ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

[pumpkinpi]

Has anyone done it?

If challenged, I am not going to. And I am probably not going to donate, either. Here is why.

I think that it is an excellent cause to fundraise for, and it has been a wild success. Whoever thought of it is a genius!

So why won't I do it?

The challenge: I don't want to get dumped on by ice cold water. I understand that's the point--to push yourself to do something unpleasant. I also choose* not to spend my time gathering the necessary equipment and a videographer, and then posting it.

The donation: As I said, it's a very worthy cause. But there are many other causes that are higher priority for me, and I don't like being pressured into giving my money to a different one.

So I dearly hope noone nominates me. I will just ignore it if someone does. PLEASE, noone here do it, or else



*I've stopped saying/thinking "I don't have time" and instead considering things as whether I choose to spend my time on them or not.

[FZR1KG]

???

[pumpkinpi]

Google's your friend, my man.

http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html


Just kidding. I broke one of my own guidelines--always post a link and don't assume people know what you are referring to!

[FZR1KG]

Sounds like a nipply wet t-shirt competition.
So why don't you want to do it???
Wear white please :p

[Swift]

I'm with you pp. A good cause (but there are lots of good causes), but overall an idiotic idea.

[geonuc]

I got challenged on Facebook. Not doing it.

[Cyborg Girl]

Yeah, my office made a huge thing about some of the employees doing this. WTF? Seems like a stupid idea all round, and doubly stupid in the workplace.

[code monkey]

gj, you don't have to explain to people who push you to participate. in fact, explaining just opens the door to them coming up with counter arguments. simply say - calmly - that you don't want to get into it and either move away or change the subject.

[SciFiFisher]

The challenge was started because the sudden dashing of ice water to the body gives you a simulation of what ALS does to those who have it. The sudden spasticity coupled with the inability to breath gives you a taste of what an ALS victim goes through each day. At least that's what I was told. As for why it has become so popular I have no fracking idea.

And I agree. You should support those causes that you have an affinity for or feel are worthy. Not just because it's popular or something everyone else is doing.

[FZR1KG]

New fund raiser: Hirschsprung's disease butt plugs!!!

Know what it feels like for sufferers of this debilitating disease go through regularly, post pictures of you with a butt plug!!!
If that doesn't do it for you then call it politicians drive, just imagine yourself as the plug and you too can be a politician for a day!

[Rommie]

I watched a few people's videos online as they popped up on Facebook, but then I watched people's Harlem Shake videos last year too. Doesn't mean I did either.

[Swift]

New fund raiser: Hirschsprung's disease butt plugs!!!

Know what it feels like for sufferers of this debilitating disease go through regularly, post pictures of you with a butt plug!!!
If that doesn't do it for you then call it politicians drive, just imagine yourself as the plug and you too can be a politician for a day!

Maybe for us suffers of Crohn's and Colitis we could have the punch in the gut challenge.

[Sigma_Orionis]

I liked these two:

George W. Bush

Patrick Stewart

NO I won't do it, I'm a poor oppressed latino who has no US$ and lives in a city with major water supply problems. Bullet dodged effectively. Ain't I a good sociopath?

[Swift]

George wasn't going to do it, for one thing, he couldn't find the recipe for ice. He was going to go up to "the club" instead and toss back a G&T on the rocks instead, but Cheney made him do it.

[Sigma_Orionis]

[cid]

As I uderstand it, those of us with dicky tickers run a risk of bringing something unpleasantly cardiac on...no thankew...

[SciFi Chick]

Well, I thought it was a stupid challenge too, but this "stupid" challenge has raised $90 million dollars for ALS research, and a lot more people know what ALS is now, and an acquaintance of mine who has ALS is really touched by what people have done.

So, I certainly respect how you all feel about not doing the challenge, but I no longer think it's stupid, as it did exactly what it set out to do. That makes it effective.

[brite]

I was called out, made a donation, and went about my business, nor did I call others out... I have never thought that charity should be a big deal...

[pumpkinpi]

I heard just a bit of an interview with the person who is in charge of all the money coming in. It's going to be a challenge for her to manage this unexpected fundraising--but of course a good challenge.

She said she's gotten a lot of email/phone calls to the tone of, "I have the cure. Send me money."

[Cyborg Girl]

She said she's gotten a lot of email/phone calls to the tone of, "I have the cure. Send me money."

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but... wow.

[SciFi Chick]

I heard just a bit of an interview with the person who is in charge of all the money coming in. It's going to be a challenge for her to manage this unexpected fundraising--but of course a good challenge.

She said she's gotten a lot of email/phone calls to the tone of, "I have the cure. Send me money."

I'd be like - let's draw up a contract, and when you prove you have the cure, then you can have some money.

[SciFi Chick]

Now, I'm really really really disappointed.

[Cyborg Girl]

SFC, I'm actually a little skeptical of that. The "Political Ears" website has some really questionable ads, and doesn't site any sources. There may be selfish motivations at work IMO.

Skepticism is warranted, sure, but I'm not inclined to believe a site that doesn't actually give me a source for such information.

[Sigma_Orionis]

According to Snopes that piece of news is not true.

Supposedly this Charity Watchdog which was mentioned on Snopes (although I stumbled into their website BEFORE going to Snopes) gives 4 stars (the Maximum) to the ALS foundation on " Accountability & Transparency".

One could argue that the snopes folks are lying or were duped by Charity Navigator, but considering the rep of Snopes I don't think they'll outright lie or be fooled so easily.

My BS detector was set off because that website SFC linked was filled with ads like "7 Scientific tricks to have any woman you want" or "how to make your man addicted to you" and news that say that ISIS is on Juarez, near the US border, ready to strike the US with suicide bombers within the next 48 hours and the HNIC is doing nothing about it. And as GJ says NO SOURCES.

[SciFi Chick]

For the record, even though that site is questionable, the statistics they provide match exactly what the Snopes article states. I think more than 28% should go to research, but perhaps that's just my opinion.

The email referred to in the Snopes article is completely different than what I posted.