or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
August 17, 2006
Pledge Drives With Non-Corporeal, Metaphorical Tote Bags
If you want to feel better about our often-benighted species, go visit the impressive Jonathan Edelstein and Hilzoy of Obsidian Wings. Both are offering to match donations up to a certain amount for the rebuilding of Lebanon and/or northern Israel. In addition to the matching funds, you will also receive an imaginary tote bag filled with real positive feelings about humanity.
P.S. I invite Sam Husseini to comment on the possible problematic heavily-armed-Lady-Bountiful aspects of this.
Posted at August 17, 2006 08:12 AM | TrackBackAin't politics a dirty game?
Posted by: Mike Meyer at August 17, 2006 10:56 AMMy spouse (missus charley, m.d.) and self have donated to Lebanese relief through the same religiously-affiliated (but not religiously discriminatory) global relief charity that we channeled our tsunami and Katrina donations through.
We didn't send a lot, but we sent something, and we trust someone will be helped.
As Buddha said, "Hatred is not ended by hatred, but by love." [We didn't use a Buddhist charity, though]. Or, as John Lennon put it, "Better recognize your brother - it's everyone you meet."
May it someday be so.
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. at August 17, 2006 11:19 AMMaybe Giuliani will weigh in -- http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/11/rec.giuliani.prince/
But what does any of this have to do with JonBenet Ramsey? Notice how we're no longer the United States of Amnesia when it comes to this.
Here's video of me questioning Chertoff,9/11 Commissioners Hamilton and Kane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-f_wqMc89M
for people who, like me, don't do transcripts...
I think it's good for the country that supplies the bombs to supply the money to rebuild. But it could come across the wrong way. Or I suppose what I mean is that it could come across exactly as it is--some of us feel bad and want to make up for what our elected representatives are doing in our name. Maybe we could go back to the wonderful days when people overseas said they hate the policies of the American government, but like Americans.
Posted by: Donald Johnson at August 17, 2006 02:57 PMsome of the commentors on the blogs linked left me a little ill. they didn't want donations to be seen as a sign of guilt on the part of the israelis? with so many people who care about other people a little less than they care about how a political entity is perceived, i'm sure we'll break the cycle of pointless violence in no time!
is this the point where i realize and say out loud "we're all going to die!" or something similar?
Posted by: joe_christmas at August 17, 2006 03:44 PMAll donations to the Red Crescent and other Arab aid organizations will be frozen by BushCo and regarded as an "act of terrorism". They need that money more because the war is not profitable enough for them.
This is sadly reminiscent of an old Bill Hicks routine about us being the bullies of the world. We supply smaller countries with weapons, then attack them Shane-style, only this time it's Junior Bush as the Jack Palance villian, hissing "Go ahead. Pick up the gun!" Old Bill was eerily prophetic about the Bush Crime Family.
Posted by: americanintifada at August 17, 2006 11:36 PMHey Jonathan, I think I got something Jonathan-Schwarz-style here: http://abb-abb1.blogspot.com/2006/08/lt-gen-james-mattis.html
Posted by: abb1 at August 18, 2006 02:40 AM
