If you had to name the top 3 contributors to anti-AIDS initiatives, you would probably guess that Bill and Melinda Gates were up there. Once you saw the list, you’d think the Ford Foundation also made perfect sense.
But would you guess, without looking or knowing a lot more about AIDS issues than I do, that the #3 contributor was a make-up company?
It turns out that the MAC AIDS Fund has given $145 million to anti-AIDS causes, all from the Viva Glam line of lip colors. Animal rights activists will also be happy to know that MAC’s products are not tested on animals*, although some products are not vegan. While I have a hard time spending what a modern lipstick costs, it doesn’t seem so bad if I am helping people when I buy it.
Follow up on the economy: unemployment and part time workers; unemployment and education level; more sad unemployment figures; one in 9 Americans on Food Stamps; 37th bank failure of the year; apparently community banks are small enough to fail; let’s solve “too big to fail” by breaking up the megabanks.
Follow up on health insurance reform (it isn’t care that needs reform, it’s how we pay for it!): Robert Reich explains how the health insurance industry plans to kill real reform; beware of anything labeled a “centrist compromise“, because it isn’t any such thing; an international perspective; be sure to scroll all the way down the charts to see how long people struggle with bills before declaring bankruptcy.
Follow up on Anti-Abortion Terror: Feds now investigating; the myth of the lone gunman; and how to see abortion as a blessing.
In Closing: there’s one, two, three trailers on a big rig; search overload; manopause, the NYT column; and mass transit. Have a great weekend, folks.
* I consider this designation to be bogus on all personal care products. What it usually means is that either some other entity was paid to do the testing, or it is an old formula which was tested and found to be safe many years/decades ago. If a product is going to cause harm, I would rather it was discovered with cute fuzzy bunny rabbits than my family.