To say that the vast majority of people in the world did not expect the world to end last Friday would be a gross understatement. The 21st came and went with a whimper, not an explosion of super volcanoes, hidden rogue planets, or Pole shifting. The lesson to be learned here is best exemplified by a quote from the Bible repeated ad nauseam across social networks: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the Angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows,” Matthew 24:36.

It is an understandable reaction. No one can predict the future. Not anyone today, and surely not anyone 2,000 years ago. It is very hard to take seriously the idea that a race of people could predict the end of the world thousands of years ago, but could not see the trouble coming for them when Cortez and the Spanish showed up. Yes, the dismissive attitude many people had that day is infinitely understandable. It is also troubling.

A closer examination, whether it is Facebook comments, news articles, comments made in television interviews, etc., reveals not a dismal of the Mayan prophecy, but of the idea that the world will end at all. That is the underlying emotion. Nothing will end. Nothing bad will happen. The biggest lesson to be gleaned from December 21, 2012 is not that no can predict when the world will end. The jokes, the dismissal of preppers, end of the world parties, all point to the sad fact that if something bad happens, no one is prepared.

The victims of Hurricane Sandy and Katrina are living examples of this sad fact. Both had days of warning. Everyone in the areas hit by the storms knew they were coming. Yet after the storms hit, the degree to which those affected needed help from the federal government and charitable Americans country-wide demonstrated that the residents were unprepared. The response by the federal government, and days it took power companies to get electricity up and running to all their customers, shows our institutions were not ready.

Neither of these events is world ending. However, there is an old saying, “If you lose everything you own, then it’s the end of the world to you.” Can anyone dispute that to a family who lost their home and everything they own in Sandy, Katrina, or even the tornadoes of Joplin that their world has ended? If you are snowed in your home resulting from the current winter storm sweeping across America with little food and no heat, does it matter that the state of Florida is fine? No. You are in an emergency that might not end the world, but could end your life.

So why do the eyes of most people roll in their heads if you mention prepping for an emergency? Why do they act like no big event is ever going to happen in their lifetimes? The answer is probably no more complicated than that people do not expect bad things to happen to them. It may happen to someone else, some other city, state, or country, but not to me. This is a very dangerous thought to have. Eleven years ago three thousand people had that same thought process, and then the building they worked in was hit by a plane. Some were in areas that negated any hope of survival. Others allowed themselves to be led back into the building. Some of those people did not make it out.

Life threatening emergencies can occur at any moment. The Bible verse, “No one knows the day or the hour,” means something bad could happen right now. If it did are you ready to handle it? If you get a call from your child’s school what is your plan? If you get into a car accident and your wife is gushing blood, do you have a kit in the car to save her before the ambulance gets there? If you live in the mid-west or up north, what is your plan for when your pipes freeze and the power goes out? A national emergency occurs, and your cell phone does not work because the lines are slammed. Do you know how to contact your loved ones? Do they know how to reach you?

Does the world actually need to end in order for you see the value of being prepared for an emergency?

The Mayans were wrong. No real news flash there. But here is a prediction that is absolutely certain and does not take an elaborate calendar to see; there will be future catastrophes. Not earth shattering (though that will happen one day too) just local, or regional. There will be storms, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, freak storms, and earthquakes. These things will happen. Will you be ready when they do? Or are you going to just brush them off in hopes that it will happen to someone else in some other place? The response from the government to Sandy has shown that even if the federal, state, and local governments work hard to respond the response is always slower than needed. People will have to take these things seriously, and ready themselves to protect their families and help neighbors, If that is not done, then even a localized event can have more serious consequences than necessary.

The article Lessons from Mayan Doomsday Failure appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New York, U.S.A. — New York Sports Clubs (NYSC) announced on December 18, a contribution of more than $34,000 to New York Cares—the city’s largest volunteer organization – to support the nonprofit’s ongoing Hurricane Sandy relief and rebuilding efforts across the tri-state region.

As part of the New York Sports Clubs’ “Work Out to Help Out” Thanksgiving fundraiser, 100 percent of the sales from special three-day guest passes and new member fees were donated directly to New York Cares’ Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

“As a company with deep roots in the tri-state region, we’ve come to understand the immense level of support that those affected by Hurricane Sandy need,” said Bob Giardina, CEO of New York Sports Clubs and Town Sports International. “Deploying thousands of local volunteers into the hardest hit neighborhoods, New York Cares has been on the frontline of disaster relief and we are proud to contribute to their ongoing commitment to restore normalcy to our community.”

In addition, New Sports Clubs has donated memberships to Americorp and Team Rubicon volunteers who are assisting in the rebuilding efforts in the Rockaways and other neighborhoods devastated by the storm.

For more information about New York Cares and their ongoing Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, please visit NYCares.org.

About New York Cares

New York Cares is New York City’s largest volunteer organization. New York Cares runs vital programs for 1,300 nonprofits, public schools, and city agencies to help people in need throughout the five boroughs, and does so at no cost to the recipient organizations. Since 1987, New York Cares has made it easy for all New Yorkers to work together to strengthen the city; last year, we provided critical services to 400,000 at-risk New Yorkers. For more information, visit nycares.org.

Image Courtesy :  Meyer Academy

The article $34,000 Donated to New York Cares For Hurricane Sandy Relief appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Chandler, U.S.A. — A USA Today article has reported a telethon put on to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy victims brought in $23 million. The telethon, presented by the American Red Cross, aired on NBC earlier this month. Christian Weems, an active participant in community service efforts, made note of the generosity of her fellow Americans.

According to the news piece, New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi were featured performers during the telethon. Popular recording artist and star of the hit NBC television program The Voice Christina Aguilera was also featured. Matt Lauer of the station’s wildly successful morning show Today, hosted the event. Nightly News anchor Brian Williams also stopped by.

In addition to its featured performers, the article noted the telethon provided viewers the opportunity to take in a variety of musical acts. New Yorker Billy Joel, along with rock band Aerosmith and R&B artist Mary J. Blige entertained the crowd. Saturday Night Live alum and current television stars Tiny Fey and Jimmy Fallon provided comedic relief.

Christian Weems was heartened to hear of the telethon’s overwhelming success. She has a good deal of community service experience under her belt, including the organization of a relief effort following Hurricane Katrina. After that storm devastated much of New Orleans and its surrounding areas, she spearheaded a drive to make hygiene kits for citizens. The people of her hometown Chandler, Arizona, donated supplies that resulted in the delivery of 2,500 kits.

In statement about the most recent relief efforts, Christian commented: “What an amazing testimony of the goodwill of people and the positive impact we can have when we pull together during a time of crisis. Let us not forget that more help is still needed in many of the areas that were damaged most by Sandy and that these communities will need help for years to come.”

The article also highlighted appearances were made by actors Kevin Bacon, Whoopi Goldberg and Danny DeVito as well as comedian Jon Stewart.

In 2005, the broadcast company held a similar telethon to solicit donations for Hurricane Katrina victims. The article noted that show brought in $40 million worth of support.

Image Courtesy : Anton Oparin / Shutterstock.com

The article Telethon Raises $23 Million for Hurricane Sandy Relief appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Satellite capacity offered by Eutelsat Communications will enable television networks and operators across Europe to broadcast in High Definition the exceptional 12-12-12 live concert to be held tonight in New York City to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The musical line-up performing at the “12-12-12″ concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City includes Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney. Celebrity presenters will include Chelsea Clinton, Billy Crystal, Leo DiCaprio, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kristen Stewart and Quentin Tarantino.

The live concert will cross the Atlantic via the EUTELSAT 12 West A satellite (downlink frequency 12.638 GHz, horizontal polarisation). The Free-to-Air signal will be received by Telefonica at its facilities in Madrid and reuplinked to the EUTELSAT 9A satellite (downlink frequency 12.054 GHz, horizontal polarisation) for Direct-to-Home reception as well as for cable and IP network distribution across Europe.

“12-12-12″ will be distributed worldwide to nearly two billion people through television feeds, radio and online streaming and available to 114 million television households in the US and to more than 400 million television households internationally via networks and feeds in North and South America, Europe, Africa,Asia and Australia.

The concert is being produced by James Dolan, Executive Chairman of The Madison Square Garden Company; John Sykes, President of Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises; and Harvey Weinstein, Co-Founder and Chairman of The Weinstein Company.

Every single penny from ticket purchases and donations will go to serve the victims of Hurricane Sandy through the Robin Hood Relief Fund.

For the most up to date information on “12-12-12″ see http://www.121212concert.org.

Image Courtesy : Netfalls – Remy Musser / Shutterstock.com

The article Eutelsat Communications To Broadcast 12-12-12 Live Concert appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Hillside, U.S.A. — Thanksgiving is just days away, and those residing in New Jersey and New York who struggled before Hurricane Sandy are under even greater stress to put food on the table this holiday season and beyond. Many people are struggling simply to restock their refrigerators from what was lost in the storm.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) – the largest food bank in the state – has been working to feed those who might otherwise go without food, including families, seniors and children. The FoodBank, however, has experienced two-to-three times the need for help. To help support its relief efforts and ensure that no one goes hungry, the CFBNJ announced on November 19, a partnership with celebrity auction venue CharityFolks.com. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised from this partnership will go toward the CFBNJ and its New York-area partners.

The auction, which begins November 19 on www.charityfolks.com/sandy, features experiences donated by luminaries to help people displaced and left hungry by the superstorm. Anyone can bid to win auction items, which include:

• Join Sarah Jessica Parker & Andy Cohen for Dinner at Blue Hill in New York City
• Meet Selena Gomez on the Set of Her Upcoming Music Video Shoot
• Create Chatter when Glenn Close Records your Personal Voicemail Message
• Have An Unforgettable Night of Illusion with David Blaine at his Private NYC Studio
• Get Styled by Kim & Kourtney Kardashian at Dash in NYC
• Be Enlightened with an Impossible-to-Get Private Reading with Renowned Psychic John Edward
• Meet Kelly Ripa & Michael Strahan with VIP Tickets to a Taping of Live! with Kelly & Michael
• Have Breakfast with NYSE Euronext CEO Duncan Niederauer & Privately Tour the Exchange
• Lunch with legendary author Judy Blume and an aspiring writer
• Indulge in Lunch at the Food Network’s Kitchen at Chelsea Market & Tour the Studio
• Meet Renowned American Blues Singer-Songwriter Bonnie Raitt with VIP Tickets to her Show

Others participating in the auction, include: Nicole Kidman, Billy Baldwin, Derek Jeter, Jackson Browne, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Chelsea Handler, among others.

“In normal times, one in five New Jersey children go to bed hungry and 1.6 million New Yorkers struggle to put food on their tables,” actor and CharityFolks.com spokesman Billy Baldwin said. “These are not normal times. Millions have lost power – many have lost their homes and belongings – and it continues to get colder. This initiative will have an immediate and profound impact on the families who have suffered the most.”

The need, however, continues to be great, and more donations are being sought. Companies and high-profile individuals interested in donating an item or experience for an auction to benefit victims can contact Kelly Fiore, CEO of Charity Folks, by email at kfiore@charityfolks.com.

CharityFolks.com hosted a similar auction in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, raising $650,000 that was deployed within weeks of the disaster.

The largest food bank in New Jersey, the CFBNJ has worked tirelessly since Hurricane Sandy hit, distributing more than 100,000 pounds of food daily. As the chair organization for New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NJVOAD), the FoodBank has helped to coordinate aid throughout the state, including local and emergency shelters, food pantries and its traditional distribution network.

Image Courtesy : Photo Works / Shutterstock.com

The article Awesome Celebrity Auction To Support Hurricane Sandy Victims appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Los Angeles, U.S.A. — Hurricane Sandy is one of the most treacherous weather events to hit the United States – affecting millions by floods, fires, blackouts and mass evacuations. But how did Sandy become such a powerful storm? Were there any better predictors that could have given us more warning? And what lessons have we learned?

“Megastorm,” airing Sunday, November 18 at 9 PM E/P on Discovery Channel’s “Curiosity” series in the US and then across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, follows the action hour-by-hour from the hurricane’s formation in the Caribbean through its intensification in Cuba to the devastation across the East Coast. Using on-the-ground expert analysis and CGI and satellite imaging, “Curiosity” explores how distinct phenomena combined to create the perfect storm and how we can prepare for the next one.

The episode also takes viewers inside the storm with footage captured by those on the ground using their own cameras and smartphones. Survivors share their stories, some narrowly escaping with their lives, and recount what it was like as Sandy engulfed their city.

“Curiosity”, now in its second season on Discovery Channel, brings the ‘I wonder?’ moment to television with a unique array of provocative subjects.

“Megastorm” is produced by Darlow Smithson Productions for Discovery Channel. “Curiosity” is overseen by Vice President, Development and Production Howard Swartz and Senior Vice President, Development and Production Simon Andreae. To learn more, go to dicovery.com, or follow discovery on Facebook and on Twitter @Discovery.

Image Courtesy : Sam Aronov / Shutterstock.com

The article “Curiosity” Investigates Hurricane Sandy appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.