Humanitarian Opportunities

A couple of weeks ago I got a World Vision humanitarian catalog in the mail-- they use donations to (among other things) purchase animals for families in poverty-stricken countries. I thought it was a great idea, but was a little disappointed at the prices involved-- and discovered that not all of the money went directly to helping the people in need. A portion of the donations pay for fund-raising and administration costs... certainly it is still a very good cause...but I discovered that perhaps one of the best humanitarian efforts to support is Latter-Day Saint Charities.

I was curious if Latter-day Saint Charities had any similar programs to those of World Vision, or if they were limited to emergency relief, and a few special projects. I was happy to discover that they work with many other agencies to provide a wide range of humanitarian services. To see a list of worldwide projects click the link here. I'd recommend browsing through; it's quite interesting! Because other Church funds pay for administration and fund-raising, 100% of any donations to the Humanitarian Fund go directly to purchasing items or services for the needs of individuals. Through the web-site ldsphilanthropies.org you can donate online, and may even specify which program you would like your contribution to go toward. Neat, eh?

Another interesting web-site to look at is Kiva.org --Rather than giving money, a short-term loan enables people in need to invest in their livelihood and lift themselves out of poverty. For example: a woman could use a small loan to purchase a sewing machine and some fabric--an initial investment that would allow her to sell her work for a profit, repay the loan, and continue to have an income. Loan increments can be as small as $25, and you can chose who will benefit from the loan. When the loan is re-payed (generally within a few months), you can loan again to a different entrepreneur, or you may withdraw your money.

Trivia by Fives.

Tagged again! (I admit tags are somewhere between cheesy and fun ;) )

5 Fears:
1. The dark. I have an "active" imagination, and I scare kind of easy. When I was a young teenager I once watched my first and last episode of the X-files; it was so freaky I asked my mom sleep in my room for a couple of weeks. It was a really evil episode-- I'll never watch another one again. Bleeeck!

2. Driving on roads that have a cliff on one side, and shear mountain face on the other. Or cliffs on both sides, or shear mountain on both sides.

3. Deep water. Wind-surfing sounds like fun, but I don't think I'm likely to ever get on a surfboard.

4. Wolves. Ok, well I'm not really afraid of them anymore, but they were my big fear as a kid. Not the boogie man, or a monster in my closet, wolves. (You'd be amazed how much knot holes in a wooden fence can look like glaring wolf eyes.) I blame a few "children's books" for this. (I don't recommend "Lon Po Po" for kids, I don't care if it won a Caldecott.) I still am not especially fond of the animals.

5. Inflation/rising costs.

Collections/Obsessions:
1. Collection: Books-- I have 5 bookcases of various sizes, and they are now all full!

2. Collection: Blue and white pottery. I love that so many countries of the world have a variation of blue and white pottery. I started this collection when I went to Italy. Happily, my treasures all made it home in one piece. Eventually I'd like to visit and bring home pottery from England, Ireland, The Netherlands, China, Denmark, Belgium, etc.

3. Collection: Snoopy stuff.

4. Obsession: Jane Austen.

5. Obsession: British accents and the men who have them.

Surprising facts:

1. I was 22 before I flew for the first time. (In an airplane--I'm not actually Superman's sister.)

2. I was an English major, but I've never read any Harry Potter, or Twilight, in fact, whenever there is anything that excites mass hysteria, I tend to be repelled. I usually go for the stuff off the beaten path-- I don't like most box-office hit movies, and I don't keep up with trends.

3. I don't particularly like shopping, unless I'm just browsing and not looking for anything in particular. Clothes and shoe shopping are the worst! I like cute clothes, but I HATE looking for them.

4. I assisted officers in a marijuana bust.

5. My earliest memory is from a few days after I turned two.

I Give Obama a 100% Approval Rating*

*Some terms and conditions apply, limited-time offer, read blog for details.

I remember when Julia Roberts, the Dixie Chicks, and other celebrity figures said of George W. Bush, "He's not my president." It's easy to feel that way when the candidate you supported was not elected, and when you dislike or disagree with the candidate who won.

Recently on Glenn Beck's conservative talk show, a Georgia man called in to say that he refused to accept Barack Obama as president. I really thought Glenn's response was insightful. He said, "How very un-American of you. He is the American president. ... this is the way our system works."

Speaking along a similar vein, Rush Limbaugh said, "Barack Obama is my president of the United States. I couldn't care less where he was born, what his name is, how old he is, or the color of his skin. He's not black. He's not white. He's not Asian-American or Mexican. He's not Chavez's brother or Islamic. I don't see Americans as members of groups. I see individual human beings. It is his ideas I am terrifically, tremendously worried about."

Stu Burguiere is the exec.-producer for the Glenn Beck Program. On Stu's blog, he wrote that he thinks the incoming president ought to be given a chance (a courtesy that wasn't extended eight years ago.)

I agree with Stu's way of thinking, "...Today, I give Barack Obama a 100% approval rating. If and when he screws up, I’ll deduct points. Let’s make it a maximum of 10 points for each individual annoying event. If he does something great—I’ll add points. I’m that kind of guy. Let’s see how long he stays above 50%.

I don’t think Obama will be a good president. But I HOPE for a CHANGE in that opinion. I hope he’s the greatest president in history. I hope the pre-election promises of perfection are realized. [Boy, I'm not sure I'd want the fulfillment of all of his pre-election promises, but that's just me.] I doubt they will be, but I want to at least give him a chance to screw it up before I say he screwed it up.

Regardless, he’ll be my president until he leaves office---even if his nationwide approval rating is zero (which will be impossible unless the on air staff of MSNBC is left out of the sample.)"

Like Stu, I've got my score-card ready, but it's a clean slate.

Now that the election is over...

I just can't help myself, this is too funny not to post. With profound apologies to my friends who think Obama is the cat's meow...

World's Worst Teacher

This would be an instance where a teacher's personal bias went WAY out of control in the classroom. This clip comes from a Finnish made documentary about the American Presidential election. No matter who you voted for, this is an outrage.

Cell Phones

I've read about cell phone health hazards for several years. Here are the basics for reducing your risk:

*Don't believe that cell phones "can't hurt" or think that it's hoakey to be concerned. (As a side note, I once held up a cell phone to each of my ears at the same time and immediately felt dizzy and weird-- and I got a bit of a headache. After that experience I was convinced that they could adversely affect health.)

*Don't let children use cell phones (if you must, use an ear piece-- research has shown detrimental effects that children are especially prone to because their brains are developing.

*Use an ear piece or speaker phone yourself.

*Don't carry your cell phone on your person as much as possible. Particularly avoid wearing it on your hip (where bone marrow is produced.) Don't carry your cell phone in your pocket especially if you are a male, as cell phones-- I am not making this up-- can cause the production of abnormally shaped spermatozoa.

*Don't sleep with your cell phone in your bedroom at night. It can interfere with your quality of sleep. Charge your phone in another room of the house.

* Purchase an electromagnetic chaos protection chip for your cell. Purportedly these chips will neutralize the negative emissions from your cell.

*Don't walk around with a bluetooth on your head. Bad for your health. Bad for your social life.

*Pay attention to your body. If you think you feel an unwanted stimulus from your cell phone- don't use it, or switch to a phone model you are less sensitive to.

For further information that reiterates the information I have written, read the following recent article from KSL.com:

New warning about possible link between cell phones and cancer

November 7th, 2008 @ 6:37pm

By John Hollenhorst

The cancer risk from cell phones is unproven, but Dr. Devra Davis, with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Environmental Oncology, says new studies in Europe are raising fresh concern.

"If these projections are true, we could have a massive global epidemic of brain cancer, and we can't afford for that to happen," Davis says.

She's a leading expert on environmental causes of cancer. She spoke at the University of Utah's Institute of Human Genetics. She said, "Let me be clear about something. I can not tell you that cell phones are dangerous, but I have very good reasons for concern."

A worrisome study by the University's Dr. Om Ghandi found that phone signals are absorbed very deeply into the brain, and they are absorbed much more deeply into the head of a 5-year-old than they are into the brain of an adult.

She asked, "Now, would you allow your child to smoke? Would you allow your child to play Russian roulette?"

She said precautions are in order until science has answers. She said use a speaker phone or an ear-piece and don't keep the phone on your body all the time. She said that keeping the phone on your hip was a concern because that's where bone marrow is made...

She's calling on cell-phone companies to release billing records so scientists can do proper exposure studies but, instead, the companies offer a two word response: trust us.

Davis said, "I trust in God, but all others have to provide data."

She said right now, in this country, there are no studies being done. She says that's unconscionable.

She believes the industry can design safer cell phones but, so far, it hasn't felt enough pressure to do it.

Celebrities, Politicians Answer that Classic Question:

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

SARAH PALIN: Before it got to the other side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn’t about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where’s my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am not for it now and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken doesn’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he’s guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer’s Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart-warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash or need to be rebooted.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

(I found this on Dr. Laura's Blog; she received it as an e-mail forward)