HOME |
RSS | 
Charles Hedgecoth Sr. and Diane Smith of Locust Grove, Georgia run a charity called Noah’s Ark. Nine years ago, they took in a baby lion, tiger and bear, and the three are inseparable now. Smith says, “They love each other.” Video at the HuffPo, more photos at The Chive.
Update 1/14/09 – by Alex: Story at Telegraph, stolen images at The Chive is delinked.
Perhaps it has something to do with their field of choice, economics AKA the dismal science, but many of the world’s most famous economists share one extraordinary trait: they’re cheapskates!
Some economists may be cheap, at least by the standards of other people, because of their training or a fascination with money and choices that drives them to the field.
In recent research, University of Washington economists Yoram Bauman and Elaina Rose found that economics majors were less likely to donate money to charity than students who majored in other fields. After majors in other fields took an introductory economics course, their propensity to give also fell.
"The economics students seem to be born guilty, and the other students seem to lose their innocence when they take an economics class," says Mr. Bauman, who has a stand-up comedy act he’ll be doing at the economists’ Atlanta conference Sunday night. Among his one-liners: "You might be an economist if you refuse to sell your children because they might be worth more later."
Economists long have studied "free riders," the sort of people who take more than their fair share of something when circumstances permit. Think of the person who orders the most expensive entr[eacute]e at a restaurant, knowing that the check will be shared equally among companions.
University of Wisconsin sociologists Gerald Marwell and Ruth Ames, in a 1981 paper, found that in experiments, economics students showed a much higher propensity to free ride than other students. In questioning after the experiment, the sociologists found that for many of the economics students, the concept of investing fairly "was somewhat alien."
These cool sculptures are made during an annual event called Canstruction. Teams of engineers, architects and students get together to make their inspired creations using canned food. After the public exposition of the artworks, the food is donated to local food banks and shelters.
Link Image Via Canstruction
Raise money for charity and support indie artists? What can be better than that? Joe Alterio has relaunched his website Robots + Monsters, where you can order a very cool custom drawings – the ones above are our very own Neatorama monster and robot.
Your drawing will be made either by Joe himself or one of the site’s contributors: John Martz, Travis Pitts, and Adam "Apelad" Koford. Portion of the proceeds will go to support a charity (right now it’s Water.org which provides safe water and sanitation to communities in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America) and to help support the artist.
Here’s how to get yours: Link
Comments Off
The video of Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz and their attendants dancing down the aisle at their wedding has over 13 million views on YouTube. Neither Chris Brown, whose song “Forever” served as the processional music, nor Sony Music demanded a takedown of the video. Rather, they requested click-to-buy links to Amazon and iTunes from YouTube, and sales of the year-old song skyrocketed. But what about Jill and Kevin? They appeared on morning TV to talk about the video, but haven’t made any money. Instead, they are using their sudden fame to raise funds for charity. From their website:
We have been through a lot in life, but have come through each experience stronger and more in love with each other. Our experience since we posted the video has been incredible. We would never have expected this response to our wedding entrance in a million years.
We hope to direct this positivity to a good cause. Due to the circumstances surrounding the song in our wedding video, we have chosen the Sheila Wellstone Institute.
Sheila Wellstone was an advocate, organizer, and national champion in the effort to end domestic violence in our communities.
There is a donation button on the site. Link
Army Major Phil Packer began the London Marathon when everyone else did, but his doctor will only allow him to walk two miles a day, so he is expected to finish on Saturday, 13 days after starting the race. Last year Packer was seriously injured in Iraq and was told he probably would never walk again. However, he is walking the marathon on crutches to raise money for Help for Heroes, a British organization that supports wounded veterans.
The marathon is only part of his project, he says. In February, he rowed the English Channel, and next month, he plans to climb El Capitan, one of America’s iconic mountaineering sites. It’s a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation in California.
The idea to take on the three challenges for charity came to him while he was in a hospital for more than four months last year following a serious injury in Iraq, he says.
“I needed and wanted to be able to move on in life,” he says. “I wanted to do something for other personnel who had been wounded.
“I don’t want to be helped. I want to help other people. Not that I’m not grateful, but … you know,” he says, an apologetic smile forming as he makes his way up the north bank of the Thames River, along the marathon course. “I really want to be able to help people.”
Packer’s goal is to raise £1 million; he has so far raised over half the amount. Link -via Fark
This July, I will be driving from London to Mongolia, in a piece of #### car, all in the name of charity. I’m taking part in the Mongol Rally. It is, in fact, as ridiculous as it sounds.
What: The Mongol Rally is an annual charity race across Eurasia where 500 cars traverse 1/3 of the world in 1-liter engine vehicles and, with a lot of luck, make it all the way to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. There’s no route and no help, but a whole lot of road and good deeds along the way.
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by ahammel.
We’ve picked the winner for last week’s Tokyoflash Treasure Hunt on Neatorama at random (Answer page here). Congratulations to bailey1121 who won a gorgeous Tokyoflash I nfection watch in silver.
In the 500+ entries that we got, one really stood out: GrouchieGrumbles (entry #128) told us that if he/she should win, then we should just donate the prize to Toys for Tots charity. A Neatorama reader who prefers only to be called "a retired US Navy radioman" pointed this out to me.
Both of us are touched at the gesture, so we’ve decided to both donate $100 each to Toys for Tots, in honor of GrouchieGrumbles (whoever he is). This Christmas, times are tough – so Toys for Tots and other charities need our help more than ever. I’d like to invite you go open your heart (and wallet) and donate a little something.
Thank you to GrouchieGrumbles for his kind offer, to the anonymous Neatorama reader who contacted me about it, and lastly, to all of you who have done your parts in helping the less fortunate this holiday season.
Here’s the link to: Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
| FEATURED ITEMS FROM THE NEATOSHOP | |
 |
Mustache Bottle Opener |
 |
My Cryptozoological Family - Family Car Stickers |
 |
Zombie Hand Bottle Opener |
View more: New Items &
Best Sellers |
|
