OK, tomorrow…
Published by Mike Stark April 12th, 2006 in UncategorizedI just signed the contract to sell my house tonight. The excitement kept me away from the phones… Over the last three days, hmmm… let us see…
My computer broke - I have no apostrophe now… gonna hafta bring it in for repair…
A family member needed some help that kept me busy during the daytime hours…
and, as I mentioned, I listed and signed a contract to sell my house…
the point? I have been busy. Too busy to make calls.
So… I got to thinking about this blog again. I have asked and asked, but so far, I have had little luck in persuading you all to call in to the hacks, record the results and email them to me.
I want to change that. How does $100 for a call sound? I am going to leave it up to you all. Here is the proposition.
First of all, it is time for another fundraiser… Please visit the PayPal form on the lower right side of this page. Aside from needing a new computer…
I have moved the blog to another server to make it Atrios-proof. Unfortunately, that means it cost me more money - $170/mos.
Looking back through the archives, it should be clear that I have made at least one call (sometimes several calls) every single weekday. The calls you hear do not fully reflect the amount of effort required. Since I am consistently unable to get through to certain shows and am regularly cut off at the pass by screeners on other shows, each call really amounts to several hours of effort. Im not looking to get rich - not by any means at all… but a token contribution for the efforts really goes a long way…
Another reason to donate: the developer of the site, James, who has done an incredible job with both the design and the server issues… well, so far, he has done all the work as a volunteer. After the last fundraiser I sent him half of the $1200 that was raised - but he had to use some of that to pay for hosting fees. It would be great to send him another coupla hundred dollars for his efforts.
Finally, I want to use a part of what is raised to give back to people that join the Wingnut Spinners, make calls and email me the results. I am thinking that every month I select a certain number of calls and allow all of you to vote for you favorite. The winner gets $100 and a CAW tee…
I am kind of excited about this. Aside from the idea that I wouldnt feel as much pressure to personally produce a call each and every day (it really is difficult sometimes), I really believe there are three kinds of republican voters - evangelicals, talk radio/propoganda consumers and super rich bastards that care only for their own self-interests… I am not sure where the talk radio listeners rank in terms of numbers (I know its huge), but it is a field we have chosen not to play on for way to long. We need more people taking the fight to these immoral bastards…
So its up to you folks… Do you like the idea? Can you make some calls?
PS: A message to Chuck2 and the Maj… trolls are high maintenance. You should donate twice.
17 Responses to “OK, tomorrow…”
- 1 Pingback on Apr 13th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
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I like the contest idea. I’ll be kicking in a little more cash in a couple days. I’m waiting on an expense check to clear.
Unfortunately, I’m not able to do too much calling during the day, so I’m mostly able to cheer on from the sidelines.
You know what will help? Aren’t you doing a YearlyKos panel? Help get folks fired up, though I know it’s a couple of months away.
You have inspired me! I donated, I talked you up around school and now that I’m on Spring Break, I WILL MAKE A CALL TOMORROW.
Jeff: you gots to record the call and email it to me also! I want to put it on the site…
boadicea: talking up the yearlykos event is a good idea… beginning next week, I think Ill have a link up and Ill begin some promotion posts…
Thanks for the update on your personal life. Truth is Mike, your 15 Minutes are just about up.
Glenn: there is also a surcharge for being a dickhead. Congratulations, you qualify.
Question: You mentioned your server costs $170/mo. Didn’t you mention to Wilkow on a previous call that you made something like $1300 one month on this site? Is this really what you want donations for, so you can actually make a living off the site, or would just making your server costs suffice, given that it is a cause of sorts?
I gotta be honest with you, I’m all for not-for-profit endeavors that purport to be for the greater good. But asking for donations so you can hang around the house and make phone calls here and there while the rest of us toil in the 9-5 work-a-day realm? Sorry, man. Can’t help ya there. The old expression applies: Get a job. The rest of us have to do it.
CantHang:
Sorry - the apostrophe key isnt working on this computer… but I wanted to address your questions… yeah, $170/mos is my cost for hosting… Ive also spent money on other equipment and Im working off a three year old laptop that is getting more unstable daily…
But if you read the post, you would have seen that I sent half of the $1200 donated last month to the developer of the site that has done evryhting for free so far. Like I said, Id like to send him another coupla hundred dollars for all the work hes done in server migration etc since then.
Also, I subscribe to Rush Limbaugh.com, Ive had to pay for OReilly subscription and others.
But the truht of the matter is that you dont like somebody sitting at home making calls and blogging and getting paid even a little bit for it. Because the truth is I average about 40-50 hours a week - easy - working on this site. If I were to raise $1200 every six weeks and give half of it away to the developer/host, well then Id be left with $100 a week for my efforts. Since about 2,000 people come to the site every day, I think what I do has some value. Not much different from a movie you might rent or a magazine you might buy.
So no… I wont feel bad asking you to cough up $10 or so… No worse than you should feel for freeloading my work product and complaining that Im looking for a coupla bucks
best,
Mike
I’ve donated before and will gladly donate again. PayPal take 3 to 4 business days for a x-fer from my bank and it should clear tommorrow, as it will be 4 days on Friday.
I cant think of anyone who is challenging the wingnuts on the AM dial like this, I think it is just fantastic that you not only put in so much effort but that you have the discipline to listen to these neo-nutjobs and their rants. I dont have high blood pressure but listening to these cheerleaders all day would surely change that.
I will be sending you a donation and I know that it costs money (and valuable time) to host the site and make these calls, calls that help bring these blowhards back to reality.
I’m not sure what “freeloading my work product” means, dude. Am I profiting from it somehow? All I’m saying is you need to be up front about exactly what you hope to make from this. If you set yourself up as some kind of righteous person who’s chipping away at the falsehoods of others, you damn sure better be transparent about what you’re doing, yourself. Otherwise, you’re no better than those you despise.
As I recall, you told Wilkow words to the effect of “this is my living”, or some such, and boasting about the $$$ you raked in. Sure sounds like the way these wingnuts make their cash, too, eh? They, too, set themselves up as preachers of the truth, and get financial rewards for doing so. Something to think about.
CantHang: thisll be my last on this topic… but exactly how did you find out that I the site brought in $1200 last month?
I think you learned that from the call I posted, right? How much more transparent would you like me to be?
And if you read the post Ive written, am I unclear in what I am asking for?
I dont think Ive ever deceived anyone - in fact, my transparency has been greater than most people that have 9 to 5s - Ive told you flat out what Ive collected, where its been spent and how future donations will be spent.
And finally, what I meant about freeloading the work product is coming here regularly and enjoying (or not) my work for free. Im not saying this could exist as a subscription site - and Id never charge for content even if I could - but… it takes a lot of nerve, I think, for you to come here and tell me that I should go get a job (which would require no less effort than what Im already putting forth) instead of asking for people to donate whatever they are willing to part with in order to help keep this site going…
dickhead? That’s the sort of A material you bring to these calls. It’s sad that the first and only person to every stake their life on this idiotic enterprise is a mediocre caller. More than half of the calls you post exhibit the host kicking your rear end. You should enlist the help of someone who’s GOOD at what you’re trying to do.
Ack, your donation thread has been hijacked.
One suggestion that might be helpful: Have a donation meter visible somewhere that lists the amounts needed for each period and how much you have received towards that cost. Might help put to bed some of these accusations.
I love this site. Good work…