Edited by author 12-31-2004 10:34 PM
Thanks, Mimi! I just sent $50 to Americares.
edit: Donate here

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Comments Page! Bonus points to anyone who guesses what song the title is from. And for once, Googling won't help you.

I was commenting elsewhere that these recent events make me once again grateful that I live in a place that is host to damn few natural disasters that can't be answered with extra sweaters and a few extra minutes driving. Either these kids are just plain thick, or they're in some kind of denial-constructing phase to protect their brains from nimisinunumcedititis-related* strokes... like the one Bill mentioned a few posts back. I hope for the former, but I rather suspect the latter.


*Semi-Latin neologism: Too-many-in-one-shot disorder.

I just watched that special on the La Palma tsunami like, last week or something. Because it's one of my special nightmares. In fact, I even had a good one about them a day or two before the actual one. "Good" meaning "damn big and scary like real life and not like my younger days when they were smaller and I thought I could ride it to safety".

I like how some sites and blogs are linking to a gallery where a tourist took pics from their balcony and it just looks all frothy and good fun coming up over the beach and grounds.... OMG, liek, tsunamis are totilly liek, the new avalanches! I SOOOOO wish we had those ya know, HERE!!!!! I have a boogie board and everything!!!!!!!

yeah

Bill: I don't know of any that 'match' donations, but then, I just stick to the recognised charities. Again, I've heard nothing but glowing reports about Americares - they have excellent leverage in turning a single donation into a helluva lot of supplies to help the greatest number of people.

Mr Mimi and I got some money from relatives for Christmas. We have noone to spend it on but ourselves. It's hardly going to hurt us to give what we can.

No one is talking about it?! Man, it's pretty much become a greeting up here.
"Tsunami, eh?"
"Jeezly cripes, yeah...."
I second the cheer to Mimi-- I wish I could afford to send more than I have (which is less than her).

And, in what will briefly seem a non-sequitur from Bill's latest posting:
The coasts of southern Ireland and south-western England will also take a beating, but by then the wave height will be down to about 30 feet (10 metres).
For perspective's sake, these pipsqueaks are exactly the size of the source of the recent trouble. The only Bruckheimer solution is to evacuate everywhere that might be effected, take lots of pictures of the more soluable land-marks, and cause the collapse at a known time.

Edited by author 12-31-2004 01:33 AM
edit: GO MIMI!
Let me redefine "best" charity:
Are there any that match your contribution, dollar for dollar? bOING bOING says that Microsoft matches, but there was no link and it didn't make it clear whether or not that was an employee-only program.
I want to give, but I want it to go where it's worth the most to the victims.

Bill:Has anyone contributed to the tsunami relief? Is there a "best" charity?
Me! I donated fifty bucks to the Australian Red Cross (which has raised 18 million so far. Ozzie ozzie ozzie!!). I chose the Aussie red cross because..well, I AM Australian, but they take donations from anyone in the world. The American Red Cross has a bad rap for mishandling 9/11 donations(another reason I chose the aussie one), but I've heard that Medecins sans Frontiers or Americares are good ones to use.

I won't fault you for not knowing about it--I've found it seriously weird that NO ONE talks about it. I really don't know what to make of it--numbed by an overwhelming tragedy, or merely disinterested in dead foreigners?
And some Americans STILL talk about 9/11 as if it was the worst thing in history.
It's the equal of 40 9/11s right now...and rising.

Jesus, I just found out about the tsunami thing (i don't really follow the news, as I find it too depressing.) This article says that the problem is not a lack of aid, but an inability to transport it: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/morefrom/...ke_041231042645&e=1

Probably the best thing the rich countries can do is to cancel these countries' debts (which should have been done before now anyway, because it was rich country companies and not natives who racked up the debts in the first place.)

I saw all the Liquid TV ones.

To totally change the topic...Has anyone contributed to the tsunami relief? Is there a "best" charity?
Christ, my brain couldn't handle it when there were "only" 10,000 dead. 120,000--and rising...This is long beyond a nightmare.

YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE HALF HOUR AEON OF FLUXNESS? Inadequate mortal, feast thine eyes upon the series of greatness: http://www.sadgeezer.com/aeon/ and http://www.pazsaz.com/aeonflux.html

Out of curiosity, where did you see the shorts? Did you see the one where she goes 12 minutes without dying and then goes to heaven?

What is the secret of the yeti? Do you know the Muffin Man?

There was an Aeon Flux half-hour cartoon? Was it any good? Is that where the 3rd pic at the top of the article is from? Can I ask another question???

If anyone's pining for winter decor, I've got about a two hundred square miles of knee-deep snow here I'm sure we could arrange to ship out. No one here remembers ordering it, and whoever dropped it of didn't leave the shipping label.

Found another article: http://www.mtv.com/shared/movies/features/a/aeonflux_sv_120304/

"Aeon Flux — exists in a futuristic, one-nation world where free thought is forbidden and the very idea of diversity is more than frowned upon, it's punishable by death."

How cool is THAT?!

But why is she making stealthy in a field of daisies? There are no daisies in the Fluxworld! There is only the jagged metal of post-apocalyptic dystopia. Unless it's some sort of garden in the sky for the ruling elite, where the masses are not allowed to set foot.

Edited by author 12-30-2004 03:16 PM
Yowzah - I got to be visitor 2000 at Gonte's site, woohoo!

Well that's my excitement for the day, besides the fact it is the last day of a very strange year (over this side of the globe at least).