Casebook Examiner Number 5

[Celesta]

It's a very positive thing to do, Don, and a good idea.

The Examiner is so professionally done, and the look or style is one of the finer I've seen in any publication. Well done.

[corey123]

Don,

I am sure you must be getting sick of hearing this, but I have to agree with Celesta here, this magazine is the most professional and educating magazine that I have seen so far. Both in style and in contribution, and contents, all are of a professional air. With some of the best editors(yourself incuded), I can't think of ripperology without this magazine. Truly it has been a true honor being able to write for it and I hope there may be many instances where I have the chance to do so again.

To top it off, you donate all funds to a charity.

Thank you Don, Jen, and all at the Examiner for taking the time(which is very time consuming) to present us with the never ending gems of it pages.

Respecfully,

Corey

[Supe]

Corey,

Dammit all, you are going to make me blush--and I'm a grown man for crying out loud. Anyway, thank you for your exceedingly kind words about the magazine. And the credit must be spread wide: to Jen Shelden, who runs the best books section this side of the Times; to David Pegg for his design genius (and some of the groan-worthy puns as well); to our assistant editors, Debra Arif, Ali Bevan, Andrew Firth and Mark Ripper, and to the Ryders for their business acumen and trust.

Don.

[Tom_Wescott]

To top it off, you donate all funds to a charity.

After my salary comes out, of course.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[mariab]

Tom Wescott illicitly gets 15% more royalties because his articles ar so LOOONG.
To be quite honest, when I first heard about Examiner donating all subscription money to charity, my first thought was “way cool and decent“. My second thought was “Wouldn't it be nice if I could qualify as a vulnerable woman?“.
Silly joke aside, I think Examiner is an exceptional publication, and I can't wait to read issue #5. (Actually I even need to properly read #4 before that, as I didn't manage to give it all the attention it deserves.)

[Supe]

After my salary comes out, of course.

Indeed, some of Tom's recompense is deferred for tax purposes until 2050.

Don.

[mariab]

Reminds me of my meagre salary in Berlin (which at least comes no questions asked, since it's a sponsoring by the German state. The Paris salary is thick, but Paris is so prohibitedly expensive, that it feels like the fattest salary could evaporate in a week, just for food.) Actually I'm so used to constantly be seeking sponsoring, that at first mention of “vulnerable women“, I saw "women“ and thought “I qualify for 50% of the part, now how about vulnerable?“. I swear I'm not joking.

[Tom_Wescott]

Is there a woman who is not vulnerable? Anyhow, I thought the money was supposed to go to supporting the Casebook and all. I consider that a worthy cause. But some charities are good.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[mariab]

Most charities are good, when the money really goes to the charity in question, and not lining up some intermediate person's pocket (which I'm sure is not the case with casebook Examiner). Still, I completely understand why some people might refuse getting aid from charities. Often the charities' attitude is so condescending, that the people vulnerable enough to be in need of said charities will prefer to refuse getting help.
Tom Wescott wrote:
Is there a woman who is not vulnerable?
Vulnerable to what, Tom? I'm afraid that in this shithead economy we're all very vulnerable, and a couple of steps away from ending up unemployed and living under a bridge. With the big difference that continental Europe still features a social security state and decent medical insurance for everyone, unemployed or not. As it happens, I have reduced my German health insurance to the miminum so that I'm only paying 46-€ per month, which is nevertheless still covering basic dental, as well as basic other stuff. Seems like a dream situation for Americans, not?

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Maria, don't get me started on American healthcare. And I've worked for some charities. In most cases, only about 30% of the proceeds goes to help the intended recipients. I doubt that's the case with Don's charity.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

P.S. It's not enough that Don's been giving his money to women all these years, now he's giving ours!

[mariab]

As everyone knows, women are the source of all evil. Still, I would have find it fitting if the casebook Examiner subscriptions went into some organisation helping hookers/drug addicted women escape their milieu. It would be quite fitting with the JTR theme, or not?
I have to confess I don't quite like the word “charity“. It contains so much condenscending connotations in itself. I prefer the term “non profit organisation“. The majority of “non profit organisations“ I had to do with were environmental, but poverty is still the most tragic/ironic predicament in human civilisation. We've come a long way, haven't we?

[corey123]

Hello All,

I don't think there is much a difference between "charity" nor non-profit organization. Either way, it is for a cause, and I think it is rather rude trying to say sending money to a "Charity" is condescending nor the fact that the charity helps women in need. They don't force women in need to get help, they help those willing. Everyone needs a little help now and again.

[mariab]

Obviously when I referred to “charity“ as traditionally/historically having contained condescending connotations for the recipients, I was not referring to Don Souden's attitude! As I'm pretty sure he has read A tree grows up in Brooklyn, The grapes of wrath and other lit from the Great Depression and knows what I'm talking about. Plus there is also abundant British and French lit pertaining to the duplicity of “charity“. As it happens, I tend to believe that a state should take care of its (temporary) weaker citizens out of civility and responsibility, not out of “charity“.

[mariab]

I was also wondering, what is Marc Ripper's contribution to Examiner? Is he somehow a “new acquisition“? I was very impressed by his deep knowledge of Whitechapel when I met him in September. Plus very impressed by him as a person.

[corey123]

Hello Maria,

Apologies, and hope you a doing well this rainy week.

Upon Mark, he joined the editorial team. Along with the others.