Here's one for old Warren Buffet

My dear fellow, I tip a Miller High Life to Thee:

For making the act of donatinginsane amounts of money for philanthropic causes (read: Not Ralph Reed) Rockafeller-sexy again. (Although, seeing the sum of $31 billion dollars attached to any person did make my eyeballs twitch.)

And for being a Life Member of the Grinnell Board of Trustees, so that while Grinnell did raise my tuition every year, I got to enjoy free printing and all the Dismemberment Plan and Mates of State concerts I could handle as part of the Billion Dollar Endowment Perks Program.

I'm sure that Warren Buffet has done some shady dealing and maybe eaten up a few companies or two in his time. Some blogs and papers seemed to have been ready to rip his actions to shreads before he even posed for the photo ops. Regardless, he's using his rogue-financial advisor street cred to publically flaunt the idea of "You can't take it with you" and give a crapload of money to a decent, internationally-viable foundation that actually supports condoms, sexual education and antiretroviral treatment as necessary artillery in the fight against AIDS. The NGO I worked for in Russia, one of the few working on the problem of HIV/AIDS in Russia and Ukraine, received funding from the Gates Foundation. These guys pack such a monetary punch that governments, pharmaceutical companies, and other international organizations scramble to court their large grant monies. While the US is busy sticking its thumbs in Africa's pies, the Gates Foundation is providing much-needed funding to the Eurasian epidemic, where the epidemic is gaining the fastest ground.

Sorry for the long commendation on the part of AIDS work, but man, this is important. And people standing up and supporting organizations that provide many to promote sexual education and protect vulnerable groups is just so crucial. And you know what? It's nice to feel that sense of heroism. That some super-duper rich guy, with billions and billions of dollars, didn't fork over a couple hundred million to launch his oldself into space or build an underwater vacation home. He gave it back. To a foundation I can get behind. And hopefully inspired a few generations of upper crust moguls to quit screwing around with buying Batmobiles and Bragelina Namibian vacation packages. GIVE IT BACK.

So I'll pour one out for Warren B.