KwAcKy's Konfessional |
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Nothing of interest; just mindless links to bikes Birmingham City Football Club and useless junk  
  
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31 December 2004
List of charities working on the disaster The Disasters Emergency Committee - http://www.dec.org.uk - is an umbrella group of UK aid organisations - including Action Aid, British Red Cross and Oxfam - working to provide clean water, food and shelter to thousands. To call from the UK, dial 0870 60 60 900. The United Nations World Food Programme - http://www.wfp.org - is seeking donations to feed victims of the earthquake. Medecins Sans Frontieres - http://www.msf.org - is sending aid workers to the region, focusing on medical care for survivors and displaced people after the rescue operations. The United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef - http://www.unicef.org.uk - is working to meet the "urgent needs of hundreds of thousands of people" affected by the tsunami disaster. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR - http://www.unhcr.ch - which has been helping victims of conflicts in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, is delivering relief supplies to tsunami survivors in both countries. Save the Children - http://www.savethechildren.org.uk - has already flown a plane out to Sri Lanka carrying plastic sheeting for temporary shelter, tents to run children's services from and essentials such as clothing and cooking utensils. Anti-poverty organisation Care International - http://www.care.org - has already provided food for thousands of affected people in Sri Lanka. Cafod, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development - http://www.cafod.org.uk - is working with partners across Asia to provide shelter, food aid and medical assistance, and assessing what further relief is needed. The Red Cross, with its sister charity the Red Crescent, is supplying blankets, cooking utensils and other crucial goods. It has had to set up a new site - http://www.ifrc.org - because of the unprecedented demand from people wanting to make donations. The Hindu Forum Disaster Relief Task Force - http://www.hinduforum.org - comprises 50 organisations and is raising money, clothes and medicines. Donations can be made online or by calling the ISKCON Disaster Appeal on 01923 856848 or Sewa International on 0116 261 0303. Christian Aid - http://www.christianaid.org.uk - has already allocated £250,000 from its emergency fund to help the victims of this disaster but says more money is needed. Christian charity Tearfund - http://www.tearfund.org - and its partners in Sri Lanka and India are helping devastated fishing communities and coastal villages get back on their feet. Islamic Relief - http://www.islamic-relief.com - has also launched an appeal to provide medical supplies, tents and sanitation facilities for those affected. The Islamic Aid Emergency Relief Fund - http://www.islamicaid.org.uk - aims to provide immediate relief and long-term support to people in the affected areas. Another Islamic charity, Muslim Hands - http://www.muslimhands.org- is collecting money and sending volunteers to help in Indonesia and Malaysia. Medair - http://www.medair.org - is providing emergency support to agencies with a long-term presence in Sri Lanka and its medical experts are assessing the likelihood of malaria and diarrhoea. World Vision - http://www.worldvision.org.uk - has also launched an appeal and has already delivered relief goods to thousands. Concern - http://www.concern.net - is working with local partners to meet the needs of families in the devastated coastal villages of Tamil Nadu, the worst-affected state in India. The International Rescue Committee - http://www.theirc.org - is providing emergency supplies and materials to "people most affected by the crisis". The Salvation Army - http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk has local teams working in a number of affected areas and is sending a team from its international headquarters on Wednesday evening. Muslim Aid - http://www.muslimaid.org - has already donated £100,000 towards the purchase of food, clothing and medicine in the region but wants to raise more. Action Aid - http://www.actionaid.org - is the biggest charity working in south India. It is focusing its relief work on the coast of Tamil Nadu, where 7,000 people died. It is working on providing medical assistance and sanitation for the survivors. Oxfam - http://www.oxfam.org - is active in Indonesia, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and India. Their relief operations include distributing food packs and hygiene kits and setting up water and sanitation facilities. Asia Quake Relief Appeal UK, a UK-based Sri Lankan organisation, is also raising money and can be emailed at asia-quakerelief@europe.com Hindu NGO Baps Care International - http://www.bapscare.org - is working in villages around Chennai in Southern India distributing food, drinking water, tarpaulins, utensils, stoves, clothes and blankets 29 December 2004
Tsunami 
The pictures of the aftermath are haunting. Hard to believe so many lost their lives. The area in Sri Lanka worst hit is nothing but small villages and scrubland. The locals would have had little chance to avoid the waves. A beautiful place and beautiful people. They have little but are willing to share. Many of the returning holiday makers have spoken about the Sri Lankans helping others, despite their own losses. Getty Images Patpong Beach Sri Lanka French Coverage 19 December 2004
All quiet on the Falluja Front? 
Most of the press in the West has little coverage of the continuing battle in Falluja as the American and Iraqi troops try to flush out the final few fighters. The US military has renewed its aerial assault of Falluja amid reports of fierce clashes with the city's resistance, an Iraqi journalist said. According to independent Iraqi journalist Fadhil al-Badrani, US warplanes targeted Falluja's eastern and southern districts. He said fierce clashes had broken out in the city centre between US forces who have been in the city since 8 November and Iraqi fighters who had infiltrated back in across the Euphrates river. "There is no way to determine the number of casualties as US authorities have barred journalists and aid workers from entering Falluja," al-Badrani told Aljazeera. The US military had earlier said it could not recommend to the Iraqi interim government the return of residents to Falluja. The Iraqi interim government had promised on Thursday residents could begin returning to the city, west of Baghdad, as early as next week, saying that basic services and aid had been restored. But US marines, backed by a small Iraqi force, are apparently still engaged in fighting with the city's remaining resistance. There are also fears that some civilians may be trapped. "We know of 150 civilians trapped in the city," al-Badrani said 12 December 2004
Too pissed to post 
It's Derby time There's no need to be afraid At Derby time, they let in goals and we beat the_shite And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy Throw your arms around the vilers at Derby time But say a prayer Pray for the vile ones At Derby time it's hard, but when you're having fun There's a world outside your window And it's a viler world of fear Where the only water flowing is the vilers sting of tears And the Derby bells that ring there Are the clanging chimes of doom Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you And there won't be points in Aston this Derby time The greatest gift they'll get this year is Ellis (Oooh) Where nothing ever grows No rain nor rivers flow Do they know it's Derby time at all? (Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone (Here's to them) underneath that burning sun Do they know it's Derby time at all? Beat the vile, beat the vile, beat the vile Let them know it's Derby time again Beat the vile Let them know it's Derby time again Beat the vile Let them know it's Derby time again Beat the vile Let them know it's Derby time again Beat the vile Let them know it's Derby time again 05 December 2004
Highbury Blues 
Okay, so we didn't expect to win. That's fine. I can deal with that. What I didn't expect was to see Bruce take a cautious approach and play 4-5-1 with Heskey up front and Dunn supporting. In the last couple of weeks, we've seen the inkling of a new partnership in Heskey and Morrison. Morrison is looking lively and is creating space. He's shouting for the ball and harassing defenders to find their weaknesses. Heskey is hte sort of forward who needs someone with him up front. He looks to lay the ball off and then adds support to the attack. He is not the player you want when you're going one up front. Even more so when the ball comes in like a wave skipping Exocet that has to be brought down by jumping up in the air and hopefully getting it on your head. When you've playing with one up front, the ball has to be on the deck. Cunningham showed some of his old form, simply nicking the ball off a red shirt and skipping away as if it were an after school kick about. Melchiot threatened but this left us a tad exposed. I thought Clapham had a good game, but others disagree. Such is football. Gallagher didn't have much to do. He did seem to believe that there was little prospect of a Birmingham player taking the ball off an Arsenal player (or an Arsenal player simply losing control) without BCFC employing foul methods, so there were a few strange free kicks handed out. An uneventful first half passed us by. Soon into the second half, Pires sent Ljungberg into the area and when Jamie Clapham came across with a sliding tackle, he failed to connect with the ball and seemed to bring down the Gooner. However, Gallagher gave a goal kick. Which brings me onto my gripe. Diving. If Gallagher thought that the challenge to Melchiot was just, and Clapham's tackle was fair, why weren't these players booked for diving? They weren't the only ones involved and Freddy certainly lept like a salmon. Celebrating a goal can get you into hot water. Many a card has been produced this season and, as a result, post goal celebrations are limited to shaking of hands. If we can stamp out the shirt raising, the disco dancing and the touchdown jiving, why can't we get rid of one of the more unpalatable aspects of the game? Next week we go to Viler Park. Villa aren't playing too well but are nicking points. An impressive home record meets a team weak both home and away. It's not looking good. 01 December 2004
The first battle of Fallujah 
Ok, I'm not so naive as to think that there isn't a large slice of propaganda pie in the following link but there's enough in it to make you realise that the US has had it in for Fallujah since the war in Iraq started (and ended, if you believe the hype). The link takes a while to load it probably 5 minutes to watch, but it's worth it. March For Justice |
