Spare a Thought

Posts may be a little thin on the ground this week as emergency sevices across the state are on standby to assist as and when required in the wake of Victoria's worst bushfire disater in history. We are all OK as only a few small fires came close to us and smoke and the children's fear was as much as we had to deal with. After the shock wears off, the task of cleaning up and re-building will begin and as yet we don't know when we will be deployed or to where or for how long.

I ask all our readers to spare a thought for those who have lost their lives, their homes or just their feelings of security. Grab your favourite beer and raise a glass to those who just need to know that they are in the thoughts and prayers of others.

For those who can help, I have pasted some details from http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/ which gives some opportunities to assist.

As Victorians wake this morning, the shock of reality is setting in. As at 7.00 am this morning (Monday);

At least 108 people are now dead in our most deadly fires in recorded history.
At least 650 homes have been razed and 3733 people have registered with the Red Cross after evacuating their properties.

How to help:
Donate to the Red Cross State Government Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund (http://www.redcross.org.au, phone 1800 811 700 or any NAB, ANZ, Westpac or Commonwealth Bank branch)
Donate to the Victorian Bushfire Relief Fund (BSB 082-001, Account number 860-046-797)
Myer Bushfire Appeal - all proceeds to the Salvation Army (Donate at any Victorian Myer store)
Donate blood at the Red Cross (Ring 131 495)

Cheers,
Prof. Pilsner