The tsunami that struck Japan in the wake of the recent major earthquake has wrought tremendous damage in terms of both loss of life and physical destruction. But the impact isn't limited to Japan. Via Mashable (hat-tip Roxy);

As Japan digs out from its worst earthquake and tsunami in recent history, and engineers scramble to contain the damage at the Fukushima nuclear plant, another crisis is unfolding behind the scenes: massive disruption to the global supply chain.

As relatively unimportant as it may seem, Japan’s factories are the lifeline for electronics companies the world over. Some 20% of all semiconductors and 40% of all flash memory chips sold in the world’s smartphones, tablets, cameras and computers are made in Japan.

[...Read more...]

Affected manufacturers and suppliers include Toshiba, Sony, Texas Instruments and Hitachi. See the original Mashable article for more detail on the products impacted, and share your thoughts in comments below about what other types of impact the series of disasters may have on both Japan and the world at large.

Keep the Japanese people in your thoughts, meanwhile, and remember: This is an Open Thread.

Last Friday as I sat in my apartment watching Ghost Busters an earthquake started at first it seemed like any other for about 30 seconds. Suddenly that all changed as the power of the quake increased about 100 times. Because so many of my neighbors are retried I went downstairs to check on them as my feet touched the ground it was like having instant vertigo. Its amazing just how difficult it is to keep ones balance when there is no point of reference tell which way the ground was moving.

People here are used to earthquakes so it was very strange too see them fleeing their homes and apartment blocks.

As Japan is quite well prepared for these kinds of events all trains ceased operation, all students were evacuated from their schools as well all other public buildings. After making sure my neighbors were OK I rode my bike around the area while there was some damage it was nothing like that which took place in the worst effected areas.

For the last 3 days deliveries to shoppes have been very limited with all most all the shelves completely empty. Hopefully that will change soon.

The Tsunami didn't effect us and so far we are not effected by the problems in Fukushima. At least not yet as far as the radiation is concerned. Where we are effected is that TEPCO has announced rolling blackouts in the Kanto region the first of which occurred this evening staring at 5pm.

My description of what happened doesn't even do it justice. It might impossible to do just that. One of the places I visited on Friday was the local elementary school all of them were in the school yard and the shocked look on their faces was unsettling so I stayed for a while to help comfort them.

Above the fold: Information and links regarding emergency communication and people finder services. Please DO NOT use these pages or access the links unless you are actually looking for someone, particularly if you are not located in or around the affected areas.

Please provide any corrections to translated text in comments

Google Activates Person Finder page

Google activates Person Finder for Japan quake, tsunami

Google Inc. has just activated a Person Finder page to help people concerned about loved ones in the area affected by Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The Person Finder page can be found at http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/ and it is available both in English and Japanese.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?entry_id=84797#ixzz1GI7GlnlV

via SF Gate

In Japan: Emergency Message Board

NTT East Voice171/Web171 Page

災害用伝言ダイヤルをご利用できる電話、提供開始時期、
Overview and emergency messaging
Available for telephone emergency messaging service, offering start date,
We explain our message and phone number can be registered.
災害用伝言ダイヤルの録音と再生方法を具体的に

Specifically, the way emergency messaging service for recording and playback
We explain.
災害用伝言ダイヤルの録音と再生方法を具体的に
Specifically, the way emergency messaging service for recording and playback
We explain
[Source Page on NTT East]

NTT West Web171 Page

災害用ブロードバンド伝言板の概要とご提供のしくみおよび
Mechanism and overview of broadband Disaster Message Board
災害用ブロードバンド伝言板の 登録 および 閲覧 方法を具体的に
Broadband disaster message board for registering and viewing messages
[Source Page on NTT-West]

Michel Collins

The appointment of former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush
as key players in Haitian relief should cause the people of Haiti grave
concern, if they weren't otherwise preoccupied with survival. These
former presidents' records as pro-life advocates on the international
scene is tarnished by real world outcomes.

During his eight years as president, Clinton was responsible for sanctions on Iraq that resulted in the deaths of 170,000 children under five.
Former President George W. Bush exceeded that death toll by invading
Iraq.   That  caused civil chaos and conflict among Iraqis leading to
the deaths of over one million citizens in that tragic nation. When you see these two coming, their record speaks for itself. 

(Image)

What will happen in Haiti? What can the citizens of that nation
expect? It's instructive to look at the post Katrina rescue effort with
a focus on New Orleans as a prototype.

Via CNN,

Haitians in U.S. can apply for protected status

Washington (CNN) -- A temporary protected status for Haitian nationals who were in the United States as of Tuesday has been designated by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, she announced Friday.

"This is a disaster of historic proportions and this designation will allow eligible Haitian nationals in the United States to continue living and working in our country for the next 18 months," she said.

[...More...full story...]

The disaster recovery is ongoing.

This is an Open Thread.

From the BBC:

_____

'Hundreds buried' by China quake

Almost 900 students have been buried by collapsed buildings during an earthquake in south-western China, state media reports.
_____

What a horrible start to the day, and to the week.

The BBC article quotes the following statistics for recent quakes in China:

___________

• March, 2008: 7.2 quake in Xinjiang - damage limited
• February 2003: 6.8 quake in Xinjiang - at least 94 dead, 200 hurt
• January 1998: 6.2 quake in rural Hebei - at least 47 dead, 2,000 hurt
• April 1997: 6.6 quake hits Xinjiang - 9 dead, 60 hurt
• January 1997: 6.4 quake in Xinjiang - 50 dead, 40 hurt

___________

In other news, US planes carrying aid land in Burma after days spent negotiating with the government, and a US researcher finds a way to kill stowaway plants and animals from marine ballast tanks:

_____

US researchers say they have developed an effective way to kill unwanted plants and animals that hitch a ride in the ballast waters of cargo tankers.

Tests showed that a continuous microwave system was able to remove all marine life within the water tanks.

The UN lists "invasive species" dispersed by ballast water discharges as one of the four main threats to the world's marine ecosystems.
_____

That's all I've got for now -- busy, busy day ahead -- but I'm sure there's a lot more.

Have at it. :)