You already know what happened:





Vichaar, Jay, Daily Kos and The Command Post are keeping lists of organisations accepting donations. Here are a few of them:

• American Red Cross in conjunction with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (donate online here)
  
• Oxfam (donate online here)
  
• Save the Children (donate online here)
  
• CARE Australia (donate online here)
  
• UNICEF (donate via this page)
  

I know it's always something, and I'm always after you to put your hand in your pocket. But as Sisyphus Shrugged points out, our so-called leaders are full of hot air and pigshit when it comes time to step up and act like a human being. The rich will shrug, or flinch if their consciences are really acting up today, and politicians will get to preen for the cameras because they sent a few moldy tents and leftover cans of beans, and the poor don't have anything to give. But you reading this, very nearly all of you, you have disposable income or you wouldn't be online. You can spare ten bucks -- and yes, you can do it every time there's a crisis like this.

Listen: there are people suffering. People, not numbers, not brown anonymous faces on the TV: people just like you and me, only they just got their lives fucked by an earthquake and a billion tons of water. Be a mensch, give a little.

Update, from Stavros: map didn't bring it home? Found my words empty or insulting? Here's another way to look at what happened:

I wouldn't normally post a picture like that, but it's tearing at my guts. It's my hope that no one can look at that dead man's face, so calm there in that flick of a tourist's shutter, and not break open and spill a little money for the relief effort.

Update the second: He didn't die! Hedidn'tdiehedidn'tdiehedidn'tdie!!! WOOOO-HOOOOOO!!!! Someone yanked him out of there moments after the photo was taken. (via Stav again, also in comments) (also, photo: Hellmut Issels)