(09-24-2025, 02:32 PM)UltraBudgie Wrote: Mostly the paper wall calendars. And the pens. Oh the pens. The Wounded Warrior pen has a little flashlight built-in. But it soon goes dead. Human Rights Watch had the best paper calendar. It had a monthly picture of sad looking children on it! Oh look, it's the end of September, and they're still living in squalor.

Edit: Oh wait, it's Doctors Without Borders that had the flashlight pen:

[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/image...z6kd1.jpeg]

Hmmm
I am no expert but I am pretty sure that is a rolled cigarette in your hand also.
Did doctors without borders give you that too?

(09-24-2025, 02:41 PM)RuchardHurt Wrote: Hmmm
I am no expert but I am pretty sure that is a rolled cigarette in your hand also.
Did doctors without borders give you that too?

Oh. Um. That's not me. That's not my picture. I found it online. Or something. Yeah.

To give to your community in an interactive way is a blessing.

(09-24-2025, 02:32 PM)UltraBudgie Wrote: Mostly the paper wall calendars. And the pens. Oh the pens. The Wounded Warrior pen has a little flashlight built-in. But it soon goes dead. Human Rights Watch had the best paper calendar. It had a monthly picture of sad looking children on it! Oh look, it's the end of September, and they're still living in squalor.

Edit: Oh wait, it's Doctors Without Borders that had the flashlight pen:

My electronic donations get diverted sometimes.

A few years ago there was a catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan. They needed much help. The U.S. State Dept. was handling American donations to the U.N.  I thought of a clever scheme. I went through a Scotland bank, payed exchange fee and everything, in order to donate to U.N. directly. But I guess there's some mechanism that catches Americans with offshore money transfers. It got caught and my donation still got merged with the State Dept. USAID.

And nobody refunded me the exchange fee!!!

My embellished story is Charity and Peanut Butter Handwiches

(09-24-2025, 10:04 AM)UltraBudgie Wrote: Is this not exploiting children, using them in high-pressure cookie grifts?

Do child labour laws not apply in the USA?

You are likely getting corn-syrup laden garbage, much better to make you own cookies. Plus I would not trust an untrained child to properly handle food that must be kept refrigerated. Are safe-handling laws waived for this organization?

Is America so poor that it can't afford to properly fund their school that they must bribe children to do so? Just raise local taxes, for goodness sake.

That said, children are adorable and deserve toys. I have several that I keep in my basement that I have yet to donate to Goodwill. They could come in and take their pick.

Lmao "come into my basement kids I have toys down there" thats not creepy at all

(09-24-2025, 06:58 AM)David64 Wrote: I ordered about $120 of cookie dough.
My Wife was out there with me and after the kid left, she gave that knowing look, a smile and said "Softie".

I know, I know...but I just couldn't stand that look on his face and the sadness in his voice !

Just call me Tootsie Pop 'cause I'm an all day sucker.

You are my Hero for the Day!!!

(09-24-2025, 06:58 AM)David64 Wrote: Just call me Tootsie Pop 'cause I'm an all day sucker.

Hey Tootsie Pop, I'm a sucker too when it comes to kids selling goodies to raise money. Usually for school items. I always buy a little extra too to help out. Good job.

(09-24-2025, 06:58 AM)David64 Wrote: I start looking at the catalogue while he's telling me all the prizes he could win if he sold the most.  He is SO happy to tell me he could get a hover board or roller skates or even a bicycle ! He's not giving me a spiel, he's genuinely happy he could get that stuff and it shows. OK, I don't really know these people but I've seen them around. The kid wasn't wearing the best clothes, I don't mean he was dirty and ragged, just ....you can tell ok ? The car he came in was at least 10 years old and not in the best shape and everything about the kid and car said low income/struggling and I just knew the family couldn't afford those things he was excited about.

When I was a kid, doing weeding or cleaning for job week, all money went to the scouts, we did it for free, because we were taught he importance of caring and sacrifice and there was a cloth patch we could sew on our uniform ?
now, it’s about what they can get for themselves

(09-25-2025, 05:08 AM)Creaky Wrote: When I was a kid, doing weeding or cleaning for job week, all money went to the scouts, we did it for free, because we were taught he importance of caring and sacrifice and there was a cloth patch we could sew on our uniform ?
now, it’s about what they can get for themselves

I don't think it's all about what they can get for themselves, I think for some it may be both. Why not have a reward at the end of a job well done and for charity? They are only children after all, so a different set of incentives are required, than what incentives may be given to adults at their jobs, such as monetary bonuses, to perhaps buy themselves a hoverboard (?)

(09-25-2025, 05:10 AM)quintessentone Wrote: I don't think it's all about what they can get for themselves, I think for some it may be both. Why not have a reward at the end of a job well done and for charity? They are only children after all, so a different set of incentives are required, than what incentives may be given to adults at their jobs, such as monetary bonuses, to perhaps buy themselves a hoverboard (?)

Well let me be clear as to my opinion
Society has become less about sacrifice and community and more self interest 
Did American cookie girls get prizes for selling cookies 20/30 years ago/now? 
Society is changing, just wondering if it’s for the better 

If you can’t see the point, ok