For more videos, news and general updates check out The Tokyo Post’s Japan Earthquake 2011 page. Information on how you can help can be found here. You can follow Rick on twitter here.

If you’re outside of China, I’m sure if you just search YouTube for “atomic tom iphone” you’ll find this video.

As seen on Wooster Collective, h/t to Ric.

Key take-aways:

• Gamers have spent 5.93 million years (collectively) playing WoW and solving its problems.
• By 21, the average kid in a country with a strong gaming culture will have spent 10,000 hours playing games (read Outliers for why that’s key)
• Gaming creates “Super-Empowered Hopeful Individuals” that trust others, work collaboratively on epic problems and don’t quit easily.

Jane gets +20 Billiance, and an added skill bonus of +10 Awesomeness

(h/t Chris Brogan)

Apologies to any in-China folks for having to turn your VPN on, but trust me, it’s worth it.

• That’s not a dude
• West Virginia Represent!
• No, you’re not mistaken, that is a trailer park
• I’m surprised trailer parks have Internet access too.
• Jiu jitsu appears to be highly accommodating to the heftier among us.

h/t Unreasonable Faith

Subject: The perfect Mother’s Day present

If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking about something you can do for Mother’s Day next month. Well, I have a slightly different suggestion.

Next week, development ministers from G8 countries will meet to develop a plan to improve women and children’s health around the world. With more than 8 million children dying before the age of 5 and more than 300,000 women dying in pregnancy and childbirth each year, I know you’ll agree with me that this an important issue.

I just signed a petition asking the G8 to make sure they create a strong plan to ensure mums and babies around the world grow up healthy.

Please join me by taking action here:

http://one.org/international/actnow/mumsday2010/

Our best chance at impacting the process is by speaking together.

Thanks!

I urge the few people that still happen across this blog to head over to the link above and sign the petition. I may live in a country were petitioners are routinely ignored, but I’d like to think that I come from a country where that’s not the case. Being as close as I am to having my first child, it’s impossible not to read about the above issue and not realize how lucky I, my wife and our soon-to-be-born son all are. For all the benefits that he automatically has granted to him, and so many others do not, I hope you’ll take a moment and sign.

The FSM was the product of a 2005 open letter to the Kansas School Board from Bobby Henderson in opposition to “Intelligent” Design being taught in science classes as an alternative to evolution.

Open Letter To Kansas School Board

I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.

Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

read the whole letter – it’s not long, and quite funny.

Henderson has gone on to pen The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a book that will definitely be rubbing covers with the next batch of baby books I’m ordering.

The funniest part of the Pastafarian phenomenon and Church of the FSM site is the rather mountainous collection of hate mail that Henderson has received. It amazes me that Christians people will go to all the effort of 1) finding out just enough about the FSM to visit the site, 2) tracking down the contact details on the site, and 3) writing lengthy and strongly-worded e-mails — while not once stopping and revisiting the term parody. The irony that they are the biggest believers in the FSM is not lost on me.

I envy not the well-balanced Christians that I call friends, for the ilk that share their faith are truly a poor representation of the otherwise wondrous human intellect.

As for me, this horn swollgin’ scallywag has ben touched by His noodly appendage. Arrr! What about ye, ye scurvy dog?

And what a bonus for us it is. So much advice, sharing of experiences, and a healthy amount of warnings. So, to help propagate that knowledge, here are a few links from around the China blogsphere talking about having babies in China that I’ve found particularly insightful.

Giving Birth in Chengdu – Chengdu Living: This excellent four-part series is penned by new father Sascha and offers a lot of advice and information. Though written particularly about giving birth in the capital of Sichuan, Chengdu, the series carries with it sagacity that applies to anywhere in China.

• Part 1: Giving Birth in Chengdu
• Part 2: Giving Birth in Chengdu – Selecting a Hospital
• Part 3: Giving Birth in Chengdu – the Cesarean Conspiracy
• Part 4: Giving Birth in Chengdu – A New Life

The hellish birth of a beautiful angel – Jakob Montrasio: My talented friend Jakob in Shanghai recently endured a rather terrible experience with the birth of his daughter at the hands of the Chinese medical system. He, his wife and his daughter all came out the other side relatively unscathed, but his account serves as an excellent warning for anyone planning to have kids here.

Adventures By Design – The Elbees: My friends Ric and Gin share their experiences (albeit not as often as they should) about having a baby here in China. Lots of cute photos of their adorable baby girl, Aria. These three people deserve much of the credit in preparing Maggie and I for parenthood and we love them for it.

“Foreign Baby in China” Category – ChinaHopeLive.com: Joel and Jessica, a couple in Tianjin, share their experiences and opinions on having and raising a baby in China.

Hao Hao Report “Babies” Tag: As might be expected, I get a lot of direction for China-focused information from stuff submitted to the Hao Hao Report, a Web site I run that is a human aggregator of stories about China.

Update 1

Having a Baby in China: a fantastic resource for parents having a kid in China — complete with a rather comprehensive Chinese-English pregnancy vocab list (complete with pinyin).

If you have any other good reads about having babies in China, please help me out and leave links in the comments!

Here’s the song that kicked it all off:

Be sure to check out Playing For Change‘s Web site. They’ve got a bunch more episodes.