22 October 2011

The Slow Creep of Doom

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22 October: Well, I guess the Universe did not end after all, as it had been prophesized by Harold Camping. He always did seem like a loser. But doom seems to be approaching locally.
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On the northern rim of greater Bangkok, we are in an area officially deemed as a “Medium Flood Risk” zone. (Maybe 0.5 to 1 meter of water may hit us.) It is a slow steady onslaught of floodwaters, giving us time to react but perhaps giving us false confidence. Big, big water is heading our way, and neighboring districts have been hit hard. It is like a severely crippled zombie slowly crawling toward you with a fixed purpose.
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“[It] is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity or remorse or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever!” (James Cameron)
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Cars are parked along our sidestreet, unusual for a weekend, as the owners are seeking to save them from high water. This may be a good sign in that they might see our street as “safe.” Maybe not, but one hopes. The mood is getting more desperate. Food and supplies are disappearing as people stock up.
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Hoarders and price gougers are demonized – i.e., vendors who are thought to engage in “charging unfair prices” can get seven years in prison and a huge fine. Shades of Richard Nixon. In a free society they would be recognized for their natural and legitimate role in providing goods to those who really want to pay the price in a market of scarcity.
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It is not good when government centers set up to shelter flood refugees are now being flooded and in need of evacuation. Dominoes are falling. Some are saying that it will take three or four days for the slowly seeping floodwaters to hit us. Another estimate is that this entire region will take four to six weeks before the excess waters drain completely. Watching and waiting.
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-Zenwind.
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