We have less than two hours to go with our fundraiser. We were at 1104 donors officially tallied as of 11 PM EST. The donations I can track from my end spiked in the last two hours, with 44 more of you chipping in. James B, who is processing non-PayPal credit card donations, is behind (!) and estimates he has 25 more than he told me about as of his last update (6:30 PM). So we are somewhere between 1170 and 1175 donors, within striking distance of our final goal of 1200 donors.
I’m thrilled at the response. As much as I enjoy all the donations and the kind notes some of you have sent (either via e-mail or on the blog), I also get gratification when people I know personally chip in. Some of them have provided generous support before, such as Steve Waldman, who was enormously helpful on Chapter 2 of ECONNED (although I must confess the fact that he could write SUCH long critiques of what I wrote was a bit disheartening at the time), Scott Saunders (who did our book trailer and now looks pretty prescient). Other donors I recognize include Tanya Harned (we spent the better part of the month, “we” including Tom Adams, Andrew Dittmer, and former codebreaker Thomas Ross) tearing apart AIG statutory financials and our hair (we concluded there might be a pony but it would take more manpower than we had), Kathleen Cully (former general counsel of a monoline; we’ve disagreed on the New York trust theory as regards mortgage securitizations, so it is particularly sporting for her to contribute), Michael Hirsh of the National Journal, and Michael Thomas (of the one time New York Observer Midas Watch column).
So, last chance. Be one of the 27 or so we need to push this effort over the top. Join us and participate via our Tip Jar, another credit card portal or by check (see here for details). Yes, PayPal and Chrome do NOT get along right now (a techie reader sent a fix, but that won’t be implemented tonight). If you use Chrome, try another browser for the Tip Jar, or use the portal, or send a check (be sure to send us a message, “Check is in the mail” so we can count your donation in the fundraiser total).
If you can give a little, give a little. If you can give more, give more. If you can give a lot, give a lot. You are investing in being part of the solution.
21 comments
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My Dear Mz Smith;
Suffering through one of my occasional bouts of insomnia, I stumbled upon the end of the fundraiser. Naked Capitalism has become my ‘go to’ blog for good, solid commentary and explanation of the State of our Union. Being a prototypical ‘layman,’ I have come to rely upon and greatly appreciate the news and analysis you so graciously provide. Like ‘Eric’ on another thread, this is the first time my wife and myself have donated to any website. As Phyllis commented, “If we do anything at all of a public minded nature this year, a donation to this source will satisfy our Civics Course Credit requirement.”
Here’s to Naked Capitalism, Americas’ version of the Open University Department of Economics and Political Economics!
Yours, a grateful student.
Nicely put, thanks from another student.
It is amazing what we can learn from each other if we take the time and are open minded. There are times when I feel like I might be on the fringe of whatever pigeonhole one wishes to place me in and then I keep thinking of the 30’s blues song with the words to the effect:
“You may call me crazy, but at least I know right from wrong.”
If nothing else I feel that Yves Smith knows right from wrong and is growing in her voice to the public about our version of a similar era.
Thanks to all from another student.
Here, here.
I’m turning my attention to this after the work week is over, although morally I should have done so in the first minute of the fundraiser.
From a daily lurker, Yves, many, many thanks for your work on this blog. Your perspicacity on behalf of all of us outside of finance is much appreciated. We have a long road ahead of us, and it’s great to have you on our side.
Although I contributed this time, I have a dilemma that other contributors may also face. I already donate or subscribe to various other websites, some of which combine original and re-posted content, like this site.
At the same time, I contribute to various charities, some of which address very immediate problems. I wonder, however, what are my ethical responsibilities to allocate from the same limited fund? To contribute to sites like this from a sense of camaraderie or having some of my opinions reinforced, or to pay for treatment of another local rescued dog or support an unadoptable cat in a no- kill shelter.
I am not even discussing human needs, including the needs of relatives.
Peter Singer has a formula of what percentage of our income would should donate to alleviate suffering, but I am not sure this includes donating to websites. A subscription wall may provide an excuse to avoid doing this calculus.
Here at the other end of the world (Singapore), I’m not sure of your time, just hope I made the cut-off to consider myself one of the 1200. (Should have contributed a lot earlier – been a reader since the Bears Stern days of ’07 but I just procrastinated about getting a credit card, finally had to use my wife’s).
I could say what NC means to me, but that would be repeating most everyone else’s gratitude so I’ll take to heart your appeal for better readership and start making some constructive input.
Thanks from Southeast Asia
Go to blog indeed. If you can, give. I did!
I don’t have a lot of money, but I felt it appropriate to donate a small amount for the reasons many others have said so well. I have been trying to wrap my head around the topics discussed here for a couple of years now. This blog is invaluable. I don’t have a finance background but with some applied concentration over time, I think I’m better prepared to understand how this all happened. And what is yet to come. Couldn’t have done it without NC and the all the links. (Another blog that I found here is Jesse’s Cafe, also a must-read.)
Book note: I’m reading “Treasure Islands: Uncovering the Damage of Offshore Banking and Tax Havens,” by Nicholas Shaxson. Astonishing and depressing. Yves provided a recommendation.
All the best,
Clark
Old Hickory, TN
I just contributed $100.00. Thanks for breaking down the crimes and abuses of power perpetrated by the ruling class.
I made a donation through PayPal and depending on my continued usage may make additional donations down the road. I do have several questions at I can’t seem to resolve.
Can you be contacted and if so how?
I see people submit articles for inclusion and am not sure e process (not that I will use it as I usually get my leads from you and Barry Rithholtz although occasionally McClatchy)
There was a link to an article about the founder of Americans Elect but the link was broken and “exiled”. Hasn’t responded to my query. This could be a big story bigger then the Tea Party or OWS and currently I am not comfortable with that process as they have not defined an independent process for vote tabulating. There are of course other questions but the silence about this group is interesting to say the least.
Thank You
Charles Yaker
Thanks!
yves@nakedcapitalism.com
Just donated! Hope I wasn’t too late.
yves ,i also appreciate so much all that i have learned from you and your brilliant site the last 4 years ……i have a high regard for your integrity and this is the first time i have donated to a web site yet i wanted to for a long time ……..thank you so much for all your hard work ,paul akers ex texan now canadian
In simple words, NC makes me think of the TV series
“The Untouchables”, based on the real-life FBI agent
Eliot Ness.
After reading NC for about two years, I decided to
support the cause through a small donation via
PayPal on Friday.
NC has the virtues of filtering out the falsehoods
and disinformation, spreading “the truth”,
discombobulating the misleading pieces and
allowing a reasonable space for the expression
of a range of opinions and theories on complex
economic matters.
Dave
I am not yet convinced by what strike me sometimes as left-leaning, liberal politics — which is to say I do not always share your tilt on things — but I loath the banks and congratulate you on your insightful, continuing efforts to demistify ecomonics and blow the lid off a corrupt and ruinous financial system. I’ve contributed to your Fundraiser unhesitatingly, as every reader of this blog should. Keep up the fine work!
Yves,
Congratulations on your successful fundraiser, and your increasingly popular blog. I salute your courage, determination, and perseverance. Your credibility with me
will soar when you find the courage to jettison the BOA ads.
Wishing you continued success and exposure.
I made my donation a few days ago. I also agree with jim henely above — perhaps some of those ads could be cut back a little? If anything, they seem to slow down the site a great deal.
Actually, it’s not the ads. The way I do the Antidotes eats a lot of database, and that really slows the site down.
Phooey. I missed the deadline, through no other reason than my inability to prioritize. Donation in now, and my lateness is in no way a reflection of how much I value Yves’ work and this site.
Another late donation – Naked Capitalism is a blog I rely on to give me a factual breakdown of what is going on in the world of global finance. I’m happy to donate. Thanks Yves!
yves, i sincerely apologize for not even contributing 10 dollars. part of it was laziness part of it was i’m always sorta worried about money even while i do waste a bit here and there. i’m not dirt poor by any stretch, but i am always struggling, and just moved outa my parents house at the age of 31, having did a year long stint living here for the first time since i was 18.
anyways, i’m a bankruptcy lawyer, and an american dissident counterrevolutionary and i’ve been supporting and visiting all the major dissident news sources, all of which are exclusively on the internet these days. i thank you deeply and sincerely. i cannot explain it , but i was born with a deep sense of bullshit in me. i’m not a justice seeker, or a moral relativist, i’m not a truth seeker, or a nihilist that sees only chaos, but i’m deeply and antagonistically against bullshit.
i’m not against slavery if it is open and notorious for all to see. but i’m against secret repression . deeply angered by it in fact, and it’s been this way for years despite my attempts to focus on the happier side of life.
your blog, and other aggregators like dollar collapse are great and integral to shedding disinfecting light upon the mess we are in. but really, i’m here to thank the content makers, the writers, the sources,tattle talers and OF COURSE the reporters, and contributors of original content.
i will be a force to support you . rest assured.
Cheers for doing the fund-raiser. It got me off the fence regarding hitting the tip jar.
One day in early September 2008 I realized that just reading The Economist wasn’t gonna cut it and delved into the finance & economics blogosphere. NC was among the first sites I came across (clicked a link on The Economist’s website if I remember correctly).
I no longer pay as much attention to comments (and remain puzzled that NC hasn’t added a reddit-type forum whereby user-generated content could be accumulated and accessed, maybe xkcd.com as model?). But I still visit nearly every day.
Congrats Yves!
Thank you!!!