Hey folks, as you know the core leadership of RRS was rather inactive for the first half of 2009, this was due to various factors including several that are personal, however the recession took it's toll as early as the beginning of 2008. A bunch of folks who were donors and subscribers wrote to us with apologies after they lost their job, or their wives lost their jobs, or something recessionary in nature happened to them presenting a situation in which they had to withdraw their funding of our efforts. This story was echoed by the SSA who was on the verge of disappearing this year as a result of the hard times, and has raised over $90,000 in two months. I've been working as many hours as possible in the real world for over a year now to reduce the fundraising burden in order to keep this site afloat. While I seemed absent on an activist level my time away from the limelight was designed to preserve RRS.
Since I've been able to alter my schedule to get back to the typical 50+ hour RRS workload, the donations are at an all time low. This is to be expected of course, there is no current radio show, there was a hiatus, and we're still in a recession... but we're recovering on multiple levels. I'm gonna manage to work in the 70 hour range on activist activities here, while holding down a job and caring for a son, this week. Signs of a recession ending are upon us. However, due to the intense workload already on my plate, the show is far from my mind. Doing the show takes preparation time, editing time, and more... while I currently have 60 hours of unedited material that still needs to be addressed. Work that needed to be addressed for a very long time now, my sincerest apologies to those who were waiting for that content.
Since I've returned I've been bombarded with countless positive comments, many of which are encouraging me to get the show back up and running, here's your chance to get me one step closer to that. Yeah... I'm begging for money. Pick up that phone and call us now to keep the congregation going. I hate feeling like this, hate having to ask for it, I thought maybe donations would just start coming back organically, but they're not. So I'm asking.
Let me give you some insight as to some of the things I'm working on that require funds...
1. I'm going to Salt Lake City next month and will be speaking in front of a large atheist group. I will take some footage engaging Mormons as well. On my dime. About $500 for the trip, I'll be staying with a friend.
2. I finally managed to get ALL the footage from the documentary team that failed to produce the RRS movie, due to their own lack of funds. This includes our in person interviews with Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, Dennett, Ellen Johnson, Margaret Downey, and at home conversations and interviews that have never been released. $3,500 is needed for an apple capable of editing this footage in HD with this $1,000 piece of software. If you are willing to lend suitable computer or sell one at a discount, let me know. I can now edit the video in non-hd however I have 30 hours of footage to dig through, which will take quite a bit of time to work on. The plan is currently a free internet movie.
3. You know those atheist billboards that have been popping up everywhere? I want to put them all over the web via google ads. This project is limited only by how much money we have, one could invest $10,000 per day easily in google ads.
4. I'd like to not have to ask for more hours at work every week, and instead ask for less, spending more time working RRS would get me back on track, I'm so backlogged, it feels like I'm 3 years behind.
5. I'd like to plan trips to speak at both California and Florida atheist events in the next 9 months. I have friends/family I can stay with at both to keep costs down. Groups in Florida and California have been trying to get me to come speak for a while. Video projects will be made on both trips.
6. Darth Josh will be coming to visit the RRS house at the end of January to record a show (and scheme), I'd like to help with his travel expenses.
7. I need a laptop to take on these trips, so I can stay connected. I'm looking at the least expensive model that would do the trick. $350
There's obviously a ton of other activist reasons more money could be put to good use, but I think I've added enough transparency and at least a few thousands dollars worth of expenses to give you an idea of how your donation will be put to good use.
So here's your chance... all those folks that sent me words of support in the last three months, telling me how happy you are to see me back full time, help me keep it up! Show me you really mean it. I need to see your love in the form of dollars or I need to look into restoring my career aspirations and pull back the amount of time I spend on activism. Keep in mind, the RRS network of sites will be here for at least as long as I'm alive, and likely well after. While I might have lost some teammates along the way, I promise you're never losing me. This has always been my baby. I'm not going anywhere, don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years.
There are two big ways to help financially:
1. Donate monthly
2. Donate any amount, any size, consider $15-25.
3. If you have to do any holiday shopping, start doing it now, and do it through this link. Amazon.com sells just about everything in the world, you can get your groceries and clothing there as well. Purchase items you'd normally buy at the store through our amazon link and we'll make a small commission. Thanks to the few folks who do this year round.
Please consider as large of a one time donation as you can make, this is a crucial time, now is the time to donate. Do all you can, please.
/begging
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