What is Child's Play? A charity effort by gamers to donate games, toys, movies and books to kids who are mired in hospitals around the world. When you donate, you donate directly through amazon.com by purchasing the item and having it ship straight to the hospital. Note: No middle man. Means 100% of what you donated goes to the hospital. Means 100% of what you pony up in money goes to end user - kids.

Here's how it works:

1) Go to childsplaycharity.org: [link]
2) Select a hospital from the map by clicking on one of the white game controllers that indicate a participating hospital.
3) Select items you want to buy on amazon.com, check out and you select the hospital's address as recipient.
4) Pay for it and you're done! Easiest donation for a holiday charity you've ever made, right? Didn't even have to stand up. I know you have internet because you're reading this!

If you're too lazy to click all the way through and see what there is to donate, here's what I've donated as examples:

2007:
- Sorry! board game
- "Happy Feet" movie

2008:
- "Where the Wild Things Are" book
- "Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness" for the Nintendo DS
- "Professor Leyton and the Mystery Village" for the Nintendo DS

2009:
- "Professor Leyton and the Diabolical Box" for the Nintendo DS
- "Marley and Me" movie

In short: games, movies, books. Bigger ticket gaming items exist, but I like to pick things that I imagine taking a lot of time and making a kid think a bit. I almost added Scribblenauts this time, but held off, going for a movie instead.

I'm bugging about this now rather than later, as times are tough and people are short on cash. However, most people who play video games will make a purchase between now and Christmas, be it for themself or someone they care about. I see it this way: instead of buying a game, playing it for 10 odd hours and then getting bored with it, it would be more suitable for me to buy a game, give it to a hospital and let it get dozens of playthroughs as bored sick kids grind the thing into dust.

In other news, Akicon with Kirsten was absolutely amazing. Me=stupid retardedly happy in love. I think of my journal post I wrote earlier talking about what I'd be willing to do if I found the right one...well, she's the right one. My friends think I'm crazy, my family I'm pretty sure is going to assume I'm on drugs when I tell them I'm going to marry her. Oh well, that's just how it's going to be. Life always keeps it interesting!

But yeah, no, seriously, go dig your card out of your wallet and give something to Child's Play, even if it's a pack of markers.