Frankie Sachs’ Hard Work

Never have I ever seen anyone devote the time, effort or energy put into a cause like Frankie Sachs has for Japan.

My first impression of him was quite mediocre, I have to be honest; a writer, one like fourteen in a dozen. OK, he contributes to the Forum on Authonomy, sometimes quite sharp, but never as sharp as I’ve found him to be since the disasterous Japan Quake/Tsunami.

Tirelessly, he went on informing us about the developments for the first couple of days, with Sessha Batto as his accomplice, I hasten to mention…

Frankie hasn’t stopped there; he has created a website where he is inviting writers to join him in putting together an Anthology of Stories, and also invites artists to donate their art, and poems and anything fellow-artists (yes, writers are artists) can or want to donate, to bundle all in a work, dedicated (and 100% of the revenue going) to the rebirth of Japan.

Apart from online, I’ve never met Frankie, but I’ll give you my opinion: He’s one helluva guy…!

Frankie, you’re in my Top Ten, buddy!

 

If you’re interested in contributing/donating, go to http://booksthathelp.org/ and donate, contribute, leave a message or anything…!

Not Japan again…?

Yes. Another Blog about Japan!

Photo credited from AD.nl, BBC.com & NHK.com (seen it on all three sites, not sure who holds the ©

If you’re bored with the subject, by all means go read another.  It’s my belief that the subject can’t be mentioned enough; we need to see this as a reality check. In essence, regardless of where you live, whether it’s on or near one of the faults, or just on a rocky island like this one; the UK. How do you think these islands were created? Right! exactly the same, by two plates getting into a clinch.

Forgive my layman’s speak as I don’t know the exact terminology for geographical events. Why does this one affect me more than the previous two in Christchurch, and the one in Chili? Because they happened so fast after eachother. Let’s face it; the tsunami that hit the Far East (Thailand, Indonesia), earthquake in Chili, Haiti, Christchurch -twice, and now then Japan (Forgive me if they’re not chronologically mentioned correctly). Apart from these events, there’s more than usual vulcanic activity in Hawaii, and some volcano in the south west of Japan is putting more than it’s usual two pence in, too. I think it’s fair to say that, in geographical time measures, it’s all happening like seconds apart. Is this “rub yer eyes, this is reality” time?

I know, I know, it’s not likely to happen in this li’l corner of the World, but I have to admit, it’s really an eye-opener to me… This morning I got some advert-E-mail from a camp-site exploiting Company (won’t name & shame), asking if I wanted to take advantage of “Mad March” or something; I completely lost my rag, hence my response to them:

“Instead of sending this kind of pointless E-mails to people, you’d do better spending some ‘hospitality’ on causes like Christchurch, NZ, or Myagi, Japan. I can’t speak for others receiving this message but I for one, find it extremely inappropriate…”

OK, I hold my hand up, it probably was a tad harsh but it just arrived at the wrong time. Not that I regret my reaction but I do regret the choice of words.. but alas! ‘Tis done.

For what it’s worth, I feel for the Japanese, proud people as they are.  It’s tough to see how most of them have become people, owning nothing more than the clothes they’re wearing, from being a hard working nation. They’ll get back on top, no doubt, but it’s going to take ’em an awful lot of time.

Makes you wonder why we winge when we can’t park close enuff to the front door, when we can’t chose what to have for dinner, when an internet page doesn’t load quick enough… doesn’t it?

Just my two pence, for what they’re worth… Oh! Now that you’re reading this, have a look at Authors for Japan; a fabulous initiative by us word-addicts in the form of an auction… The link is under the image on the left hand side.  Thanks!