How to turn your $10 donation to an excellent charity into $50,000 by Jan.31: social networking!!

The power of social networking is now being showcased in the arena of charitable giving. Parade Magazine and The Case Foundation have offered up a challenge ending 3 p.m. January 31, 2008. Namely, $50,000 each to 2 U.S. charities that receive the most unique contributions of $10. (yes, that's U.S. money) which is donated through the internet efforts of individuals.

It took no time to enter the Challenge. Nor did I hesitate for deciding on 2 causes: Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund (www.hoopdreams.org) and The Washington Animal Rescue League (www.WARL.org).

Hoop Dreams, founded by Susie Kay whom I met a few years ago, has truly inspired our community to mentor and raise money for higher education for children in the DC schools. Can you imagine that since 1996, over 800 scholarships have been awarded!

If you are an animal lover, The Washington Animal Rescue League, the premiere animal rescue group, has since its inception in 1914, been progressive in policy and practice. WARL shelter is a national model in the care and treatment of animals with its facilities especially designed to promote the health and well-being of animals and provide a positive environment for potential adopters to meet and greet their new companions. An excellent and professionally managed facility, it provides low-cost or free veterinary services to animals. Homeless animals get daily care and socialization while living in glass doggie dens or kitty condos. Any potential adopter receives a WARL home visit before adoption. WARL has recently expanded its facilities to accommodate even more homeless pets. Your donations are well utilized.

Please take the time to donate $10. to either and preferably, both of these Hoop Dreams and Washington Animal Rescue League through the links provided below before Jan. 31 at 3 p.m.

To donate to Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund:
http://www.networkforgood.org/pca/Badge.aspx?BadgeId=109152


To donate to The Washington Animal Rescue League:
http://www.networkforgood.org/pca/Badge.aspx?BadgeId=109157


Network for Good accepts credit card or PAYPAL contributions. It's fast, easy & secure.

And, to show the true spirit of social networking let's win this competition and keep the DC-based Case Foundation award "local". By all means, PLEASE FORWARD this to friends, business associates, and family. Every man, woman, and child (over 13) makes a difference. My hope is to reach 1000 donations per charity-- but if we can inspire 500 unique donations per charity that will be a success.

For more information go to their websites and/or click through to the donation link and view their videos.

Note: While family members or staff of Hoop Dreams or The Washington Animal Rescue League donation will certainly be welcomed, these donations will not be eligible toward The Parade Magazine, America's Giving Challenge.

Great Information on Green Building

The US Green Building Council website is flush with information on the research, economics, and case studies regarding the construction and operations of green buildings.

Here is the link to their resource page http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=78&

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How you can reduce our environmental 'waste' footprint

In the last six weeks I have terminated 54 unwanted catalogs from delivery..

If you experience an anxiety and want to stop the nuisance-not to mention the waste, go to www.catalogchoice.com
and register.

Increasing OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY: get a full night's sleep

The State of our National"Intellectual Capital"

NEW YORK Magazine had an engaging article by Po Bronson in the Oct.15 issue: Can a Lack of Sleep Set Back Your Child's Cognitive Abilities? .

While children are the targeted group, there is no mistaking that the majority of adults also are impacted by too little sleep.

Adults who sleep 6 hours a night will after 2 weeks are as impaired as someone who has stayed awake for 24 hours straight. "

Sleep deficit impacts memory. Every phase of the sleep cycle is purposeful to capture of memory:

"for example, studying a foreign language requires learning vocabulary, auditory memory of new sounds, and motor skills to correctly enunciate new words. The vocabulary is synthesized by the hippocampus early in the night during “slow-wave sleep,” a deep slumber without dreams. The motor skills of enunciation are processed during Stage 2 non-rem sleep, and the auditory memories are encoded across all stages. Memories that are emotionally laden get processed during R.E.M. sleep. The more you learned during the day, the more you need to sleep that night.

To consolidate these memories, certain genes appear to up-regulate during sleep; they literally turn on, or get activated. One of these genes is essential for synaptic plasticity, the strengthening of neural connections. The brain does synthesize some memories during the day, but they’re enhanced and concretized during the night: New inferences and associations are drawn, leading to insights the next day."

Sleep deprivation causes inattentiveness. Apparently, sleep loss debilitates our body’s ability to extract glucose from the bloodstream.

Healthwise, sleep deprivation can be a factor in developing diabetes. New research also shows that sleep deprivation can be linked to obesity:
"...kids who get less than eight hours of sleep have about a 300 percent higher rate of obesity than those who get a full ten hours of sleep."

Thanks to Po Bronson for this article

RIVER KEEPERS and a stellar example of "Green" on the Chesapeake

The impact of fertilizers and animal waste run-off into the tributaries running into the Chesapeake Bay from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, D.C., and Pennsylvania present a contant battle to the health of the bay.

What I found interesting that in spite of all the state and local agencies at work, a little known, but very important group of people also work on pollution: The RiverKeepers provide local monitoring. Check out http://waterkeeper.org/ the alliance of 162 regional U.S. river programs to see what is happening near you.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation headquarters building, The Merrill Center, represents what 'green' should look like. Designed 100% green it has gorgeous architecture on a picturesque site on the Bay. They practice what they preach: reduced use of water and waste water pollution, geothermal energy, solar cells, cisterns. A link to their website building tour follows. Click though on the >>

Tour Our Green Building: Come visit us and see what makes the Merrill Center so special. We offer one- and two-hour guided tours.. >>

The Growing Need of Administrators to Garner Higher Use of Public Assets