La Pena Culture Center wants to send "vibrant energy through drumming" to Haiti. more ›

Surely nothing good can come of a natural disaster, i.e. the earthquake in Haiti. On the other hand, when devastating things happen to the world, the resulting musical collaborations and fundraisers can help to create a comforting, if temporary, relief. (Not to mention fun group shots like this.) In addition to the massive outpouring of relief aid, this Wednesday... more ›

Already sending readers into numbing states of fury at BoingBoing, The Pad, a yoga studio in the Marina district, put out this sign asking for old yoga mats to send to Port-au-Prince quake victims. more ›

There have been a lot of benefits for Haiti in recent weeks that we missed. Here are a few upcoming events, in which all of the proceeds will go to various charities. more ›

Although the brunt of this most recent storm is expected to arrive at around 5 p.m., a "Haitian freedom rally" will take place at Market and Powell today as well. It seems a group of activists plan on gathering at the busy intersection "to call on the U.S. to alter its response to the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti earlier this month." What response? Well, according to SF Appeal/BCN, they want earthquake aid efforts to be "humanitarian, not militarized." Charlie Hinton, member of something called The Haiti Action Committee, claims that "the U.S. military has taken over the airport at Port-au-Prince, and is preventing food, water and medicine from reaching the earthquake victims as quickly as possible." So, today's rally, if you want to lend your voice, is all about that kind of prickly stuff. Be sure to bring your umbrella. more ›

A startling message was delivered during a joint appearance to raise awareness for Haiti relief: former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton are friends. They chatted on the phone while Bush was in office, they acknowledge disagreements respectfully, and Barbara Bush calls Bill her son's "fourth brother." Really? [YouTube] more ›

Last week, our old pal Zennie reported that progressive activist couple Walter Riley and Barbara Rhine, both of Oakland, were missing after being in Haiti at the time of last week's earthquake. Walter's family -- which includes hip-hop artist Boots Riley and ABC News reporter Denise James -- had not heard from Walter or Barbara as of Wednesday. NBC Bay Area brings word over the weekend that the couple is safe and back in Oakland. "We are fine. We're physically fine, Barbara has a smashed finger," Riley said. "We're just angry with the slowness of the rescue efforts, the fact that people are dying unnecessarily." Mr. Riley is the chair of the Haiti Emergency Fund in Berkeley, and this was his first trip to Haiti since establishing the org. in 2004. more ›

This one is super simple. If you'd like to donate to Haitian relief efforts -- the country experienced a 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday, resulting in at least 50,000 deaths, widespread destruction and machete-wielding "looters" (or, "machete-wielding people in desperate need who are looking for food and water," if you will) -- text "YELE" TO 501501 (to donate $5) or "HAITI" to 90999 (to give $10). You will get a return text confirming that you want to donate to the Yele Haiti Foundation or the American Red Cross, respectively. more ›

UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) A+ more ›

As most of you have probably heard, there was a devastating 7.0+ earthquake in Haiti yesterday. By some accounts, like The Haitian Blogger, the worst hit areas are in the mountainous region where both rich and poor (but mostly poor) built their homes. Lack of preparation for such an event — Haiti hasn't seen an earthquake like this in 200 years — has resulted in huge losses of life, numbering in the thousands, and a great many collapsed buildings, including the presidential palace. Five workers in Haiti's U.N. mission as well as the archbishop of Port-au-Prince are all believed dead. As brethren on shaky ground we're all probably feeling especially sad and mildly freaked out at the moment. more ›