Sunday, February 28
First up against the wall when the revolution comes.
I can't believe I live on the very same planet where there are women waxing their crotches in order to have Swarovski crystals glued onto that very same area in a decorative manner. The "spa treatment" people promise the crystals last an entire five days.
First of all, the good Lord did not put me on this planet to replace my panties with fake diamond glue-on. All things in moderation, people.
And also. There's a motherfutzing recession on, and that fifty dollars you're spending to rhinestone your pussy could go to feed some Haitians.
image from Anne Taintor
Brave Brave Sir John
Coward? But look how bravely he defends the traditions of the Senate! Zzzzz.
And all that bravery is worth an EXCLUSIVE Meet the Press interview! Nothing says courage like Mano a Mano with David Gregory!
Ugh.
(h/t Tengrain).
Friday, February 26
A story I almost missed.
It's not that Sally Quinn's "The Party" column has been removed from the print edition. Yawn.
She claims she offered the column that allegedly ended her print tenure, to show that "even the experts make mistakes." Mistakes like making the ghostly spirit of Emily Post barf in your soup course, as shown in item "C" below:
Is it good party etiquette that one of her last tree-killer columns was a cockpunch (you know where I got THAT word) to her husband because that senile fucker didn't write the wedding date of his granddaughter on his calendar when she clearly had sent a SAVE THE FUCKING DATE CARD and Sally had handed it to him specifically? Fuck!
Their son is getting married on the same day, Sally tells us, because she moved her wedding date up because, as Sally tells us ALL in her WASHINGTON POST COLUMN that she was "thrilled to learn," the bride is alluva sudden pregnant. [I got nothing against that. But life holds few graces for most District of Columbia unwed moms: not having Sally Quinn for a mother-in-law has to be one of them.] And Sally rushed around the house in her Maribou Feather Kitten Bedroom Slippers checking everybody's calendar to make sure the "revised date" ahem, wouldn't be a conflict. But Ben Fuckwad Bradlee's calendar didn't have the granddaughter's wedding written down! Really, I'm slightly disappointed in you, Sally. A really good party planner would have put that fossil's calendar a-w-a-y from him before something, you know, damaging like this happened.
And it's just so unfortunate this "spate of negative stories, both online and in print, about the 'dueling weddings.'"
Dueling weddings? Is that a reference that BOTH weddings are shotgun? Jeebus, Sally. I'd hate to see what you do when you're really sorry about something. But then again it does make your future seating arrangements so much easier knowing neither bride will ever speak to you again.
She claims she offered the column that allegedly ended her print tenure, to show that "even the experts make mistakes." Mistakes like making the ghostly spirit of Emily Post barf in your soup course, as shown in item "C" below:
Is it good party etiquette that one of her last tree-killer columns was a cockpunch (you know where I got THAT word) to her husband because that senile fucker didn't write the wedding date of his granddaughter on his calendar when she clearly had sent a SAVE THE FUCKING DATE CARD and Sally had handed it to him specifically? Fuck!
Their son is getting married on the same day, Sally tells us, because she moved her wedding date up because, as Sally tells us ALL in her WASHINGTON POST COLUMN that she was "thrilled to learn," the bride is alluva sudden pregnant. [I got nothing against that. But life holds few graces for most District of Columbia unwed moms: not having Sally Quinn for a mother-in-law has to be one of them.] And Sally rushed around the house in her Maribou Feather Kitten Bedroom Slippers checking everybody's calendar to make sure the "revised date" ahem, wouldn't be a conflict. But Ben Fuckwad Bradlee's calendar didn't have the granddaughter's wedding written down! Really, I'm slightly disappointed in you, Sally. A really good party planner would have put that fossil's calendar a-w-a-y from him before something, you know, damaging like this happened.
And it's just so unfortunate this "spate of negative stories, both online and in print, about the 'dueling weddings.'"
Dueling weddings? Is that a reference that BOTH weddings are shotgun? Jeebus, Sally. I'd hate to see what you do when you're really sorry about something. But then again it does make your future seating arrangements so much easier knowing neither bride will ever speak to you again.
Happy Birthday to my SIX! year old
This weekend: Two podcasts! Here's one.
Because the podcasting hours for this month are paid for, we decided to post the show we recorded before that letter from Michael Steele arrived at my house: the letter that made Driftglass so mad.
We've recorded another one for this week which will be posted sometime in the next few days. Thanks very much for your moral and financial support. We need and appreciate both.
Thursday, February 25
I usually don't "squee"
But the teeny tiny SWEATERS being shown at my dad's art studio space in Pittsburgh are da bomb. That said, I've done some miniature art installation knitting myself before, and to be honest? It's a bitch.
See a photo gallery of the lil' darlins' here.
Wednesday, February 24
Scott Brown! Run for your (political) life!
I mean, I hate Harry Reid, but I wouldn't waste time (valuable time I could be photoshopping him as a bunny) doing some all-cap Twitter rage mumbo jumbo:
@scottbrownma BETRAYS TRUE AMERICANS, VOTES WITH DEMONRATS, DESERVES TO BE JAILED FOR TREASON, THE TRAITOR #tcot #gop #ocra #teaparty
A big #WaterboardWed shoutout to @ScottBrownMA. Yep, I'd hold the hose.| I wanna help!!!
With regard to the @ScottBrownMA pile on: We elected him to do one thing.
I'm guessing that 'one thing' isn't 'stay classy.'
___________
Speaking of Twitter, somebody woke up Grandpa Fred Thompson, who is outraged, outraged!-- that Barney Frank called John McCain a coward.
He called him a sad excuse for a liar, too. But I guess if Grandpa brought that up we'd have to do some fact finding or something. h/t @greebs, "Lying is mavericky."
I gotta admit, while I agree with Howard Dean that the Democratic base has never been so disheartened, these TCOT tea party twitterers make it fun to be on the other side.
Sigh.
.
Tuesday, February 23
You're doing better than you think.
Just had one of those mornings with the kids, particularly the youngest, who turns 6 this Friday and has decided that any and all behavior problems I identify as belonging to HER are actually and completely the entire fault of her 11-year-old brother.
BUT JUNIOR SAID! BUT JUNIOR WAS! BUT JUNIOR MADE ME!
Ugh.
So I go and look up behavior charts that I might use with her, since they work so well for her at school.
There are charts for
"I didn't bite anyone today" and
"I slept in my own bed without wetting."
Okay. So I'm doing better than I think,and so is my 6 year old.
So then I think I'm going to have a morning alternating between sulking-due-to-single-parenthood-burnout and housecleaning, and the phone rings.
I had volunteered to drive a large shipment of newborn baby supplies to a local distribution center for transport to Haiti. They were ready for the mom van to take it over.
And I thought of those new mothers. And the conditions they woke up in this morning.
I don't like our generation's habit of thinking "there are people in the world worse off than me." It leads us to accept less than we're worth in relationships, jobs, and governments.
But saying to ourselves "I am going to help someone worse off than I am AND insist on my own worth to the world." is a terrific affirmation, one that I forget.
The distribution center (where I dropped off 191 pounds of toothpaste, soap, diapers, newborn shirts, and washcloths) had a poster on the wall: "You may be one person to the world, but you may be the world to one person."
I hope I made a difference today. I know I made an effort.
BUT JUNIOR SAID! BUT JUNIOR WAS! BUT JUNIOR MADE ME!
Ugh.
So I go and look up behavior charts that I might use with her, since they work so well for her at school.
There are charts for
"I didn't bite anyone today" and
"I slept in my own bed without wetting."
Okay. So I'm doing better than I think,and so is my 6 year old.
So then I think I'm going to have a morning alternating between sulking-due-to-single-parenthood-burnout and housecleaning, and the phone rings.
I had volunteered to drive a large shipment of newborn baby supplies to a local distribution center for transport to Haiti. They were ready for the mom van to take it over.
And I thought of those new mothers. And the conditions they woke up in this morning.
I don't like our generation's habit of thinking "there are people in the world worse off than me." It leads us to accept less than we're worth in relationships, jobs, and governments.
But saying to ourselves "I am going to help someone worse off than I am AND insist on my own worth to the world." is a terrific affirmation, one that I forget.
The distribution center (where I dropped off 191 pounds of toothpaste, soap, diapers, newborn shirts, and washcloths) had a poster on the wall: "You may be one person to the world, but you may be the world to one person."
I hope I made a difference today. I know I made an effort.
Monday, February 22
Knitting to do and Salon 9 Eastern
Progressive Blogger Salon is at Tiny Chat.
http://tinychat.com/bluegal
I've chosen this meandering vines shawl pattern for my "Blue Glass" shawl yarn. I'll show you the finished item in a couple years or so.... :)
http://tinychat.com/bluegal
I've chosen this meandering vines shawl pattern for my "Blue Glass" shawl yarn. I'll show you the finished item in a couple years or so.... :)
Dear Administrators: Don't Screw Your Local School
Here's what happens if you do: My district started
a magnet elementary school that began enrolling students in August 2001. Open to all students in the district and, at first, operated contractually by a private firm, Edison Schools, Feitshans got off to mixed reviews. More than 600 students signed up to attend the school, which quickly developed a waiting list. Yet, complaints soon developed about discipline and security problems.
District officials later acknowledged other elementary schools had encouraged their students with behavior problems to transfer there. Despite efforts to diversify enrollment, other students began pulling out. Eventually, Edison pulled out, too.
So you decide to throw a magnet school contract to a privately held company. BUT you forget to throw up a gate to keep "troubled" kids out? And the teachers and administrators know this and send the undesirables your way? You get what you deserve, douchebags.
Yet another unforeseen side effect of No Child Left Behind is that teachers and administrators at local schools do whatever they can to eliminate poor-performing kids and hold on to high-performing kids. My middle child just missed the cut-off to transfer to the disrict's "gifted" school by three test points. Not three percentage points, three test points. No one at her school told me this, and I don't blame them. The local school desperately needed my kid to meet minimum standards for average test score results. But with all due respect to the awful job local schools are handed, up yours, because I'm going to do what is best for MY kid, not YOUR school. (I also think it's horrible that my district has segregated gifted kids into their own building rather than provide services within the local schools, but if this is what I'm handed I have to use it, as a parent. We advocated and got middle child transferred.)
Probably preaching to the choir here. This testing bullshit is hurting our country's ability to educate its children. Wonder why we have overwhelming drop out rates in this country? Could it have something to do with schools needing to have high average test scores?
Sunday, February 21
Presenting the CPAC Limited Edition Commemorative Coin
Newt the serial
Saturday, February 20
Alexander Haig, 1924-2010
And everyone remembers the day the soldier "assumed" the throne:
As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.
Friday, February 19
Our most dramatic podcast ever.
Yes, Driftglass loses his equilibrium over Michael Steele's letter to Blue Gal. This was not personal between the two of us, but if I were Michael Steele I'd avoid Chicago for a few years.
And yes dammit I'm laughing TOO LOUD while reading Michael Steele's letter. Anyone who doesn't like it can bite me.
Those of you who like these podcasts? We need your contribution of five bucks in the hat to keep them going. Really.
UPDATE: A commenter asks for the RSS feed for the podcast. You can find it here.
The Alice in Wonderland Video you might have missed...
Since my Alice photoshop was such a hit I wanted to replay this video I made before Obama's inaugural.
Podcast will be posted tonight. We're still hitting our listeners up for $5.00 donations to cover the costs associated with podcast hosting. Thanks so much to those who have already donated. We really appreciate it.
Thursday, February 18
Cooking with Republicans! (NOT work safe)
And again I say, not work safe. And for those of you who don't get the "Santorum" connection, go look it up in the Urban Dictionary. But that is also not work safe.
Don't forget, for those who are loving the podcast, we need five bucks from you to pay for our podcasting server costs. Thanks so much!
Don't forget, for those who are loving the podcast, we need five bucks from you to pay for our podcasting server costs. Thanks so much!
Wednesday, February 17
Have the Olympics Replaced Lent?
I've noticed a significant up-tick this year in Olympic-based online challenges, and not just the knitting ones (Ravelympics and Knitting Olympics are ongoing). There's a declutter olympics and a stuffed animal olympic thing and of course a scrapbooking challenge.
There's lots of social networking and goal setting etc, based on a set time of beginning said project with lighting the torch and ending with the closing ceremony. It's a convenient agreed-to time frame to set a goal and try to achieve it. But what about Lent? It overlaps with the Olympics somewhat this year and hey, it's a longer period of time.
I'm far too lazy to achieve any goal in 17 days based on some sports event when I can fail to achieve said goal in 40 days and at least pretend I tried for Jesus' sake. Honestly.
I'm giving up sloth this year. Today was my second water aerobics class in as many weeks; I'm going to try to go more than once a week when I can. I'm going to keep on top of my laundry for 40 days and nights, including the #%@^(&%$ folding. And I'm going to get in the habit of asking for help: from my kids, my fellow bloggers, and my readership.
It's time to hold a fundraiser, this time not just for me but more specifically to defray costs and time spent preparing the weekly podcast with Driftglass. Because we want to make the podcast at least a weekly occurrence we are paying each month for podcasting hosting. This is real money and is not free. If you like the podcasts, help us pay for it.
If you can help us defray that cost (and also as DG says "pay the damn writer") I would really appreciate the help. And one important reminder to those of us (most of us) who are flat broke:
Five bucks makes a huge difference.
More than that blows me away. PS. I only hold fundraisers four times a year.
Thank you so much for your support.
Monday, February 15
Lace Weight Podcast Yarn (?) and Salon Tonight
After Chris M. suggested at Salon that the Driftglass Blue Gal podcast should be called Blue Glass, it cracked me up to find a hand dyed lace weight yarn whose color is called just that.
The podcast took off this weekend: we've had over 2200 downloads, probably due to the keywords "Palin" and "porn". I expect when we talk about lace knitting next week our numbers will be slightly lower. (kidding! kidding!)
Now to find the money to keep it going. We have to pay to podcast as often as we do, um, weekly with an occasional special edition is apparently a lot. Watch this space or DG's for a fundraiser SOON.
Salon tonight, 9 Eastern, new address, and hopefully easier to remember:
http://tinychat.com/bluegal
Hope to see you then.
The podcast took off this weekend: we've had over 2200 downloads, probably due to the keywords "Palin" and "porn". I expect when we talk about lace knitting next week our numbers will be slightly lower. (kidding! kidding!)
Now to find the money to keep it going. We have to pay to podcast as often as we do, um, weekly with an occasional special edition is apparently a lot. Watch this space or DG's for a fundraiser SOON.
Salon tonight, 9 Eastern, new address, and hopefully easier to remember:
http://tinychat.com/bluegal
Hope to see you then.
Sunday, February 14
Do the Sunday Morning Talk Shows
leave you feeling "not so fresh"?
Saturday, February 13
Friday, February 12
Welcome Google Searching Wingnuts!
We're! Number! One! And yes, I'm getting noticeable traffic from it.
Gotta love the Google Algorithms that send people looking for the location of complimentary crab rangoon with Andrew Breitbart** to this image.
I wouldn't have found out about it except for the Anonymous Commenter who accused me of "typical left wing hate." Oh honey, I'm sure the convention's Reagan tribute will be worth the cost of the entire trip. Just remember, it's limit four guys per hotel room, extra soap available at the front desk -- if the staff brings it to your room you have to tip.
**Oh sure he googles his own name -- Hey Andy, have a nice day!
Feel old yet?
Somebody at YouTube (I know.) said, "what can I say, I wish bands still sounded like this." Wha? I'm thinking this is still like, fresh airplay, old fart that I am...
And then I came across this in the CHILDREN'S SECTION of my local big box bookstore. Ugh.
Oh Penguin Young Readers Division! Did you include chapters for young readers on "The Maharishi takes The Fab Four for a ride," "Magical Mystery Tour - alluva sudden, their shit doesn't smell like rose petals!" and of course, "Yoko breaks up the band!"
And besides, Penguin Young Readers Division, you tempt my photoshop fingers so! And yeah, our grandchildren are fraking doomed.
[We've recorded the "Sarah Palin is Porn" podcast. I hope to have it edited and posted by midnight tonight. Watch this space.]
Thursday, February 11
An open letter to Pamela Geller (Atlas Shrugs)
Pammy! Can I call you Pammy?
I am one of the many liberal readers who read your blog for laffs/cries. You're really over the top with your hatred of all things Arab, your passion for John Bolton, and your predilection for hair swishing and plastic surgery.
That said, I feel actually sorry that you took a space on the Joy Behar show to defend Sarah Palin. You and Mrs. Palin share a wingnut crazy-tude, but doll, even I have to admit you've got twice the IQ and three times the vocabulary of that Wasilla hillbilly. The "Palin didn't quit" thing is beneath even you.
There is absolutely no reason why you should feel obligated to take one for the team on her behalf. Nothing Palin does serves conservatism, feminism, or even politics. She is in it for the money and the publicity.
Maybe you are, too. But you can do better than this. While I question your motives for decrying female genital mutilation (it's such an obvious good-versus-evil slam dunk against the Arabs, no matter how right you are to condemn it), you and Hillary Clinton could do much good in the world to continue to push that issue from a perspective that is not watered down by statements on your current blog, such as "Obama is literally killing us."
Stop lying for Palin. She's so not worth it.
With all good wishes,
Blue Gal
PS. Balloon Juice and Little Green Footballs (who called you out at that link, special!) have abandoned the Dark Side: you could too. I don't expect you to go all anti-AIPAC on us, but there are batshit crazy Zionistas who will be forever wrong on foreign policy (oops, well, you catch my drift) who have seen the light on domestic social issues and the rest of the time sound like Democrats.
If you decide to cross over and abandon the poo flinging on behalf of people who don't deserve you, and become at long last a person whose opinions and sanity match her intelligence and ability, do let me know, I'll introduce you around my little sane asylum. And bonus: if you become a liberal Democrat, liberal guys will actually think your brain is sexy, and won't demand you to keep up the Botox or the starvation dieting. I mean, you wanna grow old with Breitbart? Really. Think of the future.
Wednesday, February 10
Why Mrs. Palin, it's positively Aristotilean!
I get the weekly cartoon email from The New Yorker magazine, and this week cartoon editor Bob Mankoff made me giggle with a little bitta ergo sum:
Really, there are stupid people and there are lazy people and lookee here the Tea Party Convention got a two-fer.
Here's what I want to ask every insane wingnut who defends her: would you hire her, paying completely out of your own personal bank account, and for what? Because I wouldn't pay her two bucks an hour to fold my towels.
1) People behaving stupidly will be mocked.
2) People don’t like to be mocked.
3) People will stop behaving stupidly.
That didn’t pan out, did it?
2) People don’t like to be mocked.
3) People will stop behaving stupidly.
That didn’t pan out, did it?
Really, there are stupid people and there are lazy people and lookee here the Tea Party Convention got a two-fer.
Here's what I want to ask every insane wingnut who defends her: would you hire her, paying completely out of your own personal bank account, and for what? Because I wouldn't pay her two bucks an hour to fold my towels.
Tuesday, February 9
A poem for Driftglass
(in response to this post)
Virgil took Dante down
to the fourth circle of Hell:
reserved for those sinners who
made out "very well."
Madoff, AIG,
all the bankers, and Thune
forced to push heavy gold
on a rough sandy dune.
The riches are plenty
and they push every day.
It's not theirs,
They labor without any pay.
No bonus, no dividend,
No fancy car.
So close to the cash,
And yet so very far.
Virgil was stoic,
but Dante could not believe.
The richest on earth,
Left to suffer and grieve!
"Damnation?" asked Dante.
"How on earth did they win it?"
Virgil just shrugged:
"There's a club. You're not in it."
But he is.
Monday, February 8
Knitting (almost) finished and Salon Tonight
This is a top-down sweater for my youngest (very fluffy novelty, but then again so is the yarn).
I'm on the second sleeve, and will have it finished before her 6th birthday on the 26th.
Salon tonight, 9 Eastern. Hope to see you there!
Sunday, February 7
If I was the Tea Party convention, I'd want my hundred grand back.
Of course, they hired Quitty McQuitter AFTER her Katie Couric interview, after her resignation, after her fake Letterman outrage, her fake R*tard word outrage.
Obviously there's a large segment of the population that will pay to see the shapely wingnut no matter what word salad is coming out of her mouth.
via Oliver Willis: Palin caught reading answers off her hand. If she'd figured out how to do that at Hawaii U, would Orly Taitz sue to see her real diploma?
A religious post for Sunday
skip it if it's not your thing; those who do watch, I hope you won't be distracted by the subtitles. It's about how we label ourselves: there's a religious message attached to this, but even if you label yourself "atheist" or "non-believer" or "ex-Catholic" or WHATEVER, you're welcome and loved for WHO YOU ARE here at this blog. You have your path, and it may not include religion. That is not for me to decide for you, ever. The message of this video is, "are you ready to be you?" That's all.
PS. I did a little research on this Rob Bell guy and there are a lot of Evangelicals who HATE him because he doesn't reserve Truth capital T for Jesus and the Bible to the exclusion of everything else. HONESTLY.
His response: "When people say that the authority of Scripture or the centrality of Jesus is in question, actually it's their social, economic and political system that has been built in the name of Jesus that's being threatened."
AMEN!
PS. I did a little research on this Rob Bell guy and there are a lot of Evangelicals who HATE him because he doesn't reserve Truth capital T for Jesus and the Bible to the exclusion of everything else. HONESTLY.
His response: "When people say that the authority of Scripture or the centrality of Jesus is in question, actually it's their social, economic and political system that has been built in the name of Jesus that's being threatened."
AMEN!
Saturday, February 6
Saturday Song
When a band like this shows up at an open mike, you know to pass on the beer and order up some single malt from the top shelf, budget be damned.
Stay warm, ma hunnies.
Friday, February 5
Thursday, February 4
What a drag it is, getting old...
Kids today don't blog, they facebook.
The President gets his church on via Blackberry.
I'm the only person in the entire universe without an i-Phone.
Well, not exactly.
Those of us who are still on blogspot, hacking away on a full-sized keyboard, and there are just a few of us old-timers left, ahem, are here in the blog world because it's our art studio and online writer's journal. Those who read us (thank you thank you thank you) are here because they get that.
I'm not terribly worried that there's been this 'abandonment' of blogging. An informal experiment on my part showed at least 64 (and let me throw out a wild guess and add "young") people per minute typing the word "bored" into their twitter stream this morning. Eventually they're going to realize that the little mental-meth delivery system in their handheld is not getting them high. Yeah, they were probably blogging this 23 and a half months ago. Something easier came along. I absolutely refuse to condemn teenagers for choosing socializing over creating -- they're teens, for heaven's sake! Friends are everything at that age. And I refuse to take what they are doing right now as some sort of harbinger of doom for what I choose to do.
I do miss some political bloggers who abandoned their craft in the past year. Some of them, I know, are still creating in other venues, and good on them. No one medium is for everyone. For now, this one works for me. Not everyone is going to be a writer; if we were, we'd all starve.
That said, to paraphrase Will Rogers, the world is full of people who can tweet but can't read. If we read their tweets out loud to them, in front of the very friends they sent them to, they would throw away their i-Phones forever.
Two old-skool fogey bloggers (in our FORTIES!) will be posting a podcast tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 3
Presenting the CPAC Blogger's Lounge! (photoshop)
(And yeah, you'll probably have to click here for larger.)
CPAC Bloggers' Lounge** is sponsored by Red State this year. In my fantasized version, The great Satan R. Reagan chokes David Brooks and Andrew Sullivan while right wing bloggers, egged on by Satan's helper Bill Kristol, look on.
**AKA Dante's 8th circle of Hell, home to those guilty of "fraudulent rhetoric". Original image here.
CPAC Bloggers' Lounge** is sponsored by Red State this year. In my fantasized version, The great Satan R. Reagan chokes David Brooks and Andrew Sullivan while right wing bloggers, egged on by Satan's helper Bill Kristol, look on.
**AKA Dante's 8th circle of Hell, home to those guilty of "fraudulent rhetoric". Original image here.
Happy #Blogroll Amnesty Day!
Look up, link down, celebrate the small blogs!
My list is not comprehensive, but these folks have linked ME recently, so I'm returning the favor:
The Phydeaux Speaks Experience
After the Bridge
Upper Left
And the totally not safe for work gay porn blog Bill in Exile, who gave the podcast major props in this post, but if you click on that link and glance at his sidebar your eyes will also see naked man parts. You've been warned.
Also a big thank you to Crooks and Liars, especially Mike, who does this sort of linky love to smaller blogs every single day.
Tuesday, February 2
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.
__________________
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.
----------------------------
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!
_______________
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
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.
__________________
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.
----------------------------
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!
_______________
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
Monday, February 1
Knitting finished and salon tonight.
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