Well, folks, I know I've been posting like a crazy person about the idea of naming the CALM bear Stephen Coal Bear for the last week.  After a tough week, all the pieces seem to be in place.  I've decided for tax reasons not to collect donations online though if someone out there has a functioning 501(c)3, let me know.  I've got all the the pieces lined up to go if you're interested.

For now, I'd like to announce the launch of the Friends of Stephen Coal Bear website.  If you have some pictures you'd like to contribute to the website or to the Stephen Coal Bear MySpace page, you can post them here or email me at (you guessed it) tom@friendsofstephencoalbear.org.  I got some great pictures by going out to CALM early, though I was told that Stephen (heh) goes out fairly often if you're willing to wait 15 minutes or so.

Going forward, I'll be relying on all of you to get the word out by calling your favorite radio DJs, writing LTEs, etc.  If you're not the kind of person who normally does this, this may be the time to start.  We all have a role in shaping the world we live in and anything you do (even for something as small and silly as this) can have profound impact down the road.
I still have a few tricks up my sleeve too, so we'll keep bringing the spotlight and no matter what happens, it's all to the good.

And speaking of the good, no post about Stephen Coal Bear should end without a link to the good folks at CALM.