A break in the hiatus for a good cause

Hey, just a quick update to let you know of a good cause I think you should support!

Don't worry, this isn't turning into one of those blogs, although I think a bit more social awareness could definitely perk things up around here. Plus, this cause is definitely related to the theme of East-West interaction I'd really like to start integrating in amongst the more mundane details of my everyday life.

I have a friend from college, one Mr. David Degeest, who has been selected as a potential torch runner for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing! David will be running for his adoptive host mother, Ms. Yue, who took him in, fed him and helped him with his Chinese when he was in China for a fellowship after he graduated from Grinnell. Now, David is still in China, and he's started a really fascinating project. He calls it the China Dreamblogue, and you can read all about it here. It's a pretty impressive project.

So what do I want you to do about it? I would love it if you would head here to vote for David's bid to carry the Olympic torch. This is a fantastic opportunity for a friend of mine and an excellent way to spread awareness about his charitable project. The other Expat contestants got a little bit of a head start on him, but I think he's due for a last-minute rally! The voting only lasts for the next four days, so get to it! Oh, I should also mention that the website only accepts one vote per IP, so tell a friend or two! It's an excellent cause and it'll only take you about 30 seconds to support it.

Oh, and if you made it through all that, I have a free gift for you! Well, that's not quite accurate. Radiohead has a free gift for you. If you're me, and you like music, check out Radiohead's new LP, "In Rainbows." The band, being those crazy Limeys that they are, have released the album 100% free on this website. That's right, 100% legal and free. While I can't say it's as good as their earlier work, it definitely is a good album worth your time and (no) money. However, you have the option to donate money with your purchase. Being the philanthropist I am, I threw three pounds their way (like they need it) because I feel like CDs should really cost about $6, which I would be willing to pay for nearly any disc I really liked. So check it out. Also, Lucid-TV made a funny comic about it.