“There are more slaves today than were seized from Africa in four centuries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.” Andrew Cockburn Children work all over the world in thousands of different industries many children are in servitude so they earn no income as they are often paying off debts for themselves or their family through their…
A teen who forgot to return a DVD to the library was arrested. There was actually a warrant out for his arrest and when he was pulled over for speeding the cops booked him (read the blogged story here). That is outrageous and a complete waste of time and money. It’s up there with the…
Maybe the reason nothing ever gets accomplished in politics these days is partly because politicians must act like perfectly polished puppets. Prime Minister Gordon Brown was overheard calling a woman he has just been filmed having a discussion with “bigoted” (read the story at the NYT). Maybe the woman was bigoted. Maybe too many people…
If you haven’t heard about Arizona’s newest immigration law (ABC article featuring a sheriff with the ca-hones to say he won’t enforce it). It’s legal racial profiling. To sum up the new law, any person suspected of being an immigrant can be arrested if they aren’t carrying papers with them. That means anyone with an…
Abortion is no woman’s first choice. We don’t wake up in the morning, have a cup of coffee and think, “Oh, I hope I get pregnant today so I can have an abortion next month.” Oklahoma apparently thinks women don’t take it seriously. The Oklahoma Legislature approved (by overthrowing the governor’s vetoes) two new laws…
In the making of Eat, Pray, Love the movie, Julia Roberts is upsetting the locals in India where she is shooting. We have become so ethnocentric, no, we have become so famouscentric that anything to do with the media and movies and money, overshadows the real world. The issue is that it is currently some…
Sarah Palin delivered a speech to investors in Hong Kong, well, that makes sense seeing as she’s studied so much business, signal eye roll. She’s a half-term governor whose outspoken moral values do not even jive with what appears to be her personal moral life. I don’t mean to be ‘one of those people’ who…
For those of you who don’t know about the plight of the Bushmen, I will fill you in. The Bushmen of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana are part of a 100,000 year old culture. They are part of the oldest culture in modern human history, their non-materialistic hunting and gathering lifestyle has survived…
One of the top read stories on CNN.com has a catching headline, “Best-selling author shaped by cannibals, Christianity.” The article is a short piece about Ted Dekker, a Christian thriller writer, and his childhood. We are all shaped by our experiences, and Dekker’s childhood memories are valid insofar that they have played a role in…
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. The numbers listed here are the commonly used numbers for the stated region, the numbers can vary greatly depending on where you live. If you don't know your country's equivalent to 911, this wiki page and The Lifeline Foundation have comprehensive listings.
911
The Americas
112
Europe
112 & 999
Africa
112, 999, 110
Asia
112, 911, 999, 111, & 000
Oceania
Find help for a crisis by texting, calling, or chatting online with these free crisis organizations. Looking for one outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.
Crisis Text Line
Text: “HOME” to 741741
Suicide Lifeline
Text: “ANSWER” to 839863
Call: 1-800-273-8255
Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453
The Trevor Project
Text “START” to 678678
1-866-488-7386
These online and international resources may help you anywhere you are located. Looking for local support outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.
DV Support Abroad
Call toll-free worldwide
1-833-723-3833
I'm Alive Virtual Crisis Center
Live chat with trained volunteers
Crisis Connections
24/7 crisis support with interpretation in 155+ languages
Comments Online
People often feel that the veil of invisibility on the internet allows them to say whatever they want, no matter how mean, ridiculous, or shitty. Often it’s things people wouldn’t even say in real life. And on a slightly different note, the divide between “liberals” and “conservatives,” between “republicans” and “democrats” is so outrageously exaggerated…