37 Ways To Join The Gift Economy
"You don't have to participate in a local currency or service exchange to be part of the cooperative gift economy. Any time you do a favor for a family member, neighbor, colleague, or stranger you're part of it. Here are some ways you can spend time in the gift economy, where you'll find fun, freedom, and connection." So begins this inspiring list of starting places from Yes! magazine.... posted on Nov 21 2008, 3,463 reads

Measuring Stick For Managers
In one of its biggest polls, Gallup asked more than one million employees from a broad range of industries a series of questions designed to uncover the answer to the question, "What do talented employees need from their workplace?" The answer -- that talented employees need great managers -- led to the second research effort, which attempted to determine how the best managers find, focus, and kee... posted on Nov 17 2008, 8,683 reads

Rebuilding Generations Through Football
What began as one man's passion to help at risk kids has become the vision of many through the Playmakers Mentoring Foundation and their innovative program which began in California. Developed and led by Coach Greg Roeszler (Aka Coach Roz) and his dedicated staff of assistant coaches, Playmakers is drawing kids off the streets and out of gangs to be part of this amazing outreach where children are... posted on Nov 15 2008, 2,879 reads

One Woman's Artistic Gift
On her countryside farm in Salt Lake City, Kazaih raises goats. And paints. "I paint people I can relate to and the wildlife and countryside I love," the 58 year old says. In 2002, Kaziah sent a note to a Gloria Johnson to see if she could do a portrait of her son, an Army private who died in an ambush in Iraq. Gloria agreed, and Kaziah's portrait moved her to tears. Kaziah continued her humanitar... posted on Nov 10 2008, 3,483 reads

A Hospital With A Difference
Anne Lang, head of human resources at Winchester Hospital, pulls out a simple, black box and flips it open. Inside is a small but telling stack of reasons why this 229-bed community hospital is the state's top place to work. At Winchester, Lang and other managers keep index cards listing how employees prefer to be rewarded: in a meeting, in the hospital newsletter, personally, with chocolate or sp... posted on Nov 09 2008, 3,143 reads

A Table For Three
"My fiancee and I decided today was the day to finally treat ourselves to a nice dinner. It started off as 'our' day' but little did we know that it would turn into much more. I didn't want the whole day to be about yearning to leave the office for the upcoming dinner and I didn't want the dinner to be just another romantic night for two... So, I felt compelled to turn up the notch of giving that ... posted on Nov 07 2008, 5,880 reads

A Daughter's First Words
A little girl who cannot walk or talk has used a machine to tell her mother for the first time: "I love you." Six-year-old Elke Wisbey, who was born brain-damaged, has been able to communicate with her family by using a high-tech gadget which tracks her eye movements. Readers of a local newspaper raised money to buy the specially-adapted machine for the family. The MyTobii Smartbox machine from Sw... posted on Nov 06 2008, 4,232 reads

The Generosity Gene
The thought of not receiving presents on a birthday, bar or bat mitzvah, or any other gift-getting occasion is hard to accept for most children. So, where would such an idea come from? Teachers, older siblings and parents are the inspiration. Sometimes, it's just another compassionate stranger. For Gwenna Heidkamp, 11, who requested animal shelter supplies in lieu of presents for herself, it was h... posted on Nov 05 2008, 5,833 reads

The Plastic Battle
Has this ever happened to you after you've purchased a consumer item? Winner of the Friend's of the Earth Best One-minute Green Film Award, director Ulla Jackobsen from Denmark makes a simple yet dramatic statement with the help of a child and her toys. This video reminds us, in a most poignant way, to reduce, reuse, and recycle.... posted on Nov 03 2008, 3,983 reads

Web Surfing & The Brain
The Internet is not just changing the way people live but altering the way our brains work with a neuroscientist arguing this is an evolutionary change which will put the tech-savvy at the top of the new social order. Gary Small, a neuroscientist who specializes in brain function, has found that Internet searching and text messaging has made brains more adept at filtering information and making sn... posted on Oct 31 2008, 2,183 reads