h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have just watched an hour long programme on TV, updating what is happening in the Indian Ocean and showing snapshots of the reality of the situation. Many problems were raised which had not even occurred to me.

It struck me forcibly that there are no words left to describe adequately what is happening. Over the last few years we have made free use of of words that would now begin to describe the situation.

Disaster, horrific, trauma, tragedy, devastation, heroes and heroines have been exhaustively used. How can a football team being relegated be a tragedy, or a footballer or sportsperson be a hero or heroine(excluding the paralympians). Everyday miseries are described as traumas, everyone requires "closure" and must "move on". Who is going to be able to "counsel" returning families, having no real idea of what they have been through?

The real heroes and heroines are those working out there, many of them volunteers, living themselves in appalling conditions, seeing unimaginable sights 24/7. Some of them are holidaymakers who have stayed on to help. Many of them are just local people doing what they can - an 18 year old student helping to find and move hundreds of bodies - the list is endless.

How on earth do people involved in this ever find "closure" and "move on". I listened this evening to something that hadn't even occurred to me among all the emotional stuff. It will be hard enough to cope with not having found their loved ones, but once all hope is gone, there are the legal aspects of proving death, with no body.

Insurance, property issues, money, wills. In the UK will they have to wait seven years to declare someone missing believed dead, or has that changed in recent years? How do you move on in those circumstances?

I remember after losing family members I would occasionally "see" them in the street and my heart flipped, only to realise it was someone who looked or dressed like them. It passed because I knew the truth. For these people.............?

Amongst all that to read that two UK Government departments have delayed the sending of urgently needed equipment because neither can agree who will pay for it makes me

They are clearly very good at words and "spin" but when it comes to action they are

Websailor

I couldn't agree more...

I've been given your name to aid me with compiling this:
A3471581
for <./>thepost</.>

Can you point me to the relevant threads, with more stories?

Nice job GB
Most of the other posts I have seen are on AR1s page.
U51667

Thought that was too short! try >>> U516677

Thanks abbi

Abbi and Galaxy babe, I thank you both for the thread A3471581 appearing in my p/space, it had me puzzled until Lil explained it. Again my thanks

Traveller in Time searching for the second story
"At first I thought you already had included these stories, how about < F79219?thread=554975&show=1&skip=39 > by 'ViveAnn'?"

At the risk of being thought flippant, has everyone seen this one? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4139519.stm

Traveller in Time slinging a paper on the mat
"Read < <./>ThePost</.> >
< A3481300 > Guess I was just too late with my link. "

How h2 appropriate animal
Here you go

*Waves*
Add it to the comments after comes out if GB is done.
Hopefully there will be more added by others.

Can I ask that how do the people with relly long names log on?

Traveller in Time off topic
"Login-names can be no more then twenty characters

I think the answer is in < <./>UserDetails</.> > as we changed our login name into something more (or less) appropriate.

Actually I do not log off as that requires to sign out. "