But now that I am more mature, both in years and intelligence, I realize my actions have a major impact and I’m changing or at least trying to change.
One of my latest changes in my life is my new Brita water filter. I am not completely 100% dedicated to recycling all of the time and plus the expense of buying bottled water  adds up, so I decided to rid myself of the burden of recycling and wasting money. Plus the statistics of plastic consumption and waste are extraordinary:

• Plastic will not biodegrade-ever. Instead, plastic will photodegrade into smaller and smaller pieces over thousands of years. It will persist in the environment indefinitely, absorbing environmental contaminants like PCB’s and DDT, then contaminate water and soil supplies and enter into the food chain (think bio-magnification).
• Every year we make enough plastic film to shrink wrap Texas (Oberlin College)
• Producing 1 kilogram of PET plastic (most water bottles are made of PET plastics) requires 17.5 kilograms of water and results in air emissions of 40 grams of hydrocarbons, 25 grams of sulfur oxides, 18 grams of carbon monoxide, 20 grams of nitrogen oxides, and 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Much more water is consumed in making the bottles than will ever go into them. (The Green Guide)
• Americans consume 30 billion single-serving containers of bottled water a year (New York Times)
• Every hour, Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles (Clear Water Florida)
• 1.5 million barrels of oil are used to produce plastic watter bottles in the US per year. That much energy could power 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year (USA Today)
• Producing a 16-oz. #1 PET bottle generates more than 100 times the toxic emissions to air and water than making the same size bottle out of glass (The Green Guide)

I’ve also bought recycled water bottles to sip my clean, Brita filtered water.

I believe even the smallest of changes help- start recycling plastic grocery bags or invest in canvas tote bags instead, buy a water filter and recycled water bottles, buy fresh fruits to avoid unnecessary packaging…
what can you do to make a difference- big or small?

I’ve been wanting to write about this organization for awhile now. I originally saw the ad for one laptop per child at the Atlanta airport and I tried to make it a point to remember the web address so I could share it with you all. When I arrived home I was exhausted and then eventually forgot, and then out of the blue remembered again…crazy how things come and go in my mind.

The premise of the company is to provide children in poor countries a laptop that would allow them learn, explore, share, communicate, and create. The great thing about this is that the laptop belongs to the child and they are allowed to take them home. What a great idea and gift to these children… the gift of freedom to learn!

There are several ways to done: donate $199.00 (the cost of the laptop), donate 100 laptops (usually if you have a company or organization or just rich and giving), donate your time/ services (translators are needed).

More information can be found at www.laptop.org

There is also a place for you to create a saying/ motto with your name attached: http://equation.laptop.org/



Discover Card’s Scholarship Application is now available. This is great money so my advice is to spend the time filling the application out right and get it in on time.

Applications are avialable December 1, 2008, 12:00 AM, ET – January 31, 2009, 11:59 PM, ET using access key DISC

Aspyr Media and Kaplan, the leading producer of testing prep materials, have teamed up to produce futureU, The Prep Game for SAT.
futureU consists of six distinctive mini-games, divided into three main categories: math, reading and writing. It also includes a section, “Test Skills”, to help those students who may suffer from test anxiety or time management.
The interactive DS version will hit stores November 11 (US$29.99) and futureU for the PC and Mac is available at Aspyr Media or Amazon.

December 6th is the last SAT testing day for 2008.

October tests results have been posted and will arrive soon to your house or school. Some of you may be wondering what your SAT scores mean.

450, 500, 550, what does this all mean, is it average, above average, BELOW AVERAGE???

The SAT I test consists of critical reading, mathematics, and writing. Scores range from 600 to 2400 (a perfect score) combining all three tests results (up to 800 points each test).

What is considered average?
According to CollegeBoard, average on each test is a score of around 500, total of 1500. Receiving a score of 500 on each test tells you that you scored as well as about half of the students who took the test. Above average would be a total score above 1500 to 2400. If you did not receive a score that you consider is acceptable you can take it again. Try not to take the test more than three times.

What score do Universities/Colleges want to see on the SAT?
Some colleges have a sliding scale. Meaning they will look at your Grade Point Average (GPA) and SAT Scores to determine admittance. If you have a low GPA and a high SAT score, they may accept you or high GPA and a lower SAT score. Always check the website of the college you are applying to or interested in to see their SAT score requirements. Some colleges may require the SAT II Subject tests.

Here is a list of some colleges and their range of scores for students admitted:
(About.com)

Auburn (Main Campus)

* Critical Reading: 500 – 610
* Mathematics: 520 – 630

Carleton

* Critical Reading: 670 – 750
* Mathematics: 660 – 740
* Writing: 640 – 740

Duke

* Critical Reading: 690 – 770
* Mathematics: 690 – 790
* Writing: 680 – 780

Harvard

* Critical Reading: 690 – 800
* Mathematics: 700 – 790
* Writing: 690 – 780

MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

* Critical Reading: 660 – 760
* Mathematics: 720 – 800
* Writing: 660 – 750

Middlebury

* Critical Reading: 630 – 740
* Mathematics: 640 – 740
* Writing: 630 – 740

Pomona

* Critical Reading: 690 – 760
* Mathematics: 680 – 760
* Writing: 680 – 760

Stanford

* Critical Reading: 660 – 760
* Mathematics: 680 – 780
* Writing: 670 – 770

UCLA

* Critical Reading: 570 – 680
* Mathematics: 610 – 720
* Writing: 580 – 690

TARGET!

Target has cute t-shirts that are affordable ($9.99) and the best part is……the t-shirts are made from organic cotton.

What is organic cotton?

Organic cotton is cotton that is grown without the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. The chemicals that are used in everyday cotton are harmful to the environment, can irritate your skin, and pollutes air and water.

Go Green! Go Target!

Causecast is a place to explore issues while helping you connect with a community of people wanting to make a difference.

Who is Causecast?

Causecast, dubbed “a one stop philanthropy shop” by TechCrunch, is a platform where media, philanthropy, social networking, entertainment and education converge to serve a greater purpose.

People want to do good, want to be inspired, and want to inspire others to join them in giving back. Causecast makes this easy by providing users with means to CONNECT with people, leaders, charities, nonprofit organizations, and brands that inspire them.

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Why so many people and why just one day? There is power in numbers and with that there is a potential of reaching more people to let them know of this cause. Still want to know why?

Number of Children in the World

2.2 billion

Number in Poverty

1 billion

This is important to me because I grew up poor and not just poor because we didn’t have a Christmas or anything, but poor in we didn’t always have a place to sleep or food to eat. My struggles may not compare or even come close to children that are living with poverty on a daily basis, but I had a small taste of what it feels like to be hungry, cold, and without hope. I truly believe that the way out of poverty is through education. I am asking you to get involved in the fight against poverty! To help fight poverty through education. You can make a difference, big or small. You have the power!

According to Global Campaign for Education, 72 million children worldwide are denied access to a basic education, 57 percent of them were girls. And over 226 million children are denied the opportunity to attend secondary school. According to UNICEF, 26,500-30,000 children die each DAY due to poverty. Around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names (globalissues.com). And the list goes on!

Anup Shah, Causes of Poverty, GlobalIssues.org, Last updated: Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Education is way to combat poverty, it will not solve all poverty issues, but it is a start and more importantly it offers hope and a future.

What can you do?
There are so many ways to get involved in the fight against poverty and here are few:
Advocate-write to your Senators and Congressperson to let them know why education is important. Let them hear your voice.

Donate- Every organization needs money to survive and help those in need. You can donate money or time. Idea: Donate gently used books to a local school or library. Create a book drive.
Get the Word Out- talk to people in your community, schools, churches, etc to let them know about this cause.

Become a leader- Become a youth leader or start a local group of your own to help those in need.

Want to get involved or donate? Check out these Resources & Organizations that help with Poverty & Education:

The Power of education- invest in a girl.  Care.org

Child Sponsorship-help save a child from poverty.

Kiva- lending money to an entrepreneur in a developing country empowers them to lift themselves out of poverty.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation- helps to fight poverty and creates education programs.

The Global Call to Action against Poverty-GCAP is a coalition of trade unions, community groups, faith groups, youth organizations and non-governmental organizations that aim to hold politicians to their promises regarding poverty.

Would you like to share your experiences, ideas, stories? Post your comments, stories, experiences in the comment section, I would love to hear from you!