Pray for Japan..Pray for the world

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:51 am

It's no secret how much I adore these sincere, courageous people.
This morning, their suffering gave me flashbacks of my dear, sweet Toshiko's final days in the cancer ward.

I'll be all right.

ganbatte. gambatte: Do your best/try one's best, go for it.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:00 am

I lived in Yokosuka for 12 years, I still have friends there. It is a piece of home, this hurts so much.

Praying, not so much, donating what I can to the Red Cross (and animal relief as soon as I find a good one set up). Money can't ease the pain, but it sure as hell is useful.

Post by **Elderberry** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:12 am

I think I read somewhere that the only major fault left that hasn't had a release of energy lately is in California. I guess we're next to be on news at eleven.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:16 am

correct me if i'm wrong, but was it not "God" that caused this?

why the hell would you pray to "him" now?

praying is like slacker activism on facebook, alot of talk, no action.

you want to help the Japanese People?

send money or volunteer, keep the praying for when you meet your maker.

sorry, but this particular notion just makes me wanna puke.

Roberto Dobbisano · Post by **Roberto Dobbisano** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:35 am

Roberto Dobbisano · Post by **Roberto Dobbisano** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:38 am

well, that makes sense.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:50 am

jkisha wrote:I think I read somewhere that the only major fault left that hasn't had a release of energy lately is in California. I guess we're next to be on news at eleven.

Oh, the Pacific Northwest sits on the edge of a plate like Japan, they're more likely to go first. The California. Heck, my house is less than a mile away from a major, but very sleepy, fault.

We're all toast if the super-volcano that is Yellowstone blows.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:57 am

Pretend to be compassionate or donate money. It's your choice now.
http://www.redcross.org/

Simon of the Playa wrote:correct me if i'm wrong, but was it not "God" that caused this?

why the hell would you pray to "him" now?

praying is like slacker activism on facebook, alot of talk, no action.

you want to help the Japanese People?

send money or volunteer, keep the praying for when you meet your maker.

sorry, but this particular notion just makes me wanna puke.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:25 am

AntiM wrote:
jkisha wrote:I think I read somewhere that the only major fault left that hasn't had a release of energy lately is in California. I guess we're next to be on news at eleven.
Oh, the Pacific Northwest sits on the edge of a plate like Japan, they're more likely to go first. The California. Heck, my house is less than a mile away from a major, but very sleepy, fault.

We're all toast if the super-volcano that is Yellowstone blows.

yeah, the Cascade subduction zone is especially dangerous, because there is thought to be a huge amount of frozen methane gas deep there, and, if a big quake knocks it loose, it could be a double whammy.
It is just the other side of the Pacific plate. Same plate as Japan.
IIRC, the Cascade zone can make bigger quakes, and tsunami's, but the Californinia (San Andreas, Hayward, Northridge, etc.) fault system is more likely to go first.

tamarakay · Post by **tamarakay** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:33 am

i'm one of those weird hybrids i guess.

I don't really think God does much physically in this world. If he/she did, i would have to agree with Simon, how in the world do you pray to something to protect from things happening that he/she caused? I think shit happens. The world is imperfect, man is imperfect and shit happens.
praying is a way for me to open myself to possibilities. prayer without action is useless nonsense. I do pray for direction, to keep my thoughts on doing good, to cause no harm, to help me keep my own rather large ego in check...but i follow that up with action. They are not mutually exclusive activities.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:55 am

Yikes -- is Pizzamancer over there? Please tell us you and yours are all right!

gerlachedNloaded · Post by **gerlachedNloaded** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:08 am

when i said pray, i didn't mean to a deity. i'm not on the boat, believe you me. i meant pray for whatever goodness can happen in this world to happen to these people. no one deserves this...

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:11 am

New Madrid fault hasn't moved much since the early 1800s--a hundred or so years before the 06 quake. Or even the last large jolt on the Hayward Fault.
And geologic time basically has this earthquake and the Lassen volcanic eruption in the early 1900s, and the explosion of Vesuvius in 79 ad happening basically simultaneously. As far as seismologists can tell, we're past due for a large quake on the Hayward, but it's not really much longer until we're overdue for a San Andreas rupture...
And then there's NYC...

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:22 am

I believe in something that can be called God, but I don't think it is necessarily "good". Good for a tiger is bad for a deer.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:25 am

Elliot wrote:Yikes -- is Pizzamancer over there? Please tell us you and yours are all right!

He checked in over in teh bar, he's okay.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:43 am

This is the relief agency my Japanese friends recommend.

http://www.peace-winds.org/en/

tamarakay · Post by **tamarakay** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:47 am

AntiM wrote:This is the relief agency my Japanese friends recommend.

http://www.peace-winds.org/en/

thank you for this AntiM!

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:10 pm

I wouldn't recommend giving any large amounts of money to anyone you haven't checked out yet.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:16 pm

gerlach, i apologize for my tone...it was not meant to demean or be mean, and after re-reading it comes off as such...

i dont believe in prayer, and i realize that that is not what you meant, and i appreciate the sentiment.

again, my apologies...

i volunteer, after hurricanes, after other disasters, it is a high, a rush i get from making peoples live instantly better with something as simple as a chainsaw and some rope....so it is somewhat selfish as there is a positive feedback loop to thrive on.

please by all means do whatever you want to assist the people who are in need, who am i to tell you otherwise.

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:50 pm

ygmir wrote:
AntiM wrote:
jkisha wrote:I think I read somewhere that the only major fault left that hasn't had a release of energy lately is in California. I guess we're next to be on news at eleven.
Oh, the Pacific Northwest sits on the edge of a plate like Japan, they're more likely to go first. The California. Heck, my house is less than a mile away from a major, but very sleepy, fault.

We're all toast if the super-volcano that is Yellowstone blows.
yeah, the Cascade subduction zone is especially dangerous, because there is thought to be a huge amount of frozen methane gas deep there, and, if a big quake knocks it loose, it could be a double whammy.
It is just the other side of the Pacific plate. Same plate as Japan.
IIRC, the Cascade zone can make bigger quakes, and tsunami's, but the Californinia (San Andreas, Hayward, Northridge, etc.) fault system is more likely to go first.

My understanding is that much of the LA basin is on loose ground, not bedrock, and the probability of major damage and earth movement there is great. If LA is hit with a big quake, the liklihood of damage may be far worse. Japan has one of the world's best warning systems for natural disasters and also excellent emergency respone systems. Tokyo had a 30 second warning of the impending quake - not long, but enough time to duck. California has no such system. I live in an area that could be easily decimated by both quake and tsunami. We do at least have a good warning system for tsunami.

Although the history of this issue on this board has taught me that I will be ridiculed each time I admit doing so, I will certainly be praying for those suffering a fate that could just have easily been mine, and could be in the future. I will send them both my heartfelt prayer and my hard earned cash. I believe each to be valuable, despite the beating I will take for saying so.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:54 pm

According to seismologists, the San Andreas fault isn't capable of producing an 8.9 quake. However, much of LA is below sea level... New Orleans all over again.

Post by **Elderberry** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:00 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ring_of_Fire

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:19 pm

This all sucks.

It really does.

Like many here I'm ready and willing to donate to relief efforts but I have to say that my personal choice is absolutely NOT the American Red Cross.

The specifics are too long to get into. The ARC does good work but is a terribly inefficient organization that's stacked with a monstrous bureaucracy. I learned this first hand when I went to do hurricane relief post-Katrina just after the event.

I raised $17,500 at the Gate from the good people leaving the event. When the ORG called me to ask what suggestions I might have to donations I immediately suggested Oxfam after expressing my reservations with the ARC. I believe that's exactly where a portion of that money went. The rest went directly to relief efforts to what was eventually to become Burners Without Borders.

I'm in no way trying to give the Red Cross a black eye but only wish to point out that there are other options where your money will go a longer way as far as direct relief goes. I encourage folks to do a little reading up on the various organizations and make an informed decision.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:23 pm

I tend to donate a small amount to RC right off to get me going, then look for other agencies as the days and weeks roll by.

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:26 pm

I completely second what Iso just said. I really like Direct Relief International. They seem to be able to cut through a lot of red tape and deliver supplies very quickly with no scandals about local admins making ginormous salaries. My time as a military wife did not leave me with a good feeling about ARC.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:32 pm

I learn something new every day:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.c ... orgid=3626
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.c ... listid=113

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:34 pm

Search Dogs are Bad Ass.. thats where my $$ goes.

http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/index.html

maryanimal · Post by **maryanimal** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:34 pm

ygmir wrote:
AntiM wrote:
jkisha wrote:I think I read somewhere that the only major fault left that hasn't had a release of energy lately is in California. I guess we're next to be on news at eleven.
Oh, the Pacific Northwest sits on the edge of a plate like Japan, they're more likely to go first. The California. Heck, my house is less than a mile away from a major, but very sleepy, fault.

We're all toast if the super-volcano that is Yellowstone blows.
yeah, the Cascade subduction zone is especially dangerous, because there is thought to be a huge amount of frozen methane gas deep there, and, if a big quake knocks it loose, it could be a double whammy.
It is just the other side of the Pacific plate. Same plate as Japan.
IIRC, the Cascade zone can make bigger quakes, and tsunami's, but the Californinia (San Andreas, Hayward, Northridge, etc.) fault system is more likely to go first.

Hmmm...I wonder if the Tsunami would reach Spokane. May Have to move to Idaho or Montana.

I like Iso's idea for a charity to give to. With victim's receiving relief quickly is where I'd want my money to go.

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:44 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:I learn something new every day:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.c ... orgid=3626
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.c ... listid=113

Thanks, Dougly - I'm glad to see DRI right up there in the ratings. Have given them both hours and $.

Pray for Japan..Pray for the world

Pray for Japan..Pray for the world

why you gotta be such an asshole sometimes?