There’s a show on NPR at the moment about altruism among primates*, which, being a primate myself, leads me to bring an altruistic problem to your attention, O readers! A friend of a friend is having some serious financial problems, and trying to raise money. Their kids have a unique manifestations of a genetic disorder called Smith-Magenis Syndrome, the long-term ramifications unknown but current ramifications quite unfortunate enough,  which combined with crisis, sheer bad luck and the current recession has put them in a bad spot.

If you’ve got a few bucks you were looking to toss to a worthy cause, and want more information, let me recommend Help the Hamiltons.

*Which includes the amusing observation "Why do so many of the people preaching social Darwinism claim not to believe in real Darwinism?"