fall fundraising campaign

my public radio station (wabe) is in the middle of its fall fundraising campaign.  this annoys me greatly - give me my news!  don't convince me to donate!  i promise to donate - just give me my news!  okay, but the please-give-us-money spiels do work - the first time i donated to npr was three years ago, when one of the donate-to-us spiels was from a reporter who was reporting from iraq and said that donations go to buy him bullet proof vests to wear so he can be safe while reporting the war back to us the united states.  YOU CAN'T NOT DONATE WHEN THIS IS HOW THEY ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE YOU.

i can't remember how they convinced me last year - it probably got wrapped up in my end-of-year donations to duke and ncssm or was part of the warm feeling i get from christmas.

this morning i'm listening to my news as i drive to work, and they move into the donate-to-us spiel and i change the channel, but all of my other preprogrammed channels were either in commercial or talk radio.  a nice reminder that THIS IS WHY I DON'T LISTEN TO THEM IN THE MORNING.  so i go back to npr and resign myself to listening to the fundraising portion of the program.  but wait!  that's my friend ira glass of this american life who is trying to convince me to donate now!  he entertains me, so i will listen to him.  he tells me the following fact: 9 out of 10 public radio listeners don't donate.  argh!  okay, i can't let that be me this year - i need to remember to give, as i have for the past two years.  he then cuts to this tape where he calls an independent bookstore in chicago and asks for 10 books, but only wants to pay for 1 (to prove the point that there are few things in life where only 9 out of 10 people pay, but everyone reaps the benefits).  this interview amuses me, and i continue listening.  ira glass then says something like, "and you!  you who are listening!  you are listening to the fundraising portion of the program!  you are a diehard public radio listener if that is the case!  how have you not donated yet?" (i was extremely embarrassed to admit that i fall into this group, but the evidence was overwhelming.)  then my friendly wabe announcer comes on and says if they raise $2,600 in the next half an hour, an anonymous donor would match it.

okay, enough is enough.  as soon as i got to work, i donated.  of course.  you are so convincing, npr!