With the possible exception to the frequent commenter, who at least is recognizable when he puts the words GOGOSOX60 at the end of his comments, I do not like people who leave comments anonymously.
Why?
Because then they can put comments like this and get away with it:
"That's a good boy.
Beckett appreciates your support."
I think you missed my point. That we can all co-exist peacefully instead of slamming each other with pointed insults. In NO WAY was I even implying that I was defending the number one source of the hobby. How dare you, whoever you are, make a comment such as that and then not identify yourself.
I will not delete your comment for the sake of posterity as I believe you, sir, are a coward for not identifying yourself while leaving such an immature comment such as this.
When I get a moment this evening, I will see if there is anyway to block people from leaving comments anonymously. (I doubt that there is, but I don't want to have to go through comment moderation...if I have to though, it might have to come to that). That way, there will be some sense of responsibility, acknowledgement, and recognition when leaving an opinion on any one of my posts.
So I am sorry GOGOSOX60. Please continue to leave comments when you feel it is necessary.
Geez, even the Plastic Cards guy that I slammed yesterday left decent enough comments to warrant being left alone...
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Monthly Comment Mailbag - April 2009 Edition
Yes, I know I should have run this sooner (it's May), but now is as good a time as any to go over the comments left by you the readers and respond as best I can to them. Here goes:
To Captain Canuck, sorry about that. As I was going over the blogs in the Multi-Sport section, I saw baseball, I saw hockey, and yes, some non-sports stuff, but you also had a post about Bill Wennington (three-time NBA champ and currently the Bulls' color guy on the radio), and thought you did basketball too. My apologies.
To salveste, you have to remember that Dunn was traded to the Diamondbacks (so that's why he's not on the Reds set). It's also probably because Topps didn't know where he was going to wind up that he wasn't added to the Nationals team list. In fact, I actually thought that another ex-Reds outfielder, Austin Kearns, had left DC for another team, (so it would have been one ex-Red leaving as another came in). Alas, both have reunited in our Nation's Capital and only Kearns has a card. (Dunn did not surprisingly show up a la Griffey in the Mariner's set).
To The Angry Sports Card Guy, thank you. I'm glad you appreciated my attempt at April Fools' humor. I agree with you though...the Beckett thing was just tasteless. Ick...
To Jeremy Roe, no problem. Hey Topps, am I getting commission on this???
To whoever is comment spamming as Plastic Cards or Rounded Corner Business Cards, please stop. It's not appreciated and you're comments have been removed because truly you didn't even read the post and just wanted to hawk your site. Same goes to the hack who commented from the losangelesreview.net. If you're going to leave a website (like I do in all my comments on other bloggers), please make sure the site either is actually up and running or the link works because neither was the case.
Not to much to answer this time around as there were either not too many comments left, or I had previously responded to some in other blog posts. So ends the April edition of the Monthly Comment Mailbag.
Now if I can only remember to do this before the end of the month...
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
To Captain Canuck, sorry about that. As I was going over the blogs in the Multi-Sport section, I saw baseball, I saw hockey, and yes, some non-sports stuff, but you also had a post about Bill Wennington (three-time NBA champ and currently the Bulls' color guy on the radio), and thought you did basketball too. My apologies.
To salveste, you have to remember that Dunn was traded to the Diamondbacks (so that's why he's not on the Reds set). It's also probably because Topps didn't know where he was going to wind up that he wasn't added to the Nationals team list. In fact, I actually thought that another ex-Reds outfielder, Austin Kearns, had left DC for another team, (so it would have been one ex-Red leaving as another came in). Alas, both have reunited in our Nation's Capital and only Kearns has a card. (Dunn did not surprisingly show up a la Griffey in the Mariner's set).
To The Angry Sports Card Guy, thank you. I'm glad you appreciated my attempt at April Fools' humor. I agree with you though...the Beckett thing was just tasteless. Ick...
To Jeremy Roe, no problem. Hey Topps, am I getting commission on this???
To whoever is comment spamming as Plastic Cards or Rounded Corner Business Cards, please stop. It's not appreciated and you're comments have been removed because truly you didn't even read the post and just wanted to hawk your site. Same goes to the hack who commented from the losangelesreview.net. If you're going to leave a website (like I do in all my comments on other bloggers), please make sure the site either is actually up and running or the link works because neither was the case.
Not to much to answer this time around as there were either not too many comments left, or I had previously responded to some in other blog posts. So ends the April edition of the Monthly Comment Mailbag.
Now if I can only remember to do this before the end of the month...
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Monday, May 4, 2009
Comparing the Hobby Media to Sports Card Blogging...
I always believed that if the blog articles we as Hobby bloggers wrote were to be included in a newspaper, we'd be placed in the editorial section, near the political cartoon, above the letters to the editor, just before the second to the last page of the first segment of the paper. Bloggers are free to state their opinion about a certain topic, and the readers can agree or disagree with what we write. That said, I still rely on the Hobby Media to give me actual news (and no, I'm not just singling out the number one source in the Hobby here...)
Or in a perfect world, reporting the Hobby news would be like watching your local TV newscast. You get the facts, the hard hitting stories, the fluff pieces first from the established media. Then, if there's time, you get the commentary and opinions the bloggers.
Even though I don't buy the Multi-Sport version of Beckett's Magazine (I still buy the Baseball edition), I do pick it up from time to time when I'm at the grocery store and speed read. So while at the store last week, picking up breakfast supplies for my daughter's first ever slumber party (that's a whole 'nother Oprah), I passed by the magazine section and picked one up, just to see what they were writing about for the time being.
Hey, Sport Card Blogs made the list at number 17 (of 30) in the "30 Great Things About the Hobby Right Now." How about that...we've made a dent. Although realistically, Hobby blogs, whether written by a hack like me or by more established people (who will remain nameless for the sake of fairness and non favoritism), have a long way to go into getting credibility, at least we're catching up. The only difference is that while we all reside in a virtual world, I can guarantee you that many Hobbyists could care less what we have to say and will continue to support the established Hobby media.
And that's fine!!!
Then I turned to page two of the magazine. You know, the one that has the note from the editor, second-half of the table of contents, the subscription information, the Beckett Media Staff Roster (who if it is to believed, is shrinking in Texas...hey, it's called business. Even my company recently hit the layoff button.), and address of the company.
The editor's note compared the magazine to the blogosphere, specifically to how the Panini acquisition of Donruss was reported. Yes many, myself included, jumped the gun when the transaction took place. It was one of those "I want to report first" moments that we all experience. We all want to be the first to let loose on a certain topic. The difference between the blogs and the Media, however, is that the blogs relied on outside sources to get their information. The Media had direct access and waited until all the facts were given before putting their story out to the masses. In fact, the first thing they reported was that "nothing had been made official," even though many of us believed it was a "done deal." That's why many of us already started making comments about it (mine are here.) The tone I got from the note was that while anybody could blog about the Hobby, Beckett was going to continue to be the number one source for all Hobby happenings, whether it be in print or online.
I can live with that. And to an extent, they can truly say it. It's certainly their right. They are the established media. They've reported on it longer, they've been immersed in it longer, and heck, they promote the Hobby (despite opinions claiming otherwise) like nobody else can. And unless one of these days, somebody decides to bring the best Hobby Blog writers together and create a "printed" magazine with the articles we write, there is truly no comparison with who the Hobby consumer will trust. They still have a readership that far outranks what even the best blogs get during the course of the day, and I'm not just talking about online hits.
There is a balance out there that we must strive to find. Neither side should be mocking the other. We'll we ever see that? Maybe not now, but someday.
After all, even though we live in a digital age, I can assure you that during the times that you the reader are away from the computer, away from the blogs, away from websites, whether you are stuck on a remote island, or have no access to the internet, if the apocalypse hit and all digital information was lost, the printed word will still be around.
But that doesn't mean we the bloggers won't go away quietly.
Or in a perfect world, reporting the Hobby news would be like watching your local TV newscast. You get the facts, the hard hitting stories, the fluff pieces first from the established media. Then, if there's time, you get the commentary and opinions the bloggers.
Even though I don't buy the Multi-Sport version of Beckett's Magazine (I still buy the Baseball edition), I do pick it up from time to time when I'm at the grocery store and speed read. So while at the store last week, picking up breakfast supplies for my daughter's first ever slumber party (that's a whole 'nother Oprah), I passed by the magazine section and picked one up, just to see what they were writing about for the time being.
Hey, Sport Card Blogs made the list at number 17 (of 30) in the "30 Great Things About the Hobby Right Now." How about that...we've made a dent. Although realistically, Hobby blogs, whether written by a hack like me or by more established people (who will remain nameless for the sake of fairness and non favoritism), have a long way to go into getting credibility, at least we're catching up. The only difference is that while we all reside in a virtual world, I can guarantee you that many Hobbyists could care less what we have to say and will continue to support the established Hobby media.
And that's fine!!!
Then I turned to page two of the magazine. You know, the one that has the note from the editor, second-half of the table of contents, the subscription information, the Beckett Media Staff Roster (who if it is to believed, is shrinking in Texas...hey, it's called business. Even my company recently hit the layoff button.), and address of the company.
The editor's note compared the magazine to the blogosphere, specifically to how the Panini acquisition of Donruss was reported. Yes many, myself included, jumped the gun when the transaction took place. It was one of those "I want to report first" moments that we all experience. We all want to be the first to let loose on a certain topic. The difference between the blogs and the Media, however, is that the blogs relied on outside sources to get their information. The Media had direct access and waited until all the facts were given before putting their story out to the masses. In fact, the first thing they reported was that "nothing had been made official," even though many of us believed it was a "done deal." That's why many of us already started making comments about it (mine are here.) The tone I got from the note was that while anybody could blog about the Hobby, Beckett was going to continue to be the number one source for all Hobby happenings, whether it be in print or online.
I can live with that. And to an extent, they can truly say it. It's certainly their right. They are the established media. They've reported on it longer, they've been immersed in it longer, and heck, they promote the Hobby (despite opinions claiming otherwise) like nobody else can. And unless one of these days, somebody decides to bring the best Hobby Blog writers together and create a "printed" magazine with the articles we write, there is truly no comparison with who the Hobby consumer will trust. They still have a readership that far outranks what even the best blogs get during the course of the day, and I'm not just talking about online hits.
There is a balance out there that we must strive to find. Neither side should be mocking the other. We'll we ever see that? Maybe not now, but someday.
After all, even though we live in a digital age, I can assure you that during the times that you the reader are away from the computer, away from the blogs, away from websites, whether you are stuck on a remote island, or have no access to the internet, if the apocalypse hit and all digital information was lost, the printed word will still be around.
But that doesn't mean we the bloggers won't go away quietly.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A Quick Response to Reader Jeremya1um
To Jeremya1um:
I read your comment and would like to correspond. I would truly like the Munson SP card that I've been looking for that you say you have. Unfortunately, you did not leave an e-mail address, nor does your Blogger profile have one listed for you either (other than an AOL thing and your MySpace page).
Please send an e-mail to bdj610@hotmail.com so we can discuss what you would need for the Munson card. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
I read your comment and would like to correspond. I would truly like the Munson SP card that I've been looking for that you say you have. Unfortunately, you did not leave an e-mail address, nor does your Blogger profile have one listed for you either (other than an AOL thing and your MySpace page).
Please send an e-mail to bdj610@hotmail.com so we can discuss what you would need for the Munson card. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Hey!!! Why Can't I Find These Blogs on Your Blogroll??!
I received an e-mail this afternoon wondering why a couple of prominent blogs weren't on the Sports Card Blogroll. The two sites mentioned (Sports Cards Uncensored and I am Joe Collector) are on the roll under the Multi-Sports Card Blogroll. Let me explain why...
When I first started adding blogs to the roll, both sites focused on more than one sport. I could not just add them to the Baseball roll or the Football roll exclusively because both sites focus on both sports. So I added the Multi-Sports section to alleviate that problem.
Other sites on the Multi-Sports section include:
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
P.S. One blog was added today that I'm pretty sure I can't really put on here. Look for it in the Hobby/Media Blogroll and take a guess what was added today. If you want a hint, look at the names of the blogs on the roll, and think of which of them wouldn't belong on this blog, just based on the name of my blog alone. jba
When I first started adding blogs to the roll, both sites focused on more than one sport. I could not just add them to the Baseball roll or the Football roll exclusively because both sites focus on both sports. So I added the Multi-Sports section to alleviate that problem.
Other sites on the Multi-Sports section include:
- Boxbusters.net (all sports)
- Confessions of a Sports Junkie (all sports)
- Waxaholic (baseball, hockey)
- Voice of the Collector: The Anti-Beckett (all sports)
- Sports Card Info (all sports)
- The Fleer Sticker Project (all sports)
- SqueezePlayCards (all sports)
- Hand Collated (baseball and hockey)
- Long Fly Ball to Because....... (baseball and hockey)
- The Etopps In-Hand Marketwatch (baseball, basketball, football)
- Offy's Sports Site (all sports)
- My Past Time....... I Love It!! (baseball and hockey)
- Current Sports Cards (all sports)
- old school pack buster (all sports)
- Pack Addict (all sports)
- CardTechie (not really a sports blog, but hobby related, no place to put it)
- Baseball Card Cyber Museum Blog (baseball and hockey)
- The Angry Sports Card Guy (all sports)
- Olagato House (baseball, scrapbooking...it's a hobby)
- Trading Card NPN's (all sports)
- Busting Wax (all sports)
- Chuck's Used Cards (all sports)
- In The Game (baseball, football, basketball)
- Sports Cards Rants & Reviews (all sports)
- 3 Point Play (baseball, footbal, basketball)
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
P.S. One blog was added today that I'm pretty sure I can't really put on here. Look for it in the Hobby/Media Blogroll and take a guess what was added today. If you want a hint, look at the names of the blogs on the roll, and think of which of them wouldn't belong on this blog, just based on the name of my blog alone. jba
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Top Ten 2006-2009 Topps Team Sets Cards
To satisfy the promise I made to bring in more baseball card related posts...
I finally finished going through all 30 team sets for 2009. I can't wait to put them in sheets and into a binder. The cards look terrific, even the ones of the players who changed teams and now have the uniforms of said new teams photoshopped onto them (although the Matt Holliday Athletics card shows a bit too much green...) With that in mind, today on this humble little blog, I present to you my top ten (or Topps Ten...get it...) cards that could only be found in the 14-card team sets. Now they're not necessarily the best cards because of aesthetics, or because of the picture used. They are on the list for various reasons, and I will explain why on each.
So without further ado...
"From the home office in Chicago, IL. The category is the Top Ten Cards from the 2006 to 2009 14-Card Sets. Here we go:
10. 2006 Topps Devil Rays Team Card #TDR9
Now the D-Rays of 2005 (the team depicted here) finished 67-95 and finished 5th in the AL East. If the team was this bad, why include it in the set. Wasn't there another player good enough to make the cut? Were there only 13 good players and the rest not? Well, the only reason why Topps put this card in the set is because they were not able to put a card of their original choice, Bossman Junior, aka B. J. Upton, in the set.
9. 2009 Topps Yankees Mickey Mantle #NYY15
Dear Mr. Anama:
You said that the Mickey Mantle #7 card in 2009 Topps was NOT A SHORTPRINT OR AN ERROR CARD...then What Card is This???
Anonymous
Well, it does have Mantle's position as an outfielder. But alas, this card is from the Yankees' Team set. The bonus card no less. I'm pretty sure that this card was printed in lesser quantities than the card in the eponymous Topps set. And boy does the Mick look really happy to sign whatever is being literally in his face. I just hope that the three guys didn't fall into the dugout.
8. 2007 Topps Yankees Derek Jeter #NYY1
When this came out, people on eBay started hawking it as the "corrected" version of Jeter's infamous #40 card (the one with Mantle in the dugout and Bush waving in the crowd). Uh, no. Although Topps did include the card without the photoshop work in their factory sets, this was not, or should never be, considered the corrected card. Funny thing is that Topps used the same photo on this card for their 55-card Yankees gift set.
7. 2009 Topps Rays Evan Longoria #TBR1
Looks just like the original card in series 1. It looks like he is trying to make it to third (my guess anyway) by trying to beat the tag by extending his arms in front. I don't know if he made it in safely or not. The defending AL Rookie of the Year, he was named to the 2008 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. But you probably wouldn't know that if you saw this card. You see, all the other nine guys who made the team (Votto, Ramirez, Aviles, Bruce, Span, Murphy, Soto, Ziegler, and Lannan) are all on their respective teams 14-card set and each of them have the Rookie Cup trophy printed on them. This is the only card that doesn't have it. And it's a glaring error. (WHAT??!)
6. 2009 Topps Red Mr. Redlegs (with Rosie Red) #CIN15
A nice touch this year was including the mascots of some of the teams into the sets as the bonus card. And unfortunately for the girls at Dinged Corners, Topps didn't include the Mets baseball-headed superstar as the bonus card for the Mets set (opting to go with Citi Field instead). So that leaves Mr. Redlegs (and the pictured yet unmentioned Rosie Red) as the only mascots with baseballs for heads to have a card in the products. Where did the Gapper go???
5. 2007 Topps Mariners Jose Guillen #SEA10
A previous "What Card is This?" subject, this the only card with the 2007 Topps design that actually depicts Guillen. All other cards are of Yuniesky Betancourt.
4. 2008 Topps Mets Johan Santana #NYM1
Forget card #661, and although he was included as card #330 in the U & H set, this was truly Santana's first Topps card as a New York Met.
3. 2009 Topps Dodgers Joe Torre #LAD14
Another issue of "didn't the Dodgers have a player good enough that he couldn't have been included here???" Joe Torre just left the Bronx for Hollywood and he was somehow added to the Dodgers Team checklist. He had to have bumped out somebody...only problem is there was never an announcement. He is the only manager to appear in the 2008 sets.
In 2009, Torre and a few other managers (Cox, Gaston, Scioscia) are added as the bonuses. Ozzie Guillen, the manager of the White Sox, was added to the "14 man roster." I guess that's all right, especially since the bonus card in all White Sox packaging is of the President of the United States.
2. 2009 Topps Mariners Ken Griffey, Jr. #SEA8
Previously discussed here. Again, it just looks like all is right in the world now that Junior is now back with the M's. He recently hit his 400th HR as a Mariner.
And the number one card from the 2006 to 2009 14-card team sets:
1. 2006 Topps Mariners Kenji Johjima #SEA14
Previously discussed here. He is the reason why the insanity started.
These are really nice sets to own, and if you are a team collector, they are must haves. If you're a set collector however, and want all 30 sets to add to your collections, I suggest therapy. Then go for it.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
I finally finished going through all 30 team sets for 2009. I can't wait to put them in sheets and into a binder. The cards look terrific, even the ones of the players who changed teams and now have the uniforms of said new teams photoshopped onto them (although the Matt Holliday Athletics card shows a bit too much green...) With that in mind, today on this humble little blog, I present to you my top ten (or Topps Ten...get it...) cards that could only be found in the 14-card team sets. Now they're not necessarily the best cards because of aesthetics, or because of the picture used. They are on the list for various reasons, and I will explain why on each.
So without further ado...
"From the home office in Chicago, IL. The category is the Top Ten Cards from the 2006 to 2009 14-Card Sets. Here we go:
10. 2006 Topps Devil Rays Team Card #TDR9
Now the D-Rays of 2005 (the team depicted here) finished 67-95 and finished 5th in the AL East. If the team was this bad, why include it in the set. Wasn't there another player good enough to make the cut? Were there only 13 good players and the rest not? Well, the only reason why Topps put this card in the set is because they were not able to put a card of their original choice, Bossman Junior, aka B. J. Upton, in the set.
9. 2009 Topps Yankees Mickey Mantle #NYY15
Dear Mr. Anama:
You said that the Mickey Mantle #7 card in 2009 Topps was NOT A SHORTPRINT OR AN ERROR CARD...then What Card is This???
Anonymous
Well, it does have Mantle's position as an outfielder. But alas, this card is from the Yankees' Team set. The bonus card no less. I'm pretty sure that this card was printed in lesser quantities than the card in the eponymous Topps set. And boy does the Mick look really happy to sign whatever is being literally in his face. I just hope that the three guys didn't fall into the dugout.
8. 2007 Topps Yankees Derek Jeter #NYY1
When this came out, people on eBay started hawking it as the "corrected" version of Jeter's infamous #40 card (the one with Mantle in the dugout and Bush waving in the crowd). Uh, no. Although Topps did include the card without the photoshop work in their factory sets, this was not, or should never be, considered the corrected card. Funny thing is that Topps used the same photo on this card for their 55-card Yankees gift set.
7. 2009 Topps Rays Evan Longoria #TBR1
Looks just like the original card in series 1. It looks like he is trying to make it to third (my guess anyway) by trying to beat the tag by extending his arms in front. I don't know if he made it in safely or not. The defending AL Rookie of the Year, he was named to the 2008 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. But you probably wouldn't know that if you saw this card. You see, all the other nine guys who made the team (Votto, Ramirez, Aviles, Bruce, Span, Murphy, Soto, Ziegler, and Lannan) are all on their respective teams 14-card set and each of them have the Rookie Cup trophy printed on them. This is the only card that doesn't have it. And it's a glaring error. (WHAT??!)
6. 2009 Topps Red Mr. Redlegs (with Rosie Red) #CIN15
A nice touch this year was including the mascots of some of the teams into the sets as the bonus card. And unfortunately for the girls at Dinged Corners, Topps didn't include the Mets baseball-headed superstar as the bonus card for the Mets set (opting to go with Citi Field instead). So that leaves Mr. Redlegs (and the pictured yet unmentioned Rosie Red) as the only mascots with baseballs for heads to have a card in the products. Where did the Gapper go???
5. 2007 Topps Mariners Jose Guillen #SEA10
A previous "What Card is This?" subject, this the only card with the 2007 Topps design that actually depicts Guillen. All other cards are of Yuniesky Betancourt.
4. 2008 Topps Mets Johan Santana #NYM1
Forget card #661, and although he was included as card #330 in the U & H set, this was truly Santana's first Topps card as a New York Met.
3. 2009 Topps Dodgers Joe Torre #LAD14
Another issue of "didn't the Dodgers have a player good enough that he couldn't have been included here???" Joe Torre just left the Bronx for Hollywood and he was somehow added to the Dodgers Team checklist. He had to have bumped out somebody...only problem is there was never an announcement. He is the only manager to appear in the 2008 sets.
In 2009, Torre and a few other managers (Cox, Gaston, Scioscia) are added as the bonuses. Ozzie Guillen, the manager of the White Sox, was added to the "14 man roster." I guess that's all right, especially since the bonus card in all White Sox packaging is of the President of the United States.
2. 2009 Topps Mariners Ken Griffey, Jr. #SEA8
Previously discussed here. Again, it just looks like all is right in the world now that Junior is now back with the M's. He recently hit his 400th HR as a Mariner.
And the number one card from the 2006 to 2009 14-card team sets:
1. 2006 Topps Mariners Kenji Johjima #SEA14
Previously discussed here. He is the reason why the insanity started.
These are really nice sets to own, and if you are a team collector, they are must haves. If you're a set collector however, and want all 30 sets to add to your collections, I suggest therapy. Then go for it.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
There Comes a Time...When We Heed a Certain Call...Bloggers Unite for Hunger and Hope!
(To those of you who've been reading blog after blog about Uniting for Hunger and Hope, blogcatalog.com's effort to unite bloggers from all walks of life to "share your thoughts and be part of the global solution to a global problem," and happened to stumble upon my little essay, I welcome you to my humble little blog. Feel free to read more about what I really write about when you get a chance. Thank you very much. jba)
Growing up in Manila, my family and I were very fortunate. We were not über-rich, but very well-to-do. And because my family worked in the food industry, there was always food on our table. But across the street and behind our neighbors house, there were many people, many families, who did not have the same luxury. Whole families living in rooms and shelters that were smaller than my bedroom. Fathers and mothers who worked so hard, but earned so little. Other than a bowl of rice, there were many nights were they and their children may not have had much to eat. In many instances, even the children went out to beg for money to buy food for their family. You see those late night infomercials where Sally Struthers or some old guy talks to the camera about the plight of these children...guess what...they're not kidding.
All over the world, many people go hungry. The numbers are staggering. It doesn't really matter where you get your information, know that at least one-third of the world's population is underfed, and another third is starving. Of these, some 170 million, MILLION, are children. And if you think the problems are outside of this country, guess again.
In 2006, a study done by the USDA Economic Research Service reported that "35.5 million people—including 12.6 million children—live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. This represents more than one in ten households in the United States (10.9 percent)." With the economy the way it is currently, that number may have increased.
So what can be done?
Well, twenty-five years ago, it was simple. Get a bunch of singers together, from all genres of music, and get them to record a song to sell worldwide. The trend started in Europe, where an all-star super group of English and Irish bands and singers came together to perform what has now become a Christmas staple, Feed the World:
Then the following year, USA for Africa, an all-star lineup of American performers, sang this timeless classic, We are the World:
Not to be outdone, a third group, known as Northern Lights, brought together many of Canada's best voices for their own song, Tears are Not Enough:
Okay, 80's flashback over.
Where am I going with this? Because while all three singles raised millions of dollars in the efforts to fight world hunger, the war still rages...worldwide.
We all want to help right? Of course we do. If you can donate money to the many (legitamate) charities that work with many in need like UNICEF, or WorldVision, do it. If you'd prefer just to donate food or money to your local food pantries or churches, do it. Every little bit helps.
For more information, please click onto the links below. There you will find more information about, and the organizations involved in fighting, world hunger.
- http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/hunger-facts-domestic.html - Bread for the World
- http://www.worldhunger.org/index.html - World Hunger Notes
- http://www.unicefusa.org/ - UNICEF USA
- http://www.unicef.org/ - UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund
- http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/hungerindex.htm - Global Policy Forum
- http://www.who.int/topics/nutrition_disorders/en/ - World Health Organization
- http://www.heifer.org/site/c.slI3IdNVJuE/b.4861851/k.39B8/30_Days_in_April.htm - Heifer Organization
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)