Buy Billy Corgan dinner and more for charity!

If you and a friend currently have a $1,000 or so during this current economic recession, and want to spend it in a somewhat haphazard fashion, at least do it in the name of charity.

The non-profit auction site Charitybuzz has teamed up with the Songwriters Hall of Fame to offer several one-off opportunities to those who will splash the cash. The one that immediately leaps off the page is the opportunity for a winning bidder and a friend to meet Mr Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins in either Los Angeles or Chicago, and then pay for a meal at a restaurant of the winner's choosing at a "mutually convienent time". Yes, the winning bidder and companion must cough up for Billy to eat up. Click here for proof of the pudding. (Pardon the food-related pun.)

The money raised from this - and other lots from the Songwriters Hall of Fame auction - will go towards the establishment of a "permanent, state-of-the-art museum in New York City to highlight the achievements of songwriting greats and acknowledge their rightful place in our culture." The majority of the bidding in the auction seems to be directed towards the VIP tickets for Cher's show in Las Vegas on the 12th of December. Highest bid for what admittedly would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (if Cher is your thing; I claim a personal indifference) is currently $8,500.