Thursday, December 05, 2013

Obligatory Dougmas post

It's the Dougmas season again. I'm greedy so I'm claiming the whole month. The ultimate expression of the spirit of Dougmas is to say fuck you to the Salvation Army with a Dougmas Jar.

Take a jar and place it where you set your keys when you get home. When you empty out your pockets put all the change in the jar. Mind you, these days you might have to make some extra effort to use cash in December just so you'll have the change. At the end of the month you take that money and give it to your favorite charity that isn't the Salvation Army. 

The Salvation Army is pissed that they can't discriminate in their hiring practices, but they do still put the care of (and proselytizing to) the needy above their own bigotry. But, where legal, they do turn away homosexuals for aid and refuse to hire them. A good deal of the money given to them is spent in lobbying efforts to make them exempt from these laws both here and internationally. More money is spent on bibles and other material used to try to convert those who need their help. This year their leadership even admitted that their official stand on homosexuals is that they should all die. Seriously, it's in their handbook.

Some of our preferred charities are
* Solar Electric Light Fund (http://self.org)
* Trees for the Future (http://treesftf.org/)
* Wayne Foundation (http://waynefdn.org/)
* Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation (http://www.dianfossey.org/home/)
* Save the Rhino (http://www.savetherhino.org/)

I also encourage you to plant a Douglas Fir. Considering that the ground is likely frozen and hard to dig it is acceptable to wait until May 25, Towel Day, to plant your tree. The world needs all the trees it can get.

But above all, try to find the time to spend with family and close friends this month. It doesn't have to be near the solstice or New Year or any other date, but you're more likely to be able to get days off around then.

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