Here are some places which you can send donations for help with humanitarian efforts to aid in the relief of those affected by this week's earthquake and flood in southern Asia.

[www.cnn.com] A big list of organizations which are sending help.

[www.unicef.org] (UNICEF)

[www.cafod.org.uk] (CAFOD)

[tinyurl.com] Save the Children

[tinyurl.com] World Vision

Les



Post Edited (01-01-05 02:17)

Don't forget the Red Cross (Crescent)

and Oxfam

Here you go Jack:

[www.redcross.org] />
[www.ifrc.org] />
and Linda:

[www.command-post.org] />
and for our Australian e-mulers:

[www.careaustralia.org.au]


Les



Post Edited (12-28-04 20:46)

In the U.S., dial 1-800-HELP-NOW

Just as a point of information, Marian's referal is to the American Red Cross:

[tinyurl.com] />

Les

Les-

Thanks for the link. I don't know how to do that (Please don't tell me).
I have the American Red Cross on my list of favorites. I do local R/C stuff.
I would go out on national and international stuff, but my boss says I would have to burn my vacation time to do it. They won't let me take unpaid leave. We sent a whole herd of people down to Florida last year for 'Charlie'. Then 'Jean' and a couple others showed up back to back to back. They were down there for 8-10 weeks! I am willing, but my time is not my own. I can't tell my son that he has to sit around all summer because I spent my vacation time (and then some) digging out of hurricanes in Florida. He already rolls his eyes whenever I blow off arrangements we have made because the phone rings, and I say, "Red Cross. Gotta go."

Here's where (against my better judgement) I get on my soapbox.
I guess you wouldn't be reading this thread if you weren't interested.
So here goes. Call your local chapter and volunteer. ANYBODY can donate money (please do). LOTS of people donate blood (thank you). It takes a special kind of nut to volunteer your time. There are dozens of different areas to volunteer for.
They need people to sit in an office and answer phones right NOW!
They need people to stuff envelopes.
They have a branch that deals with helping military families.
They need people to hand out cookies at blood drives.
They need people for local disaster assistance.
They need to get as many people trained in CPR, First Aid, AED, (Automatic Electronic Defribulator) as possible.
They need people for logistical support.
They need experienced people for training. They will train you to be a trainer!


They have an 800 number for donations. They'll accept money, but I imagine they can refer you locally too. It's 1-800-HELP-NOW.

Give them a call. It couldn't hurt.


Jack

Jack, thanks for all the good info. I'll see what I can do.

Do you happen to know what organization, Terry flies for? I think he said it was the U. N. operation, but I can't find the thread where he talked about it.

Les

Les-

To the best of my knowledge Terry works as a private contractor for a variety og NGOs. As he points out, he doesn't do it for free. Do you have any idea how much it takes to feed, say, a DC3? He's the last guy in the world to beat his chest and say "I'm doin' a great thing. Look at MEEEE!"
But you gotta put your effort where it will do the most good. I'm good at cooking and lifting heavy things. The Capuccins and the Salvation Army wouldn't have me, but the Red Cross will take ANYBODY (even Canadians). It's important NOW, so get out there. Give money, blood, or TIME.

Sorry for the little rant there. I get excited sometimes.


Jack

Here is something I received via e-mail that may be of interest. It probably will not format correctly here, but forgive me if it is tough to read:


IN GENERAL:
Most needed now is water and food.
Getting aid from airports and ports to those who need it is most critical problem.
Air shipments of aid are arriving throughout the region. Water & food said to be piling up in airport warehouses and on tarmacs awaiting delivery. US military working to get local officials to allow it to move aid for them.
US Navy supply ships on way to all countries requesting aid.
One navy ship arrived at Sumatran port of Meulaboh but must lighter aid to shore as port destroyed. Ship reports most of western coast of Sumatra has been affected, but few areas have yet been reached by aid or officials so extent of death and loss unknown.
USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group dispatched from Hong Kong to take up station off the coast of Sumatra.
Another Navy flotilla of seven ships has been diverted to take up stations in the Bay of Bengal.
US C-130 cargo planes based in Japan have begun delivering food, fresh water, medicine and other emergency supplies. US military said to be dropping MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and water to outlying islands as yet unreached by officials from affected countries.
US Navy P3-Orion surveillance aircraft are searching sea and land for survivors and to provide detailed information from areas as yet not reached by officials to help in relief coordination.
Seven supply ships, each capable of producing 90,000 gallons of fresh water a day, set sail from Guam and Diego Garcia for affected areas.
The Navy battle groups to be used to ferry emergency food, plastic sheeting for temporary shelters and water purification supplies to the thousands of far-flung islands, some of which are so remote they have yet to be surveyed for casualties and other damage.


TRADE IMPACT BY COUNTRY:

BANGLADESH:
Port of Chittagong said operating normally.

INDIA:
Chennai Port has been affected the most by the tidal waves that lashed the East Coast of India, but no significant damage to port facilities. Some damage was reported in Tuticorin and Port Blair. Operations have resumed. Infrastructure at Port Blair damaged but under repair.

INDONESIA:
The ports of mainland Indonesia are operating normally although the island of Sumatra has been badly affected. Blang Bintang airport at Banda Aceh is considered in operational condition and aid cargo is arriving by Hercules aircraft. Banda Aceh itself is more than 50% destroyed. Buildings smashed down to ground level are houses, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and other infrastructures.

Ports Heavily Damaged in Indonesia:
Sabang, at We Island
Malahayati, Olele, Pertamina and Semen Andalas (Lhok Nga Island) at Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh Province
Idi Cut
Meulaboh, which is very close to the Earthquake epicenter, whereas the town is 80% heavily destroyed
Special/Privately owned terminal of SOCFINDO and ASTRA
Singkil, the southernmost port of Aceh Province at the same side with Meulaboh, west side coast.

KENYA:
No major damage reported. All ports operating normally.

MALAYSIA:
The ports of Penang and Port Klang operating normally. No structural damage to buildings, except mess brought about by water, mud and debris.

MYANMAR:
No disruption to the port of Yangon, operating normally.

SINGAPORE:
No major damage reported. All ports operating normally.

SOMALIA:
Ports of Berbera and Mogadishu and the open anchorage at El Maan are operating normally.

SRI LANKA:
Country very badly affected primarily on the east coast and some on the south. Colombo port operating.

TANZANIA:
No major damage reported. All ports operating normally.

THAILAND:
Very little port activity in the affected region. The port of Phuket does not get a lot of commercial activity.


HOW YOU CAN HELP:

TODAY:
Water and food are most critical now. Affected areas are mostly tropical so shelter is secondary.
Give financial aid to international relief agencies for good, water and medical care.

COMING WEEKS:
Work with local groups in your area to gather relief supplies. If you are not sure who these groups are contact local media outlets as they should know who in your area is working to gather relief supplies.
Forwarders are experts at getting freight to remote areas of the world, so arrange logistics for these supplies.
Contact airlines and ocean carriers. Many are donating cargo space for relief shipments. If they are, use it. If they are not, try and convince them to do so.

IF YOU PLAN TO WORK CLOSELY WITH LOCAL AGENCIES:
= Designate one person your staff as contact for these groups.
= Notify local media of your efforts and ask them to promote the efforts.
= Contact local civic and religious organizations to tell them what you are doing.
= Contact your clients and suppliers letting them know how they can work with you to help.


INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AGENCY LINKS:
There are many relief agencies that can help. These are ones we were able to quickly find links to.

AmeriCares: www.americares.org
American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
Catholic Relief Services: www.catholicrelief.org
Doctors Without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org
Food for the Hungry, Inc.: www.fh.org
International Medical Corps: www.imcworldwide.org
Islamic Relief USA: www.irw.org/asiaquak
Lutheran World Relief: www.lwr.org
Mercy Corps: www.mercycorps.org
Oxfam America: www.oxfamamerica.org
Save The Children: www.savethechildren.org
US Fund for UNICEF: www.unicefusa.org
World Emergency Relief: www.worldemergencyrelief.org


Note of trivia - Phuket is pronounced poo-kit, not the other way.

Good info. , Hugh.

Jack, I know Terry doesn't fly for free, but his skill as a pilot qualifies him uniquely as someone who's expertise is badly needed. I would expect that any doctors, engineers, or other highly qualified people would be paid by organizations which are collecting funds now.


Les

Les-

I was just saying it's one thing to donate your time (which is admirable), but it's a whole nother thing when your time also includes a machine whose fuel consumption rate is measured in gallons (actually lbs.) per minute. When you say "Fill 'er up" we're talking something like a months pay (for me, but I'm poor). Terry prolly keeps a coupla grand rolled up in his boot.


Jack

British charities are saying they don't want goods collected, only money. As the devestation is localised around the coasts there are enough supplies within most of the countries affected, but it needs to be bought and transported.

And money is easier to steal by the various folks in charge of dispensing it? Yeah, call me a cynic, but I am also amazed now that the death toll exceeds some 125,000, I am reading reports about those who are bowing down and thanking their sundry gods that it was not worse.

Hugh, living about 50 miles from the San Andreas fault, the whole scenario is unfathomable. Had the quake occured in a land of high rises, there is no end to the damage it might have caused.

One can only be thankful for those left unharmed.


Les



Post Edited (12-31-04 14:22)

Question for Rudy: Why does this particular thread not have a wrap at the usual right-hand margin, to enable it to be read without scrolling across, and printed in portrait format?

Better to have that text wrap for all threads on E-mule.

Ian

Some support is coming:

[tinyurl.com] />

Les

Ian, if I may be so bold as to venture a guess as to why your post did not wrap around as usual. There is an extension for long URLs which is built into the program. Since I have changed two of the URL addresses in a post above, you will see that the text now wraps around as it should. The extension allows long web addresses to be posted as hyperlinks without breaking. Since I shortened the hyperlinks by using TinyURL, the extension is not necessary. Hence, the text fits as it should.

Les



Post Edited (01-01-05 02:31)

Thanks, Les. That makes sense, and explains why this phenomenon has occurred temporarily from time to time. And here was I thinking it was caused by Rudy and his mates tinkering with the website.

I suppose it's good to accommodate really long URLs, but let's shorten them when we can. How does one do that?

Ian

Ian, simply cut and paste the long URL into the space here:

[tinyurl.com] />
and a URL like this:

[www.emule.com] />
becomes this:

[tinyurl.com] />

Les

That's assuming the tinyurl.com site stays in business, of course. If they go tits up, all re-directions will fail, I infer. I have no reason to think they will do so though. Still, I am not 100% convinced the long links are the reason for the failure to wrap. I have seen examples in the past where it did not happen, I mean.

I have seen examples in the past where it did not happen, I mean.

I'd like to see an example of that, Hugh.


A couple of important points about Tiny URL and some of the other links which provide shortening of long URL's.

1. Some of the links expire after a certain time frame.

2. If the link disappears, usually because the operator of the website no longer wishes to pay the fee to the provider, then your link is lost with a tinyurl hyperlink. So you would have no way of relocating the website if you wished to find it cached in a website archive, such as the Wayback machine, or other internet archives.


Les

Thanks for the warning. I guess the moral is to keep one's own file listing any short URLs created, and the respective long URLs. Not a big chore if you only shorten them occasionally. Doesn't help of course when someone else's short URL croaks.

You're a cynic.

And the soldiers can steal the blankets from the women and children just as easily. I used to knit jumpers for Oxfam to send out to refugee camps, but that has now been stopped. They say the storage and shipment costs from UK is too great.

More help is on the way:

[tinyurl.com] />

Les

I have seen examples in the past where it did not happen, I mean.

I'd like to see an example of that, Hugh.

Life is too short, and searching this site too difficult, to spend a lot of time on it. I remember it happened because I was frustrated to see that sometimes long links WERE clickable, but sometimes they were not. The last one I believe was posted by Pam, and it was some three fully-wrapped lines long, yet I was able to click the link successfully.

I will keep it in mind, and get back to you when it happens again, or if by some chance an old thread re-surfaces. Could also be that Aaron or Rudy changed the code since then and you are correct about the present-day effects.

I don't often listen to presidential speeches, but I came across the TEXT of Pres. Bush's speech yesterday. It's about the U.S. efforts to aid tsunami victims. I found it very informative.

Here's a link to it:

[www.usafreedomcorps.gov]

It probably was- I'm usually too lazy to use tinyurl, and, also, I like to know what a link is before I click on it.

Here's a long, complicated link- let's see what happens.

[www.assist.org] />
pam


Worked in preview

Technology at work:

[www.cnn.com] />

Les