November 19, 2014

After Eleven Years and 24,797 Published Items, I Find I Need to Raise Some Cash

passhat.jpg
A thoughtful reader inquires, "I view your site a few times a day, -=several times=-, and I find it invaluable. How the heck do you make a living? Some other authors/producers that I appreciate, like the great John Derbyshire or World Wide Words.org, accept PayPal. I usually send them a few dollars each year to express my appreciation and I would gladly do the same for American Digest."

My recent move seems to have drained my never-too-overwhelming reserves. Hence, after eleven years, I thought I might pass the hat among my readers for the first time. I'm new to this "Donate" business but I am informed that Paypal's Donation button here should work. Let me know if it doesn't and I'll work to fix it. To paraphrase Chicago politicians, "If you feel the need to donate, donate early and donate often."




UPDATE: A number of readers have asked if they can send a donation by other means. By all means. As they used to say in the ads on the Wolfman Jack radio show: "You can send cash, check, or money order to...."

Gerard Van der Leun
c/o Lake Union Mail
117 East Louisa, #380
Seattle, WA
98102
Posted by gerardvanderleun at November 19, 2014 11:58 AM
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Comments:

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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

Glad to donate.. Wish it could be more.

Posted by: Jake in Seattle at November 15, 2014 10:01 AM

Done!

Posted by: David McKinnis at November 15, 2014 11:22 AM

Gerard, you don't realize how invaluable your site is to me. I rely upon you, Patterico, Ace of Spades, Insty, Hot Air, Power Line, Maggie's Farm, Legal Insurrection, Diplomad 2.0, and a few others to keep me TRULY informed. And your writing is probably the best of those sites. Hang in there, even if you're now (sadly) paying state taxes in Kalifornia. I'm happy to to have contributed. Take care of your Mom.

cheers chuck

Posted by: dhmosquito at November 15, 2014 11:50 AM

Ditto me. I appreciate your work and the effort that you put into your site each day.

I can't tell you how many times I've called friends to read something to them directly from American Digest.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Posted by: Clinton at November 15, 2014 12:42 PM

I'll give when I can, Gerard. In deep financial weeds for the last few years, but will donate when I can.

Spring 2015, I think (I thought I'd be out this December, but its gonna take a bit longer).

I hope you keep the hat out as you've givne me some fantastic things to read over the years.

Posted by: cond0011 at November 15, 2014 12:54 PM

Its my pleasure to put something in the hat. Been wanting to a long time.

Posted by: John Hinds at November 15, 2014 1:30 PM

Done and Done. Paypal button worked quick and painlessly.

Posted by: BillH at November 15, 2014 1:50 PM

Deal me in. Proud to support.

Posted by: Saturday Anon at November 15, 2014 3:18 PM

Your content is always interesting, educational, entertaining and often (righteously) enraging to me, and when I send it to friends I always recommend they bookmark American Digest and come back often.
Live long, prosper, and keep punching! I'll contribute more often...don't be shy about asking!
Unlike the Dark Side (Lefty) of the Web, you provide genuine value in your content.

Posted by: Doug Huggins at November 15, 2014 3:42 PM

Glad to help!

Posted by: orcadrvr at November 15, 2014 7:24 PM

On it's way.

Posted by: Mumblix Grumph at November 15, 2014 10:08 PM

I'm in.

Would a status report be appropriate?

Posted by: Larry Sheldon at November 16, 2014 2:04 AM

I don't donate to anything, but in this case I will mail you something as you are my first and last go to on the internet. You have turned me on to many other great sites and your varied posts appeal to my catholic tastes. Thank you for you.

P.S. Thanks for the mail address as I don't like transferring funds over the internet.

Posted by: tripletap at November 16, 2014 4:35 AM

Gerard, we'll make sure you get some bread.

A little man walked up and down,
He found an eating place in town.
He looked the menu through and through
To see what fifteen cents could do:

One meatball, one meatball,
He couldn't bought but one meatball.

He told the waiter near at hand
The simple dinner he had planned.
The guests were startled, one and all,
To hear that waiter oddly call:

"One meatball, one meatball,
This here gent wants one meatball."

The little man felt ill at ease,
Said "Some bread, son, if you please."
The waiter hollered down the hall
"Ya gets no bread with one meatball!"

One meatball, one meatball,
"Ya gets no bread with one meatball!"


Posted by: chasmatic at November 16, 2014 5:05 AM

You have the best blog, you know that don't you? Glad to contribute!

Posted by: pinklady at November 16, 2014 6:54 AM

Glad to help, brother. Thank you for sharing your heart with us for all these years. It has been a blessing.

Posted by: Kurt Miller at November 16, 2014 9:14 AM

You are truly the best place on the interwebs! Every day you are where I land first and I never know what I'll find, but I know it will be interesting, informative, entertaining, enraging (in a good way), and never, ever dull. Thanks so much! Hope the PayPal brings in lots of $$ for you. Keep the tip jar open all the time, too!

Posted by: Dinah at November 16, 2014 9:19 AM

Uh- thanks, Dinah. You just said was I was gonna' said, except you said it first before I did.
;)
Thank you, Gerard for all you have shared with us.

JWM

Posted by: jwm at November 16, 2014 9:32 AM

Jerry - you are a treasure - done tapped that button - will tap again ASAP. Thanks for sharing your heart and spirit with us.

Posted by: Uncle Fester at November 16, 2014 11:27 AM

Deal me in. Sorry I didn't do anything sooner Gerard.

God Bless you and you work...

Bill Henry

Posted by: Bill Henry at November 16, 2014 3:52 PM

Glad to contribute to support your blog

Posted by: Scott M at November 16, 2014 5:52 PM

Done! You're one of the best pure writers on the web today (at least, at any of the several dozen websites I browse daily).

Posted by: bfwebster at November 16, 2014 8:10 PM

I threw in the pittance I can afford. Wish it could be millions. Thanks for all you do, Gerard.

Posted by: creeper at November 17, 2014 7:48 AM

Happy to help. Best blog I have ever found.

Posted by: Terry at November 17, 2014 11:10 AM

Worked fine.

Posted by: Don Rodrigo at November 17, 2014 11:42 AM

I just want to say that I am deeply grateful for the generosity expressed here.

Posted by: vanderleun at November 17, 2014 11:46 AM

Its truly our pleasure Gerard...

Posted by: Bill Henry at November 17, 2014 2:55 PM

Just mailed a contribution to you, Gerard. American Digest is the BEST of the blogs I look at every day. I save you till last so I can relax after all the bad news elsewhere!

JSH

Posted by: JSH at November 17, 2014 5:18 PM

Thank you. Thank you all. I can't say how much your generosity and support mean to me at this time. I'm just blown away.

Posted by: vanderleun at November 17, 2014 5:20 PM

Gerard: If I mail you a question written on the back of a 20 dollar bill...?

Posted by: pst314 at November 18, 2014 8:09 AM

I'll do my best to give you $19.99 of an answer.

Posted by: vanderleun at November 18, 2014 8:39 AM

Not sure if it will fit on the $20 bill, so here goes:
I'm getting this funny noise whenever accelerate into a left turn....
:-)

Posted by: pst314 at November 18, 2014 10:09 AM

I chose to mail a check for 30 smackers.

This means I see myself as a Judas-maker.

Learning not to question, "just yeah" as the great Kurt Russell declaims in Tombstone, is the new bag baby.

Posted by: notquiteunBuckley at November 18, 2014 6:14 PM

I ain't no damn artist.

But in the "memo" section of my check, it says "FOR."

I added "TUNE SMILES."

It's the old double double.

The honor to give was fortunate. Makes me wanna smile. Fortune smiles.

Tune smiles are what this site has allowed me numerous times, almost always Something Wonderful.

Posted by: notquiteunBuckley at November 18, 2014 6:22 PM

That's not just some Goddamend fucked wickedness shit: It's shit whicked* fucked damned by God yo!

*Boston referenece that aint' there but iffin' I be makin shit Bosont got be on there list

Posted by: notquiteunBuckley at November 18, 2014 8:02 PM

Fortune's miles.

Twas true for a lot of people alive today, if you didn't fuck up and (weren't black) worked decently hard (I, and slaves from 1840 et.al., know hard field work through doing it, and nothing less) and stuck to the rules (and were caucasion and not interested in spelling nor Shakespear or Christ for that matter) and knew somebody who knew someone, why then yeah: you could make something of yourself.

Posted by: notquiteunBuckley at November 18, 2014 8:23 PM

For Tune's Miles'


It makes no difference, where I turn.

Unless I turn to American Digest, where the sun seems to shine Evermore.

Posted by: notquiteunBuckley at November 18, 2014 9:07 PM

Gerard,
Sorry this took me so long. I was on the move for a few days, but I hit the Paypal button today. My first stop on the net every day. Thank you for your insight, your poetry and essays, your superb sense of humor and sense of the ridiculous. God Bless you, Gerard.

Posted by: Ralph Kinney Bennett at November 19, 2014 6:40 PM

I couldn't get the paypal to work so I'm sending a check, Gerard. Wish it was more, because it's an honor to chip in.

Posted by: USS Ben at November 20, 2014 9:42 AM

Here's an invitation for all Gerard's friends to attend a concert on his behalf today, Saturday, at Michelle Obama's Mirror.

Gates open at 5:00.

http://www.michellesmirror.com/2014/11/motus-special-twilight-nocturne-lounge.html

Posted by: creeper at November 22, 2014 10:57 AM

Happy to contribute to the best site on the web.
Thank you for all you do.

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