snags for change

I bought this snag at Snags for Change to support World Vision's Global Food Crisis Emergency Appeal.

You should check it out. Buy a snag. Make a difference.

Goats and pills

A cyber friend recently blogged about the ethics of those charity gift catalogues (such as the world's most useful gift catalogue) from which you can buy a gift for someone you know but in reality the gift goes to a person or community in need (eg goat, medical supplies)while the person just gets a card telling them money has been given on their behalf. These catalogues have proliferated recently, I guess because this is a chance of having some of the money that flows around at Christmas rather than all of it swelling the coffers of multinationals - and fair enough really, on their part. I wrote a lengthy comment and thought I would share it and also expand on it, as it has been something on my mind.

Here is my original comment:
"I have thought about this and I am ambivalent - so much so that I haven't done it. It strikes me that giving money that is NOT earmarked for someone else's gift is more charitable - money you would have spent on yourself. Giving the money you would have given to someone else anyway strikes me as wanting to have your cake and eat it to - to not sacrifice anything for yourself but still be seen as charitable. Perhaps then the card idea is better, though it still has the trumpeting your own goodness thing about it. On the other hand, I expect the people who got the much needed goat or medical supplies, really don't care how the money was given - so if this strategy means more money when it is needed, then maybe it is a good thing. I suspect the better way to do it might be to: tell people you want presents given to you to be charity ones OR to give money you have received as a present to charity (as long as the giver is happy with this). And then I think that it isn't wrong to get some nice gifts at Christmas either - God intended for us to enjoy his creation. So a hard question all told......"

In addition, I would like to say that what prevents me from getting all self righteous about this issue though is that this stategy does see money reach those who desperately need it. And I don't think I give enough to these people. So, when I start do that, maybe I can get self righteous about it! So if anyone does do this on my behalf, I will try to accept the gift humbly and with thanks for those who needed it more than me! though maybe not if it is an anniversary gift from my husband :).

I are very bryght

Well, after some attempts, I have now managed to get the perfect score (50) on the vocab test game I mentioned a couple of posts back that gives rice to the hungry.
This says that I have:
a) an amazing vocab
b) a heart for the hungry
c) an amazing ability to waste time
d) a self esteem that needs shoring up through proving myself in games of limited application in the outside world...........
ahh! but the sense of achievement feels so good................
well, I was having some downtime from looking after a sick Owl all day, as he projectile vomited in the morning, all over me, twice. which also explains why Sparky went to bed with a sore tum last night. Plus tonight we had a blackout when I was putting them to bed (but the power is back on for House on tv tonight yay!).