Charities

[sammynb 3655]

Also on a personal note the magazine I created and work on with young people in my area who are encouraged to write the content and get involved in a project that gives them a platform to voice their opinions as well as get them somewhere to show the good that they do is set to go national. It is filled with TV, Music, Movies etc as well as editorial content but also helps to promote volunteering and the charity sector and is distributed through the secondary schools, colleges, universities and youth clubs etc but after only a handful of issues due to positive feedback we are set to get it distributed across Scotland with an estimated circulation of 40,000 (its also great for getting me freebies and press passes too )

 

That sounds like a great project SM.

I donate a couple of productions every year to a Kids with Cancer charity and have been doing it since 2003.

The sort of stuff that if someone was charging them it would cost the about $10-15k a year.

Unfortunately in the last twelve months they have had a huge turn over in staff and the new staff have decided to whinge and complain about totally irrelevant things, the music used, etc - personal taste v effect and impact which to change for a whims sake means a complete re-edit. And their attitude has been very ungrateful. As much as I'd rather contribute, I think their current attitude will mean the end of our relationship and they will have to pay someone to do the work like they did before my involvement.

 

I try to also give a bit to things like the guide dogs association and charities for the care of the mentally retarded.

Edited June 28, 2008 by sammynb

[Alan Shearer Is God 0]

I donate to a care home that my granda died in and cancer research.

[Guest alex]

Exactly. I've got standing orders for three charities and I'll give if friends are doing one-off events, but anyone who approaches me on the street brandishing a clipboard can fuck right off. Particularly since they're getting paid for it.

The people who do that nearly always seem to be twats. You can't get frigging moved for them in Belfast on a lunchtime. You sometimes see one lot of them doing a sort of group, motivational warm-up thing. Fucking hell man.

[Happy Face 29]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Happy Face

[Happy Face 29]

Speaking of charity...

 

 

ROCK star Meat Loaf has pledged to match the money raised in his charity penalty shoot-out in Newcastle.

 

Bids amounting to nearly £5,000 were placed in the Chronicle’s auction to take penalties against the American singer, with the proceeds going to two Tyneside cancer charities.

 

Now Meat Loaf will match that figure, meaning both Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre and the Toma Fund, which is raising money for a teenage cancer unit, will benefit by about £5,000 each.

 

Earlier this month we launched an auction where the highest bidders could take penalties at the superstar, get a photo with Meat and, if they got the ball past him, also receive two tickets to his outdoor show at Castle Howard, Yorkshire, on July 11.

 

Despite Meat saving many of the shots kicked at him – including half a dozen by former Toon ace Peter Beardsley – he told the winning bidders they were all getting tickets to the July 11 show.

 

The event took place after the superstar said he wanted to give something back to the region after cutting short his last gig here due to ill health. We stepped in and suggested the charity auction.

 

Yesterday, dressed in a Newcastle United shirt with his name on, and wearing football gloves, he stood by his word, delighting the dozens who won their way to the shoot-out.

 

A top bid of nearly £2,000 came from Meat Loaf fanatics and ardent Newcastle United supporters Stuart and Michelle Hall. But they had a little help along the way – courtesy of the Meat Loaf American fan club members who also got behind the event and sent money over from across the Atlantic.

 

“We saw Meat nine times last year, and have lost track of how many times we have seen him in total,” said Stuart, 39, an accountant from Willington in County Durham. “We personally were going to bid about £500 and the rest came from the fan club members. It was a great response.”

 

While Stuart was the auction’s top bidder, the youngest winner was Georgia Guy, five, of Windy Nook, in Gateshead, who bid £50 after rallying her family and friends to get involved. She even scored a goal.

 

Meat himself enjoyed the day and was joking with the winning bidders from the outset – he even tried to score a goal against Peter Beardsley, but failed!

 

“It’s been a real fun day,” he told the Chronicle. “I’d like to give a big-up to the Chronicle for asking me to do this and to everyone who took part and placed bids.”

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-...72703-21154751/

 

Nice one Mr Loaf

[Fop 1]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

[Guest alex]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

[Happy Face 29]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

 

Wiping out malaria, whatever his motive, clearly isn't enough to win over some people who once had to format their hard drive.

[Fop 1]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

 

I think you can safely say that in all the history of the world only maybe Alexander the Great did a better job of personal winning than Bill Gates.

 

I'm just saying Microsoft is built upon the most "unethical" (i.e. most ruthless, illegal, destructive, and self-centred) business model around - and it has worked very well.

 

So suddenly starting to "give away" money, when you have more than you could EVER spend, that has been made in such a manner.... well lets just say he's got a big job to dig himself out of his karmic hole before he's even on to positive ground.

[Fop 1]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

 

Wiping out malaria, whatever his motive, clearly isn't enough to win over some people who once had to format their hard drive.

 

No, I just think he'll be as smart and ruthless at charity as he was a business (and god help any that get in his way/steal his limelight).

 

I mean if ends justify the (potential) means then there's not a lot to say, but if they don't then there is.

 

 

 

 

 

How is he going to wipe out malaria then?

[sammynb 3655]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

 

Wiping out malaria, whatever his motive, clearly isn't enough to win over some people who once had to format their hard drive.

 

No, I just think he'll be as smart and ruthless at charity as he was a business (and god help any that get in his way/steal his limelight).

 

I mean if ends justify the (potential) means then there's not a lot to say, but if they don't then there is.

 

 

 

 

 

How is he going to wipe out malaria then?

 

One byte at a time.

[Guest alex]

Wahey!

[Fop 1]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

 

Wiping out malaria, whatever his motive, clearly isn't enough to win over some people who once had to format their hard drive.

 

No, I just think he'll be as smart and ruthless at charity as he was a business (and god help any that get in his way/steal his limelight).

 

I mean if ends justify the (potential) means then there's not a lot to say, but if they don't then there is.

 

 

 

 

 

How is he going to wipe out malaria then?

 

One byte at a time.

 

 

 

That's just it though malaria doesn't play fair whilst you cheat - he's going to need a bigger business model.

[ewerk 31631]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

 

I think you can safely say that in all the history of the world only maybe Alexander the Great did a better job of personal winning than Bill Gates.

 

I'm just saying Microsoft is built upon the most "unethical" (i.e. most ruthless, illegal, destructive, and self-centred) business model around - and it has worked very well.

 

So suddenly starting to "give away" money, when you have more than you could EVER spend, that has been made in such a manner.... well lets just say he's got a big job to dig himself out of his karmic hole before he's even on to positive ground.

 

The key word there is business and Microsoft is hardly on a par with those companies who use child labour in their manufacturing, I think you're being deliberately awkward once again.

[Happy Face 29]

I've done my bit.

 

I bought a PC with windows and office installed. So Bill Gates has my charity giving covered with that cash.

 

I've also paid god knows how much in taxes which the government kindly pass on in foreign aid.

 

Then there's the lottery.

 

"The Bill Gates I'm Really A Nice Guy Look Fund"

You can never win in the eyes of some though.

 

Wiping out malaria, whatever his motive, clearly isn't enough to win over some people who once had to format their hard drive.

 

No, I just think he'll be as smart and ruthless at charity as he was a business (and god help any that get in his way/steal his limelight).

 

I mean if ends justify the (potential) means then there's not a lot to say, but if they don't then there is.

 

 

 

 

 

How is he going to wipe out malaria then?

 

Rather than hogging the limelight, hasn't he been quick to praise the likes of Warren Buffet who's matched his contribution?

 

His foundation heavily invest in research to find a cure for malaria.

 

He really can't win. He's pushed for a maximum return on any investments the charity makes and he is criticised for being too business orientated, but if he ran it like the Tsunami fund, or Band Aid where hundreds of millions were wasted, that would be wasteful.

[Fop 1]

The key word there is business and Microsoft is hardly on a par with those companies who use child labour in their manufacturing, I think you're being deliberately awkward once again.

 

No, but then it is pretty difficult to use child labour in Microsoft's market isn't it? If it were actually possibly to use child sweatshop coding then I wouldn't have been surprised to see it.

 

So are you being "deliberately awkward" in that comparison or "unknowingly dim"?

 

 

 

But like I said, you can't get a much more unethical (and even down right illegal - in the EU and the USA) business model than the one Gates helped develop and push.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rather than hogging the limelight, hasn't he been quick to praise the likes of Warren Buffet who's matched his contribution?

 

Good PR and you're hardly going to ignore that level of investment, never mind critize it.

 

His foundation heavily invest in research to find a cure for malaria.

Like I said malaria doesn't play fair whilst Bill's organisation cheats, he's is going to need a bigger business plan to beat it.

 

 

He really can't win. He's pushed for a maximum return on any investments the charity makes and he is criticised for being too business orientated, but if he ran it like the Tsunami fund, or Band Aid where hundreds of millions were wasted, that would be wasteful.

I don't remember particularly criticising him for how he runs his legacy, just saying that it undoubtedly will be run like that - my point is that he has a LOT to make up for before he can buy his way into Heaven.

[Guest alex]

Fop setting himself up as St Peter now I see.

[Happy Face 29]

Rather than hogging the limelight, hasn't he been quick to praise the likes of Warren Buffet who's matched his contribution?

 

Good PR and you're hardly going to ignore that level of investment, never mind critize it.

 

So he's not hogging the limelight? He's inviting investment and involvement from anyone willing to provide it.

 

His foundation heavily invest in research to find a cure for malaria.

Like I said malaria doesn't play fair whilst Bill's organisation cheats, he's is going to need a bigger business plan to beat it.

 

What is his business plan? Why isn't it big enough? All I know is they already have $65Bn at their disposal, what makes you think that won't be enough to make any inroads?

 

He really can't win. He's pushed for a maximum return on any investments the charity makes and he is criticised for being too business orientated, but if he ran it like the Tsunami fund, or Band Aid where hundreds of millions were wasted, that would be wasteful.

I don't remember particularly criticising him for how he runs his legacy, just saying that it undoubtedly will be run like that - my point is that he has a LOT to make up for before he can buy his way into Heaven.

 

So his business model that didn't cost a single life wouldn't be counter balanced by the millions of lives his vaccines save?

 

God has some fucked up standards these days, I remember when all you had to do was say "sorry" at the pearly gates.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Happy Face

[Fop 1]

Fop setting himself up as St Peter now I see.

In all honesty I don't think St Peter would have too much trouble making the decision.

 

"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for anyone to justify Windows Vista, or for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

 

Gate's charity, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, claims to be the biggest philanthropic organisation in the world.

 

But earlier this year Gates was reported to have blocked £1million donation from Microsoft to Prince Charles charity, the Princes Trust.

 

Microsoft had agreed in principle to give the money to the organisation's Business Programme, which helps young people start their own companies.

 

But negotiations between Microsoft and the Prince's Trust broke down and the offer was abruptly withdrawn, despite the software company being one of the charity's patrons.

 

An insider at the firm said at the time that on closer inspection the specific project the Prince's Trust wanted to use the new money for was not' 'tightly focused enough around technology' to benefit its recipients.

 

"tightly focused enough around technology" - buying enough MS product?

Interestingly too the Gates foundation buys a LOT of shares in drugs companies and such that are often criticised for not dropping drug prices for 3rd world issues.

 

 

 

 

Rather than hogging the limelight, hasn't he been quick to praise the likes of Warren Buffet who's matched his contribution?

 

Good PR and you're hardly going to ignore that level of investment, never mind critize it.

 

So he's not hogging the limelight? He's inviting investment and involvement from anyone willing to provide it.

 

Like I said is anyone going to turn down that level of investment?

 

His foundation heavily invest in research to find a cure for malaria.

Like I said malaria doesn't play fair whilst Bill's organisation cheats, he's is going to need a bigger business plan to beat it.

 

What is his business plan? Why isn't it big enough? All I know is they already have $65Bn at their disposal, what makes you think that won't be enough to make any inroads?

 

He's not throwing $65Bn at the Gates foundation, never mind Malaria, it's about £150m at Malaria.

 

But what I mean is he made his money with Microsoft by not playing by the rules, by ruthlessly attacking and making completely illegal use of his monopoly to destroy opponents in several different ways.

 

He can't do that to malaria (or HIV or anything poverty etc.), and just throwing money at something doesn't always mean you will "fix" it either.

 

So his business model that didn't cost a single life wouldn't be counter balanced by the millions of lives his vaccines save?

 

God has some fucked up standards these days, I remember when all you had to do was say "sorry" at the pearly gates.

 

Actually I don't know that you can say that, MS policy arguably held back development across the 3rd world as much as it initially pushed developments (until about 2001) in the Western world (even now "development" in the 3rd world is all about pushing MS product NOT getting the most kids the best technology they can have).

 

Microsoft's attitude to PC power has without a DOUBT caused MASSIVE CO2 increases across the world both in direct computer power and in the throwaway PC culture that their bloatware software has helped create.

 

 

Just because someone decides to do something nice with a vast sum of money doesn't suddenly make them a saint - although these days seemingly it does.

[The Fish 11098]

Did Gates get canonised while I was making a brew or something?

[Fop 1]

Did Gates get canonised while I was making a brew or something?

Not yet, give him time.

[Guest alex]

Did Gates get canonised while I was making a brew or something?

Fop's beatifying him as we speak.

[Fop 1]

Did Gates get canonised while I was making a brew or something?

Fop's beatifying him as we speak.

Well HappyFace is, (personally I think he's a sharp and utterly ruthless business man that was in the right place at the right time, that has realised that the difference between $58b and $1000b isn't noticeable and is trying to build a legacy instead of just more cash), but I seriously wouldn't bet against him managing it if he wants to, even if he has to buy the entire Catholic church to do so.

[Guest alex]

Did Gates get canonised while I was making a brew or something?

Fop's beatifying him as we speak.

Well HappyFace is, (personally I think he's a sharp and utterly ruthless business man that was in the right place at the right time, that has realised that the difference between $58b and $1000b isn't noticeable and is trying to build a legacy instead of just more cash), but I seriously wouldn't bet against him managing it if he wants to, even if he has to buy the entire Catholic church to do so.

I was jokingly suggesting you had the authority. I know what the word means thanks.

[Fop 1]

Did Gates get canonised while I was making a brew or something?

Fop's beatifying him as we speak.

Well HappyFace is, (personally I think he's a sharp and utterly ruthless business man that was in the right place at the right time, that has realised that the difference between $58b and $1000b isn't noticeable and is trying to build a legacy instead of just more cash), but I seriously wouldn't bet against him managing it if he wants to, even if he has to buy the entire Catholic church to do so.

I was jokingly suggesting you had the authority. I know what the word means thanks.