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Friday, May 31, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Donate to the victims of the Oklahoma tornado.
How to help Oklahoma tornado victims
 |
A teacher hugs a child at
Briarwood Elementary school after a tornado destroyed the school in
south Oklahoma City, Monday, May 20, 2013.
By Suzanne Choney, Contributing Writer, NBC News The loss of life and stunning devastation in Oklahoma City suburbs after a monster tornado ripped through the area are heart-wrenching. "The streets are just gone. The signs are just gone," said Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, after she toured the area by helicopter Tuesday. And many, many relief organizations are getting the message out on how to help. American Red Cross The Red Cross has set up shelters in various communities. You can donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund here, and the organization also suggests giving blood at your local hospital or blood bank. Fundraising efforts were buoyed Tuesday by a $1 million pledge from Kevin Durant, of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team, via his family foundation. If you're searching for a missing relative, check Red Cross Safe & Well's site. And please register if you're within the disaster region. The site is designed to make communication easier after a tragedy like this. If you want to send a $10 donation to the Disaster Relief fund via text message, you can do so by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. As in the case with other donations via mobile, the donation will show up on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your balance if you have a prepaid phone. You need to be 18 or older, or have parental permission, to donate this way. (If you change your mind, text the word STOP to 90999.)
The Red Cross also accepts frequent flier
miles as donations. Delta, United Airlines and US Airways partner with
the Red Cross throughout the year, which uses miles to help get
volunteers and staff to key locations during disasters. (Note: The
donation is not tax-deductible as the IRS considers it a gift.) For
Delta, email: delta.bids@delta-air.com with your SkyMiles number, the
number of miles you want to donate, and specify the Red Cross as the
charity. You can donate miles online at United Airlines Donate Your Miles and US Airways Dividend Miles.
Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095.
OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund
The state of Oklahoma, coordinating with the United Way of Central Oklahoma, on Tuesday established the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund to help "with the long-term medical, emotional and educational needs of victims of the May 20 tornado in Moore and the May 19 tornado near Shawnee."
Donations can be made online at UnitedWayOKC.org.
Phone: 1-405-236-8441.
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, working with the Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is seeking monetary donations. To donate, visit the regional food bank's website, or give $10 by texting the word FOOD to 32333.
Phone: 1-405-972-1111
This organization says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." It is requesting monetary donations (It says clothing is NOT needed). For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website. You can send checks to: BGCO, Attn: Disaster Relief, 3800 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK., 73112. Salvation Army The Salvation Army is organizing disaster response units to serve hard-hit areas in central Oklahoma, including Moore, where it is sending mobile kitchens that can serve meals to 2,500 people a day, and to South Oklahoma City. In Little Axe, Okla., the organization said, the army's Central Oklahoma Area Command Disaster Service Unit was busy feeding breakfast, lunch and dinner to people, "even as one of our Salvation Army family member's home was destroyed." Supporters can donate online via the organization's website, SalvationArmyUSA.org. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation via cellphone. If you want to send a check, the Salvation Army asks that you put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail it to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK., 73157. Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). Feed the Children Feed the Children has set up five locations in Oklahoma City to accept donations to help victims of the Moore tornado. The organization is accepting items including diapers, canned goods, non-perishable food, snack items, water and sports drinks. The organization is also supporting mobile canteens in partnership with the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. You can donate online, or make a $10 donation by texting the word DISASTER to 80888. Phone: 1-800-627-4556 United Way of Central Oklahoma A disaster relief fund is being activated as of May 21 so that individuals can specifically donate to tornado relief-and-recovery efforts, the organization says on its site. "Financial contributions are the best way to help unless otherwise requested." Donations can be made online at United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Disaster Relief Fund is open. Donations may be made online here. Checks, with a notation of "May Tornado Relief" can also be sent to the United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK , 73101. Feeding America Through its network of more than 200 food banks, Feeding America, whose mission is to "feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks," says it will deliver truckloads of food, water and supplies to communities in need, in Oklahoma, and will also "set up additional emergency food and supply distribution sites as they are needed." You can donate online here. Phone: 1-800-910-5524. Operation USA The international relief group, based in Los Angeles, says it is "readying essential material aid — emergency, shelter and cleaning supplies" to help Oklahoma's community health organizations and schools recover. You can donate online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word AID to 50555. Checks should be sent to: Operation USA, 7421 Beverly Blvd., PH, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Phone: 1-800-678-7255. Convoy of Hope The Missouri-based nonprofit organization has done work in other disasters, including the Haiti earthquake, with a mission of getting food and water to those after disaster strikes. Now it's doing the same for Moore, Okla. You can donate online here. Convoy of Hope is also going the crowd-sourced route, using HopeMob, a site similar to Kickstarter but for raising money to help disaster victims and others in need, which charges no fees to the organizations that use it. Convoy of Hope's goal on the site is to raise $15,000 in seven days to help Moore. "Why 7 days? In these first 7 days the town of Moore, OK will be consumed with clearing out destruction and accessing their needs," HopeMob says on its site. "Once those needs are known we want to be able to give them the funds to help them rebuild in the long term." Phone: 1-800-988-0664 Direct Relief The Santa Barbara, Calif.-based, non-profit organization provides medical assistance and personal hygiene items to those hurt in disasters, as well as in other circumstances. "So far we have heard from health center partners responding in Oklahoma and are preparing an emergency shipment to help support the efforts there. Direct Relief has been receiving requests for emergency supplies, personal care and protection items — including hygiene supplies, infection control products, gloves, soap, shampoo, deodorant, sanitary napkins, diapers, wipes and formula," said Kerri Murray, Direct Relief vice president, in an email. To donate, visit DirectRelief.org. Phone: 1-800-676-1638 AmeriCares The Emergency Response team for AmeriCares is in Oklahoma, "coordinating deliveries of emergency aid and assessing the needs of survivors and health care organizations in the disaster area." Since 1982, the Connecticut-based nonprofit has delivered medicine, medical supplies and aid to those in need around the world and across the United States. You can donate online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word LIVE to 25383. Checks or money orders can be mailed to: AmeriCares, 88 Hamilton Ave., Stamford, CT 06902. Phone: 1-800-486-HELP (1-800-486-4357) Operation Blessing International Humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International, which last week coordinated more than 500 volunteers in Granbury, Texas, after that area was hit by a tornado, is working with The Home Depot and dispatching a construction unit, mobile command center, trucks with tools and supplies and a team of construction foremen to Moore. Late Monday, Operation Blessing International also "loaded and deployed two tractor-trailer truckloads of food and emergency relief supplies from its warehouse in Dallas, Texas, in partnership with the humanitarian organization, Mercury One," said a Operation Blessing spokeswoman. The Virginia Beach-based group's online link for donations is here. Phone: 1-800-730-2537 Samaritan's Purse The international Christian relief organization focuses on cleaning and repairing damaged homes and sent two disaster relief units from North Wilkesboro, N.C. to Oklahoma Tuesday. "The tractor-trailers are stocked with heavy-duty plastic, chainsaws, generators, and other tools and equipment. The units also will serve as command centers for the response," Samaritan's Purse says on its website. You can donate online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word SP to 80888. Phone: 1-800-528-1980 United Methodist Committee on Relief The committee works with local United Methodist churches and trained disaster response workers to help with cleanup and rebuilding, pastoral counseling and support for children and youth who have been through trauma. You can donated online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word RESPONSE to 80888. Phone: 1-800-554-8583 LifeChurch.tv Life Church.tv, which describes itself as "Oklahoma's largest evangelical church," says its Oklahoma City metro locations will accept donations of items over the next week, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and distribute them to tornado victims. Among the items needed: Toiletries, diapers, wipes, formula, baby bottles, new clothing, new shoes, and bags, backpacks or plastic tubs for carrying items. You can also donate money online by visiting LifeChurch.tv, or by texting the word RELIEF to 86613, and selecting an amount you would like to donate. Phone: 1-405-216-7054 Jewish Federations of North America The Jewish Federations of North America is working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma, which is coordinating efforts with a local food bank, Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. The Jewish Federations of North America has established an Oklahoma City Tornado Relief fund. Donors can contribute online here. Checks can also be sent to the JFNA national mailbox at: The Jewish Federations of North America, Wall Street Station, P.O. Box 148, New York, NY, 10268. Please indicate "JFNA Oklahoma City Tornado Relief Fund" on all checks or in the designation box online. Oklahoma Tornado Relief 2013 The Oklahoma Tornado Relief 2013 fundraising effort is being done through a crowd-sourced effort using Fundly, a website for fundraising, akin to HopeMob, mentioned above. On the site, you'll find various fundraising causes to help tornado victims, and can choose which you'd like to support. DonorsChoose.orgDonorsChoose.org is creating a special online fund to collect donations for the teachers and schools of Moore, Okla., to help respond and rebuild. Donors Choose will work with the teachers of Moore to assess what they need for their classrooms and allow them to identify the real-time solutions and supplies their community and their students need: everything from clothing for their students to first-aid kits. To donate, visit www.donorschoose.org And a note of caution ... Emotions are running high, understandably, in light of the awful news from Oklahoma. Many of us want to help in some way. But this vulnerable time is also rife with and ripe for scammers who want to prey on your emotions and wallet. They may seek you out via email, knock on your door, or even try to get you to give money via Facebook. The Federal Trade Commission has guidelines about charity donations, including these tips:
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How Xbox One opens the door for the next Apple TV
The new TV-gadget landscape is just getting started. The Xbox One is just the beginning...and Apple is far from out of the game.
Imagine this.
It's 2014. Apple has gathered everyone together for a special event. As Tim Cook presents, he says, "Today we're introducing three revolutionary new products. The first one is a cable box. The second one is a revolutionary streaming-media device. The third is a new way to play games on your TV. So, three things: a cable box, a streaming box, and a game console. Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device. And we're calling it iTV."
The next Apple TV, that long-fabled product, doesn't exist yet. But it could. And it should. And it's not too late, not by a long shot. In fact, the future-of-TV transformation has yet to be settled, or even determined. It's a mess right now. The door is open. Apple can seize the moment.
If you think the Xbox One jams up Apple's plans, think again. The Xbox One is Apple's best friend. Apple needs the emerging TV landscape to be tackled, and whatever mistakes are made, Apple can improve upon them, and show everyone why that strategy was mistaken. This is the Apple Way. The iPhone was built on old smartphones, the iPad on failed tablets. The landscape now is littered with half-good, half-bad solutions: TiVo, Wii U and TVii, Google TV, Roku, Xbox 360, PS3, even the current Apple TV. None of them truly replaces your cable box. None of them is the true, absolute future of TV.
Yet.
Here's how Apple could do it. If Microsoft's smart, the Xbox One will follow this path, too.
More content: Open up the App Store
One of the iPhone's big keys to success was -- and is -- its massive App Store, with more than 800,000 apps and counting. Compare that with the Apple TV, which currently boasts just 18. (And that's being generous -- I'm counting "Settings" and "Computer Home Sharing.") The current Apple TV lacks any sort of an App Store, by design.
Of course, few people remember that the iPhone had just around 16 apps for its entire first year, before iPhone OS 2.0 ushered in third-party apps in 2008. Like the iPhone, Apple TV's current handful of native apps -- including Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and Podcasts -- show the box's potential. But at some point, Apple TV needs more apps.
Opening the floodgates at long last to great applications -- games, video-streaming apps, even more quasi-competing services like Amazon Instant Video -- will make the Apple TV's ecosystem feel as essential as the iOS App Store. It's time.
Partner with cable and satellite providers to develop 'cable box apps'
On-demand programming from the likes of Netflix and iTunes is great, but live TV -- "linear channels" and live news and sports -- is still the essence of what most people envision when they think of television.
The Xbox One and Google TV address the live TV challenge with an HDMI pass-through design that sucks in content from an existing cable box or DVR. A box piggybacking on another box.
There's an easier way: appify the cable service. Stream all the channels. Offer DVR-style features, like rewind and fast-forward. But make recordings "cloud-based" on-demand offerings instead of a local hard drive.
Apple should make the cable companies partners, not enemies. Create a Comcast app, a Time Warner app, a Cox app, a DirecTV app, a Dish app. The more, the better. Duplicate the live channel offerings, but keep the user within the Apple ecosystem.
Many cable and satellite companies already have apps that do this on the iPad and iPhone. Making the leap to the Apple TV wouldn't be hard.
If the Apple TV works, everyone wins: people stay on cable and want faster broadband. If Apple can work with providers to make superior apps, the Apple TV could make cable a more exciting place to be.
If cable providers drag their feet, then Apple can go over their heads to the content providers themselves. Indeed, the company is already said to be bringing the CW network and HBO Go to the current Apple TV box. (Note: The CW is a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, the latter of which is the parent company of CNET.)
Keep the Apple design influence
Nothing listed above is totally new or original; the Roku and Xbox 360 already offer live TV services from Comcast, Fios, Time Warner, HBO, Epix, and others.
But the Apple TV's content needs to look better than those apps.
Apple's first apps made for the iPhone did a marvelous job taking data from places like Google and Yahoo and knitting it into fantastic-looking software. The first iOS Maps app presaged where Google Maps eventually evolved. Similarly, taking an active hand with cable and video apps on an Apple TV could help lay the landscape for the look of TV apps going forward, and help Apple TV app developers get an idea of where to shoot for.
The result would be a consistent look and feel across all of the video apps -- something sorely lacking on, say, the Roku.
Make a great, easy interface
The future of TV needs to mix both live and on-demand programming in a seamless fashion. But that creates a huge amount of data that the current EPG (electronic programming guide) is ill-equipped to handle.
An Apple TV would be a third interface, neither PC nor touch-screen device. Its needs are specific: you have to design simple navigation, or come up with a way to experience content that makes sense. Cable boxes are rat's nests of confusing menus, and a new world of "cable apps" like HBO Go and products from Xfinity, Time Warner, and Fios, while sometimes useful, funnel users into tiny, controlled worlds. There should be one central interface, and all apps and services should branch from that. Apple did this successfully with the first iPhone and the Apple TV, even if the Apple TV's features are narrow.
While they're at it, the Apple UI wizards need to create a universal search function that works across all of the relevant apps, too.
Develop the killer remote to go with it (but still work with Siri and iOS gadgets)
Waving your hands in front of a TV or yelling at it isn't a pure solution. Neither is looking for a phone or tablet to use with it, or fumbling with a video game controller. I usually default to a remote, which in the case of the Xbox 360 is an aging IR device, and with the PlayStation 3 is a Bluetooth-connected remote that always accidentally turns on.
The Apple TV's flat remote needs an overhaul. If Apple could develop a perfectly designed remote with touch or other elements -- such as game-friendly buttons -- it would help sell the future Apple TV more than anything else. The Wii remote was so innovative, it sold the Wii. Apple's remote needs to be a similarly revolutionary piece of hardware, making the "third interface" of the Apple TV even more seamless to navigate. Of course, having Siri and iOS device support is necessary, too, especially for families and universal access.
If the new remote doubles as a game controller without actually seeming
like one (much like the Wii remote achieved), it'll solve the question
of how to unlock gaming on the Apple TV -- clearly a territory that
Apple could dominate in short order if it follows the casual-games
strategy on iOS. The Roku 3 remote gets close, in theory.
Be the one box
I love some of the current streaming-video products, but mostly as single- or dual-use devices. I need to swap between them: I use my 360 for Netflix, or an Apple TV for iTunes purchases, or a DVR for all the rest of the recorded stuff. And that doesn't even count the regular live TV, which the Xbox One doesn't clearly even seem to handle without, essentially, an HDMI-in passthrough.
To be the ultimate box, you don't need to do everything, you just need to do all the things people want to do most in a way that takes over the roles of multiple gadgets. Of course, some features may not carry over; disc support, for one, seems like the first thing Apple would cast aside on a future Apple TV. I'd be sad about that, but the Roku doesn't have a Blu-ray/DVD drive, either.
Convergence was the iPhone's strategy. That should be the Apple TV strategy. And Microsoft seems to be catching on to the same dream by calling its new console the Xbox One. Whether the Xbox One really is an all-in-one product remains to be seen; for Apple, it's the best hope for cementing a place in a living room that's suddenly in a state of tech flux. The Xbox One's starting the "one box" conversation once again, and Apple should be thankful for the conversation starter.
***via cnet.com
Imagine this.
It's 2014. Apple has gathered everyone together for a special event. As Tim Cook presents, he says, "Today we're introducing three revolutionary new products. The first one is a cable box. The second one is a revolutionary streaming-media device. The third is a new way to play games on your TV. So, three things: a cable box, a streaming box, and a game console. Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device. And we're calling it iTV."
The next Apple TV, that long-fabled product, doesn't exist yet. But it could. And it should. And it's not too late, not by a long shot. In fact, the future-of-TV transformation has yet to be settled, or even determined. It's a mess right now. The door is open. Apple can seize the moment.
If you think the Xbox One jams up Apple's plans, think again. The Xbox One is Apple's best friend. Apple needs the emerging TV landscape to be tackled, and whatever mistakes are made, Apple can improve upon them, and show everyone why that strategy was mistaken. This is the Apple Way. The iPhone was built on old smartphones, the iPad on failed tablets. The landscape now is littered with half-good, half-bad solutions: TiVo, Wii U and TVii, Google TV, Roku, Xbox 360, PS3, even the current Apple TV. None of them truly replaces your cable box. None of them is the true, absolute future of TV.
Yet.
Here's how Apple could do it. If Microsoft's smart, the Xbox One will follow this path, too.
More content: Open up the App Store
One of the iPhone's big keys to success was -- and is -- its massive App Store, with more than 800,000 apps and counting. Compare that with the Apple TV, which currently boasts just 18. (And that's being generous -- I'm counting "Settings" and "Computer Home Sharing.") The current Apple TV lacks any sort of an App Store, by design.
Of course, few people remember that the iPhone had just around 16 apps for its entire first year, before iPhone OS 2.0 ushered in third-party apps in 2008. Like the iPhone, Apple TV's current handful of native apps -- including Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and Podcasts -- show the box's potential. But at some point, Apple TV needs more apps.
Opening the floodgates at long last to great applications -- games, video-streaming apps, even more quasi-competing services like Amazon Instant Video -- will make the Apple TV's ecosystem feel as essential as the iOS App Store. It's time.
Partner with cable and satellite providers to develop 'cable box apps'
On-demand programming from the likes of Netflix and iTunes is great, but live TV -- "linear channels" and live news and sports -- is still the essence of what most people envision when they think of television.
The Xbox One and Google TV address the live TV challenge with an HDMI pass-through design that sucks in content from an existing cable box or DVR. A box piggybacking on another box.
There's an easier way: appify the cable service. Stream all the channels. Offer DVR-style features, like rewind and fast-forward. But make recordings "cloud-based" on-demand offerings instead of a local hard drive.
Apple should make the cable companies partners, not enemies. Create a Comcast app, a Time Warner app, a Cox app, a DirecTV app, a Dish app. The more, the better. Duplicate the live channel offerings, but keep the user within the Apple ecosystem.
Many cable and satellite companies already have apps that do this on the iPad and iPhone. Making the leap to the Apple TV wouldn't be hard.
If the Apple TV works, everyone wins: people stay on cable and want faster broadband. If Apple can work with providers to make superior apps, the Apple TV could make cable a more exciting place to be.
If cable providers drag their feet, then Apple can go over their heads to the content providers themselves. Indeed, the company is already said to be bringing the CW network and HBO Go to the current Apple TV box. (Note: The CW is a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, the latter of which is the parent company of CNET.)
Keep the Apple design influence
Nothing listed above is totally new or original; the Roku and Xbox 360 already offer live TV services from Comcast, Fios, Time Warner, HBO, Epix, and others.
But the Apple TV's content needs to look better than those apps.
Apple's first apps made for the iPhone did a marvelous job taking data from places like Google and Yahoo and knitting it into fantastic-looking software. The first iOS Maps app presaged where Google Maps eventually evolved. Similarly, taking an active hand with cable and video apps on an Apple TV could help lay the landscape for the look of TV apps going forward, and help Apple TV app developers get an idea of where to shoot for.
The result would be a consistent look and feel across all of the video apps -- something sorely lacking on, say, the Roku.
Make a great, easy interface
The future of TV needs to mix both live and on-demand programming in a seamless fashion. But that creates a huge amount of data that the current EPG (electronic programming guide) is ill-equipped to handle.
An Apple TV would be a third interface, neither PC nor touch-screen device. Its needs are specific: you have to design simple navigation, or come up with a way to experience content that makes sense. Cable boxes are rat's nests of confusing menus, and a new world of "cable apps" like HBO Go and products from Xfinity, Time Warner, and Fios, while sometimes useful, funnel users into tiny, controlled worlds. There should be one central interface, and all apps and services should branch from that. Apple did this successfully with the first iPhone and the Apple TV, even if the Apple TV's features are narrow.
While they're at it, the Apple UI wizards need to create a universal search function that works across all of the relevant apps, too.
Develop the killer remote to go with it (but still work with Siri and iOS gadgets)
Waving your hands in front of a TV or yelling at it isn't a pure solution. Neither is looking for a phone or tablet to use with it, or fumbling with a video game controller. I usually default to a remote, which in the case of the Xbox 360 is an aging IR device, and with the PlayStation 3 is a Bluetooth-connected remote that always accidentally turns on.
The Apple TV's flat remote needs an overhaul. If Apple could develop a perfectly designed remote with touch or other elements -- such as game-friendly buttons -- it would help sell the future Apple TV more than anything else. The Wii remote was so innovative, it sold the Wii. Apple's remote needs to be a similarly revolutionary piece of hardware, making the "third interface" of the Apple TV even more seamless to navigate. Of course, having Siri and iOS device support is necessary, too, especially for families and universal access.
Be the one box
I love some of the current streaming-video products, but mostly as single- or dual-use devices. I need to swap between them: I use my 360 for Netflix, or an Apple TV for iTunes purchases, or a DVR for all the rest of the recorded stuff. And that doesn't even count the regular live TV, which the Xbox One doesn't clearly even seem to handle without, essentially, an HDMI-in passthrough.
To be the ultimate box, you don't need to do everything, you just need to do all the things people want to do most in a way that takes over the roles of multiple gadgets. Of course, some features may not carry over; disc support, for one, seems like the first thing Apple would cast aside on a future Apple TV. I'd be sad about that, but the Roku doesn't have a Blu-ray/DVD drive, either.
Convergence was the iPhone's strategy. That should be the Apple TV strategy. And Microsoft seems to be catching on to the same dream by calling its new console the Xbox One. Whether the Xbox One really is an all-in-one product remains to be seen; for Apple, it's the best hope for cementing a place in a living room that's suddenly in a state of tech flux. The Xbox One's starting the "one box" conversation once again, and Apple should be thankful for the conversation starter.
***via cnet.com
Supreme x Vans Lampin Preview
Every season sees New York mainstay Supreme align itself with Vans for a series of footwear collaborations. After the wildly successful three-part, Supreme x Vans x COMME des GARCONS SHIRT second collection and the Peter Saville homage range,
Supreme releases a new preview of its forthcoming Vans Lampin
collection via COOL TRANS. A slightly different approach for the brand,
the archival Vans Lampin sees a return in mostly two-tone suede
colorways and looks to be releasing in four options. Stay tuned for
further information as it is likely to be announced soon through Supreme
directly.
*via hypebeast.com
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Donate to the victims of the Oklahoma tornado.
How to help Oklahoma tornado victims
|
A teacher hugs a child at
Briarwood Elementary school after a tornado destroyed the school in
south Oklahoma City, Monday, May 20, 2013.
|
By Suzanne Choney, Contributing Writer, NBC News
The loss of life and stunning devastation in Oklahoma City suburbs after a monster tornado ripped through the area are heart-wrenching. "The streets are just gone. The signs are just gone," said Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, after she toured the area by helicopter Tuesday. And many, many relief organizations are getting the message out on how to help.
American Red Cross
The Red Cross has set up shelters in various communities. You can donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund here, and the organization also suggests giving blood at your local hospital or blood bank. Fundraising efforts were buoyed Tuesday by a $1 million pledge from Kevin Durant, of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team, via his family foundation.
If you're searching for a missing relative, check Red Cross Safe & Well's site. And please register if you're within the disaster region. The site is designed to make communication easier after a tragedy like this.
If you want to send a $10 donation to the Disaster Relief fund via text message, you can do so by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. As in the case with other donations via mobile, the donation will show up on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your balance if you have a prepaid phone. You need to be 18 or older, or have parental permission, to donate this way. (If you change your mind, text the word STOP to 90999.)
The Red Cross also accepts frequent flier
miles as donations. Delta, United Airlines and US Airways partner with
the Red Cross throughout the year, which uses miles to help get
volunteers and staff to key locations during disasters. (Note: The
donation is not tax-deductible as the IRS considers it a gift.) For
Delta, email: delta.bids@delta-air.com with your SkyMiles number, the
number of miles you want to donate, and specify the Red Cross as the
charity. You can donate miles online at United Airlines Donate Your Miles and US Airways Dividend Miles.
Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095.
OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund
The state of Oklahoma, coordinating with the United Way of Central Oklahoma, on Tuesday established the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund to help "with the long-term medical, emotional and educational needs of victims of the May 20 tornado in Moore and the May 19 tornado near Shawnee."
The state of Oklahoma, coordinating with the United Way of Central Oklahoma, on Tuesday established the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund to help "with the long-term medical, emotional and educational needs of victims of the May 20 tornado in Moore and the May 19 tornado near Shawnee."
Donations can be made online at UnitedWayOKC.org.
Phone: 1-405-236-8441.
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, working with the Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is seeking monetary donations. To donate, visit the regional food bank's website, or give $10 by texting the word FOOD to 32333.
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, working with the Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is seeking monetary donations. To donate, visit the regional food bank's website, or give $10 by texting the word FOOD to 32333.
Phone: 1-405-972-1111
This organization says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters."
It is requesting monetary donations (It says clothing is NOT needed). For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website.
You can send checks to: BGCO, Attn: Disaster Relief, 3800 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK., 73112.
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is organizing disaster response units to serve hard-hit areas in central Oklahoma, including Moore, where it is sending mobile kitchens that can serve meals to 2,500 people a day, and to South Oklahoma City.
In Little Axe, Okla., the organization said, the army's Central Oklahoma Area Command Disaster Service Unit was busy feeding breakfast, lunch and dinner to people, "even as one of our Salvation Army family member's home was destroyed."
Supporters can donate online via the organization's website, SalvationArmyUSA.org. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation via cellphone.
If you want to send a check, the Salvation Army asks that you put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail it to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK., 73157.
Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
Feed the Children
Feed the Children has set up five locations in Oklahoma City to accept donations to help victims of the Moore tornado. The organization is accepting items including diapers, canned goods, non-perishable food, snack items, water and sports drinks. The organization is also supporting mobile canteens in partnership with the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.
You can donate online, or make a $10 donation by texting the word DISASTER to 80888.
Phone: 1-800-627-4556
United Way of Central Oklahoma
A disaster relief fund is being activated as of May 21 so that individuals can specifically donate to tornado relief-and-recovery efforts, the organization says on its site.
"Financial contributions are the best way to help unless otherwise requested." Donations can be made online at
United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Disaster Relief Fund is open. Donations may be made online here. Checks, with a notation of "May Tornado Relief" can also be sent to the United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK , 73101.
Feeding America
Through its network of more than 200 food banks, Feeding America, whose mission is to "feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks," says it will deliver truckloads of food, water and supplies to communities in need, in Oklahoma, and will also "set up additional emergency food and supply distribution sites as they are needed." You can donate online here.
Phone: 1-800-910-5524.
Operation USA
The international relief group, based in Los Angeles, says it is "readying essential material aid — emergency, shelter and cleaning supplies" to help Oklahoma's community health organizations and schools recover.
You can donate online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word AID to 50555. Checks should be sent to: Operation USA, 7421 Beverly Blvd., PH, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 1-800-678-7255.
Convoy of Hope
The Missouri-based nonprofit organization has done work in other disasters, including the Haiti earthquake, with a mission of getting food and water to those after disaster strikes. Now it's doing the same for Moore, Okla. You can donate online here. Convoy of Hope is also going the crowd-sourced route, using HopeMob, a site similar to Kickstarter but for raising money to help disaster victims and others in need, which charges no fees to the organizations that use it. Convoy of Hope's goal on the site is to raise $15,000 in seven days to help Moore.
"Why 7 days? In these first 7 days the town of Moore, OK will be consumed with clearing out destruction and accessing their needs," HopeMob says on its site. "Once those needs are known we want to be able to give them the funds to help them rebuild in the long term."
Phone: 1-800-988-0664
Direct Relief
The Santa Barbara, Calif.-based, non-profit organization provides medical assistance and personal hygiene items to those hurt in disasters, as well as in other circumstances.
"So far we have heard from health center partners responding in Oklahoma and are preparing an emergency shipment to help support the efforts there. Direct Relief has been receiving requests for emergency supplies, personal care and protection items — including hygiene supplies, infection control products, gloves, soap, shampoo, deodorant, sanitary napkins, diapers, wipes and formula," said Kerri Murray, Direct Relief vice president, in an email.
To donate, visit DirectRelief.org.
Phone: 1-800-676-1638
AmeriCares
The Emergency Response team for AmeriCares is in Oklahoma, "coordinating deliveries of emergency aid and assessing the needs of survivors and health care organizations in the disaster area."
Since 1982, the Connecticut-based nonprofit has delivered medicine, medical supplies and aid to those in need around the world and across the United States.
You can donate online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word LIVE to 25383. Checks or money orders can be mailed to: AmeriCares, 88 Hamilton Ave., Stamford, CT 06902.
Phone: 1-800-486-HELP (1-800-486-4357)
Operation Blessing International
Humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International, which last week coordinated more than 500 volunteers in Granbury, Texas, after that area was hit by a tornado, is working with The Home Depot and dispatching a construction unit, mobile command center, trucks with tools and supplies and a team of construction foremen to Moore.
Late Monday, Operation Blessing International also "loaded and deployed two tractor-trailer truckloads of food and emergency relief supplies from its warehouse in Dallas, Texas, in partnership with the humanitarian organization, Mercury One," said a Operation Blessing spokeswoman.
The Virginia Beach-based group's online link for donations is here.
Phone: 1-800-730-2537
Samaritan's Purse
The international Christian relief organization focuses on cleaning and repairing damaged homes and sent two disaster relief units from North Wilkesboro, N.C. to Oklahoma Tuesday. "The tractor-trailers are stocked with heavy-duty plastic, chainsaws, generators, and other tools and equipment. The units also will serve as command centers for the response," Samaritan's Purse says on its website.
You can donate online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word SP to 80888.
Phone: 1-800-528-1980
United Methodist Committee on Relief
The committee works with local United Methodist churches and trained disaster response workers to help with cleanup and rebuilding, pastoral counseling and support for children and youth who have been through trauma.
You can donated online here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word RESPONSE to 80888.
Phone: 1-800-554-8583
LifeChurch.tv
Life Church.tv, which describes itself as "Oklahoma's largest evangelical church," says its Oklahoma City metro locations will accept donations of items over the next week, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and distribute them to tornado victims. Among the items needed: Toiletries, diapers, wipes, formula, baby bottles, new clothing, new shoes, and bags, backpacks or plastic tubs for carrying items.
You can also donate money online by visiting LifeChurch.tv, or by texting the word RELIEF to 86613, and selecting an amount you would like to donate.
Phone: 1-405-216-7054
Jewish Federations of North America
The Jewish Federations of North America is working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma, which is coordinating efforts with a local food bank, Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. The Jewish Federations of North America has established an Oklahoma City Tornado Relief fund. Donors can contribute online here.
Checks can also be sent to the JFNA national mailbox at: The Jewish Federations of North America, Wall Street Station, P.O. Box 148, New York, NY, 10268. Please indicate "JFNA Oklahoma City Tornado Relief Fund" on all checks or in the designation box online.
Oklahoma Tornado Relief 2013
The Oklahoma Tornado Relief 2013 fundraising effort is being done through a crowd-sourced effort using Fundly, a website for fundraising, akin to HopeMob, mentioned above. On the site, you'll find various fundraising causes to help tornado victims, and can choose which you'd like to support.
DonorsChoose.orgDonorsChoose.org is creating a special online fund to collect donations for the teachers and schools of Moore, Okla., to help respond and rebuild. Donors Choose will work with the teachers of Moore to assess what they need for their classrooms and allow them to identify the real-time solutions and supplies their community and their students need: everything from clothing for their students to first-aid kits.
To donate, visit www.donorschoose.org
And a note of caution ...
Emotions are running high, understandably, in light of the awful news from Oklahoma. Many of us want to help in some way. But this vulnerable time is also rife with and ripe for scammers who want to prey on your emotions and wallet. They may seek you out via email, knock on your door, or even try to get you to give money via Facebook.
The Federal Trade Commission has guidelines about charity donations, including these tips:
- Donate to charities you know and trust. Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight in connection with current events, like the tornadoes.
- Ask if a caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and what percentage of your donation goes to the charity and to the fundraiser. If you don’t get a clear answer — or if you don’t like the answer you get — consider donating to a different organization.
- Don’t give out personal or financial information — including your credit card or bank account number — unless you know the charity is reputable.
- Never send cash: you can’t be sure the organization will receive your donation, and you won’t have a record for tax purposes.
- Check out the charity with the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar.
- Find out if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your state by contacting the National Association of State Charity Officials.
Kanye West Reveals the Cover Art for ‘Yeezus’
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, you
already know by now that it's officially "Yeezy Season." Following his
world premiering tactics used to unveil his single "New Slaves" and performing on last night's episode of Saturday Night Live, Kanye West now shares the official artwork for his upcoming album, Yeezus. While we got our first preview of the cover art courtesy of Kim Kardashian's Instagram, we now get a fuller view of the artwork. Following his SNL performance, Yeezus was made available for pre-orders through KanyeWest.com,
along with the feature cover art, but the pre-orders have since been
taken down. While the image remains available for all our viewing
pleasure, we all will just have to wait until June 18, when the full LP
hit shelves. We aren't quite sure what to make of the artwork yet, but
feel free to let us know your thoughts down below.
**via hypetrak.com
Monday, May 20, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Black Scale x The Cuts COMME des FUCKDOWN “Everything Is Purple” Capsule
A nod to the chorus of A$AP Rocky‘s “Purple Swag,” the Black Scale
x The Cuts COMME des FUCKDOWN “Everything Is Purple” Pack is set to
release today at Black Scale’s nationwide locations and website. The
collaboration includes SSUR‘s
associated “The Cuts” line “COMME des FUCKDOWN” design on snapbacks,
hoodies and tees, but reworked in purple for fans of Pretty Flacko,
codeine or Barney the Dinosaur. Look for the capsule collection to
release at Black Scale locations in San Francisco, New York and Los
Angeles and online on May 18.
*via hypebeast.com
Friday, May 10, 2013
Nike SB Koston 2 IT
*via dqmnewyork.com
It’s no mystery that Eric Koston enjoys the game of golf, so this latest
quickstrike should come as no surprise. The Koston 2 IT meshes two of
Koston’s favorite pastimes, taking his successful second pro model skate
shoe from Nike SB and giving it an “Integrated Traction” sole
specifically made for hitting the links. Simple, with an all black
leather upper and white mid sole, combined with the comforts of Nike’s
Lunarlon technology, these are now available in very limited quantities
in store only.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Nike Kobe 8 System MC
Nike introduces the newest model of the Kobe 8 System
with the MC. Inspired by the Nike Mercurial Vapor football boot, the
“Mambacurial” takes on a vibrant color scheme of plum red over an
Engineered Mesh upper, contrasting with the electric green sole. The
Swoosh makes a dominant move to the outer toe, while the classic Nike
brand is boldly stamped on the inside heel. This made over model of Kobe Bryant‘s signature shoe is available here.
**via hypebeast
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wyclef Jean, Havoc & Kid Ink Freestyle On MTV's RapFix Live!
**watch wyclef just shine in this cypher. amazing talent.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
upper playground x Flip The Script
Gingko Press in association with Upper Playground is pleased to announce the release of FLIP THE SCRIPT : A Guidebook for Aspiring Vandals and Typographers.
Graffiti is one of the last strongholds of highly refined
well-practiced penmanship in our contemporary culture. The tag, the most
reviled and persecuted form of graffiti, is seldom appreciated for its
raw beauty and skeletal letter-forms. The casual viewer seldom discerns
the difference between entry level and advanced hand styles. Within the
pages of FLIP THE SCRIPT, author Christian Acker systemically
analyzes historic hand styles by collecting the work of writers from the
most influential American cities and searching for the origins and
commonalities that connect people, places and times. While distilling
years worth of interviews with graffiti writers from all over the
country, intersecting tales emerge that reveal a web of unwitting
connections and influences. FLIP THE SCRIPT has captured a
representation of geographic differences within contemporary folk-art
history; a history rapidly becoming muddied by internet culture. Acker
presents the lettering samples in a clean, chronological format, for the
first time giving the material a formal treatment evocative of
classical calligraphy manuals and typography books.
FLIP THE SCRIPT includes art and interviews from luminaries
such as: TAKI 183, STAY HIGH 149, HAZE, CORNBREAD, ESPO, AGUA, RENOS,
GREY, DUGONE, MIKE GIANT, CHAZ BOJORQUEZ, SLICK, & CRAIG STECYK.
224 pages, Hardcover, 8"x10.5" (178 x 229 mm)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Lightshow x Get Well Soon
Washington, D.C.-based recording artist "Lightshow" who was recently
featured on Grammy nominated Wale's latest project "Folarin" &
stamped by the legendary "Dj Clark Kent" prepares to put the game in
recovery mode by finally releasing this anxiously anticipated "Get Well
Soon" project. Enjoy!
Twitter & IG: @Lightshow10thPL
For bookings & features: Lightshow10thPL@gmail.com
Fruition Clothing --- "Dream. Believe. Achieve"
Thanks to everyone checking out this blog. Had about 70 page visits yesterday. thank you.
**the more interest on this blog, twitter, and facebook. the more we can update, keep in contact and give you more content. so don't forget to spread the word, tell a friend, and show your support.
Please follow Fruition Clothing at these outlets:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/frtnclothing
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FruitionClothing
http://instagram.com/frtnclothing/#
If you would like to purchase some merch. check out:
http://frtnclothing.bigcartel.com/
once again, thanks for checking out the brand, the blog, and our movement. until next time, cheers!
**the more interest on this blog, twitter, and facebook. the more we can update, keep in contact and give you more content. so don't forget to spread the word, tell a friend, and show your support.
Please follow Fruition Clothing at these outlets:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/frtnclothing
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FruitionClothing
http://instagram.com/frtnclothing/#
If you would like to purchase some merch. check out:
http://frtnclothing.bigcartel.com/
once again, thanks for checking out the brand, the blog, and our movement. until next time, cheers!
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