I think physical theropy is most correct because that is what it is.
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I think physical theropy is most correct because that is what it is.
[QUOTE=Dickhead;1636545]Maybe. I'd be careful. The foundation has to be registered [B]in the US[/B] as a "501(c)(3)" organization. [/QUOTE]You're right, but many do exactly that for fund-raising purposes. They often have operations in different countries, and especially in wealthy industrialized countries. Some of the large international NGOs have operations in 100 or more countries. If you care to check in the states get yourself a freebie membership in Guidestar.org and do a search for the charity's name. If they exist anywhere in the country--and sometimes in more than one state--you can get a look at their financials, including their most recent annual tax return.
It is true that some charities have large overhead costs, but you can check out their finances as I described above. Also, there are watchdog groups like Charity Navigator and NGO Watch that keep tabs on the percentage of funds going to programs vs. Administration.
[QUOTE=SkipKost;1636497]For those in the states there is a difference. The former can be written off on taxes as a charitable deduction, and the latter cannot. Unless the guy can figure out a way to show the latter as a "business expense. ".[/QUOTE]To suggest that I am contributing to education opportunities for very poor kids because it might be a tax deduction is a bit mean-spirited SK.
For the record, I am not required to pay any taxes at all so my motives need not be questioned.
If you were attempting humor then it was weak and missed the mark.
[QUOTE=Aussiegaigin;1636627]If you send money to a "foundation", a lot of it usually goes to the running costs, often the kids often get very little at the end of the chain. Not saying that this is a bad thing, although I've seen reports of scams. At least sending money direct to girls, they get all of it.[/QUOTE]I am a co-convenor of the foundation.
100% of all monies go to the kids' education.
The "owners" carry ALL costs. We do not need or require any large infrastructure.
[QUOTE=SkipKost;1636682]You're right, but many do exactly that for fund-raising purposes. They often have operations in different countries, and especially in wealthy industrialized countries. Some of the large international NGOs have operations in 100 or more countries. If you care to check in the states get yourself a freebie membership in Guidestar.org and do a search for the charity's name. If they exist anywhere in the country--and sometimes in more than one state--you can get a look at their financials, including their most recent annual tax return. [/QUOTE]Right, I'm just saying check before you donate. You don't have to join any silly organization. You can check directly with the IRS and / or ask the charity for proof of registration. Oh yeah, and for the guy who said to write it off as physical therapy, medical deductions are limited to the extent they exceed 10% of income. Entertainment is limited to 50% of the expense, and even charitable deductions are limited (but can be carried forward), so I would put it down as marketing. You are carefully and intimately interviewing local residents to get a "feel" for local "tastes" and cultures. Or perhaps you have a manufacturing business and you could put it under "tool cleaning and maintenance. ".
[QUOTE=RedKilt;1636762]To suggest that I am contributing to education opportunities for very poor kids because it might be a tax deduction is a bit mean-spirited SK.
For the record, I am not required to pay any taxes at all so my motives need not be questioned.
If you were attempting humor then it was weak and missed the mark.[/QUOTE]
My post referred to "those in the states. " Although I guess Australia has a half dozen or so states, I think you know I'm American and was referring to the United States. I have no knowledge of Australian tax policy, nor of what tax policies apply to you. But you construed this as being about you?
The last sentence fragment: "Unless the guy can figure out a way to show the latter as a 'business expense' was meant partially (but not entirely) jokingly, but the "guy" here was, again, a hypothetical American. The first two sentences were not meant as humor, and were in no way about you. If you read the subsequent exchange about deductions that can be taken in the United States for charitable contributions--and how a person can ascertain the legitimacy of a nonprofit organization--I think it becomes clear that my underlying train of thought was quite serious. I'm baffled as to why you read this as humor and why you thought it was about you.
Humor that was "weak and missed the point"? Please note that I did not enter into the discussion on physical therapy, tool cleaning, and spelunking. So who's being mean-spirited?
I had no knowledge of your foundation work, but I find it commendable and would never make light of it.
But maybe you need a vacation. (This statement is meant to be partly joke, partly serious.).
[QUOTE=Dickhead;1636823]Right, I'm just saying check before you donate. You don't have to join any silly organization. You can check directly with the IRS and / or ask the charity for proof of registration. [/QUOTE]I was tempted to reply to your post, but I think a change of topic may be appropriate now. Thanks for your thoughtful contributions. Skip.
[QUOTE=SkipKost;1636914]My post referred to "those in the states. " Although I guess Australia has a half dozen or so states, I think you know I'm American and was referring to the United States. I have no knowledge of Australian tax policy, nor of what tax policies apply to you. But you construed this as being about you?
The last sentence fragment: "Unless the guy can figure out a way to show the latter as a 'business expense' was meant partially (but not entirely) jokingly, but the "guy" here was, again, a hypothetical American. The first two sentences were not meant as humor, and were in no way about you. If you read the subsequent exchange about deductions that can be taken in the United States for charitable contributions--and how a person can ascertain the legitimacy of a nonprofit organization--I think it becomes clear that my underlying train of thought was quite serious. I'm baffled as to why you read this as humor and why you thought it was about you.
Humor that was "weak and missed the point"? Please note that I did not enter into the discussion on physical therapy, tool cleaning, and spelunking. So who's being mean-spirited?
I had no knowledge of your foundation work, but I find it commendable and would never make light of it.
But maybe you need a vacation. (This statement is meant to be partly joke, partly serious.).[/QUOTE]Some folks are just overly sensitive. LOL.
Guys.
Does EVERY single filipina know the song "Just another woman in love" from the 1970's. I am so sick of hearing my filipina GFs that I fly to Singapore sing that song. Finally at breakfast this AM I told the current one "you know, American men don't like that song" hahahaha. She looked at me and started singing "top of the world" by the Carpenters. Ugggg.
Enjoy,
GG
[QUOTE=RadicalGuy;1636952]Some folks are just overly sensitive. LOL.[/QUOTE]I think his original statement was meant metaphorically as a defense for those who support Filipinas from afar without having any way to monitor them or the money. I made the conversation about the instrumental actions of the donors in the respective scenarios. Subsequent replies from DH and AG followed my more instrumental tack and his analogy ended up being ignored. Then, when the subsequent dialogue turned to physical therapy, tool cleaning, and spelunking, he may have assumed that that turn of humor had been my intention. It wasn't, nor did my post have anything to do with his contributions to his foundation, but it did deflect conversation away from his analogy. But since inference requires some interpretation of others' intentions, I may be falsely attributing his intentions and interpretation.
I believe his original analogy is appropriate in that both contributing to a distant Filipina and contributing to a charity require some faith as to how the money will be used. But I think there are differences in what drives the person to contribute in the first place. Some charities (that is, nonprofits, NGOs, and other organizations that draw substantially on voluntary labor and gifts) have figured out that people's heartstrings are connected to their purse strings, and so they intentionally build their appeals around an "identifiable victim. " Just showing people the numbers of lives that have been changed has much less fundraising potential. So their TV appeals show African kids with distended bellies and flies buzzing around their heads, and they offer up "sponsorship" programs and the name of a kid to whom your donations are channeled. Except that the charity keeps track of your "identified" kid so that subsequent appeals refer to the same kid, but the money actually goes into a general budget so that it's impossible to track its effect on the identified kid. I'm sure many charities don't use the identifiable victim approach, but almost all know that it is more effective to show the "need" side of the equation rather than the outcome side. I am speaking here about charities generically and not any particular charity.
My hunch is that, in contrast, donations sent to a specific Pinay draw only partially on the victimhood of the Pinay. They may also draw on dreams (or fantasies) of future marriage and on thinking from the little head. I don't think there are many fantasies or little head thinking when people give to charities. On the other hand, the reasons why [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord914][CodeWord914][/url] volunteer their labor to Boy Scouts and other youth groups may be a different story.
I want to be clear that I am not down on NGOs and other charities. Far from it. I am aware of some that do a lot of good. But some have also become more responsive to their own organizational survival than to needs on the ground in developing countries, and unfortunately those are often the ones that are most skillful at projecting their fundraising image.
By now I have violated my own call for changing the topic, but hopefully I have redirected the conversation to a different path.
I think that a lot of the Western Union / Captain Save-a-ho types of behaviors are indicative of a (somewhat pathological) need for control. I send her money, therefore I can tell her not to fuck other guys or sext for money or whatever. This control is entirely illusory, of course, but I still think it's a prime motivating factor.
[QUOTE=Dickhead;1637235]I think that a lot of the Western Union / Captain Save-a-ho types of behaviors are indicative of a (somewhat pathological) need for control. I send her money, therefore I can tell her not to fuck other guys or sext for money or whatever. This control is entirely illusory, of course, but I still think it's a prime motivating factor.[/QUOTE]This is a good observation and I agree totaly. Many pinay / western relationship are extremely unbalanced to start with (fill in whatever you like) and the WU part only makes this worse.
[QUOTE=GenevaGuy;1637019]Guys.
Does EVERY single filipina know the song "Just another woman in love" from the 1970's. I am so sick of hearing my filipina GFs that I fly to Singapore sing that song. Finally at breakfast this AM I told the current one "you know, American men don't like that song" hahahaha. She looked at me and started singing "top of the world" by the Carpenters. Ugggg.
Enjoy,
GG[/QUOTE]They know the words to every love song going back to Elvis I think. They have NO IDEA who the artist is. Anne Murray, Carpenters, Whitney, Beyonce. Its all bubble gum, but I like some of it. Don't worry, I still like Boston and Aerosmith.
[QUOTE=Dickhead;1637235]I think that a lot of the Western Union / Captain Save-a-ho types of behaviors are indicative of a (somewhat pathological) need for control. I send her money, therefore I can tell her not to fuck other guys or sext for money or whatever. This control is entirely illusory, of course, but I still think it's a prime motivating factor.[/QUOTE]I agree with the points raised by you & Skogis & others.
I tell guys who will listen, if you are here for sex then compensate them for the times you have with them but don't get sucked into being a remittance man. If you are after a wife then get yourself over here to the Phils & spend 3 - 6 months with the (blood sucking) family, then marry her if you still feel so hot about it & take her back to wherever you came from.
Sending money regularly to internet women whom you have never met, bar girls & 'will fuck for food' types is just plain silly. This is all plain sense in my opinion but I'm putting it out there for the many lurkers who read these pages.
One final point, discretion of each monger should be taken into account. Some of my circle of girls are indeed bar girls & on occasion I have acceded to a request for help but I make it clear from the outset that I don't have an obligation to them & this is just a random act of kindness.
AV.
[QUOTE=Amavida;1637415]I agree with the points raised by you & Skogis & others.
I tell guys who will listen, if you are here for sex then compensate them for the times you have with them but don't get sucked into being a remittance man. If you are after a wife then get yourself over here to the Phils & spend 3 - 6 months with the (blood sucking) family, then marry her if you still feel so hot about it & take her back to wherever you came from.
Sending money regularly to internet women whom you have never met, bar girls & 'will fuck for food' types is just plain silly. This is all plain sense in my opinion but I'm putting it out there for the many lurkers who read these pages.
One final point, discretion of each monger should be taken into account. Some of my circle of girls are indeed bar girls & on occasion I have acceded to a request for help but I make it clear from the outset that I don't have an obligation to them & this is just a random act of kindness.
AV.[/QUOTE]I come to the Philippines three times a year, been coming here for nine years. Conservatively, I believe the money I've sent, handed to directly, or paid a bill with credit card has saved at least five lives: three girls with TB; two more girls who couldn't afford a hospital stay (one who had a horrible miscarriage and another who had appendicitis and I paid for her appendectomy); my ex-fiancee's mother (pneumonia, although she died from a recurrence three years later); and someone I "adopted" who has a rheumatic heart condition brought about by years of frequent untreated strep throats / bouts with tonsillitis when she was a child. The medical ethics in the PI are appalling and I can easily afford to help out here and there, so it's my way of paying back these girls for providing me with so much pleasure.