Wednesday, October 24, 2007

STATE OF EMERGENCY!

For those of you who haven't heard the news around the globe, Southern California is now declared under STATE OF EMERGENCY.

I can list plenty of good shit about living in Southern California: year-round sunshine, warm weather = less clothes, no rain = convertable cars, beaches, no snow, no hurricane.
On the downside: earthquakes, smog, traffic, and worst of all at the moment is WILD FIRE!

In the summer it gets real dry out here because it doesn't rain in Cali, and then fall comes rollin' in, all the leaves starts falling and everything gets even drier. Around this time we start getting the "Santa Ana" wind that sweeps through the canyons. I'm not talking breezy wind but more like 60 MPH, car-swerving, tree-breaking wind. Then the dry ass trees and brushes starts moving with the wind causing more and more friction and then bam! FIRE! Fast-spreading fire assisted by the dry weather, lack of rain, and gusting wind.



On Sunday, couple of fires broke out and by Monday there was about 12 fires starting from Santa Barbara all the way down to the border of Mexico and part of Nevada. The fire burned at least 373,00 acres -- an area equal to the size of Hawaii island of Oahu. More than 350,000 homes were evacuated and people were forced to spend the night in shelters that are now mostly full. What's even more fucked up is that while these houses were burning down and their owners left to the evacuation center, some people managed to break into the houses and robbed them! I hope they burn in that fire or burn in hell. This is like a hot version of Katrina in New Orleans.















San Diego county was hit the hardest and over 500 homes were lost. Gone up into flames. If you don't know about San Diego or haven't been, it's a culture-rich city (also county) at the most southern part of California bordering Mexico. Home of the most beautiful beaches in Cali, the Gaslamp District and some familiar shops like 5&A DIME, Commissary, and Blends. My prayer goes out to all of our friends and family that have lost their home or have been evacuated into shelters-wondering whether or not they will have a place to come home to. Wondering if all their treasures are safe. I'm not talking about their Jordan collection but more like their childhood memories, pictures of their lost loved ones, most important of all... that sanctuary they call HOME that they've built with their own sweat and tears.

I woke up at 8am this morning breathing in smokey air and cars covered in ashes. Right now its about sunset and the sky is pretty much bloody red. What a sight. I just wanted to post this because I thought it was important for everyone to acknowledge disasters like this. It makes us look back at all the shit we complain about in our lives like "I HATE MY JOBBBBBB!" "GOD! MY BOSS IS SUCH A BITCH!" and then you realize that your life really isn't all that bad compare to others.







In addition:





To all my friends and family:

We have started a charity sale to help generate donations for those in need in our home town of San Diego.

If you are a friend/colleague please do us a huge and easy favor and repost this with a link to the website and to the San Diego Red Cross.

For every item sold online HM will donate $5 dollars to the victims of this fire.

Thanks in advance.

Heavy Manners Crew

San Diego Red Cross


Stay up California!
Dianne

Video courtesy of Youtube and The Hundreds.

2 comments:

Josey Rebelle said...

that shit is SCARY...

thoughts go out to anyone affected x

Anonymous said...

Prayers go out to those affected, directly and indirectly.