Writer reaches for green ink, mainly, to report from the blogosphere.
NCH
What did i tell ya? After the unnecessary thank-you letter 10 days back, with no envelope, now they write again to send me the freepost envelope i would have welcomed in the first place. Such a good cause i probably will give again – but maybe i’d be better just donate direct to Kidscape as – per the recent piece in the Obse-dian (can’t recall which weekend paper it was) – they sound like they have better things to do than running down to the PO every 2 minutes to stock up on stamps. Think i’ll set myself up as consultant & offer myservices to NCH as i could halve their post & stationary bills instantly. Why don’t they have a system whereby when a thank-you letter is sent a freebie envelope gets stuck in the envelope too? I have a cousin whose birthday is Dec 28th so do you think i send the b/day & xmas cards separately? Good guess. Same principle isn’t it? Or am i missing something?
Cats Protection League
Two freebie envelopes arrived. As i probably have a couple unused anyway & i have issues over support for pets, they might well never get used (she muttered darkly). But you know what had me even more enraged than usual – both envelopes arrived separately in their own envelopes. The other consultancy area i shall offer is to review membership & mailing lists. Someone has to.
Breadline Africa
They want money from me to enable impoverished farmers to set up in producing mushrooms. Trust me i do feel for the poor sods who have been f*cked over by the west & now by corrupt governments. But where are these mushrooms going once grown & picked? It’s just not a vegetable i associate with African cuisine so much (have to cook African meals as part of my voluntary work). If they are to be freighted to the west then the carbon emissions only make the climate problems worse which have made mushroom farming seems a good idea. But i will donate a tenner idc, when this charity reaches the top of the rota for my monthly £50 cheque-writing fest.
World Villages for Children
Almost a weekly mailshot from them, despite me sending maybe two donations a year. Why can’t charities be like banks (let me finish) who automatically send out new cheque books when a ceratin cheque is processed. If each envelope were coded it could be scanned on receipt and that would trigger the issue of another envelope. We have the technology i’m sure.
Diabetes Research Wellness Foundation
Sent me a calendar for 2008. Not too tacky & there are a couple i like by Monet & Turner. But it is going to a charity shop as have all there other gifts. Another area i can advise on, in my part-time job as consultant – makes it look like you have more money than sense. And why me? Never given ‘em a penny & don’t intend to. Unless i can be assured none of the funds would be used to benefit those who have eaten their way to diabetes? Thought not. Sorry, but of all the world’s ills it is not an issue over which i lose sleep. Even tho two v close friends are diabetics from birth.
Amnesty International
At last, a very palpable hit. This mailshot relates to the 2008 Olympics being held in China. Amnesty will get my dosh as they want to highlight the issue of political prisoners & general human rights abuses etc in China. And maybe do something about it too. I would just like to know why we are keeping Turkey out of the EU for similiar reasons, yet are happy to play ball with an even worse abuser. We should have made them earn the privilege eg ‘you want the games? so get out of Tibet!’ So, big up Amnesty for their efforts, present & future, to get western governments to take off their blinkers.