Prayers For The World

I'm sure everyone is sick of all the posts about the earthquake and the tsunami and all the other crazy things happening in the world today, and that we're all really tired of hearing about so-and-so's friend who lives in prefecture-goes-here, right? I assure you this post is quite normal. I'm not about to run around screaming and flailing. I already did that at 4 AM when CNN scared the crap out of me by saying the waves were getting BIGGER on their way toward the west coast of North America.

I forgot that CNN likes to over-dramatize things like that.

In any case. The situation in Japan is NOT over-dramatic. It's very, very serious. I'm also not sure how things look for the rest of the Ring of Fire at the moment as I only just woke up. (This is what happens when I stay up too late watching the news...) However! I DO know that there are ways to help!!

Right now, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to have $10 charged to your phone bill. That donation will do amazing things, guys. The ten bucks I just texted to the Red Cross is going to provide someone with a meal today. Right now, lots of people there are without power, transportation has been halted, fires are raging out of control, and a possible nuclear emergency have all been listed as things that're going on in the world right now.

I urge you all, since I know most of our readers are into anime and video games and J-Pop and all sorts of other Asian media, to do anything you can to aid the country that brings us all of the wonderful things that we enjoy in our own respective countries. Every little bit counts in supporting the Japanese people in their time of need.

Another amazing thing I saw last night was a twitter post that had been sent around in hopes that people would realize the nature of this crisis. A man working in the NHK building tweeted the following:

死にたくない。
>I don't want to die.
痛い。
>It hurts.
痛みで発狂しそうだ。
>I'm going mad with pain.

Later, someone began translating his posts on Babelfish or Google Translate (not sure which) and we saw these appearing:

># Aftershocks began to emit intense pain. ... Abdominal injury. Die. It hurts. The angle of the server, I can see tears in the belly Meri込N. Leg cramps are painful. I have a faint several times, and waking in pain. Someone noticed me out of movable finger. Die. It hurts. Likely to be mad with pain. I'm in the server room. 8 minutes ago via web

># Pain, skin may be torn. Severe blood loss. I have heard a voice from outside, would be more trouble trying to calm down. Twisting themselves many times in pain, unable to escape, but speech is leaking from his mouth in pain. Not words. It hurts. If someone feels like it, Do not you think I'm Eru tea completely erase the pain. 12 minutes ago via web

># When an earthquake occurs, but was in-house server room, rack collapsed. Crushing the abdomen, blood is flowing. Ouch, somebody help me. Deformation of the door to a steady flow of information is everyone moving to the site shall be broadcast stream. Too late. Move only the arm, can not breathe. Can not call for help. 19 minutes ago via web


The reason why this had me floored is because this is the very first positive thing I have had to say about twitter EVER. It can actually be used in a time of crisis to help people find each other, and perhaps even alert rescue teams to people's locations while they're buried under rubble and debris. If other cellphone markets don't jump on this, I can tell you I will be very, very angry.

I hope this man's life is saved, and I pray for him, although I am not so sure if he'll be okay. I think that his example, while tragic, is something that can inspire hope. Supposing other people start tweeting to find each other. Then we might even have regular citizens across the globe helping each other when they're separated or trapped or in need of rescue.

I immediately though of Eden of the East, an anime that hinted at the sheer power of wireless connectivity. If you haven't yet watched the series, I urge you to do so. It's inspiring in the same way that I get an adrenaline rush and suddenly feel very, very small when I see a ten meter wall of water tumbling across a once busy city street in Tokyo, when I see a refinery tower in Chiba literally EXPLODE before my eyes, when satellite pictures show me just how HUGE this tsunami is all from my television and computer screens. I am floored by not only Mother Nature's fury, but the sheer will of humankind to survive.

That's why I'm not just thinking of Japan today. Right now, my prayers are for Taiwan, the Philippines, Hawaii, the west coast of Canada and Mexico as well as the United States, Central America, countless Pacific islands whose names I can't even list because I don't even know them all, China, Hong Kong, Russia, and even BEYOND the Ring of Fire.

My prayers are for the world.

And that means they're for you too, no matter how far apart we may be.