The sadness that has permeated the world due to the horrifying and unexpected Tsunami Disaster in the Indian Ocean (and U.S. President Bush's Iraqi War, but that's another post) has uncovered a very interesting fact; not one animal was found dead amongst the hundreds of thousands of human beings who were killed in the disaster. Do animals have extrasensory abilities? Ed Stoddart writes about it for Reuters.

There's a dark side to the survival of animals in this catastrophe...if you have the stomach for this, visit Yahoo and read this news story.

How Can I Help?
The death toll of the tsunami's victims at the time of this posting has now climbed above 100,000, and some pundits predict the final tally to be over 400,000 lost. Unfortunately, it hits close to home; a physician co-worker of mine was almost killed and lost his wife and daughter in the disaster and we on the job are praying for him on a daily basis.

“What else can we do besides pray? How can we reach out and send donations? What is needed? What can I DO?”

Answers to your questions can be found on the Internet (of course!). MSNBC's interactive website has a comprehensive listing of organizations who are accepting donations, and also includes contact information for those readers searching for missing U.S. Citizens in the area at the time of the disaster.

Robert over at Boiled Hot Dogs has also posted a wonderfully detailed listing of international relief organizations. More of the same can be found at USAID's website.

Amazon.com features an Honor System which allows you to donate to your favorite charities via the Web, such as the American Red Cross Disaster Relief. You can reach them thru Amazon.com or call 1‑800 HELP NOW or e-mail [email protected].

There's an interesting post at Blogueurs Sans Frontières. The article entitled Tsunami Outreach by Jonas M. Luster describes specific skill sets which are lacking in the Indian Ocean areas hardest hit by the tsunami to date. This blog is also running an ambitious donation program; check it out here.

Joe Shirley, Jr., President of the Navajo Nation, wrote a statement about the disaster at Indian Country Today. As a representative of his people, he writes in part,

"...We're told this is one of the worst underwater earthquakes in more than 40 years that led to this tsunami. It's being called the worst natural disaster in recent history. But we understand this is how nature has shaped our world since its beginning and is part of how things come into being.

When the forces of nature act, it impacts everything on the earth and in the earth, from the finned beings, the winged beings, the crawling beings to the five-fingered ones.

We can reshape the land and build on the earth but we remain no more than a part of it - small, humble and needing of protection and blessings from the Holy People...."...the rest can be read here.

I think its important that we take in Navajo Wisdom at a time like this and become grounded in what the present and the future holds for the planet and its inhabitants.

Lost Remote points us towards a great interview at TVNewser about the media coverage of this disaster by CNNI Managing Director Chris Cramer. He says, ”Television can't begin to comprehend the suffering. The screen is not big enough." Read the balance of this insightful interview here.

For a unique, up-close viewpoint about the Tsunami Tragedy, pop over to Extra, Extra and take a look at Fred Robarts' posts from Jaffra, Sri Lanka. His writing is clear and true and his photos show Sri Lanka's present reality at its most jarring.

Last but most importantly, if you reside in the O.C. or the Southern California area, interested adults are encouraged to respectfully visit The Goddess Temple of Orange County for a Special Prayer Vigil and Ceremony for the Souls of South Asia. This event will take place on New Year's Eve, December 31st from 6 to 7:30pm. For more information, please call 949/ 651-0564.

Oh! What a way to begin the New Year...there is so much suffering at this time, with souls being wounded and losing their lives all around the world. I find it extremely painful to dwell on a HappyNew Year at the moment...all I can do is light a votive and be grateful for the safety of my co-workers, friends, loved ones and YOU!