25 May 2010

A Grand

It is, this post, my thousandth.

To celebrate, I'm going to give away two things:

1) A copy of the best book I've read in years: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It's so good that I want to share - it's social and medical history all intertwined with racism, poverty, philosophy, morality and family, in a book that reads like a thriller. All you have to do is leave a comment by the end of the day on Friday 5/28; I used a random number generator to pick Stimey who will get a brand-spanking-new copy. And hey, if I don't didn't pick you, I love you anyway and go find a copy at your library or bookstore.

2) One thousand dimes (because I'm not flush enough to give away one thousand dollars) - allocated amongst the following charities. You get to vote and it's not winner gets all - each charity will get the dollar equivalent of the percentage of votes so 17% of the votes gets $17.

  • Edna Hospital - a maternity hospital providing reproductive health care and fistula repair in Somaliland.
  • Partners In Health - a Boston-based medical organization "partnering with poor communities to combat disease and poverty"; they've been on the ground in Haiti for years.
  • Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen - they feed 1200 people a day, no questions asked, in Manhattan.
  • Nothing But Nets - a UN Foundation program to provide bed nets to combat malaria.
A thousand thanks to all of you, for being here, for reading, for indulging, and for enriching my life.





Tell Me How To Allocate My Dimes:

42 comments:

Anon said...

1000 posts! Such an accomplishment. Relative to that you would consider me a newbie but I really like your blog and that you celebrate by giving back. Thank you.
Linda

Harriet said...

Congratulations! That's a big blog milestone! (Please don't read anything into the fact that I first typed "millstone"). I voted for Holy Apostles, because I like it when people keep their charity dollars local. Not that there aren't needs elsewhere too, but sometimes we get too wrapped up in the cause of the moment.

The Library Lady said...

Congrats!

Yeah, I like the idea of doing the soup kitchen too. I do Kiva (in fact, I checked my portfolio the other day and by reinvesting my loans, I've done 37!) but I also like to give to the Capitol Area Food Bank.

Unknown said...

Congrats! I hope I make it to 1000 posts.

I have been eyeing the Henrietta Lacks book. It is an amazing story. I almost never win, so fingers crossed.

TC said...

I am DYING to read the Lacks book. Not just because I "know" Rebecca Skloot (we belong to the same professional organizations, go to the same meetings, but I don't think I've ever met her), but because back in the day, I wrote an article about HeLa cells for Discover, and I've been fascinated by them ever since.

Happy 1000! Quite a grand accomplishment. (groan)

Kyla said...

1000! Congrats!! :)

1A said...

Congrats! If you say it's good, I'll read it. :)

S said...

Yay you! Congrats!

I'm astonished and glad that I found you.

xoxox

rima said...

Really? I feels like only 999 ;)

Congratulations! I'm so glad you are still blogging. I enjoy reading you every time you post.

rima said...

I mean, "it."

susan said...

1000 posts already? Time flies, and your words are lovely companions.

I voted for the soup kitchen mostly b/c it was the most local-to-you charity, but we've recently upped our regular donations to Partners in Health, and have also made some gifts to the Fistula Foundation (which does work similar to the Edna Hospital), and malaria nets are good....there are a lot of needs in the world.

Susie said...

Congratulations!

Jenn said...

Congratulations on 1000!

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Congrats on 1,000 always thoughtful and enjoyable posts!

Kyddryn said...

Hey, cool! I like the idea of giving away 1,000 of something. I'd have to give away 1,000 ha'pennies, though...until I win the lottery, anyway.

Good causes. I voted.

The book sounds interesting. As I will likely NOT win (I only enter so someone else will) I'll have to add it to my list.

Here's to 1,000 more!

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

Anonymous said...

You are a hard-working blogger. I still haven't stopped all the junk mail that comes to my house, as you advised in the one of the first posts of yours that I read.

I heard about that book on the radio. Fascinating story. I hope I win!

I'll have to come back to vote on the charity. I can't decide right now. Lately, I feel as though there are so many issues that need an advocate and my efforts are miniscule.

Maggie May said...

congratulations :)

i voted, and that book sounds marvelous.

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

Henrietta L was on the most recent radiolab, Totally Tumors. You MUST LISTEN! It gave me the heebee jeebeez. In a good way. Seriously. Tell everyone you know to listen! (No I don't work for Radiolab : )

Florinda said...

I've heard nothing but good things about that book.

Congratulations on entering your second millennium of blogging!

mayberry said...

Maggie, I think you are grand. Those charity choices are all grand too.

Am I doing okay? said...

Congrats! Great idea. I'm proud of you.

ozma said...

I voted for Partners in Health.

I need to read that Henrietta Lacks book to see if it would be good to assign to students...but I have a copy...somewhere!

Stimey said...

Congratulations! That's a lot of words to put down on screen, huh?

Very Mary said...

Here's to the next grand!

Laura said...

1000 dimes...I love your style! Actually I feel such a part of it now that I voted. Very cool way to do it!

Also, congratulations on the 1000 blog posts! 1000 is quite a significant number of ideas to write about.

Lady M said...

Congrats on 1000! You'll tie Scheherezade tomorrow.1

Debbie D said...

That book has been on my to read list for a few months.

Gina said...

I voted for the soup kitchen. I hate that as a country we are so blind to the problem of hunger that we have right here at home.

Lollipop Goldstein said...

1000 posts is a tremendous feat--congratulations!

I also went with the soup kitchen. All seem like great organizations, but that one spoke to my heart.

FreshHell said...

Can you stand another "congrats"? I thought so. I need to read that book one way or another.

Mental P Mama said...

Wow!!! Congrats! And please pick me!!!!

niobe said...

And 1000 in Roman numerals is M. Which seems highly significant of, you know, something or other.

Patois42 said...

Congratulations on all of it: the 1000th post, the great read (I love a great read), and your giving. Many thousands more wished for from you.

RuthWells said...

Congrats on the milestone -- I'm looking forward to reading the next 1000. : )

Anonymous said...

Whoa. 1,000. Congratulations!

Janet said...

Congrats on 1,000! No need to put my name in for the book...I already read it!

Dora said...

Happy 1,000! Sounds like a great book.

Voted for the soup kitchen. They all seem very, very worthy, but I decided to vote close to home.

Inna said...

Congrats on 1000! That's awesome.

And, I've been looking forward to reading about HeLa cells and their origins. I've learned so much about them in grad school, it'll be nice to get a different perspective.

Jody said...

Congrats on 1000 posts -- that is so amazing!

Corrie said...

Wow, congratulations on 100 posts! The Lacks book looks fascinating, and I love your idea of donating 1000 dimes to charity.

painted maypole said...

congrats on 1000. yikes. now i feel like i need to go see how many posts I've done. no where near that, I'm sure.

and it seems unfair that I could only vote for one charity. they all sound wonderful. what a great give away to celebrate your giving heart

Anonymous said...

I was too late to vote. But, yikes, 1000 posts!!