By now, you've already heard about Sunday's earthquake and tsunami that devastated the shorelines of Southeast Asia and Africa and ushered in a wave of disease in their wake. Both the tidal waves and their accompanying epidemics of measles, cholera, and other water-borne afflictions have not only destroyed the homes and villages that gave structure (at least in a material sense) to the lives of the area's residents, but they have also, as of Wednesday, December 29 2004, been responsible for upwards of 76,000 deaths and counting. American president George W. Bush addressed the nation earlier today and said of the death toll, "you can't even conceive of [how many people that is]." Despite what I or any others might think of the president or his oratory skills, I personally found Mr. Bush's phrasing to be more or less spot-on. One human being has the potential to touch the lives of anyone around him or her. With the loss of so many lives, how much of this potential was lost? Each of these people had families and friends--people close to them. Even if you don't consider the potential that was lost in the lives that each of these people could have led, how many friends and family will be affected by this thing at the end? It's unfathomable.

It almost goes without saying that I, who was not only not present in the area at the time, and do not have any immediate family who was present, am incredibly fortunate. I would imagine that most of you would likewise be counting your blessings if you haven't already. Yet there actually are things that those of us, even a world away, can do to help.

First and foremost, if you haven't already, I would strongly urge you to consider making an online donation to the American Red Cross' International Response Fund. (And yes, I've already made a donation myself) You can also call 1-800-HELP-NOW to make a donation over the phone in English, or 1-800-257-7575 to do so in Spanish. The donations will be used to purchase medicine and water purification tablets, along with food and other supplies. (Apparently, the organization can't accept large donations of material goods like clothing or food because of the resources that would be required to sort, store, and transport them.) If you live outside of the US and would prefer to send a donation elsewhere, please consider making a contribution to an agency such as UNICEF or Medecins Sans Frontieres. By all appearances, monetary contributions seem to be best in all cases for logistical reasons. For more information on the tsunami and what you can do to help, please visit Google's tsunami relief center or contact your local news station. Thanks.