Latest Event Updates
Typhoon Yolanda – How WE can help. Because crying about it certainly won’t.
I know that not a lot of people read this blog (I have like, what, five or six viewers, myself included?), but I feel that it’s my responsibility to at least START doing something instead of looking at all of the pictures and videos and newscasts and heart-wrenching messages of the survivors and FEELING bad.
And if I could get even just *one* person to donate because of this post, then this post was worth it.
Fuck all that talk about the “indomitable Filipino spirit”, that’s bullshit we say to make ourselves feel better and you KNOW it. This isn’t the time for rhetoric and feel-good speeches, it’s the time for action. We say that we care so much about our fellowmen on social media – now’s the time to step up and PROVE it in real life.
Here’s a compilation of all the links I see popping up on my News Feed re: Yolanda relief operations. I edit this every now and then to add images, links, or helpful tips.
—————————————————-
A few important things to consider when donating (click to enlarge):
—————————————————-
—————————————————-
FOR MISSING PERSONS:
Here’s a Person Finder search engine from Google, for victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
GMA News Online has compiled messages from Yolanda survivors. People who are looking for updates on their friends and loved ones might find this helpful. Here’s a database for missing persons inquiries from the same website. Just fill out the form and they’ll get back to you as soon as they can.
Here’s a list of Yolanda survivors in Leyte, care of Yahoo! Philippines.
Here’s ABS-CBN‘s list of Tacloban survivors.
From Viber (here’s the full list of supported countries):
ATTENTION: In light of the current situation in The Philippines, we are opening a temporary service, allowing Filipino users to call regular (non Viber) numbers outside of the Philippines for free. Please note that this is not a final product, so not all countries are supported and quality may vary. You may have to restart your phone for this to work. To call someone using this service, go to any contact in Viber and tap any of the numbers listed next to “ViberOut”.
Call your family now. Let them know you are ok! #ViberHelps
—————————————————-
DONATION DRIVES (INTERNATIONAL):
CNN pretty much covers all bases. Time Magazine‘s website has a decent list as well.
The Huffington Post provides a list of international organizations that are accepting help and donations for the people who suffered greatly from this monster of a typhoon. Reposting it here.
World Food Programme
WFP has allocated an immediate $2 million for Haiyan relief, with a greater appeal pending as needs become apparent. The UN organization is sending 40 metric tons of fortified biscuits in the immediate aftermath, as well as working with the government to restore emergency telecommunications in the area. Americans can text the word AID to 27722 to donate $10 or give online. Learn more here.Red Cross
Emergency responders and volunteers throughout the Philippines are providing meals and relief items. Already, thousands of hot meals have been provided to survivors. Red Cross volunteers and staff also helped deliver preliminary emergency warnings and safety tips. Give by donating online or mailing a check to your local American Red Cross chapter. Learn more here.The Philippine Red Cross has mobilized its 100 local outposts to help with relief efforts. Learn more here.
AmeriCares
The relief organization is sending medical aid for 20,000 survivors, including antibiotics, wound care supplies and pain relievers. AmeriCares is also giving funds to local organizations to purchase supplies. Learn more here.World Vision
The organization is providing food, water and hygiene kits at the evacuation centers. World Vision was also still actively responding to last month’s earthquake in Bohol, which luckily was not struck by the eye of the storm. Learn more here.ShelterBox
ShelterBoxprovides families with a survival kit that includes a tent and other essential items while they are displaced or homeless. Learn more here.UNICEF
Anticipating that children will likely be among the worst affected by the typhoon, UNICEF is working on getting essential medicines, nutrition supplies, safe water and hygiene supplies to children and families in the area. Learn more here.Salvation Army
100 percent of all disaster donations will be used for relief efforts and “to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors.” Text TYPHOON to 80888 to Donate $10 or give online. Learn more here.
Habitat for Humanity is calling for donations via its Re-Build Philippines drive.
—————————————————-
DONATION DRIVES (LOCAL):
Here’s an extensive list of places and people who are accepting donations, care of Rappler. Click it to see the (very long) list.
Sun.Star provides a list of organizations and institutions collecting donations for the victims.
A number of donation drives organized by universities (I’ll add more as I see them):
UP Diliman
UP Diliman (for monetary donations)
UP Manila
La Salle
Ateneo
UST Conservatory of Music
My friend The Komiks Reporter is holding a toy/comics donation drive at Komikon this Saturday, you guys might wanna drop by (or bring something to give if you were planning to attend, anyway).
PAWS is also accepting donations.
From GMA Kapuso Foundation (click to enlarge):
From UNICEF (click to enlarge):
From McDonald’s (click to enlarge):
From Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (click to enlarge):
From Yabu (this is happening this coming Wednesday) – (click to enlarge):
The 1000 Bear Hugs Project (click to enlarge; photo source is here):
From Rock Ed Philippines – New underwear drive (click to enlarge):
From Mayad Studios (click to enlarge):
From the UP Cadet Alumni Association (click to enlarge):
Related articles
- How you can help Typhoon Haiyan survivors (worldnews.nbcnews.com)
- Support for those affected by Typhoon Haiyan (redcrosstalks.wordpress.com)
- Inquirer launches relief drive to help typhoon victims (newsinfo.inquirer.net)
- Following Philippines Typhoon Haiyan, Here’s How You Can Help (huffingtonpost.com)
- Here’s how to help with relief effort in Philippines (twitchy.com)
- 190. Our Family Needs Us..Please Share This (toinspirefromwithin.com)
Something about passive-aggression.
Few things in this world are as satisfying as passive-aggression.
There’s something so appealing about being able to forge all of your anger, frustration, and irritation into a magnificent longsword of unspecified hatred, swiftly cutting through the air while targeting no one in particular…and impressing absolutely no one at all. With the power to release all your pent-up negative emotions comes the illusion that you’d be able to hurt anyone aside from yourself by refusing to face your enemies.
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are the best places to leave your intentionally ambiguous time bombs. Using passive-aggressive status messages and tweets, you can pretty much say anything you want about whoever’s currently pissing you off without the need to actually pinpoint your target. It’s even better when your implied (but never explicitly stated!) target happens to be your very own friend. Or “frenemy”. Whichever works for you.
Being passive-aggressive requires little to no writing skill. All you need are two things: (a) barely-contained anger and (b) an impressive lack of balls. Fighting the urge to be passive-aggressive, however, can be quite challenging. “You have made me mad, Random Friend, and for that, you must suffer eventhoughIdon’twanttoaddressyoudirectlybecauseofsocialreasons!”
I took a nice, long look at my News Feed, and I decided that there’s more than enough negativity out there already, and that I shouldn’t be contributing to it anymore.
I created a Word document (hidden, of course) where I could paste any passive-aggressive tweets or status messages, instead of clicking the “Post” button and giving the world access to more of my dirty laundry. Hopefully I’ll end up with much happier profile pages, which I think would actually be quite refreshing. Think about it – how many times have we looked at our posting history and cringed? “I can’t believe I posted that, oh my God, I was such a stupid kid.” “Man, the fangs on that passive-aggressive rant were so sharp, I should change the post title to ‘Bela Lugosi’.” And so on. At the end of the year, I’ll take one look at it, laugh, and then delete it. I’ll keep doing it every year until the time comes when I won’t have to make one anymore.
Now, I’m probably the last guy anyone would want to talk to about anger management. I always believed that I was (and still am) the worst candidate for accidental super-powers, because I just *know* I’d use them to get back at every single person who ever took a dump on my life, personal and career-wise. I have more issues than a comic book store, and while my parents did their best to raise a “God-fearing, God-loving” (as my father used to say) child, I don’t quite have the same level of self-restraint as, say, Peter Parker. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that maybe this latest idea of mine is something you could try as well. Who knows, it might work for you, too. It’s a small step, sure, but it’s a step nonetheless.
(Of course, angry posts and stories are a different story, especially if I can make some comedy diamonds out of all that rage-coal. That’s what this blog is for, after all.)
Being happy isn’t just a choice – it’s the best damn choice you could ever pick. It’s time to choose, don’t you think?
——————————–
In other news, OH MY GOD I THINK I JUST SCORED A SECOND JOB. Thank you, baby Jesus.
“The creative process”
AKA “What usually goes on inside my head whenever I try to write or draw.”
Joke’s on you, Symbiote of Self-Doubt. I believe I won *this* round.
Time to start peeling.
What’s this blog about, you ask? (If you aren’t curious, just pretend you are. Come on. Work with me here.)
Yeah, keep reading and find out.
(The About section might be of some help.)
Kyle's Corner 