Please vote for me if you haven't already!

Sorry to go all Princess Leia on you, but the top three vote getters get an automatic Netroots Nation scholarship, and I'm currently in a close race and fifth. Your vote will make a difference. Thank you so much.

Thanks for bearing with me.

It could have been worse.

My laptop should be back from the shop tomorrow, provided I give them lots of money.  New hard drive, (I tell myself No, I am NOT buying yet another copy of Windows, I'm buying malaria nets via the Gates Foundation.), new copy of Photoshop (totally authorized and street legal!)*** and  guess what?  We recorded the podcast tonight and it sounded LIKE SHIT so we're re-doing it tomorrow night again for you the customer, AFTER I get a new microphone headset.

I must have had some power or magnetic surge because the headphone mic and hard drive appear to have blown out at the same time.

I really appreciate everyone who gave to my fundraiser.  It really cushioned the blow.  Thanks!!!

Podcast this weekend will TOTALLY be worth all of this BS,  I guarantee.

***Correction.  Photoshop Elements.  Regular Photoshop?  No, Adobe cannot have my house payment.

Bill O'Reilly know$ my $ecret $ource of ca$h!

Seriously folks, I wanted to get Blog Against Theocracy over with before I did my quarterly fundraiser. Because times are SO tough right now I'm only asking those with five bucks to give, to give it here.

This button will ONLY allow five dollar donations. (There is a button on the sidebar that will allow more, thanks, but for the fundraiser I'm only asking for five dollar donations).

I ask for contributions four times a year not because it pays for anything more than toner and coffee for a week or so, but because it gives the writer in me and the reader in you a sense of mutual appreciation and exchange for value. If you have it to give, and appreciate what I do, kick five bucks in the hat. And thanks much for being here at my corner of the internet.

The Joy of Not Winning...

I started my day way too early this morning in an attempt to resume writing morning pages a la The Artist's Way. I recommend Artist's Way to people who feel creatively stuck, but I have to confess that for me, in less than sixteen LINES I was writing this post. Longhand. Julia Cameron? I got your morning pages right here. - BG



Well, I didn't exactly come in dead last in the Weblog Awards prize for best liberal blog, and I'm astonished and humbled by every single vote, and especially by those bloggers who took time and post-space to mention me. Some even wrote me emails like this one:

You're not losing. By any measurement you're kicking ass. Every one of your fans is giving you non-automaton real human love.

Exactly.

And so many of you voted for Driftglass. His award (yay!) is so richly deserved. I don't know another blogger who combines amazing photoshopping with blow-you-away writing. And while he remains somewhat aloof in the blog world, he has found time to participate in the blogswarms Spartacus (which was his idea), Zappadan, and Blog Against Theocracy. He also helped me greatly during my last quarterly fundraiser, so any wee help I was in getting him some votes? Feh.

Speaking of blogswarms and fundraisers...

My next big project is Blog Against Theocracy, April 10-12. I'll be cleaning up my blogroll and email lists in the coming days, so don't be surprised, small bloggers, if you hear from me. It's like the President-elect said to me right after voting for Drifty on his Blackberry:



If my community organizing (in addition to the funny video agitprop and sometimes pretty good writing) are worth something to you, I'm asking for this quarterly fundraiser that you drop nine dollars or less into the BG hat. The "nine" is to celebrate that we don't have a ninth year of George W. Bush in office, and that times are tough. Come to think of it, I pay a buck more than that for one hour of babysitting, which I can't afford.

If I've learned one thing from blogging, it's this:

It's amazing what we can do, as bloggers, thinkers, citizens, etc. when we turn off the fear in our heads and listen to what our hearts tell us our small contribution is worth.

Thank you.

If you're not a regular reader, but you feel sorry for me about the Weblog awards (yes, that would be you, Wonkette) you especially need to drop nine bucks in the hat. And thanks.

Before I change my header...

I want to say thanks to the magnificent cyber stud Manila Ryce, who designed the cartoon BG. She's being replaced by a photo of the real thing, which won't be nearly as attractive.

Thanks for the love that went into that image, Manila. I understand shading the tits took forever.

And Manila? My offer of a free sidebar ad for your lovely blog stands. xo

The differences between me and Hank Paulson.

(Thanks to Zaius for the original photoshop)

...one of us doesn't have a 401K.

...one of us made 6.1 million more than the other (in 2006 dollars, though)

...if providing financial aid to the rich was virtuous, he'd be elevated to sainthood.

...if advocating and inspiring small bloggers [not to mention raising three young kids as a single mom] qualified as "creative genius," she'd win a MacArthur Grant.

...I'm not even asking for a bailout. Just put some pocket change in the hat, wink, and I thank ye.

...oh, and Paulson does not accept Paypal. Yet. But this blog does:

My bank account and some very devoted readers to this blog have convinced me to run quarterly fundraisers. The General's rules apply: if you like this blog and can give, please do. If you don't like this blog or can't, don't. And no hard feelings.

Whether you give or don't, thanks for reading this blog. You've changed my life for the better, more than you can ever know. Thank you.

It's a wonderful life

I do this so reluctantly. I'm taking the title and the text from this post and out-and-out stealing it from Digby, who so often says what we all want to say better than we could say it. She said it at Christmas but remove the "stocking stuffer" part and it still holds true.

I greatly value the freedom and independence that voluntary direct support from readers offers. It's an unusual model, but it works quite well for some, including me. So, if you like what I'm doing here, and if you have your credit cards out doing some last minute online shopping today, perhaps you could send a little stocking stuffer my way...

I've been told by friends that I should have done this a long time ago. But today I've had one of those mornings where, while it's sunny and in the 70's in Alabama, I feel as if I'm standing on George Bailey's cold bridge praying, "show me the way."

One thing that's kind of ironic is that I've always used every single dime in my paypal account to support other bloggers, you know, the Clarences who fell in the icy water first in order to "save me."

(If you hate paypal for some reason and still want to contribute email me at the address on the sidebar for snail mail.)

Those of you who know me personally know some of my situation, those of you who read this blog (thank you, thank you) know what it is worth to you. I appreciate how you value me, no matter whether you can contribute something or not. Thank you.

Flying out today...

There are a few things I want to share.



Executive Director The Reverend Barry Lynn, and the rest of the Americans United staff, totally rock. I'm so honored by my Postie Award, I can't tell you.

And what is really cool about it is the designer, who is on the AU staff (BAC please put her name in comments, okay?) used my Techorati cloud as the background for the award. So a lot of you bloggers and salonies are listed on the award too. Plus words like..."Knit."

At the bottom it says, "To a fierce blogger in safeguarding the separation of church and state 07". I'm deeply honored.

Thanks, Tengrain

Tengrain of Mock Paper Scissors, out of the blue, no pun intended, sent me my own tea rose:



It's lavender, not blue, actually, and since it's called "blue girl," this blogger probably has as much claim to it as I.

But it's facing to its left, and is noted as being "an excellent bloomer with a strong constitution. Very fragrant."

Thanks Ten.

9/30/07 Day of the Disappeared

I wrote on this for Crooks to post this afternoon but I didn't mean to disappear my own self! This whole house is getting a run through (literally) with a tummy bug and it's slowing me down, as in, when I don't have it, I have a kid with it, so it's still mommy's problem.

Back in full swing tomorrow.

How the General's manhood measures up.

Thank you for the linky love, honey. I am your loyal soldier, General Sir.