Pepsi Refresh Project: Support Brilliant Writing in the Blogosphere

Cross-posted at Big Orange, please recommend!

I'm all for anything that will support brilliant writing in the blogosphere. We (including me) aren't doing enough to find ways to financially support those who work the long uncompensated hours to produce this media.

Via Evil Slut Clique, there is an effort to win money from the "Pepsi Refresh Project" to provide emergency grants to bloggers.

While I never want to have enough money to afford a lifestyle, I think many of us really have no concept of what a 'financial emergency' is, since starving artists live on that edge all the time.

But I applaud the efforts of Deb on the Rocks (a cool lady I have met f2f) and strongly encourage you to vote regularly for her project.

Here's Deb's post copied with permission so together we can make a difference.

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We Can Create A Foundation to Support Bloggers!

I believe supporting the Arts is one of the important ways we better our world. Service takes many forms, and all are necessary: the gifted content creators in the blogosphere are artists, and my life is so much better --our culture is so much better -- because of their work. The heart and soul of blogging, the truth of self-expression online, is so much more than the ridiculous few business models we've tried to use to support our artists.

For many of us, creating content and publishing online is our Parisian salon, our Algonquin Round Table, our Bread Loaf. We are a community of creatives. We know that publishing is a sacrifice, a commitment, the rushing, moving channel for our art, and we want to make way for the highest quality in online work to be supported whether or not it appeals to corporate sponsors. And are devoted to our community of creatives, even when we truly know each other: we are united in our passions, connected in doing what we are drawn to do. Every writer I know has said that her work has improved because of the practice of writing online, the feedback of audiences, and the exposure to other gifted, brave, vanguard authors. We know the value of quality and necessity of blogging, which is what makes us so very generous with our own limited finances when one of our own is in need.

I've often wondered why our rich tech brothers haven't become like the Medici's in Renaissance Italy. Why haven't they stepped up to fund creative development, or to create a foundation to protect our burgeoning art form and its creators? I'd like to encourage them and other related businesses to do so--and not solely by giving us free printers to review. Printers, coupons and samples of cleaning products don't pay emergency room doctor bills or get the electricity reconnected.

As a patron of the arts, I've donated money to many structured emergency relief funds. They are so important, so useful, in helping artists and writers continue to work despite financial setbacks. What if bloggers could have access to a fund like:

the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, which helps craft artists

the ASJA Writers Assistance Fund, for nonfiction freelancers

the PEN American Writers Fund for published writers

the William A. Graham Artist Emergency Fund, which helps visual artists

or other public, private, regional or local funds.

We have an opportunity to build this thing. I've submitted a request for a seed grant to start the process, from Pepsi's Refresh Everything crowd-sourced corporate giving project. This is what they are doing with the money they saved by not airing a ridiculously expensive Superbowl ad. This is an amazing gesture toward a future that is more authentic because of crowd-sourcing, and because of what we do every day in this space.

I've just put the idea out there to see if bloggers think that our art form needs this type of support. Do you? If so, please register and vote, and share the news. Republish parts or all of this post. Promote on social media. Do what you do, begin to protect what you love. The top two ideas in the funding category will be funded each month. If you have ideas of your own, submit it now for the next round on voting in March.

How it works:

1. Easy registration.
2. Vote every day in February.
3. Promote the link.


If you would like an email each day reminding you to vote, please email me at debontherocks@gmail.com to be added to the list. It's a very cool list to be on, but it won't be used for any other reason.

I'm offering up this idea because I love us. Even those of us who drive me crazy--sometimes especially them. I love what we do, and that we are lucky enough to do it. My heart breaks when economic suffering or personal and family crises gets in the way of creating for such brilliant people. I'd like to give us a chance to claim this next step in our medium's development. Please join me.

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Here's that link one more time: http://www.refresheverything.com/blogging. It's really quick and easy to vote, either by registering with Pepsi's site or with your facebook account. And if you like this idea, head over to Deb's post and leave a comment there. (You can comment here too, we love comments, but Deb deserves a huge show of support for this idea.) Please pass this on to all of the bloggers that you know and love, and don't forget to vote!

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Blue Gal here: My only concern is that there's only enough money to support bloggers who get cancer or lose their house. That's certainly a valuable reason to have a pot of money around but the rest of us need your support, too. I'm planning a fundraiser (this time with a contest and prize!) for later this month, primarily to raise money to fund the costs associated with podcasting. Watch this space, and thank you.

Remember that tomorrow is Blogroll Amnesty Day. Link small blogs you love! We're all in this together. xoxo

Congratulations, Mister Tristan

Who takes me at my word that blogging for twenty one days straight he gets some linky love.

Absolutely!

It's a long distance runners blog with some bits of politics thrown in. Akabini take note! xo

A Thanks to the Reigning Queen of the Funny Blogs

The blog that has kept me sane (tm) the past two weeks is Wonkette. Not just because as they say in one headline, "political internet almost fully unreadable." It's more like posting that picture of the 'Totally Not Gay' Mark Foley texting in his bike speedo made my weekend a few days early. And let's not ever ever forget that Joe Lieberman didn't just destroy health care reform, he's also "Satan’s earthly plastic voodoo doll." It's times like this you have to laugh or go crazy. For me and mine, I'm going to read Wonkette.

And I'm not just sucking up early because I'll really really need their help once Weblog Awards are under way. Promise.

Besides, 'Obi-Wonkette you're our only hope', I won your stupid photoshop contest LAST year.


PS. I hate to make you jealous, Wonkette, but do you ever get any hits from Vietnamese search engine users typing in "sex google"? Didn't think so.

Your turn to go down on the cake, my friend.

Happy First Year (BABY) Blogiversary to one of Steve Gilliard's grandblogbabies, Rehctaw. Leave comments and well-wishes over there. xo

Happy Blogiversary to a favorite blog buddy.

and Dude! It turns out I'm not the only one who thinks highly of yer talent....



[Please leave comments at Driftglass's place. At age 4, his blog is old enough to take it.]

Were any of you in debate in high school?

If any of my readers were on the debate team in high school, I suspect you'd be giving back to the universe to send this blogger a word of encouragement. I don't know her but I found the post in my internet travels. Tell her Blue Gal sent you.

Links for Thursday.

Just three...

There's a new blog in town, allegedly written by some f2f friends of mine. The Fluffington Post. I'm asking them right here and now if they'll let me guest post from time to time. They're on the LINE now, like these panties....

P.J. O'Rourke on Disneyland's new House of Tomorrow [The Atlantic]:

“Countertops will be able to identify groceries set on them and make menu suggestions.” At our house, that would mean the strip of Formica between the sink and the stove piping up in a computer-generated snivel, “I hate broccoli. Meatloaf again?” Probably the fridge would chime in, “Well, if you don’t like meatloaf, make your own damn dinner.” And this is assuming that the kitchen doesn’t have IT problems that cause the countertop to go, “Macaroniandcheesemacaroniandcheesemacaroniandcheese …” [my son] Buster already does that.

There are some bloggers out there who, despite the imminent takeover by a very competent, unfunny administration, are on a frickin' roll. Zaius is one of them.

Go say Hi

To Darkblack. We like, and when we like, we blogroll.

Thank God.

...Falafel Sex is back and blogging. Go say hi. They are so old skool, I can't even talk about it.

I hope this means Fafblog and CFAV will be back soon, too.

If they haven't forgotten their Blogger passwords and omg they may be on old Blogger, too, which means any attempt to save an actual post will result in a server crash. Ah, those were the good old days.

Go say Hi

'cause her Namaste's on fire, baby. Very cool and blogrolled.

Want your Jesus back?

Go read Joe Bageant. Very inspiring.

I'd tell you to leave comments over there but he doesn't allow comments so consider this an open thread on that letter. Thanks.

You think we've got it bad here.

There's lots of reasons I can't imagine living in the Middle East but I never really gave Israeli bureaucracy much thought until I read this post by my buddy Yossi Gurvitz, whose brand spankin' new English blog, Friends of George (Orwell) is a late addition to the blogroll:

About a week ago a smiling young girl knocked on my door. She wore a very unique shirt, showing the logos of the Katz courier company and of the Home Front Command. She wanted the gas mask, God only knows where it is. It turns out that the Home Front Command wants it back, and threatens not to issue me a replacement in case of emergency, unless I provide it with the old mask. To perform the operation, just as it privatized the sirens, it also privatized the collection of the masks.

I'll betcha Michael Chertoff is totally jealous right this minute.

Christians? Happy?

There's an interesting post over at Quaker Street (BG linking to Quaker blogs? Get used to it.)

Apparently Jean Paul Sartre wrote about Christians coming out of church with smiles on their faces and deduced that happiness was a hallmark of Christian living or some such nonsense. Any quote from French philosophes of the twentieth century prompts "the taking of the Advil" at Chateau Blue Gal. Here is my comment from there:

I have known Christians who felt some obligation to be either happy or sad but I'm with the Buddhists on this one: mere human emotion is Monkey Mind.

I think the hallmark of a true Christian is both a broken heart and a joyful one. We've been to hell and come back. We know the pains this world can produce and we know the way out is hard, but we're not alone and we don't have to be afraid.

My recent leadings (and yes I'm a newly Convinced Quaker) have been both sad and joyful.

Other things to read today:

Manila calls the founders of Live Earth, "the Man." He's right.

Blogenfreude loses it. And shouldn't we all?

Are you an English teacher? Please prepare your red pencil and give Mitt Romney's finance chair an "F". Then expel her. From the English-speaking world.

Off to the airport and lots of waiting. Should have wifi but may not have power supply. We'll see.

and while I'm pimping other women's blogs....

Sometimes what looks like a catfight is a big ol' hug.

Alicia at Last Left Turn before Hooterville has a well-written and personal tribute to the late Tammy Faye Bakker.

When I blog-tip, leave comments over there, please.

Finally...

from xkcd

Jess Wundrun finally has her own blog. Go visit and leave a comment at her first post.

Welcome to the Party

BG commenter Chris in Seattle just started his own blog, The Great Endarkenment. Added to the blogroll, Chris. Go say hi and as per usual, leave the comments over there.

What I'm saying is...

Once you reach your hundredth post, blogging is no longer a gateway drug. You're an addict, dude. Come sleep under the wifi bridge with the rest of us.

Congratulations, Cause for Concern. Keep going.

(and leave your well-wishes over there, please.)

Welcome back to the blogosphere...

Yeah it's wonky as hell and we like it that way. If you want homeland security done right (with technology, not weapons, and from the perspective of an anti-war Democrat) you'll want to have David Stephenson's blog (finally back up and shuffled onto Wordpress) on your blogroll. He's FOBG, and worth the visit. (Plus you can say you "knew him when" once the Dems get the White House back. Just saying.)

Update your bookmarks.

Daily Darfur has done the Wordpress shuffle.

Darfur, while more urgent, can be compared to apartheid in South Africa. We CAN, through divestment, international pressure, and pure awareness, vanquish hate and turn things around. I may not feel much control over that part of the world, but I have control over my own thoughts, which will not include hopelessness. I have not, and I will not, give up hope for the human beings of the world.

Anyhow. Daily Darfur. It's not my blog but I believe in it.




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Okay, I know I'm gonna get kicked out...

...of the Feminist Bloggers Initiative for this. These panties from California NOW are boy-cut? Have no country of origin information? No organic info? Fifteen dollars a pair?

And they
"run small"?!!?







National Organization for Women California Chapter marketing genius? You're fired.

Ya know, now I don't feel so bad about linking to Hot Chicks with Douchebags, which is the funniest written website since Sparklepony. And that's saying sumpin'.

If you only read one post from the HCwB site, make it this one.


h/t Monkeymuck.




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