Karl's Corner - 12/29/2004

12/29/04 about as bad as can be

By now you've almost certainly heard about the astonishing and terrible news in Southeast Asia, where the world's biggest earthquake in 40 years set off a massive series of tsunami waves in the Indian Ocean which have caused at least 100,000 deaths in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, and several other Asian and African countries. This is a global level catastophe, the kind that occurs less than once a generation and are therefore never expected, and are insufficiently planned for. The only response now that the damage is done is to offer condolences, sympathy, and if one can afford it, help. The stories are now coming in about relief efforts and monetary aid being put into motion, but the road ahead is going to be terribly hard for everyone involved.

Here's a list of aid groups who are accepting donations for victims of the catastrophe. In particular, this organization is getting a lot of recommendations for its efficient use of donations. For the super quick way to help (with just a $5 minimum donation for those on a budget) check out the Amazon.com online donation page - 1.6 million dollars raised in just 3 days! The power of the internet! Much much more info at The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog.

The extended weezer family extends its deepest sympathies to all those affected by this horrifying event.