Precious and Fragile Things

I always knew I liked Mick Foley. Yes, that is the Mick Foley, a professional wrestler (formerly for the WWE, now wrestling with TNA). Some of you Avatar the Last Airbender fans might better know him as The Boulder from Book 2 and 3.

I don't need to explain all the reasons why I don't exactly consider the realm of professional wrestling, particularly the WWE, to be what I'd call woman positive. There are exceptions, no doubt about it, but my brief affair as a fan of professional wrestling* left me with a sour taste in my mouth, so while I've always like Mick Foley...okay, I didn't think much of him when I first heard of him, but then I saw him interviewed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien back in the day (back when he was promoting his first book), and I have to say he really impressed me then. You'd think a man who has taken as many hits to the head as he has, and who one might say has questionable judgement in regards to the stunts he pulled in the ring, wouldn't be so well-spoken and eloquent, but that'll learn me for judging a book by its cover.

Anyway, I really wasn't expecting to read this when I saw the names Mick Foley and RAINN in the same blog post.

I've really tried to put my money where my mouth is here, donating 100% of my advance royalties to "Countdown to Lockdown" to combating sexual violence - 50% to RAINN, 50% to ChildFund International to set up microloans and scholarships for victims of rape and their children in Sierra Leone.

In January of 2010, I began studying to become a volunteer for RAINN's online hotline, and have been helping survivors on a one on one anonymous basis on a weekly basis for the past six months. [...] A grant from Pepsi would help RAINN expand their hotline to the Spanish speaking population in the US, a group that right now is underserved and badly in need of help in this struggle. I know that a relatively small ammount of money could go so far in helping so many people.

I like that he didn't quote statistics at me or try to tell someone else's story -- a victim's story is always hir own. He didn't go on about rape prevention or anything like that, and he didn't harp on the ugliness that is sexual violence. He simply said, "Look, here's this thing I do and something I'd really like you to help me help them." I like that he brought up the need for Spanish-speaking hotlines and volunteers as well.

And now I'm linking to his entry and passing the word along to the three of you who read this so that maybe you can spread the linkage a little further.


* = Look, my ex was a fan and let's just say I know way more about Hulk Hogan than I really want to. Don't judge me.

An update on bifemmefatale's missing daughter:

Mo was spotted by a couple different people in Murphysboro IL tonight headed for the gathering near Harrisburg!! Please keep looking near there! She is with 2 guys, Tim and Josh. Tim has a tear tattoo and a white supremacist gang tat on his arm. They are probably hitching. Mo is using the alias Valia O'Donnell. Mo's hair is not blue now, it is natural red-blonde, and she is not wearing her nose piercing.

CALL POLICE. Then call me 630-508-0112!

A no-kill cat shelter in Michigan is facing foreclosure and needs to raise $4,000 by August 11, 2010.

Via ginmar who got it from shekkara (sometimes I swear LJ is like playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon):

The Cat Project is facing foreclosure and is in urgent need of support, or the nearly 100 animals they care for will be left with no care. The below email was passed along at work through our network of pet activists comes from the vet who runs the shelter. It's a no-kill shelter that operates purely on donations and volunteer help: http://www.freewebs.com/catproject/whoweare.htm

Nancy the vet is advertising a garage sale, but non-locals can help through their paypal donate button on their donate page: http://www.freewebs.com/catproject/donate.htm

Donations are tax-deductable.

------ begin email ------

I've enjoyed your emails through the years and am wondering if
you can help me at this time. The Cat Project, my cat rescue, is in
trouble. My veterinary clinic suffered from hostile former owners
and the bad economy and closed its doors July 1. I have been
without a paycheck for 7 weeks. I have a foreclosure notice from my
bank unless I raise $3927 by August 11, 2010.

The Cat Project is having a fundraiser Garage Sale at 2264
Kenmore in Okemos on Saturday July 31. In addition we are seeking
monetary donations to help us meet this deadline. We are caring for
88 cats, 4 dogs and 2 horses currently. We specialize in feral cats
and are also still trying to do some low cost spay/neuter/vaccines
for cats.

Could you let people on your email list know about this?
Thank you very much.
Nancy

Nancy L. Bischof DVM MPH
6745 W. Winegar Rd.
Perry, MI 48872-9798
phone 517-675-3133

LJer gehayi needs financial help.

Ginmar has the details:

Do you guys all know gehayi? A longtime friend of mine and a good peson, she has struggled against illness for her entire life, and needs help and advice. She is paying off $40,000 in medical bills related to a hospitalization a few years back---on a monthly disability check of $998 per month. She needs help---financial if you can get it, practical if not. I am quoting her, verbatim, with her permission.

(Click the link to read the post.)

Having experienced a harsh Maine winter for myself, I know how much more expensive it is just to stay warm during the winter months, and the dilemma of "Do I buy bread, or oil to heat my house?" And all those programs that lend aid to people either have a million hoops to jump through, or have their resources drained so fast that they can't meet the demand. Also, having a parent who survives on a disability check, I know how difficult it can be to make ends meet (my mother, however, also has the benefit of drawing a retirement check for her years spent as a teacher working for the state; I honestly don't know how she'd survive without that - and she still pays out the wazoo for medications each month, even with prescription drug benefits from Medicare and another insurance).

I plan to give, but unfortunately I'm switching banks right now, and it'll be a couple of weeks before that massive headache is sorted out. (It doesn't help that one reason I'm switching banks is because I don't like the majority of people at my current bank, and I'll have to go through closing out my account, and blah, blah, blah first world problems, blah, blah.) Until then, can you guys pass this along? This is the least I can do.