Triple check where you are giving to:

http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/03/11/1637218/Prepare-For-Massive-Wave-of-Earthquake-Scams

George Takei tweeted:

https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/46284232938618880

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=1267460839&df_id=4988&4988.donation=form1

my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this horrifying earthquake and tsunami.  

Now a volcano just erupted there earlier today too. Poor Japan just can't catch a break!

My room mate's brother lives there, about 100 miles North of where the tsunami hit. My room mate is actually leaving this week to go visit him, assuming nothing else happens and the Tokyo airport doesn't close.

And another earthquake...  :(

May sound like the priorities are in the wrong places, but everyone has to assume that this will all eventually pass. I don't think there is anything wrong with someone having the foresight to try to ensure that once all this is over people can resume their lives in a Japan that at least somewhat resembles the one they lived in prior to this disaster. 

now there is fear of a nuclear meltdown.     : (  

Yeah... that'll probably happen...

:(

there are some really sick people out there.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-world-asia/20110315/AS.Japan.Earthquake.Hoax/

and Glen Beck is a bleep-hole.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/03/14/2011-03-14_glenn_beck_japan_earthquake_could_be_message_from_god_to_follow_the_ten_commandm.html

Bingowings said:

If a lefty stand up comedian did a routine about the current Japanese tragedy it would be held up as an example of how liberals were out of control and beyond the pale.

Already been done.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/50-cents-japanese-earthquake_n_835280.html

I think about an equally amount of fuss or lack there of has been expressed in both situations. And I think it hardly matters. I for one am extremely grateful that Beck can queef his heart out on the radio while 50 Cent can be a complete insensitive asshole and crack jokes about the situation via his gay ass Twitter account. Freedom of speech! Brilliant stuff! And best of all, it lets us see people for what they really are, we know both Beck and 50 Cent are pretty ridiculous individuals, some will take them seriously, some will have no respect for them, in the end, no harm done.

Regardless of the fact that I think they are both idiots, and have zero interest in hearing what either of them have to say, the day Beck is forced off the air for the things he says, or the day 50 Cent's Twitter account his closed on account of his comments, will be an extremely depressing day for me.

I should have said it before, I will say it now.   50 Cent is also a bleep-hole.

CP3S said:the day Beck is forced off the air for the things he says, or the day 50 Cent's Twitter account his closed on account of his comments, will be an extremely depressing day for me.

it would be extremely depressing and upsetting if the government forced Glen off the air on account of his comments.    The radio and tv networks did so(without government being involved in any way shape or form), that would be another story.   Sames goes if he got kicked of the air because people stopped listening to him.     He had the right to say and think what he wants, but that doesn't mean the radio and tv networds have to keep employing him.  

Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

 it illuminates how fair and balanced they are.

*coughs uncontrollably* 

Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

...

So the two situations aren't comparable. 

But they ARE comparable in that one is an idiot with rightish ideals and the other is an idiot with more leftish ideals and they are both saying dumb shit that is accessible to the public. I think they should be allowed to do so on their soap box of choice. What Warb said is invalid, that is the free market and has nothing to do with freedom of speech. I am glad they can say whatever dumb crap they want to say, but I don't want/need to hear it.

I really hate that this discussion is taking place in this thread, too. Really isn't the place for it. If anyone feels the need to continue this would be a valid moment to made a new thread or to bump the politics one.

CP3S said:

I really hate that this discussion is taking place in this thread, too. Really isn't the place for it. If anyone feels the need to continue this would be a valid moment to made a new thread or to bump the politics one.

 

I apologize for starting the conversation here.   It it hereby moved to the politics thread

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Politics/post/483426/#TopicPost483426

Thanks for the support, guys.

I'm not sure what the media is reporting overseas (living in Japan since '06), but I hope they're informing the rest of the world just how wonderful the Japanese have been in the face of this disaster.  NO riots.  NO violence.  NO finger pointing.  Everybody waits in line for their rations and just generally tries to have everything run as smooth as possible.  The rest of the world could learn a very valuable lesson from this.

People crack jokes about how "immature" Japanese culture is, but when the shit hits the fan, they act like better humans than a lot of countries I could name.  Makes me proud to live here (sorry friends and family, I will not be "coming home" any time soon).

From what little English language news reports I've seen, it looks like they're just trying to scare the crap out of everybody (fear sells and all that).

Thanks again for your thoughts.

eiyosus said:

From what little English language news reports I've seen, it looks like they're just trying to scare the crap out of everybody (fear sells and all that).

I have been getting that impression from my room mate's brother too (who, as mentioned earlier in this thread, lives in Japan). He has exhibited similar sentiments to you and said he has no intention of leaving his friends and his Japanese fiance and her family to flee to America. American media tends to be really sensationalist. Like you said, fear sells.

Also, sounds like they are doing a hell of a job keeping those power plants contained.

I never got the idea that the American was trying to scare the hell out of people in their coverage of the quake.   While I have not seen coverage of the lack of riots or violence,  I have also not seen coverage where they tried to imply that there was riots violence. 

In any case, the Japanese should be proud of how they are reacting to this crisis.   They are in my thoughts and prayers.