The one where I get pissy #46
So I've been having a great time regaling you with stories of my silly vacations with my college roomate. While I've been doing that, way back in the deep dark recesses of my mind, I'm really ticked about something. Really ticked. I've discussed this with other blogathon participants. It's not just me that's noticed this.
Not ONE person that participated in Blogher sponsored a blogathoner. Not one. Or, if there was one, they sure kept it quiet.
So much for that 'community' I keep hearing about. What fucking hooey. Honestly, if I hear one more time about how great the bloghers are, how they come together to support each other, I'm gonna hurl. Where they hell are they now? We're blogging for CHARITY. We're working our collective asses off to raise money for various programs that desperatly need the funds. Social programs all over the world are being cut. People aren't asking for themselves. They're asking for charitable organizations doing good works. All kinds of organizations. Like those for animal rights, and for women's rights, and for sick children.
Where the fuck are you, bloghers? Spending your money on makeup and new shoes and clothing you don't really need? Pouring costly alcohol down your throats? Spending money buying useless crap that will end up getting tosses out or put in someone's junk drawer? Why are you wasting your money on this crap? WHY?
I'm sorry, but I think the materialism is utterly disgusting. I'm so tired of the Me Me Me of the bloghers. Oh yeah, you're all there when you don't have to actually DO anything for anyone else. But when you're asked to donate a freaking buck for charity, where the fuck are you?
Get your heads out of your asses and pay attention to people that need your help. Do you volunteer? Of course you don't. Do you give to charity? Do you do ANYTHING other than blog and complain about your marriages, your children, your houses, and your pets? If you do, you sure aren't blogging about it. Why is that?
Labels: Blogathon, blogher, donate, Money, Stupid Stupid Stupid, What the F?
Stumble It!
JBlog Me
posted @7/29/2007 07:30:00 AM
16 Comments:
Makes you wonder doesn't it??
Oh, I don't wonder. I don't have to wonder. It's patently obvious. And it's a damn shame.
I don't think it's stupidity. I think it's just not knowing. I didn't really know what this blogathon was until I finally read all your twitters and came over here to see. Now that I realize it is only for one day and for a charity I do feel kind of stupid for not chipping in. But seriously, I didn't know what it was. I hardly ever get out of my own blog sphere. (Maybe this is the rub right there)
I don't think the bloghers are that cold. I think they are just caught up in having some fun and they didn't even know about it. I have to admit I'm not a faithful reader and I would have probably known if I was... but I think your twitters really helped. I do have time to keep up with them.
I'm glad you did it. You and your kids and your computer deserve a hug.
I have not observed ANY rampant "materialism." From what I can tell, it was all about the freebies. There are a lot of bloggers doing blogathon, and some of us just can't donate to every one of our friends who is doing it, or even more than one. Some of us are supporting local charities. My entire trip to BlogHer was underwritten (or I couldn't have gone). I spent a couple hundred (which my mom gave me) on cabs and tips and a couple of meals. The place where dinner was arranged for several of us was expensive (to me, anyway), and that sucked, because then I had to scrimp even more after that, and get more creative.
Also, one of the main focuses of this conference was "BlogHers ACT," which is a huge, ongoing fundraising effort for world health that will last throughout the next year. It's a BIG project, and I would guess the majority of conference-goers will be involved in some way.
I think that post was just a wee bit unfair, and might possibly have described a tiny percentage of attendees...but none that I met. 'Course, I mostly met who I wanted to, and didn't go to the "mommy" panel...
Wasn't Ree (love her name!) at BlogHer?
I would have loved to donate, however, I've just lost my job and now have new bills to pay after big breakup. Hopefully next year will see me in a better financial situation.
I, do, however, volunteer here in Portland for Loaves and Fishes and donate money when I have extra to both my church and several local charities.
Come over to my blog and do a search for the tag "volunteer bullshit."
I didn't attend Blogher this weekend, though I wanted to. I almost certainly would have done the Blogathon, but I must not read the right blogs, because I didn't have a clue it was this weekend.
I'd love to participate in the next one -- and put some publicity around it, too.
The Blogher blogstorm will likely happen this week. Based on past experience, all stays fairly silent until well after the conference ends, then it seems endless.
Sorry I missed out on the Blogathon; sign me up for the next one.
Belinda, I wasn't thinking of you. I know you're on a shoestring, I know you do what you can, and I know you're not materialistic. But man, check out some of the blog posts... I'll email you some links. There is some seriously weird shit going on with blogher and I'm not happy about it.
I know all about the focus next year. What the ORGANIZATION does, and what the individuals do are two very different things. I'm talking about personal accountability. I'm talking about people who namecall and make accusations about being a welfare cheat and a lazy ass for being disabled and then can't seem to donate a freaking red cent to anything besides their own behinds. That's the stuff that disgusts me... and honestly, I'm not alone. The behind the scenes discussion with blogathoners certainly seems to bear me out. Which says to me, all talk and NO action. Sickening.
I saw your post over at NE Mamas and came over here to read and donate. I wasn't around much this weekend because my sister came home for a visit. I hope it's still ok to donate even after the thing is over.
I've enjoyed reading your stories.
I don't know anything about what went on at BlogHer, just the few posts I've seen online. Part of me would have liked to go, part of me feels a little repelled by all the squealing. Poppy's posts have me re-thinking wanting to attend.
BH, between Poppy and Blackbird, I feel like the best decision I ever made was to not even attempt to go. It's just not me. I'm so not a squee kinda person, and I'd sit in the corner adding up all the wasted money on alcohol, food, clothing, makeup, shoes, pocketbooks, hairdos, jewelry, etc. and feel absolutely sick at the excesses.
Frankly, a convention of the homeless seems more interesting at this point.
Glad some people liked it, but it's just NOT for me.
BlogHer is not for a LOT of people, and neither is Blogathon.
Neither one is MY thing.
Who cares? If that's what people like to do, that's what they are gonna do.
You're gonna criticize people for having money and going where they want to go? And pat yourself on the back about how wonderful you are for hating it.
How do you know they don't donate? And what business of yours is it, anyway? Maybe they're resentful that people like you are benefiting from their tax dollars and are sick of giving their money away.
All you ever do is sit here and bitch how poor you are and act resentful of people who have more than you.
We could ALL do that.
um, sorry. i had a great time at blogher this year (my first), but i had no idea about any of this blogathon stuff. of course there was some clicquey-ness, and at least one time when i thought 'damn, i should have spent more time on my hair...' but, altogether, it was a good experience. at any rate, i'm going to spend some time later tonight looking through your archives to see what it's all about. i've been thinking about trying to raise some money for charity over at my site, but haven't gotten past the initial 'i wonder if i could...' phase. i'm interested to see how you worked this out...
Annie, Annie, Annie. It's SUCH a shame that you don't have any way to contact you so I could tell you off privately. Oh darn, I'll have to do it on MY blog right before I block you from commenting again.
You're STUPID, Annie. STUPID. I don't benefit in ANY WAY from your, or anyone else's tax dollars. For the MILLIONTH TIME, because you are too dense to understand common ENGLISH, I get SSDI. Do you know what that is? Of course you don't. Because you are STUPID.
Have you ever held a job? Ever? Do you know when you have a job, a real job, that the government takes out FICA? Do you know what FICA is? It is YOUR MONEY that YOU EARNED. And what does the government take it for? They take it so that if you are disabled, like me, and you need disability, like me, you get the money back. That's right, moron. YOUR MONEY. Not the government's money. YOUR MONEY. And if you aren't disabled, what happens to your FICA contribution? YOU get it back in social security, just like me. Wow, does the light shine yet, or are you too freaking stupid to get this. MY MONEY. MINE. Moron.
And yes, raising money for charity is a MUCH better use of MY time and MY money than pouring alcohol down my throat, painting my face, fingernails and toesnails, putting stupid trendy clothing that you'll wear for one season and then toss, (ditto for shoes) on just to make other women think I'm so freaking hot. Uh, maybe you're too stupid to get how shallow that is, because let's face it, you're too stupid to even know how stupid you are, but I'm not, and yes I AM PROUD that I've done something good for sick children while you have done what? Uh...duh...ummmm, left trolly stupid comments on someone's blog just showing how stupid and shallow you are.
Good show, AnnieTroll. And fuck off and die!
Comments will now commence being moderated due to idiots like Annie. Thanks, trolly.
Trolls are ANONYMOUS commenters that don't show their name and/or link. My e-mail is on my blogger profile page.
So if it's YOUR money and not from the government, then why do you bitch about it SO much?
So, you're saying, just like anyone else, you reap the benefits of what YOU earn. I guess you didn't work hard enough, so who's fault is that?
The Last of the Annie the Asshole comments. I'm so thrilled to know that she's gone. Stupid, unable to follow along, but gone.
But just in case anyone is wondering just how social security works, I am paid at the ABSOLUTE TOP of the scale. I could not get more money from SS if I earned 10 million a year. I'm at the top because I EARNED at the top. As in, more than 6 figures for years.
THe tip top you get is around $1400/month.
Good luck living on it, peeps. Good luck!
Yanno...
a lot of us materialistic BlogHer whores spend quite a few hours writing about/giving free publicity to various non-profits. I try to write about a non-profit at least once a month (to be fair, this isn't always accomplished though).
I also give a lot of money and time to charity, and I work at a grocery store right now. Not making the big bucks.
I choose not to participate in Blogathon because they are really, really strict about which charities you can write for (I tried to get two different charities approved for Blogathon 06 and both were turned down because the coordinators hadn't heard of either of them.)
I choose to donate money without a lot of fanfare or red tape.
And I know that there are a lot of others like me.
Please don't generalize.
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home