Freecycle.org

I have given away and received many fine things through Freecycle!

I have received a 21" computer monitor, works great!! (This thing was $4K when new!) I then freecycled my 15" monitor to a good samaritan group. I recently gave away a bunch of CD-ROM games and young children's videos, and a Halloween costume.

Once I asked for items to be used for a rummage sale fundraiser for Relay For Life, and received a truckload of items. That was neat.

Freecycle is great for dealing with items I really don't need, but don't want to throw away, and aren't worth dealing with eBay for.

Keep useful stuff out of the landfill. Find a group near you.

Livestrong and eBay

I got my Livestrong bracelet back in August from a co-worker. I have worn it from time to time, but not as a fashion (or 'compassion') statement. Before the Tour, people didn't know what it was for, and I could tell them about my experiences with family and friends fighting cancer.

But the bracelets sold out, and demand was high. People decided to buy bulk and sell them on eBay. Why not, if it's legal? The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) still gets their $1 and the message is sent farther and wider. I blame the people buying them off eBay more than the sellers. If people are too lazy to google "livestrong" and see that they can get them for $1 from LAF, that's their ignorance. If they are buying them to be hip and cool, so what? The middleman is entitled to profit from their trendy need.

I am a supporter of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Relay For Life and have used eBay to raise money for my chosen cause. Any of these sellers could say they are giving $5 or 50% or something to LAF for each sale, but then it is left to their conscience. If I sell something on eBay to raise money for ACS, I have them make a check out to ACS and send me a separate one for shipping costs. And not $5.99 when it costs under $2 to ship.

eBay is not unlike a big flea market. No one has to bid. They make that choice. The sellers know that if they don't offer what's hot, someone else will.

I am pleased

Life is very good. I only have to look back at what life was just four short years ago to see that. I cannot begin to describe how different life is now. Suffice to say that it is much, much better.

Vague I am, and confused you must remain.

Welcome to the Internet

You know, I visit quite a few message boards, and every single one of them has self-appointed etiquette police. Cross that person or group, and you can expect them to petition the webmaster to ban you. Or rally the troops to ignore you or flame you whenever you post. Like cliques in high school, some of them.

My favorite posts are the "I'm gonna leave" ... "I was going to leave but" ... "Goodbye" ... and especially "I'm never coming back!" Maybe the Internet is not the place for you if you are so easily offended by the words of strangers. See ya.

Random thoughts

People say the nicest things about the dead. You know all those wonderful things written about people in the obituaries, and the kind remembrances given in eulogies?

We should try to say such nice things to people while they are alive.