1/13/2010 9:06:36 PM

Quote :

"So that makes you a pussy."

Oh well, guess I'm a pussy then.

So has everyone heard the new joke?




So three Haitians walk into a bar.

Wait, thats impossible, all the bars got destroyed in the earthquake.

1/13/2010 9:07:47 PM

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Untold-Numbers-Still-Trapped-in-Rubble-of-Worst-Quake-in-Haitian-History-81348092.html

Quote :

"President Rene Preval has called the damage "unimaginable" and describes stepping over dead bodies and hearing the cries of those trapped in the collapsed Parliament building, where the senate president was among those pinned by debris. ... Sobbing and dazed people are wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince, as voices cry out from the rubble. "Please take me out, I am dying. I have two children with me," a woman told a Reuters journalist from under a collapsed kindergarten in the Canape-Vert area of the capital. ... "The reality of what we are seeing is severe traumas, head wounds, crushed limbs, severe problems that cannot be dealt with with the level of medical care we currently have available with no infrastructure really to support it," says Paul McPhun, operations manager for the group's Canadian section. "

[Edited on January 13, 2010 at 9:15 PM. Reason : So funny!]

1/13/2010 9:10:33 PM

Quote :

"how exactly are haitians destroying our country? did you pay a haitian too much for some fake oakleys or something?"

Considering Haiti is considered the world's most corrupt nation, there's only so much I can feel bad for their president having to step over bodies. He's getting a look at what their government's corruption gets them, shitty infrastructure that leads to big disasters becoming massive. Personally I'd be worried about donations being misappropriated down there. I've donated to Doctors Without Borders only because I know when they start getting hassled they pull out rather than becoming victims of corruption themselves.

1/13/2010 9:31:20 PM

its leaps and bounds better than it was, do you know anything about their history?

also
just heard that american airlines is taking doctors and nurses to haiti for free. if you know anyone who wants to go tell them to call 212 697 9767

1/13/2010 10:54:05 PM

wtf is going on on CNN right now

1/13/2010 10:56:46 PM

Quote :

"its leaps and bounds better than it was, do you know anything about their history?"

Naw, I was just pulling that out of my ass

And saying it's leaps and bounds better basically means they went from having no government to barely a functioning government. It's not saying much and I still wouldn't give my money to their government.

1/13/2010 11:05:59 PM

how can you claim Haiti was getting better? the local government gets overthrown every decade or so, and things seem like they're getting better because the corruption of the new government hasn't been put in the spotlight yet. This earthquake managed to get rid of massive amounts of corrupt government officials with one swipe.

Unfortunately, it also managed to wipe out massive amounts of doctors and humanitarian workers. These are the people they need the most right now to keep this situation from getting way out of hand.

1/13/2010 11:56:44 PM

International Medical Corps is a good organization to consider donating to if you want to help. They have mobile medical clinics set up to help with the massive needs and are doing their best to respond. More updates are available at http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=801.

1/13/2010 11:58:42 PM

i think pooljobs has spent a lot of time in haiti, so he might actually have some direct experience

1/14/2010 8:25:26 PM

Again, doesn't negate the fact that their government is shady as hell. Even Cambodia is considered less corrupt and I was amazed at the amount of corruption when I was there.

1/15/2010 5:27:46 AM

Quote :

"how can you claim Haiti was getting better? the local government gets overthrown every decade or so, and things seem like they're getting better because the corruption of the new government hasn't been put in the spotlight yet. This earthquake managed to get rid of massive amounts of corrupt government officials with one swipe."

because it is getting better. in just the past few years the amount of infrastructure building has been unbelievable. it still has plenty of problems, but the change and improvements are noticeable. i've been going over the past 10 or 11 years, in the past few years there has been an explosion of new roads and utilities. A trip that took me 6 hours the first time I went now takes 1.5-3 depending on traffic and schools. the airport went from being a loud, crowded, hot, chaotic place to a very calm quiet place with a nice customs area. the national police now operate with a sense of organization, and while not entirely sold yet, the people are mostly trusting of the police. these are huge changes, most coming in just the past few years. just in the last week or so choice hotels announced they were building a resort hotel and a budget hotel in haiti because they said it would be the new emerging destination for tourism. (no idea what their plans are now)

you have to remember that its only been 20 years since haiti had their first real free election. aristide was reinstated by clinton and was criticized by the people because they thought that his time in the us had influenced him in a way they didn't like, so yeah he was overthrown again but it was after external meddling. a lot of people are critical of clinton for his position on that.

haiti still has a long way to go, their problems won't all be solved in my lifetime, but things were improving there

1/15/2010 9:00:42 AM

SOAP BOX CALLED AND WANTED ITS THREAD BACK

oh wait

1/15/2010 11:09:56 AM