The daily diary of the American dream

"The Supreme Court agreed [earlier this month] to decide whether private citizens are entitled to go to court to challenge activities of the White House office in charge of the Bush administration's religion-based [funding] initiative." While "the Holy Land Foundation, one of the charities designated by the United States government as terrorist supporters, sued this week for dismissal of more than half of the 42 charges lodged against it." Elsewhere, "the Washington, D.C.-based Council on Foundations and a group of more than forty U.S. charities, advocacy groups, and advisers have called on the U.S. Treasury Department to withdraw the latest version of its anti-terrorism financing guidelines."

The impact of Blogging for Chickens has gone far beyond the money raised. This holiday season, over 100 websites joined forces Blogging for Cows and other barnyard animals. Vegetarians everywhere are looking forward to Blogging for Pigs and Blogging for Apples campaigns.

If you have put off your seasonal shopping to the last minute, you maybe seeing more red in the check out aisle, though some you are buying presents for may ask for a little less pink in their stockings. Next year, it might all look very different.

Across the country membership in giving circles is increasing, but the same can't be said for the Shriners and similar fraternal organizations. I'm sure this would make good material for someone's gender studies thesis -- or may it just proves that if smoking doesn't get you, old age will? In either case, maybe it's time for us to do a little organizing? I think Phil would look great in a fez, don't you? As long as I don't have to dress up like a clown, you can count me in.