This post is somewhat difficult for me to write. I absolutely hate asking people for money.
But the truth is I am a street performer.
The only thing is my street is world wide.
I can’t just throw my hat down while I perform.
I work hard to produce a blog that I know many of you enjoy.
I have made almost no money off of my efforts.
That’s fine.
I didn’t expect this blog to make much money on its own.
So I have added a “Donations” tab, which will allow you to give me some tip money through PayPal. (You can access it from the tab on the sidebar just below my gravatar, or you can go to the “Donate” page for the same tab.)
If you can’t afford to donate anything, that’s okay. I know times are hard.
But if you can give $5 or $10, I would greatly appreciate it.
I am not a tax deductible entity. I am not a nonprofit.
I am just a street performer with his hat lying to the side.
Drop whatever you like.
And I’ll keep doing it.
Heck, even if I don’t get anything, I’ll keep doing it.
Thank you for reading the blog.
And now, we can stop talking about donations and tips.
Back to normal.
Do you have an Amazon wishlist so people can send gifts (ie. books) without revealing the mailing adress?
I don’t. Maybe I should get one… LOL.
Dear Scottie,
As you are very devoted into what you’re doing thru this blog and because I appreciate very much your work, I’ve sent you some pennies. I truly belive that the best way to bring changes is by teaching and educating. May be some people don’t share some of your points of view but overall, you’re bringin some concience into some minds. You may or may not have received appreciations from your readers other than the “standard” discussion on a subject. Well, now I know that you have at least one here today !
To all readers :
We all have reasons for not ginving a penny… For myself, I’m a dog breeder (and as you all know, we can’t be ritch in this kind of activity), have 2 very young kids and probably have as many depts as most of you. Even daugh, I’ve given 20 bucks. If any of you have appreciated Scottie’s work or “performance” and share my point of view, partly or totally, well, a little effort is easy to justify !
By the way, I’m not challenging anyone on the amount… but if someone considers to give more, I’m sure it will be welcome !
You mean the rumors aren’t true, and you’re not Jay Rockefeller’s filthy rich long-lost love child ??? :-D
Coincidentally, I just lost my job this week. My FMLA protection expired. I am still not back to work after a second total hip replacement, and my employer chose not to exercise their option to extend medical leave beyond what the law requires :-(.
I really enjoy your blog; it’s about the only one I read every day. Several times a day, in fact. Too bad Amazon doesn’t have a way to subscribe to blogs via Kindle; that would be a painless, automatic way to donate.
Most of the really good blogs have to go this route at some point. It just takes so much of a person’s time and energy to produce an excellent product. Here’s my small donation. More to follow if all goes well and my insurance company doesn’t try to play hardball with the LT disability insurance.
I’ve met Jay Rockefeller. I’ve seen him several times when I was in undergrad. He used to be president of my college.
I really like and respect Jay Rockefeller, too. After the 1977 flood that devastated Mingo Co., WV, and Pike Co., KY, he came down here and rolled up his sleeves and pitched right in helping with the cleanup. He’s a great guy.
Maybe Eastern Kentucky should become part of West Virginia. You have much more in common with us than you do with Louisville and Lexington.
In many ways that’s true. Kentucky spans so many geographic and cultural regions that we’re a fragmented bunch. But we have a saying here in Pike County … when .”Take Me Home, Country Roads” says that West Virginia is “Almost Heaven”, that’s because it’s just across the bridge from Kentucky :-).
Seriously though, I do believe that the areas that encompass the central & southern Appalachian Mountains have a lot more in common with similar areas in other Appalachian states than they do with “outer” areas of their own states.
I agree–there is a cultural and ethnic homogeneity in those areas that is pretty unique.
If we weren’t so damned clannish we could start our own state: Appalachia.
When I was studying in NYC eons ago, I travelled throughout the region and felt ‘same difference’ in all of you folks.. Sorry!.
:-)
Hey Suhail, I hope you’re not saying that you saw no cultural differences between say, a New Yawka and a Tar Heel. That’d be like comparing a Sindhi from Karachi w/ a Waziri. Definitely different cultural referents.
Hahaha. No I wasn’t saying that at all. I meant culture of VA, WV, KY, TN, NC, GA, etc. appeared the same to me. But that was back in 1984-89. I was a kid and saw everything from a New Yawka’s perspective. I loved a painting at a hall in my Alma Mater that depicted ‘The world as seen by a New Yorker’. It showed Manhattan high rises, then Hudson, then NJ, then Hollywood, and then Japan in the far corner.
Btw, I am impressed by the analogy from my home country.
I’d hoped that you’d be impressed (LOL), though I’m sure my knowledge of S. Asian sub-cultures is sadly lacking as compared to your’s of N. American sub-cultures. Nevertheless, I try.
A key thing to keep in mind in all cases is that mountain peoples are almost always more truculent, independent, and self-sufficient than those of us who hail from the flatlands (look to Afghanistan or the Northern Territories for prime examples). In the case of the Appalachians, though the Euro-derived population is ethnically mixed (mostly Scots-Irish and German), the underlying sub-culture derives primarily from the Scots-Irish, who, in turn derive primarily from Ulster-folk and Scottish Borderers. Theirs’ is an extremely vital, persistent (and combative) cultural milieu, very distinct from the more Central/Southern-European flavored sub-culture that tends to predominate among Euro-Americans who live in eastern cities like Philly, Bawmer, Nawfolk, or N’yawk; or the predominantly Anglo-Germanic sub-culture that prevails in the non-mountainous rural portions of the region you mentioned. There are of course more similarities than differences among all these groups. But when one is born w/in a melange of subcultures, the differences tend to stand out more.
But all of this is really off-subject, probably TMI and of great interest only to me. personally.
Massugu,
I started appreciating the Appalachian sub-culture from 1993 onward. For one, I realized the Great Brits had left a strong Scottish tradition in the Pakistani northwestern province where I grew up and I was able to see some similarities. My early schooling was in convent schools where most Anglo-Pakistanis and Scotto-Pakistanis taught. Unfortunately, those traditions were lost first to the Afghan Mujahideen era of Reagan and Bush Sr. and then to Talibans.
Most Europeans and Asians have a wrong impression of the USA and Canada as having no history and no culture. When they say in front of me, I am able to tell them by examples how it is not true.
Wait a second. Wasn’t that the state line across which the Hatfields and McCoys fought?
Yes, it was.
I live between Williamson, WV, and Pikeville, KY, so I’m pretty much at ground zero ;-p
You go guy!
I once wondered how do u live you doggy nerd, always wired… U don’t have to pay the rent, do you. U have land to grow your own food. So where do you need that much money? Go get working out in the yard sometimes, good for your aching back. Maybe get something published and printed, since you’ve already have some that’s been good.
Another net friend, adventurer and speaker, Alastaire Humphreys from the UK does this on his blog site too. I am glad you did this to keep the informative blog running.
A hearty meal for Miley and her human on the way from Ontario. It may take few days due the distance (actually, my ‘lost’ PayPal membership, etc).
Btw, my wife and her nephews and nieces had run Obama campaign in the fierce battleground of Western PA and Eastern Ohio last time. They had no energy this time around, but we wish all the best to Obama.
“4 more years”…