Sunday, March 13, 2011

Japan

When something like this hits, you never really know where to start. "Thank God I wasnt there" is usually the first thought, followed hard on by "Oh my god, what can I do to help?" — which is then followed by that distinctly human realization that, when faced with a calamity of this scope and magnitude, individually we feel incomprehensibly helpless and frustrated and angry at our helplessness.

I've been watching the videos, as have all of you. I cant imagine what it must be like there right now, save that, for most Japanese, it must be terrifying to know that not only are your loved ones missing and possibly dead, but there are two very powerful nuclear reactors just waiting to explode as well. And should you survive that, there is the horrendous job of cleaning up and trying to put life back in order...

... and I write this while looking at reports of the Wisconsin governor acting like a jerk and Kaddafi desperately clinging to power and Kim Kardashian busting out of a dress two sizes too small for her, as if any of that really matters. And maybe, in a strange, weird way, it's supposed to, to keep our minds off the incomprehensible and the insane. These are, in very real ways, moments that test one's faith in a benevolent God: it's almost impossible right now to think of any possible reason why He would allow so many thousands to die and let the true wastes of flesh and air live on.

But that's an issue for another time, I suppose. In the interim, what we all need to do is pitch in and help. Individually, we cant do much, but together we can at least make it slightly better. So here's my small contribution to the charities that are putting together aid for the Japanese: for the next month, until 13 April, ALL profits from my store will go directly to those charities — and I will match them, dollar for dollar. I doubt it'll come to a whole lot, but it might buy a few dozen blankets and a few cartons of food and medical supplies... which doesnt sound like much, but multiply that a few thousand times and it starts to make a serious contribution.

And in exchange for helping out, you get something new to wear this spring, courtesy my guys. Sound like a good deal?

We'll be back to the fun stuff later today. Think about this... and as always, thanks for reading.

/Sean

1 comment:

  1. It just got worse: Shinmoedake, a volcano that forms part of mount Kirishima, a cluster of about half a dozen volcanoes in south-central Kyushu (the main island furthest from the area hit by the tsunami) has just started erupting for the third time since January 26th, and the fifth time since 2008. The last eruption, on February 1st, was the most powerful in over fifty years.

    Shinmoedake was the setting for the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice".

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