With special permission from zexen, the thread gets promoted from the vague off-topic section to completely unrelated gaming section... given that it's important enough for it!
Yesterday afternoon, a major 9.0 (richter scale) quake shook and washed Japan, taking a significant (and rapidly rising) death toll. The country, as you can see above, is absolutely devastated, with airports annihilated, houses razed, relatives lost, and a nuclear power plant on the fritz (keep following the news for more on that!). Watching NHK World and reading the pictorial news pieces is quite scary, and will not leave anyone indifferent to the damage incurred. As such, every single able person should donate to Japan's recovery. Help the country remember these moments as moments of strength, advent, and unity, rather than misery and weakness.
I've found, so far, two reliable sources for donations - http://www.redcross.org/ - the American Red Cross (for you north Americans) and http://www.globalgiving.org/ - for everybody. Any amount that the two sites allow will obviously help... globalgiving accepts PayPal, too, for your convenience needs.
If anyone finds any more good pictures/donation methods, CONTACT ME, I'll add them up to the OP. Show your finest side here, VGChartz.
- Note: funds not used for Japan will be used for other important causes!
- you can donate through Amazon here - http://www.amazon.com/, on the top right corner. Thanks to makingmusic!
- Dutch members can donate through the Dutch Red Cross here: http://www.rodekruis.nl/doneren/Paginas/steun-de-slachtoffers-in-japan.aspx
- More international options through here - http://woonsocket.patch.com/articles/how-to-help-japan-earthquake-relief-options-2
- Americares and Save the Children are also accepting donations: https://secure.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6239465/k.544E/Childrens_Emergency_Fund/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?msource=wenlpaqk0311 , http://www.americares.org/newsroom/news/massive-earthquake-tsunami-devastates-japan.html .
- Play-Asia is now also helping in the relief effort, offically through the Hong Kong Red Cross - check the site - http://www.play-asia.com/ , it's another good way to get videogames and help people.
- Bungie has launched its "Ganbarre Nippon" (roughly "do your best, Japan") campaign yesterday, in which you can donate $5 to Japan by buying a wristband with said phrase in Japanese. Available on their website here - http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=QuakeRelief2011 and on Amazon, as far as I know.
SATURDAY UPDATE:
With grief there's hope, and as the death toll rises to 7200, filling up the morgues to no avail and the missing are now presumed at 10900, the radiocative threat is being fought off and subsided - reactor no'3 was successfully cooled down by fire trucks, pouring water on it for three hours, averting its extremely dangerous status somewhat. A power cable was also connected to reactor no'2 with the purpose of exhilirating its cooling system, and the engineers hope to do the same with all four reactors by tomorrow.
