Why Chile suffered less damage and death compared to the Haiti earthquake..

The earthquake in Chile was far stronger than the one that struck Haiti last month — yet the death toll in this Caribbean nation is magnitudes higher.

The 8.8 Ritcher scale earthquake that struck Chile was 501 times stronger than the 7.7 Ritcher scale earthquake that hit Haiti last January and caused some 220,000 deaths.

Infact, Chile was struck with a far more powerful earthquake in 1960 - measuring 9.5 on the Ritcher Scale!!!!



The reasons are simple.

Chile was ready and prepared, based on natural calamaties that struck the nation previously.

Furthermore, Chile is wealthier and infinitely better prepared, with strict building codes, robust emergency response and a long history of handling seismic catastrophes.

No living Haitian had experienced a quake at home when the Jan. 12 disaster crumbled their poorly constructed buildings.

And Chile was relatively lucky this time.

Saturday's quake was centered offshore an estimated 21 miles (34 kilometers) underground in a relatively unpopulated area while Haiti's tectonic mayhem struck closer to the surface — about 8 miles (13 kilometers) — and right on the edge of Port-au-Prince, factors that increased its destructiveness.

"Earthquakes don't kill — they don't create damage — if there's nothing to damage," said Eric Calais, a Purdue University geophysicist studying the Haiti quake.

The U.S. Geological Survey says eight Haitian cities and towns — including this capital of 3 million — suffered "violent" to "extreme" shaking in last month's 7-magnitude quake, which Haiti's government estimates killed some 220,000 people. Chile's death toll was in the hundreds.

By contrast, no Chilean urban area suffered more than "severe" shaking — the third most serious level — Saturday in its 8.8-magnitude disaster, by USGS measure. The quake was centered 200 miles (325 kms) away from Chile's capital and largest city, Santiago.

In terms of energy released at the epicenter, the Chilean quake was 501 times stronger. But energy dissipates rather quickly as distances grow from epicenters — and the ground beneath Port-au-Prince is less stable by comparison and "shakes like jelly," says University of Miami geologist Tim Dixon.

Survivors of Haiti's quake described abject panic — much of it well-founded as buildings imploded around them. Many Haitians grabbed cement pillars only to watch them crumble in their hands. Haitians were not schooled in how to react — by sheltering under tables and door frames, and away from glass windows.

Chileans, on the other hand, have homes and offices built to ride out quakes, their steel skeletons designed to sway with seismic waves rather than resist them.

"When you look at the architecture in Chile you see buildings that have damage, but not the complete pancaking that you've got in Haiti," said Cameron Sinclair, executive director of Architecture for Humanity, a 10-year-old nonprofit that has helped people in 36 countries rebuild after disasters.

Sinclair said he has architect colleagues in Chile who have built thousands of low-income housing structures to be earthquake resistant.

In Haiti, by contrast, there is no building code.

Patrick Midy, a leading Haitian architect, said he knew of only three earthquake-resistant buildings in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.

Sinclair's San Francisco-based organization received 400 requests for help the day after the Haiti quake but he said it had yet to receive a single request for help for Chile.

"On a per-capita basis, Chile has more world-renowned seismologists and earthquake engineers than anywhere else," said Brian E. Tucker, president of GeoHazards International, a nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, California.

Their advice is heeded by the government in Latin America's wealthiest nation, getting built not just into architects' blueprints and building codes but also into government contingency planning.

"The fact that the president (Michelle Bachelet) was out giving minute-to-minute reports a few hours after the quake in the middle of the night gives you an indication of their disaster response," said Sinclair.

Most Haitians didn't know whether their president, Rene Preval, was alive or dead for at least a day after the quake. The National Palace and his residence — like most government buildings — had collapsed.

Haiti's TV, cell phone networks and radio stations were knocked off the air by the seismic jolt.

Col. Hugo Rodriguez, commander of the Chilean aviation unit attached to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Haiti, waited anxiously Saturday with his troops for word from loved ones at home.

He said he knew his family was OK and expressed confidence that Chile would ride out the disaster.

"We are organized and prepared to deal with a crisis, particularly a natural disaster," Rodriguez said. "Chile is a country where there are a lot of natural disasters."

Calais, the geologist, noted that frequent seismic activity is as common to Chile as it is to the rest of the Andean ridge. Chile experienced the strongest earthquake on record in 1960, and Saturday's quake was the nation's third of over magnitude-8.7.

"It's quite likely that every person there has felt a major earthquake in their lifetime," he said, "whereas the last one to hit Port-au-Prince was 250 years ago."

"So who remembers?"

On Port-au-Prince's streets Saturday, many people had not heard of Chile's quake. More than half a million are homeless, most still lack electricity and are preoccupied about trying to get enough to eat.

Fanfan Bozot, a 32-year-old reggae singer having lunch with a friend, could only shake his head at his government's reliance on international relief to distribute food and water.

"Chile has a responsible government," he said, waving his hand in disgust. "Our government is incompetent."

Tiger Woods says sorry.... first public appearance since sex scandal erupted!!!

Birdie, Eagle, Tiger...!!!!!

To me there is nothing wrong if you have this extra libido or sexual drive.

It is normal for a man to like and love a woman. It is normal for women to love men.

It is only abnormal when a man love another man sexually and the same goes to women who sexually love fellow women.

Who cares if Tiger Woods made love to 1,000 women in a month.. That is called the sexual prowess of a Tiger!!!

Now, how many of us suffer from Erectile dsyfunction or ED?? There are millions of men out there who can't get a simple erection and can't perform their duties on bed.

Well Tiger Woods not only has all this but he also is a Golf Prodigy.

That Means he can score a Hole in One on bed and in the golf course!!

Nevertheless here is a news item on Tiger Woods who broke his silence after the November incident where he infamously did a self accident and then 14 blondes suddenly admitted that Tiger did a hole in one with them!!!



The news report :

Floria, USA - Friday 19 Feb 2010

Missing his smile and aura of invincibility, Tiger Woods finally showed his face to a waiting world Friday and apologized again for cheating on his wife, without revealing the scope of his infidelity or when he will return to golf.

Standing at a podium before a presidential-blue backdrop in a hushed room of his closest associates, Woods stumbled a few times as he read a 13 1/2-minute statement.

He offered no new details of what happened or what's next, except that he was leaving Saturday for more therapy.

"I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did," Woods said.

Woods' wife, Elin, did not attend his first public appearance since he crashed his car into a tree outside their home three months ago, setting off shocking allegations of rampant extramarital affairs.

"I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated," Woods said. "What I did was not acceptable."

Woods alternately looked into the camera and at the 40 people in the room, raising his voice only to deny that his wife ever hit him and to demand that the paparazzi leave his family alone.

Beyond that, there were stretches when Woods — with his formidable business empire — could have been reading from a tough corporate report.

He entered the room alone. When he finished, he stopped for a long embrace with his mother, Kultida, who said she whispered in his ear, "I'm so proud of you. Never think you stand alone. Mom will always be there for you, and I love you."

Regaining trust and support from everyone else might not be so easy.

Woods already has lost two corporate endorsements — Accenture and AT&T — and he has gone from being perhaps the most famous athlete in the world to a punch line in night clubs and on talk shows.

"It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I've made," Woods said. "It's up to me to start living a life of integrity."

Woods left therapy on Feb. 11 and has been spending time with his two children and his mother — but not his wife — in Orlando, according to a person with knowledge of Woods' schedule. The person, not authorized to release such information, spoke on condition of anonymity.

Woods did not say how much longer he would be in therapy, only that "I have a long way to go."

Pool photos were released Thursday of Woods hitting golf balls on the practice range.

"I do plan to return to golf one day," Woods said. "I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game."

Just as unpredictable is the future of his marriage. Woods said he and his wife have started discussing the damage he has done.

"As Elin pointed out to me, my apology to her will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behavior over time," Woods said. "We have a lot to discuss. However, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us."

After an embrace with his mother, Woods hugged the two women who sat on either side of her — Amy Reynolds, formerly of Nike who now works for Tiger Woods Design, and Kathy Battaglia, who is Woods' administrative assistant at ETW Corp.

He made his way down the front row and greeted others — his chief financial officer, Web site administrator, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and Notah Begay, who played with Woods at Stanford and withdrew from the PGA Tour event in Mexico.

Woods remained composed throughout the statement, pausing briefly before the first of several apologies. At times, however, he looked into the camera almost on cue.

The only employee not on the front row was Bryon Bell, his friend from junior high who now is president of his design company. Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent at IMG, sat on the last of three rows with 14 PGA Tour executives.

Some of the eight players at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona watched the coverage before the third round.

"From a guy that's done a lot of tough things in golf over the years, it was probably one of the most difficult things he's ever had to do," British Open champion Stewart Cink said. "And it was something probably that's going to help him along the way of healing."

In Sweden, Elin's father, Thomas Nordegren, saw Woods' confession.

"I watched it but I have nothing to say right now," Nordegren told The Associated Press. Elin's mother, Barbro Holmberg, declined to comment through her spokeswoman.

Friday's event was tightly controlled, with only a few journalists allowed to watch Woods live. The confession became a major television event with the networks breaking in to show it.

ABC's George Stephanopoulos called the speech "one of the most remarkable public apologies ever by a public figure."

Said golf analyst David Feherty on CBS: "The vast number of people just want their Tiger Woods back."

Certainly, no other PGA Tour player could command this kind of attention.

But Woods has always been special on the course and in popular culture. Television ratings double when he is in contention, which has happened a lot on his way to winning 71 times on the PGA Tour and 14 majors, four short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus watched the announcement, but a spokesman said he would have no comment.

Most of the associates left the room when Woods finished speaking. Among those who stayed were Mrs. Woods, who rarely gives interview but in this case said, "I would like to talk."

She said her son has a "good heart and good soul" but made a mistake. Mrs. Woods, raised in Thailand, also claims the media showed a "double standard" by keeping the sex scandal in the news for so long.

"Some of media, especially tabloid, hurt my son bad," Mrs. Woods said. "He didn't do anything illegal. He didn't kill anybody. But he try to improve himself. He try to go to therapy and help. He change that and making better. When he go do all this thing, he will come out stronger and a better person."

As his Thai-born mother sat with arms folded across her chest, Woods said part of his rehab would include a return to his Buddhist faith. Woods said his mother raised him as a Buddhist, and he practiced his faith "until I drifted away from it in recent years."

"Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security," Woods said. "It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught."

The companies that have stuck most closely by Woods, Nike Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc., reiterated their support.

"Tiger has apologized and made his position clear. Nike fully supports him and his family. We look forward to him returning to golf," the company said in a statement.

EA Sports president Peter Moore said: "It was good to see Tiger address the public today, and we're supportive of his focus toward family and rebuilding his life."

Woods' appearance drew reaction from all corners, even at the Winter Games in Vancouver.

"It's a bummer, his personal life," Olympic gold-medalist Shaun White said. "He's trying to pick his words very carefully and apologize. I respect that."

Veronica Siwik-Daniels, one of Woods' alleged mistresses and a former pornographic performer, watched the event with her attorney in a Los Angeles radio studio. She said she wants an apology for the unwanted attention the scandal has brought her.

"I really feel I deserve to look at him in person face to face in the eyes because I did not deserve this," she said.

Bravo Tiger Woods... Birdie, Eagle, Tiger!!!!

A Nice Song to start your day : Lady Gaga - Just Dance

Lady Gaga asking you to just Let's Dance all day long and all night long baby... ohh yeahhhh

Report : 1/3 of Women in US Military, Raped..!!!

One of the most shocking of these cases is that of 19-year-old LaVena Johnson, whose dead body was found on her base in Balad, Iraq in July 2005. Her father, who has pictures of her body, said her face was battered; she had been stripped, raped, burned, re-clothed, dragged across the ground bleeding and shot in the head. The Army initiated an investigation, then suddenly closed the case and labeled her death a suicide. Her father and Colonel Wright have been trying to get Congress and the Army to reopen the investigation ever since, but so far the Army has declined to cooperate.

In 2003, a survey of female veterans found that 30 percent said they were raped in the military.

A 2004 study of veterans who were seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder found that 71 percent of the women said they were sexually assaulted or raped while serving.

And a 1995 study of female veterans of the Gulf and earlier wars, found that 90 percent had been sexually harassed.

The Defense Department, DoD, shows much lower numbers, but that is because it only counts reported rapes—and, as the DoD admits itself in this year's annual Pentagon report on military sexual assault, some 90 percent of rapes in the military are ever reported at all.

Nonetheless, that same report showed that in 2008, reports of assault increased by 8 percent military-wide, and by 26 percent in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

For many women soldiers, the result of all this persecution is that instead of finding camaraderie among their fellow soldiers, or being able to rely on comrades to watch their backs in battle, they feel dangerously alone.

As specialist Carlye Garcia, who was sexually harassed throughout her service with the Army Military Police in Baghdad from 2003-04, put it, "It got so I didn't trust anybody in my company after a few months. I didn't trust anybody at all. I still don't."

The hostility and rejection can run right up through the ranks, too, as women commonly find when they try to report an assault.

Some examples: when Lieutenant Jennifer Dyer refused to return to post with an officer she had reported for raping her, the army threatened to prosecute her for desertion.

When Specialist Suzanne Swift reported her sergeant for repeatedly raping her over months and then refused to redeploy under him, the army tried her by court martial for desertion and put her in prison for a month.

When Cassandra Hernandez of the Air Force reported being gang-raped by three comrades at her training acadamy, her command charged her with indecent behavior for consorting with her rapists.

When Sergeant Marti Ribeiro reported being raped by a fellow serviceman while she was on guard duty in Afghanistan, the Air Force threatened to court martial her for leaving her weapon behind during the attack. "That would have ruined by career," she said. "So I shut up."

All the men who were accused in these cases went unpunished. Several of them even won promotions.

The Defense Department claims that since 2005, it has instigated reforms that have created a "climate of confidentiality" that allows women to report without fear of being disbelieved, blamed, or punished like this.

As Kaye Whitley, director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), said at a press briefing at the Pentagon this past March 17, "The numbers have gone up and I reiterate, this does not mean sexual assaults have gone up, this means the number of reports have gone up, which we see as very positive as we're getting the victims in to get care."

In fact, nobody knows whether an increase in reported rapes means more rapes or more reports. And all the cases described above happened after the reforms of 2005.

Even when the military does accept a report of sexual assault, the consequences to the perpetrators tend to be negligible.

Of the assaults reported and recorded by the Defense Department in the fiscal year 2008, 49 percent were dismissed as unfounded or unsubstantiated—meaning there wasn't enough proof of assault, or that the women recanted or died—and only 10.9 percent resulted in court martial.

Even those few men who are found guilty of sexual assault or rape tend to receive absurdly mild punishments, such as suspension, demotion, or a scolding letter for their file.

In 2008, 62 percent of offenders found guilty received mild punishments like this. This amounts to a tiny fraction of the men accused of sexual assault.

One particularly grotesque example of this sort of justice is the 2006 case of army sergeant Damon D. Shell, who ran over and killed 20-year-old Private First Class Hannah Gunterman McKinney of the 44th Corps Support Battalion on her base in Iraq on September 4.

Shell pleaded guilty to drinking in a war zone, drunken driving and "consensual sodomy" with McKinney, an underage junior soldier to whom he had supplied alcohol until she was incapacitated.

Having sex with a person incapacitated by alcohol is legally rape, and using rank to coerce a junior into a sexual act is legally rape in the military, too.

Yet a military judge ruled McKinney's death an accident, said nothing about rape, and sentenced Shell to thirteen months in prison and demotion to private. Shell was not even kicked out of the army.

The military's retrograde attitude towards rape gets even more sinister.

More female troops have died in Iraq of non-hostile causes than have been killed in battle, and several of those deaths have either been labeled suicides or been left unexplained by the military.

Four of those women had earlier been raped, and at least sixteen others died in such suspicious circumstances that retired Army Colonel Ann Wright and Congressman Ike Skelton have called for Congress to compel the military to reopen the cases and investigate, so far to no avail.

One of the most shocking of these cases is that of 19-year-old LaVena Johnson, whose dead body was found on her base in Balad, Iraq in July 2005. Her father, who has pictures of her body, said her face was battered; she had been stripped, raped, burned, re-clothed, dragged across the ground bleeding and shot in the head. The Army initiated an investigation, then suddenly closed the case and labeled her death a suicide. Her father and Colonel Wright have been trying to get Congress and the Army to reopen the investigation ever since, but so far the Army has declined to cooperate.

The Defense Department has made some effort lately to improve its dismal record on military sexual assault.

After a set of Congressional hearings on military sexual assault in July and September 2008, and again in January 2009, the army announced fresh programs designed to educate the troops on the prevention of sexual assault, and the hiring of more litigators to prosecute it. The other military branches, too, are revamping the sexual assault prevention classes that every new recruit must attend.

Whether these changes will make any difference is soon to be put to the test. The collapsing economy is driving numerous new recruits to the military, 16 to 29 percent of whom are women, depending on the branch of service. It remains to be seen whether these female troops will be as isolated, harassed or abused as their predecessors, or finally given the respect they deserve.

Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir is the Perak Menteri Besar after all...

2 Faces of former Perak Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaludin of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat.


May 11, 2009: The High Court declares Mohammad Nizar the rightful mentri besar of Perak after finding that he had never vacated his post as he had not lost the confidence of the majority of the state assemblymen.



February 9, 2010 : A calm looking Nizar told reporters that the decision was “not unexpected” and that he and his team would need to study the written judgement before deciding what to do next.



Dr Zambry is valid Perak MB, Federal Court rules

source - the star online 9 February 2010

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court ruled on Tuesday that Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir is the rightful Perak Mentri Besar.

The decision was read out by Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria, who sat with Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff and Federal Court judges Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Datuk Wira Ghazali Mohd Yusoff and Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong.


After the verdict, Barisan Nasional representatives gave a shout of approval outside the Federal Court.

The bench ruled that the Court of Appeal was right in reversing the High Court ruling.

The apex court held that if a mentri besar refused to resign, his office was deemed to have been vacated.

The bench ruled that the vote of no confidence could be determined by other means than by the Perak Assembly.

It was the final step in the appeal by former Pakatan Rakyat Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to reclaim the Mentri Besar's post.

However, the losing party in the case can apply to the Federal Court to review its own ruling under Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court to challenge the matter on constitutional points.


A calm looking Nizar told reporters that the decision was “not unexpected” and that he and his team would need to study the written judgement before deciding what to do next.

The conflict over who was the rightful Mentri Besar arose last year after three Pakatan assemblymen quit their parties to become independent state assemblymen, leaving Pakatan and Barisan with 28 assemblymen each in the 59-seat Perak legislative assembly.

The Sultan of Perak then named Dr Zambry the Mentri Besar of Perak.

Nizar took the matter to the High Court which ruled in his favour. Dr Zambry, however, got a stay of judgement and went to the Court of Appeal which overturned the High Court ruling.

Nizar then appealed to the Federal Court.

Dr Zambry, who was not in court, later told reporters that the court's decision would allow Barisan Nasional to continue working for the people.

Later Tuesday Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that it was time to work for the development of the state.

"Any unhappiness with Barisan running the state can be raised at the next elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Zambry's lawyers came out of the court room waving happily to the crowd.

Supporters of both sides erupted into shouting slogans with Dr Zambry supporters chanting 'Hidup BN' while Nizar's supporters shouted 'tipu, Zambry penakut, MB haram.'

Earlier, supporters of both Dr Zambry and Nizar had gathered outside the court as early as 7am with some of them shouting ‘bubar DUN’ and ‘hidup rakyat’.

FRU personnel had a tough time managing the crowd. In the end, Dr Zambry’s supporters were kept to the left while Nizar’s supporters moved to the right of the area leading to the court room.

Chronology of events in the Perak political crisis (Bernama)

March 17 2008: Mohammad Nizar, the state assemblyman for Pasir Panjang, is sworn is as mentri besar of Perak.

Feb 1 2009: Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar announces he has received the resignation letters of Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mat Radzi and Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman Jailu. Both assemblymen deny they have resigned.

Feb 3 2009: The Election Commission decides that the Behrang and Changkat Jering seats are not vacated and as such, by-elections are not required for the constituencies.

Feb 4 2009: Then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announces that the Perak Barisan Nasional has a simple majority to set up the state government after two PKR assemblymen and one DAP assemblyman quit their parties to become independent assemblyman friendly to the Barisan. Perak Barisan and Pakatan Rakyat both have 28 seats each in the state assembly while three assemblymen are independents.

Feb 5 2009: A media statement issued by the office of the Sultan of Perak states that the sultan will not dissolve the state assembly and has asked Mohammad Nizar and the state executive council to resign or their positions will be deemed to have become vacant.

Feb 6 2009: Dr Zambry is appointed the 11th mentri besar of Perak, replacing Mohammad Nizar. Barisan officially takes over the administration of the Perak government.

Feb 13 2009: Mohammad Nizar initiates legal action, seeking a court declaration that he is still the rightful mentri besar and an injunction prohibiting Dr Zambry from discharging his duties as the mentri besar.

March 6 2009: High Court Judge Lau Bee Lan refers to the Federal Court for determination of constitutional issues in the summons filed by Mohammad Nizar challenging the validity of the appointment of Dr Zambry as the mentri besar of Perak.

March 23 2009: The Federal Court decides that the Mohammad Nizar vs Dr Zambry case be sent back to the High Court.

April 3 2009: Mohammad Nizar is given the “green light” by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to challenge the validity of the appointment of Dr Zambry as the Perak mentri besar following a ruling by Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim that the application filed by Mohammad Nizar in February was not frivolous or vexatious and that there was a prima facie case to be argued in court.


May 11 2009: The High Court declares Mohammad Nizar the rightful mentri besar of Perak after finding that he had never vacated his post as he had not lost the confidence of the majority of the state assemblymen.

May 12 2009: Dr Zambry remains mentri besar until the Court of Appeal hears his appeal against the High Court decision declaring Mohammad Nizar as the right mentri besar following Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Ramly Ali’s decision allowing Dr Zambry’s application to stay the execution of the High Court ruling.

May 22 2009: The decision of the High Court is dismissed by the Court of Appeal which declares Dr Zambry the rightful mentri besar in accordance with the Constitution.

June 19 2009: Mohammad Nizar files a leave application to the Federal Court to challenge the Court of Appeal decision.

Nov 5 2009: A five-man bench of the Federal Court adjourns its decision to Feb 9, 2010 after hearing submissions.

Feb 9 2010: The five-member panel of the Federal Court rules that Dr Zambry is the rightful Perak mentri besar.