Tsunami Aftermath
The scale and breadth of the human tragedy from this disaster simply boggle the mind. Although small consolation to those grieving lost relatives, it appears that the region's energy infrastructure escaped major damage, including the major oil and liquefied natural gas production facilities on Sumatra, near the epicenter of the quake that triggered the tsunamis. Nor have I seen any reports of damage to the refineries in the region, including Thailand's substantial refining industry on its southern coast. Both in economic and practical terms, these facilities will be critical in supporting the reconstruction that must begin shortly.

Now I can only wonder about the fate of the many fine people I met over the years, both in my travels in Southeast Asia and here.