sleeves and helping instead of taking a vacation? I'm sure there's LOTS TO DO. Well, I guess everything I'm reading is true, these places are for the very wealthy to "holiday" while the natives just kind of struggle through and live in shitty little houses. Fuck me. I've just about seen it all now I think.

[Minstrel Boy]

2. Kevin French, enjoying a beer on the beach, has some issues:

"I didn't think about going home. I stayed and looked around to see if my friends were still alive - most of them were.

"I've had no pressure to come home. I've not contacted them yet, but I will on New Year's Eve."

[NYC]

3. "Most" of his friends were still alive?

Most of his friends were still alive?

Well, hey! That's good enough. "Bartender, could we have another round over here?"

[NYC]

5. There are vacationers who have stayed, pooled their money,

bought relief supplies, and gone to the victims. Not every tourist is lying on the beach idle.

[izzie]

6. I personally liked this I read.

Some were sitting around bars that were half gone drinking warm beer.It seems these people and with Bush we have lived up to the ugly American. or white man.

[NurseLefty]

7. OMFG! Are they out of their minds?

They have vacations to get on with, eh? That's sick! Here I am - if I had the means, I'd go there NOW to help out anywhere. Basic things like giving immunizations, other medical help, or food service, cleaning up debris, burying bodies... there's PLENTY to do! How can any human being go on like that?!
:wtf:
On a happier note, there are vacationers helping out. KING 5 (Seattle NBC affiliate) had a story today about a Seattle couple vacationing in Thailand who rescued a Swedish toddler. They said they've decided to stay to help others out. I'd supply the full link (king5.com) but you have to register at the site to read the story. Here's another account of vacationing Americans DOING THE RIGHT THING:
http://www.saratogian.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13650748&BRD=1169&PAG=461&dept_id=17708&rfi=6
To them:
:yourock:

[SoCalDem]

8. Callous louts!! especially THIS one

"...I didn't think about going home. I stayed and looked around to see if my friends were still alive - most of them were...":wtf:

With "friends" like him, who needs enemies:grr:

[Goathead]

9. That is not a recent photo

That beach is immaculate and the water is crystal blue. There should be debris all over the place and that beach should be torn up. The waters would not have returned to such a blue after such a violent turbulent tsunami. I don't know why the BBC would print such a picture but that is a stock photo, it wasn't taken in the last six days.