Dimmed

On my way home every night I wait for the elevator and look out at the Empire State Building. Usually the top tiers are lit up in different colors according to special events and holidays. I can see the flashes of tourists taking photos from the observation deck and count each flash as lucky. Last night was the first time there was nothing. In support of Haiti and the Haitian people, I'm sure.

Wyclef Jean has set up direct relief efforts to which you can donate $5 by texting.

"Cell phone users may make a $10 donation by texting the word "HAITI" to the number 90999, The donation will appear on the user's cell phone bill." I haven't done extensive checking on the veracity of this but I did get a notification via Twitter from the Red Cross saying that the cell phone companies do not take a cut of this, the full $10 goes to the Red Cross specifically for the Haitian relief effort.

This post via San Diego Momma details a few ways you can help, including Unicef. Baldsug's company works with Unicef and he has also recommended it as a safe and reliable way to assist.

If you're interested in what the White House has to say and do at this time, it's here.

If you're interested in what Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh have to say then you should be heartily ashamed of yourself and hope to all that is holy that you're never in a position to require international aid.

I woke up this morning to no hot water. It made me cranky just because I had to go out in the world and look presentable and I feel wrong in my skin and ashamed of my wild hair. Hard to work up a good head of steam on the topic, though, given that people are trying desperately to dig strangers out from under rubble with their bare hands.

Let's be careful out there. And kind.