h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think the solar bibles are real Terri. They have a battery that charges off mains power, solar, or hand cranking. I'm pretty sure locals will be able to hack the solar tech and battery into something useful (power for radios, lights, etc). That's if they can get their hands on them

I still can't donate because there's a rootkit on my computer and I don't want to put in my credit card details while it's active!

But once I get to a different computer, my contribution will go toward Doctors Without Borders.

I'd love to join Architecture for Humanity, but they're looking for people with work experience, which is reasonable...

the term 'throw the at them' springs to mind

Or 'throw the back at them'. Really hard

What a good idea. But first, make sure there's some sort of voodoo amulet attached.

My employer is matching my contribution 100%; K and I donated to Food For Life Global. While they do adhere to a hippy-dippy new-agey sort of "spirituality" nonsense, I at least am on board with the majority of their mission, and they give freely regardless of the race/creed/etc of the victims. Oh, and they give *food and water*, not tracts and solar-powered books.

My boss had offered to reward any of us who'd donated to relief efforts with a gift card. I asked him if in lieu of my gift card, he'd donate the funds he'd have bought it with to either my charity or one of his choice, and he did.

At least some help is on the way.

I was reading something today -a gentleman with a blog called "Slacktivist" has been reading and reviewing those awfully written "Left Behind" books by those John Birch Society dudes, and he pointed out that the reason your bible-bangers send useless things like bibles at times like this is because in their twisted logic, saving souls is more critical than saving lives. If they lose the life but save the soul, at least that person isn't lost forever. But even their own bible tells them that hell is reserved for those who saw suffering and did nothing. It's almost enough to make me wish there was such a place.

so they agree with suicide bombers

>>I wonder if it's possible to start a cooking-fire by rubbing two of these hi-tech bibles together.<<

Yes, that would be useful.

I've recently listened to an interview with the president of the Danish Red Cross who is in Haiti. (We got it sent to use in our local radio). Recorded last Saturday after one of the more than 40 'after-quakes' - this particular one was at 4,5 on the Richter scale.

And now I'm getting to the point.

He says that among other things the problem with getting the help into Haiti is that only four planes a day can land in Port au Prince (I don't know if that is a political or material limit) and that the administration at the border of the Dominican Republic (sp?) is very, very, very slow.

According to an article I read yesterday, the surviving hotels are booked out by journalists, while the first aid workers are doing emergency surgery in the street. Said journalists are also having their *own* food flown in by helicopter. That makes *me* cross.

i'm sure it's not that simple. the media come from all corners of the world. as do the first aid workers. all of them need a place to stay and all of them need food

and if no reporters went to haiti we would not know how bad things are there and how much help is needed

True. But the way they described it (a reporter's perspective, of course), all the "celebrity" news anchors are flying out there (some with their stylists ) to have their picture taken and then come back.

Can't they bring a tent and leave the hotel rooms for the injured?

all of a sudden everybody has to go to haiti and the fastest get there first - simple as that

i don't like it either, but what can you do?

maybe the first aid organisations should learn to think faster - it's not like the different media are parts of a world wide conspiracy - far from it. they compete

No need to get all defensive...

I simply wonder whether a smaller team would do, with room to take supplies...

the thing is that the big media just act - concern for others has no place in the equation whatsoever

i'm sure the red cross acts the same way. if another charity organisation comes too late it's just tough luck

but you are right in that the media could have their own mobile homes flewn in instead of occupying hotel rooms. might even be more convenient for them

Pc, your boss seems to be a gentleman. Is he?

On the matter of media presence - in this case, I think they are helping by keeping the mess in Haiti in the front of people's minds. I also think they are not helping by consuming some of the respurces the locals need. At least it doesn't (yet) look like some sort of competition for the most heartrending soundbites, as so often happens...

"At least it doesn't (yet) look like some sort of competition for the most heartrending soundbites, as so often happens..."

yup, that stinks!

i wonder why the charity organisations seem to compete more than w*rk together. what a waste of time, efforts, ressources

I agree that while it is important to keep news coming from the area, I also find it disheartening when the news media scramble for the "best" hot news bites, and use up resources that could be used to help victims. That, and when charities can't work together, yes. Or when you get nasty people who appear, superfically, to be helpful but who end up causing more harm than good (think Ma Teresa, for example).

Ivan, my boss does seem like a gentleman, overall. When his daughter got married in December 2008, he invited all of the accounting department heads to the wedding, so K and I went. His wife went to great trouble to make sure K and I were provided with veggie meals (K always has one at such things, in the spirit of comaraderie). We sat next to his mother, and she lives near K's old neighborhood. I imagine he's sucha nice guy because he grew up working class and not as one of these trust fund babies who make up the rest of the Management.

While it's nice that the company (actually, it's our charitable Foundation, a separate entity) is willing to match donations, that my boss is willing to chip in out of his own pocket is more touching.

is just to nice to be, Ivan. are more accurate.

I donate monthly to Doctors without Borders, they've been in Haiti for ages and are continuing their work. I can't volunteer myself, neither my health nor my kind of medical expertise is what's best needed in an area of disaster.

It's the same with me - I have no useful skills and I'm not fit enough to try to help in person, so I give money to the Red Cross. Doctors without Borders is another one of the agencies I respect. There are some I don't respect at all, but I won't name them. The less said, the better.

Pc - it's so often the way that people who had to work hard to get ahead are the most generous and most understanding of human needs. People who just have everything handed to them might grasp the problem intellectually and be fine upstanding people and so forth, but they don't necessarily 'get it' as such. It's one of the lessons I'll never forget from my time w*rking in the welfare sector...

Unfortunately (and logically) those organisations all need people with work experience. I'd considered joining up for my year off now, but there was nothing useful I could do for them.

There are, of course, those people that'll let you pay a horrendous sum of money to fly to Africa and paint their schools or something. But what does that accomplish, other than taking a local's job away?