I have always wanted to do something like this. When I was at Northwestern in 1997, I took a picture of Lake Michigan at roughly the same time everyday for several months. As we wrap up 2008 and resolutions abound, it's tempting to make ones about finishing projects, doing more and being better at numerous things. Watching this 40 second movie though speaks to me about how fragile we are, how life goes on, how the circle closes. And even though it took a year to make a 40 second movie, if you don't appreciate what you have it may be gone in a matter of seconds.
Now you can have your picnic/party/shin-dig/fundraiser and feel good about your impact on the enviroment too. We're researching glasses for our wine and chocolate pairing fundraiser event and Alicia shared LetsGoGreen.biz. They have biodegradable and compostable glasses and cups that look and act just like the ones you're used to using (that usually end up in the landfill) except that these are made out of corn and biodegrade in 45 - 60 days. That's right - they're back to soil in no time. So buy and toss guilt free. Ofcourse it's always better to reuse and recycle, but if your budget is tight, check out LetsGoGreen.biz.
An introduction to pairing wine and chocolate from About.com You can learn a bit here, but it's better to experience the pairing in person with friends. Join us on February 5th.
We're in search of one or two oenophiles who would be interested in pairing Imported Swiss Chocolate with your favorite wine or a case or two donated by your favorite winery. If you are an oenophile and have ideas, we'd love to hear from you. The event is on February 5th, 2009 in San Francisco and we'll send you a few chocolate samples based on the wine you have in mind. Ah, wine and chocolate... gifts from the gods.
How well do you know your middle east geography? It has been in the news for the past seven years and we hear about various countries all the time. Would you be able to point to each one on a map?
I received an email from my host mom with the following instructions:
TAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GEOGRAPHY QUIZ
Drag the country's name onto the map. There is no humbling score or time limit, but rather this exercise is a learning tool.
Don't be afraid to make an error, and once you finish the puzzle, you will be far more educated about this very intense part of our world.
Thanks to all the runners I saw today who smiled at me. No words were necessary, your smile said it all. Your smile said, "You go girl!" It said "Happy Running!" and "Nice to be running on Christmas, right?" I know you were thinking the same things I was as we approached each other. "Hard core running in the cold on Christmas day."
I wonder if you were running in some new gear you just received for Christmas, whether you were training for your next marathon or whether you were just running off the yuletide calories you anticipated eating. Regardless of why though, it was great to see you out there, cheering me on with a smile and showing your pride of being a runner and your respect for other runners. And even though we've never met, it feels good to know in a small way we're connected because of something we both love. Thanks for the smiles. See you on the next run.
I am mourning the loss of another friend. I just found out that Bonnie Hansen, 45, was killed in a motorcycle accident on Friday evening at Cesar Chavez and Potrero. Bonnie was someone I met through Michelle and someone who I admired for her courage to do what she loved. She loved to teach. She taught in one of the most challenging schools in San Francisco and she was a great teacher and friend to her students. She inspired her students to go to class and was there for them in difficult times. I will remember her as full of energy without any coffee, full of life without any alchohol and full of passion for her students and her career. She was an athlete, a great cook and a very good friend to Michelle. I am in shock at the news her mother left on my machine and hurting for the sadness which her closest friends and all the students she inspired must be feeling.
You may have heard of meetup.com for getting together with people of similar interests, but how about a TweetupHeatup?
Vancouver recently discovered the power of twitter in connecting people to a cause by tapping into their need to be kind and give. A few microblog posts on Twitter (aka tweets, at 140 characters or less) got several people out in the snow with clothes and food for the homeless.
“We didn’t expect this turnout at all. The power of Twitter and social media is so impressive — you can reach out to people you don’t even know and do amazing things.” said David Le Pena.
Redefine Christmas encourages you to give a donation to your favorite charity instead of a gift. On the site, there's a form you can fill out to request a charitable gift from your friends via email.
Important messages from Redefine Christmas include:
Small donations made by hundreds of millions of Americans fuel most of the nation's nonprofits.
In the U.S., the demand for food aid has increased from 20 to 40 percent since the summer of 2008.
With millions of charities, there are undoubtedly a few that are related to your unique interests, beliefs or hobbies.
Consider that the amount of money spent on candy alone during the 4th quarter of the year is greater than the annual budgets of the American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association and Habitat for Humanity combined.
On my personal wishlist for Classes for Causes (next year) is that we'll be able to offer gift certificates that people can give to friends to use towards taking a class. In the meantime if you would consider requesting a donation to Classes for Causes as your favorite charity, we would be most grateful.
The gift is in the giving and wouldn't you feel better giving to your favorite cause than receiving a box of candy?
Tonight I presented a class/workshop on Marketing with Search Engines to graduates of the SuccessLink program at Women's Initiative in San Francisco. It was such an honor and pleasure to be able to share my knowledge with women who are starting their own businesses and moving forward with such inspiration, drive and determination. The experience was amazing and I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity.
Now I finally understand what my friends have been telling me about Women's Initiative. It's a wealth of support and resources for entrepreneurs and the women who attend the classes are such heroins. There was a women who made beautiful vegan tote bags ready to start her first website, an enthusiastic writing coach and editor ready to take her site to the next level on search engines, a makeup artist with an excellent portfolio site, a bridal clothing store owner starting to look at selling her garments online, a photographer talking about ways to protect her images, a fashion shopping tour guide about to officially launch her business yet already looking very polished, a woman selling designer handbags, a pscychotherapist and several others. I came away feeling really happy, grateful and inspired. The program manager, Emma was a pleasure to work with and I am constantly surprised by the level of professionalism from young nonprofit professionals. I can't wait to partner with Women's Initiative again.
Sometimes doing unusual and out of your routine is exactly what you should do. Get out there and live.
I am teaching a class on Search Engine Marketing for the SuccessLink program for graduates of Women's Initiative on December 11th. The class is not open to the public since it is part of the Women's Initiative graduate package, but in the spirit of Classes for Causes I am honored to donate my time.
Women's Initiative gives their instructors a few tips to make the classroom experience a success. I think these are great and my students will tell you that I use these techniques when I teach. Do you have other tips that work for you?
Context Learning: People learn when they discover the answers themselves. Use examples that are based on situations/problems that our clients could be experiencing themselves.
Group Learning: Break students into pairs/groups in order to facilitate participation and a deeper understanding of the subject.
Interaction: People learn by doing. Provide audio or visual tools in order to keep them interested and involved.
Printed Materials: People range in skill and experience. Be prepared to present very basic and also very advanced information. Providing a handout could help those who are further ahead.
We are thrilled to announce that Damon Williams is teaching a class about PayPal next month. Since Damon is the author of Pro PayPal E-commerce, and a manager at PayPal working on the Developer Program, he's most definitely a pro on PayPal. The class will be held on January 11th, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. in San Francisco and space is limited, so sign up now.
Damon has given numerous presentations throughout the world and is full of tips to share. The class will show you how to set up an account, send and receive money, and how to buy and sell online with PayPal. You'll also learn how to stay safe online and protect yourself from online fraud and identity theft.
Damon is donating the tuition from teaching this class to Support Network for Battered Women. SNBW is a domestic violence agency in the Silicon Valley, dedicated to empowering a diverse community to live free from domestic violence.
We are excited to be offering a class on Women's Endocrinology with Dr. Helen Bae on Sunday January 11th at 1 p.m. in San Francisco. Dr. Bae specializes in holistic chiropractic nutrition and is very excited to be offering this class. She wants all people to understand why you try so hard to lost weight and don't get results despite eating well and exercising. Why are all those hormonal changes affecting you so much? The class will cover the basic history and physiology of the human body and provide students with an understanding of how to live well and feel great.
Dr. Bae is an accomplished seminar leader with Landmark Education in San Jose and she is full of energy and exuberance. I'm sure this class will be as entertaining as it is educational and I thank Dr. Bae for her enthusiasm to participate in Classes for Causes' mission.
Dr Bae will be donating the proceeds of her Women's Endocrinology class to Support Network for Battered Women, a domestic violence agency in the Silicon Valley dedicated to empowing a diverse community to live free from domestic violence.
Now you can have your picnic/party/shin-dig/fundraiser and feel good about your impact on the enviroment too. We're researching glasses for our wine and chocolate pairing fundraiser event and Alicia shared 
Thanks to all the runners I saw today who smiled at me. No words were necessary, your smile said it all. Your smile said, "You go girl!" It said "Happy Running!" and "Nice to be running on Christmas, right?" I know you were thinking the same things I was as we approached each other. "Hard core running in the cold on Christmas day." 
I am mourning the loss of another friend. I just found out that