Help name the Bridge for Emperor Norton

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As hilarious and pleasing as it is that this is a thing and that Norton might get a bit of official adoration, why exactly is this something they need to ask for assistance with?

How hard is it really to spare $50? Sure, if you’re struggling to make ends meet I could see it being a problem, but in that case don’t you have more important concerns and obligations for your time and energy than running an NPO? :wink:

It is fun? An opportunity to get people involved?

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Made me grin. The idea of holding a fundraising gala for such a small amount is nicely daft and a neat counterpoint to the big money campaign mixers in political circles.

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I, too, was amused. I protest in jest, one might say, if it can even be said that I protest at all. I question rhetorically, it could be said.

I suppose I merely feel compelled to voice the odd questionings and thoughts which such stories inspire in my mind. If someone tells me something which is pleasingly absurd, I like to respond with a similar bit of absurdity, just typically taken in the opposite direction. :smile:

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This exactly is the point — many thanks for flagging it as such!

I’m the founder of The Emperor’s Bridge Campaign. The total amount we’re trying to raise is the $420 we need for our 501©(4) “filing fees.” We have $370 so far, and we’ve taken all of this in small donations of $5, $10 and $20, so as to provide the greatest number of people with the greatest opportunity to participate in the founding of the organization.

Of course, I or any number of folk who are associated with this project could pitch in the final 50 dollars. But, in honoring a guy who sold scrip for 50 cents, it seemed more appropriate to make it easy for those who simply — as we say in our invite — could “buy the Emperor a drink.”

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Well, to be fair his notes ranged from 50 cents to 10 dollars in 1879, and if you adjust for inflation you end up with notes for the equivalent of $12.32 to $246.40 in 2013 dollars.

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$50 for Emperor Nelson, somehow I feel Daddy Warbucks should be involved in this.

I for one would find that confusing. What’s a draiser?

Every time I pass the official sign as I approach the Willie Brown^H^H Emperor Norton bridge from San Francisco, I fantasize about the possibilities:

  • A nearby billboard that says “ignore that sign, here’s the real history” (kind of like the “I’m with stupid” T-shirts with an arrow that require that you stand on a particular side of your friend/sibling)
  • Laser projection out of a building to correct the existing sign
  • A citizen initiative that overrides the legislature and corrects the naming
  • Sponsoring the Bay Bridge lights and getting appropriate messages spelled out

I may or may not be able to make it Thursday, but I’ll certainly support the 'draiser, with or without the (fun).

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Well, Glitch, for any folk who plan to buy the Emperor something top-shelf on Thursday night, 12 bucks could be about right. Alas, unlike in the Emperor’s day, that drink won’t come with a plate and a pass at the free-lunch table. :wink:

Well, we asked for 50 bucks, and we got 325. Needless to say, we’re delighted with the outcome! Thanks, again, to Jason Weisberger for flagging our event.

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Thanks for hosting it it It was fun.

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