Join the Carnival for Change - Booth 12.

Welcome to the Carnival for Change where we explore the web for interesting items relating to social justice, health, education, and opportunity. Happy holidays!

* Still not done with your holiday shopping? Consider charity gift certificates. They are a wonderful way to redefine Christmas.

* Want to give a lasting and meaningful gift? Try giving life.

* And once the holidays are over, consider these ways to recycle at Christmas.

* And on a completely unrelated note, December 31,2008 is the last day to order your free coupons for the analog to digital TV convertor box. All television broadcasting in the US will be digital as of February 2009, so if you have analog TV with no pay service, you may want to order your coupons for the converter. Visit dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-DTV-2009 for more information. An excellent alternative: Turn off the TV.

* Recently completed: The Shack. Thanks Temika!
Currently reading: Good News Bible
Next on the list: Blood Colony



Thanks for visiting the Carnival for Change! If you'd like space at the next booth, send your items to me with "Carnival for Change" in the subject. See you next time! In the meantime, subscribe to So What Can I Do (see sidebar) or follow us on Twitter (@sowhatcanido)

"The summit of happiness is reached when a person is ready to be what he is.” - Desiderius Erasmus

Listen.

I was blessed to grow up in a household in which holiday gatherings meant story time. My parents and grandparents taught all who would listen about their lives and those who came before them: Griffin Henry Belk, Sarah Suttles, Andy Suttles, David Maclin, Mose Neal, Jim Neal, Willie Beatrice Jones Neal, and many others. They shared the triumphs and horrors of the past and their hopes for our future. I treasure those memories, those stories, and those expectations for my own life. Over the years, I learned to value the experiences and lessons of the past, in part because of the relevance they have for the present and future.

That's why I am excited that today is the First Annual National Day of Listening. StoryCorps suggests: "This holiday season, ask the people around you about their lives — it could be your grandmother, a teacher, or someone from the neighborhood. By listening to their stories, you will be telling them that they matter and they won’t ever be forgotten. It may be the most meaningful time you spend this year." Visit NationalDayofListening.org to

* Download the free Do It Yourself Guide to selecting your questions, recording your conversations, and more.

* Upload your interview to share your conversation with others.

* Request NPR's StoryCorps visit your community.

* Sign up for free weekly stories by email.

Now is the perfect opportunity to give the gift of listening. So take time today, and everyday, to listen, and learn.


"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. Seize the day, trust not to the morrow." - Horace

Redefine the holidays.

I opened Monday's New York Times and found the following full-page ad:

Let's redefine Christmas. By putting more Thanksgiving in it.
No sooner does Thanksgiving end, than the loathsome shopping season begins - a month-long compulsion to by something, anything, for everyone. We're pressed. We're stressed. And our money is wasted. But we can change all that by focusing on the giving. And redefining Christmas.
Give people donations to their favorite charities.
And request that they give donations to your favorite charities.
A lot more money would go to people who need it. Shopping would be easier and tax-deductible. And our giving would be more in keeping with the Christmas spirit.

The Dalio Family Foundation, which paid for the ad and accepts no donations from the public, ends by saying "The sole purposed of this message is to facilitate charitable giving. Please pass it on." So that's what I'm doing. Consider it: Less hassle. More good. Less taxes. It's win-win.

So this year, instead of or in addition to materials gifts, try giving and requesting charitable gifts. They are gifts that keep on giving. Happy Thanksgiving!

"History is a vast early warning system." - Norman Cousins

Recycle Christmas cards and more.

Ready for another reader-inspired post? Janice writes:

What I would like to know is how to recycle those Christmas cards after Christmas. It seems like such a waste to throw them out. I have two years worth of Christmas cards piling up on me.

Good question, Janice! Your concern is justified. In the UK alone, about 1 billion Christmas cards are thrown away every season. Imagine how many are trashed in the US and rest of the world! That make for a lot of waste. Here are a few ways to reduce, reuse and recycle during the holidays:

* Cards - Your community may allow you to recycle them with other paper waste. Check to be sure. If not, consider using them for crafts. (I particularly like the idea of using them for holiday postcards or gift tags.) St. Jude doesn't need anymore used cards, but you can buy recycled cards from them for next year.

* Trees - Your community may offer curbside or neighborhood recycling or use in wildlife habitats. If not, you may want to chip it and use it for mulch or compost. Next year, consider decorating a plantable or artificial tree.

* Gifts - No one wants to talk about regifting, but many of us do it. If you have items you would like to "regift", make sure you follow these regifting etiquette suggestions.

* Food - Leftover food from holiday or other functions can often be given to a food rescue agency. They'll use it to feed the hungry in your community. Remember to donate extra food (or money) to your local food bank.

* Reduce, reuse, and recycle the glass, plastic, paper, and aluminum that you use during the holidays and all year long.

Happy solstice, happy new year, and keep the great suggestions coming!

"Children learn more from what you are than what you teach." - W.E.B. DuBois