The Seven Deadly Sins, But Mostly Greed.

On NPR this morning, they did an interview with Nicole Buffett, who is an artist in San Francisco and Warren Buffett's granddaughter. She sounds like a very cool chick, and I am delighted to have done a search for her and found that she's this very pretty woman with dreads and great jewelry. Rock on, Nicole Buffett. But even more than that, she was incredibly awesome about her grandfather's donation of THIRTY SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. When pushed, again and again to come out and say she was pissed that the money had gone to charity instead of family, she stuck with what I think she truly means - that she think it's the way her grandmother would have wanted it, and she's glad it's going to a good cause. The thing that bothered me about the interview was that the interviewer kept pushing and pushing the issue, making it seem like the money was Nicole's and her parents' and relatives, and there was something unfair about it going to the Gates Foundation. Does anyone else find that weird? It's Warren Buffett's money. That he earned. That he can do whatever the hell he wants to with. If he came out and said he wanted to donate his $37 billion to redesigning the currency of Madagascar...that's his right. This whole hue and cry about how kee-razy it is that he's giving the bucks to charity and not his family really kind of creeps me out, because it's got the stink of that "my money is mine, all mine, and fuck all you people not as well off as me" air that has been so prevalent lately. It's an entitlement thing, and it creeps me out. He can do whatever he wants with it - I would hope that people who can would donate to charity in a really meaningful way, but the bottom line is, what business is it of NPR's or any of the rest of the media's to be practically drooling over the very idea of the Buffett fam flipping their shit like spoiled little children that the money isn't going to them? It's great to do what Buffett did. It's gross to have everyone in the world poking the rest of the family with a stick. Of course they're proud of him, because it rocks that he DOUBLED the money the Gates Foundation has to give, and I'm sure they are bummed out on some level, but leave them alone!

PS - Isn't it always kind of great when kids who should be completely spoiled and horrific come out kind of awesome? Like Nicole Buffet, for instance, or Don Jr. and IVANKA! Trump?

On a side note, if you don't know about the amazing stuff that the Gates Foundation does, take some time to toodle around their site and Google them. They do a ton (including working to raise the high school graduation rate), but a majority of it is supporting research and development in diseases where there isn't much money. I've said before, if not on this blog, on real life, that capitalism and competition in medicine is good because it pushes for endless innovation...but the problem is that the diseases that aren't big money makers - i.e. malaria in Africa, the ideal example for the Gates Foundation - get passed by, and development stagnates and ends. The Gates Foundation picks that stuff up and starts research again, and it's REALLY COOL STUFF! Check it out.

This whole thing, incidentally, has ruined my view of two women on the radio who I didn't necessarily list on my favorite female role models, but who didn't bother me. One was the reporter doing the interview with Nicole Buffett for being obnoxious about where the money should have gone. The other one was on WTAG yesterday, and the stupid was just falling out all over the place. She had this to share on the topic of the donation..."Melinda is really the mastermind behind the whole charity, did you know that? Hee hee....You gotta hand it to her, great marriage! He might not be much to look at, but man..." That's great. First you express surprise that a woman is in charge - it doesn't quite carry here, but that was the tone - like, way to prove you think women are capable, and then you tell us all about how you should marry for money and that's the only reason Melinda is with Bill. Way to out yourself as shallow and a shitty role model. I suppose it goes without saying that she went on to embarass herself while talking about sports shortly thereafter. Note to Girls Who Fake It: Guys will be impressed if you KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. Faking an interest is just straight up irritating.

What do I need to do to get a hardcore female role model up in here? If Nancy Pelosi would just sack up and get the Dems in shape, we could be on the right path. Angelina Jolie is a great candidate...but no one cares. Too pretty. Le sigh.

Oh, and my irrational love for Pink continues, not only because for some reason she thought it would be a hot plan to refer to herself as "trisexual" but for her latest song, "Stupid Girls."