(Red)emption (UPDATED)

Please stick with this one to the end… where there is a challenge waiting for you.

This is a post I’ve been chewing on for a few days now, and I really wasn’t sure if I’d end up writing it or not. On balance, I think I need to.

On Friday, as Sue packed for Bangkok, we watched Bono and Oprah launch the North American version of the Product (RED) campaign. We were both inspi(red) by the excitement, and moved to tears by the scenes from Africa. But as the show progressed and the feeding frenzy that was Oprah’s shopping trip continued, I started to feel a little sick.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I love this program. And I hate it. Let me try to explain why.

The love part is easy. I love it because it will provide funds for saving lives. What’s not to love about that?

Here’s the part with which I’m having trouble. I hate it because it’s a sad commentary, a mirror if you will, reflecting the reality of our culture back to us. The currency of the Kingdom is love. The currency of this material, self-centered culture is “stuff.” Bono is brilliant as he has realized this, and knows we will not give out of love. HIV/AIDS is killing people in numbers too horrible to give voice to. And while this troubles us, it apparently doesn’t trouble us enough to give out of love. The brilliance of Product (Red) is that it will get the money out of us anyway. No love? Fine, then we’ll appeal to your need for the other currency, for stuff. Want a new Gap shirt, and a trendy one at that? Great. Here you go, and by the way, a couple of bucks will go to life-saving drugs.

In short, I long for a world that operates on Kingdom currency. It’s coming… just not fast enough. In the meantime, I will grit my teeth, smile, and promote the Product (RED) campaign. Heck, I’ll probably end up wearing a red t-shirt. Hypocritical? Maybe. Paradoxical? Definitely.

Now for the challenge. Robert and I have been discussing for some time the need for us to start another campaign to raise some funds here at WorD.

We’ve been looking at the (RED) iPod specifically. When you spend $200 US on the iPod, Apple will contribute $10 to the Global Fund. (Robert has changed his mind about Christmas, BTW, so don’t bother emailing his wife.)

I don’t have a clue what the profit margins are like on the iPod, but $10 doesn’t strike me as a lot of money. Let’s be realistic. It’s not. Here’s the choice: You can lay out $200, get a new iPod, and contribute $10 to a good cause. Or, you can just contribute the $10. We believe we can get 1000 people to donate $10 each. We’d like $10 from everyone in the developed world, but we’ll settle for you, and everyone you know. And when we’re done, we’ll pass the money--all of it--along to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

First, we need your $10. Just as importantly, we then need you to reach out to all your contacts. Post a link on your blog, send out an email to your friends, hang a banner from your window... whatever it takes. We'll keep you posted on how we're doing.

Together, we can do this. Help prove us right. Thank you.

UPDATE: (November 2008) 2 years later and this post still gets a lot of hits from people googling their way through the (Product RED )issue. For the sake of some closure for those of you just arriving, here's some (hopefully) interesting yet non-critical updates.

(Red)emption For Christmas! (December 5, 2006) This was kind of cool.

(Red)emption - Week 10 (December 29, 06) What we looked like

What a Day! (January 9, 2007) Just for the photo

Wrapping Up (Red)emption (January 12, 2007)

Comments

[joseph]

It is rather sad commentary that the generosity/consumerism thing sometimes gets rolled up into one. But I suppose you have to start where people are at, not necessarily where you would like them to be. Blessings on the project.

[Wes]

...late on a Thursday night...just checking in...pondering...being grateful for what I've experienced in this day that no $$$ can buy...thinking about the color red (which is what Colorado stands for)...remembering Jesus emptying himself of his red blood on our behalf...wondering why people wouldn't use their old (any color) iPod for another year or two and just give the whole $200 to your fund...of course, unless hearing red is more important that seeing the red project truly grow without getting anything in return. Sure...start where you are...indeed, Jesus did.......and so should we. Good night.

[nathan colquhoun]

TrackBack

http://nathancolquhoun.com/blog/index.php/2006/10/20/shopping_for_love

[anj]

You speak my mind Mike.

[Tim Bailey]

Good thoughts. Love can't flow from selfishness, can it?

If we carry the Spirit of God, and God is love, and the proof of that love is the sharing of our possessions with those in need, why was I standing in a dump watching children dig through it in their bare feet last week?

I think the Red campaign should be using products we need - like "red bread"...

[robert]

I just paid my $10. I am sure we know a measly 1000 good people. We appreciate your good wishes but we NEED your $10.
Please donate. It takes two minutes and it's only 10 bucks.

[Trevor Meier]

Put it out to my peeps... my $10 is in the jar.

[tamara]

These articles estimate the profit margins of the IPod Shuffle and Nano:
http://pcworld.com/article/id,119799-page,1/article.html
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2005/tc20050921_4557.htm
I can't imagine that the margins have shifted much over the past year. I did catch a portion of a CNN broadcast where RED organizers discussed the donation amount for the products. They justified the percentage by emphasizing that this made the program sustainable from a business point of view. Vendors would more easily buy into the program if they felt they could continue to make a profit.

I agree though, that this all seems to feed into the growing self-gifting phenomenon.

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Great post. From what I read, the RED t-shirts give the highest percentage. Further, several of those products are handmade in Africa, which means it is also creating some jobs. I am not surprised that so little goes from the iPod. Love your idea!

Peace,
Jamie

[Tim Bednar]

I think my photoshopped t-shirt might be the thing you need.

[Mike]

Tim - I love it. I'll give you $10 for it.

Better yet, you give me $10 for it!

Peace.

[jdwendellc]

Point taken, but I disagree on some level. I'm not sure how the Red Campaign doesn't belong in "a world that operates on Kingdom Currency." This campaign could be just the first step toward systemic change - which is exactly what we need to fight poverty, AIDS, etc. What if Red products became as pervasive as, say, fare trade products? Would you also advocate that we send money to poor coffee farmers instead of creating a system of commerce that fights the injustice? Building change into current markets is one way (possibly a very effective way) to address these issues. Making charitable donations out of love is no better than building a sustainable system of business charity out of love. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying here - I applaud your efforts to raise money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation through selfless charitable donations. I only question whether cynicism about the Red Campaign is the right attitude to have.

I support the Red Campaign out of love, not out of self-centered materialism. I support systemic change in the business community out of love. I think we should be doing more than just "gritting our teeth and smiling." We should embrace this important (yet small) step towards eradicating AIDS in Africa because it may turn out to be a step in the right direction.

[Stephen D Wareham]

In the same way that worship and prayer should be a way of life for the Christian, giving to others should be too. Allowing us to give to others through a "way of life" that we're all familiar with, shopping, is a revolutionary gift from God. As someone who has been to Africa on a missions trip this year, you can count me in.

[Dana Graffeo]

I agree with the last two comments. Bono wants to get those who don't normally give or are not normally concerned about these issues involved in the process. Those with a cynical attitude about charity or just to self-centered to care. By making Product(RED) the hip trendy thing to do he gets these peoples attention and once you have their attention you have a chance of reaching them and waking them up. This is Bono's greatest gift, communicating to those who don't really want to hear the message, who usually change the channel or tune it out. This is the beauty of the (RED) campaign and the really important thing to do is to acknowledge everyone you see wearing a (RED) product so they get rewarded for this behaviour. I'm not saying don't give directly if you can and want to but knocking (RED) or implying it is less noble just undermines the effort being made to bring those less likely to give into the fold. Just as judgementalism keeps those most in need of the church from coming to it. One of Bono's most interesting philosophies to me is the fact that when the band first started out he said that instead of approaching the music industry with and US or THEM attitude they held the attitude that there is only US. This inclusiveness won people over left and right and if you read their history got so many people working for them that they practically couldn't fail. I think Christians need more of an US and US attitude in dealing with the world rather than drawing lines between US and THEM. Lines are like fences, they keep people out and that is not what Chritianity is supposed to be about is it?

[Sarah Dylan Breuer]

Personally, what I find even more disturbing about the RED campaign is that they sell products from manufacturers such as Converse (itself a company under the Nike umbrella) who have spotty records at best in terms of how they treat their workers overseas. I'd buy a pair of environment-friendly Unswooshers from Blackspot shoes (http://adbusters.org/metas/corpo/blackspotshoes/) or a pair of sneakers from No Sweat Apparel (http://www.nosweatapparel.com/) and, if I wanted to support the goals of RED, give money directly to a good development organization -- especially since the Converse are not only significantly less environment-friendly and are not fair trade products, but are MUCH more expensive than most fair trade shoes!

[Anonymous]

Please read this blog posting from an Apple employee: http://simplycleaning.blogspot.com/2006/10/productred.html

[Mike]

Thanks for the link. Lots of money... that's the part I love.

Still, I want to look beyond getting in order to give. That's where we come in.

[J.Adams]

Hey Todd ... keep it up ... i sent you my $10 and told all my broke friends to do so also ... good thing for them is they can't afford the ipod, but can afford the $10 ... anyways, did you see the rejected ideas for this program?

5. Buy a Toyota Prius and we will give $4 to Aids Research.

4. Buy a 2 pair of Bono's Sunglasses and we will send one to you and the other to a person with aids in Africa

3. Get your eyebrows waxed with Oprah and they will donate $17 to Aids Research. (Weekly cost of Oprah's Eyebrow Wax = $50,000+)

2. For every 1 Billion dollars you donate to the war effort, we will give $7 (God's Holy Number) to Faith Based Initiatives programs and $.27 to Aids research.

1. Donate $10 to Aids Research and we will give you the DVD First Season of "Whitney and Bobby" for free!

[Dane]

Apple sold 42million iPods world wide (according to a stat. that's a few years old) so the potential donation is pretty big.

Another thot just hit me: Apple is donating $10/unit. That's 5% of the retail sales price. It's possible that $10 is about 10% of the manufacture's profit - give or take.

10%...? Doesn't that percentage sound familiar?

Anyways, I can't afford any iPods for a while so just giving the 10 bucks is a much more affordable idea. thanks.

Another zag thot: What if Zues wants us all to give $10 to fight aids. The corporate fat-cats use shiny sparklies to temp mateialists into giving while us wanna-be non-materialist give 10 bucks out contemp and protest. Sheesh...there's just no way to escape the will of Zues (just reading holmer)

[David]

Love the post and the critical comments. Keep talking, keep thinking.

[Spoke]

Kingdom Hearts directing ca$h. Beautiful. U2 is on my Boycott list along with McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Shell etc.

[Thomas E. Ward, Jr.]

It's a little late, but I'm in. By the way, great post, Mike.

[Amber]

Very well said! I've bought Product (RED) stuff and will continue to do so when I would have bought the stuff anyway. I LOVE this idea though and couldn't agree with what you've said more.

[CM]

mike posted on October 25, 2006
Tim - I love it. I'll give you $10 for it.
Better yet, you give me $10 for it!

robert posted on October 20, 2006
We NEED your $10.

Give mike and robert $10 or Stephen Lewis Foundation?
Sorry to be a skeptic but too many people are soliciting money on the internet and claiming to give it to charities. People should be responsible for their own generosity and not need to be talked into giving and people should only give to well known reputable charities.
Just direct people to the charity you would like them to give to, do not put a "Make a donation" link on your web page (like you are a charity) and then say to people..."We’d like $10 from everyone in the developed world...And when we’re done, we’ll pass the money--all of it--along to the Stephen Lewis Foundation." Don't pass the money on just let the people do that of their own free will!!!
Good works should be voluntary!
Good works should be joyful.
Good works should be motivated by genuine love.
Good actions are the fruit, not the root of salvation.
Good works should be inspired by a desire to glorify God. Motives are important because God looks at the heart. We cannot buy spiritual favors with God.
Giving does not make merit points with God.
GIVE – “Because it is what God wants to do through us” not what someone else wants us to do or not do!
If its God’s will (not Apple's or Oprah's or mike's or roberts's will) then follow through on giving!
Since God is the Creator and actually needs nothing from us, the reason to give has more to do with our relationship with God than with God's need for anything to be provided for His work.
The love of God, which stems from a deep appreciation of His nature and gratitude for His grace, stimulates one to give joyfully and sacrificially!
God is the standard and source of true goodness.
God desires a voluntary and joyous labor of love that issues from the heart.
God is pleased with faithful and faith-filled giving.
If mind and money are in support of spiritual things they would reap great spiritual benefits.
For those who close their ears and continue to receive help under false pretenses, another kind of "reward" awaits -- a fiery lake at the end of the road. (Revelations 20:15) God will Judge!
There is much said about the fact that good deeds will not bring salvation. Only the Lord, Jesus can save!!!

[Mike]

Thanks for the comment, CM:

A couple of quick thoughts:

1. You're right. If people are more comfortable giving directly to the Foundation, then go for it. We've said that many times (click on Payment Options up on the sidebar.) In the end you must be comfortable doing this. Then again, $10 isn't a lot to risk.

2. Lots of "shoulds" in your comment. You're right, of course, we should. So why don't we? We've received many emails from people thanking us for the prompting. If doing this helps motivate people to give, and more importantly to become more aware of HIV/AIDS, then I think it's worth it.

Thanks for dropping by. Peace.

[Lon]

Great post. I completely agree. It feeds our consumerism, and makes us feel like we've wiped our hands clean. That's not what people with HIV/AIDS need. Oh, and I believe I read the actual cost of an ipod is about $70 bucks, so there's plenty of profit to go around.

[Reid]

I'm late in but gratful for the opportunity. Thanks, Mike.

[Luna Chu]

Hi there, I'm torn by this campaign as well in for the same reasons you are. I've been scouring for information similar to what you've quoted, e.g., $10 of the iPod purchase goes to the cause. Can you tell me where I can find more numbers such as these? I'd like to know more...

Thank you very much!!

[david]

CM said:

"Since God is the Creator and actually needs nothing from us, the reason to give has more to do with our relationship with God than with God's need for anything to be provided for His work."

Really? Where is this found as a Biblical concept? The same logic goes thusly: since God is the saviour, telling people about Jesus has more to do with assuaging our guilt than with God's need for partners in His work. This is horrible, horrible logic and deplorable theology. Shame on you.

"The love of God, which stems from a deep appreciation of His nature and gratitude for His grace, stimulates one to give joyfully and sacrificially!"

Oh if only that were so - but the sad reality is that truly generous and sacrificial people are not the norm in the North American church. Helping only when we feel like it is bad theology and if I had a trauma surgeon who worked on the principal I would be deeply concerned for my ER ward.

"God desires a voluntary and joyous labor of love that issues from the heart.God is pleased with faithful and faith-filled giving."

He's also pleased with obedience and sacrifice and gets pissed when His people who are called by His name do not care for the widows and the orphans.

"For those who close their ears and continue to receive help under false pretenses, another kind of "reward" awaits -- a fiery lake at the end of the road. (Revelations 20:15) God will Judge!"

For those who do not feed the poor and love the unloved, no matter upon whose name you think you're calling, the same fate awaits at the hands of the same judge (Matt.25)

"There is much said about the fact that good deeds will not bring salvation. Only the Lord, Jesus can save!!!"

There is much said about the fact that faith without good deeds is also useless. And if one has a true encounter with Jesus their life looks markedly different - they feed the poor, love the unloved, and give grace and mercy to the undeserving.

Sorry, CM, your comments are reactionary and full of rhetoric and bad theology. I wish I could let this one go but biblically you are only telling half the story and without the other half your theology, and your soteriology, are terrible. A suitable penance/indulgence would be a remorseful $10 sent to the Stephen Lewis Foundation through any means you like. Then and only then will baby Jesus stop crying.

[Jenn]

As to this whole Red campaign - while I think the principle is nice - it fundementally feeds in the society a mentality that we should be rewarded for our "good deeds," rather than just serving others. Why else would you spend an extra hundred dollars on a pair of GAP jeans (150.00 on their website), all while they are maintaining their profit margins? You want to wear them and have people think you're a super great person - me I'm giving my money to "blood:water mission"

[lacey]

mike- i am not very code savy and wondered if you would mind putting up the code you used for your (red)emption link? i'd love to add it to my blog once i donate!

[Budzey]

My question to everyone is : Why are we worried so much about other countries problems while many people in our country still suffers from major problems like poverty and homelessness?

Really, we can support other countries, but our main foucas should be here in our country. Do we not have enough problems here as it is??? For example Canada has 15.9%(appx. 4,964,839 people) poverty, and the United states has 12%(appx. 35,813,305 people) under the poverty line. So why are we worrided about other countries while ours isn't getting any better?

- Budzey

[david]

Budzey - Your question assmues that political boundaries should define who we show compassion to. I am guessing you haven't travelled extensively in sub-saharan Africa, nor any part of the truly developping world. You are also assuming this is an either/or scenario. It isn't. But to be fair, to answer you straight up - it's just not the same here. Yes, we have homelessness and poverty, but the scope and the depth of that problem beyond our borders is beyond words. No one is suggesting we don't help here at home - in fact if you knew the people here on this blog (stick around and you'll know way more than you ever wanted!) you'd know that their participation in domestic issues of poverty is significant.

Pragmatically though - the AIDS crisis in Africa represents a global financial crisis and terrorist threat. Money spent there now will be money we don't have to spend a hundred times over in ten years. But I don't subscribe to the need to apply such pragmatism to my ethics - in the end we give because it's the right thing to do - both here and abroad.

[Mike]

Well said, David.

You're right, Budzey. There are many systemic issues right here at home we need to deal with. But, as David points out, its not the same thing. And as Bono says, this is not a cause, but an emergency.

So we need to have an eye here as well as there. if we only look after our own", then who looks after the others? We're our brother's and sister's keepers, after all.

Peace.

[robert]

if not us, who?
We are the people we've been waiting for.

[Budzey]

Mike, David, others, I'm not saying that we don't have to stop helping the people in Africa or other developing countries, Rather I'm implying that we have to focus on our own problems a little more then other countries. How can we solve another countries problems when we can't solve our own?

[Alex]

"And as Bono says, this is not a cause, but an emergency"

sure Bono raises a good point.. but he's still full of shit

[Mike]

I'll let that one go for $10.

Although my wife will definitely kill you if she ever tracks you down.

[david]

Budzey, I think fundamental to why we disagree on this is the notion of "us" vs. "them". I don't subscribe to the notion that the homeless here are "our" problems and the poor somewhere else are "their" problem. I just don't think that way - I subscribe to the notion that we're all one family and need to care for each other - geopolitical boundaries do not define compassion. Whether I help someone (in much worse shape than most of the poor in Canada or the US) is not contingent upon where they were born or where they live and die.

Furthermore I would argue - if I had to buy into the nationalism around which this discussion is based - that in a social state like ours we pay a good deal of tax in part to address these things and that should free me up to spend MORE on the "elsewhere poor".But I think that's a poor argument to have to lean on. Ultimately I'm not sure where the notion of "our problems" vs. "their problems" comes from but in my experience it is made by those people who are looking for a way out of sending their $10.

Alex - I think after that bout of blashphemy your penance ought to be $20. But it's Mike's blog, if he's gonna let indulgences go at cut rates I might get in on the action too. (But God help you if Sue gets ahold of you. :-)

[The Justin]

In response to Budzey’s comments
I think he is right that we should worry about our own countries problems before we go fixing other countries problems. Wow Oprah and Bono are trying to save people with Aids/HIV in Africa but guess what there’s Aids here too. Celebrities should stop sticking their noses in other countries affair’s like aids in Africa and the seal hunt in Canada.

[Budzey]

"I don't subscribe to the notion that the homeless here are "our" problems" - david

David if the homeless people here are not our problems, then who’s are they. Should we not do something to help the poor and impoverished?

And I've noticed that the majority of money given to African countries seems to disappear without a trace as their leaders live a high life, instead of helping THEIR OWN PEOPLE!!!! Maybe if they helped their people instead of themselves (leaders) then WE wouldn’t be here today.

Further more, if THEIR countries spread more awareness on HIV/AIDS instead of neglecting their people for their (the leaders) benefit there wouldn’t be as big as an ‘issue’. It all just boils down trying to look good and sell more records, and get better rating on their shows.

- Budzey

[david]

The Justin - As that's probably one of the most ignorant things I have read in a while I am just going to shake my head and hope you emerge from your darkness soon enough.

Budzey - you've taken my words from their context. What I said was:"I don't subscribe to the notion that the homeless here are "our" problems and the poor somewhere else are "their" problem. I just don't think that way - I subscribe to the notion that we're all one family and need to care for each other - geopolitical boundaries do not define compassion."

In other words (listen carefully, Budzey) it is ALL our problem. All of it. You assertion that so much money has at times been missappropriated by the leaders of these countries is not disputed - but it's not always the case and that argument has been used so often as a smokescreen and an excuse not to give. No, the governments in central Africa (heck, much of Africa even) have not often spent wisely. They've often been headed by dictators and cleptocrats that we in the west have installed to power. Their civil wars have come about because we in the west divided Africa like a cake and disrupted age-old power balances and borders. We are part of the problem and it is our responsibility to play a compassionate role in dealing with the fallout.

Furthermore if you are suggesting that our responsibility ends when those powers become corrupt and violent and the people need us the most, then your position is not only ignorant but painfully void of compassion. It's like saying "we'll help them when they don't need help" and then "well, they don't need our help, I'll give to someone else" - it's perfect isn't it? You get to spend your money on whatever you like no matter what happens. Sure, they die by the millions, but that's not "my" problem.

To recap: there is no "us" vs. "them", there is only "us" and we who have owe it to those that don't have. yes, people here are dying of AIDS, people here are homeless, addicted, exploited. But to suggest that it's the same thing and occurs on the same systemic level and so out of sight of relief - that blows my mind and rends my heart.

Tell you what, we're probably not going to agree on this so let's call it a conditionalcease-fire - you make a $10 donation to (red)emption and I will make a $10 donation to the charity of your choice. It's all talk and clanging cymbals until we put it into action.

[The Justin]

David-all i'm saying is that american celebrities are going to other countries to solve their problems but what are they donating at home?

[Budzey]

David, why would I donate into somthing which will only cause more problems?

-Budzey

[The Justin]

In response to:
“To recap: there is no "us" vs. "them", there is only "us" and we who have owe it to those that don't have. Yes, people here are dying of AIDS, people here are homeless, addicted, exploited. But to suggest that it's the same thing and occurs on the same systemic level and so out of sight of relief - that blows my mind and rends my heart.”
So what your saying is that we shouldn’t worry about our problems or people dying in our country and only people dying in other countries? Explain the reasoning of that

[Mike]

First, The Justin - David is not saying that. All he's saying is we need to deal with both issues. (Red)emption happens to be raising money for Africa. Secondly, AIDS is no longer a death sentence in North America, but it still can be in Africa.

Budzey - your story keeps changing. First it was "help here, not there", then itt seemed to be "help here and there", and now it's "don't help there."

Not sure I understand, but you won't convince me saving lives causes problems, so don't knock yourself out trying to explain it to me.

And seeing as the title of this post is (Red)emption, there's a point where you need to pay to play.

And this is it.

[david]

Every now and then I wonder why this seems to be such a losing battle and then I'm reminded in technicolour - it's ignorance and apathy masquerading as something more noble.

Give me a break guys, I feel like I'm speaking to someone who read one Maclean's article five years ago and on that basis speaks as though he's got the equivalent of a doctorate in economics or 20 years of disillusionment as a field worker with UNICEF or something.

Mike said all I wanted to, The Justin and Budzey - put up or shut up.

[The Justin]

I think what Budzey is trying to say is that we are a capitalist society and our government is set up so we have a source of income even if we don’t have a job and we have the money to help other countries, but in the case of Africa how can you be sure that ALL of the money goes to Aids research? How can you be sure that the African government isn’t taking the money and using it to buy a new house or a new car?

All that I’m trying to say is that how do you know if the celebrities endorsing it are doing just out of the goodness of their hearts? I don’t see Oprah wearing a Red shirt or Bono wearing one, how can you prove that Bono isn’t doing this to increase his popularity and sell more records and Oprah to get people to watch here show or buy here magazine. I do know what they’re trying to do and it is commendable but can we even think for a second that the problems of Africa are so important and pressing that we should forget about our own problems like poverty or global problems like global warming?

[Mike]

$10 for a response, please.

[Budzey]

Well it's been a pleasure, but I'm not convinced in paying into futher corruption, so good night, and good bye.

[Mike]

..And when you get up tomorrow another 5000 or so will have died of AIDS. But you've kept a couple of bucks out of the hands of some corrupt politician, so that's OK.

Sleep well.

[david]

Ah the age-old excuses pour forth. God damn our apathy and our justifications! (He has, I know. Hey, look, goats!)

[Fay (Hola!) Shakes]

Great post. I wrote something similar a while back, too. :) (Red)emption will be up shortly on my blog. Take care!

[POZ]

It's great that these celebrities get involved and help out, they have the most media power around!

I try to help out (limited budget) as much as I can by programming support websites for infected/affected (see http://www.HIV-Chat.org for HIVchat service).

[jony]

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[sonja]

I'd rather make my Christmas gifts and get off the grid that way ... then I'll donate $$ directly to some charity or other. Shopping for charity just feels sorta slimey and pornographic.

[robert]

I remember that period like it was yesterday. I remember how invigorating it was to be talking about it non-stop, what a pain in the ass I'd become (more than usual, i really was insufferable) and how I had absolutely no problem hassling every Tom, Dick & Harry for $10 for 3 months.
For those who participated, thank you. For those who didn't you have no idea how much fun you missed.

[david]

Me too, Robert. Oh, those were the salad days, weren't they? :-)

Speaking of salad (were we?), I'm shipping your print tomorrow morning. :-) Let me know when you get it.

[dani]

Hey Mike,
As I didn't knew you all back then, did you got 1000 people to donate $10 ?
Just curious...

[Mike]

Hi Dani - Some folks gave more than $10, so I think we ended up with about 575 donors.

We had a blast doing it.

[flowergirlprincess.com]

I've always been a fan of the red campaign. Is there a current donation link?