Devastation in the South

 

PHOTOS FROM THE DAILY BEAST.COM

This is very sad and difficult time for many cities in the South from the tornadoes which left hundreds of people dead and injured...and still, there are so many people missing. There are of course many cities asking for donations and requesting certain items that they may need more of. Last weekend, my mother and I went to the place where they were taking donations for the city of Phil Campbell who were (at that time) saying there was a great need for sunscreen, socks, and underwear (men- women- and children), but more recently, there are requests for donations of radios with batteries but I still might check first to see what items they need the most because it might change daily.

Some of us may be unsure what exactly we can do or what we should donate, but I ran across something a few of my friends have been posting on Facebook which are really awesome t-shirts that represent “Sweet Home Alabama.” They are $15 dollars and ALL proceeds from the sales of the shirt will go towards helping those in need. I myself haven’t bought one yet, but I just recently saw this post. This is what the shirts look like, and below is the contact info. of the designer's website.

Here is the link to check out/order a shirt- Maggie Crisler-Tornado Relief  

The 75-Year-Old Hacker

A 75-year-old Georgian woman who says she has never even heard of the Internet is facing a possible prison sentence for single-handedly cutting off the web to an entire country.

Hayastan Shakarian was digging for copper and she allegedly hacked through the fibre optic cable that runs through Georgia to Armenia. She was arrested for cutting of  Armenia’s Internet which plunged 90% of Internet users into online darkness for nearly 12 hours. 

12 hours may not seem like the longest time without Internet for some, but the article on BBC said that research showed only 1% of companies worldwide could function adequately without the Internet and more than a quarter (27%) couldn’t function at all without it. One in five said a week without being online would be the death of their company.

Some companies offer protection to help their customers stay connected. For example, a company called OptaSense uses advanced sonar techniques and can listen to potential threats of a break in service by converting the fibre optic cable carrying the Internet signal into an acoustic microphone. 

I often have Internet connection problems, like I’m sure many people do depending on their carrier, but I never thought of how risky it is for people who may be working near utility pipes to cut off the main source for Internet connection…I especially wouldn’t think a 75-year-old woman digging for copper could cut off an entire country’s Internet. The ARTICLE on BBC NEWS says “the episode is a timely reminder that all it takes in our hi-tech world to shut down thousands of companies for a day is a determined old lady with a spade.” 

150th Anniversary of the Civil War VIDEO

Fisherman Woes

 Photo of dead oysters

Fisherman are still facing hard times due to the oil spill last year. A man who has been working at Collins Oyster Co. (which has been in business for 90 years) has to close the doors. Nick Collins, who works at his fathers company, says "This is the biggest oyster kill in Louisiana history, probably in the Gulf coast's history....I wish I wasn't part of it. I wish I wasn't here. It's heartbreaking." Other fisherman who feel Collins' pain gathered at a town hall meeting where Ken Feinberg flew in from Washington to speak. Feinberg is the man President Obama has appointed to run BP's $20bn compensation fund, but apparently people have not been compensated.

The people took action and directly expressed there concerns to Feinberg: "You keep telling everybody that everything's fine in the Gulf of Mexico," says oil rig worker Clayton Mathern, "but you're sitting there lying to our faces." Mathern's wife said.... "You told us personally that you would help us. You gave us your personal cell phone number and begged us to keep it secret, but whenever we called, you didn't pick up."Wilber Collins, founder of the Collins Oyster Co., said, "it discourages you so much to see the way the government treats you. For America - it's unbelievable."

I know there is so much more going on in the world right now, but I didn't even realize that the oil spill was still an issue anymore. Like the people at the meeting were complaining about....politicians are allowing people to move important issues aside saying that everything is fine in the Gulf...but according to the BBC article on the matter, the oil spill is still very much an issue that needs to be addressed, but unfortunately it is not. We do not need to be told everything is going to be alright when it is not because that attitude will make become careless and incapable of handling or understanding events that should be of great concern to everybody. 

Revisiting the Civil War

This week, people are remembering one of the most deadliest wars of our nation....it is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War
 An article on CNN commemorates the anniversary and looks at 4 ways that we are still fighting some of the same issues that fueled the Civil War.."The shutdown of the federal government, war in Libya, the furor over the new health care law and Guantanamo Bay -- all have tentacles that reach back to the Civil War, historians say." They point to four "weird parallels"...
1) the disappearance of the political center 
2) the question...how much power should the federal government have?
3) unleashing the dogs of war
4) the president as dictator
The article on CNN.com elaborates on the four points to say that the same issues that fueled the Civil War are still debated amongst Americans today and a century-and-a-half after the war ended people still clash over the cause and meaning...this seems to be true as I live in the South and still see many people sporting the Confederate flag which provokes anger in some people (both southerners and northerners) who see it.

Training for the Ironman Triathlon

Helping Japan

Japan's tsunami aftermath from space

The massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan has left thousands of families homeless and has left children with no parents as well food and fuel shortages. Although 91 countries have responded to the disaster in Japan offering aid such as blankets, food, search dogs and military transport, an article on the BBC news website  says the Japanese government is among the best prepared in the world for disasters, which is why they are only making specific requests for help, such as calling for search and rescue teams and there has been no request (yet) for humanitarian assistance from the international community.

Several charities like Save the Children UK, British Red Cross, and World Vision UK are asking for donations. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is usually the first to launch a major fundraising appeal after a disaster, but they are not planning one for Japan. A spokesman for the DEC says that the help needed (after a disaster) in developing countries is very different.

The Japanese government is taking charge to carefully coordinate all of the help being offered. Charities are addressing the worse affected areas in Japan and donations are being made to supply medical care, shelter, food, etc., but Japan is pretty much in control…as a spokesman for the DEC put it, “the danger is almost ‘too many cooks spoil the broth.’”

When I first saw news of the disaster in Japan, I was in shock watching the videos of thousands of homes being destroyed... knowing lives were taken and that the survivors would be left with almost nothing…no shelter, food, or their family. During this tragic time, it is understandable that people have an overwhelming desire to help Japan in any way possible. The responses from charities are wonderful, but it is also fortunate that Japan is a very self-sufficient country that has been very well prepared for a disaster such as this.