PLEASE HELP

As of Tuesday evening, the worldwide death toll from Sunday's underwater earthquake and resulting tsunamis is approaching 77,000. (As a point of reference, this is more than the number of U.S. casualties during the Vietnam War.) Although the true death toll may never be known, the Red Cross has estimated that number could surpass 100,000.

Some bloggers have proved indispensible. A couple of notable blogs include Sumankumar's yak pad and This Way Please.

Reading these stories tonight rendered me speechless.

Please help.

One worthy organization is Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières.

Here are some others, from AP:

The following aid agencies are accepting contributions for assistance that they or their affiliates are providing for those affected by the earthquake and tidal waves in Asia. U.S. organizations are members of InterAction, a coalition of relief, development and refugee assistance agencies.

Action Against Hunger
247 West 37th St.
New York, NY 10018
212-967-7800
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org

ADRA International
Asia Quake Fund
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
800-424-ADRA (2372)
http://www.adra.org

Air Serv International
6583 Merchant Place, Suite 100
Warrenton, VA 20187
http://www.airserv.org

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc.
DC-South Asia Tsunami Relief
P.O. Box 321
847A Second Ave.
New York, New York 10017
212-885-0832
http://www.jdc.org

American Jewish World Service
45 W. 36th St., 10th Fl.
New York, NY 10018
212-736-2597
http://www.ajws.org

AmeriCares
88 Hamilton Ave.
Stamford, CT 06902
800-486-4357
http://www.americares.org

Baptist World Aid
Asia Tidal Waves
405 North Washington St.
Falls Church, VA 22046
703-790-8980
http://www.bwanet.org/bwaid

B'nai B'rith International
B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund
2020 K. St. NW
7th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
212-490-3290
http://www.bnaibrith.org

Brother's Brother Foundation
1200 Galveston Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
412-321-3160
http://www.brothersbrother.org

CARE
151 Ellis St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
800-521-CARE
http://www.care.org

Catholic Relief Services
209 West Fayette St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
877-HELP-CRS
http://www.catholicrelief.org

Christian Children's Fund
Child Alert Fund
PO Box 26484
Richmond, VA 23261-6484
800-776-6767
http://www.ChristianChildrensFund.org

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC)
South Asia Earthquake
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
800-55-CRWRC
http://www.crwrc.org

Church World Service
PO Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
800-297-1516
http://www.churchworldservice.org

Direct Relief International
27 South La Patera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93117
805-964-4767
http://www.directrelief.org

Food for the Hungry, Inc.
Food for the Hungry
Asia Quake Relief
1224 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
800-2-HUNGERS
http://www.fh.org

International Aid
17011 W. Hickory
Spring Lake, MI 49456
800-968-7490
http://www.internationalaid.org

International Medical Corps
Tsunami Emergency Response
1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 300
Santa Monica, CA 90404-1950
800-481-4462
http://www.imcworldwide.org

International Relief Teams
Asia Earthquake/Floods
3547 Camino Del Rio South, Suite C
San Diego, CA 92108
619-284-7979
http://www.IRTeams.org

International Rescue Committee
PO Box 5058
Hagerstown, MD 21741-9874
877-REFUGEE or 733-8433
http://www.theIRC.org

Latter-Day Saint Charities
Welfare Services Emergency Response
50 East North Temple Street, Room 701
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-6800
801-240-3544
ldscharities@ldschurch.org

Lutheran World Relief
South Asia Tsunami
700 Light St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-230-2700
http://www.lwr.org

MAP International
P.O. Box 215000
Brunswick, GA 31521
800-225-8550
http://www.map.org

Mercy Corps
Southeast Asia Earthquake
Dept. W
PO Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208-2669
800-852-2100
http://www.mercycorps.org

Operation USA
8320 Melrose Ave. 200
Los Angeles, CA 90069
800-678-7255
http://www.opusa.org

Oxfam America
Asian Earthquake Fund
PO Box 1211
Albert Lea, MN 56007-1211
800-77-OXFAM
http://www.oxfamamerica.org

Plan USA
Asia Disaster
155 Plan Way
Warwick, RI 02886
800-556-7918
http://www.planusa.org

Project Concern International
Asia Tsunamis Press List
5151 Murphy Canyon Road Suite 320
San Diego, CA 92123
858-279-9690
http://www.projectconcern.org

Project HOPE
Asia Tsunami Response
255 Carter Hall Lane
Millwood, VA 22646
800-544-4673
http://www.projecthope.org

SAWSO (Salvation Army World Service Office)
South Asia Relief Fund
615 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA, 22313
800-SAL-ARMY

Save the Children USA
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
800-728-3843
http://www.savethechildren.org

Stop Hunger Now
SE Asia crisis
2501 Clark Ave, Suite 200
Raleigh, NC 27607
888-501-8440
http://www.stophungernow.org

US Fund for UNICEF
General Emergency Fund
333 E. 38th St.
New York, NY 10016
800-4-UNICEF
http://www.unicefusa.org

World Concern
Asia Earthquake and Tsunami
19303 Fremont Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98133
800-755-5022
http://www.worldconcern.org

World Emergency Relief
2270-D Camino Vida Roble
Carlsbad, CA 92009
760-930-8001
http://www.worldemergencyrelief.org

World Vision
P.O. Box 70288
Tacoma, WA 98481-0288
888-56-CHILD
http://www.worldvision.org

CHOOSE BLUE

Choose the Blue helps blue-state voters make conscienscious purchases, even if they live in a red state.

Thank goodness for companies such as Toyota and Apple.

[Thanks to P.O. for this.]

REACTIONARY PROPAGANDA

The beginning signs of a reactionary, regressive, right-wing machinery in action came in the form of two stories I happened to see today, though I can't even say I've been watching that closely.

First, AP writes, "Federal officials Tuesday backed away from the findings of two major studies on birth control pills, saying the research was flawed and that a new analysis shows there is no evidence that oral contraceptives cut the risk of heart disease."

So, if you use birth control, the overture goes, you will die. In light of all the lack of oversight for which the FDA has been called out on the mat, it's suspicious how they're suddenly enlightened as to what's best for the public.

Right.

The next sign of ideology's value over evidence in this administration comes in this story, also from AP:

Study: Married Adults Healthier Than Most

WASHINGTON (AP) - Married people are healthier than other adults, other than a tendency for husbands to pack on some extra pounds, says the National Center for Health Statistics.

The center's report on Wednesday, based on a survey of more than 125,000 people, didn't specify reasons.

So, let's see: The U.S. government is funding a study with your tax dollars that asked people whether they're healthy or not, but come to no conclusions. Instead, a "health statistician" known as Charlotte Schoenborn expounds on theories about why this may be.

Except, dear Charlotte, correlation does not equal causation.

Don't believe it.

BHOPAL HOAX

Perhaps you heard a Dow Chemical spokesman tell the BBC his employer admitted responsibility for the deaths of more than 10,000 people in a gas leak in Bhopal, India, 20 years ago and would compensate their families for their losses from a $12 billion fund.

Don't hold your breath. It's an elaborate hoax by a purported member of The Yes Men, whose stated purpose is to "impersonate big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them. Targets are leaders and big corporations who put profits ahead of everything else."

The stunt forced Dow Chemical (who now owns the Union Carbide plant involved in the Bhopal leak) to put out a statement:

Dow will NOT commit ANY funds to compensate and treat 120,000 Bhopal residents who require lifelong care. ... Dow will NOT remediate (clean up) the Bhopal plant site. ... Dow's sole and unique responsibility is to its shareholders, and Dow CANNOT do anything that goes against its bottom line unless forced to by law.

Gotta love it.

POLITICAL STDs

The upside is that 55 million Americans don't really have to worry about this.

[Thanks to Carol V. via C.D. for this.]

Warning from the CDC

The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of sexually transmitted disease. This disease is contracted through dangerous and high risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhea Lecthym (Pronounced "Gonna Re-elect Him"). Many victims have contracted it after having been screwed by the Bush-Cheney-Rove-Ashcroft administration for the past 4 years, and failing to have taken adequate measures to protect themselves.

Cognitive sequellae of individuals infected with Gonorrhea lecthim include: Antisocial personality disorder traits; delusions of
grandeur with a messianic flavor; cognitive perseveration; inability to incorporate new information into a rigid idée fixee; xenophobia; inability to accept responsibility for actions; and a strong propensity for categorical, all-or nothing thinking.

This epidemic is out of control. MMWR reports it has already resulted in brain death in over 59,000,000 Americans. Excessive exposure to trailer parks, country gospel music and yellow ribbon asphyxiation
are thought to be contributing factors. New CDC Director Archbishop Burke has ordered a halt to research into the disease after determining the disease is incurable and is merely God's will.

Apparently, however, at least 55,000,000 of us have natural immunity and are poised to lead a brief, but exciting life right after the rapture begins and our afflicted fellow Americans ascend to their eternal reward. Godlessness has its rewards.