Comments on: ‘Tis The Season For Giving - Open Thread (Updated)

By: LesleeE

LesleeE — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:37:23 +0000

Hi RRRA,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for putting me on to freerice.com, I love the site and the feeling I’m helping in a small way (+ learning somthing, which is fun). Finances being what they are it’s all I can do at this time.

Thank you also for all your wonderful articles and work this year. You have a heart of gold.

By: justsomeone

justsomeone — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:42:43 +0000

The USO also offers real volunteer opportunities if you’re so inclined. Info on their web site.

By: rolling_thunder

rolling_thunder — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:30:52 +0000

T BOONES PICKENS beautiful billionare wife is a horse lover and would donate. Tell them to send her an email for a donation…

By: rolling_thunder

rolling_thunder — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:25:05 +0000

if Gretchen has to resort to those sort of tactics, like begging to others to maintain her habit.

I think most people will prefer to donate to Obama’s inaugural celebration

Turn on the lights. ARE YOU LOST? Leave Gretchen alone. She is not to be bashed. She has been on our side from the get go.

By: Judy L. NC

Judy L. NC — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:35:57 +0000

I’m interested to see the amazon.com ads here now offer something EVERYBODY needs for cheap…the blue ResQMe keychain tools. These babies will blast you and/or your loved ones out of your car when the next decrepit piece of our nation’s infrastructure collapses. I can’t say they actually work because I didn’t want to blast out my windshield if I didn’t have to. I do have faith, however. I often drive over the Bonner Bridge on Hwy. 12 on the Outer Banks of NC (”Nights in Rodanthe”), which has a safety rating of 2 out of 100 pts. I bought all of these tools from our local Brookstone store right after the Minneapolis collapse. If you don’t want to give to the horses, buy some ResQMe’s and donate to NQ.

Oh, and, I’m watching “Love Actually”. . .

By: Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:12:37 +0000

Oh, that’s a good point. I know the Humane Soc. and ASPCA support this organization, and mentioned it in at least one of their magazines (which is how I found out abt it). Excellent point, though. They do send a fair number of appeals, to be honest. I haven’t found many that don’t, though…

If you want to be anonymous, though, I think they list a store they use, and you could probably backdoor a gift that way (like giving hay or something) and stay off their list, thus minimize appeals.

Hope that helps!

By: justsomeone

justsomeone — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:46:40 +0000

RRRAmy, do you by any chance know what the privacy policy of the horse charity is? Due to data mining & lots of groups selling, trading & loaning info EVERYDAY I receive a min of 6-10 solicitations & groups that I only donated to once on an “emergency basis” are still hounding me years after my “one time donation”. I now use Charity Navigator to check them out first as I have also been suckered by groups only to find out later 90% of the money went to make fat cats fatter & only 10% went to the cause. I fully understand it takes yrs to get a Charity Navigator rating & little emergency groups may be legit & still not qualify. I even have charities sending nasty messages (like a bill collector) if my donations slide, etc… even brazen enough to call repeatedly on the phone, sending forms to include them in your will, etc. These tactics really taint the “joy” of giving. Years ago you could just slip a few dollars cash in your own envelope & feel good for helping ONE time but most groups now pay a service to open mail. A lot of it is big business, like United Way, where the fund raisers can make hundreds of thousands a yr. I’d like to buy the horses a bail or so of hay but can’t commit to supporting them into perpetuity & do not want on any more damn lists! Would gladly forfeit the benefit of a tax deduction for some anonminity.

By: wodiej

wodiej — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:07:32 +0000

that link for their web site is not working, is this it?

http://www.peoplehelpinghorses.com/

By: wodiej

wodiej — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:01:10 +0000

I am an animal lover and would donate a kidney if I thought it would save one of my dogs. But to help a human…the list is short. Animals treat us better than most humans. I give to the local SPCA to help the shelter animals there. I wish I could do more, but I can’t. If every single person would even give $5 bucks, none of these animals survival would be in jeopardy. All of the rich people like Warren Buffett, hollywood, etc. have enough money to keep every single shelter/rescue afloat indefinitely.

I can give a few bucks to help the horses, love them too. Thank you for the post. Animals truly are a blessing from God.

By: Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:22:07 +0000

Gretchen’s “habit”? Of rescuing horses?? You think she should be shooting them instead?? Wow. Just freakin’ wow. That is really sad. The lack of compassion in your response is truly staggering.

And hell no, some of us have no desire to give that cheater, liar, and thief one thin dime.

OTOH, thanks, Bert! Yes, we do have great people serving in our military. We gave a donation to the USO just yesterday. Many think it receives federal funding, but it does not. If anyone else wants to donate to the USO, please click here: http://www.uso.org

By: lark

lark — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:03:08 +0000

In this struggling economy, we have seen a dramatic decrease in donations

Obama got quite a good October and November and is getting quite a good December. I am sure that Hollywood celebrities that profit from those kinds of love the animals movies can help fray every penny she needs to continue her good work. Al Gore too can donate and maybe Caroline Kennedy. She can also write a book about it and make the rounds around all the important media outlets including Campbell Brown and The View.

I personally prefer the picture of Palin with her rifle shown in “Tragic News from up-North not for kids.” That is much more humane in my view. Not that I have the courage to do what Palin is capable of doing. But I admire Palin much more than Gretchen, if Gretchen has to resort to those sort of tactics, like begging to others to maintain her habit.

I think most people will prefer to donate to Obama’s inaugural celebration.

By: bert

bert — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:00:36 +0000

This is not about horses, or giving, unless you are talking about what our men and women in Iraq and elsewhere give us on a daily basis. And this is an open thread, so here is one great Chrustmas video from Iraq.

I know we have the best fighting men and women in the world. But who knew they were this creative too.

I love this!!!!!

Their 12 Days of Chrustmas

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/milblogs/archives/2008/12/24/#031349