60 billion grains of free rice.

[Isaac Sauvage]

just discovered this site.
as you play the free online games, the banner ads generate revenue to buy rice for the world's impoverished in bangladesh, cambodia, bhutan, uganda, nepal, etc.

for every correct answer, you automatically donate 10 grains of rice. the site keeps track of how many grains you've donated as long as you keep the page open- i've donated 600 so far. :)

if the games sucked then there wouldn't be much point to this site. but no, the games are quite good. and educational. i love that combination.


ART

Famous Paintings

CHEMISTRY

Chemical Symbols (Basic)
Chemical Symbols (Full List)

ENGLISH

English Grammar
English Vocabulary

GEOGRAPHY

Identify Countries on the Map
World Capitals

LANGUAGE LEARNING

French
German
Italian
Spanish

MATH

Basic Math (Pre-Algebra)
Multiplication Table

...

now see if you can beat my total, 600 grains!
http://www.freerice.com/subjects.php

 

[Phoenixx]

I dont want to invade your thread nic, so im asking you first; would you like to hear my honest opinion, even if this is (probably) not what you want to hear?

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

that feeding the world's hungry only makes them dependent on free food, therefore a project like this does more harm than good?

 

[Phoenixx]

I take that as a yes, so heres what i think.

In itself it is a good and honorable thing no doubt, but still it has a slightly macabre taste to it. I dont exactly know why, but i always feel that way when i come across things like that. I mean if they do have the money to donate, and helping the poor is really what they want, why make it dependent on how many people are viewing their stupid ads? This almost appears like mockery to me, and we all know that this is really a dead-serious matter.

Also, i know it wouldnt exactly make me feel good to know that i have just generated 600 grains of rice (whats that, like two handsfull?) or less that are to be split between dozens of starving nations. Again this appears to me like mocking a dead-serious matter. Of course one can argument that every little bit helps, and yes, i totally agree. Because it is of course not the act that i resent, but merely the method.


(Told you youre not going to like it.) :curtain:

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

you're looking at it through binoculars, imagining tanglements and subplots that aren't really there. start with the WP entry if you want more info.

 

[mrschultz]

I mean if they do have the money to donate, and helping the poor is really what they want, why make it dependent on how many people are viewing their stupid ads?

Did you go to the site? Really no ads except for more info on the program. I guess the partners listed in the lower right might be considered ads but they are barely noticeable.

But I do agree, I always have to question the "matching funds" type of promotions. It's cheap advertising pure and simple, if people don't contribute a lot the companies are off the hook and don't have to give.

I was trying to break level 40 in vocabulary but couldn't, kicked ass in the periodic table and grammar, should have done better in geography. Math was too boring. Ended up with just over 2000 grains.

Edit: There was a woman on The Colbert Report some time ago talking about a program that gives animals to the poor, for milk and food, that seemed like a really good solution, more along the lines of "teaching a man to fish".

Edit2: OK, I see there are ads below the questions when you answer, just didn't notice them while concentrating on the questions...

 

[Rick2007]

I take that as a yes, so heres what i think.

In itself it is a good and honorable thing no doubt, but still it has a slightly macabre taste to it. I dont exactly know why, but i always feel that way when i come across things like that. I mean if they do have the money to donate, and helping the poor is really what they want, why make it dependent on how many people are viewing their stupid ads? This almost appears like mockery to me, and we all know that this is really a dead-serious matter.

Also, i know it wouldnt exactly make me feel good to know that i have just generated 600 grains of rice (whats that, like two handsfull?) or less that are to be split between dozens of starving nations. Again this appears to me like mocking a dead-serious matter. Of course one can argument that every little bit helps, and yes, i totally agree. Because it is of course not the act that i resent, but merely the method.


(Told you youre not going to like it.) :curtain:

My first impression/feeling is that I Agree with the thoughts
of Phoenix[/COLO"]Pinball Nirvana Forums - View Profile: Phoenixx@@AMEPARAM@@View Profile: Phoenixx</title>@@AMEPARAM@@Phoenixxx. If I contribute to a fund I don't want
to jump through hoops.

 

[sleepy]

I haven't looked at the site yet, but...
I'm concerned that they are only distributing rice. Rice?
Rice is an incomplete protein and back in the 1970's was responsible for macrobiotic diet deficiency among those who not so coincidently practiced a macrobiotic diet consisting almost solely of...rice instead of adding variety and balance within of a type or types acceptable to the discipline.

Shouldn't they be including beans with that, or bulgur or semolina pasta and lentils, or falafel meal, or distribute succotash along with rice?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice#Expression_of_human_proteins

Rice is a good source of protein and a staple food in many parts of the world, but it is not a complete protein: it does not contain all of the essential amino acids in sufficient amounts for good health, and should be combined with other sources of protein, such as nuts, seeds, beans, fish, or meat.[9]

 

[mrschultz]

Shouldn't they be including beans with that, or bulgur or semolina pasta and lentils, or falafel meal, or distribute succotash along with rice?

Rice is just so easy to keep for a long time without spoiling...

Normally you see wheat flour being distributed with rice, that would fill in some of the gaps.

There's also the cost, what could keep the most number of people alive for the money spent. Rice is pretty good in that area.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

There was a woman on The Colbert Report some time ago talking about a program that gives animals to the poor, for milk and food, that seemed like a really good solution, more along the lines of "teaching a man to fish".

i seem to recall something like that mentioned in an episode of "whadya know". sounded like a nice idea IIRC.

i'm having a fun time with the paintings, although they seem to concentrate a bit too much on the impressionists to the exclusion of modern art. also, the geography of countries and adding to my spanish & french vocab.

 

[sleepy]

Yes, I seem to know more Spanish than I thought I did, though I pay attention to the Latin prefixes. It helps to say each word out loud using Spanish vowel pronunciation because I've heard many of the words used but haven't seen them in print before.
I often guess the definitions based on associative prefixes contained in previous correct answers!

Now, back to trabajo!