A Little Serious and a Little Fun
A little more on the topic of gift-giving.
If you live here in Toronto and the idea of giving a gift that makes a difference appeals to you, be sure to set aside a day this upcoming weekend, December 1-3 to get down to the Harbourfront Centre. There you'll find the Ten Thousand Villages Mennonite Christmas Festival. You can buy a gift from among the fairly-traded goods crafted by skilled artisans from developing countries, listen to the vocal craftings of the Pax Christi Chorale, and maybe best of all, get your hands on some Mennonite baking that really schmecks!
I have written previously about giving gifts from the catalogue of Canadian Food for the Hungry International, but I know that many people prefer to guide their actions along the lines of charity beginning at home. If you're nodding your head in agreement, then you might want to follow the next link to the Frontier College Foundation where you can give a gift that will end up impacting the very economy of Canada itself. Quite the statement,eh? The facts that support it start with the following stat: 42% of adults in Canada have difficulty using reading and writing to participate in daily life. The next generation isn't doing a whole lot better since 18% of grade 10 students failed last year's literacy tests. The abilities tested for include those that would give these people a chance to compete for the jobs that pay enough to keep a family out of the food banks.
"The Economist" August 2004 issue carried the statement made by a team of economists from the university of Ottawa that there is a "a clear and significant association between investments in human capital and a country's subsequent growth and labour productivity. Specifically, a rise of 1% in literacy scores relative to the international average is associated with an eventual 2.5% rise in labour productivity and a 1.5% rise in GDP per head."
I've been working with a young man who, through circumstances beyond his control, was forced to leave school before he had finished grade five. His is such a sad story, because it has resulted in a life that is basically going nowhere, and it's getting there fast. In his mid-twenties, he should be starting work by now at a decent job, and participating as an informed citizen in the country's democracy. Instead he is struggling to fill in the huge gaps in his knowledge that have left him woefully unaware of the world around him. If education is power, he has indeed been left powerless.
A little click on the Frontier College's link really could help you to change Canada. Do it in your own name, or do it in someone else's name and give that person a Christmas gift that could end up affecting the lives of more than 30 million Canadians.
Now, just because I can't resist, and also because Christmas to me is above all the look of wonder on a child's face, let me share these two with you. The first one is "The World's Biggest Piano Mat". The only possible drawback to this one is its need for 4 AA batteries, but if that doesn't bother you, then you'll be giving a 6-foot-wide plastic mat that covers almost two full octaves and will let your budding Chopin play "by ear and by foot". The maestro can record her/his opus de jour and play it back for Mom or Dad's listening pleasure. Of course, the plastic is going to facilitate easy clean-ups and the "keyboard" will clinch your rep for giving amazing gifts.
If you prefer to be the absolute hero of the family, (in the eyes of the little ones, anyway) this is a purchase you just have to make. "Monster Go Away! Spray" can rid an entire bedroom of monsters and other nasties who may be hiding under the bed or the dresser, or closeting themselves in with the clothes.
For those of you for whom product-testing ethics are important, you should know that the product's website asserts, "We don't test on animals, only family & friends!" Monster Go Away was developed by a mom and aromatherapy educator in 1999, and uses essential oils to work its magic. A 5 ounce bottle sells for $10.00 and can affect the demise of many a sleep-destroyer before its final spray, so if you're a parent who would like to get a better sleep, or a grandparent who would like to ensure the continued hero-worship of your grandchildren, what are you waiting for?
If you live here in Toronto and the idea of giving a gift that makes a difference appeals to you, be sure to set aside a day this upcoming weekend, December 1-3 to get down to the Harbourfront Centre. There you'll find the Ten Thousand Villages Mennonite Christmas Festival. You can buy a gift from among the fairly-traded goods crafted by skilled artisans from developing countries, listen to the vocal craftings of the Pax Christi Chorale, and maybe best of all, get your hands on some Mennonite baking that really schmecks!
I have written previously about giving gifts from the catalogue of Canadian Food for the Hungry International, but I know that many people prefer to guide their actions along the lines of charity beginning at home. If you're nodding your head in agreement, then you might want to follow the next link to the Frontier College Foundation where you can give a gift that will end up impacting the very economy of Canada itself. Quite the statement,eh? The facts that support it start with the following stat: 42% of adults in Canada have difficulty using reading and writing to participate in daily life. The next generation isn't doing a whole lot better since 18% of grade 10 students failed last year's literacy tests. The abilities tested for include those that would give these people a chance to compete for the jobs that pay enough to keep a family out of the food banks.
"The Economist" August 2004 issue carried the statement made by a team of economists from the university of Ottawa that there is a "a clear and significant association between investments in human capital and a country's subsequent growth and labour productivity. Specifically, a rise of 1% in literacy scores relative to the international average is associated with an eventual 2.5% rise in labour productivity and a 1.5% rise in GDP per head."
I've been working with a young man who, through circumstances beyond his control, was forced to leave school before he had finished grade five. His is such a sad story, because it has resulted in a life that is basically going nowhere, and it's getting there fast. In his mid-twenties, he should be starting work by now at a decent job, and participating as an informed citizen in the country's democracy. Instead he is struggling to fill in the huge gaps in his knowledge that have left him woefully unaware of the world around him. If education is power, he has indeed been left powerless.
A little click on the Frontier College's link really could help you to change Canada. Do it in your own name, or do it in someone else's name and give that person a Christmas gift that could end up affecting the lives of more than 30 million Canadians.
Now, just because I can't resist, and also because Christmas to me is above all the look of wonder on a child's face, let me share these two with you. The first one is "The World's Biggest Piano Mat". The only possible drawback to this one is its need for 4 AA batteries, but if that doesn't bother you, then you'll be giving a 6-foot-wide plastic mat that covers almost two full octaves and will let your budding Chopin play "by ear and by foot". The maestro can record her/his opus de jour and play it back for Mom or Dad's listening pleasure. Of course, the plastic is going to facilitate easy clean-ups and the "keyboard" will clinch your rep for giving amazing gifts.
If you prefer to be the absolute hero of the family, (in the eyes of the little ones, anyway) this is a purchase you just have to make. "Monster Go Away! Spray" can rid an entire bedroom of monsters and other nasties who may be hiding under the bed or the dresser, or closeting themselves in with the clothes.
For those of you for whom product-testing ethics are important, you should know that the product's website asserts, "We don't test on animals, only family & friends!" Monster Go Away was developed by a mom and aromatherapy educator in 1999, and uses essential oils to work its magic. A 5 ounce bottle sells for $10.00 and can affect the demise of many a sleep-destroyer before its final spray, so if you're a parent who would like to get a better sleep, or a grandparent who would like to ensure the continued hero-worship of your grandchildren, what are you waiting for?
1 Comments:
OK, I'm not so sure about the piano mat or the monster spray -- but the other two are worthwhile Christmas investments for giving.
The piano mat does sound like something that would be a worthwhile investment for the management types however ... imagine the torturous team building events!
And the Monster Away product does give me ideas for other Monster Away product lines. Imagine "Boss Away" ... or "Dull Meetings Away" ... or "Idiots Away" ... oh, this could go a long way and rack up mega-bucks from the novelty spending crowd.
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