Protesters bombard Make-a-Wish Foundation with e-mails

A Make-A-Wish Foundation chapter has become the target of a nationwide e-mail protest organized by a family values organization that claims the comic book convention where the chapter holds an annual fund-raiser is a “celebration of pornography, witchcraft, demonology and the occult.”

Make-A-Wish has received more than 16,800 e-mails in just over a week from people opposed to the fund-raiser at Comicon, a Pittsburgh-area comic book convention, said Judith Stone, president and chief executive director of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania & Southern West Virginia.

“We know that Comicon features pornographic magazines and that they bring in people who sell their body to profit themselves and that Make-A-Wish, this chapter, doesn’t have a problem with that,” said Randy Sharp, a spokesman for the American Family Association, based in Tupelo, Miss., which organized the protest.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation does a thorough review of all fund-raiser locations and has found nothing offensive at the festival, Stone said.

The foundation holds an all-ages casino night and an auction in a hotel adjacent to the convention to raise money for children with terminal or life-threatening conditions… The foundation raised $27,000 during the event last year, using the money to grant the wishes of 38 children, including a trip to Disney World, new bedroom furniture and repairs to a pool that had fallen into disrepair.

There are some days when I just hate people. You’re protesting a CHARITY AUCTION FOR TERMINALLY ILL CHILDREN.

New Get Your War On is up.

Thanks to xtop and Charlie for this one. Go make one.

Can I tell you how many ways this “Club for Growth” makes me queasy?

Businesses Say Ads Can Target Lawmakers

Wed May 7,10:35 AM ET

By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the nation’s most powerful political lobbies, has concluded that a court ruling on the new campaign finance law allows it to run ads targeting members of Congress.

The business lobby isn’t entirely pleased with the overall federal ruling’s 1,600-plus pages and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, but it does not plan to ask a court to block the decision from taking effect in the meantime, attorney Jan Baran said.

One group still considering whether to seek a stay of the court’s ruling, the Club for Growth, also believes the Friday decision lets it run ads mentioning lawmakers.

It plans to start airing a second batch of ads Thursday pressing two reluctant Republican senators, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Ohio’s George Voinovich, to support President Bush’s tax-cut package if congressional negotiations over the proposal do not succeed before their vote is needed.

“We think a reasonable reading (of the ruling) is that they’re not covered by this new language and also that it’s so far away from the election — as far as far as I know Voinovich doesn’t have an opponent — so it would be hard to make the case that we’re trying to influence an election when no one’s running against him,” Club executive director David Keating said. The group ran its first ads before the court ruled.

I saw the new ad this morning. “President Kennedy cut taxes and created millions of new jobs. So did President Ronald Reagan. Now President Bush wants to do the same, but some like Senator George Voinovich want to stand in the way. Hey Ohio — tell George Voinovich to support the Kennedy/Reagan/Bush plan to cut taxes and create jobs.”

My ENTIRE ass.

What Now for Jordan?

Paul Farhi in the Washington Post, Friday, May 9

Now that his divorce from Abe Pollin and the Wizards is final, Michael Jordan has some time on his hands. Paul Farhi of the Post offers Mike some career guidance as he ponders his next move.

• Leverage recent experience working for arrogant, obstinate team owner: See if Dan Snyder is hiring.
  
• Start new airline — Air Jordan, of course — that flies only where it wants to, when it wants to, and mostly to Chicago.
  
• President, Baseball Operations, Washington Baseball Club (revenge is sweet).
  
• Buy naming rights to MCI Center. Rename it “The Jordanaire.” Or maybe “Abe’s House of Losers.”
  
• Take over management of another outfit that hasn’t had a winning season in years: the Democratic Party.
  
• Interim president, Iraq.
  
• Autograph self. Put up for auction on eBay.
  
• Spend days brooding, spend nights sulking. When this gets old, switch.
  
• Lend name to a line of overhyped, overpriced sneakers made by exploited laborers in Third World countries (Oh, wait. Never mind.)
  
• Spokesman for Claritin (for treating allergies to Pollin).
  
• Build a time machine and travel back to 1996, when you really ruled.
  
• Take GM job with Bob Johnson’s new franchise in Charlotte. When team plays Wizards, come out of retirement, drop 73 points. Just for spite.

Out of Masks and Scared of SARS? Try a Bra

Thu May 8, 9:19 AM ET

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Villagers in southern Taiwan are strapping bras to their faces to guard against the deadly SARS virus due to a shortage of surgical masks.

‘I went to every pharmacy in the village and it’s impossible to find a proper mask,’ a middle-aged man told cable television on Thursday, his face partially covered by a dark red cup.

‘Somebody came up with this idea so I decided to give it a try,’ he said at a village near the southern city of Tainan.

A small bra factory is producing the make-shift masks, with workers cutting each of its colorful bras into two and sewing on extra straps to help the desperate villagers.

Wonder if the eighteen hour ones work better?

Mercury moving across the face of the Sun. Make with the clicky.

Caption from Yahoo News Photos: Beer is not the answer to SARS, Singaporeans told.

… Perhaps it’s bourbon?