Happy New Year 2008!

Use your Words to Feed the World!

John Breen, a computer programmer, developed the Internet game FreeRice to teach vocabulary and help fight hunger.

FreeRice.com is quickly becoming all the rage for school children as well as immigrants learning English.

Breen said the idea came to him one day in his kitchen in Indiana. He was sitting with his two teenage sons, preparing the older for the SAT.

"The younger one made a mockery of the situation. He kept saying, 'he doesn't know this word, he doesn't know that word,'" Breen said. "So I decided to do something on the computer to help my son learn vocabulary words."

What Breen came up with was a word game that he thought others might like to play on the Internet. He was already operating the Web site Poverty to inform people about hunger. So, he merged the two, and FreeRice.com was born.

Here's how it works: Contestants are offered four definitions for a word; by clicking on the right definition, a donation of 20 grains of rice is made to the U.N. World Food Programme. The U.N. distributes the rice worldwide.

English teacher Michael Hughes puts the Web site up on a large interactive screen and uses the game to warm up his classes at Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, D.C.

Hughes' class raised 280 grains of Rice during a short session.

While that's hardly enough for a daily ration for a starving child abroad, it still adds up, said World Food Programme spokeswoman Jennifer Parmelee.

"FreeRice.com is up to more than 8.2 billion grains of rice, which is one heck of a lot of rice and more than enough to feed 325,000 people for the day," Parmelee said.

The Web site earns money from advertising and gives cash to the Word Food Programme. Some $100,000 has already gone to buy rice to feed survivors of a recent cyclone in Bangladesh.

Parmelee said the Web site offers a greater gift – the gift of awareness about world hunger. In just two months, FreeRice.com has driven the most Internet traffic to the World Food Programme site.

"We are all kind of dazzled by the power of a great idea — an idea that seemed to have come completely out of left field," she said.

Breen said he has hired a dictionary company to put some more words in the game, which adjusts as you are playing to different levels from zero to 50.

"I myself can't get much above level 45, and it is rare to get above level 48. But there are some people who cruise right up to level 50. So for them we are going to add some super, really ultra, tough words," Breen said.

And, he said, his son's vocabulary "has improved markedly."

Breen said e-mails are coming in from around the world from people trying to learn English to teachers and college students. He wants them to take away something more than just a few new words.

Help me win the Intuit Jump Start Contest

Please click HERE to vote.

Here's my story:

On April 17, 2002, in a meeting at the Texas Commission on the Arts was asked what was missing in the Austin cultural arts landscape. I promptly answered, "an architectural artisan school." And from that simple exchange a 5-1/2 year mission was born. My concept, the Texas Legacy Arts Incubator (TLAI), is an architectural artisan-based economic development model designed to incubate micro-enterprise in Texas (to start!). It is a far-reaching enterprise that will increase the kind and number of people who participate in the economic development of the larger community while improving the educational opportunities overall. In addition to the economic value TLAI will provide to the community, we will bring a wide variety of educational opportunities with the architectural artisan tradecrafts education and apprenticeship programs, which will be taught by well-known masters. The programs are primarily targeted at at-risk youth and historically disadvantaged populations. The TLAI will provide opportunities for cultural preservation, micro-business growth and development and workforce training. The first level of the TLAI architectural artisan tradecrafts training and apprenticeships will include: Stonework, metalwork, glassmaking, mosaic tile and food arts. These disciplines will teach critical path thinking & prepare participants for a sustainable life. Fast forward to now. The research is done, the land is secured, the relationships have been built & the support is in place to make this dream real. The monetary prize from this contest would allow me to more deeply focus on my role in taking this project from idea to reality.

Another cool property from Keith Hogan & the Hip Zip!

A message from Keith Hogan

I am writing to ask you for your help to bring Tariq Baig to justice.

My name is Keith Hogan and I'm a 42 year-old man, with a physical disability. I was born with a form of Muscular Dystrophy known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type II, which makes it difficult for me to move on my own. The fact of the matter is that I cannot use my hands, arms or legs, so I need assistance to do everything. To accomplish this, I employ Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) to assist me in all of my daily activities. Late last year, I hired Tariq Baig as a Personal Care Attendant.

Due to my inability to use my hands and write, I have a stamp of my signature, which I use as my legal signature. Recently, I learned that Tariq Baig had taken several checks and stamped my signature to them without my knowledge or consent. He also attempted to commit identity theft. I reported him to the Austin Police Department and he was arrested & released on bail. Afterwards another warrant was issued and in fact there are now three outstanding warrants for his arrest: a felony in Austin, a felony in El Paso and a misdemeanor in El Paso.

I cannot stand the thought of Tariq Baig taking advantage of other people living with circumstances similar to mine. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Please spread the word, he must be caught!

Thank you.

Keith

New Charges Against Tariq Baig!

We just got word that a felony charge against Tariq Baig has been issued in El Paso! He must be found before he commits these crimes again. You can learn more about the charges here, just enter "Baig, Tariq" into the Name box.

Save the world...and still have fun!

Razoo is a community united around making a positive difference in the world. Where passion leads to action, and a whole lot of collective good comes from individual contributions.

Miniature World

East Austin Studio Tour This Weekend: November 17th & 18th 2007

East Austin Studio Tour 2007

A Note from Enzo's Dad...WATCH ENZO ON ELLEN TOMORROW!!!

Ruth

First, I apologize for the frequency of E-mails this week. But this is too good to keep to myself!

Enzo, Heidi and I just flew back from Burbank, California late last night were Enzo made an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show along with James Taylor. We got THE CALL right after I sent the last e-mail and we had to leave the next morning! Nuts.

The show airs tomorrow on NBC at 9am.

He mostly giggled through the spot but it was still very entertaining. They had a multitude of critters for him there - pythons, tarantulas, lizards, frogs, etc. but he was so excited and distracted he didn't really have a chance to show off that amazing brain of his. Either way, a great experience for all of us.

This is from the Ellen DeGeneres web site:

Friday, November 16
JAMES TAYLOR
You can't miss the super spectacular Game Week grand finale! I can't tell you what the prize is, but I can tell you that it's worth over $17,000! And don't forget, you the home viewer can win the exact same prize! We are pulling out all the stops! And when it's all over ...we'll put the stops back in for the next time. Then, for more than 40 years we have loved everything he's ever sang and written, and he just keeps getting better. Multiple Grammy Award winner JAMES TAYLOR will join me. We'll talk about the ups and downs of his lifetime of music, how at age 59 he works up the energy to handle his 6-year-old twin boys, Henry and Rufus Logan. And, James will sing "Sweet Baby Jane" from his upcoming CD "One Man Band." Plus, you'll meet 7 year-old ENZO MONFRE from Austin, TX. Enzo is an expert on insects and reptiles, and his show on Youtube has become an instant sensation.

I think we'll be hearing a lot more about Enzo in the coming weeks!


Sincerely,

Pete Monfre
Clarity Marketing Support

The Little Enzo that Could: SEE ENZO ON ELLEN! 11/16/07

Enzoology to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday 11/16 - We're excited to announce that Enzo, star of the hit kids' web video series produced by Clarity/Moujaes, will appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show this Friday, November 16. Check your local listings for air times!

21 Days of Gratitude

Dear Friends,

We all know that "Gratitude" is a powerful accelerant for all "law of attraction" processes.

When the teachers from The Secret came together to speak with Oprah, Dr. Michael Beckwith explained that "nothing new can come into your life until you are grateful for what you have."

In November, the month in which Americans traditionally reserve a day to focus on "gratitude," the founders of "Prosperity from the Inside-Out" would like to invite you to take the experience of "gratitude" further by participating in our free 21 Days of Gratitude project (officially beginning 11/19/07 - so that we can have our gratitude vibration in high gear by Thanksgiving!)

If you've participated in any of our previous free online "experiments" you know that powerful shifts always take place. (Follow any of the above hyperlinks to learn more participants' responses.)

Here is what you can expect from this experience:

You'll be encouraged to focus on gratitude for five minutes a day over the course of 21-days.

You'll be introduced to online assessments that you can use to: measure your gratitude vibration at the beginning (and at the end) of the experience; measure changes in your "happiness" levels and track things that you are grateful for (plus you'll be able to access all of these web-based programs - for free - at any time in the future.)

You'll be immersed in a community of people who are choosing to focus on gratitude via daily blog posts for the 21-days.

Plus, we will also offer enhanced opportunities: weekly live 30-minute "energy attunements" and hour-long group prosperity coaching accessible by phone and web simulcast (which will also be free for all interested participants.)

At ChoosingProsperity we have faith in the power of gratitude so we have created this free program to give you a rich experience of how valuable it is to bring the energy of gratitude to life.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." -- author Melodie Beattie

The Little Enzo that Could --- UPDATE!

Enzoology to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday 11/15 - We're excited to announce that Enzo, star of the hit kids' web video series produced by Clarity/Moujaes, will appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show this Thursday, November 15. Check your local listings for air times!

The Little Enzo that Could

About a month ago my friend Pete Monfre told me about his son Enzo's new show on YouTube called Enzoology. Well that little show has really taken off and it will be getting national attention very soon!

Here's the first episode from Enzoology...be sure to check them all out :-)

Find Tariq Baig!

On July 23, 2007 my boyfriend, Keith Hogan, discovered that his personal care attendant TARIQ BAIG had taken several checks and stamped his signature to them without Keith's knowledge or consent.

Keith was born with a form of Muscular Dystrophy known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type II, which makes it difficult for him to move on HIS own. The fact of the matter is that he cannot use his hands, arms or legs, therefore needs assistance to do everything. Needless to say Tariq's crime has had serious repercussions throughout Keith's life.

The Austin Police Department arrested Tariq in September for the first charge and he made bail so he was released. The APD filed a second charge and they have not yet arrested him again. Since that charge was filed Tariq left the country to go to the Phillipines. He returned to the United States via his hometown of El Paso and we have been informed that he is planning to move to California, thereby attempting to escape justice for the crimes that he has committed against Keith. WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN!

Please keep your eyes open for TARIQ IQBAL BAIG and, if you see him, contact the Austin Police Department Warrant Office between the hours of 7:30am – 5:30pm at (512)974-5299.

Another great reason to live in Austin...

Greenling Organic Delivery was founded by organic-loving folks who know a flavorful, pesticide-free apple when they taste one. They also know the importance of buying local, healing the environment, and creating a sustainable society.

Alan Barber Presents "Sixman, Texas"

Alan Barber has been working on this film as long as I've know him...it's truly a labor of love.

Across Texas, small communities are struggling to keep their schools and towns alive. For one, the bell has tolled as they graduate their last class, ending generations of local pride and continuity. For another, a Cinderella football season promises to keep hope alive...

New teas at Cafe Caffeine!

We've got two more cool, local vendors at Cafe Caffeine: Texas Medicinals and Zhi Tea.

Both have created exceptional organic teas that you have to taste to believe...even smelling them puts you in a good mood...lol.

Come in give them a try!

It's time for Tessa's tale to be told!

In 1999 I was scheduled to speak in front of a group of educators in Austin Texas about creating fantastic presentations. Like most people, I was nervous and didn't sleep well the night before the presentation. In the pre-dawn hours I had a dream about a little girl who was scared of making a presentation and how she overcame that fear. After I awoke, I wrote the dream down and saw that it was a pretty cool little story.

Five years later, in 2004, I met a very talented artist named Margaret Burns. At the time we met she was pregnant with her first child and excited about bringing a little girl into the world. About 6 months after Mia was born, Margaret noticed the lack of books with the kind of messaging that she wanted to share with Mia as she grew older. I told her about my heroine, Tessa, and she became inspired to illustrate the story.

Fast forward to 2007. Margaret has another incredible daughter named Clara and our book is written, illustrated and ready to be brought to the world. We estimate that it will take $5000 to create the final press-ready proofs and develop a website from which Tessa can tell her first tale....with many more adventures to come!

I have created a Fundable project so that Tessa's tale can be told.

Margaret and I would appreciate you checking it out...and contributing if you can!

Thanks,

Ruth

Today is "Red Spectral Dragon" day

The combinaison of "Spectral" and "Red Dragon" mean;
"I liberate birth and/or I release to nurture"

Red Dragon days are good for crawling into your personal cave, so you may rest and emerge re-newed.

We all need to replenish our energies and today is a good day for it.

Make sure those loved ones around you also get the chance to recharge themselves. Offer yourself as a nurturer.

The Red Dragon is the first glyph and today, we begin a new tumble down the Tzolkin. This is another reason why Red Dragon is associated with birth.

it is therefore a perfect day to be liberated by re-birth.