Pause a moment to give to and remember victims of disasters

[nickagneta]

As we continue to agonize over whether our beloved Celtics are going to pull out a victory tonight, I ask all members of Celticsblog, to pause a moment and remember people who are in real agony. Recent catastrophic disasters in Myanmar and China have affected millions of lives and left probably close to 200,000 dead.

We sometimes get lost in our own little part of the globe, but right now two countries are in mourning for a great, great many and still trying to wade through or dig out of devastated areas.

So join me in saying a prayer for these victims of true pain and perhaps making a donation. Here is one very credible link, it is to the Red Cross Donation site where, if you want, you can earmark a donation to international relief and disaster funds.

http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ggl_main&s_subsrc=DonateToRedCross&s_src=F7FWE001&gclid=CIXa5e6QppMCFQoFGgodAndnng

Thank you.

[celticmaestro]

here here. my prayers are with all those affected by this disaster.

[Redz]

Hard to truly fathom these sorts of things until they happen near you.  Just awful.

My five year old daughter started going on about floods the other day.  Totally out of the blue.  She doesn't watch the news or anything.  She was going on about how the ice in the North Pole melts and the water rises, and the people near the water ended up flooded and they drown...etc...  She'd put two and two together from what she saw in "Ice Age 2".  I was dumbfounded with her timing and understanding.  I know we all think our kids are extra special, but I swear kids - in their innocence - have a better understanding of things than adults who have been exposed to all sorts of opinions and data ever will.  Then again we had a 5-minute battle over which pants to wear this morning and she insisted on wearing the ones that gave her "plummer butt"..But I digress.

Anyhow...I live near the water.  My new home insurance policy arrived last week and we were informed that our policy no longer covers floods, and that we had to contact FEMA for federal insurance policies.  Try as I may to keep putting aside all of the mounting natural disasters, I feel like it's all a big roll of the dice at this point and odds are getting stacked against us near the coast.  I love it here, but a part of me wants to check out some plots of land in Idaho or something. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't spend every waking hour in fear of the sky falling, but the notion is always stashed away inside me somewhere.  Stuff like this just brings it to the forefront. 

Anyhow...TP to Nick for reminding us to pause for a moment.  Be thankful for what you have - be it humble or grand.

[ACF]

Hard to truly fathom these sorts of things until they happen near you.  Just awful.

My five year old daughter started going on about floods the other day.  Totally out of the blue.  She doesn't watch the news or anything.  She was going on about how the ice in the North Pole melts and the water rises, and the people near the water ended up flooded and they drown...etc...  She'd put two and two together from what she saw in "Ice Age 2".  I was dumbfounded with her timing and understanding.  I know we all think our kids are extra special, but I swear kids - in their innocence - have a better understanding of things than adults who have been exposed to all sorts of opinions and data ever will.  Then again we had a 5-minute battle over which pants to wear this morning and she insisted on wearing the ones that gave her "plummer butt"..But I digress.

Yeah, it's just terrible.
I heard that polar bears will be extinct in like
50 years. How sad is that?! My children will
only be able to show their children photos
or take them to the zoo.

The worst part is that the government in
Myanmar/Burma and China couldn't give a hoot
about the people (THEIR people) that are affected!

So, Redz, will you join me in turning off
all of your lights for just one (1!) hour
for Earth Hour next year?

I know this is kind of political, but I hope
your next president will be one who thinks
about the environment. If not for us, then at
least for the children of tomorrow -including
the one in my girlfriend's womb...

[ACF]

Kind of mixed up the quote there.
Hope you figure it out anyway 

[Redz]

Kind of mixed up the quote there.
Hope you figure it out anyway 

Sure, I can turn off the lights for an hour (unless it's during a game!)

I fixed your quote up

[ACF]

Next year, I'll try again and we'll
see who's ready to do this.

And thanks, Mr. Quotefixer! 

[Redz]

I should probably send out a reminder at this point to keep this topic off the political side.  I may have touched on it a bit in my post, but it was not my intention.  It was merely a statement of the mounting emotional effects of pending disasters.

[Redz]

Next year, I'll try again and we'll
see who's ready to do this.

And thanks, Mr. Quotefixer! 

Not that it should take a whole lot of notice to turn off the lights for an hour, but this past years event was virtually invisible until the day of the event.

[ACF]

I should probably send out a reminder at this point to keep this topic off the political side.  I may have touched on it a bit in my post, but it was not my intention.  It was merely a statement of the mounting emotional effects of pending disasters.

Next time, could you add purple too, so
I remember that this is not a joke!?

No, seriously, I know...

[ACF]

Back on track.
Yeah, let's pause for just a second...

[Roy Hobbs]

Three reminders:

1) This is not an official Celticsblog endorsement of this or any other charity; and

2) Before donating money to any charity, make sure you independently research where your money is going to.

3) No discussion of politics, whether it be global warming, Katrina, US policy towards Asia, etc.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Having gotten the legalese / moderating out of the way, yes, it's a good time to reflect on the real life struggles of so many of our neighbors in the world.  I know I live a fairly privileged life, and it's hard to comprehend what so many endure.

[nickagneta]

Sorry, Roy. Didn't mean to make it appear as if I was endorsing or anyone else was endorsing one particular charity. It was just the charity I sent my donation into because I know how credible and world reaching they are.

That said, I am also not endorsing donating at all but just making the suggestion that it may not hurt.

But a little reflection and a prayer might just help as well. It will cost you nothing but a minute or so of your time.

[Roy Hobbs]

Sorry, Roy. Didn't mean to make it appear as if I was endorsing or anyone else was endorsing one particular charity. It was just the charity I sent my donation into because I know how credible and world reaching they are.

No problem, Nick.  Just a disclaimer, to stem off any future complaints / questions.  You'd be surprised at some of the things people complain about. 

[Scott]

Events like these really put things into perspective.  No matter how hard we think we may have
it at times, someone out there has a lot worse.  When these natural disasters occur on the other side of
the world, it is very easy to shrug it off and forget about it.  This has touched countless families
on a very large scale and is just tragic. It really is a tragedy in a pure form. 

My thoughts and prays go to those victims and their families.  And as a small tribute, I will make a
donation.  TP Nick.