Jennifer Haller discusses the reasons she volunteered to be one of the first human test subjects for the new COVID-19 vaccine on the NPR program Weekend Edition Saturday, which aired this morning.
Her radiant act of altruism brought tears to my eyes; I was too overwhelmed even to remember to make coffee.
Here's the link to the program webpage, which includes a transcript. Or you can press Play on the embedded player below to listen:
Showing posts with label Philanthropy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philanthropy. Show all posts
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Too Many Yellow Postcards
Yellow postcards now arrive about once every two weeks. Twenty years ago, I'd get two each year to coincide with Thanksgiving and with Spring Cleaning. The yellow postcards are from charitable organizations who offer to pick up your donation from your home.
More and more organizations are soliciting curb-side donations more frequently. We're requested to place gently used clothing in boxes or bags, attach the bright yellow postcards, and place them at the curb in front of our homes.
But listen up -- I need my clothing! That's what I wear. And I continue to wear each item even after holes develop, or stains fail to disappear in the laundry. And then, after an item gets so incredibly worn out and disgusting-looking that it's no longer fit to be worn in public, it becomes the uniform I don for home repairs, gardening and yard work. And then, I might cut out whatever material is still fairly decent for use in crafts.
Charities are starting to request appliances via the curb-side pickup method. As a tinkerer and handyman, I manage to keep my appliances functioning long after their warranties expire.
Currently, the handle on the dishwasher that releases the door latch is almost completely broken. When it broke, I was worried that I'd never get it open again, and that most of our clean dishes and utensils would remain trapped inside. But I managed to open it, and now I install a loop of sturdy string around the inner latch mechanism before I close it. I simply pull up on the string to open it again.
The inner elements on the toaster fail to heat up unless I press the "Bagel" button. I think it's stuck in some sort of Englishman's Toasting Mode, because, according to Sting, Englishman prefer their bread toasted only on one side.
The laptop power adapter stopped working. I opened the module and discovered a bad solder connection. I resoldered it, glued the module closed, and put it back into service. Speaking of laptops, the screen went dead on the older laptop. The inverter board that I bought for it also didn't work, but I can still use the laptop if I plug in a desktop monitor.
When the plastic handle broke off the lid of the crock pot, I bought a wooden cabinet knob from the hardware store and screwed it in.
These are just the most recent examples of the appliances I've been able to keep working.
So charities, You won't want my clothes or appliances. So don't bother sending those yellow postcards to me. All I'll do with them is hold them behind the cats' bottoms to keep their streams of piss inside the litterbox.
More and more organizations are soliciting curb-side donations more frequently. We're requested to place gently used clothing in boxes or bags, attach the bright yellow postcards, and place them at the curb in front of our homes.
But listen up -- I need my clothing! That's what I wear. And I continue to wear each item even after holes develop, or stains fail to disappear in the laundry. And then, after an item gets so incredibly worn out and disgusting-looking that it's no longer fit to be worn in public, it becomes the uniform I don for home repairs, gardening and yard work. And then, I might cut out whatever material is still fairly decent for use in crafts.
Charities are starting to request appliances via the curb-side pickup method. As a tinkerer and handyman, I manage to keep my appliances functioning long after their warranties expire.
Currently, the handle on the dishwasher that releases the door latch is almost completely broken. When it broke, I was worried that I'd never get it open again, and that most of our clean dishes and utensils would remain trapped inside. But I managed to open it, and now I install a loop of sturdy string around the inner latch mechanism before I close it. I simply pull up on the string to open it again.
The inner elements on the toaster fail to heat up unless I press the "Bagel" button. I think it's stuck in some sort of Englishman's Toasting Mode, because, according to Sting, Englishman prefer their bread toasted only on one side.
The laptop power adapter stopped working. I opened the module and discovered a bad solder connection. I resoldered it, glued the module closed, and put it back into service. Speaking of laptops, the screen went dead on the older laptop. The inverter board that I bought for it also didn't work, but I can still use the laptop if I plug in a desktop monitor.
When the plastic handle broke off the lid of the crock pot, I bought a wooden cabinet knob from the hardware store and screwed it in.
These are just the most recent examples of the appliances I've been able to keep working.
So charities, You won't want my clothes or appliances. So don't bother sending those yellow postcards to me. All I'll do with them is hold them behind the cats' bottoms to keep their streams of piss inside the litterbox.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Expectations
I wasn't really aware of expectations until I heard a sermon from our Pastor recently. He started to talk about his expectations of the worship experience. He said that he expected love, forgiveness, inspiration and healing from G-d1. All of this was in stark contrast to my expectations -- I had virtually none.
Well, I had the most basic expectations. I would participate in a worship ritual that would involve standing, sitting, and kneeling; speaking, singing and listening; learning, day dreaming, and socializing. I expected nothing from G-d -- I never do. He/She/It is this pervasive presence that simply exists out there, like air, sunlight and gravity. I expect nothing ever from It, except that It Will Always Be There.
Expecting nothing from G-d isn't really a bad thing, actually. I used expect scrutiny, criticism and punishment. I spent several long years healing myself of those expectations.
I thought about Pastor's and my expectations often throughout the service and afterward. I realized that the Pastor's expectations focused solely on what he expected to receive from the situation, whereas mine were mostly centered on what I was supposed to offer.
I need to psyche myself up for worship. I have to "shake my sillies out" so that I can pretend to act reserved and normal, not contentious and weird. For example, I expect that when the Pastor talks about some supernatural experience that a prophet supposedly experienced, I will have to suppress the urge to stand up and say, "Don't you think that Ezekiel had eaten something hallucinogenic to see that?"
Expecting to get something from every situation -- that's a Me-generation thing, isn't it? It's like asking or thinking "What's in it for me?" all the time, don't you think? Does everyone think this way?
Try this: go into the next situation expecting to give something. It could be a trip to the store, a coffee date with a friend, a meeting at work.
At the store, don't think "I'm going to get everything I need on sale." Think instead, "I'm going to help someone reach for a product on a high shelf."
At the coffee date, don't think, "I expect sympathy from my friend when I tell her about what my fool of a husband said to me last week." Think instead, "I expect to say or do something that will deepen our friendship."
At the meeting, don't think, "I'm going to show off so that I can finally get a raise." Think instead, "I will mention how hard my coworker worked to get his project to me on time and in perfect form."
Try just for today, just for the next hour even, to expect to make the world and the people in it better.
1Here I avoid referring to the deity by name in respect of the Jewish custom, even though I am Christian (or at least I started out that way).
Well, I had the most basic expectations. I would participate in a worship ritual that would involve standing, sitting, and kneeling; speaking, singing and listening; learning, day dreaming, and socializing. I expected nothing from G-d -- I never do. He/She/It is this pervasive presence that simply exists out there, like air, sunlight and gravity. I expect nothing ever from It, except that It Will Always Be There.
Expecting nothing from G-d isn't really a bad thing, actually. I used expect scrutiny, criticism and punishment. I spent several long years healing myself of those expectations.
I thought about Pastor's and my expectations often throughout the service and afterward. I realized that the Pastor's expectations focused solely on what he expected to receive from the situation, whereas mine were mostly centered on what I was supposed to offer.
I need to psyche myself up for worship. I have to "shake my sillies out" so that I can pretend to act reserved and normal, not contentious and weird. For example, I expect that when the Pastor talks about some supernatural experience that a prophet supposedly experienced, I will have to suppress the urge to stand up and say, "Don't you think that Ezekiel had eaten something hallucinogenic to see that?"
Expecting to get something from every situation -- that's a Me-generation thing, isn't it? It's like asking or thinking "What's in it for me?" all the time, don't you think? Does everyone think this way?
Try this: go into the next situation expecting to give something. It could be a trip to the store, a coffee date with a friend, a meeting at work.
At the store, don't think "I'm going to get everything I need on sale." Think instead, "I'm going to help someone reach for a product on a high shelf."
At the coffee date, don't think, "I expect sympathy from my friend when I tell her about what my fool of a husband said to me last week." Think instead, "I expect to say or do something that will deepen our friendship."
At the meeting, don't think, "I'm going to show off so that I can finally get a raise." Think instead, "I will mention how hard my coworker worked to get his project to me on time and in perfect form."
Try just for today, just for the next hour even, to expect to make the world and the people in it better.
1Here I avoid referring to the deity by name in respect of the Jewish custom, even though I am Christian (or at least I started out that way).
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
How to Become Euphoric
Do you want to experience a sense of euphoria1? Here's how you do it.
Help someone.
Find someone who's struggling and help him or her.
Last night, I experienced euphoria. I was picking up my daughter from school. One of the other moms was stuck. She couldn't start her car -- the battery was weak. I drove over, hooked up my jumper cables, and gave her a boost. Also I popped open the battery filler ports and showed her that the water was low. The woman I helped was my daughter's friend's mom, too.
She was so grateful, and so was my daughter. But I am even more grateful for the opportunity to make a real difference in someone's life. And I get another topic for my blog.
How do you become euphoric?
1 Euphoria would be a good name for a rock band. In fact, it is the name of a rock band!
Help someone.
Find someone who's struggling and help him or her.
Last night, I experienced euphoria. I was picking up my daughter from school. One of the other moms was stuck. She couldn't start her car -- the battery was weak. I drove over, hooked up my jumper cables, and gave her a boost. Also I popped open the battery filler ports and showed her that the water was low. The woman I helped was my daughter's friend's mom, too.
She was so grateful, and so was my daughter. But I am even more grateful for the opportunity to make a real difference in someone's life. And I get another topic for my blog.
How do you become euphoric?
1 Euphoria would be a good name for a rock band. In fact, it is the name of a rock band!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Towel Day
Author Douglas Adams died unexpectedly on May 11, 2001 at age 49. Adams was the creator of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the work he is perhaps best known for, and in which we learn that the Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything is 42.
Fans organized a wake called "Towel Day" to take place two weeks later, May 25, 2001. It was such a success (as if a wake could be a success) that it has been held annually on May 25.
This year, Towel Day falls on 5/25/12, which is numerically auspicious. You see, 5 + 25 + 12 = 42.
Here are some links so that you can learn more about Towel Day.
http://strugglingwriter.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/happy-towel-day-2010/
http://TowelDay.org
Fans organized a wake called "Towel Day" to take place two weeks later, May 25, 2001. It was such a success (as if a wake could be a success) that it has been held annually on May 25.
This year, Towel Day falls on 5/25/12, which is numerically auspicious. You see, 5 + 25 + 12 = 42.
Here are some links so that you can learn more about Towel Day.
http://strugglingwriter.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/happy-towel-day-2010/
http://TowelDay.org
Saturday, April 21, 2012
KONY 2012
Since 1987, Joseph Kony has abducted more than 30,000 children in Central Africa and forced them to be child soldiers in his Lord’s Resistance Army. The KONY 2012 campaign employs film, social media, street art, and face-to-face interaction to make the case that the arrest of Joseph Kony this year is one thing we can all agree on.
To find out more, please visit http://www.kony2012.com/.
And please spread the word.
To find out more, please visit http://www.kony2012.com/.
And please spread the word.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Donated Food for Thought
At this time of year, our company collects donations of non-perishable food items. When I see the bins full of cans of processed meat, bottles of salad dressing and boxes of cereal, crackers and noodles, two competing thoughts come to my mind:
Incidentally, if you can provide a donation, one of my favorite agencies to recommend is United Way, because they can direct your donation just about anywhere in the world, and you can specify what it can be used for.
- Admiration and pride for the many generous people I work with, especially for the woman who organizes the drive.
- Relief for having a fairly high-paying job, one that allows me to buy the high-quality foods I need to keep from slipping into metabolic syndrome, fatigue, arthritis, asthma, depression and dementia. When I see the boxes, I start to imagine a scenario in which I'm in need of food and yet unable to accept it.
Incidentally, if you can provide a donation, one of my favorite agencies to recommend is United Way, because they can direct your donation just about anywhere in the world, and you can specify what it can be used for.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Book Review "How to Thrive in Changing Times"
When I signed up to review this book, I expected that it would help the reader become resilient. But as I read, I quickly realized I was mistaken. Yet I was not disappointed, because as the book's subtitle suggests, it aims to offer "simple tools to create true health, wealth, peace, and joy for yourself and the earth."
I enjoyed several sections. Her discussion on page 40 of "words as seeds" was perhaps my favorite part of this book -- a moving revelation to me.
On page 97, she implies that it's been scientifically proven that gratitude can help the immune system. It's inspiring, although there are no references to any supporting studies.
The "Gratitude Walk" on page 102 involves appreciating the beauty in nature and being thankful for it. It occurred to me that my love of nature photography is my way of appreciating the beauty in nature.
She discusses the practice of transfiguration (transmuting environmental pollution) at the beginning of chapter 7 (pages 134 to 138). She describes experiments in which her group lowered the ph of a toxic base solution, but again cites no references. In another experiment, she describes how the auric field of a peach was improved. Photos of the auric field were produced with a gas discharge visualization (GDV) camera and can be seen on a website.
The book's small size belies its lengthy content. It does this with smaller margins and small font size for the "Practice" text. As well, there's no bibliography or index and a simple one-page Table of Contents.
If read with motivation and an open mind, this will strike you as a inspiring gem of a book.
I enjoyed several sections. Her discussion on page 40 of "words as seeds" was perhaps my favorite part of this book -- a moving revelation to me.
On page 97, she implies that it's been scientifically proven that gratitude can help the immune system. It's inspiring, although there are no references to any supporting studies.
The "Gratitude Walk" on page 102 involves appreciating the beauty in nature and being thankful for it. It occurred to me that my love of nature photography is my way of appreciating the beauty in nature.
She discusses the practice of transfiguration (transmuting environmental pollution) at the beginning of chapter 7 (pages 134 to 138). She describes experiments in which her group lowered the ph of a toxic base solution, but again cites no references. In another experiment, she describes how the auric field of a peach was improved. Photos of the auric field were produced with a gas discharge visualization (GDV) camera and can be seen on a website.
The book's small size belies its lengthy content. It does this with smaller margins and small font size for the "Practice" text. As well, there's no bibliography or index and a simple one-page Table of Contents.
If read with motivation and an open mind, this will strike you as a inspiring gem of a book.
- This review was posted to LibraryThing on 2010-02-23.
- More reviews can be found here.
- I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review.
- As an associate of Amazon.com, I receive a small cash award for each click-through-purchase of "How to Thrive in Changing Times: Simple Tools to Create True Health, Wealth, Peace, and Joy for Yourself and the Earth".
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Free Rice Donation Program
FreeRice will donate 10 grains of rice for each question you answer correctly. Choose from English vocabulary, math, art, chemistry, foreign languages. It's educational, addictive and fun! My daughter answered 1000 questions last weekend. See if you can, too!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The New Philanthropist
Somehow I've developed into someone who'd prefer to spend extra money to help brighten someone's day rather than spend it on myself. There is a diagnosis for this condition -- I suffer from Philanthropy.
When I read Petra's "Help for Anissa Mayhew" post, I decided I needed to do something even though I don't know her. The fact that someone I sort of know knows her makes me feel close enough to her. Besides, three years ago it was Mrs. Square Peg who was in the hospital (albeit not with a stroke), so I know what it feels like to be a working dad and have the mantle of Mr. Mom thrust upon oneself. Certainly I would spread the word, which is that a blogger and mom, Anissa Mayhew, has had a stroke, and that she and her family need prayers and assistance. Maybe I'd send money somehow.
But there are many other folks in the world like Anissa who need help. I wish I had unlimited resources so I could help all whom I learn about.
I'm not talking about donating millions of dollars for medical research. But I don't mean limiting my giving to those in emergency situations like Anissa, either. What I do dream about is having enough money to send a poor family to Walt Disney World, or to buy a clarinet for a budding Benny Goodman, or to buy tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert for a mom and her impossibly cute daughter so that the mom doesn't need "to rip out [her] organs and sell them on the black market to make it happen." Okay, maybe I do have enough money lying around for that last one if I really scrounge and don't tell my wife about it. But I kinda wanna do that several times each week.
I guess I'm a modern-day Santa Claus wanna-be. Unfortunately I have neither the magic nor the elves to pull that off. But what I do have is The Internet and a Blog. In other words, the next best thing to giving money out to people is to encourage others to give money out to people.
So I asked myself, "Wouldn't it be great if I could match people who wish to give money with people who wish to receive money?" And then I answered myself, "Just do a search on the web, and I'll bet you'll find such a site." Lo and behold, five seconds later I found that there is such a site already set up!
And then it occurred to me, fleetingly, that maybe someone out there might be willing to pay for our daughter's summer arts camp in 2010. I imagined myself signing up as a potential recipient and watching the money pour in!
But no, this blog is not about making money for me or my family. I do not advertise or have a beg button. This blog is solely a labor of love.
So if you're still reading this, please read Petra's post now and act in whatever way seems right for you. And then why not learn how you can become a philanthropist and help make the world a better place for at least one person!
When I read Petra's "Help for Anissa Mayhew" post, I decided I needed to do something even though I don't know her. The fact that someone I sort of know knows her makes me feel close enough to her. Besides, three years ago it was Mrs. Square Peg who was in the hospital (albeit not with a stroke), so I know what it feels like to be a working dad and have the mantle of Mr. Mom thrust upon oneself. Certainly I would spread the word, which is that a blogger and mom, Anissa Mayhew, has had a stroke, and that she and her family need prayers and assistance. Maybe I'd send money somehow.
But there are many other folks in the world like Anissa who need help. I wish I had unlimited resources so I could help all whom I learn about.
I'm not talking about donating millions of dollars for medical research. But I don't mean limiting my giving to those in emergency situations like Anissa, either. What I do dream about is having enough money to send a poor family to Walt Disney World, or to buy a clarinet for a budding Benny Goodman, or to buy tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert for a mom and her impossibly cute daughter so that the mom doesn't need "to rip out [her] organs and sell them on the black market to make it happen." Okay, maybe I do have enough money lying around for that last one if I really scrounge and don't tell my wife about it. But I kinda wanna do that several times each week.
I guess I'm a modern-day Santa Claus wanna-be. Unfortunately I have neither the magic nor the elves to pull that off. But what I do have is The Internet and a Blog. In other words, the next best thing to giving money out to people is to encourage others to give money out to people.
So I asked myself, "Wouldn't it be great if I could match people who wish to give money with people who wish to receive money?" And then I answered myself, "Just do a search on the web, and I'll bet you'll find such a site." Lo and behold, five seconds later I found that there is such a site already set up!
And then it occurred to me, fleetingly, that maybe someone out there might be willing to pay for our daughter's summer arts camp in 2010. I imagined myself signing up as a potential recipient and watching the money pour in!
But no, this blog is not about making money for me or my family. I do not advertise or have a beg button. This blog is solely a labor of love.
So if you're still reading this, please read Petra's post now and act in whatever way seems right for you. And then why not learn how you can become a philanthropist and help make the world a better place for at least one person!
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