Red Cross text donations pass $21M

Red Cross started an electronic campaign to raise money for the earthquake survivors shortly after the quake hit Haiti. In all of 2009, only 4 million dollars was raised by similar texting fundraisers. The texting fundraiser for Haiti raised 3 million dollars in the first 24 hours of its campaign and has topped 21 million on Sunday night. The Red Cross got its message out through Twitter, Facebook and other online media. The NFL games on Sundays also sponsored the fundraiser by showing a commercial encouraging people to text a donation to the Red Cross. People text "Haiti" to the number 90999. They will then recieve a text back with donation verifications which will then be added to their phone bill at the end of the month. Apple has also helped the cause. It is now possible to donate up to $50 on itunes to the Red Cross. Also, Apple applications designers got together and decided to donate all of they money that they made in one day from selling apps to the Red Cross. Money is continuing to pour in, but many people have yet to be saved.


I think this is just astounding. Even with the economy in a slump I think that it is inspiring that people are coming together to do something about the disaster in Haiti. Not everyone can go to Haiti to help search for survivors, but everyone can donate 1 dollar to the Red Cross to help buy food, water, and supplies for the people down in Haiti who are without homes and resources. This in fact has inspired me to donate which I will do right now.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/18/redcross.texts/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

An e-mail from Haiti, then minutes later, a nightmare

Ken Bourland was in Haiti for military work. He was staying at the Hotel Montana near Port-au-Prince. Ten minutes before the earthquake hit he had sent any email to his wife Peggy, who lives in South Florida, that he was all settled in and doing great. The earthquake shattered the Hotel Montana. This hotel was a common stay place for tourists and visitors. In recent days students from South Florida's Lynn University have been recovered from the rubble of the hotel so there is still room for optimism. Like thousands of others, all Peggy can do right now is wait and hope to hear from her husband.



This earthquake is becoming more devastating by the minute. Not only has it destroyed the capital of Haiti but it has potentially devastated the lives of thousands of people who have lost loved ones to the quake. Reading all of these stories I want to fly down to Haiti and just search for people and dig through rubble. Since they don't have enough help to search for people, survivors might die. It is hard to just sit back and watch all of this going on in the news. Natural disastors are so extremely devastating because there is no one to blame and no allies to ask for help. I just hope that the survivors of the quake that are buried in the rubble are found in time before they die from starvation or dehydration.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/17/airforce.major.missing/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Communication breakdown increases heartache of Haiti quake

Communication lines are still down in Haiti. People who have loved ones who were there at the time of the earthquake are becoming more worried fromt he lack in response or contact from their family members and friends. Very few phone calls are going through but some people are able to text or use the internet to get a hold of the outside world. Many people waiting for contact have used the CNN iReport Web to post a blog of pictures and information of their missing loved ones. Johanna Neyra is searching for his cousin and wife. Naeemah Carre is trying to locate her brother and six other relatives. Marie Aline Sillice has not yet heard from her father or cousin who were in Haiti the time of the quake. Chico and Kathleen Boyer are anxiously waiting for contact from their daughter who moved to Haiti two weeks ago. These are just a miniscule portion of the thousands of peope waiting to hear the fate of the people they love who fell to the earthquake. Nothing can give them their answer but time.



This would be such a devastating thing to experiance. I think about how freaked out my parents get when they think about me going to college and not knowing where I am all the time. I can't imagine how they would feel if I was in a different country and they didn't know whether i was dead or alive. The days must just drag on for these people as they sit and anxiously wait, praying that their family member or friend is alive! What cruel punishment time can be sometimes. I think that the best option for communication is going to be through TV cameras reporting from down there. Someone should start keeping track of the people who are alive and post the name list on a blog so that people are able to view it here. I just hope that people keep in mind that American's aren't the only ones who've been devasted by the earthquake. The people of Haiti have just experianced the loss of their homeland and they are going to need all the help they can get to clean it up and repair their country.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/14/haiti.communication.breakdown/index.html?iref=allsearch

Churches, groups worry about members missing in Haiti

About 45,000 American's were in Haiti during the time the earthquake hit. Many of which are missionaries from chruches in the U.S. Anxious parents and family members of loved ones in Haiti are waiting for contact from them. Many mission groups, along with college students make up the majority of the American population in Haiti at the time of the quake. A message from one of the churches websites reassured families that it is perfectly normal for there to be a two to three day lag after a major natural disaster such as this. As the death toll climbs, more bodies are being found both dead and alive. There are many survival stories of American missionaries being dug out of ruble they have been under for more than 10 hours. Two parents of children who were recoverd from ruble stated during a press conference that others need to focus on the people still missing more than the people being found. There are many more people buried underneath the ruble that our children to parents also.

As much as I care about American's being found and safe, I think it's a little strange that we're focusing on the American's in Haiti instead of the native people of Haiti who account for a much larger number. Sometimes I feel like American's think they are more important, or "more worth saving." The country of Haiti has been devastated and it is going to take a huge effort to clean it up. This effort has to come from other countries as well. Haiti is most definately not the richest country and without other's help, there is no way they are going to be able to restore their country.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/13/haiti.missing.americans/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Google reports China-based attack, says pullout possible

Google, the world's largest search engine, has reported that they may have to shut down their corporation in China. Google, along with 20 other companies, have been targeted in a highly planned out attack to try and gain access to email accounts of some human rights activists of the U.S. Europe and China. David Drummond, senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer for Google, reported that they do not believe that attackers achieved that goal. In China, due to law, Google has to censor their searches. With the added attacks Google no longer wants to put up with China. As a result, Google may have to shut down their offices in China. As of right now, Google is negotiating with the Chinese government to see if they can lift the censorship of their searches while still abiding to the law. If that is not possible, Google will remove itself from China.

It seems like people are finding more and more ways to access other's email, facebook, or any online account and I think it is slightly terrifying. There is so many ways someone could manipulate another by getting ahold of information in accounts like that. I think that people have to be more careful with passwords, online shopping and the information they put online because I don't think people realize how accessible to others it is. Reading this will make me think twice about putting information on the internet from now on.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/12/google.china/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

30 injured in Hong Kong acid attack

Last Saturday night, Hong Kong police arrested a man who they believe is responsible for the acid attack that occured that night at a popular tourist location. The man reportedly threw two bottles of corrosive acid on shoppers from a top a building. Thirty people were wounded. The man, who was in his thirties, was found on the roof of a building with two bottle caps in his pocket. There have been four previous acid attacks in recent months. The police suspect that this same man may be linked to these attacks as well. In the all of the attacks, large touristy areas near busy shopping districts have been targeted. The majority of the attacks involved the same method of throwing bottles of acid off of a rooftop similar to the most recent attack.

This incident makes me wonder if this man is targeting tourists or just people in general. It seems pretty strange that a man would perform this kind of destructive act without some type of motive. An attack by acid isn't too common, at least in America, and it sounds extremely painful. It could be concluded that this man has some personal mental issues. I hope that the police can figure out the motive and direction behind these attacks so no further victims are burned by acid.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/10/hong.kong.acid.attack/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

U.S., Britain close embassies in Yemen

Theats from al Qaeda just keep coming. Threats from the terrorist group on the Arabian Penninsula promted U.S. and Britain to close their embassies because the threat lead them to believe that an attack may be targeted there. The decision to close the embassy was made because it is very important to keep America's diplomats and citizens abroad safe according to John Brennan, an assistant to the president for homeland security. The U.S. is trying to work out the situation with the Yemeni government. Britain said they also closed their embassy for security reasons. The Nigerian man who tried to detonate an explosive on the flight from the Netherlands to Detroit was thought to be linked to an al Qaeda group based in Yemen which the al Qaeda group later claimed as true. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown enforced the fact that these youngh people have been radicalized and aren't thinking clearly. He stated that security measures of course will be strenghthened but, "we're fighting a battle for hearts and minds ehre as much as everything else." The al Qaeda group responsible for the potential bomb on the plane said they were merely retaliating for the airstrikes against them on Dec. 17th and Dec. 24th. These airstrikes were precaution for an alleged attack against the U.S. embassies in Yemen said a U.S. military official. Head of U.S. Central Command, David Petraeus spoke with the Yemen President last Saturday. The President expressed his gratitude towards the U.S. and thanked them for their help in the fight agains terrorism. He also said he would continue to support the U.S. and would continue to provide assitance in counterterrorism strikes. Also on Saturday President Obama reenforced his promise to "disrupt, dismantle, and defeat" al Qaeda. AbdulMutallab, the man who attempted a suicide bombing on Northwest Airlines on Christmas Day, was apparently trained by al Qaeda on the Arabian Penninsula. He was then strapped with explosives and given directions to bomb the plane. Brennan told CNN that al Qaeda is still a major threat even though the U.S. has succeeded in beating down its forces. They will continue to do everything they can to diminish al Qaeda's forces not only in Yemen but all over the Middle East.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/01/03/yemen.us.embassy/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29


After reading this I'm starting to feel like this war against terrorism is getting to be too much for us to handle. We are no longer targeting one person or group. Organizations from all over the Middle East are targeting the U.S. and we have no idea who all of them are. I also think that we've been on our heels for a little bit and we are very lucky the explosives didn't work on AbdulMutallab on Christmas Day. Al Qaeda also said this response was in retaliation which makes me question the U.S.'s motives in the Middle East. It seems like a lot more bloodshed is taking place then necessary. Peace between all seems like a safer and more probably resolution to me at this point. Again, the question remains: where is the line drawn? The U.S. is trying to not only protect ourselves but help Middle Eastern countries settle arguments and create democratic governments. I feel like one of the main reasons these terrorist groups are targeting us is because they don't like us in their country and we are killing them as well. I do think it is very noble of the U.S. to try and help these third world countries on the other hand. We are definately putting ourselves at risk by doing so, so we are taking a chance to help others.