Reach Out To Help

UPDATE:

Thanks to Duncan, I discovered that PayPal has shut down at least one Katrina relief fundraising effort that uses their service. They’re concerned about the potential for fraud.

That’s regrettable, and a real “one bad apple…” kind of thing.

In light of this information, I’ve taken down the MWS Media campaign drive. Instead, please donate directly to one of the suggested charities in the sidebar on the right-hand side of the page. These are all charities with confirmed direct involvement in the recovery effort.

Over at MWS Media, I’ve started a campaign to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. While I doubt there’s anyone who reads this who doesn’t also stop by MWS Media, I’m posting here as well.

I urge you to give whatever you can to the MWS Media Benefits Victims of Katrina drive. At the close of the campaign at the end of September, I’ll donate the net proceeds equally between charities with a confirmed direct commitment to assist in this cause.

I have to say “net proceeds” because PayPal imposes a small fee on each donation. I’m asking them to waive this fee in this instance. I’ll let you know if I’m successful.

Please help out. If you’d rather donate directly to the American Red Cross, select the “Hurricane 2005 Relief” menu item when you click here. And thank you, very much.

Techie stuff

No Need to Click Here – I’m just claiming my feed at Feedster feedster:eb064f21b04548e4765c15b35e5c30fe

FSM and ID

Not sure how many of of you are aware of the Kansas School Board and their decision to hold a hearing on whether to allow Intelligent Design to be taught in public schools in that state.

Even George W. Bush has said, “I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought. You’re asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes.”

So, a physics graduate in his mid-twenties has followed that to it’s logical conclusion. If it’s important that people be exposed to different ideas in public school, then Bobby Henderson thinks it’s critical that the Kansas School board also consider the viable belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster.

In a brilliant open letter, Henderson points out that belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster is just as verifiable as belief in any other Intelligent Designer. Since Flying Spaghetti Monsterism (FSM) is as well-suppported by evidence and argument as Intelligent Design, it should also be taught in the Kansas public school system.

Henderson is committed to pursuing the issue with legal action against the Kansas School Board if they do not agree to teach FSM along with ID and Evolution in their schools. It’s got to be all alternatives to Evolution, or none.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And funny as all get out, which makes FSM an even more powerful protest of the deterioration of rational thought in this country.

In a related development: The the tradition of the great James Randi, Xeni Jardin has gathered a posse of bloggers willing to pay up to one million dollars to the first person who can produce empirical evidence which proves that Jesus is not the son of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Check out the latest FSM news, and be sure to spread the word!

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