Thursday, August 26, 2004

Give me cows

Enough hunting around Gmail Swap for people with imagination and kindness (fun though my couple of swaps have been). I'm not giving my invitations out for software code-cracking or eternal friendship with a teenager in China. And I'm not giving them to soldiers because I don't think 'Someone gave me a gmail account if I promised not to indiscriminately shoot anyone today' would go down well with their commanding officers.

But I have five invitations. My friends that wanted one have one. And while they are still worth something (one gigabyte of space and a rather marvellous layout system, plus of course you'll be a much cooler and valid person) I want my own farm. Send a Cow has a gift catalogue with prices starting at five British pounds for a day's training up to a whole farmyard for £2000. If you go and order online, asking for a gift notification card to be sent to claremariewhite at gmail dot com, I will send you an email as soon as I receive the card. I promise. I'm not just trying to promote Send a Cow specifically - if you can find another similar charity that will independently send me evidence of your donation that will do, but Send a Cow is good as it has goats (£25), bees (£10) and fruit trees (£10), all of which will give African families a chance to improve their own futures. I think the best value gift is £15 for 12 chickens and eight turkeys.

So that's my appeal. Give me bees. Give me apples and pigs. Thank you.

If you're planning to do this then you might want to email me or leave a message here and I'll reserve your invitation. I will of course post any results here, perhaps a picture of our virtual farm, utilising all my artistic skills - which would be entertaining.

Update Kind Claire W (almost me but with an extra I) has generously offered six of her invites towards the farm. She would particularly like a forest of trees (£10 = 30 trees x 6 = 180 trees). So if you're planning to buy trees, email me first and I'll link you up with Claire.

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