I think anyone who knows me, really really knows me, is aware of the fact that I am spending way too much time on Twitter these day.
Well, perhaps you do know me and don't know this--because, duh, I've been spending so much time on Twitter lately, I haven't exactly kept up my conversations on Facebook, via email, phone, LinkedIn, or in real life.
Alas, my bad. I have become rather hopelessly Twitterpated.
Anyway, I have spent enough time on Twitter to coax in about 100 followers (chiefly thanks to Twitter-friend Hanna), many of whom, I'm led to believe, are actual persons, not merely porn bots--or as I like to call them, Twookers = Twitter hookers. And yes, I'll be registering that trademark in the very near future.
I've also mustered up just over 2,500 tweets. No, we really don't want to think about the per capita ratio of tweets per follower. It's way too depressing for me, and way too annoying for everyone else.
In addition to sending a lot of tweets, I get/follow/receive/insert appropriate nomenclature here a lot of tweets in return. A lot of them are "conscious" tweets. By that I mean there are lots of people and lots of causes. It's nice to see people so motivated--and much more motivated than I often am about issues (or getting my carcass to the gym on a regular basis). I think like most people I alternate between being oblivious and feeling helpless. And sometimes, well, ye olde compassion fatigue sets in.
As I told my Twitter-friend Jen recently, I have enjoyed Twitter for the conversations and the connections, thanks to efforts like the #LocationCuration projects that have sprung up around the globe. I also like a good joke, to be silly, to hear about others' lives, and to share a little of my own. And, hey, I will never turn down a good recipe or the chance to laugh at myself about something absurd I've done or experienced.
But maybe I can do a little more.
Twitter has definitely made me feel more connected to people around the world. I get to chat regularly with people from the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the UK, Sweden, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Russia, and probably a few other locales that are escaping memory at the mo'. And the more we talk, even with our misunderstandings and prejudices getting in the way from time to time (who, me?), the better I feel about living, breathing, and reaching out.
One way to reach out--to make me feel less lost in my own head, stuck in my own inertia, and more involved with the world around me--is to donate time, as well as a little needed money.
* * *
The Charities
So here's the deal. In commemoration of my 2500th tweet, I will make this pledge: I will donate a small amount to a charity I'm familiar with and/or have supported in the past. It won't be much--maybe $75 to $100 US, depending on how this year's tax returns go.
You, in turn, will get to vote on which charity I support. See below for details.
Here are the now six, count 'em six, charities you can choose from--
#1 Direct Relief International - http://www.directrelief.org/ - they focus on providing aid and assistance in both the U.S. and abroad during times of emergencies and disasters, as well as ongoing help with world health issues.
#2 Global Links - http://www.globallinks.org/ - a Pittsburgh-based charity that provides needed/wanted medical supplies to nine developing countries. (Bandages, sutures, syringes, rubber gloves, and the like.) I've helped package supplies here before.
#3 Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank - http://www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/ - even in the world's wealthiest country, food insecurity and hunger are ongoing worries for many. I've helped distribute food for them; it's quite an undertaking and one of the more satisfying experiences I've had since moving to da Burgh five years ago.
#4 Heifer International - http://www.heifer.org/ - makes donations of farm animals to people in the developing world.
#5 The Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault - http://www.rcasa.org/ - recommended by Twitter-friend Carol, this organization's mission is to provide education, prevention, and intervention on sexual violence. And after a week or Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke a slut and a prostitute "for fun," clearly there's a lot of work still to be done here.
#6 The Trevor Project - http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ - helps provide counseling and suicide prevention for Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Questioning youth.
* * *
Voting
You can post your votes to this blog or message me your choice (direct or otherwise) via my Twitter handle, @MontagsOnFire. Please submit your votes by 10 am Eastern U.S., Sunday, March 11, 2012--or whenever I get up that morning.
I'll try to have my donation made by the following day. In case of a tie, I'll split the donation in as many ways as is financially and charitably feasible.
So, come on, tell me how to spend some money--with a purpose.
Well, perhaps you do know me and don't know this--because, duh, I've been spending so much time on Twitter lately, I haven't exactly kept up my conversations on Facebook, via email, phone, LinkedIn, or in real life.
Alas, my bad. I have become rather hopelessly Twitterpated.
Anyway, I have spent enough time on Twitter to coax in about 100 followers (chiefly thanks to Twitter-friend Hanna), many of whom, I'm led to believe, are actual persons, not merely porn bots--or as I like to call them, Twookers = Twitter hookers. And yes, I'll be registering that trademark in the very near future.
I've also mustered up just over 2,500 tweets. No, we really don't want to think about the per capita ratio of tweets per follower. It's way too depressing for me, and way too annoying for everyone else.
In addition to sending a lot of tweets, I get/follow/receive/insert appropriate nomenclature here a lot of tweets in return. A lot of them are "conscious" tweets. By that I mean there are lots of people and lots of causes. It's nice to see people so motivated--and much more motivated than I often am about issues (or getting my carcass to the gym on a regular basis). I think like most people I alternate between being oblivious and feeling helpless. And sometimes, well, ye olde compassion fatigue sets in.
As I told my Twitter-friend Jen recently, I have enjoyed Twitter for the conversations and the connections, thanks to efforts like the #LocationCuration projects that have sprung up around the globe. I also like a good joke, to be silly, to hear about others' lives, and to share a little of my own. And, hey, I will never turn down a good recipe or the chance to laugh at myself about something absurd I've done or experienced.
But maybe I can do a little more.
Twitter has definitely made me feel more connected to people around the world. I get to chat regularly with people from the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the UK, Sweden, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Russia, and probably a few other locales that are escaping memory at the mo'. And the more we talk, even with our misunderstandings and prejudices getting in the way from time to time (who, me?), the better I feel about living, breathing, and reaching out.
One way to reach out--to make me feel less lost in my own head, stuck in my own inertia, and more involved with the world around me--is to donate time, as well as a little needed money.
* * *
The Charities
So here's the deal. In commemoration of my 2500th tweet, I will make this pledge: I will donate a small amount to a charity I'm familiar with and/or have supported in the past. It won't be much--maybe $75 to $100 US, depending on how this year's tax returns go.
You, in turn, will get to vote on which charity I support. See below for details.
Here are the now six, count 'em six, charities you can choose from--
#1 Direct Relief International - http://www.directrelief.org/ - they focus on providing aid and assistance in both the U.S. and abroad during times of emergencies and disasters, as well as ongoing help with world health issues.
#2 Global Links - http://www.globallinks.org/ - a Pittsburgh-based charity that provides needed/wanted medical supplies to nine developing countries. (Bandages, sutures, syringes, rubber gloves, and the like.) I've helped package supplies here before.
#3 Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank - http://www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/ - even in the world's wealthiest country, food insecurity and hunger are ongoing worries for many. I've helped distribute food for them; it's quite an undertaking and one of the more satisfying experiences I've had since moving to da Burgh five years ago.
#4 Heifer International - http://www.heifer.org/ - makes donations of farm animals to people in the developing world.
#5 The Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault - http://www.rcasa.org/ - recommended by Twitter-friend Carol, this organization's mission is to provide education, prevention, and intervention on sexual violence. And after a week or Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke a slut and a prostitute "for fun," clearly there's a lot of work still to be done here.
#6 The Trevor Project - http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ - helps provide counseling and suicide prevention for Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Questioning youth.
* * *
Voting
You can post your votes to this blog or message me your choice (direct or otherwise) via my Twitter handle, @MontagsOnFire. Please submit your votes by 10 am Eastern U.S., Sunday, March 11, 2012--or whenever I get up that morning.
I'll try to have my donation made by the following day. In case of a tie, I'll split the donation in as many ways as is financially and charitably feasible.
So, come on, tell me how to spend some money--with a purpose.
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