Welcome to Reason's Webathon 2012!

Please Help Support Our Efforts to Bring You The Best Libertarian News

I'm happy to announce that today is the starting point for Reason's annual webathon, where we ask readers of Reason.com to support our efforts to bring you the very best in libertarian news, commentary, and video.

Through next Tuesday, my colleague and co-author Matt Welch and I will be blogging about our efforts and highlights from the past year and telling you about our plans for 2013.

Last year, 500 readers ponied up to help and this year we're looking for 800 people who will make tax-deductible donations to Reason Foundation, the 501(c)3 nonprofit responsible for this site, Reason TV, and the print edition of the magazine that's been likened to the bastard child of Jane Fonda and Alan Greenspan by the New York Post, who called us "a kick-ass, no-holds-barred political magazine."

As Reason's publisher, Mike Alissi, has put it, there's a lot of reasons to support Reason, including:

• Do you spend more time on Hit & Run than on Facebook? Donate!
• Do you find yourself clicking on Reason 24/7 every 5 minutes in search of breaking news? Donate!
• Do you have a burning question that only Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch can answer? Donate!

For $100, you get a Reason T-shirt and a one year's subscription that you can keep or gift to your closest friend or enemy who needs to read more about "Free Minds and Free Markets."

For $1,000, you can have lunch with Matt and me in D.C., plus ask us anything for a future edition of our popular "Ask a Libertarian" video series, plus a lot more.

For $5,000, you'll get your name on a tile in our new Los Angeles-based foundation headquarters, which houses a great new Reason TV video studio.

We've got swag for every level of giving, from modest to massive. Go here now to check out the different gifts for different levels and make a tax-deductible donation now!

Your donations allow to keep on doing what we do. We run a lean, mean, fighting-for-liberty machine that is out there every minute of every day, bringing you stories such as yesterday's expose that the most popular anti-drug program in the country, DARE, is basically dropping its anti-pot stance from its materials for kids (they must have gotten around to reading our persistent critiques of their program, and the drug war more generally). And ongoing analysis about how to avoid the fiscal cliff by reducing spending, not dithering over tax hikes. And our invaluable AM and PM links that gather news and views from all over the planet in a tight little digest for you twice daily (where else are you going to find the following stories in a single spot?: Politicians Play Chicken On the Fiscal Cliff, Economists Gloomy About Manufacturing, Riots Over Kim Kardashian).

Please give what you can.

It's been a tough few years, for sure, and 2013 isn't shaping up as any bed of roses. With a new look to Reason's website, a fistful of new people, a great 24/7 news feed, and so much more, Reason is primed to be your voice in the fight for individual liberty and smaller government in every aspect of life.

We're the only ones out there making the case for gay marriage and spending cuts, pot legalization and an end to overseas wars, to opening up our borders not just to foreign goods but foreign people too. We need your help to bring our message of "Free Minds and Free Markets" to more and more people in the next year. Fox News' John Stossel has called Reason "one sane voice fighting tons of nonsense" -and your gift will help make our voice reach more people.

Again, go here to see the specifics of our contribution levels. Even the smallest donation helps and you'll get to see your name up at the banner running at the top of the site (if you like - we respect your privacy, too!).

And stay tuned to Reason.com for an announcement later today about a VERY SPECIAL LIVE WEB EVENT that will take place TOMORROW, DECEMBER 5!

Comments

[Colin Fraizer]

First? (I gave. I hope you do too.)

[Fist of Etiquette]

Last year's webcathlon brought us Evening Links. I'm excited to find out what Hit & Run enticements to donation are in store for us self-important registered commenters this time around. Super threading, perhaps? Reverse comment threads? Three-dimensional threads?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I will donate when Fist is no longer first.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Well, there ya go ^

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I meant in General

[Fist of Etiquette]

There was a time when men of great achievement such as myself were lauded for their successes. Now, captains of industry are regularly demonized by those of lesser accomplishment. Welcome to Obama's America, I guess.

You wouldn't understand, as your title archduke came to you through an unearned birthright.

[Pro Libertate]

Blink tags? In-line video?

[Fist of Etiquette]

No.

[PS]

Animated GIFs?

[Fist of Etiquette]

NO.

[PS]

Undercoating, can we at least get some undercoating?

[JW]

Sideboob?

[bostonaod]

See.. they install that TruCoat at the factory, there's nothing we can do

[Pro Libertate]

Why not? Why do you fear the expression of ideas?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Individuality is fine as long as we all do it the same. Static text only.

[Pro Libertate]

Ah, so you fear those of us with coding skills that you lack. I see.

Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about your mother.

[Lord Humungus]

Three-dimensional threads? Fuck that, pussy. Fourth-dimensional!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Then we would never hear from P Brooks.

[Auric Demonocles]

The edit button!

And of course, mandatory alt-text.

[LTC(ret) John]

"mandatory alt-text"

Hear hear!

[Cdr Lytton]

How about late evening (late night) articles for non-daywalkers. The world doesn't revolve around Eastern time zone. Or weekend links.

[Auric Demonocles]

That's what Tim is for.

[db]

How about a search function that doesn't suck as much as google's?

[Pro Libertate]

Caption: "Remember."

[Kaptious Kristen]

Will the mystery of Lucy finally be solved?

[Almanian.]

Never

[PS]

Nick said he sent her off to a nice farm.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Oh, well then. That makes me feel beter!

[Kaptious Kristen]

I wish I could afford to donate at the $666 level, especially since Krampusnacht is tomorrow!

[The Late P Brooks]

Caption for the first photo:

"I couldn't have done it without you, George."

[Restoras]

I'll pledge $21.12 if H&R features the cover of that great album on a blog post in the next 48 hours.

[The Late P Brooks]

Super threading, perhaps? Reverse comment threads? Three-dimensional threads?

Why go halfway? Just institute fully randomized comment placement.

[SIV]

"Promoted Comments".

Pay for favorable comment placement.

[Newt Gingrich]

Sponsored comments?

Brought to you by Carl's Jr.

[Almanian.]

1) I broke down and gave - but less than last year. FIX THE GODDAMNED LOGIN ISSUES!
2) This place was MUCH better when Lucy Steigerwald was here to join the commenters.
3) For a website called reason.com....

[Almanian.]

Oh, PS, also - breech of contract. I gave $666 last year and never got interviewed by Lucy like you promised. Bad karma for you, Reason.

[RBS]

Maybe Lucy could interview you for her new blog? She could do an entire series of interviews of H&R commentators.

[hamilton]

That would be funny and really scary at the same time.

[SIV]

Here's my pledge

$100 for ending registration and threading.
$200 for firing Poole* and Dalmia.
$300 for all of the above.

*I realize this might be kind of difficult.

[RBS]

I know, how dare Poole try to promote ideas that might (or do!) actually work in real life.

[SIV]

Works for government. Works for crony government contractors.

[RBS]

Please, show your work.

[SugarFree]

$100 for ending registration

Do you really miss White Indian that much?

[Fist of Etiquette]

AS OPPOSED TO THE ECHO CHAMBER REGISTRATION HAS CREATED??? The homogenized, prepackaged and focus group-approved comments that I've had to endure since registration has failed to challenge me, to stimulate my mind. It's a kind of fairness doctrine that should be unacceptable in the open waters of the internet.

I have even resorted to manufacturing dissent to keep my arguing muscle in shape. For instance, this comment.

[RBS]

What, Tulpa isn't enough? Or that Robert guy with his "fundamental questions" about rape?

[PS]

I totally agree with everything written above^

[PS]

Oh fuck you, RBS, you ruined it!

[RBS]

It's all falling into place...

[PS]

Ban this terrible sower of chaos and I will donate 10 greenbacks.

[BoxyBoxyBoxyBoxy]

No shirt in stocky neckbeard size.

:[

[LTC(ret) John]

I do appreciate the joker who donated under the name "STEVE SMITH RAPE" - just what you want flashing across your screen, Reason!

[Warty]

But I gave last year! Are you never satisfied???

[Almanian.]

The Kochtopus is never satiated.

[Auric Demonocles]

Warty, I think you would know the answer to that question by now:

"Not by you."

[Almanian.]

CAPTION (for the first one):

"Hmmm....smells like TEAM spirit."

[Rich]

a chance to ask Matt and Nick anything

Sorry, until this is tightened up to *guarantee reasonable public answers* from Matt and Nick I will be unable to donate $666.

[invisible furry hand]

More begging and flattery before i reach for my Mastercard

[Newt Gingrich]

I love the way you manage to survive being trapped in a penal colony with 90% of the poisonous creatures on the planet day after day.

[LTC(ret) John]

I truly admire your ability to remain uneaten by dingoes, crocs, giant kookaburras or Labor Party members

[T]

I gave. It's worth some money to be able to fuck off here instead of working.

[sarcasmic]

Who wants lunch with the guy who fired Lucy?

[Kaptious Kristen]

I think anyone who donates at the "ask a question" level should ask about Lucy. Get, like, 20 Lucy-related questions into "Ask a Libertarian". Then see Nick & Matt do an Obama and either laugh it off or ignore it.

[sarcasmic]

"Are you serious? Are you serious?"

[nicole]

I hate to have to say it, but obviously this is why we cannot have nice things. Nice things like Lucy.

[sloopyinca]

That's not true, Nicole. Some of us can make a donation and get a lot cooler gift than a t-shirt or lunch with someone. If I recall correctly, you now have the pleasure, for your donation of $215, of having given the middle name to our beautiful baby girl, Reason Sophia Spicer.

[generic Brand]

Booo! "Sophia"? Damn my poor ass for not being able to afford something epic. Get to work on another baby in the next month or so, so that by the time I get my first scholarship stipend next fall I can afford a real whopper of a middle name!

[sloopyinca]

We're gonna try again in March. Our goal is to have as many December babies as possible, that way we can screw both the IRS and our children on birthday/Christmas presents.

[LTC(ret) John]

"and our children on birthday/Christmas presents."

*wince*

I wouldn't know with a wife born on Dec 17 and son on Dec 23.

[sarcasmic]

My father was born 12/24. He hates Christmas.

[RBS]

If I donate $25 can I get a copy of Choice?

[R C Dean]

I'm in.

[hamilton]

I gave, but I could be inspired to give more if the mysterious Announcement is Lobster Girl related.

[A Mathematician]

Is it a one on one lunch and can I set the date? I'll be in DC sometime between christmas and new years

[iggy]

'Do you find yourself clicking on Reason 24/7 every five minutes in search of breaking news?'

That's cute. Reason thinks there are people who actually do this.

[Auric Demonocles]

Wait, there's more to the webpage than HnR?

[$park?]

I see you were generous enough to start the donations at $100. Some people actually have to work for a living you know.

[sloopyinca]

Well, we gave reason a chance to do the baby-naming contest in conjunction with this webathon but they* thought it was a lousy idea for some reason. I will now gladly be looking for Nicole's $215 donation that will be made on behalf of Reason Sophia Spicer.

Sorry, Reason people. You missed out on what could have been a much bigger payday and a much more clever webathon hook. But I still plan on being at the Christmas open house in a couple of weeks so I can drink as much free booze as possible and make an ass of myself.

*Well, not the people I spoke with but rather the decision-makers.

[nicole]

There it is, sloopy, scrolling on by. Will forward you confirmation.

[Banjos]

Thank you, Nicole. If you like, we can mail you a copy of her birth certificate.

[nicole]

That's quite alright. Thank you!

[$park?]

You never know when you might need a quick change of identity nicole. Maybe you better think about it a bit before you say no.

[Banjos]

Shouldn't you be at the hospital visiting your doped up wife? The nurse gave me two Vicodins this morning, it turned out to be a bad idea.

[Newt Gingrich]

Well you're not supposed to crush and snort them both at once. Moderation, Banjos.

[Ted S.]

But I still plan on being at the Christmas open house in a couple of weeks so I can drink as much free booze as possible and make an ass of myself.

Why do you have to go to the open house to make an ass of yourself? You do an outstanding job of that here.

[MattJ]

I gave last year. I'll probably give this year.

Is there a way to give and NOT get a bunch of fundraising requests from... anyone else?

Can I get an agreement from Reason not to share my name and address with other organizations? Can we get some transparency about whether and with whom Reason does this?

[$park?]

Unfortunately the transparency regarding whom they share your information with comes in the form of various mailings sent to your home address.

[MattJ]

Sort of. Maybe the Marijuana Policy Project got my name/address some other way.

But I doubt it.

[sloopyinca]

I never got a single solicitation from my donations made in the last few years. Hell, for that matter I never got my subscription filled either.

[MattJ]

That's weird. They send me the magazine sometimes and I never even asked for it. I used to subscribe (maybe a decade ago?) but I've moved several times since then.

[$park?]

And then you go through the trouble of donating and they foul up your banner message...

[db]

As if you could get fouler than Ke$ha.

[Cdr Lytton]

Question for fellow reasonioids-- any other liberty minded organizations that deserve a donation? IJ? ...? Time to do some tax reduction and Reason already got a donation pre-webathon.

[Kaptious Kristen]

The Innocence Project is high on my list. They usually get the most $$ form me. IJ is a very close second.

[The Late P Brooks]

a VERY SPECIAL LIVE WEB EVENT that will take place TOMORROW, DECEMBER 5!

Hopefully, this will involve STEVE SMITH and White Injun.

[LTC(ret) John]

May I fill in for "Teenaged Girl"?

Ewwww!

[Newt Gingrich]

You're a sick man, Brooks.

[Stormy Dragon]

I demand a music video of prominent libertarians singing a earwormy anthem about why we should give them our money.

Jackets Across America or something.

[hamilton]

Actually, I've been thinking about this* and I have to say, if one of the Lovely Parting Gifts for donating were a reason-branded monocle (at, say, the $250 level) you guys would clean up. Clean. Up.

*Yeah, yeah, it's been a slow day.

[Ghetto Slovak Goatherder]

"Do you spend more time on Hit & Run than on Facebook?"

DAMNIT.

What does the shirt look like?

[??? ??????]

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