Tuesday, March 2, 2010
HAITI 500 Times More Powerful
Though Chile's earthquake was 500 times more powerful than the one that hit Haiti, Chile was better prepared because of better building codes and infrastructure. Guest columnist Richard Stearns writes that Chile certainly needs support to recover, but Haiti's recovery will take years of investment.
Special to The Times
PREV
THE earthquake that struck Chile early Saturday morning was 500 times more powerful than the one that ravaged Haiti less than seven weeks earlier. Yet the difference in death tolls and damage is even more striking: More than 200,000 Haitians perished in a matter of minutes, while the body count in Chile likely will not exceed 1,000.
Many people are wondering why.
Numerous scientists have been interviewed in recent days laboring to explain "subduction zones" and "tectonic plates." But in a commentary for CNN, Dr. Colin Stark of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University demonstrated he grasps another, more significant reason for the shocking number of deaths in Haiti.
"Poverty is what ultimately kills most people during an earthquake," he writes. "Poverty means that little or no evaluation is made of seismic risk in constructing buildings and no zoning takes place. It means that building codes are not written, and even if they do exist they are difficult, or impossible, to enforce ... Haiti is a tragic illustration of this."
On Jan. 12 Haiti had few government safety nets for the poor, a substandard health-care system in most of its communities, and a nearly nonfunctioning economy.
More than half the population in Haiti lives on less than $1 a day; the average annual income among Haitians is $1,300. The desperation just to survive day-to-day means Haitians have been forced to cope by:
• Stripping bare many of the nation's trees to use the wood to make charcoal, and as a result, heavy rains or full-blown hurricanes cause mudslides and kill more Haitians than they should;
• Scavenging for food with little understanding of the implications of poor nutrition on the growth and development of infants and children. As a result, nearly one-quarter of Haitian children suffer from malnutrition, which can cause permanent physical and brain damage, especially in children under 2.
• Building homes from wood, scrap metal, or other materials they can salvage, without understanding the implications — until an earthquake levels their residences — that poor people can't afford to "build to code."
And, regrettably, only half of Haitians over the age of 15 can read and write, two-thirds of Haitian children attend primary school, and less than 30 percent reach the sixth grade.
The result is that countries like Haiti are more vulnerable to all forms of natural disaster, including hurricanes, floods, pandemics, famines and earthquakes.
In stark contrast, Chile has a literacy rate greater than 95 percent among its residents over age 15. Boys and girls, on average, are in school 14 years. In addition, only 2 percent of Chile's people are living on less than $2 a day; the average Chilean earns nearly $15,000 annually.
Moreover, in Chile, electricity has already been restored to some parts of the country. Government authorities are assessing damage and soon will begin rebuilding. Police have cordoned off rubble for clearing, and, businesses are reopening. Chile's Public Works Minister estimates the government's response will take months; in Haiti, it likely will take years.
Both earthquakes have brought immeasurable tragedy in peoples' personal lives. I visited Port-au-Prince a few days following the earthquake, and met many individuals whose lives were changed forever. The stench of death was as pervasive as the concrete dust still settling among the open encampments of people whose homes either were destroyed or unstable.
I left four days later with a mixture of sadness and anger, the latter because most of the deaths would have been prevented — if Haiti hadn't been so very poor.
In the aftermath of these tragedies, Chile will need support, but Haiti will need intensive investment, not for months, but years. Years of economic development, years of building and staffing clinics and schools, years of enforcing the rule of law and good governance. And with Haiti's renewal and revival, I'm sure effective building codes will follow.
Bellevue resident Richard Stearns is president and CEO of the U.S. offices of World Vision, the international Christian humanitarian organization, based in Federal Way.
Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz are reuniting thanks to a soon-to-be shot film !
Titled "Bad Teacher," the film will be the former couple's first major project together since parting ways over two years ago.
Directed by Jake Kasdan, 'Bad Teacher' follows a seventh-grade teacher who, after being dumped by her boyfriend, sets her sights on a colleague who just happens to be dating a substitute teacher who is also the descendant of a watch fortune.
Timberlake has a leading role in the film, which follows past roles in 'Alpha Dog''The Love Guru'. Timberlake is also well known for hit singles with the likes of T.I., Timbaland, Beyonce and Ciara. His last album, "Future Sex/Lovesounds" was released in 2006, spawning the hit singles "My Love," "Sexyback," "Until The End of Time" and "What Goes Around (Comes Around)". and
Britney Spears Takes Her Spidey Sons to the Movies
Watch your Batman back, Cruz Beckham! There's another pint-size superhero in town.
Make that two pint-size superheroes.
Britney Spears and her new blond 'do were clearly safe from harm Monday night while going to the movies with her two sons, Sean and Jayden, as both boys decided to step out in their Spidey suits.
Two bodyguards were also there, but with these comic book cuties on hand, who really needs 'em, right? Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b169611_britney_spears_takes_her_spidey_sons.html#ixzz0h36gxeGK
On Stage with Michael Jackson
Local entertainer Kriyss Grant, the first dancer chosen by Michael Jackson for his “This Is It” tour, discusses what it was like working with the “King of Pop.”
On the influence Jackson had on him: “I was really brought up with Michael Jackson. My grandmother bought me ‘Moonwalker,’ [the 1988 film that showed, among other things, Jackson in concert] which is something I watched every day. ... I wanted to be just like that. ... I would always try to perform. If there was a party, a family reunion, anything, I would dance and perform for everyone.”
On his audition: “I was scared. And I didn’t think I was going to get it. But I went. ... It was a three-day audition period. Thousands of dancers [4,000]. Michael came the third day. ... I had never been on tour. I was the newest dancer from Florida. Everyone else was from L.A. and had worked with and danced backup for other artists, so they had that on their resume. I had [MTV’s] ‘Making the Band’ on my résumé.
“Had Michael not been there, I don’t think I would’ve been picked. ... Michael saw me, he saw the feeling in me. I saw him jump up while I was dancing, but I didn’t know what he was reacting to. Later, they told me that he was reacting to me and how he saw himself in me.”
On meeting him for the first time: “When we stepped off the stage to go meet him, he was like the statue on his ‘History’ album. He was dressed in all black, he had the glasses on. And his hands were really big and firm; they took over my entire hand. ... He told me I was amazing. ... I was just staring at him. I think I told him he was awesome. I don’t know.”
On his personality and energy: “Michael was the type of person who would look at you and know, like that, what you were all about. ... He was say certain things like he knew you. He knew I was nervous. He’d tell me to save my energy for the crowd. Always positive, but it was also like [the comments were tailored] to us. “There were times when I’d feel the energy of the music, feel his energy, and I’d be dancing all out. And he would stop and look at me. I thought maybe I was going too hard, doing too much. But he’d shake his head and smile, like whatever I was doing was a good thing.”
“He was very warm. I’d never felt anything like that. I was so happy. His energy was like no other.”
On rehearsals: “Michael would come in occasionally in the beginning. ... He didn’t start rehearsing with us until we moved to the Staples Center. He was killing it, going full out, doing slides and everything—it was crazy. ... As soon as that music would come on, he’d start killing it. We’d look at each other like, ‘Is he trying to outdo us?’ ... He still had it. He proved that. ... But he was nervous. He was 50, and he hadn’t danced like that in a long time. He had to familiarize his body with all those moves he used to do. I think he was scared; he couldn’t take the stage and appear fragile to us.”
The last rehearsal: “He was his old self. He was interacting with us, giving us suggestions, making changes. In the beginning, he let everyone else run things. Then, he was like, ‘This is my show. We’re going to do it how I want to do it.’ I loved it. That’s something I always wanted to see. I thought he was being taken advantage of in the beginning because he was older. ... And you could tell he had something to say, but he wouldn’t say it. But that last day, he took over. “He knew what he wanted. The dancers were like, ‘Good, he’s speaking up.’ The dancers had Michael’s back.”
The day Jackson died: “We didn’t know what to do, what to say, where to go. It was this feeling of you finally getting to where you always wanted—of finally making it. And before you get to grasp it, it’s snatched away from you. ... It’s like a tease. I touched it, but did this really happen? I have memories, but there was no time to sit in that moment and really feel the vibe. Everything happened so fast, fast, fast in rehearsals ... And then, it’s all taken away.
“It really hasn’t hit me yet. I know I was a part of it. I know it was a big deal to be a Michael Jackson dancer on the ‘This Is It’ tour that never happened. ... I don’t think it will ever hit me.”
On the influence Jackson had on him: “I was really brought up with Michael Jackson. My grandmother bought me ‘Moonwalker,’ [the 1988 film that showed, among other things, Jackson in concert] which is something I watched every day. ... I wanted to be just like that. ... I would always try to perform. If there was a party, a family reunion, anything, I would dance and perform for everyone.”
On his audition: “I was scared. And I didn’t think I was going to get it. But I went. ... It was a three-day audition period. Thousands of dancers [4,000]. Michael came the third day. ... I had never been on tour. I was the newest dancer from Florida. Everyone else was from L.A. and had worked with and danced backup for other artists, so they had that on their resume. I had [MTV’s] ‘Making the Band’ on my résumé.
“Had Michael not been there, I don’t think I would’ve been picked. ... Michael saw me, he saw the feeling in me. I saw him jump up while I was dancing, but I didn’t know what he was reacting to. Later, they told me that he was reacting to me and how he saw himself in me.”
On meeting him for the first time: “When we stepped off the stage to go meet him, he was like the statue on his ‘History’ album. He was dressed in all black, he had the glasses on. And his hands were really big and firm; they took over my entire hand. ... He told me I was amazing. ... I was just staring at him. I think I told him he was awesome. I don’t know.”
On his personality and energy: “Michael was the type of person who would look at you and know, like that, what you were all about. ... He was say certain things like he knew you. He knew I was nervous. He’d tell me to save my energy for the crowd. Always positive, but it was also like [the comments were tailored] to us. “There were times when I’d feel the energy of the music, feel his energy, and I’d be dancing all out. And he would stop and look at me. I thought maybe I was going too hard, doing too much. But he’d shake his head and smile, like whatever I was doing was a good thing.”
“He was very warm. I’d never felt anything like that. I was so happy. His energy was like no other.”
On rehearsals: “Michael would come in occasionally in the beginning. ... He didn’t start rehearsing with us until we moved to the Staples Center. He was killing it, going full out, doing slides and everything—it was crazy. ... As soon as that music would come on, he’d start killing it. We’d look at each other like, ‘Is he trying to outdo us?’ ... He still had it. He proved that. ... But he was nervous. He was 50, and he hadn’t danced like that in a long time. He had to familiarize his body with all those moves he used to do. I think he was scared; he couldn’t take the stage and appear fragile to us.”
The last rehearsal: “He was his old self. He was interacting with us, giving us suggestions, making changes. In the beginning, he let everyone else run things. Then, he was like, ‘This is my show. We’re going to do it how I want to do it.’ I loved it. That’s something I always wanted to see. I thought he was being taken advantage of in the beginning because he was older. ... And you could tell he had something to say, but he wouldn’t say it. But that last day, he took over. “He knew what he wanted. The dancers were like, ‘Good, he’s speaking up.’ The dancers had Michael’s back.”
The day Jackson died: “We didn’t know what to do, what to say, where to go. It was this feeling of you finally getting to where you always wanted—of finally making it. And before you get to grasp it, it’s snatched away from you. ... It’s like a tease. I touched it, but did this really happen? I have memories, but there was no time to sit in that moment and really feel the vibe. Everything happened so fast, fast, fast in rehearsals ... And then, it’s all taken away.
“It really hasn’t hit me yet. I know I was a part of it. I know it was a big deal to be a Michael Jackson dancer on the ‘This Is It’ tour that never happened. ... I don’t think it will ever hit me.”
Lady Gaga says she's celibate ... for now
A freak in the street and a Lady in
the bed? According to the UK's Mirror, Lady Gaga's keeping those outrageous outfits all zipped up."I'm single. I haven't got the time to spend on the road to get to know anyone," says the 23-year-old superstar. "Even Lady Gaga can be celibate, you don't have to have sex to be loved."The singer told reporters Monday (Mar. 1) at MAC cosmetics' Viva Glam event in London that she's taken a vow of celibacy after splitting from Matthew Williams, her former boyfriend and member of her design team, Haus of Gaga.Gaga claims she's swapped out love in the bedroom for the love of her fans -- whom she calls her "roommates.""The thing that keeps me warm at night is my sense of self. When I see my beautiful fans I feel how much they protect and mean to me," says Gaga. "It would be irresponsible if I didn't protect them and teach young people to be self-expressive, to love yourself."Follow Zap2it's Dish Rag on Twitter and Facebook and follow Zap2itChristine on Twitter for the latest celebrity news and buzz.
Lil Wayne In Jail
Will Weezy be just another inmate or will he get protective custody?
"I'd rather be pushin' flowers than to be in the pen sharin' showers" - Lil Wayne, "A Milli"
Lil Wayne is expected to start his yearlong jail term today after pleading guilty in a New York City gun case. He could be out in eight months on good behavior.
With Weezy just the latest in a string of celebrity rappers getting locked up, law enforcement officials have commented on how to keep these guys safe while still not giving them any perceived special treatment.
"It's a challenge," said Martin Horn, a former head of the New York City jails. "It's not about setting [a celebrity] on a bed of roses, but it is about an obligation to every inmate to keep him safe."
Wayne will be just one of approximately 13,000 inmates in NYC.
Past rappers to go through the prison sentence have seen different types of treatment. Foxy Brown was held largely in protective custody in a cell of her own, due to threats during her 2007-2008 incarceration. Wayne's lawyer is also seeking protective custody, as well as for attention to dental problems.
Typically, though, celebrity inmates are advised not to request anything special. Otherwise, "you'll be viewed by other inmates and the prison system as thinking that you're 'more deserving,'" said a consultant.
"Being prominent gets you noticed, and being noticed in prison is generally not very good," New York defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman said.
"I get a lot of love from the inmates. They are familiar with my work, watching my growth over my career," rapper Gucci Mane said recently from the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, where he is serving a six-month sentence on a probation violation. "I love the fact that I'm a rapper. But behind these walls, I'm just another African-American coming up in the South. A lot of these brothas share the same with me. We have a bond."
"I'd rather be pushin' flowers than to be in the pen sharin' showers" - Lil Wayne, "A Milli"
Lil Wayne is expected to start his yearlong jail term today after pleading guilty in a New York City gun case. He could be out in eight months on good behavior.
With Weezy just the latest in a string of celebrity rappers getting locked up, law enforcement officials have commented on how to keep these guys safe while still not giving them any perceived special treatment.
"It's a challenge," said Martin Horn, a former head of the New York City jails. "It's not about setting [a celebrity] on a bed of roses, but it is about an obligation to every inmate to keep him safe."
Wayne will be just one of approximately 13,000 inmates in NYC.
Past rappers to go through the prison sentence have seen different types of treatment. Foxy Brown was held largely in protective custody in a cell of her own, due to threats during her 2007-2008 incarceration. Wayne's lawyer is also seeking protective custody, as well as for attention to dental problems.
Typically, though, celebrity inmates are advised not to request anything special. Otherwise, "you'll be viewed by other inmates and the prison system as thinking that you're 'more deserving,'" said a consultant.
"Being prominent gets you noticed, and being noticed in prison is generally not very good," New York defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman said.
"I get a lot of love from the inmates. They are familiar with my work, watching my growth over my career," rapper Gucci Mane said recently from the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, where he is serving a six-month sentence on a probation violation. "I love the fact that I'm a rapper. But behind these walls, I'm just another African-American coming up in the South. A lot of these brothas share the same with me. We have a bond."
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