I've decided to (individually, since help_haiti seems INCREDIBLY confusing somehow) write fic in return for donations to Haiti.

$5.00 - 3 short drabbles OR 25 icons
$10.00 - 500-1,000 word fic OR 50 icons
$25.00 - 1,000-2,500 word fic OR 100 icons
$50+ - 5,000 word fic OR 150 icons

These are all approximations, especially considering that some may want to donate in British pounds or Euro, but work with me!

I will write for the following fandoms: football slash (including AR/AU), Star Trek (TOS or 2009), Hot Fuzz, Sherlock Holmes (book or 2009 film canon), The Three Musketeers, Top Gear, and Band of Brothers.

Procedure: comment with the amount you're giving and your request. One thing I MUST insist on, because we're talking about money and my quite-limited time here - SPECIFIC REQUESTS ONLY. That means no "You know what I like!" comments, or you will get nothing but blank stares in return for your money. With school starting again on Tuesday I can only promise so much creativity!

Because I am basically PayPal illiterate and rarely use it, I think the simplest solution is straight-up payments to my personal account. Once all requests have been accepted/written, I will then donate the lump sum to the Red Cross's Haiti Emergency Fund. I realize this means you've got to trust me with your money instead of donating straight to them, but I think you can trust that I'm relatively sane and won't hoard your dollars in order to plot a world takeover bid!

My account is registered under violinc3000 AT gmail DOT com.

Any questions or suggestions, please feel free to comment/PM me!

CM

A student committed suicide at NYU this week. We then all received this email, and I dunno... I found it strangely inspiring. RIP.

"It is with great sorrow that I must tell you of the death of a student -- a junior in the College of Arts and Science -- early this morning in Bobst Library. While the cause of death is still being determined, indications are that he took his own life.

Suicide among people of college age is a national problem, a leading cause of death among the young; each year, campuses across the country must cope with these tragedies and their aftermath -- the pain, the heartbreak, the upset it causes to those who are vulnerable, and all the terrible, persistent questions.

I have taught young people for some five decades, drawn by their energy and their promise and by the unique bond that forms between student and professor. The impulse for self-harm - particularly among young men and women with so much talent and so much to live for -- is incomprehensible to me.

And so I would like to speak to the NYU student community as I would speak with a student of mine sitting and talking with me in my own office. No matter how difficult things might seem at any particular moment, your life is filled with promise, you belong in and are part of a community that cherishes your presence, you are loved, and there are many people at hand ready and willing to help you -- your professors, the staff in the residence halls, the Wellness Exchange, your family, and your friends. I am certain of this: there are many resources to help you, and harming oneself is absolutely the wrong choice.

We are a close knit community, a large community of small communities; we should remind ourselves that there will always be people among us who will need our help, and we should never hesitate to reach out and offer a hand or an attentive ear, or to direct friends and peers to the many excellent professionals we have at the Wellness Exchange (XXX-XXX-XXXX, or XXX from any campus phone) to help students work through problems.

If you feel upset by this news or anything else in your life, do not hesitate to call the Wellness Exchange. If you have a friend or a student or a colleague who seems vulnerable, call on his or her behalf.

I know I speak for the entire NYU community when I say that this student's family and loved ones are in our thoughts and our hearts and our prayers. The family has asked that they be accorded the greatest possible degree of privacy and sensitivity in this difficult hour, and I would hope that we all shall strive to comply.

To each one of us -- student, faculty, administrators, or staff: take care of yourself, take care of one another."

--- John Sexton, President of the University

This post is public in case anyone wants to use it for research purposes (yes, I'm a dork, shh). Non-United fans can feel free to ignore it. *G* Once again, all my photos are over here.

( Bits of trivia, really. I thought they were fun. Starting with the interesting player bits... )