Cool stuff

Frequent commenter Neil is doing a Flickr project called "Smiles for World Peas" Day on April 12. Take a photo of your child smiling, and then post your photo to the group page or send him the photo (if you don't have a Flickr site) on April 12 (not before or after). Read details here.

Reader and childhood friend Beth tips me off to her mom's friend who writes a blog called 37 Days that talks about what you'd do if you knew you only had 37 days left to live. (Check out the blog to see why 37 days.) It's a celebration of life and about embracing the things you want to do. She's also got a book coming out in the fall based on the 37 days idea, so stay tuned for that.

While we're talking about jumpstarting creativity, has anyone else read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield? I read it on friend Scott's recommendation, and am finding it simple but also strangely motivating in its bluntness. For those of you (and I read your comments on the post Friday about The Ten-Year Nap, so I know you're out there) who feel like there's still some passion there but you're having problems re-igniting it even once you're getting a grip on the kid-flow thing, it might be a place to start. And it's in short chapters, so you can read a bit at a time, while your kid naps, or while you're on the bus.

And, if you're still cool enough to see live music, check out my friend's project WhoTours.com, which collects tour info from around the web so you can set up favorites and get notifications whenever your favorite bands are going to be playing near you. If you're not cool enough to see live music anymore, pass it on to your younger siblings.

What have you guys found that's cool and of interest?

Comments

[sue]

I love the website http://www.goods4girls.org

Deanna Duke, who runs www.crunchychicken.blogspot.com, was watching tv and saw one of the Always maxi pad ads that say that if you buy a certain number boxes of pads, they'll donate some pads to girls in Africa. A lot of girls in impoverished areas of Africa drop out of school because they can't attend during their periods (no menstrual supplies) and so fall behind in class. So there are few problems with this program - it's tied to consumer purchases, so is less charity than advertising gimmick; there is no good way to dispose of the pads, so P&G is building incinerators next to schools - so the kids get to learn to the smell of burning bloody plastic, and more pollutants are released into the atmosphere, and the girls quickly age out of the program, at which time they are required to purchase pads.

When she saw this ad campaign, Deanna was annoyed - but instead of grumbling to her husband and changing the channel (like I did) - she started an organization to collect and distribute cloth mentrual pads to girls in Africa. The first shipment of 70 kits left for Lwale, Kenya last week. In each kit are reusable pads, panties, and a waterproof bag for carrying them home. This way, the girls can wash their pads and panties the same way they currently wash the rags they use (but the pads and panties will be MUCH more effective) and the pads will last for years instead of a single group. So instead of being dependant on a corporate handout (or having to buy pads), the girls can take a single gift and use it to take charge of their periods.

Now, obviously the issue of girls' schooling is more complex than this one issue, but Deanna is working with schools and communities where girls do have the opportunity to make good use of a donation by attending a local school. It's amazing the potential effect of something we all take for granted here.

You can donate by making pads or purchasing from one of the WAHM companies that make and sell them on the internet. Most of those companies have discounts running for this program. I bought some and have started making them - they're quick and easy, and you can use old flannel sheets or shirts, and ratty bathtowels, so ther isn't even a cost, other than time.

The other charity I'm currently passionate about is the Central Asia Institute, http://www.ikat.org
They build schools for girls and boys in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Their mission is to help impoverished areas in those countries educatetheir children with a moderate Islamic education, so that they don't turn to extremists, who are often the only source of schooling in these areas. But I've rambled enough, so just go check it out...

[Sandy]

I heart freeRice

http://www.freerice.com

It appeals to the vocab geek in me AND sends free rice through the UN World Food Program. Fun times!

[Dave Smith]

I was just doing a search for http://www.whotours.com on Yahoo to see if it was in any search results yet and your comment was one of the first results. Thanks so much for the link! I really really appreciate it.

[AmyinMotown]

So I just did a search on WhoTours for Detroit,and it tells me Detroit doe snot seem to exist.

Sign, I know we suck but COME ON NOW.

I agree about Free Rice. Awe.Some.

[Forwardcross]

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[engines direct]

Way cool stuff, will have to try it. By teh way, down load link does not work. Can you please help? thx
Anyway, I felt it was about time I posted

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