Considering a can drive? Don't.

During the holidays many people feel generous and turn their attention to helping those in need. A popular way to do this is to have people donate unused canned and boxed goods to be donated to the needy. Slate provides a very compelling argument as to why these drives are just a plain bad idea. In brief, people often buy food at a premium price to donate (because they don't have surplus canned goods at home) rather than pooling money and buying in bulk. Thus:

Katherina Rosqueta, executive director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania, explains that food providers can get what they need for “pennies on the dollar.” She estimates that they pay about 10 cents a pound for food that would cost you $2 per pound retail. You’d be doing dramatically more good, in basic dollars and cents terms, by eating that tuna yourself and forking over a check for half the price of a single can of Chicken of the Sea.

Charities, it seems, have known this for a while but are reluctant to turn away people for fear of insulting them.  The best option, it seems, is to donate money to charity. And while you are at it, tell us about your favorite charity.

Deck the Hall and Oates

Sorry guys, I just can't resist holiday-related spoofs. I have a feeling that this one is going to viral real soon.

Tax Holiday

A great holiday themed political cartoon from the Atlantic:

There what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a fired up commander with aspect severe.

"This isn't like poker - it's not just a game"
He asserted with force and addressed them by name:

"Now Boehner! now, Cantor! now, Womack and Reed!
On, Lanford! on Kinzinger! Pass this with speed! 

The War of Words

Start digging your trenches and stringing the razor wire, there’s a new war to cower in terror from! Now that Americans aren’t buying the War on Terror rhetoric, politicians need some new propaganda to stir the collective pot. There’s a new War in town, they’re attacking Religion! Rick Perry has jumped on board the wagon in his recent campaign video where he vows to stop “Obama’s War on Religion!” In addition to this alleged attack, Fox News is also spewing dialogue and downright false news stories about political figures and corporations taking the Christ out of Christmas and covertly attacking the Christian religion.

How dare these people attack one of the most important aspects of our Constitution! It’s so important that our founding fathers put it first! It defends the right of any American to express their beliefs -- including religious beliefs. People have died to defend this right. The least we can do as Americans stand up for the right to practice any religion. Wait, is there a clause excluding Mormons and Muslims?

Recently, the TLC show “All-American Muslim” has been the target of a letter writing campaign from Conservative Christian family value groups who claim that the show “riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values." Apparently these groups consider bigotry to be a core value. Mormonism has also been a target of this new war with some recent and clearly politically motivated examples of politicians suggesting that Moromism is a cult (I mean at least it isn’t Scientology! Amiright?). Seriously, I must have missed something, let’s go back to the tape. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...”

Now I know that not all Christians agree with the politicians and feel this way; I have several close Christian friends, albeit the progressive, accepting kind. Regardless, I find the general apathy of some citizens to this overt xenophobia to be appalling. It’s like we’re all part of some Orwellian world where a little double-speak from politicians and interest groups is all it takes to convince the masses their own religious freedom is being attacked and that the only recourse is to return it two-fold to other religions .

So, what is it America? Do we celebrate Freedom of Religion for all, or just the majority? We are, after all, in a War; or at least that’s what the Ministry of Truth says.

Bing to Defeat Google with Claymation

In an apparent attempt to capture the youth of the interneting world, Microsoft has been licensed the use of the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer characters to promote it's search engine, Bing. Looking to steal market share from Google, Microsoft told the rights holders that "the Bing commercials would add an endearing chapter to the reindeer’s story." Because as we all know, Rudolph saved Christmas by lighting the way to Santa's home office, where Santa ordered and shipped all the presents with guaranteed delivery by the 25th. Pretty tough job you got there, Nick...

(Source: Washington Post)