It has been two weeks since a massive earthquake rocked Japan, leaving tens of thousands dead or missing —and powerful aftershocks are still being felt around the country. I’m sure you’ve seen the videos — the cars being washed down the street, the massive waves overtaking cities and leaving smudged reminders of human existence.

To do our part to help relief efforts, we’re giving our users an awesome opportunity to donate to a worthwhile cause.

Starting today, when you purchase a year of Grooveshark Anywhere for $20, we’re going to give every single penny of that donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society. Your donation will help fund relief efforts for people devastated by the disaster and to help the eventual recovery efforts of the Miyagi prefecture and other afflicted regions.

You can donate at our merch store, or by clicking on the ‘Donate Now’ button our new site skin, which is now live on Grooveshark.

Thank you for doing your part in helping our global community.

Meanwhile... Back in the United States...

Better yet... Back in Los Angeles...

IMPORTANT: Tsunami Disaster 2011 - Text Donations to RED CROSS

Please GIVE & REBLOG to let your followers know! It’s the easiest and fastest way to donate. It’s also really EASY.

CANADA: Text ‘REDCROSS’ to 30333 for a $5 donation.

USA: Text ‘REDCROSS’ to 90999 for a $10 donation. 

UK: Text ‘REDCROSS’ to 70600 for a £5 donation.

All donations will appear on your NEXT cell phone bill. It’s less than the price of a movie.

You can also donate online & by phone. Details here.

CANADA: http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=38380&

USA: http://newsroom.redcross.org/

It works & I just made 3 donations by text. You’ll receive a confirmation before the donation is made.

Big, mad love to those in Hawaii & BC who may be affected in the aftermath. Hoping to hear from a few friends who haven’t yet returned my calls. :(

Thoughts, love & light to those in aftermath hell in Japan right now. Hundreds (soon thousands) dead & the toll will rise. Thinking of them.

xoxo

In addition to the environmental devastation that BP’s oil disaster has caused, the spill has also destroyed the livelihoods of countless people who live on the southeastern coast of the United States who depend on jobs based along the Gulf of Mexico. Florida’s Capitol News Service reports today that food stamp applications have “soared” along the Florida coast following the spill:

Applications for food stamps in Panhandle counties have soared since oil began gushing from the broken BP pipe leak. Since May 1st application are up 15 percent. The Department of Children and Families is keeping separate data to track people who qualify for food stamps because the oil has destroyed their careers. Don Winstead is the Welfare Advisor for DCF. He says along with the growing need for food assistance is a growing need for councilors to help families going through hard times.

“Being not only in the food stamp program and other benefit programs but also seen through our mental health program also. One of the things we typically do after disaster is increase our counseling capacity because people are going to be affected in a variety of ways,” said Winstead.

The number of people seeking assistance in coastal Louisiana has reportedly gone up as well. Second Harvest Food Bank in New Orleans tells McClatchy newspapers that it has seen “at least a 15 percent jump in new families requesting services.” Additional funding for food stamps benefits was originally in the Senate’s unemployment “extenders” legislation, but it was removed in the hopes of getting conservative votes — a tactic that didn’t work as the bill once again failed to advance today.

Jebus. RIDE A BIKE PEOPLE!!!

This is so sad and so terrible. It's times like these I'm very glad I don't own a car.