Therapy Dogs - More Than Man's Best Friend

There is a lovely lady I know who is writing a book about her dog, McDuff. McDuff was friendly to everyone and had a keen sense of understanding around people with disabilities. My friend's book will be inspiring, I'm sure, and it made me think about dogs like McDuff and their owners who spend their spare time volunteering in nursing homes, hospitals, and library reading programs.

Therapy dogs come in all shapes and sizes. They have different talents and areas were they are best suited to help those in need. Some people prefer to call them Visiting dogs, because the word therapy has such a narrow definition in today's world.

Whatever title you give them, these animals bring comfort, smiles, and their own brand of healing to the people they visit. It may be by listening attentively while a child with dyslexia practices reading out loud. Or spending time in a close cuddle with the resident of a nursing home who so badly needs loving contact. Therapy dogs programs are available in some hospitals on the AIDS and cardiac care wards where they share moments of cheer and friendship.

Researchers at UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, have reported that a short bedside visit with a therapy animal can ease anxiety levels by 24% in heart patients. That's much better than the 10% drop seen when the patient is visited by a human volunteer.

Results of the study were presented at the American Heart Association's Annual Scientific Sessions in Dallas, Tx.The study was funded by the Pet Care Trust Foundation, a non-profit organization which promotes human-animal interaction and bonding.

Why take animals into facilities with the sick, injured, and elderly?
Visits from loving animals can help people feel less lonely, less depressed and can provide a welcome change from routine. In nursing homes, especially, the residents become more responsive during and after the visits. The dogs offer entertainment and distraction from pain.

It's evident on the faces of the ones being visited that the dogs are a source of joy. All creatures, especially mammals, need connection and interaction with others to thrive. The hospitalized and disabled often go lacking for this kind of contact. It's heartwarming to see how all of the creatures on Earth can help each other, live in harmony, symbiotically filling the needs of the other, healing the sick in the process.

If you know of someone in need of these visits or would like to get your dog buddy involved visit these websites for information.

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/service.html and http://www.wolfpacks.com/serviced.htm

Global Warming - Three Ways to be Part of the Solution

This is something I would not normally do but I am going to allow myself to rant, just a sentence or two, just to relieve some of the pressure I'm feeling. Okay, here I go.

Global Warming is real, the decline of our natural environment is real, industrialized society needs to step up and take it's share of the blame. What really gets me going are the Anti-Global Warming, Global Warming is hoax websites that perpetuate our problems and coddle the big businesses who are creating the majority of our greenhouse gases.

Alrighty then, I feel better...if you agree with me I hope you feel better, too. If not, I certainly invite your comments. Now on to a few words about solving the crisis instead of ignoring it.

Leonardo De Caprio currently stands on the forefront of this issue
with his new narrative documentary, "The 11th Hour". One reviewer says that the scientists and thinkers steal the spotlight from the charismatic actor. He becomes the narrator and not the focus. The most inspiring take on our situation in the movie comes from Paul Hawking, "What an exciting time to be alive. All human systems are so bankrupt that they all need to be redesigned if we are to survive. How fun!"

The movie debuts this weekend in Los Angeles and New York. It will open in a growing list of cities during the subsequent weeks. Go to http://wip.warnerbros.com/11thhour/ for a complete list and to view the trailer.

Recently, while surfing through blogs and discussions, someone (I wish I could remember who because I'd give them credit here) suggested the website, http://myabodo.com/. It's a fun tool that is almost like a game. With myabodo you build your own house, making decisions about energy, the kind of car you drive and how you will acquire food for your family. With each decision it shows you the impact you are making on the environment. When you are finished you can join an abodo neighborhood and start making some "real" changes in your "brick and mortar" abode.

The third recommendation I have is for each of us to accept Al Gore's Global Warming Challenge. The pledge consists of seven points that if pushed for and implemented by the world's people could change the tide of our future very quickly. Here it is:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next two years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 per cent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth.

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crises by reducing my own CO2 pollution.

3. To fight for moratorium on construction of any new facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2.

4. To work for a dramatic increase in energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school and transportation.

5. To fight for laws and policies that expand use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal.

6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests.

7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment.

I took the pledge by email but that's not necessary. Print it, cut it out, and paste it to your bathroom mirror, corner of your computer screen, anywhere so that you are reminded to follow through. If you feel you can't do all of them, then cut out the few you can and concentrate on those.

Every bit helps and this is one area where momentum matters. Playing with abodo and watching The 11th Hour may sound more like entertainment than activism but that is how it starts. If we begin to play with the concepts and think about innovative ways to make a difference before long we will find ourselves effortlessly living the changes.

The Nice Matters Award - Spreading Kindness Across the Net

My friend, Shari Thomas from Shari's Gone Country http://shari-thomas.blogspot.com/, not only runs a farm with a few of her friends and writes a heart-warming blog about country life, she took the time to pass on the Nice Matters Award. I am one of her lucky recipients!

Shari says, "With all the negativity in the world, Genevieve (Bella-Enchanted) took it upon herself to start this award, which emphasizes the "power of nice", the power of inspiration, of teaching, of service."

Wow, I couldn't feel more honored because that is exactly what LifePrints embodies for me - the power of inspiration and service to others. I appreciate that Shari got it and "gets" me and what I'm attempting to do with my blog.

It's my pleasure to pass on this award to seven people that have brought a bit of niceness (is that even a real word?) into my life. Please accept my thanks for the kindness you've shown me and send the Nice Matters Award on to seven more deserving people who've made your day a little better. Kudos to all of you!

1) Daniel at Wrath of Daniel -

Daniel runs a great music blog with free MP3's. Every month he picks a theme and lists songs that fit. Not long ago I let him know that I was eagerly awaiting the August list and one day later, poof, there it was! A new list! He turned me on to my new favorite song by Ben Lee. Thanks, Daniel!
http://blog.wrathofdaniel.com/

2)Marilyn at Marilyn's Non-Violent Planet Newspage -

Marilyn tells me that we are kindred spirits and I believe her. We share the same blogger template, a similar blog theme, and almost identical world views. Got to love her for that!
http://non-violentplanetnewspage.blogspot.com/

3) August at Joethegamers Blog and 1000 Holiday Pictures -

August is a great guy. He attempted to teach me Danish so that I could read his blog. Doesn't get any more accommodating than that! I admire what he is doing with his quest to collect holiday photos from around the world. It's a wonderful way to share our special moments.
http://1000holidaypictures.blogspot.com/

4) Adam at WeDreaming -

He gave me a great compliment that really lifted my spirits. And, yes, you do get back what you put out into this world. So here you go, Adam and here's to the deserving person that is you!
http://wedreaming.com/

5) Bob at Blackholes and Astrostuff -

Bob shares my husband's passion for astronomy. He was kind enough to listen while I rambled on about our dream to own a creative arts/astronomy retreat in the mountains of New Mexico. I'm hoping for a visit from him when we open and have our telescopes up and running!
http://blackholesandastrostuff.blogspot.com/

6) Ruthie at The Day Breaks... -

Ruthie is a new friend who I stumbled upon while searching for others who love the music of Joe Hedges, http://www.joehedges.com/. I took a chance and told her that he's one of my favorites, too. She graciously responded and we exchanged strange stories about how we found out about him. I'm glad I met her.
http://ruthiesstuff.blogspot.com/

7) Ariana at Poetry N Jewels -

Ariana and I have an affinity for poetry, the color lavender and all things beaded. I'm enjoying getting to know her and I'm sure we will find even more things in common.
http://poetrynjewels.blogspot.com/

I know some of you manly men might not want to display this daintily designed award and that's okay, just pass it on, keep the power of nice going and know that on at least one occasion, you've made this girl blogger smile.

Empty Mailbox - The Lost Art of Letter Writing

I remember as a child I loved to hide in my mother's closet, way in the back, near the shelves in the corner. I'd pull a worn shoe box from the lowest shelf and carefully open the lid. I'd run my fingers through the stack of old letters contained inside, cards of condolence from my grandmother's death, letters from my uncle who lived far away, and the most fun of all - cards of congratulations from the year of my adoption.

I'd open the cards and letters, slowly read the words, wondering about the people who'd written them, what was going on in there lives so many years ago, and their connection to my parents. The smell of old paper filled the closet. I'd admire the stamps, wishing I could ask for them for my stamp collection. But then I'd have to admit to my mother that I'd gone through her personal letters and worse, she'd discover my favorite hideout.

As a teenager, I dated a young man who was away in the military. We wrote to each other most every day. I'll never forget the rush of emotion I'd get when I opened the mailbox to find an envelope with his handwriting or the let down when nothing was there. I kept those letters, in chronological order (obsessive, I know) for many years and he kept mine. It was a record, of sorts, of our young lives.

When I lived away from home I wrote faithfully to my parents. My mother kept them all, and I know, experienced the same rush as I did when she'd discover a long letter from me narrating my latest adventures as a new mother.

I don't write much anymore, a card here, a note there. She misses my ramblings about what I cooked for dinner and my most recent adventure to the beach. She misses the details. I talk to her on the phone but it's not the same. She doesn't have a computer so email is out.

And it's email that is the problem. It's taken over. I don't write anyone, anymore, unless it's digitally. I guess that counts but I wonder what will be left behind. Nothing but electronic archives, files of digital code, nothing tangible like the smell of old paper and the look of my uncles compact handwriting, his expressions of love for his little sister.

I bought a pack of artistic paper and rose colored envelopes over a month ago. I'd been thinking about letter writing and digital photos and how in this age of technology I miss holding something "real" in my hands - flipping through tattered pages and sorting old photos into stacks.

My challenge is to brighten one person's day with a letter, a tangible letter they can touch, smell, fold and put away for safe keeping. I think it will be to my mother, yes, another new one finally, to add to her box.

Who's waiting on a letter from you?

Saint of the Gutters

In 1910, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje (now Macedonia), to Albanian parents. Her father was a grocer. At the young age of twelve she developed an interest in overseas missions and realized her calling...aiding and caring for the poorest of the poor.

Inspired by the Jesuit missionaries and their work in Bengal, she left home at eighteen to join a community of Irish nuns in Calcutta, India. There she was given the name Sister Teresa, after Saint Teresa of Lisieux, the patroness of missionaries.

And so began her life's work as the embodiment of comfort and love to India's poorest of the poor, the lepers, and outcasts. She gave dignity to the dying by opening the Nirmal Hriday (or Pure Heart) Home for Dying Destitutes. There, homeless people, uncared for and unacceptable at other institutions, were washed, fed, and allowed to die surrounded by loving faces.

Mother Teresa presided over an order of 4,000 nuns who ran orphanages, AIDS hospices, and other worldwide charities. In 1990, due to failing health, she attempted to resign, but during a secret ballot of her sisters, she was re-elected almost unanimously. The only dissenting vote was her own. She continued to lead until her death in 1997 at the age of eighty-seven.

About poverty she said: "I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper's wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?"

In a letter to U.S. President George Bush and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, January 1991, she wrote: "Please choose the way of peace. ... In the short term there may be winners and losers in this war that we all dread. But that never can, nor never will justify the suffering, pain and loss of life your weapons will cause."

She vehemently opposed abortion, and is quoted as saying, Abortion "is murder in the womb ... A child is a gift of God. If you do not want him, give him to me." And because of her strong influence in India, is thought to have been the major stumbling block to family planning in that country.

When asked about the plight of the poor, she said, "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."

And most profoundly, she said, "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. "

Mother Teresa did not make everyone happy with her strong conservative Catholic beliefs but that didn't matter. She went on about the work she felt she was here to do and look at the impact one woman from Skopje made.

Use Mother Teresa as an example of God's love in this world, an example of peaceful, compassionate strength...a gently, effective way to walk through life. Believe in your dreams and the passion of your heart, work with all you have to make them come true.

Let's Levitate - Scientists Say It's Possible

We all want to levitate, don't we? It's akin to the urge to fly like Superman or swim underwater like a mermaid. What if we actually could? It's the favorite parlor trick of magicians and illusionists like David Blaine and Criss Angel. Can you imagine the freedom of floating in mid-air.? Not to mention the medical benefits to bedridden, chronically ill patients, no more constant turning to prevent bedsores.

It seems that quantum physicists have found a way, at least on the micro and nano-level. But now that levitation is a fact in the world of tiny objects, macro-levitation can't be far behind.

Professor Ulf Leonhardt and Dr Thomas Philbin, from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, have worked out a way of reversing a phenomenon known as the Casimir force. Casimir force normally causes friction between nano and micro objects, causing them to stick together. This is one of the reasons why all of the atoms that make up a human being stay connected and geckos can walk on walls and ceilings using something called "the dry glue effect".

The force is due to neither electrical charge or gravity, for example, but the fluctuations in all-pervasive energy fields in the intervening empty space between the objects. The physicists have found a way to manipulate this force so that it repels instead of attracts. Their discovery could ultimately lead to frictionless micro-machines with moving parts that levitate and the same theories could eventually be applied to human levitation.

This force causes problems for the nanotechnologists who build the electrical circuits and tiny mechanical devices found on silicon chips. The team believes the reversal of the Casimir force could initially be used to stop these tiny objects from sticking together.

Prof Leonhardt explained, “The Casimir force is the ultimate cause of friction in the nano-world, in particular in some microelectromechanical systems.

Such systems already play an important role in the tiny mechanical devices which trigger a car airbag to inflate or those which power tiny 'lab on chip’ devices used for drugs testing or chemical analysis.

Even more incredible, Prof Leonhardt leads one of four teams - three of them in Britain - to have put forward a theory in a peer-reviewed journal to achieve invisibility by making light waves flow around an object - just as a river flows undisturbed around a smooth rock.

For now I'll be grateful that because of the professor's research the air bag in my car will operate properly and feel secure in the knowledge that more fantastic advances are on the way.

Someday, maybe my grandchildren will levitate instead of sitting in desk at school and engage their invisibility cloaks to win a game of hide and seek.

What a miraculous and intelligent world we live in!

Help for Brain Injury Victims

This handsome DJ is my brother Casey Leonard. On Memorial Day weekend he was involved in a tragic ATV accident and suffered severe brain trauma. I am happy to report that Casey is working his way back to us one day at a time. Everyday my family rejoices that he is a living miracle, even his doctors say they've never seen a patient survive with injuries as serious as Casey's. He is still in the hospital but when the time is right he'll go to a rehabilitation center where he will stay until he is well enough to go home.

My family is experiencing first hand the arduous journey a brain injury victim must walk. A few nights after his accident Casey's mother whispered to him that if the pain was too bad and the road ahead too hard she would do her best to let him go. "If you want to go to God, I'll understand, " she told me she whispered in his ear. Casey decided to fight and we are fighting with him.

There are so many families dealing with the same situation. We are not alone. Wives and parents are welcoming loved ones home from Iraq that have suffered a brain injury due to IED's and other bombings. They face months of recovery and an even longer adjustment to the reality of living with and within a battered mind.

A battalion was created this summer, at Camp LeJune, North Carolina to give the soldiers a place of support and marine camaraderie. It's called the Wounded Warrior Battalion. To read more about this inspirational place go to http://sempermax.com/index.html.

We are finding out with my brother that victims of TBI need constant support and stimulation. They must relearn many of the activities we take for granted. Talking, eating, walking, grasping...things we do almost involuntarily, must be taught as if the adult victim were a young toddler. Connections in the brain must be hopefully rewired by playing memory games, coloring pictures, doing crafts, and simple tasks that link motor skills and thought.

It's an exhausting act of love to be a victim's source of support. If you'd like to help families like mine in some small but tangible way, I located http://www.doonenicething.com/index.php. Do One Nice Thing has a program listed under IDEAS labeled "We can help people with brain injuries". Here is what they suggest:

One of the most outstanding Brain Rehabilitation centers is at the Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.orb/, in Rochester, MN. Games and crafts, below, help patients undergoing recreational therapy.
Please send any of the following:

decks of playing cards
wood kits
watercolor paint sets
package of colored pencils
a sketch bookstamp pads/rubber stamps
100-300 piece jigsaw puzzles
games: Scrabble, Trouble, Uno, Scattergories (new or gently used)

How about including a card of encouragement? "We're with you." "You can do it!" "Sending you love." It's a good project to do with children.

Mail to: Dr. Tom Bergquist, Inpatient Rehab Unit, 3 MB, St. Mary's Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.

On behalf of my family and Casey (I know he would thank you if he could) thank you in advance for anything you do to make the day of a brain injury patient orpgaofcp he/her family a little brighter.

Kidsave - Uniting Orphans with Families

I love it when people share their ideas for LifePrints. The conversations usually start like this, “I read such and such somewhere and thought you might like to use it” or “Have you heard about…?”

Recently I received just such an email from my mother in law, Margaret, about Kidsave, http://www.kidsave.org/. She said, “The children were featured on 11Alive News (that’s in Georgia) a few days ago. Seems like a good program. Wish I could adopt one...probably too old at this point in life."

This was enough to spark my interest. I am a former foster mother and an adoptee, so stories and articles about children in need always tug strongly at my heart. I want to take all of them home and make the hurting stop, even though I know realistically I can’t do that.

After delving into the Kidsave website, I found they have the answer for people like me, Margaret, and countless others who want to help in some way but don’t feel they can adopt. Through Kidsave, we can be host families for six weeks to orphans from Latin America and Russia. Kidsave brings them to the US for their Summer of Miracles Program. A permanent home is the goal. The host family contributes by introducing the child to their circle of friends and community, in hopes of finding that special connection needed for a family or at least a close adult friend who can provide guidance and friendship to the child.

We can also be mentors to American children languishing in foster care by committing to taking a child out for bi-weekly outings, including them in some of our family activities, and just being a stable influence in their lives. We can be financial supporters, helping to raise the funds to bring orphans from all over the world to the US to spend an incredible summer with a host family.

Young Jonathan Gleason expressed his experience with Kidsave this way, “For six weeks during the summer of 2006, from early July through the middle of August, my family and I welcomed two young children into our home from an orphanage in Bogotá, Colombia as a Kidsave International host family. We, especially me, could never have guessed the extent of the positive effect on our lives when an eight year old girl, Maria and her younger brother, Juan Carlos, age 4, stepped forward to greet us at the Atlanta airport.”

He continued in his letter, “At first I was kind of skeptical because I had no idea what it was going to be like. I have been a younger sibling all my life, and all of the sudden I would have to become the older brother to two kids who I didn’t know, for six weeks. Well those six weeks turned out to be the best six weeks of my life. Every day that the kids were here was full of fun, fascination, and learning for me. These children could embrace joy in spite of their past. The little girl was honestly the best friend I could ever have. All day I would play with her and it would be as if I had known her my whole life, and her brother was just the funniest kid ever! That kid, if he knew something was wrong, would find anyway to get a smile on your face and make you laugh. These kids did not just touch our family’s life, but many of my friends and my parents’ friends too. Friends would invite themselves over, not to spend time with us but to be with the kids.”

“One of my friends even started to cry the last time he saw the kids. One of my favorite memories was whenever the music video of Shakira’s song came on; my new amigos would dance and sing their heads off. Another thing these kids loved was the pool. Both of them learned how to swim while they were here. Everyday they would swim for hours, and whenever you would try to take them out they would say, “5 more minutes….5 more minutes….5 more minutes”, until finally you would have to drag them out of the pool.”

“Don’t get me started on church with the four year old. Let’s just say all of the priests and parishioners knew him by the end of the six week period and not because he misbehaved! Another favorite pastime for the kids was eating. They loved trying all of the new foods they had never seen or tried before. Shopping at Target was an eye opening experience for both of them. However, the most amazing experience was watching these two kids when they stepped on to the beach and saw the ocean for the first time. I wish that I had taken a picture, but the expression of awe on their faces will remain with me forever. I could go on and on,” Jonathan gushed.

I’d intended to paraphrase his statement but changed my mind. Johnathan aptly expresses what happens when one person does something for the good of another. Somewhere along the way, they realize they are benefiting, too, maybe even more so that the one they set out to help. The purpose of Johnathan’s letter was to raise $60,000 to bring children to his home town this summer. I’m not sure if he reached his goal but I do know that right now there are children in Atlanta, Georgia enjoying the company of selfless families like the Gleasons.

Thank you, Margaret for passing on this important story of international caring and cooperation.

Danica McKellar - Who Says a Beautiful Actress Can't be Smart (and law abiding)?

Do you remember The Wonder Years, a family comedy/drama from the early 90's? Well, do you remember Winnie Cooper and the torch Kevin carried for her though out the entire series? She was cute and pouty, his best friend, and the girl of his dreams. Winnie Cooper was portrayed by Danica McKellar. Danica played the part so well because she was a cute and pouty teen. Thing was when I watched her I knew she'd grow into a breathtaking woman. I can't say I worried or thought much about the actress's future. I respected her acting and watched the show faithfully but that is where it ended.

Recently, with all the publicity about young starlets gone bad it brings a smile to my face to tell you that Ms. Danica McKellar is now 32 years old. Acting is just one facet of her life. She is a well-rounded woman who graduated summa cum laude from UCLA's mathematics's department.

That alone is enough to make me want to shake her hand but there is more. As a celebrated mathematician, she co-authored a groundbreaking physics theorem that bears her name, the Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem.

Danica is working on a book called Math Doesn't Suck, targeted at girls. The book is filled with real-life math word problems that girls can relate to, graphics and quizes just like the magazines girls read. There are practical tips for avoiding brain freeze on test day and real life stories of girls who excel in math.

She tells NewsWeek magazine that she always loved math but like most girls found it hard in junior high school. This is the age that most girls give up, thinking it's a subject for white, nerdy boys. Lucky for Danica, she had a teacher in high school who used humor and some of the same techniques she's passing along in her book to motivate her in math class. In college she felt right at home in the math department.

Her book, which will be out in August, has already been given top marks by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. "She's a terrific role model," says NCTM's president Francis Fennell.

On the subject of young girls, Danica says, " I want to tell girls that cute and dumb isn't as good as cute and smart."

I couldn't agree more.

Scouts to the Rescue in Enterprise, Alabama

On March 1st this year Enterprise, AL was hammered by a killer tornado. Terror spread across the South Eastern United States as part of a storm system that barreled through the Midwest and Southern States. When it ended 20 people were dead in three states. Among the victims were students from Enterprise High School, killed when the section of the building where they were taking cover collapsed.

Boys Scouts in the area lost friends and family. In the aftermath, schools closed early for spring break and as the boys walked through the devastation in their community, along with their leaders, they decided to become proactive and help with the clean up.

Troop 77 and six others rallied together to get the job done. They canvassed neighborhoods throughout town, clearing debris, removing trees from roofs, picking up shingles that'd been blown from the house tops, doing whatever needed to be done.

Among the devastation was one Eagle Scout's grandparent's house, which was totally lost. They boy said the neighborhood around his grandparent's home looked like a war zone.

One scout was in the car with his father when the tornado passed 30 yards in front of them and hit the high school. He watched the twister make impact with the school, where one of his friends was killed. "Through all of this, I've learned how people can come together, " he told Boys Life Magazine.

Three months after the disaster, the Enterprise High School seniors graduated. One of the valedictorians said, We gather here today in the ruins of our school, but we are not ruined."

It will cost two million dollars to repair the town but the spirit of the town's people is a different story. Disheartened citizens can draw strength from the resilience of the high school students who huddled together while their shelter fell down around them. They can look to the local boy scouts for examples of altruism. The town will recover and go on, they have banned together to help and comfort each other, knowing, no doubt, that tornado season will be back, as it is every year and they will as prepared as possible.

If you live in an area where tornadoes occur, the scouts want to pass along these lifesaving tips:

Before the tornado:
Know the warning signs. Look for strong, persistent rotation in the cloud base. Hail or heavy rain followed by either dead calm or a fast, intense wind shift. Listen for a loud, continuous roar or rumble.

During the tornado:
Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor of the building. Go to the center room or closet where there are no windows. Cover yourself with some sort of thick padding, blankets, mattress, to protect from falling debris.

After the tornado:
Keep your family or group together and wait for help to arrive. Carefully render aid to those who are injured. Stay away from power lines and puddles with wires in them. Do not use matches or lighters, in case of leaking natural gas. Stay calm.

I would add to help others as much as possible. Be involved in the clean up. Offer aid or to share whatever you have with neighbors who are in the same situation. Sometimes the best way to lessen your hurt and anxiety is to help someone else with theirs. Part of the Cub Scout Promise is to help others...hold onto that thought and the image of the boys rallying around their town.

Peace Poles - Prayers for the World

The pole says...May Peace Prevail On Earth, six times, in as many different languages.
Masahisa Goi, founder of The Peace Pole Project, wants you to know this... If you fling all of your thoughts into these simple words, and, from this prayer keep living your lives anew, before you know it your individualistic or cliquish feelings will diminish, and you will feel humanitarian love welling up from within. Gradually, the individual's character will be approaching wholeness, and the person's lifestyle will strike a harmonious note - which is the greatest thing an individual can do for world peace.

These poles serve to remind us to keep peace alive in our thoughts, words and actions every day.

The peace pole project was founded 52 years ago by Masahisa Goi, a young man who lived through World War II and longed for peace. The project is carried on by the World Prayer Society (http://www.worldpeace.org/), a non-profit, non-denominational organization. There are now 200,000 plus peace poles erected in more than 200 countries across the world.

St. Rose Hospital in Las Vegas, NV welcomes you to come and lay your hands on one of the peace poles on their property and invite peace into your heart.

There are also peace poles at these extraordinary locations:

Magnetic North Pole, Canada
Confucious Burial Site, Taiwan
Pyramids of El Giza, Egypt
Gorky Park, Russia
Findhorn Foundation, Scotland
Robben Island, South Africa
Jordan River, Israel
Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
The Hague, Netherlands
Baghdad, Iraq
2002 Winter Olympics - Utah, US

Visit one near you or order your own from http://www.peacepoles.com/

Ruth Bell Graham - Woman of Conviction but not Convention

Ruth Bell Graham died last month at the age of 87. She was the steady, guiding force in and the love of Billy Graham's life. It's not easy being married to one of the most influential men in the Christian faith but from the moment they met she knew it was her calling.

Ruth was born in China while her parents were Presbyterian medical missionaries. She wanted to be a missionary and follow in their footsteps but all that changed when she met a young, charismatic, Baptist with the nickname "preacher". When she married Billy she knew she'd be expected to remain in the background and silently support her evangelical husband. And that was alright because she never wanted the spotlight.

But Ruth was not the run of the mill preacher's wife. She helped her husband compose sermons, listening while he ran over the text for ways to more concisely present the message. She wrote poetry and was an accomplished artist. She was the author of 14 books and raised 5 children mostly on her own while Billy traveled the world spreading the gospel.

Even though Billy was a Baptist, she never renounced her Presbyterian faith and remained active in her home church in Montreat, North Carolina. She is reported to have once rode on a motorcycle during one of the Billy Graham Crusades. On another occasion she ripped a large sign from a protestor's hand at an anti-war rally and was nearly arrested.

They were married in August 1943. From the beginning, the marriage was what Billy Graham has called “happily incompatible,” full of tenderness and friction. Ruth’s role, as she saw it, was both to support and to challenge her ambitious, charismatic husband—and she did so unflinchingly.

When their son Franklin was wearing his hair fashionably long in the 1970s, Ruth reminded the boy’s aghast father that hair was not a moral issue. When over lunch at the White House in 1964, Lyndon Johnson wanted Billy to help him choose a running mate, Ruth kicked her husband sharply under the table. “You should limit yourself to moral and spiritual advice,” she said, “not political advice.” These acts may seem small but for the wife of a powerful Christain figure they were steadfast and true. She understood that as a preacher's wife she was expected to sacrafice but that did not mean she was subserviant to anyone but God. It seems that her husband also understood this often misinterperated biblical doctorine because he valued and sought her counsel as his most trusted friend and confidant for 64 years.

Of his marriage to this remarkable woman Graham said, “I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth." And in a statement issued after her death, “Especially for these last few years ... We've rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven."

May all women strive to be as convicted, steadfast, and unconventional in the pursuit of their beliefs as Ruth Bell Graham.

Activism - The Power of One Voice

Activism - the process of taking peaceful, direct, or militant action to achieve a political or social goal.

That's the simple definition of activism. What's more difficult to explain is why certain people feel led to give their time, energy, and sometimes blood and lives to a cause. What special characteristic do they have that makes them set their individual needs aside for the advancement of a group or an idea?

In many cases the change they are working for will directly benefit the activist or someone they care about. An event has touched them so deeply they feel they must act. Not to act in the face of injustice would be more of a crime than a simple arrest for protesting on private property. Ruffling a few feathers is a small sacrifice for the greater good that might be achieved.

Activists are sometimes painted as radicals, malcontents, or social outcasts who will never be content. But then time passes and we (the masses) begin to see the fruits of the activist's labor. Think about these examples for a moment.

This is a picture of Joan Norman, famous in Oregon for protesting against logging companies. She took her lawn chair and sat in the way of the trucks to protect an old growth forest. "I want my grandchildren to know what it's like to walk among 800 year old trees. A tree shouldn't just be a picture in a book."

Joan recently died at the age of 72 in a head on car collision. She wanted to leave behind a legacy for change, a memory of someone who didn't stand by and watch as the world she loved "went to pot".

Cesar Chavez once said, "I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice." Chavez was instrumental in changing and improving the working conditions of migrant workers in the grape vineyards of California. He founded a labor union so the workers could organize and have a voice against the vineyard owners. As a Mexican-American migrant worker who toiled along side his family after they lost their Arizona ranch during the depression, he became the face of the migrant worker.

Protests like the ones led by Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr. are one form of activism. There are other ways, as demonstrated by Bono, Angelina Jolie, and many others who do not have the advantage of a high profile career. These people use their time and resources to throw themselves into the conflicts or social injustices they wish to change. They live the concept of One Voice, Strong Voice, using whatever means are available to them to bring about positive change.

Email campaigns, petitions, meetings on Internet Virtual Realities such a Second Life, attending city council meetings with a group of like minded folks are ways to let your voice be heard. Use the power of your vote to let our government know what matters to you, not just in national elections but on the local level, too.

Our country is divided about so many issues but that is okay. We are a diverse society of many cultures and concerns. The important thing is that we care. We exercises our right to voice our individual views and to organize protests against injustice.

If you are so inclined....act. In the words of Gandhi, "Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.

Help for Stray Animals in the US

Every day in the United States 70,000 stray and unwanted dogs and cats are born. This alarming number comes straight from the Human Society. In Detroit, Michigan the problem is so bad that packs of wild dogs run unchecked among abandoned buildings. This is true in most large cities and despite the shocking numbers, only 20 states have laws requiring sterilization of such animals.

Shelters all across the country are overwhelmed, even though they euthanize regularly. Euthanization is considered cruel by many private citizens and they have banned together to form no kill shelters. Even that is not enough. They are also overwhelmed and have trouble finding homes for the animals. It takes manpower, money, and proper facilities to successfully run a shelter. Even the most kind hearted of rescuers eventually run face first into these obstacles.

One such group is FLOCK (for the love of cats and kittens). They operate a cat and kitten sanctuary in Pahrump, NV. Their president recently resigned, she says, leaving the 400 animals in good condition. Six weeks later, Nye county called in the help of an animal rights group to investigate charges of neglect.

The answer to animal overpopulation is difficult to implement but relatively simple in concept. Pets must be spayed and neutered. Strays must be spayed when taken in by shelters and adopted out. Pet owners must be responsible when making reproductive decisions for their animals. If you are not a licenced breeder then you animal does not need to reproduce. Kittens and puppies are no doubt some of the cutest animals on the planet but that alone is no reason to let you cat give birth. There are so many animal waiting for homes, wandering our streets, starving and needing care. If you want a pet, please go to a shelter and adopt or rescue a stray that comes across your path.

The efforts of tireless shelter and rescue organizations should be commended. The Internet has made it even easier to adopt with some private no-kill shelters advertising for long distance adoptions.

One such organization is Hearts United For Animals, http://www.hua.org/Tias-Place.html. They encourage long distance adoption if safe flights are scheduled and there is a volunteer in your area to do a home inspection. Many of their dogs have been rescued from abusive situations and HUA takes extra measures to insure they will not suffer in their new homes. You can also become an animal buddy by giving a donation to a specific resident of HUA. Buddies help to defray the cost of care until a permanent home can be found.

FurKids, http://www.furkids.org/, is an organization for cats based in Atlanta, GA. There are many like them all over the country. They foster cats and kittens until homes can be found. Their animals are shown for adoption at the local PetSmart stores. They accept donations and fund programs for public awareness about solutions to animal overpopulation.

We can each do our part by being compassionate to animals and open to solutions on their behalf. Take in a stray or deliver it to a reputable shelter or veterinarian's office. Report animal abuse and neglect. Care responsibly for the pets you own. Above all give them lots of love. I think most spiritual leaders would agree that the golden rule applies to ALL the creatures of the planet.

The Power of Schmooze Award

I've won a blogging award! I've won a blogging award! Did you see me jumping up and down in a fit of joy? If you were in my living room yesterday you would have and I'm still flying high.

My new friend Charlotte R. Dixon who runs Word Strumpet, http://www.wordstrumpet.typepad.com/, thought that the work I'm doing with LifePrints was worthy of an award. Writers should click right over to Charlotte and check out her advice on writing. She is a copywriter and creative writing teacher of the highest caliber.

The Power of Schmooze is a blogging community involvement award given to bloggers who make an effort to get to know others in the blogosphere. The tough part is now I must pass the award along to five others.

Since I've become involved in Blogcatalog I've met some interesting people who run informative, fun, and entertainingly irreverent blogs. I am in good company at Blogcatalog. The members have set a high standard for excellence.

So drum roll please...here are the winners.

Kali Karagias at Out of Focus, http://adhd.typepad.com/

Kali was one of the first people to reach out to me. She is so funny. She has a dry sense of humor that always makes me laugh out loud when I read her posts. With a sharp wit and keen insight she challenges the way I think about the world. I love people who can do that.

Philip Harris at All Things That Matter, http://philipharris.blogspot.com/

Mr. Harris is the author of Waking God. He has his own talk radio show called All Things That Matter and currently works in special education. Also, he is knowledgeable in the areas of secret societies, occult and religious studies and has been a student of mystical studies for over twenty five years. Phil's post about our true place in the Milky Way Galaxy blew my mind and I've been reading faithfully ever since.

Delirante (Wen) at La Delirante, http://ladelirante.blogspot.com/

Wen is from El Salvador and lives in Malta. She writes about her life there. I've enjoyed talking to her and learning through her eyes about living outside your homeland.

Lisa Wines at OMYWORD! Did I Say That!, http://omywordblog.blogspot.com/

Lisa added me to her feeder! I remember when she sent that message. I was as happy then as I am now to pass on this award to her. She lives in France and has the most interesting take on life. I'll never think of fake boobs in the same way and her recent post on the Bible...well, I won't give away the ending.

Vienne at Eavesdropwriter, http://eavesdropwriter.blogspot.com/

Vienne has created one of the most unique resources for writers that I've ever had the pleasure to stumble upon. I wish I'd thought of it! She is an accomplished eavesdropper and uses the tidbits she overhears to build characters and spark her creativity. Every writer should check it out.

That's my five and it was a difficult task. I wish I could give one back to Charlotte at Word Strumpet but that's probably against the rules. Congratulations everyone. Now it's your turn to pass it on.

Are You Driving Green or Mean?

Recently the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released their list of the Greenest and Meanest Vehicles of 2007. The ACEEE is a Washington, D.C.-based independent, non-profit research group dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of protecting the environment and strengthening the economy. They seek to encourage manufacturers to produce high-efficiency, low-pollution vehicles and also to motivate consumers to purchase them. A cornerstone of this effort is ACEEE's Green Book: The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks and its website: http://www.greenercars.com/.

Topping the Green List was the Honda Civic GX with a green score of 57. The scores were calculated using engine specifications, emmision standards, and city/highway miles per gallon.

The Honda Civic GX runs on natural gas and is being billed as the cleanest running car on Earth. There are even devices available for refueling at home in your garage since there are not natural gas filling stations on every corner.

Toyota Prius came in second with a green score of 55. It gets more miles to the gallon than a Honda Civic but lost on emissions. Who could compete with a zero emissions model like the GX, anyway?

The rest of the Green List goes like this:

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, rating of 53
NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID, rating of 48
TOYOTA YARIS, rating of 47
TOYOTA COROLLA, rating of 46
TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID, rating of 46
HONDA FIT, rating of 45
KIA RIO / RIO 5, rating of 45
HYUNDAI ACCENT, rating of 45
HYUNDAI ELANTRA, rating of 45
HONDA CIVIC, rating of 44.

The ACEEE also compiled a list they called the Meanest Vehicles of 2007. That lists the biggest offenders to the enviroment. So if you are driving a Volkswagen Touareg or a Mercedes-Benz GL320 CDI you might want to think about trading it in for one of the great cars on the greenest list. They have the dubious honor of ranking the lowest on the Green List.

I can personally recommend the Prius. I've driven one for a little over a year and find it comfortable, reliable, and surpisingly powerful. You might like it, too. We can all do the environment a favor and send a message to the auto industry by buying fuel-efficient, low-emissions cars and turning our backs on the bigger-than-a-mountain, gas guzzling SUV's. Lobbying our government to set stricter standards is also a positive step toward a cleaner Earth.

Dove Campaign for Real Beauty - Celebrating All Women

In 2005 Dove Soap launched an ad campaign featuring real women. Ones who didn't fit the industry standard. They were a cross-section of society, different races and ages, curvy, plump, pale, freckled, fit, unconventional, and gorgeous in their own way. I remember hearing comments like, "What do they think their doing? Who wants to look at that? She looks like my mother! I want Victoria's Secret girls!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. Tyra Banks is one of the most beautiful and celebrated models in the world but after following her television show for a few episodes it became apparent that she's shaped much more like me and my friends than her famous Victoria's Secret pictorials would lead you to believe. Like all models, Tyra had been photoshopped seven ways to Sunday.

Funny thing is....the beauty industry didn't need to rework her into an unacheiveable image. She was gorgeous before they ever turned their computer mouses loose to "touch up" her photos.


Dove realized this, not nessecarily about Ms. Banks but about all models, all women, and the images mass media was selling a whole generation of growing girls. The company made a bold move to do something about it, to expose the secrets of their own industry, and hopefully reverse some of the damage to the self-esteem of millions of young women.

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and Dove Self-Esteem Fund have launched print ads and particularly a series of television ads to further the cause. The evolution commercial shows the transformation of an every day pretty girl to a cover creature that only exists in a photoshopped folder on a laptop. The end tag says, "It's no wonder our perception of beauty is so distorted." All I can say is, "Amen."

On their website, http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.co.nz/site/default.asp, Dove provides resources for getting involved, mentoring girls and promoting positive body image, and a forum where you can express your views.

This is a quote from Leanne Landolfi, Brand Manager, Dove Australia. Hopefully, more beauty companies will follow suit and begin to sell a real and realisitic idea of beauty.

"Being a global beauty brand, we strongly believe that it is our responsibility to make women feel more beautiful every day. As girls care about the way they look from such an early age, we believe that it is extremely important to encourage younger girls to build a healthy body image and to have a balanced view on what real beauty is."

She continued, "This is a long-term commitment from Dove. We will be setting new goals for the Fund each year, reviewing past activities and assessing their effectiveness in building the body image self-esteem of young people. The Fund has already made a big impact in other countries, and we are tremendously excited about the potential for it to become a positive influence."

I will be buying Dove products and supporting their efforts. Ideas are alreay changing. I asked my daughter to sit with me and watch the evolution commercial.

When it was finished she said, "Yeah, I know that and I like the way I look."

"Well, alrighty then." I beamed with pride.

The Astronaut Farmer - Go After Your Dreams

Earlier this week my family and I went to an outdoor movie screening at Lake Las Vegas Resort. During the summer months they run a series called Movies Al Fresco. http://www.lakelasvegasresort.com/. If you live in the area and want to go, use this link to check schedules. The sunset over the backdrop of the lake was breathtaking. The grass was cool and soft after a hot, dry day and it's free.

We relaxed on our blanket, bit into drippy, steaming pizza and watched a gem of a movie, The Astronaut Farmer. The projectionist welcomed the crowd and proceeded to tell us that The Astronaut Farmer was a good family movie but a bit unrealistic. After all, there are all sorts of problems that go along with building a rocket in your barn.

I didn't care. Ten minutes into the movie I was a believer and so were my boys, who reclined in front of me staring at the screen. Charles Farmer washed out of the space program but he hadn't lost the burning desire to go into space. He uses his skills and knowledge as an aerospace engineer to make his dream a reality. If NASA won't sent him into orbit then, by God, he'll do it himself.

What captured my imagination was this man's ability to believe in himself and the possibility that anything can be accomplished. It's what we are supposed to believe as Americans. The ironic (and unfortunately realistic) part of this movie was the ridicule he recieved from his friends and the townspeople. Even his own government jumped on the bandwagon to stop him. Who did he think he was trying to go into space without them? How dare he circumvent their authority over the skys. So much for the American dream. "You're just crazy," the town nurse told him.

Against the odds, Charlie infused his family with his passion. At the dinner table they played a game. "I'm going to the moon and I'm taking a pillow," his little girl says.

"Okay, you can go to the moon," her father responds.

His teenage son, Shepard, is in charge of mission control. His father raised him to believe in his problem solving abilities. He's helped his father build the rocket. It's going to work. The family thrives on faith in each other.

I worry about what happens in American homes these days. Do we encourage our children to be all that they can be? Do we give them the help they need to experiment and learn, even when what they strive for sounds far fetched? In my house I have children who dream big and I have to constantly remind myself that it's okay to encourage them along their individual paths. So far, we have a future president of the USA, a chef, a professional football player and a music producer in the works. And who am I to tell them that maybe they should think about careers in retail?

What The Astronaut Farmer did for me was to remind me that the best way to show my children how to rope in their big dreams is to pursue my own. No matter what movie critics thought of the movie it had a positive affect on this writer, best selling author wanna be.

Like Charles Farmer, don't be afraid to shoot for the moon.

1 Million Love Messages - Giving the World a Big Hug

Love makes the world go round. That's a worn out, oft repeated phrase. I like author Franklin P. Jones verson better. Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

Blogger, Mauro from Portugal, agrees with me. Last year he started a project he calls 1 Million Love Messages - 1 blog, 1 million love messages from around the world. http://www.1millionlovemessages.com/.
His goal is to post 1 million messages sent to his blog from all over the world. Reading the posts brought tears to my eyes. What did I find that made me cry? Emotion, pure, raw emotions that all human beings share. I think we forget sometimes that we are all the same and have one underlying basic need. No matter where we are from, how or if we worship God, what we look like, or where we work, we need love and lots of it.

On 1 Million Love Messages there are the expected letters from one lover to another but the ones that tugged at my heart were the ones that reminded me that love comes in many different forms and is expressed in a many ways as there are stars in the sky.

A mother expresses remorse to her son for decisions she knows hurt him. A man praises his brother for a job well done. A woman writes to her deceased husband on father's day. A man sends some love out to his pet cat and ferret. One woman wrote a love letter to herself, an encouragement that things will get better, just keep trying.

You and I can be part of Mauro's admirable quest. On the blog is a submit button asking for participants. Click it, open the new email message and let that special someone or animal know that you care. Post poetry, videos, song lyrics, letters, pictures...be creative. I can't think of a better way to honor that love and spread some positive energy around the globe.

William Kamkwamba - An Inspiration to All

I discovered an amazing human being today. His name is William Kamkwamba and according to Grist Magazine I am way behind the power curve. Maybe you already know about William and his Do It Yourself windmill that powers his parents home and charges car batteries and cellphones for his neighbors and relatives.

If you are like me and didn't know about William, the super-intelligent 19 year old from Malawi, then prepare to be humbled and inspired by his efforts to gain an education, learn everything he can about passive/efficient energy sources, and take the internet by storm.

Well, in all sincerity, I don't know if he actually MEANT to take the internet by storm but that's what's happened. It was only a few months ago when he was introduced to the World Wide Web for the first time, after being invited to attend the TEDGlobal conference in Southern Africa. Not long after, he began Googling words like solar power, wind power, and crop rotation. How many young men would have go straight for the porn or youtube?

Not William. Maybe later when he's satisfied his thrist for knowledge but for now girls and mindless distractions seem to be the last things on his mind. After dropping out of school at 14 because his family had no money to send him to secondary school, he has returned to the classroom through the hard work of mentors he met at the conference. He will be attending a different school next month that is primarily reserved for the children of Christian missionaries.

Almost immediately, after gaining somewhat regular access to the internet and with some coaching by his mentor, Tom Rielly from TEDGlobal, William started a blog on typepad.com. It's called William Kamkwamba's Malawi Windmill Blog. http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/williamkamkwamba/.

On his blog he laid out the design for his windmill step by step with photos of the construction process. He quickly gained mass media coverage and now his blog has received 113,000 page views with 64,000 on one day alone. You can follow his life and acheivements as he works on other innovations to help his community. Find out how his is using the generous donations that have come his way due to the media attention. So far he's bought supplies to improve his windmill design, essential items for his family like soap and laundry detergent, and a sanitary drinking water dispenser.

I am left speechless when I think about this young man from such an impoverished country. He has every reason to give up but yet he is part of a new breed of Africans. They are called cheetahs and they are out to make a difference on their continent. No more waiting for their government to get it's act together or for aid workers to save the day. William is saving himself, his family and his village.

Now what excuse can possibly I come up with for not achieving my goals? Any would be a joke in the face of William Kamkwamba's example.

Cargotecture - A World of Possiblity in a Metal Box

Our country imports more than it exports. One byproduct of this recent development is the metal mountains of empty shipping containers piling up at our shipping ports and transport centers. What to do with them all?

Groups of innovative architects have an answer. How about a house? An artist studio? A weekend get away spot? A clinic in a remote area? Relief housing after a natural disaster? HyBrid Architecture of Seattle and other companies like them around the world are experimenting with building prefab, ecologically intelligent structures from empty cargo containers.

A 40 foot container costs from $500 to $2000 plus a shipping fee to your building sight. That's kind of amusing...a shipping fee for your shipping container, but anyway. A company like HyBrid will outfit the container with window, insulation, and all the desired ammenities from upscale to utilitarian.

The containers as housing are interesting eye candy to some and hideous eye sores to others but our concept of the world is changing. It's time to utilize the junk we've created and reconfigure the way we think about our right to a disposable lifestyle. If not for a house, the containers make perfect low cost structures for clinics in remote or impoverished areas. A building such as this might mean the difference in a non-profit having the money to start medical services or not. Facility expenses can be a huge burden when calculating the money needed to get a project off the ground.

HyBrid has built a studio cabin in Enumclaw, Washington. It's a 320 sq. foot masterpiece full of natural light and urban attitude in the woods. There are intriguing aspects of building with containers, besides the availability and economy. All the structural load in an 8-by-40-by-9 1/2-foot container is carried by the corner castings, steel columns at each of the four corners. This means that doors and windows can occur anywhere else in the structure. Whole walls can be cut out and replaced with glass, and interior walls can be anywhere or nowhere. The boxes can be stacked like giant Lego blocks, cantilevered into space to create intriguing overhangs and practical decks, or cut apart and reassembled into new configurations.

Read the August issue of Readers Digest for a quick snipet about cargotecture or go to http://www.hybridseattle.com/ to see renderings of the company's designs and vison of cargo communities.

BoGo - Lighting Up the Third World

Thanks to BoGo, orphans in Rwanda can see to walk at night to the outdoor toilets. Thanks to BoGo, children in Terrier Rouge can do their schoolwork and read at night after working with their parents all day to support the family. Thanks to BoGo, missionaries in third world countries have light for safety, no matter where they are.

What is BoGo? BoGo stands for Buy One Give One. It is a task light powered by a photovoltic cell and rechargeable batteries. They produce more light with LED technology than incandescent bulbs. They are made of durable materials that can withstand serious wear and tear. Bogos last years longer than conventional flashlights. BoGo's can only be purchased through http://www.bogolight.com/.

The lights cost $25.00. When a purchase is made through the website BoGo will send your light to you and give one away to a non-governmental organization that has partnered with BoGo, a SunNight Solar Company based out of Houston, TX. When you place an order BoGo provides a drop down list of affliates to choose from.

It is also an option to buy a light to give away. If you do this BoGo will match your donation one for one. If you buy two donation lights, BoGo will also give two away to the organization of your choice.

SunNight Solar and president of BoGo, Mark Bent are quickly expanding the business. The response has been so great that they are revamping their order and distribution systems. They have other projects in the works to help the citizens of third world countries by utilizing solar technologies. These include solar powered water purifications systems, solar lamps to cure jaundiced infants, and a room illumination system that utilizes LED lights.

BoGo has a bright future and is well on it's way to making life better and safer for many of the worlds most impoverished people. Thanks BoGo. I think I know a few people who could use your lights and would be proud to know that the purchase helped someone else along the way.

Stoves from Berkeley Scientists Saving Lives in Darfur

Think about this one for a moment? What would you do without your microwave oven?

"I'd be fine," you say.

Alright, what would do you without your gas or electric stove?

"That might be tougher," you answer.

Okay, try this scenario on for size. You live in a war torn country where you've been forced into a refugee camp in the desert. To feed your family you cook over an open fire but this is the desert. There is little to no wood and everyone in the camp is scrambling for the same few scraps. That's bad enough, but you HAVE to cook and eat, so the only solution is to walk and hunt for wood outside the boundaries of the camp. You've watched the neighbor women put on a brave face and leave the safety of the group. As much as seven hours later you've seen them return, exhausted, with small arm loads of wood. Some of them return with glazed over expressions, limping, or crying. They've been raped, beaten or terrorized by militants but they had to go. To send the men out for wood would mean certain death. The men are simply slaughtered on sight. This is what you face to feed your children. So tell me, as you pour your second cup of hot coffee, if this woman were you, what now?

Ashok Gadgil, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkely National Labortory in California has an answer. It's called the Berkely-Darfur Stove. The simple but clever design uses 75% less firewood than an open fire and 50% less than a traditional clay cookstove. What does this mean to the women of Darfur? Less trips away from the safety of the camp to gather wood.

What does this mean to Darfur's severely depleated environment? Time for vegetation to recover and reclaim the land.

What does this mean for the people of Darfur who desperately want to have normal self-sufficent lives again? It means a way to make money. The Berkeley-Darfur Stove is designed in such a way that it can be produced with simple tools and materials.

There are many advantages to cooking in this manner. Using open fires on the desert plains with constant winds often results in fires, burning down shelters and tents. Also, wood is so scarce that refugees have taken to exchanging or selling their food rations to barter for fuel. The stove dramatically drops the need for more fuel and give the families the option of holding onto their food and using it for nutrition instead of currency.

The partnership is offering the stoves to the refugees for a very small lease to own fee and providing help in a start-up manufactoring process. In this way, Dr. Gadgil and his associates feel they are empowering the refugees instead of making beggers out of a proud people.

The Darfur Stoves Project is taking donations, looking for businesses willing to do corporate funds matching, and groups to hold fundaraisers. Newsweek Magazine ran an informative article on the project in the July 16th issue and OPRAH Magazine highlighted Darfur Stoves in its June issue.

In a time when it's easy to throw up your hands and say, "What can I do? The problems are just too big. Think of the Berkeley-Darfur Stove Project and the impact and empowerment five little pieces of shaped steel can give to persons life.

To read more about this project go to http://www.darfurstoves.org/.