Iraq's children + basketball in the Holy Land = I needz my money!

Through my regular surfing I was directed to two amazing blog posts that demonstrate the appeal and promise of the form. The first was a post entitled Tears and Blood and Shit at Gorilla's Guides about the horrible suffering of Iraq's children today, right now. Its also a stirring denunciation of American's occupation, something that you don't see much in the newspapers or televisions in the US.

The second blog piece was about young Arab and Jewish kids playing together on a team called PeacePlayers entering the Old City of Jerusalem to play against another team. The NBA better get a hold of these guys quickly for their "Basketball without Borders" because they're doing it! As they explain:

The team walked bravely though the New Gate together and into unknown territory. For the Jewish children from Beit Shemesh it would be the first time they had ever entered an Arab dominated section of the Old City. For the Arab children they would be walking next to their Jewish teammates, not into a obscure gym, but right out in the open and in their own backyard. All this against the backdrop of the turmoil surrounding the excavation near the Temple Mount.

How hardcore are these kids? They court they played on in the Old City is walled in on two sides BY THE OLD CITY WALL!

While this is happening its nice to know others are working on how to monetize the blog form in the tried and tested way of getting people to sell out. But this is selling out with a twist: not just a few, but lots, and not with the large novelty check, but with small dollar amounts in secret, in the way that eats away at the soul. In the LA Times business section the story "Blogging for Dollars Raises Questions on Online Ethics" describes how company named PayPerPost pays bloggers to mention certain products in their blogs. It could be soap operas, wireless speakers, cruise vacations, whatever!

So it is in that spirit I ask: where's mine?! Can some pay me to hype their socially conscious media source? Not too big though, maybe something like Z Magazine. They'd pay someone like me big bucks, right? I guess I could figure out something with those sick and in danger Iraqi children. After all, our country gave them freedom and democracy, how about they do something for us (meaning me!) for once?