1/29    How come whenever a big earthquake happens in a country, it always
        takes several days before other countries start to send rescue teams
        to help out?  (Turkey, Taiwan, India, ...)  Don't they realize most of
        the trapped would be dead by then?
        \_ Because they don't have rescue teams sitting around doing nothing
           but waiting to leave the instant a quake hits.  Because it takes
           12-24 hours to fly to the other side of the world.  Because going
           \_ Uh.  Nations cannot be affluent.  Citizens can be affluent.
                \_ Uh. Both can.
                   \_ Uh, no bitch.
                      \_ Win a lot of arguments?
                      \_ The wester dictionary uses it in the example:
                         <our affluent society>
           in before the local government asks for help is an act of war.
           Because you just don't have the brain cells to comprehend.
           \_ But somehow those rescue teams have time to talk to the press
              and post for pictures.
              and pose for pictures.
        \_ Strangely, the United States and Japan (two of the more
           affluent nations in the world) sent a whopping $1 million
           to help out in the disaster.
           \_ ah yes, and Bill Gates who is worth over 60 billion dollars
              donates a WHOPPING 1 million dollar to the AIDs research,
              paid over a period of 3 years. What a philanthropist he is.
                   \- maybe he thinks there are bigger priorities than
                   AIDS research ... which is after all quite heavily funded
                   by the US govt. --psb
                   \_ Bill donates quite a bit more to other causes and has
                        said he is leaving most of his fortune to charity when
                        he dies, not his kids.
              \_ Bill Gates owes you nothing.
              \_ I thought it was 100 million and I agree he owes you
                 nothing.
                 \_ he owes me the $300 he grifted on the POS products
                    he sold me in the last 2 decades (plus tax and
                    compounding interest in the Nasdaq). In total,
                    he owes me several thousand dollars.
                        \_ I wasn't aware that the Nasdaq paid compounding
                                interest. Maybe you would have bought high
                                and sold low....
        \_ No, those are RELIEF planes not a military invasion!  Really!
        \_ "We'd like you to help, but the runways are sorta broken to
            pieces right now....  Please don't try to land, our hospital
            space is overcommitted already."
            \_ "...so maybe you could just sorta' crash your planes in some
               open space somewhere near the epicenter, and we can, you know,
               salvage what we need from the wreckage..."