If you keep up with the news, then you already know that a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12th.  CNN’s ticker scroll is saying that the death toll could possibly be 50,000+ thus far, and could reach 100,000+.

Having said that, if you’re looking for reputable organizations to donate money, clothing, etc. to the Haitian Earthquake Relief, then this information is for you:

• Yele Haiti is sponsored by prominent Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean. You can donate through its website or via text message.  Wyclef is urging all of his followers on Twitter to text “Yele” to the number 501501. If you send the text, the organization will receive $5. The amount will be added to your next cell phone bill. Consider retweeting Wyclef’s updates and get some of your Twitter followers to donate, too.

• American Red Cross is also using texts to raise donations.  You can text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross relief for Haiti.

• The American Jewish World Service has set up the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund to respond to the crisis by supporting a network of organizations it works with.

• AmeriCares has pledged $5 million to Haitian quake relief, and is soliciting donations to a general emergency disaster relief fund to help it accomplish that.

• CARE is sending relief workers into the city of Port-au-Prince and needs funds to support its efforts. Suggested donations range from $50 to $1,000, but you can name your own amount if you prefer.

• Catholic Relief Services has an office in Haiti, and luckily it’s still standing even though one of its neighbors collapsed. The organization is accepting donations of any amount.

• Direct Relief International has committed up to $1 million in aid through two on-the-ground partners, and is sending containers of medical material aid.

• Oxfam has 200 people on the ground to deal with the crisis, and began its efforts by trying to get clean water to victims of the quake. One of its staffers recorded a podcast describing the situation. You can donate on the American or UK site, depending on where you’re located.

• Google Support Disaster Relief is a website Google has updated to respond to the crisis. Google has promised $1 million in support, but the site is also an easy place to donate money to either UNICEF or CARE. It also provides hospital addresses and links to sources for news on the situation.

Excuse me for a moment while I shed a tear.  A part of my childhood is coming to an end.  PBS is airing its last episode of Reading Rainbow on today.  After 26 years on the air, the beloved children’s learning show, hosted by LeVar Burton, will fade to black.  I don’t even know how to handle this news.  It’s like someone ripping out your soul!

Believe it or not, I grew up a very shy kid, until books were introduced to my life.  Books took me on journeys in my mind, and that led me to gain confidence in speaking to others, as well as becoming a better writer.  Reading Rainbow helped to play a huge part in that.  But……..you don’t have to take my word for it.  *weep*

So over the weekend, the news media outlets reported that deceased television pitchman, Billy Mays, had cocaine in his system, as well as various prescription medications, according to the toxicology report performed after his death.  You know what?  That explains a lot.

All this time I was thinking that dude was really enthusiastic about Orange Glo and Oxy-Clean, because he was screaming at the top of his damn lungs, when all the while he was hyped up on coke.  Sham-fucking-wow!

I’m sure by know all of you have heard about Nadya Suleman, the 33 year old mother of 6 that range from ages 7 – 2, who had octuplets last week.  This story just keeps getting wilder and wilder.

First of all, the physician who inseminated her needs a beatdown because he or she knew that Nadya already had 6 children previously, all through in vitro fertilization.

Nadya claims that she didn’t want the eight other eggs that she had harvested to be destroyed, and since she wanted another daughter, she felt that she might as well have the eight remaining eggs artificially inseminated to up the chances for that girl.  Huh?

Not only was she risking her life by having this procedure done, but the life of the unborn octuplets as well.  Her mother says that Nadya was obsessed with having babies.  Sounds like Nadya needs a little psychiatric help.  Oh, but here’s a bit of irony.  Before losing her job after becoming pregnant with the octuplets, Nadya was a psychiatric technician.  Ain’t that a bitch?

Now here’s my gripe……..who is going to take care of these kids?  The octuplets will need to stay in the hospital for at least 2-3 months and I heard this morning that additional medical care will run around $3 million+.

Nadya is selling her story for $2 million.  Ok, that takes care of some of the medical expenses, but what about their healthcare after they leave the hospital?  Oh, and did you forget that you have 6 other kids?  What about the cost to raise those kids?

And not only that, it’s already hard for a lot of single mothers to even date and/or marry with one or two children.  You have 14 friggin’ kids?  I don’t know of too many men who will be rushing to date you.  Lemme take that back, I don’t know of any.  But there’s someone for everyone, or so they say.

Also, I hear that all 14 of Nadya’s children children have the same father.  Is he going to step up to the plate?  Again I ask, who is going to take care of these kids? *cough cough* Taxpayers *cough cough* Somebody has some explaining to do.

Nadya’s mother told CNN that once her daughter is released from the hospital, she must move out of their house.  Oh yeah, I left that little tidbit out.  Nadya is single and still living at home with her parents. Sounds like a bad after-school special.

I saw this story on the news last night and I could not believe it.  A Long Island, NY, doctor who donated his kidney to his wife of 8 years, is asking for his organ back.  He says that she cheated on him and now he wants a divorce and his kidney back, or else she needs to pay him $1.5 million, which he claims is the value of the kidney.

Miriam Zenzi Makeba
March 4, 1932 – November 9, 2008

Legendary South African singer, Miriam Makeba, died of a heart attack on yesterday after collapsing on stage during a performance in Italy.  Miriam once stated, “I will sing until the last day of my life.”  She passed away doing what she loved to do.