Friday, August 5, 2011

So Watcha Want? How About These Beastie Boy Toys With Kung-Fu Cancer Fighting Grip!?

via Buzzfeed

"Professor...what's another word for clever charitable promotion?"
"I think it's booty, b-booty, booty. Yeah, that's what it is!"


Actually, I think it's these awesomely accurate action figure depictions of Ad Rock, MCA, and (not me) Mike D. You can get the set here, with proceeds going to two charities benefiting kids with cancer -- the Pablove Foundation and Alex's Lemonade Stand.

Adam "MCA" Yauch is fighting it personally -- and the rest of the hot sauce committee wants you to join the battle. We followed them in the fight for the right to party, and then in the fight to help free Tibet. Now let's get the hip hop heroes' backs against the big C!

Click through for details on the 3-figure B-Boy set, limited-supply bonus item for early buyers, and links to the charities.


And in case you need a little inspiration before going into battle, here are the dolls in action...

Monday, August 1, 2011

RT America ALMOST Gets the Comics Cure Call to Action, But Misses the Point and Power of Comic Con



Comic Con brings in a ton of revenue for San Diego. Geek conventions across the country bring in a ton of revenue for whatever community they run in. And the geeks attending Comic Con and comic cons, in costume or out, do participate in and contribute to various charities -- including the comic-based chairities like Hero Initiative and CBLDF, which raise a great deal of money for their respective casues at such events, and whatever community charities manage to make a successful plee in and around these events.

If you took the geek angle out of this discussion and made it about the disproportion of wealth in the US and tax policies regarding the richest 1% in the country vs the 99% below, I would not feel the same...BUT we're talking about cosplayers, comic nerds, and hobbiest. We're talking fanboys and -girls getting a guilt trip for travelling to Geek Mecca. And that's where the RT America anchor gets it wrong.

Everyone deserves an escape...even an occasional, expensive escape from reality. You don't have to ask people to give up what may very well be the brightest spot on their calendar just to ask those people to ALSO be a little more aware of how good they have it compared to so many others. Ask geek hobbiests to consider sharing some of their have with the have-nots living on the street or laying in hospital beds...but don't suggest having is part of the problem.

It's trickledown geekonomics! Put on your Vader masks and TARDIS backpacks and buy your weekly comics... but remember to drop a dime in the bucket and lend a helping hand from time to time, too.