the giving tree

One of my favorite holiday-related errands is to buy toys. Phil and I always pick up a few things for Toys for Tots, and I'll hit the Family Giving Tree for a donation or two as well. I love reading things like: Hi, my name is Jason and I am 9 years old! I love to eat spaghetti and play football. My favorite animal is a monkey. My favorite part of the holiday is spending time with family!That's his artwork at left, by the way. He asked for a football and a basketball.One of the reasons I like the Family Giving Tree is because the requests remind me how humble many of our wants or needs are. This is not necessarily the case with all giving trees -- occasionally, I read something about someone who's taken aback at the brand-name and big-ticket requests some of the needy make.I can understand thinking, "I can't afford [Big Ticket Item] for myself -- why would I buy it for someone else?" But I wonder if it's just a slippery slope down to the sentiment "The needy should be grateful for whatever they get -- it's better than nothing at all." I can't get behind that. I may not always remember that gratitude ought never be expected, but I can not back the idea that it should be compulsory in any charitable transaction.So I do not have it in me to begrudge anyone their desire for nice things, for things that make them feel as though they belong in the ranks of "normal" Americans kids and families. And to sidestep the whole complicated issue of generosity and reward, I now avoid non-virtual giving trees.But let me throw open the floor to you ... Giving trees: Do you participate? What -- if any -- limits do you place on any participation? And do you think there should be limits on what people ask for?

Motorola rumors

Don't know why the Motorola rumors are flying hot and heavy today, but right on top of that connected GPS whisper comes word that the struggling device manufacturer is being tapped to build a new version of KDDI's multifaceted Au Box set-top unit that runs Android instead of the previous custom Linux build. The Au Box, if you'll recall, is a trick little IPTV box with a DVD drive that can rip audio and video and transcode it for transfer or streaming to your cellphone -- kind of like a more flexible Slingbox that costs $3/month for KDDI subscribers. Definitely interesting, especially since Android could make browsing and email extremely easy to implement as well -- hey Moto, maybe you want to ditch your current garbage Stateside cable box lineup and start shipping these things at home?[Via CNET]Filed under: Home EntertainmentMotorola building Android-based cable boxes for Japan's KDDI? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:52:00 EST.

Allies of a kind

A torn relationship is repaired, but trust still seems to be missingNO EUROPEAN leader has worked harder to mend ties with Americanor had so much to do. Ever since his election in 2007, President Nicolas Sarkozy has tried to persuade America that France is a reliable friend, even an alternative interlocutor to Britain. Mr Sarkozy has courted and flattered the Americans at every opportunity, trying to turn the page on the time of the Iraq war when the word French became a byword in America for disloyalty. At the NATO summit Mr Sarkozy even took France back into the alliances military command. Yet, as Barack Obama ended his first trip to Europe, he left the French feeling oddly frustrated. Mr Obama made all the right noises. In Strasbourg before the NATO meeting, he stood beside a contented Mr Sarkozy in the courtyard of an 18th-century palace and called France Americas oldest ally, our first ally. When Mr Sarkozy said that France would not send any more soldiers to join NATOs operation in Afghanistan, he still praised the French presidents remarkable leadership there. He wowed an audience of schoolchildren at a town-hall-style meeting. When the two first ladies met, Michelle Obama, in a magenta silk dress, even managed to rival Carla Bruni-Sarkozy for glamour. ...

Ukraine teeters as its citizens blame banks and government

By Clifford J. LevyMonday, March 2, 2009 KIEV : Steel and chemical factories, once the muscle of Ukraine's economy, are dismissing thousands of workers. Cities have had days without heat or water because they cannot pay their bills, and Kiev's subway service is being threatened. Lines are sprouting at banks, the currency is wilting and even a government default seems possible.Ukraine, once considered a worldwide symbol of an emerging, free-market democracy that had cast off authoritarianism, is teetering. And its predicament poses a real threat for other European economies and former Soviet republics.The sudden, violent protests that have erupted elsewhere in Eastern Europe seem imminent here now, too. Across Kiev last week, people spoke of rising anger about the crisis and resentment toward a government that they said was more preoccupied with squabbling than with rallying the country.The sign held by Vasily Kirilyuk, an unemployed plumber camped out with other antigovernment demonstrators here in the past week, summed up the pervasive frustration: "Get rid of them all," it said.Kirilyuk did not hesitate to take that further. "There will be a revolt," he said. "And people will come because they are just fed up."Kirilyuk, 29, was standing in the same central square where throngs in 2004 carried out the Orange Revolution, a seminal event that brought to power a pro-Western government in Ukraine. He said he was a fervent supporter then of the protesters, but now he and a few dozen others who have set up tents here are demanding that the heroes of that revolution step down.It is not hard to understand why world leaders are increasingly worried about the discontent and the financial crisis in Ukraine, which has 46 million people and a highly strategic location. A small country like Latvia or Iceland is one thing, but a collapse in Ukraine could wreck what little investor confidence is left in Eastern Europe, whose formerly robust economies are being badly strained.It could also cause neighboring Russia, which has close ethnic and linguistic ties to eastern and southern Ukraine, to try to inject itself into the country's affairs. What is more, the Kremlin would be able to hold up Ukraine as an example of what happens when former Soviet republics follow a Western model of free-market democracy."Ukraine is a linchpin for stability in Europe," said Olexiy Haran, a professor of comparative politics at Kiev Mohyla University. "It is a key player between the expanding European Union and Russia. To use an alarmist scenario, you could imagine a situation in Ukraine that Russia tried to exploit in order to dominate Ukraine. That would make for a very explosive situation on the border of the European Union."That Ukraine can cause problems for Europe was highlighted in January when Ukraine engaged in a dispute with Russia over how much it would pay Russia for natural gas, as well over gas transport to the rest of Europe. The Kremlin shut off the gas for several days, and some European countries went without heat. The Kremlin also shut off gas to Ukraine in 2006 in a pricing dispute.While Ukraine's economy is dependent on exports of steel and chemicals, which have plummeted, the crisis has cut deeply because people are disillusioned with the government.President Viktor Yushchenko, a leader of the Orange Revolution, who garnered attention around the world in 2004 when his face was scarred in a poisoning episode, is so widely scorned that a recent poll found that 57 percent of people wanted him to resign.His rivals have also lost popularity, as the public has become exasperated by years of political bickering. In February, the International Monetary Fund refused to release the next installment of a $16.4 billion rescue loan to Ukraine because the government would not adhere to an earlier agreement to pare its budget.Around the same time, Ukraine's finance minister resigned, saying that the job had been "hostage to politics."On Friday, the monetary fund projected that Ukraine's economy would shrink by 6 percent this year, and said that it was continuing to work with the government to find a way to disburse the rest of the rescue loan.A presidential election is coming, probably to be held next January, and this prospect is making politicians, especially Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, reluctant to adopt an austerity program that might alienate voters.Yushchenko and Tymoshenko were pro-Western allies during the Orange Revolution, but have bitterly feuded since then, and he fired her once. A third rival, Viktor Yanukovich, a former prime minister who heads an opposition party that favors closer ties with Russia, also wants to be president.On Friday, Yushchenko and Tymoshenko held a public meeting in an effort to demonstrate that they were working together. Yushchenko said he wanted "to show the readiness of all sides to take political responsibility for decisions which today are not easy."Even so, the two did not announce further anticrisis measures.All over Kiev have been signs that tensions are building.On the city's outskirts, more than 200 tractor-trailer rigs were parked Thursday, their drivers threatening to block roads if the government did not help them with their debts, which they said were caused in part by the drop in the value of Ukraine's currency, the hryvnia.The truckers dispersed Friday, only after the government said it would try to address their demands, but they said they would be back soon if they were ignored."The government is to blame for all this," said a trucker, Viktor Zarichnyuk, 26, who had been at the protest for 12 days. "We want the government and the national bank to agree that the money allocated by the International Monetary Fund, at least part of it, should go to regular people."At a branch of the Rodovid Bank across town, a tense crowd gathered Friday morning. The bank, close to failing, was allowing withdrawals of only $35 a day. And so people, some of them pensioners fearful for their life savings, have been trooping each day, ever more aggravated, to try to get what they can."Every day we come here — it's insulting — in the cold and line up," said Alevtina Antonyuk, 58, an engineer. "They are nothing at this bank but a bunch of thieves."Who is to blame, she was asked. Before she could answer, Dmitri Havrilkiv, 78, a retired crane operator, interrupted."The government has to be replaced," he shouted. "They just can't handle it!"

Windows XP transitions out of Mainstream Support phase

It may only be a footnote in the long history of Windows XP, but Microsoft has confirmed today that, as planned, the venerable OS has finally and officially transitioned from the Mainstream Support phase to the Extended Support phase. This, of course, follows a number of extensions to the Mainstream Support phase (which normally only lasts five years), although most users likely won't notice much of a difference as XP moves into this new, more wistful period of life, as they'll still be getting regular security updates and occasional hotfixes (depending on their support plan) all the way until April 8th, 2014 -- or who knows how much longer if the demand is there.

the OFA supports and advocates for young people

I was in very excellent company in DC this Wednesday. This great looking group of college students are among the 2500 who received handknit red scarves from YOU, today, in their Orphan Foundation of America care packages. If you're coming into the middle of this party, the OFA supports and advocates for young people who are on their own , having aged out of foster care and become college students.Most of the OFA students received their care packages today on their campuses across the US, but this group came to Washington to take part in a Capitol Hill Care Package event, in which congresspeople and other Big Shots come together in the US Capitol to stuff care packages, and otherwise draw attention to the need for policy that supports these kids. There are speeches and handshaking and posing for official PR photos that are sent to the media in the politicians' home districts.That's where I come in, making photos like this one, featuring OFA spokesperson Jett Williams, an NYU student from Tennesee , and a US Representative Marsha Blackburn, also from Tennessee. Its all very bipartisan and friendly, fyi.Actually it's all very moving. The students are some of the most poised and focused kids you'll meet, and they break your heart when they look you in the eye and say "Thanks. When I get an OFA care package, and a scarf, it changes my life".To quote a Kay-ism, much ferklemptitude. And to quote red scarf OFA booster extraordinaire Norma, you could just plotz.Also, I'm not much for pimping the major corporations, but props and a shout out to CVS, Schering Plough , Otis Spunkmeyer and FedEx . Even in these financially stressed times, they donate big for the care packages.If you're a red scarf knitter, or scholarship donor, thanks. And this goes for any charity knitting, or donating, not just to the OFA. I know how much thought and care go into the knits, then you send them off to an office, with a pile of boxes and a harried staff, and maybe you wonder if there's really anyone out there on the receiving end. There definitely is. Here're a few [very spruced up for the occasion] someones.Happy Valentines Day to all!

Most Students Not Ready

ACT, Inc. (American College Training) reported that college readiness levels were 22 percent in 2008. This is startling and the numbers are even worse for low-income and underserved students.
Most high school graduates are not prepared to succeed in college and in the workforce. My work experience gives me a unique perspective about the similarities between skills needed for college and work success. Currently, I am a part-time college professor of college success strategy and career development courses. For many years I worked as a job placement specialist and also owned an executive search and recruiting business.

Skills needed:
Reading comprehension
Problem solving
Reasoning and critical thinking
Writing
Note-taking
Time management
Goal setting
Knowing your learning style
Self-awareness
Learning how to learn

Being successful in college will be more important now because of increased competition for jobs. Employers will be looking more closely at college majors, grades, internships, volunteer work, and related work experience. Students who prepare for high demand jobs and who excel in college will have the best job opportunities.

tips that can increase your learning:
Anticipate test questions. Create and take practice quizzes before you take the actual test.
Write brief summaries in the margin of the text in your own words.
Study for 30-45 minutes at a time followed by short breaks.
Pause after reading a section and ask yourself questions about what the author is saying.
Teach what you are learning to others. It reinforces what you are learning and makes it clearer.
Discover and identify your preferred learning style and types of intelligence.

Don't Quit! You're There!

It happens far more often then we realize. We've put in the work, we've over come setbacks and challenges, and then, just before we start to see the fruits of our labor, we just give up. We quit just when we were about to succeed. I guess that we can take some comfort from the fact that we didn't know how close we were to getting what we wanted. We generally don't have to live with the disappointment of knowing that the door to our success was just about to open when we stopped knocking.

First of all, it really is true that it is always darkest before the dawn. Have you ever been outside in the hours just before sunrise? It's pitch black. Unless you're wearing a watch, you won't know that in a very short time the glow of dawn will start breaking through the darkness. The same is true for success.

In that moment you're blind. You have no way of knowing how close you are to getting what you want. You have no way of knowing whether everything you've been working for will show up tomorrow or at all. Is it worth it to continue? In some ways you can't really know. There's no sign up in the sky telling you how close you are to what you want? Although life would be far easier if there were.

Don't Quit! You're There!

Aromatherapy, More Relaxing Scents to Calm, Diffuse Stress and Anxiety

Aromatherapy uses the highly distilled and pure essential oils of plants. Over 500 such essential oils are used for various applications. A number of these are known to help calm and relax not only people but often our pets as well.

Frankincense is another calming essential oil. It was one the three king's gifts for a reason. Frankincense possesses the unique ability to clear the mind of past hurts and fears. It has calming and relaxing properties that will help to ease the anxiety of a stressful situation. It works wonders for human adults and children as well as for animals.

Juniper has a fresh scent that can help eliminate crankiness and irritability caused by tension. Combined with lavender oil and Clary-sage oil and heated on aromatherapy lamp juniper will wash away stress and anxiety.

Other essential oils that will help to restore calmness are chamomile, orange, lavender, basil, lemon and cypress.

Chamomile provides deep relaxation. Orange helps to promote self assurance. Lavender soothes frazzled nerves. Basil, lemon and cypress all help to provide focus which has a calming effect.
Stress and tension spread as negative energy through a household. When dad is stressed from work, it affects everyone. So too when mom is overwhelmed with multi-tasking or junior with homework or that just remember term paper due tomorrow.

Criminal Background Check - How to Protect Yourself

Have you just got a new someone in your life you are not sure about? Do you know who is looking after your children? Do you feel uncomfortable around your new neighbours? Have you got a new business partner that you do not know too well?

If you can answer yes to this then you need to make a criminal background check and ensure that you know who they are and get rid of all those lingering doubts. Put your fears away and your mind to rest.

The information used by these on-line background services is so complete and comprehensive it is also used by law enforcement agencies to carry out the same checks with great accuracy. That is how precise and accurate it is.


You can discover everything, from tax evasion, marriage and divorce records, felonies, sex offences, jail time served and even if they still have a warrant out on them.

healthy happy

hlthhp stands for healthy happy,~~