News Flash! IDOLEYES, my book with Mandisa, is out! And I’m going to send a free copy to the person who posts comment number ____–the number of photographs on the interior of the book. 🙂

You remember the rules? You may post as many times as you wish as long as you don’t post two times in a row. When you get to the magic number (or as soon as possible thereafter), I’ll jump in and announce the winner.

Now, onto the daily topic . . .

Okay, this bothers me. Maybe it’s because I was a Girl Scout who learned to be thrifty, or maybe I’m just frugal. But I really dislike two things that go against my nature: 1) ineffeciency and 2) waste.

And last week I read a newspaper article about massive proportions of both.

Did you know that many nations gave aid to the United States after Hurricane Katrina? And that most of that aid went unused, unnoticed, and (apparently) unappreciated?

According to a Washington Post story by John Solomon and Spencer Hsu, Allies offered $854 million in cash and oil that was to be sold for cash. So only $40 million has been used so far for disaster victims or reconstruction. Most of the aid went uncollected, including $400 million of oil. Some offers were redirected to groups like the Red Cross, but the rest has been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how much can be spent. Italy sent shipments of medicine, gauze, and other medical supplies that spoiled in the elements and had to be destroyed. Greece offered to send two cruise ships that could be used as free hotels or hospitals, but the deal was rescinded after it became clear the ship would not arrive before Oct. 10. Instead the U.S. paid $249 million to use Carnival Cruise Line vessels.

Maybe we should put the Girl Scouts in charge of disaster recovery.

~~Angie

50 Comments

  1. Dana

    Hmmm…what are the odds there is only 1 interior picture?? Not likely…

    I did hear something about the Katrina aid recently but didn’t know all the facts. I don’t get it. And why aren’t we going nuts over this? It makes me too mad for words……

    Reply
  2. Kay

    When I was in Haiti I learned that it is a waste to send any aid there because it goes to complete waste. Storehouses full of rotting food, etc.
    I would have thought we were more efficient than a satanistic third world country.

    Reply
  3. Brittanie

    Hi Angie I live in areas close to areas that were destroyed by Katrina. I did not know about all that aid. It is hard to imagine with all the devastation aid that went unused. I can believe it. 🙂 Brittanie

    Reply
  4. Accidental Poet

    Good morning. Are you home yet? Did God do great things in and through you all this week?

    Reply
  5. Nicole

    Interesting that Florida always seems to get done whatever it takes to clean up after horrible and horrendous storms and losses. Take a look at the state governments before looking at the federal government’s part in all the recovery efforts.

    Reply
  6. eva

    I dislike inefficiency as well. It just goes to show that without Christ things look very ugly

    Jeni

    Reply
  7. Suzanne

    Time for me to post a post and see if I am at the right post to win a book

    Reply
  8. Kay

    We want to hear about what we missed at CCWC.

    Reply
  9. Kay

    Do you get the same royalty per book, regardless of what it sells for?
    I bought about 5 books for the price of one yesterday and wondered if the authors are getting shorted.

    Reply
  10. Suzanne

    It’s me, posting again. Just waiting for people to get in between my posts so I can get more in!

    Reply
  11. darien

    Okay, having just starting reading your books (the keeper of the ring series), I’m posting to try and get another! Shame on me, that is for sure.

    But more shameful? That kind of waste. That’s really horrible! I wonder if we have actually learned any significant lessons from it all.

    Reply
  12. Suzanne

    la-de-da-de-da
    just posting again

    Reply
  13. Anonymous

    as a resident of the beautiful mississippi gulf coast, one does have to wonder…

    Reply
  14. Dana

    Okay, I’m going to try to win this book too now. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Angela

    Keep commenting! The number isn’t quite high enough yet!

    I’m sharing a story from the CWCC later this week. It’s cute.

    And Kay, since you asked–no, authors don’t get the same royalty no matter what the sales price. We earn next-to-nothing on steeply discounted books. We earn nothing at all on used books. It’s all done on a percentage basis–a percentage of the price the bookstore pays to the bookstore.

    But I don’t lose sleep over such things because I figure that discounted books may bring new readers who wouldn’t ordinarily pay full price for an author they’ve never read. And besides, God is sovereign. I let Him worry about things like that. 🙂

    Angie

    Reply
  16. Dana

    Okay, back to commenting. 🙂

    Reply
  17. Deborah

    yay i love these kinds of book giveaways 🙂

    Reply
  18. Dana

    Me too! Wonder what the magic number is… If nothing else posting these comments helps someone win! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Deborah

    i like bios with pictures, it helps to picture the subject’s life better

    Reply
  20. Dana

    Oh yeah. Definitely. I remember reading a biography of Lucille Ball when I was a kid and I loved looking at the pictures throughout the time I read the book. I love bios.

    Reply
  21. Deborah

    well unless we’ve already guessed it, it looks like they’ll be a lot of pictures in this one. i feel like i’m stating the obvious 🙂

    Reply
  22. Dana

    That is a lot of pictures isn’t it! I’m excited to read this book one way or another. 🙂

    Reply
  23. Deborah

    lol dana your comments are always exactly 2 min after mine

    Reply
  24. Dana

    That’s funny that you even noticed that! LOL! So, here’s the question. Did Angela already know the number of pictures or did she count them for this contest…

    Reply
  25. Suzanne

    I’m home from Sunday night church and ready to play again!

    Reply
  26. Deborah

    i had just gotten home from my sister’s graduation at UVA. john grisham was the keynote speaker. it was fun.

    Reply
  27. Dana

    Oh wow. That would be interesting!

    Reply
  28. Christy Lockstein

    I’m looking forward to reading this book! Mandisa is one of those few contestants who I would actually purchase their album. She was amazing!

    Reply
  29. Suzanne

    Yes, Mandisa was a great contestant!

    Reply
  30. Dana

    This will probably be my last post tonight. It’s time for me and my hubby to debrief our day, pray, and read the Bible together. A great way to end a day. 🙂 G’night.

    Reply
  31. Suzanne

    Time for me to sit here and eat the fried rice I made for dinner.

    Reply
  32. Dana

    Well, I can play a couple more minutes while my hubby finishes what he’s doing… 🙂

    Reply
  33. Suzanne

    I just hate the “word verification” thing that I have to do each time I leave a comment. So annoying….

    Reply
  34. Dana

    LOL. Keeps spam away I believe. Man – lots of pictures in this book!

    Reply
  35. Suzanne

    I believe that we’ve probably already passed the number of pictures….we just need Angie to come in here and give us the prize! LOL

    Reply
  36. Dana

    Yeah. Maybe. But I’m not going to chance it. 🙂

    Reply
  37. Dana

    Yep. Until we know for sure who won. 🙂

    Reply
  38. Suzanne

    so we’re just going to post, post, post

    Reply
  39. Suzanne

    *I hope it’s me*
    tee hee hee

    Reply
  40. Dana

    You’ve worked hard all day for it. You deserve it. But I hope it’s me. 😉

    Reply
  41. Suzanne

    Look how sweet you are! Thinking of others! LOL

    Reply
  42. Dana

    Thinking of others. Yes. 🙂 But only to a point… tee hee hee…

    Well, if someone’s already won and Angie’s asleep we could be doing this all night… 🙂

    Or not.

    Reply
  43. Suzanne

    You are so right.

    How late do you think we can stay up?

    Reply
  44. Angela

    Whoa! I went to clean up the house and y’all passed the number! It was 30. So let me count up and I’ll be right back!

    Angie

    Reply
  45. Dana

    Can or want to? 🙂

    I won’t be around much longer at all. In fact, this may be it for me. If we need to keep going I hope someone chats with you so you can continue. Good luck winning the book!! This may be it for me tonight… You’re probably right anyway – the number has probably already been reached…

    Reply
  46. Suzanne

    (Calls out to Dana)

    Wait…don’t leave…she’s coming right back!

    Man, I was having fun getting to know her….

    Reply
  47. Dana

    Ha ha – I was having fun getting to know you too. 🙂 My husband and I are missionaries so we have a website. http://www.jonathananddana.com My blog is http://www.jonathananddana.com/dana if you want to follow us a bit. We’re leaving for Tanzania July 27th. 🙂 Leave a comment on my blog or email me using the contact form on our website. 🙂

    Reply
  48. Angela

    Okay! I counted three times (there was one commenter twice in a row, so I counted that as one), and our winner is:

    Suzanne with her fried rice comment!

    So Suzanne, if you’ll send me your address via my “contact” page, I’ll get your book in the mail tomorrow! Enjoy!

    Angie

    Reply
  49. Dana

    YAY Suzanne! Congratulations!! 🙂

    I’m really, really, really off to bed this time……

    Reply
  50. Suzanne

    yay! That may be the BEST fried rice I’ve ever made! Thank you so much!

    Rest well Dana…I emailed you through your website!

    Reply

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