These are the major charities accepting donations for the victims of the earthquake in China:

Americares

Medecins Sans Frontieres

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

MercyCorps

Save the Children

U.S. Fund for UNICEF

World Food Programme

World Vision

Scientists believe that the possibility of a very strong California quake in the next few decades is very real. California quake Scientists imagining the next “Big one” and they considered the section of the San Andreas to be the most primed to break. A team of scientists, government first responders and industries are working to create a realistic crisis and disaster scenario that can be used for preparedness. The “Big One,” as earthquake scientists imagine it in a detailed, first-of-its-kind script.

San Andreas Fault – the 800-mile boundary where the Pacific and North American plates grind against each other.

Scientists chose the parameters of the fictional temblor such as its size and length of rupture and ran computer models to simulate ground movement. Engineers calculated the effects of shaking on freeway buildings pipelines and other infrastructure. Risk Analysts used the data to estimate casualties and damages.

The scenario: The San Andreas Fault Suddenly rumbles to life on November 13, 2008 just after morning rush hour. The quake begins north of the US Mexican border near the Salton Sea and the fault ruptures for about 200 miles on a Northwest direction ending near high desert town Palmdale about 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

Scientist chose the scenario because it wold create intense shaking in the Los Angeles Basin and neighboring countries – a region with nearly 22 million people.

The scenario will be released at a House of Subcommittee on the Energy and Mineral Resources meeting in Washinton.

Here are the major elements:

-10 AM The San Andreas Fault: ruptures sending shock waves racing at 2 miles per second.

-30 seconds later: The agricultural Coachella Valley shakes first sections of the Interstate 10 one of the nation’s major east-west corridors break apart.

-1 minute later: Interstate 15 a key north-south route id severed in places, Rail lines break; a train derails. Tremors hit burgeoning Riverside and San Bernardino counties east of Los Angeles.

-1 minute 30 seconds later: Shock waves advance toward the Los Angeles Basin shaking it violently for 55 seconds.

In India, more young couples are challenging tradition nowadays. To conform to tradition and religion, all marriages were arranged by the bride and groom’s parents, now however, a lot of reasons are putting pressure on the orthodox methods. With rigid injunctions against crossing caste borders, arranged marriages restrict them to hereditary occupations by preventing lower castes to conjugate with higher castes. Parents can even advertise in the newspapers to have beneficial and favorable matches for their children, obscured from their knowledge until the process is in progress. The inevitable influence of the western culture is also a factor which emplace men and women to assert their liberty and become more exposed to other cultural influences. Many lucrative opportunities have emerged over the years for the men and women in India, earning enough to defy their parents. Some of these job opportunities require for them to relocate outside their families’ realm. The languishment of tradition has made conjugation more equal but it has also led to higher divorce rates. The society is struggling to cope with the transformation. A research study shows that India is becoming rapidly modernized and a lot of Indian people nowadays are changing their views on marriage. Tales of rebellion are on the rise. My friend’s used-to-be fiancé is now married to a different girl because of arranged marriage. Their three-year relationship has ended early this year because her used-to-be fiance’s parents are against her. With so much love and respect to his parents he agreed on his parents’ wish to marry the girl they have matched for him. Love, as defined by others, conquers all; but in India today, love is vanquished by tradition as tradition remains nearly as puissant.