Welcome To Our Annual Holiday Pledge Drive!
And so 2020 finally draws to a close. As the Queen of England might say, it's been a real annus horribilis all around. Except for that one glorious day in November, of course. Well, OK, one glorious (and maddening and nail-biting) week, actually.
But finally -- finally! -- we only have 45 days more of "45" in the White House. And next year promises to be one heck of a lot better all around. Starting at the stroke of noon on the twentieth of January, of course.
The last few years here, I've been pretty depressed writing about politics (who wouldn't be?). In fact, one December I came incredibly close to just giving up on the idea of political blogging altogether. "What is the point?" accurately describes how I felt, at that point. But I pushed through, and you folks helped a lot. When I solicit donations at the end of the year, I consider it paid forwards, not backwards. In other words, by accepting your money I am committing to blogging for another full year. And this is the first year in a very long time that I am actively looking forward to doing so again. Oh, sure, President Joe Biden will likely disappoint me in many ways (just like Barack Obama did), but they will at least be sane and rational ways, not "acting like a petulant five-year-old throwing a tantrum" ways. And that will make a world of difference in how I go about my job, that much is certain.
So for the first time in four years, it is indeed with a joyous heart that I am asking all and sundry who read this site on a regular basis to help support it for the next calendar year. This site has remained ad-free for more years that I can count, and to guarantee this remains so for all of next year, we would really love to hit our pledge drive target. So, once again, we are subjecting everyone to shamelessly adorable kittens, to help soften your heart (and loosen your wallet). Even kittens are ever so generous, after all....
I picked it out myself!
Was that not enough? You need to see a kitten with even more pleading eyes? Well then, you've come to the right place.
Won't you PLEASE consider donating?
Now, we do realize how rough this year has been on everyone. We're approaching the grim milestone of 300,000 lives lost, and we've all had to change our ways for almost the entire year. We've had to wear things that make us look silly, for instance.
Just take the picture already so I can get these off...
Somehow, this became a gigantic political issue, because Donald Trump continued to "double down on the stupid," all year long. If we had had a real leader in the White House (or even just one who wasn't a psychopathic narcissist, for that matter), we all would have happily donned masks way back in about April.
It's really not that big a deal....
We probably even would have done better about not touching our face quite so much, too....
I keep forgetting!
Throughout it all, Trump trying to stonewall everyone into believing that the COVID-19 pandemic just somehow was not happening was probably the most infuriating thing, when so many out there were needlessly dying as a result of his depraved indifference. Sometimes, we just wanted to lash out, in response
Maybe if I give it one good smack....
The entire year, in fact, was just downright exhausting all around.
Visions of sugarplums...
At times, it felt like we were sinking so low we simply couldn't see any way out.
This better not get much worse....
One of our biggest regrets for 2020 was the fact that the Democratic National Convention was essentially cancelled and held virtually, which meant for the first time since 2008, we didn't get to go. Which was a shame, but totally understandable.
All dressed up and nowhere to go
All kidding aside, however, we are finally in the final month of our annus horribilis. It's almost over. Thank all that you hold holy for that. And for the 81 million of us who voted for sanity once again in the White House. Finally we'll all be able to go to sleep each night without cringing from watching the news the following morning (because we really don't want to hear what President Man-Baby has tweeted in the wee hours...).
Settling our brains for a long winter's nap
But in order to leap out of bed each morning with vim and vigor (well... OK... we're not going to admit at precisely what time this happens each day, but still...), we've got to keep the site up and running. So for the rest of the month, at the top of each article and the site's main page will be a thermometer graphic showing how close we are to achieving this year's fundraising goal. It's blank right now, but I'll be updating it throughout the season as donations come in (I have to do this manually in Photoshop, I should mention -- it doesn't happen automatically or anything...). You can click on this image at any time, at it will take you to our 2020 Holiday Pledge Drive Page, which explains in detail (with just a few more adorable kittens thrown in, of course) how you can donate to ChrisWeigant.com. Donations are accepted via PayPal, bank card, or even by snail mail (for traditionalists), and the instructions for doing so are pretty simple. The easiest way to donate is to click on the "Donate" button which appears at the top right side of every page here:
Clicking on this takes you directly to the PayPal donations page we have set up. Donations are accepted from either your own PayPal account, or from all major credit cards (you do not need to set up a PayPal account to donate by credit card this way, I should mention). Another technical note: you do not have to be registered as a CW.com site user to donate via PayPal in this fashion, either. So even if you've just been lurking here, please feel free to donate.
It doesn't cost all that much to run this website, but it isn't free either. So please consider donating to this worthy cause so we can continue to bring you columns without any advertising. What is this site worth to you, on a weekly basis? Well, just multiply that by 52, and send it along! Seriously, though, we would certainly be grateful for any donations you feel you can afford, and our motto has always been "no donations are too small to gratefully accept."
Surprise! There's TWO of us in here!
As always, we thank everyone in advance for any support you'd like to send our way. And we'll even promise to send out personal thank-you emails this year on a timely basis (something we were too depressed to even manage last year... and a big mea culpa maxima to everyone who might have been expecting one last year and never got it...).
We know it has been a hard year financially for tens of millions of families out there. The first part of next year may even be worse, if Congress doesn't get its act together (Mitch McConnell, I think Santa's got a bag of rocks for you, buddy...), then the situation might even get more dire at the start of next year. So if you cannot manage to donate this year, we certainly understand and wish you the best.
But if you have made it through the year without being laid off or worse, then please give a little to maintain this site. We're all exhausted by this point, but also eagerly anticipating some optimism once again. There's a new day that will be dawning very soon now, and we do look forward to commenting on it as it happens, because we won't have to run the headline: "Our President's Crazy, Did You Hear What He Said?" for at least four more years to come. Which, come to think of it, is pretty priceless indeed.
And, as always, we hope everyone's holiday wishes all come true and that you and yours have a wonderfully happy holiday season!
Please donate what you can!
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Dear Chris,
I've been a very bad girl. So, I plan to make up for it during this season's pledge drive. Check you mail box regularly. Heh.
Well, there's that. And, the kittens are really getting to me this time around. :)
I'm wishing you and your better half the very Merriest of Christmases and the very Happiest of New Years ... and, very best wishes for a successful pledge drive this year ... and, most of all, I wish you very good health!
Take good care and always stay safe!!!
Here's a little Christmas song from Canada, Chris, just for you!
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tpmRe2U5Oc&feature=emb_logo
Love, love, love the kittens with their masks ... "your mask must cover your nose, mouth and chin for your whole trip!", with emphasis, says the pa announcement everytime I get on and off the bus to work.
frank perdue and david perdue:
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/frank-perdue-with-a-rooster-picture-id588711356?s=612x612
LizM -
Here's the the funniest Xmas song I've ever heard, personally...
:-)
-CW
nypoet22 -
I once rode an elevator with Frank Perdue... no lie!
"It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken..."
Hey, I grew up in Maryland...
Heh.
-CW
Chris,
Shocking. Positively shocking.
You should bring that fun tune along this Sunday night! :)
CW-
I'm logged on to CW.com (obviously) but can't find any way to donate via credit card. The method has always been a bit cryptic - but seems more cryptic this year.
Hey, TS, did you click on the PayPak thingy?
or, PayPal. :)
I'm logged into the PayPal page, but there is no obvious link to a Credit Card alternative....other than a check, an envelop and a forever stamp.
But, did you click on the PayPal button and fill in the information requested?
I think you have to do that in order to get to the credit card page ...
EM-14
Yes! - you have jogged my memory on that.
I have very little reserve memory after dealing with a major holiday ordering lock-up at Amazon.com. It triggered an identity theft alarm at my bank. You can normally fix that by talking to a robot the phone...but the robot is broken. Alternatively, you can just go down to the bank and talk with a manager....but the bank won't let you in the lobby 'cause they don't want to get sick. You are told to make an appointment over the phone....but they aren't making any appointments. You see where this is going...or not going...at least very fast. Finally found the right phone number by calling a number of branches and the main office - problem resolved.
Chuck Yeager has died at 97 yrs of age. Best known for being the first to break the "sound barrier."
Entered service as a private and earned his wings. Shot down over German territory but managed to evaded capture for several months and returned to England. That disqualified him from flying more combat missions, but he got a waiver and achieved the very rare feat of shooting down five enemy planes in a single day.
Any one of these feats would quality him for a Wikipedia page. Retired as General in USAF in 1975 but worked for the AF as a civilian until the late '90s.
Our Presidential "anus horribilis" is going to exit far-right 20 days after the poor "annus horriblis" expires in Time Square.
Hey, Chris, if we donate, are you going to update all of the outdated and 404 links on your home page? (Maybe you could get an intern to do it!)
TheStig [9] -
Go through PayPal, and it should let you just use a credit card rather than a PayPal account. Unless they've changed that. I will check it out for you...
-CW
ericksor [18] -
The plan is to update the entire site, probably in the spring. And finally add things like a Facebook or Twitter button, to share the articles. I know it's all dated as heck, and I apologize. My old computer couldn't handle the development system any more, but I'm getting a new(er) one for Xmas.
-CW
Chris,
I was gonna get my holiday pledge in early this season but, then I got, you know ... I'm kidding!
geez liz, don't scare everybody like that!
Heh.
Chris [20] -
Merry Christmas to you -- and us!
CW-19
There is no problem with your system. I was expecting a direct link to the credit card option..I tend to forget there isn't such every year. If you ever get a spare moment (heh) you might put in some prompting text, but your core of alert, long time posters is an effective help desk....and it works in a pandemic! That's better than my bank! Better than Amazon!
Heh