I'm the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's ambassador to the web. You've heard of a news hound? Well, I'm a bird. Also, I love puns. (Reblogs, likes and links are not endorsements.)

  1.  

    Songs for #Joplin hosts LA art auction

    Songs for #Joplin continues to evolve and raise money for the tornado-stricken Missouri town.

    Back in June, Zach Becker launched “Songs for #Joplin” — an album featuring 18 independent artists available for free download at songsforjoplin.com. Donations are encouraged; all money from the album goes to the Heart of Missouri United Way and is directed to recovery efforts in Joplin.

    On Saturday, Songs for #Joplin is partnering with Undergrounds Coffeehouse in Valencia, Calif., to auction 18 photos from Joplin and of the Songs for #Joplin artists. All proceeds from the auction will go to Joplin recovery efforts; Los Angeles-area bands will provide live music during the otherwise silent auction at Undergrounds. 

    If you can’t make it to California, you can follow updates from the event with Twitter hashtag #SFJAuction.

    • 10
    • Posted at 5:10 pm on 9.06.2011
  2.   The Joplin Way • When the schools in Joplin were reduced to rubble in the deadly tornado three months ago, district leaders made a promise that seemed like a long shot: The new school year would start on time. But Wednesday, right on schedule, students were reunited for the first day of school, streaming into makeshift buildings that replaced the nine schools damaged or destroyed by the tornado and marking the end of a difficult summer.

    Full image link →

    The Joplin Way • When the schools in Joplin were reduced to rubble in the deadly tornado three months ago, district leaders made a promise that seemed like a long shot: The new school year would start on time. But Wednesday, right on schedule, students were reunited for the first day of school, streaming into makeshift buildings that replaced the nine schools damaged or destroyed by the tornado and marking the end of a difficult summer.

    Source: stltoday.com
    • 4
    • Posted at 1:15 pm on 8.18.2011
  3.   The St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals have joined forces with the Governors office to help raise money for Joplin, Mo., and the area devastated by the tornado last month. The teams will dedicate their upcoming series at Busch Stadium to Joplin and the weekend will include fundraisers to help with Joplin relief. The plan, as announced during a press conference Wednesday in Joplin, will be called “Teams Unite for Joplin.” Both teams will wear the patch seen above during the series. Those patches will also be sold during the series to raise money for Joplin recovery. Fans also will have a chance to bid on game-used baseballs, lineup cards, bases, autographed items and, on Father’s Day, take part in a jersey-off-their-back auction.

    Full image link →

    The St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals have joined forces with the Governors office to help raise money for Joplin, Mo., and the area devastated by the tornado last month. The teams will dedicate their upcoming series at Busch Stadium to Joplin and the weekend will include fundraisers to help with Joplin relief.

    The plan, as announced during a press conference Wednesday in Joplin, will be called “Teams Unite for Joplin.” Both teams will wear the patch seen above during the series. Those patches will also be sold during the series to raise money for Joplin recovery.

    Fans also will have a chance to bid on game-used baseballs, lineup cards, bases, autographed items and, on Father’s Day, take part in a jersey-off-their-back auction.

    Source: stltoday.com
    • 15
    • Posted at 4:23 pm on 6.09.2011
  4.   When Zach Becker saw the devastation from last month’s tornado in Joplin, he knew he had to do something to help. Less than two weeks later, Becker has created and released “Songs for #Joplin.” Born on Twitter and adopting the Twitter hashtag style for its title,  ”Songs for #Joplin” (@songsforjoplin) features 18 independent artists and is available for free at songsforjoplin.com. Donations are encouraged; all money from the album goes to the Heart of Missouri United Way and will be directed to recovery efforts in Joplin. Benefit albums are not new — Linkin Park created a similar Music for Relief sampler in 2005 to help victims of a tsunami in the Indian Ocean. That project is now collecting donations to help with the earthquake and tsunami recovery in Japan. “I desperately wanted to help but I’m unemployed so money isn’t exactly my strong suit,” Becker said. Two days after the tornado struck, he turned to Twitter with his idea for a sampler.  “I just tweeted to my 300-plus followers, asking them to spread the word,” said Becker, @docmisterio on Twitter. The responses and retweets poured in “faster than my iPhone could tell me about them.” Artists also began volunteering to participate. “The initial blast of songs that came into my email was about 35 or so,” Becker said. ”I didn’t, and couldn’t, pick everyone who submitted a song. There are a couple of big ‘gets’ for me personally: Waterdeep and Derek Webb happen to be two of my favorite bands/acts.” To quickly put the project together, Becker has had help from Webb, who co-owns music distribution site noisetrade.com where the album is published, and friend Sam Wade (@samwade). Within 24 hours of its Friday morning release, the sampler had collected $1,000 in donations. Word has spread primarily through social media. “Our first day we had lots of people talk about and/or retweet us,” Becker said. “I never expected any of this; I simply just wanted to make a difference to a hurting community where I couldn’t personally make a difference. Initially, my thought was ‘Man, that would be awesome if I could just get $1,000 or something — that would be $1,000 they didn’t have before.’ But since this thing has started picking up traction and I’ve been doing interviews, I’m optimistically hoping for $10,000 or more.”

    Full image link →

    When Zach Becker saw the devastation from last month’s tornado in Joplin, he knew he had to do something to help. Less than two weeks later, Becker has created and released “Songs for #Joplin.”

    Born on Twitter and adopting the Twitter hashtag style for its title,  ”Songs for #Joplin” (@songsforjoplin) features 18 independent artists and is available for free at songsforjoplin.com. Donations are encouraged; all money from the album goes to the Heart of Missouri United Way and will be directed to recovery efforts in Joplin.

    Benefit albums are not new — Linkin Park created a similar Music for Relief sampler in 2005 to help victims of a tsunami in the Indian Ocean. That project is now collecting donations to help with the earthquake and tsunami recovery in Japan.

    “I desperately wanted to help but I’m unemployed so money isn’t exactly my strong suit,” Becker said. Two days after the tornado struck, he turned to Twitter with his idea for a sampler. 

    “I just tweeted to my 300-plus followers, asking them to spread the word,” said Becker, @docmisterio on Twitter. The responses and retweets poured in “faster than my iPhone could tell me about them.”

    Artists also began volunteering to participate.

    “The initial blast of songs that came into my email was about 35 or so,” Becker said. ”I didn’t, and couldn’t, pick everyone who submitted a song. There are a couple of big ‘gets’ for me personally: Waterdeep and Derek Webb happen to be two of my favorite bands/acts.”

    To quickly put the project together, Becker has had help from Webb, who co-owns music distribution site noisetrade.com where the album is published, and friend Sam Wade (@samwade). Within 24 hours of its Friday morning release, the sampler had collected $1,000 in donations. Word has spread primarily through social media.

    “Our first day we had lots of people talk about and/or retweet us,” Becker said. “I never expected any of this; I simply just wanted to make a difference to a hurting community where I couldn’t personally make a difference. Initially, my thought was ‘Man, that would be awesome if I could just get $1,000 or something — that would be $1,000 they didn’t have before.’ But since this thing has started picking up traction and I’ve been doing interviews, I’m optimistically hoping for $10,000 or more.”

    • 11
    • Posted at 5:33 pm on 6.05.2011
  5.   Last week, weather dominated the news. Joplin was decimated by a tornado, and severe storms whipped through the St. Louis area. Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise that weather dominates this week’s “top tweets” list. Read the rest of my Top 10 Tweets list »

    Full image link →

    Last week, weather dominated the news. Joplin was decimated by a tornado, and severe storms whipped through the St. Louis area. Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise that weather dominates this week’s “top tweets” list.

    Read the rest of my Top 10 Tweets list »

    Source: stltoday.com
    • 2
    • Posted at 3:21 pm on 5.31.2011
  6.  

    18 of 26 Joplin Globe reporters lost their homes but never stopped reporting their hometown disaster →

    chels:

    The Globe Publisher Michael Beatty was quoted by the paper as saying employees began reporting for work minutes after the tornado hit, redoing Monday morning’s edition and making it to the press just one hour late.

    “It was amazing,” Beatty said in the story. “These people came in who had lost their homes completely. But they were just dedicated to their jobs, to getting the story out.”

    The Missouri Press Association has set up a fund where you can donate to help these journalists. Click the link above to donate $25, $65, or $100.

    (via @jcastro)

    (via soupsoup)

    Source: chels
    • 80
    • Posted at 12:31 pm on 5.30.2011
  7.  

    Body of 16-month-old boy in Joplin tornado identified →

    A sad follow-up to the photo I posted last week: The body of 16-month-old Skyular Logsdon, believed missing in the Joplin tornado, was identified Sunday using DNA, family members said.

    • 4
    • Posted at 11:56 am on 5.30.2011
  8.   packedandstartedwest: thedailywhat: Damn Nature U Scary of the Day: The full force of an EF5 tornado, succinctly illustrated in Joplin, Missouri. [sirmitchell.] :( Amazing and terrifying.

    Full image link →

    packedandstartedwest:

    thedailywhat:

    Damn Nature U Scary of the Day: The full force of an EF5 tornado, succinctly illustrated in Joplin, Missouri.

    [sirmitchell.]

    :(

    Amazing and terrifying.

    (via monde-reel)

    Source: sirmitchell
    • 5379
    • Posted at 5:36 pm on 5.27.2011
  9.  

    Rescuing pets and, this time, 30 chickens after the tornado in Joplin.

    • Posted at 4:58 pm on 5.27.2011
  10.   A view of extensive damage from Sunday’s tornado in Joplin. Post-Dispatch photographer J.B. Forbes toured Joplin aboard a Missouri National Guard Blackhawk helicopter Tuesday morning. See more of his aerial photos »

    Full image link →

    A view of extensive damage from Sunday’s tornado in Joplin. Post-Dispatch photographer J.B. Forbes toured Joplin aboard a Missouri National Guard Blackhawk helicopter Tuesday morning.

    See more of his aerial photos »

    • 1
    • Posted at 9:51 pm on 5.24.2011