[As you read this, Mr. ReddHedd, The Peanut and I are on our way to a family outing. They needed a day with momma away from the keyboard, and so I've asked egregious to ride shotgun over my PUAC thread this morning. She's graciously agreed to do so -- please be ever so kind, polite and as fun as always. Look forward to reading the comments when we get home. -- CHS]
A while back, Mr. ReddHedd and I donated a hundred dollars to an organization called Nothing But Nets. It’s a group that funds the purchase of insecticide-treated nets to be sent to folks in areas where malaria is an ever-present danger — because these nets can mean the difference between life or death for children in some of these areas.
Each year, more than one million people die of malaria. Think about that for a moment: more than one million people.
This group buys a $10 net with each $10 donation, and teaches families how to use it for the prevention of malaria. This can make a concrete and tangible difference — immediately — in their lives. When we talked about making a donation, we were struck by the simplicity and the elegance of this — a simple net, for $10, can save a life. Literally save a life.
We just got this in e-mail, and I wanted to share a bit of it with you:
As the fighting from neighboring Darfur spreads, families are fleeing their homes for overburdened refugee camps – and just four short weeks ago, a malaria crisis was looming in Chad.
Officials estimated that without these mosquito nets, up to 25% of the children, and countless others, would have died from malaria. But thanks to your efforts they’ll be safe and covered.
As you read this, at a camp in Chad, a net you sent is being handed to a mother and her children. An aid worker is showing them how to hang it over their bed, and later, this family will sleep safely under their protective net.
This scenario will be repeated at least 40,000 times. Thanks to your contributions, lives will be saved. We couldn’t be more grateful.
We helped to save a few lives in Chad with a hundred bucks. Lives of some human beings who desperately need a break their way. I wish we could have sent more, but there you are. We do what we can when we can. But knowing that we had even a small part in this is a wonderful feeling.
Even the smallest step can make an enormous difference that ripples outward into the rest of the world. And where it ripples from there? Anybody’s guess. But the worse the news gets, day in and day out, it seems to me that we could use a whole lot more ripples of good deeds going outward into the world around us.
I thought we could talk a bit today about what you’ve been doing lately to help out someone else. Visiting a nursing home. Babysitting a neighbor’s kids so she can get a couple of hours to herself while her husband is deployed overseas. Cleaning out your closet and taking things to the shelter or Goodwill store near you. (This is a great time to do this — school will be starting soon, and having some nice clothes means an awful lot to kids in a bad situation. And it is a great way to teach your children how fortunate they truly are as well.) Any particular groups that you think are worthwhile for donations or volunteer time?
Whatever is close to your heart, and reaching out a hand across the nasty divide toward a better future for us all. It’s been a rough week. So let’s talk about the good things we do, in our communities and in the world around us. Pull up a chair…
PS — Bob Geiger has some great editorial cartoons this morning.
(Gorgeous photo via Mad Sun. Beautiful shot, capturing a lovely moment in time.)
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Christy! Eg!
Good morning, Christy. I could really use some closet space. I think I’ll take a load of clothes over to the women’s shelter.
The mosquito net program which was originated by the Carter Center is a great program and they have distributed hundreds of thousands of nets. This is a great way to make sure your charity dollar is getting uses effectively as are all of the Carter Center programs.
Good morning all! Come have some coffee, let’s take things a little slower today and think about the larger community.
Shoutout to Christy—have a great time!
Good morning, egregious. I’m planning on a slow-motion day. Starting with getting some dirt under my fingernails. (Before it gets too hot!)
Good morning everyone, and a special shout out to egregious.
I just sent a bunch of stuff to the Purple Heart this week. I’ve been a preoccupied with self-preservation of late so my volunteering and community involvement has been curtailed.
I’m happy to say I’ve gotten some good work and while I’m not out of the woods yet, it seems like the meadow is close at hand.
The morning drive-by.
Hi all, I’m back on line—but I don’t trust it . . . Verizon bites the big weenie in this house right now, may go back to Comcast, long story— SO remember all that packing I did for the past month? Now I’ve got to unpack it all and figure out where to put everything.
Back to work. Glad to see you all again and to be able to check in. One of these days I hope to have more time than just a drive by.
RevDeb!
Hope you recover soon from your move. Keep us posted.
Hi again, egregious. I’ve got 3 loans out to entrepreneurs through Kiva. One loan from Uganda was paid back, so I was able to make a loan to someone in Vietnam.
http://www.kiva.org/app.php
Glad you’re back, RevDeb. I never could figure out which was worse — packing or unpacking. I don’t envy you in the slightest. Here’s hoping that everything falls into place quickly and seamlessly.
Seems hard to believe that a $10 donation can literally save a life, but it’s true.
The key to making a difference is careful project selection. It took me a long time of researching possibilities before starting the children’s medical work in Russia. Especially in the early years, a small amount of money could change so much.
The mosquito nets program is one of the most cost-effective concepts out there today. This program along with clean water, oral rehydration for kids with diarrhea, and vaccinations, can turn a very small investment into enormous results.
Hope everybody will pitch in and get one or more of these. Netroots for Nets?
Hey, all, anyone for coffee and chicory. After encountering it at the French Market in Nawlins in the 70s, I started buying it for my coffee. Can’t remember if I did it for taste or price, but continued it for a year or two as I (don’t really) recall. So during camping last week I saw it again in an Albertson’s grocery store (I think that’s where). But didn’t have room for a can in the van.
But something else is on my mind this (yawn) morning.
How do we hold the 2008 elections if pandemic flu is sweeping the country (as it was in 1918)?
Some interesting answers (which I urge you to inspect) on the Flu Wiki Forum at:
Holding Elections During a Pandemic?
RevDeb @ 7
I know the feeling!
Moving halfway across the country is an extreme way to force yourself to go through absolutely everything you own and say “do I really need this? Do I want to go through the hassle of packing it up for this long trip? Is it worth the space in the truck?”
Our move from CA to MO went well, but before leaving CA we donated a lot of stuff to various places. With more time to pack, we probably would have gotten rid of more. Even so, the recipients were glad to get what we had to give, and we were glad to pass it along.
have fun christy & peanut & mr. redd
We have donated to Nothing but Nets since we first read about it. Great organization!
I also bought my wife a couple of bracelets from Beads for Life for Christmas last year. She loves them!
Millineryman @ 6
Congratulations, Millineryman! I hope you see the clearing very soon.
RevDeb – sympathies for unpacking! I hope you enjoy your new home and new neighbors.
Egregious, thanks for the scramblers.
Good morning, all!
Two other suggestions for donations (apart, of course, from FDL!):
egregious’ work (most of you already know about that):
http://www.russmed.com/
and Direct Relief:
http://www.directrelief.org
Direct Relief leverages its monetary donations quite seriously: they collect supplies from the medical industry and send requested stuff to in-country health professionals. They are rated at 100% efficient use of donated money (Red Cross comes in at 80% in Forbes 2004 ratings).
*climbs down from soapbox, creakily – it’s early*
In addition to helping in our own small ways worldwide, we can do a lot with a little right in our own communities. Last week I donated $100 to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana for a program that buys a backpack for a needy child and fills it with nutritious food to last through a weekend when the child may go hungry at home. And on a visit to my daughter last weekend, she related how she had shopped all of the back to school sales and had not only bought for her first-grader, but with an additional purchase of some food products her family uses anyway, she was able to get a “free” backpack, and fill it with supplies and donate it to her daughter’s school to help a less fortunate child. My daughter’s family has to count pennies, but she was able to give back, and felt good about it.
Even when we can’t afford huge charitable gifts, we can still contribute in small ways that make a big difference.
Happy sunny Saturday to the firepups!
Food morning, folks. Here in Upstate New York, it is chilly this morning; I’m typing this wearing a turtleneck and a sweater..and I had oatmeal with raisins for breakfast(no, I am NOT wearing my boots). We had a big front go through last night that sucked down nice cool air from Canada. Another loan organization I work with is FINCA, www. villagebanking.org. Something else to think about, and this is through personal experience, is that if you know someone who is caring for a relative with dementia, please think seriously about calling up and offering to run errands, pick up Rxs, etc. When I cared for my mom, it was pretty overwhelming to just get the meds and the groceries taken care of. You may not want to or feel prepared to spend an afternoon with someone with dementia (and if you don’t have some training, I would not advocate it), but taking care of the outside stuff for the caregiver is a godsend.
Millineryman @ 6
((((Millineryman))))
Right there with you on the self-preservation thingie. Slow steps toward progress here. It seems like there are always other things more important than taking care of oneself, but if that leads to burning out, how can that be a good thing?
Seeking to regain my balance, my center, and not feel guilty about the time and effort that requires. Hope things continue along a good path for you.
I’m going the “clean out the closets and other assorted accumulations” route right now with most of it already loaded in the car to carry to the local donations store.
Just saw a TV piece within the last few days concerning a company called Got Junk or something like that. It was a thoroughly disgusting picture of how so many Americans accumulate more and more, store it in millions of ticky tacky storage units (or their 3-4 car garages) and then pay someone to come haul it away so they can go out and buy “bigger/better/newer” on credit.
msmolly -
Are you the “miss molly” who comments on another site?
I belong to a charity called Spirit Rising/ONE Spirit. I sponsor a child on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Over the years I’ve ended up “adopting” the entire family. The mom is one of my best friends in the world,even though we’ve never met in person(yet). You send clothing,toys,birthday and holiday gifts,with a minimum commitment to one child,four times a year,til they turn 18. Your participation in the program,beyond the minimum is up to you.
Spirit Rising(the old name of the program,back when I joined)is part of a larger group called One Spirit. You can find out more info at http://www.nativeprogress.org
I’ve been with this program for 5 yrs now,it’s one of the best things I’ve ever been involved in.
Last week we sent two huge boxes of clothes and school supplies up to the kids,the only daughter in the house literally had no pants to wear to school. She called me,so excited to have a REAL pair of jeans,let alone three I had sent her.
I forget sometimes,living in the suburbs,that for many kids,a new set of clothes,shoes and some notebooks for school means that kid has a shot at doing better. Pine Ridge is about a 3 hour drive one way to a decent shopping district. When you are poor,have no reliable vehicle,and are locked into that cycle,it’s terribly difficult to get out. This has made life difficult for the Lakota people,they live in the poorest counties in the United States.
Waccamaw @ 20
Nope, not me. I think there are a few mollys in the liberal blogosphere. I’ve seen the “miss molly” posts, and I think there are others, too. Could be the same person using different names on different sites. I have commented, but rarely, on TPM, but mostly I hang out at the lake.
If you’re a business owner or involved with community outreach with your employer, consider “adopting” a local shelter or organization.
One thing to keep in mind if you’re going to shop for foods to donate to food banks, look for complete meal type products. Or think in terms of complete meals. For example, if you’re going buy some pasta, buy enough sauce to go with it. Or think about protein rich foods.
Thanks N=1 and egregious.
Just you know egregious, I was able to proclaim yesterday that I took my power back. It the subtle things in life that refresh and renew daily. These give us the power and energy to tackle the bigger issues.
Preview is my friend and so is coffee after I read the last post I submitted at 23. Off to get some coffee.
Millineryman,
Good for you. Think about this, too, in bringing these insights here, you are encouraging some of the rest of us who are walking on parallel paths. Thank you for what you are doing.
Millineryman @ 23
I don’t know the details of your troubles, Millineryman, but it sounds like you are on the way up again, and I wish you well.
Toby at 18,
You raise an excellent point about being there for people who are caretakers. They can become totally overwhelmed, and sometimes the smallest bit of encouragement or help with errands can be so important for their morale.
Lots of things can be done to help others that don’t cost a thing.
Good morning from central FL, egregious. Coffee is on the way-allow me a small salute to all of you, for all the work to make a difference.
{{{{collective}}}}
Why in the world would we be kind and polite to egregious? Perish the thought. (Morning egregious.)
Snow to leave post as Bush spokesman
Gooper family members in for the weekend!
Feeding them a steady diet of ‘news amplification’ – casual conversation reveals their headline or soundbite or talking points level of understanding – then I add a few ladel-fuls of Lake Knowledge and stir.
I back-off when their jaws begin to slacken.
No health insurance, no problem:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/…..index.html
It doesn’t get much sadder than this.
But we’ve got billions to throw away in the neocon’s disaster.
Someone may have said this already-they should just put Snow on piecework, say $1.00 per lie, and his money problems would be over like that. (snap)
retirin’ in five @ 1
Wouldn’t that be retirin’ in four? If memory serves you’ve been here a while :)
Bolten said – Gone by Labor Day, or you’re here for the duration.
Snow doesn’t look like he could take the stress of another 15 months of (surely) increasing scandal.
The White House’s make-over doesn’t have room anymore for the Snow Marionette in the window display.
You’re yesterday’s news, Tony.
RonD – hello from Gulfport, our little fishing village the developers want to turn into condoville. Best thing about the price of houses is that these turkeys will sit vacant till they rot, hopefully.
so I just read over at think progress that mccain is trying to say that for four years he’s been a critic of the Iraq war, and now we are on the right course
think progress of course has the documentation to prove he has never been a critic
what is up with these guys, do they think there is no record of what they’ve said and done and they won’t be exposed as liars in all of 10 minutes?
Greetings, SouthernD! The developers and their allies will not be happy until the entire state looks like Orlando.
I’ve been here my whole life, but I’ll be gone by then.
Marcy Wheeler was a guest on a Michigan political television show this weekend. It is highly recommended viewing!!! Here’s a link to the video:
http://wkar.org/offtherecord/program.php?num=3707
Do they get cans of Off as well?
I can’t go to the garden without it.
Just wondering what they do when they aren’t under the net.
Christy, Thanks for pointing us to worthy causes. One of the many services you perform.
Anyone have a take on the Edwards/Sub-Prime lender “scandal”? I think it raises a lot of interesting questions about how much we each need to think about where our investments are, but it also seems that the message is that all rich populists are hypocrites. It is a pretty hard message to fight.
Brel1 @ 40
If I recall the details of the malaria infection cycle correctly the mosquitoes that spread it are nocturnal which is why sleeping nets are so effective.
CHS “…school will be starting soon, and having some nice clothes means an awful lot to kids in a bad situation.“
Anybody got a link to an organization that helps provide backpacks or school supplies for kids who need them?
After so many consecutive years of eduation [slow learner] it just feels right to be buying supplies this time of year, and even better, helping out kids who need it.
Marion (re RevDeb):
During my “single days,” when I’d move and have to unpack, I’d invite a friend over after work, and we’d unpack for an hour or two, talking all the while. It cut down the work-per-person and provided a nice visit. An hour or two didn’t seem like I was trying to take advantage. A day or two later, another friend.
Pine Ridge Reservation – I’ve participated in several of their programs (you can go to their web page and see them listed): the “big” items like clothes & school supplies, and the “little” ones, like Campbells’ labels & General Mills box tops (for some reason neither of my kid’s colleges asks me to send these in, the way their middle schools did).
I continue to participate in AnySoldier.com. Thankfully many of my earlier contacts are home safely, so I search for “new” ones. Some of my favorites are those in Afghanistan who are building and equipping schools, particularly schools for girls, who were excluded when the Taliban ruled.
Since late July I’ve been stalking the Staples ads and purchasing their “one cent” and “five cent” items. One of the cashiers there allows me to purchase 15 of each of the sale items (as teachers are permitted to do) even though I’m not officially one.
Some of the supplies go to DC schools, which can well use them.
There’s a wonderful organization in the DC area called A Wider Circle. They provide household goods and linens for folks who are moving from a shelter to “their own” housing. They will even bring a truck over to haul away a mattress or dresser.
When each of my kids moved out of his/her college dorm at the end of the semester, there was always an embarrassment of “stuff” that was being discarded. To their credit, each school organized pick-ups of the “stuff” [lamps, bookcases, storage shelves, etc.] to transport it where needed.
USC also had a clever plan for kids who still had “dining dollars” on their cards — dollars that would “expire” at the end of the term: they encouraged students to use those “dollars” to purchase non-perishable food — even bottled water — at the various campus stores that sell these items, and set up collection points for the items, which were then taken to a local food bank.
Thanks for this thread where we can share ideas.
perris @ 37
They know that only a small percentage of people will remember or do the research and the MSM will never call them on it so they don’t care.
egregious @ 34
My first anniversary of de-lurkin’ falls in late October, if memory serves. And it pisses me off to say that under BushCo LLC, it looks like I’ll be holdin’ at five for the foreseeable future. Thanks for asking, though.
realworld @ 41
I don’t think it’s a scandal. I think the debt market is so integrated, there are probably millions of people who own part of the sub-prime and don’t know it. IIRC, Edwards has divested, and promised to help the individuals who were foreclosed on (grammer, I know). I think Edwards could reasonably challenge all the other candidates to review their investments and help where needed, and come out of this looking pretty good, while helping some people who need it.
They’re afraid of Edwards. He is truly a threat to the system, and they will destroy him by whatever means necessary.
Edwards/Clark ‘08
RonD, I love you.
Why thank you, Mauimom!
{{{Mauimom}}}}
hey egregious — thanks for covering for Christy this morning. Wonderful program, too, will put Nets in my list for donations to make on next paycheck.
Busy here today, at the in-laws for a big annual shindig. Hope you’ve all got something fun planned today. On dial-up here so access will be slow and sparse — but I should be outside playing, anyhow. ;-)
Hey Rayne,
Go outside and play? What a great idea. That will be part of my afternoon for sure.
Grammeen Bank people,a great model,we need many,many more of these.
And now,my own family needs me for taxi duty and later,we tackle(cue ominous music)the weeds taking over the site of next year’s micro farming plot. eek.
Mauimom, what an awesome list of worthy causes and ideas that is!
RonD. I agree it is not scandal. That’s why I put it in quotes. I agree is is part of a reflexive MSM response to Edwards. But it is getting played that way in the media as far as I can tell and it will sadden me but would not surprise me if it doesn’t put another nail in the coffin in of the Edwards campaign. What I think is an important lesson is that the progressive movement needs to proactively undermine these kinds of memes. Face it, most candidates will be rich by most standards. If that means they can’t be populists were in real trouble.
egregious @ 43
I googled and found this organization. Today is their deadline according to the front page
http://www.missionsolano.org/index.html
Thanks for the link, Millineryman!
Realworld, I agree with most of what you say in theory. I haven’t seen a lot of coverage of the Edwards/sub-prime dynamic here. A brief blip, but nothing since. I think you’re essentially correct, but I don’t see any way to proactively defend against that kind of thing: If your opponents are treacherous and dishonest(and we know they are),they’ll always be able to say something. Edwards’ haircut, for example. I’m willing to bet you at whatever odds you want that all of the candidates spend similar amounts on hair/makeup services-but Edwards took the arrows. Why? They are afarid of him.
There is no true defense, except the truth and the counterattack.
Good Morning all!
Thanks christy for telling me all about “Nothing but nets”! I’m a disabled vet so I chose to make monthly $10.00 payment for the Year. I feel so gooood about being able to help in a small way. Besides I just bought a “Bug Net” for my wife she swell like a good year blimp for a flea bite. It cost me $50.00 so how could I refuse doing the same for my universal family!
NYT take on the Padilla verdict:
How can they be so self contradictory. Do they not include rendering him incapable of defending himself through 3 years of torture not part of that abuse?
EddieB @ 58
Thanks EddieB,
You rock!!
egregious @ 56
You’re welcome. What you said earlier about sharing insights etc about people on the same path holds true for assisting a fellow human being on any level. I’m so grateful that my parents raised me with a sense of contributing to the world around me.
We did this with the backpacks at the firm I used to work at. This was at the shelter that the firm ended up adopting.
Because of that, now every year the kids who are in the shelter will have what they need as far as school supplies. This action frees up some of the limited and time and resources of shelter knowing that every year this will be covered.
realworld @ 59
DING!
They’re talking out of both sides of their mouth, trying to have it both ways.Probably afraid of being accused of “liberal bias”, like the Republicans won’t say that anyway.
RonD. The haircut thing is totally bogus, of course. It’s just part of the jump on JE blood sport of the MSM. I’m just wondering if the DNC needs to start doing purely education media buys or something like that. Not candidate focused at all, purely fact based educational stuff, but done in an entertaining way. The problem is it doesn’t have much money right now. I don’t know if election law would allow it but perhaps every candidate could pledge 10% of their funds to a DNC education fund or something like that. They would need to be totally hands off for it to work but it would start to make the ground less receptive to RNC memes and more towards the DNC ones. If nothing else it would force the RNC to start spending some of the huge reserves they have now.
Off to wash the dogs. Have a good time all!
realworld #63,
I think that’s a wonderful idea. Something like, maybe brief, 1-minute spots on “why I am a Democrat” or something similar.
It IS startling to know how far a little cash can go. So forgive me for shameless promotion of another effort, but this is one close to my heart. The Peruvian Blanket Project is run by Dream One World. http://www.dreamoneworld.com/
For 6 dollars, we can buy blankets for people in Peru, during the coldest winter in decades. Click on “Current Projects” to learn more.
Thanks, Christy, for drawing attention to the Nets project.
Have a good time, realworld! I’m right behind you to mow my lawn.
wangdangdoodle @ 2
That’s a great idea. Probably have too many things in the closet when they are so wedged in there that I don’t need hangers anymore :)
Wow, I am at “Pull up a chair” before the comments get into the hundreds. Good omen?
boc @ 66
boc,
Thank you for sharing this project with us. Looks really interesting.
Someone, months ago, during a previous PUAC, said I had to provide my chocolate-orange cheesecake recipe, so, today, that’s my donation. :) It’s there for all of you who have sacrificed for your fellow human beings in other ways.
Now, this is not precise–I don’t subscribe to the Betty Crocker/absolute measurement routine (and besides, that makes it more fun–treading into the unknown, so to speak–but the measurements are close enough).
First, you gotta have a 12-13″ springform pan. Anything else is a pain in the ass to get the cake out of.
Second, there’s calories and fats to be considered, but you don’t want to go overboard on the skimping on calories, here–this is, after all, wretched excess. So, the evil overdoing is four packages of cream cheese. The “I’ll exercise tomorrow” version is three packages of cream cheese and one of neufchatel. Those doing penance for some other venal sins, two of each.
These go into the food processor with about a half-pint of light cream. Just turn the little wizard on and let it fly. Then, slowly add through that silly little hole in the top, about two cups of sifted flour. Not too fast, or it will make a big clump, which will probably go through the plastic mixing bowl and put yer eye out.
Then add the juice from one fresh orange. While the food processor is doing this and overheating and destroying its bearings, take two sticks of butter and melt them in a small saucepan. When that’s just melting, start another burner on low with another small saucepan (or, a double boiler if you’re otherwise distracted) and add about twelve ounces of baker’s chocolate. When the butter in the other pan is just barely liquid, pour half of it into the melting chocolate and stir it up well, and turn the burners off for a bit, because, if you don’t, you’ll get distracted and burn the shit out of everything.
Turn off the food processor, but don’t empty it quite yet.
Get that springform pan. Grab yer box of Oreo cookie crumbs and dump the box in a bowl, with about two or three ounces of brown sugar and mix it up for a few seconds, and then pour the rest of the melted butter into the crumbs. This is the touchy-feely part of the recipe–squish it all up with your fingers until the butter is well-worked into the crumbs and it’s kind of tacky (not the Gilley’s Bar kind of tacky, but, like, sticky).
Get another stick of butter and rub it all around in the springform pan, and then line the pan with the crumb mixture on the bottom and sides. If it falls off, you screwed up and didn’t use enough butter (turn on VCR and insert tape of “Last Tango in Paris” for further butter instructions). Once you’ve achieved Tantric springform ecstasy, put the pan in the fridge and go back to the hot stuff.
Warm up the chocolate and butter, slowly, and while you’re doing that, separate four eggs into yolks and whites. Put the whites in a bowl all by their lonesome and put the yolks in the food processor and turn that sucker on again and let the yolks become Lieberman’s dream–bipartisanly unified–with the rest of the cheese mixture. Drizzle about a half ounce of vanilla into that seething, frothing, making-Hillary-moist mixture. Then, dump in a cup of raw cane sugar… or the domestic variety, if that’s all you got, pour in the melted chocolate and butter and let that food processor consume electricity for a few minutes.
Oh, shit, where was I? Oh, yeah, the Mark Morford part. Get a sort of medium bowl, pour in a pint of whipping cream and dab a little sugar into it and get yer whisk and whip it. I mean whip it. Whip it until it cries and begs for you to stop but never utters the safe word.
Then do the same with the egg whites, adding a little sugar as you go. Now, everyone’s used to machines doing this for them, but hand-whisking is actually a pretty quick process and, besides, it’s good exercise. (In all seriousness, these two steps are the key to having a cheesecake that doesn’t crack and peel in the center like Katherine Harris’ make-up. Whipping both the egg whites and the cream, instead of just dumping them into the mix is the key.)
So, the main mixture in the food processor is almost done, the egg whites and cream are whipped separately, so almost all that’s left is to take the poor, hapless leftover skin of the orange (remember the orange?) and grate the orangey part off into the food processor. Then, get out your bottle of Grand Marnier (if you’re in the high-roller tax bracket) or your Triple Sec bottle (if you’re like the rest of us), and pour in about four ounces of the liqueur of choice into the cheese mixture.
Shut off the food processor, pour the contents into a big bowl, and then, gently, gently, gently, like you were Pickles Bush telling Dubya he’d really fucked up, fold in the egg whites. Once those are in and mixed, pretend you’re Poppy Bush explaining to Junior that Karl, his bestest friend in the whole world, had pretty much screwed him and the pooch (figuratively speaking, not Barney), and very gently fold in the stiff whipped cream.
Get that springform pan out of the refrigerator, pour in the filling and tamp it good (that means sort of desultorily whacking it on a flat surface to get all the air bubbles out of it), cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it into a 400 deg. oven for 20 min., then turn the temp down to 300 deg., and just let it get all hot and bothered for three hours or so.
Once it’s done, let it cool in the fridge for a couple of hours, and then garnish with mandarin orange slices and grated chocolate.
And, don’t eat it all yourself, all at once. You’ll instantly need a new wardrobe. :)
Our Dem group had a tour of the Food Bank here in our county. Jobs are gone or going and there is so much need here in East Tn. Our group is adopting this charity and the soup kitchen.
I find hunger unacceptable in this country.
egregious @ 43
Oh, I like that idea! I’m trying to catch up on the comments, but don’t want to miss any replies. I’d be especially interested in donating toward education and literacy projects, especially for women and girls…
BTW, this was after i went to bed last night, but it made me smile:
if bedlam can dream of rain, i’m quite sure peanut butter can dream of jelly (althespook)
Greetings all. Family gatherings can be a hoot. I’m up in Oregon for an engagement party for my nephew. Came up for a week with my mom and my sister has been working me like a rented mule. Ah well, the final push will be starting soon and the party is this afternoon. Conversation can get very interesting once a little alcohol starts flowing.
On the charity thing – I like to think of myself as a microbank. I work with poor folks on on a very personal level. I help out people in my community with micro loans, or micro grants, depending on the situation. I recently paid for an eye exam and glasses for the child of a neighbor whose mother lives just above food bank level. (My mother manages the local food bank, as a volunteer). I also tutor this child. My dad’s handyman I loaned money to so that he could travel to see a brother who had just been released to hospice care. Small things like that that make a huge difference in people’s lives. In a mean state like Texas where you are punished if you are poor, getting institutional help is nearly impossible.
I have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in the past, which I especially enjoyed. The family works on the house, too and it’s quite an experience.
I have since put that knowledge to good use on my own house, too!
PB (peanut butter) @ 73
Our Alfred was on fire last night, wasn’t he?
I am also on the monthly automatic payment plan with Habitat and have been for ten or so years.
Gnome,
Your microbank idea and attention to the needs of people in your own community are inspiring. Keep up the good work.
mntag @ 71:
I love the recipie description-sounds awesome to eat as well- thanks for the imaginary calories and for the smiles!
Spent all day yesterday dealing with the Merv story.
Ray Richmond, a veteran journalist with a regular column at the Hollywood Reporter, used that column to deal with the simple fact that Merv was gay and closeted.
Hours after it went up it was taken down. Not only from the Hollywood Reporter site but from Ray’s own site — connected to the Reporter. Moments afterwards he called me up, horrified. Griffin’s lawyers had called the Reporter demanding the story be killed and threatening lawsuits. The Reporter chocked — and even went so far as to threaen to fire Ray (who, BTW, isn’t even gay much less an activist — just a godd journalist.)
Ray was terrified and wondering what to do next. I went on Michelangelo Signorile’s show immediately. Mike (an old comrade) was already talking about the Merv story. Soon the phone lines at the Reporter were jammed with angry calls demanding the story be put back up and in a few hours it was.
This is not over, folks.
Merv Griffin wasn’t simply “in the closet” like so many Hollywood types of his generation. He would fucking FIRE anyone who worked for him who he discovered was openly gay.
“We don’t want your kind here,” was what the secretary/executioner told the hapless ex-employee.
And the laws being what they were back then (ie. nonexistant) there was NOTHING the fired party could do about it.
The image of Merv as a “really nice guy” was a work of fiction.
He was a scumbag of the first order.
I have a very large garden so during the summer I donate lots and lots of produce to our local food bank. This week I brought 3 beautiful bouquets from my garden to friends from church who are in the hospital. They were so happy to have them. I harvested some lavender yesterday and thought that they would be very delightful tucked right next to someone’s pillow in the hospital.
So garden bounty is my gift during the summer. Act Blue, Heifer International and working for Habitat for Humanity are my other charities that I feel make a positive difference.
I’m debating whether to go to Mississippi with church members again for a week of rebuilding the end of October. So that’s it for me. And blessedly it’s storming so no work in the garden for a day.
1,71 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Hardin Smith and the Firepup Patriots:
I appreciate this post and I hope that it ken generate a deeper conversation amongst us progressives about what we can best do to address and redress the condition of our fellow humans…but we must first recognize that the terrible condition of our planet and the dangerous health conditions of literally billions on the planet are shared by ALL of us and we in America my be the only concentrated population that has even the remotest chance to change the causes of the life threatening processes unleashed by our very own political economy.
So…what am I doin’ to change the world? I am an RN workin’ full time…I am a parent of three incredible children who are negotiating the increasingly dangerous minefield that is American society today…I am a grandfather of three beautiful granddaughters who get my full attention and whose parents get my full support…and I am politically active and I am not standin’ silent anymore about the responsibility I and the rest of the adult population of the United States have to correct the problems that our country and the corporate oligarchy that we have created have let loose on the world.
All the $10 dollar donations we can afford to save individuals from malaria are wonderful but they do NOTHING to alleviate the causes of the malaria or the conditions of exploitation and tyranny that most on this planet live under. No dear, I my opinion, we have the moral obligation to dedicate ourselves to overturning the engine of famine and death that we have enabled and that is now beginnin’ to consume our own children in this country. We can best save the children by hittin’ the street and turnin’ out the criminal oligarchy that has been feeding off the sweat and blood of humanity’s sufferin’ for over 100 years.
This is what I am tryin’ ta do and that’s where my $10 donations are gunna be applied…
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, THE TIME FOR CHARITY IS LONG OVER!!
One of the groups I contribute to is RAWA, Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, a feminist, anti-fundamentalist group that pre-dated our destructive involvement there.
One could spend hours at their web site or quickly find projects to support. http://www.rawa.org/index.php
We’re not expecting to move yet, but it’s coming up probably in a couple years. We’ve begun scaling back bigtime, since new digs will be much smaller. It’s hard to imagine making much $$ off our stuff in garage sales, so we’re trying to donate specific types of things directly to those we figure could use them most.
Incubators and brooders from our chicken-raising days – to the nearby raptor-recovery center.
Feeders and buckets, fencing and poles, flowerpots – simply put out by the road, where eager folks snap them up in our semi-rural neighborhood.
Same for extra furniture that we no longer need, but that is still sturdy and usable.
Warm, gently used clothing, blankets & the like – straight to local shelter or foodbank. Same for extra dishes & utensils.
Figure people needing sustenance from the foodbank undoubtedly also need other basics just as much.
Kiddy books, notebooks and paper, crayons & such to the local schools or day-care center centers.
At the moment, I’m stumped when I consider what to do with extensive collection of canning equipment. I’ve already given away most of the jars – they flew out of the local Goodwill practically as soon as they got there.
Anyone have ?ideas? where to ask about people who could use big old water-bath and pressure canners, kettles, noodle-maker, collection of books on canning, freezing, gardening, fix-it manuals, living-off-the-land books… you know, the kinda stuff Ma*tha Stewdirt learned to do before she went all high-brow & ultra-fancy on us… Ideas? Anyone? (before you suggest it, I’d rather not advertise in newspaper, & a lot of the stuff is just plain too bulky to ship anywhere. just sayin…) ;->
Adie, what about Craig’s List? You place an ad online and any responses are sent to you through Craig’s List so your contact information isn’t just out there. I’ve got a chest of drawers on there right now. It’s easy and free.
NorskeFlamethrower at 83
;-> !!!
I find it so gratifying to hear about so many good people who care so much for others no matter where they live. At the same time I am saddened that I don’t feel that way about my country. Imagine what we as a Nation with all our combined wealth and competence could accomplish if we really wanted to. When will the Reagan “Revolutioln” end! Then we can once again begin to become a beacon to the world for being a Nation of goodness, selflessness and sharing. I only hope I will be alive to witness it.
I slogged my way through late, late night last night with all the talk about Southern gentility and food and trouble not barfing. But there is one Southern custom that I ran into when I lived in Dallas, in which I eventually became a participant: Taking life long care of your maid. Almost all of my friends who had maids (I preferred to call mine a housekeeper) would have one that literally became a member of the family – they came to weddings, funerals, most family functions. When these Black women got too old or too arthritic to work anymore, we still took care of them by essentially paying their wages as a form of retirement after they were no longer able to travel to the house. Some friends actually hired maids for the elderly maids! When I left Dallas, my housekeeper was not able to find any other work, being quite old and almost blind. (I kept her on long after any “real” employer would. Firing her would have been like firing my own mother!) She had a tiny social security check to live on which I have continued to supplement as I can. She recently wrote to say that she had been moved to a “home” near Baylor Hospital. I am not sure what that means, it’s not a nursing home, but it sounds like she finally got the outside help that she needed.
NorskeFlamethrower @ 83
In some ways, I agree. War money is money pissed away. Two weeks’ worth of spending on this war would pay for clean water for most of the developing and undeveloped world.
But, there are still current needs. I have very little money to spare, but I give locally, especially around the holidays, when poverty increases the isolation felt at such times, because others are celebrating bounty.
Most people from other countries almost always remark on the generosity of ordinary Americans. We will always be that way, and yet, we still need to get our government to do the heavy lifting that may alleviate the greatest distress in the world.
Both are necessary. As a people, we’re much better than the worst of us (those assholes in the White House, for example).
Adie @ 85
If you wish to give them away, you could try a Freecycle list, or put up fliers on the info-board at the local supermarkets. (If your markets have them.)
You could also check with the local school district’s home economics teachers. They might be able to use them, or know folks who might.
Norske,
With all due respect I cannot agree that the time for charity is over. That is 20 years of my professional life and I have no intention of quitting now.
We need to do the big things to get at root causes, but also the little things that come to our attention, the baby that is left on your own doorstep.
I like to think I have helped address some of the deeper issues of war, poverty and human suffering by building the first neonatal cardiac ICU and operating room in a city the size of Chicago, in a country that had been our enemy. We have saved over 3,000 lives with this one program.
But that doesn’t absolve me from looking out to my own community and trying to see how I can help here at home. We do what we can. I find your exhortation to abandon charity really kind of cruel.
Lea-no uh @ 86
Thanks much, Lea-no uh! I’ve thought of trying something like that, but was afraid the shipping might be a problem. Some of this stuff is very bulky &/or heavy, as well as a bit delicate, sigh. Maybe I should just dive in & try. It’s still a bit early for that stuff, since I can’t promise I won’t want to ‘put up’ a few things before we move, so I’ll add that to Craig’s l. to my list of possibilities.
We have a wonderful, caring, and very active UU church community close by. I might see if they have ideas also, and if they could act as a go-between.
btw. this is a great idea for PUAC. Thanks for tending, egreg., so Christy can have some family time. ;->
Adie @ 93
Find your local Craig’s List and then you don’t have to worry about shipping. It’s only searched by people in your area or by people who know they’ll have to go get it. Although…how many books are you talking? I’m in a gardening/canning/living off the land phase right now. :-)
What I love about the “charity work” that I do is that it feels so revolutionary in a small, greedy, selfish and racist community. I make my own judgment about the “deserving poor”.
Adie re Christy family time,
It’s interesting that PUAC runs back and forth between taking care of ourselves and taking care of our communities. Somewhere in between being all for taking care of others and thinking only about one’s own needs, there is a good balance. Pretty sure I’m not there yet but trying.
New resource: “Transformation Soup: Healing for the Splendidly Imperfect,” by Sark.
planetsark.com, a terrific site about creativity, healing, and renewal.
RonD @ 65
Or on how republican legislation has affected people directly. Bankruptcy laws, credit card rates and fees, bridge and mine tragedies, habeas corpus etc…
montag at 71
Thank you for the most fun recipe I have ever read! You made me smile and burgle coffee.
Now I need a cheesecake
Ahgoo @ 98
Bon appetit!
And give to whom you are able.
EddieB @ 88
I whole-heartedly agree. The abundant affluence and greed culture in this country astounds and sickens me. “We” ignore our own needy here at home, and our government seems/acts oblivious to need around the world. Our nation’s footprint is made by a jackboot, not a slipper. This is not good. We should treasure and protect our world and its inhabitants, not drink it dry with wanton abandon. Our leaders should be at the head of the line – and I do NOT mean the receiving line!
I will encourage and vote for Gore, if he shows even a smidgeon of interest in the presidency.
The whole world desperately needs the USA to be a caring, careful nation, NOT a cesspool of greed.
Phoenix Woman’s got a new thread upstairs.
Come Saturday Morning: Who Am I This Time
1,571 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen egregious and the Firepup Patriots:
Now THAT’s what I’m talkin’ about…beginnin a conversation that can get us past our guilt and allow us to accept our responsibility for the danger humanity faces. Individual acts of charity are necessary if only to allow us to get past the horror of the realization of our responsibilty for the need for charity…but charity in and of itself is not now, nor has it EVER been enough to change the conditions that create the need. Our PRIMARY response to the understanding of the horror of the human condition today must be to ACT to not jest change but to DESTROY the mechanisms that feed off of the exploitation, pain and death.
Charity is NOT enough and we Americans over the age of 30 have the obligation to the children of the world…
KEEP THE FAITH GOD IS GETTIN’ IMPATIENT!!
Egregious and Norske – I know this sounds weird, but perhaps I agree with both of you. Community “good works” come in all brands and sizes. Norske – we need the angry people like you, oh yes we do. Keep that fire burning hot and hotter. But something we need desperately is to figure out HOW to be the agents for “turnin’ out the criminal oligarchy that has been feeding off the sweat and blood of humanity’s sufferin’ for over 100 years.” One of our weaknesses as individuals is that we are too ready to whip out the checkbook and send money – money is great and in the right hands in the right places can do great work. But, we also need arms and legs and brains “on the ground” here to fire up people to get from behind the TV and the computer and go out and knock on doors and talk in church and temple and synogogue and fire up people there so that they will go out and do the same. The more people who do that, the more information we get out, the more people we get fired up, the closer we get to “turning the b*ards out”. I have kids too – three of ‘em, so I know where you are coming from as a parent and a grandparent. But in the end, if “they” come for us, it will only be the people who know us “on the ground” in our own communities, who just might hide us in the cellar, if it came to that. It just might be the person you gave a hand out to who will “have your back” if it comes to that. I will never ever forget the lady who picked up my mom and drove her to her rehab twice a week (and dealt with her crazy behavior in the car too I might add) and picked up my groceries and my mom’s Rxs. I would do anything on earth for that lady. I was desperate and she reached out to me – even after my mom went into a dementia unit and then later died, she was there for me. Who was she? A friend of my parents’ – when her husband got sick, they visited him in the hospital many times and she appreciated that because other people were afraid of his illness and would not. We are all angry. That is why we are here. If we were not angry, we’d be Republicans.
Montag at 71 – I am going out for a run just after READING the recipe. Wow does that sound good. Choked on the coffee on the Last Tango part. There was an amazing chocolate orange cheesecake that they sold at Miss Grimbels in NYC back about 25 years ago. Two cake pans, each made of half a chocolate orange genoise cake topped with chocolate orange cheese cake, the whole frosted with a chocolate ganache. I have never found the recipe, though I attempted to make one a couple of times. It was then I took up running for the first time.
Lea-no uh! Are you needin’ some books???
Those are easy to ship!
If you’d be willing to share addy, I’ll draw up a list and tell you what I’ve got. I’d be delighted to send them to a back-to-the-land buddy!
But today’s shaping up busy, so I’ve got no time to list at the moment.
Hope to hear from you ;->
Richmond @ 104
Sounds as if virtual calories are a great incentive. :)
montag @ 106
My coronary arteries are contracting just reading that thing. And that’s the low fat version?
PA Lady at 91
More good ideas! Thanks much. ;->
adie at 93 says-”We have a wonderful, caring, and very active UU church community close by. I might see if they have ideas also, and if they could act as a go-between.”
adie, i was going to suggest that……also, call your local extension office/4h people……..
we have a thrift store here, and that stuff would fly off of the shelves….can’t count the number of people looking for that around here……already handed off my stuff…….
egregious @ 107
Ah, well, the fat content is variable according to how much neufchatel one uses. But, admittedly, it’s like having a steak and a diet soda. :)
Truthfully, I’ve never made one for myself to nibble on. It’s expensive enough to make that it’s reserved for holidays or for work get-togethers, and then, only rarely.
One has to splurge, once in a while, or life doesn’t seem worth the effort, yes? :)
Coming late to this party, but what a great bunch of resources.
And Montag, a political recipe! will have to tell my granddaughter about that one, she is just learning to bake scratch food, and is a rabid Dem. college gal. She will love it!
Off for Saturday stuff–
Late to the party, as usual, but I just wanted to add that malaria has more effects than killing people. While people have it, they are also far more fatigued than normal, even the ones who eventually fight it off. So not only will these nets prevent many deaths in the tropics, they’ll make productivity and the quality of life better there, as well.
My husband and I own an antique store. we sell mostly for families and individuals, however we encourage selling items for local charities. We raised $7000 for local clinic recently. Other money has been raised by selling estate items for other groups. People sometimes have an easier time donating their Grandmother’s whatever rather than writting out a check. People buying the item like it too.
I once gave a buch of clothes to a friend who works for Head Start- including my work clothes from when I was a professional.
I asked her if they needed anything else and she said “Underwear”. So I went to Target & Walmart, got lots of kids & adult undies & socks. Now I do that every few months. Smaller shops, like Gymboree, will give me a nice discount on items which haven’t moved. I got 100 pairs of blue socks once for around $30. I like a lot of the suggestions listed here, especially the micro-loans.
Sinkholes .. that’s what is on my mind.
This morning, my boyfriend read to me portions of an article from the Sierra Club newspaper. What are sinkholes and why do they happen?
It became obvious to me that the issue of mysteriously sudden sinkhole events is the same as mysterious collapsing bridges– aging infrastructure
Some interesting facts, recited from memory (he took the paper with him):
News coverage of sinkholes generally takes the story of city officials saying, with wide eyes and hands on cheeks, “We have no idea why this happened”
sinkhole experts say that, no, it’s no mystery– it’s bad sewer pipes. When you get a hole in a sewer pipe, sure, you might get leakage out in to the surrounding soil, but you also might get surrounding soil to enter the sewer pipe, which gets carried away to wherever sewage goes. If that goes on for a while, a hole in the earth develops, and lo! a collapse from above fills it in. Sinkhole.
If there’s a nearby manhole cover (entrance to sewer pipes) near a sinkhole, it’s a smoking gun.
Municipalities don’t like to come out and say “it’s a sewer problem” because, well, they’ve just admitted liability.
Many sewers were constructed 60 years ago; they’ve got 50 year lifespans. Look for more sinkholes as these sewers age and break and carry away earth that falls into sewer pipes.
The news coverage about sinkholes has to change from some sort of X-file mystery to “it’s the sewer, dagnabbit” in order to pinpoint the cause and deal with the problem. Oh, and in cases where they say, “Look, there’s a sinkhole that caused damage to the sewer pipe” — that’s completely backwards.
This makes for an interesting local blog issue. Citizen journalism and all that. Calling bullsh*t on any “OMG, we have NO idea why it happened” news coverage.
And, in light of the Minneapolis bridge collapse and attention being paid to aging infrastructure, now’s a great time to talk about sinkholes. Because it’s the same problem.
Every day it costs nothing to click on The Hunger Site. It links to 5 other related sites. If you do a “google” search, you will find more information, including discussion of how much money actually gets donated. I figure that whether it is 3 cents or 30 cents or hundreds of dollars, it costs me nothing to click and every little bit helps.
Also, The American Red Cross always needs blood donations. According to the Red Cross, every donation potentially saves 3 lives, yet only a small number of people who could donate blood actually do.
Anna Parenna @ 116
Thanks for these excellent reminders, Anna.
The Hunger Site takes only seconds to click thru and helps several deserving groups.
And the need for blood donations is constant. Go with a friend and make a social occasion out of it!
Kathy/Fozzetti @ 114
I have provided new underwear for prisoners. The feedback was that it was most welcome. There’s sufficient loss of dignity being locked up, the least we can do is provide for their human needs.
I’m filling out the application to become a guardian ad litem. There’s a huge need, and evidently, they have an awful time attracting volunteers. The website states they need two hundred people, for instance.
I’m pretty sure we’ll also be writing a check to “Nothing but Nets” in the near future.
-S
MERVGATE!!!!