Tom and I were talking about ways to help the hurricane victims.
We’d like to offer our CD for sale, with the entire sale price going to the Red Cross or Americares (my “pet” charity, that directs over 98% of funds collected to the needy).
Purchase our CD for $10, and we’ll donate $10 to charity.
If you think you might like mountain dulcimer music - or you’d just like to donate $10 and have another CD to add to your AOL collection - please see the following: http://www.strothers.com/cds.htm
simon - fill out the request on the web page, and we’ll get back with you where to send, etc.
(don’t want to put it out there for scammers to pick up).
I listened to your "Ohio Waltz’ clip. Very nice. You might want to add that your music features mountain dulcimers. When you said dulcimers in your original post, I thought that you were most likely referring to hammered dulcimers, which I think are more common. Thank you for donating the money from the sale of your CD’s for the people in need on the Gulf Coast. Right now, a Gulf Coast Blues tune is in order.
We’ll be at a festival today (Metamora IN if anyone is close!). We’ll be playing “Second Line” and dedicated it to the victims.
(in case you don’t know, “Second Line” has become one of the traditional Mardi Gras songs. It refers to the hired mourners or the “Second Line” in a funeral procession).
I’m a bit confused here.America is the richest country in the world.Why do ye need to contribute to the victims of the calamity?Is not that the job of your Government?Can they not divert some of the billions they spend on all sorts of projects to help the victims?
I can understand ye wanting to contribute to the 3rd world where there is simply not the money available… but America???
Slán Leat
Uilliam
Uilliam - of course our government will help in the funding… FEMA, the National Guard, etc. all have monumental tasks ahead of them.
But there is SO much more that needs to be done, and there just aren’t government agencies set up to do that. Relief agencies (whether they are religious or non-religious based) are. They have the people and ways to get goods to who need it the fastest. They also concentrate on certain areas to help - Americares, the group I referenced, especially works on water quality, food and medical supplies. They were instrumental in getting water purification packets to areas hit by the tsunami (and because the FDA hasn’t “approved” the use of those packets in the US, they won’t be using that technology in this disaster, which ticks me off, but I won’t go farther with that…)
And - this is just my own personal feelings - I’d rather be helped by other citizens than “the government”. I’ve been the recipient of that help (we were hit by a F5 tornado) and this is MY way of paying back for that help. I think many in the US feel the same way.
But surely the Relief Agencies would,given the circumstances of this particular tragedy,get all the money they need frae your Government!!Again.. ye are not a 3rd world country,where are all the billions stashed?ye.. the ordinary folks shouldnae have to pay a penny… thats why ye paid your taxes and that is,presumably,why ye have an elected Government,to protect the citizenry…Sorry but I am still confused
I am not decrying your feeling the need to help but there is already more than enough money in the treasury vaults to cover this.Donations to relief agencies in this case will surely only be robbing Peter to pay Paul..ie your bucks could be helping draught victims in Africa who are dying every day and instead this money will be diverted to the hapless folk in US(who need help) but could get it frae Central Funds.That is all I am saying…
Slán Leat
Uilliam
ava beat me to part of the answer (sorry, was at church…)
The other part about diverting funds, that may or may not happen, depending on the charity.
Many have a certain amount “earmarked” for particular areas of relief. They also have another amount that they set aside for unforseen emergencies.
Then, when something this huge happens, they will look for and collect funds specifically to go to this.
If funds are already marked to go somewhere, the agency will not necessarily take those away to divert to another.
The money the gov’t spends (above and beyond taxes) comes from anyone who buys (loan the govt money in return for a promise of future payment) govt bonds.
Since the govornement gets all it’s money from taxpayers anyways, what’s wrong with taxpayers giving a little more and making sure it gets to where it needs to go?
Perhaps,as its your money your Government is spending,ye should have a bit more say in what its spent on.Whizzing around the planet in clapped out space shuttles seems to me an obscenity when there is so much more urgent business to be dealt with here on earth…
I’m sat here in Scotland and I cannot believe the images I am seeing,those poor poor people in their total distress…never mind God Bless America I’m thinking God Help America…
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
I personally extend to you the invitation to come on over here and show us amatures how its done.
Don’t you think it’s just as frustrating for us to not be able to do anything? This is our way of helping out the best we can. If you want to go through the govornment system, bring a big ol pair of shears to cut through the red tape and hope that all your efforts are not in vain by the time you can actually get anything done.
It amazes me that someone actually thinks the government is the best way to solve problems. There are problems that only the government can handle, however, helping neighbors is something everyone can do.
I have no idea what government offices are like in other parts of the world, but the stereotype here in the U. S. is the Department of Motor Vehicles. Typically there are long lines, poorly informed employees who are often rude and sometimes incompetent, but can not be fired because of fear of lawsuits. If there were a competing firm, the goverment office might be out of business in a year because they are so bad at what they do and care so little about the people they serve. In my brief experiences working with government bureacrats, they are often far more interested in turf, in who gets the credit, and expanding their own department than the people they serve. There are some exceptions, but the phrase “good enough for government work” comes to mind.
Money sent thru the goverment will probably result in 25 to 50 cents on the dollar going to actually relief. The rest would go for administration, filling out forms, and back office operations. Efficient charities run upwards of 85 cents, partly because many of their workers are volunteers (and motivated).
As for the space shuttle, I admit that it has not done much for us lately, but the satellite tracking of hurricanes probably saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in this one instance. Over the years the amounts are multiplied. Without the satellites from space program the forecasts would be less accurate, and less frequently updated.
"I personally extend to you the invitation to come on over here and show us amatures how its done. "
Tyler I wasnae calling ye amateurs, and your attitude along with BillChin and his" amazement" appears to me ,an astonished outsider,to be somewhat arrogant,and insulting.
I was posing a serious question and rather than rhetoric or defensiveness, would have appreciated a serious answer.Instead I am now left with the unpalatable feeling that ye are so arrogant,why should I bother asking the question?
I was trying to get my head around how the so called richest nation on earth couldnae swing into action to help their own citizens?
Jesus Christ man,if yours and BillChins attitude is general over there, then ye would appear to have more problems than I imagined… :roll:
NB The UK has sent ,as ye are probably aware,food,beds bedding etc to ye following a request frae your Government for aid.The point o me mentioning this is, it was asked for and sent..end of..note it was sent by one Government to another…not a relief agency but direct contact so it can be done and without any drama.
Slán Libh
Uilliam
PS I specifically mentioned the Space Shuttle,which seemed over here to be a bit of a joke.albeit an expensive one..I was not referring to the space programme in general, and the introduction of satellites as an issue seems to be a red herring designed to deflect from the shuttle argument and the absurd waste of money involved.But hey guys,why am I wasting my time on this…oiche mhaith
Uilliam - actually your questions don’t bother me. Well, ok, they bother me only in the fact that you have a false impression of how things work here - but I’m sure I have the same misinformation of how your country works, too.
What both Tyler and Bill were trying to show (and I apologize, guys, if I’m putting “words in your mouth”) is that WE have problems with how our government works. We question things, we don’t like things, we have better ideas, etc. (see dapple’s thread about making a better country). We know things aren’t perfect, and we tend to get a little bothered when others point fingers, too.
Also - again - you need to realize the scope of this tragedy. We have lost the equivalent of the entire British Isle as far as milage. It’s just GONE.
As for bringing up satelites when you talked of the space shuttle - most of those satelites have either gotten UP there, or have been repaired, by the space shuttles. It is quite appropriate to bring up that in a discussion. Without the shuttle, the early warning from the hurricane would have been lacking.
Now we just need to figure out a way, in America, for people to take those early warnings SERIOUSLY.
