The 50 Best Blogs for Future Leaders

This from the staff at the Online Colleges Blog - a well done compendium of useful tips, tricks, insights and advice for those individuals on the cusp of greatness... Our sweet little Cross Blog, begun by Robin and Lise, and nurtured by Nate, Scott, Kate and others has been listed as one of their 50 BEST BLOGS FOR FUTURE LEADERS.

With stories like "10 ACADEMIC FRAUDS WHO HAD EVERYONE FOOLED" (thank goodness I didn't make that list - I was only number 12), this is a great place to find all sorts of useful college related info. This from their blog post on the 50 best blogs:

"The old adage purports that the best leaders come hurtling headfirst into the world instead of eventually learning the necessary skill sets. Maybe. Maybe not.

Even the natural-born mobilizers and motivators out there could benefit from a few shots of nurture to get the ol’ noggin a-flooded with ideas. Whether prepping themselves for the soapbox or boardroom, these future leaders need to educate themselves about the world and how to best sharpen the personal tools needed for lasting success and influence."

This is a great list! And not withstanding our inclusion (in Human Rights, Social Justice and Ethics), there are quite a few on the list I'll be adding to my regular early morning bloggy visits... Happy Solstice!

The Muppets Teach Holiday Tree Safety

You’ve found the perfect holiday tree, strapped it to the roof of your car and made it home…time to decorate! However, before you unleash your inner Griswold and put all the glitz and glam on your beloved tree, the Red Cross and The Muppets have a few tips keeping your holiday merry and bright.

Christmas Tree Care

• Purchase flame retardant metallic or artificial trees.
• If you purchase a real tree, make sure that it has fresh, green needles that aren’t easily broken. Keep live trees as moist as possible by giving them plenty of water.
• Use a sturdy tree stand designed not to tip over.
• Keep trees at least three feet away from heat sources, including fireplaces, portable heaters, radiators, heat vents and candles.
• Make sure that any light strings or other decorations for the tree are in good condition and follow manufacturer’s instructions for their use. Do not use anything with frayed electrical cords.
• Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree.
• Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove.
• Safely dispose of trees as they become dry and needles begin to drop.
• Dispose of trees through recycling centers or community pick-up services. Dried-out trees should not be left in a house or garage, or placed against the house or garage.

Holiday Lights and Decorations

• Always unplug tree and holiday lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear.
• Avoid overloading electrical outlets by not linking more than three light strands.
• Use decorations that are flame-resistant or flame-retardant

Place decorations at least three feet away from fireplaces, portable heaters, radiators, heat vents and candles.

Now to sum this advice up, our friends The Muppets, have graciously teamed up with UL Laboratories to give you a little friendly tree advice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xaT3R5mzKfU

"Couch Commerce" Can Ease Holiday Shopping Stress!

With the holidays not too far into the future, we can start to feel the pressure. For two weeks, we've been bombarded with "incentives" to get to the stores ASAP, or else the deals would pass us by.

But now you can breathe a sigh of relief and relax this weekend. With just a few clicks on your keypad, you can put a major dent in your Christmas shopping list.

The Red Cross Holiday gift catalog is the place to shop for gifts that mean something. As you browse the catalog, you not only see how you can help, but you also become informed of exactly what the Red Cross does. The global scope of service is inspiring.

One line of gifts centers around those currently serving in the armed forces. You can send a military comfort kit to a wounded service member. The kit provides them with a robe, shower shoes, a phone card to call home and an MP3 music gift card. Another way to give back to our brave service members is by buying a Hygiene Kit for homeless vets. A staggering one third of homeless adults are veterans. This kit provides them a toothbrush, shaver, washcloth and other hygiene essentials.

For $75.00 you can buy a bicycle to help a Red Cross volunteer across the globe reach remote villages. You can help provide support for first responders, as they battle against disaster. You can provide food and shelter for victims of disaster worldwide, or right here in your own neighborhood.

However you want to help -- the choice is personal, but the benefit will be universal.

Holiday Safety Tips

The Oregon Red Cross has some great safety tips for this winter season, even if you’re not riding in a one-horse open sleigh or roasting chestnuts on an open fire... Holiday Safety Place Christmas trees, candles, and other holiday decorations at least three feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, portable heaters, radiators, heat vents and candles. Make sure that light strings and other holiday decorations are in good condition. Do not use anything with frayed electrical cords and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Never use lit candles to decorate a tree. Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to bed. Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Weather Safety Although winter hasn’t officially begun, snow has already fallen on many parts of the country. But it’s not too late to prepare for whatever Mother Nature may send your way. First, make sure you have an emergency preparedness kit. This should include, at a minimum: Water -- one gallon per person, per day for drinking and hygiene purposes Food that is non-perishable and easy-to-prepare Battery-powered or hand crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio) Flashlight and extra batteries First aid kit, medications and medical items Manual can opener Extra blankets and warm clothing, including boots, mittens and a hat for all household members Non-clumping kitty litter to make walkways and steps less slippery If a winter storm WATCH is issued in your area, it means a winter storm is possible. Pay attention to updates from local radio and TV stations, and avoid any unnecessary travel. If a winter storm WARNING is issued, it means a winter storm is headed for your area. Stay indoors during the storm if possible. If you must go outside, several layers of lightweight clothing will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat. Gloves (or mittens) and a hat will prevent loss of body heat. A blizzard WARNING means strong winds, blinding wind-driven snow and dangerous wind chill are expected. Seek shelter immediately! Driving Safety Avoid traveling by car in a storm, but if you must, make sure you have a winter storm survival kit in the trunk. Keep your car's gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing. Let someone know your destination, your route and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route. If you do get stuck . . . Stay with your car. Do not try to walk to safety. Tie a brightly colored cloth (preferably red) to the antenna for rescuers to see. Start the car and use the heater for about 10 minutes every hour. Keep the exhaust pipe clear so fumes won't back up in the car. Leave the overhead light on when the engine is running so that you can be seen. As you sit, keep moving your arms and legs to keep blood circulating and to stay warm. Keep one window away from the blowing wind slightly open to let in air. Giving the gift of Preparedness is a great way to show you care. Purchasing or putting together 3-day Disaster Supply Kits is a wonderful way to help the friend or family member who ‘knows they should’ but never quite gets around to creating one. Please view our life-saving products at our Red Cross Store. On behalf of all of us at the Oregon Red Cross, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

EAST TIMOR: A team of well-trained Red Cross Volunteers recently helped with a horrific collision in regional East Timor. Four people died and almost 20 more were seriously injured when a troop carrier crashed two hours south of the capital, Dili. Nurses and doctors at the local hospital in Aileu were overwhelmed by the size of the emergency and Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste volunteers stepped-in to help. For eight years, the organization has received funding and training support from the Japanese Red Cross and the IFRC.

IRAQ: People in rural Iraq are among the most severely affected by seemingly never-ending violence, the lack of economic perspectives and of appropriate infrastructure. The ICRC is helping needy farmers increase their production in a sustainable way, and since September has provided some 900 farmers in Diyala, Baghdad, Wassit, Babil and Anbar governorates with drip irrigation systems benefiting over 6,300 people. Since the beginning of the year, almost 42,000 people, mainly in rural areas of central Iraq, have been given a boost by ICRC livelihood support projects.

LIBYA: More than 100 surgeons are enhancing their skills treating gunshot and blast-wounded patients through a seminar in Tripoli this week. The training is being co-organized by ICRC and the Ministry of Health. The ICRC conducted similar workshops in Benghazi, Tripoli and the Nefusa Mountains earlier in 2011.

INDONESIA: The ICRC has recently completed a mass scabies treatment program at the Labuhan Deli Prison in Medan, North Sumatra, working with the Indonesian Directorate General of Corrections. Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by tiny, invisible mites that spreads easily in crowded surroundings such as at prisons. The campaign benefited 908 inmates, who had been living with scabies for years.

NIGERIA: Many children in Nigeria miss school or find it hard to concentrate because of the little talked of illnesses caused by worms. The Mushin division of the Nigerian Red Cross Society is tackling this by distributing de-worming tablets and teaching students about the importance of taking them regularly. So far 35 Red Cross volunteers have targeted 84 primary schools and provided tablets to over 22,000 children.



GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Give Something That Really Means Something

This year, The Oregon Chapters of the American Red Cross encourage you to Give Something That Really Means Something for the holidays through the Holiday Giving Catalog.

"With so many people in need this year, Oregonians want to both give and receive things that really mean something," said Maree Wacker, Chief Executive Officer of the Oregon Chapters of the American Red Cross. "The Holiday Giving Catalog provides us all with heartfelt opportunities to make a difference and to give with a purpose."

Give your family a Red Cross CPR or first aid class. You can even give your family and friends the chance to take classes on babysitting and pet first aid!

How about a comfort kit for a wounded or injured service member. Your donation can make sure they are warmly welcomed at a military hospital with kits filled with most-needed items such as a phone card, robe, shower shoes, toiletries and MP3 music gift card.

Or how about giving the gift that everyone wants but money can't buy through donating blood at your nearest Red Cross blood drive or donation center. Unlike fashion trends, video games or golf clubs, this perfect gift costs nothing but an hour of your time.

Greeting cards are included with each tax-deductible Holiday Giving Catalog purchase to notify loved ones and friends of the gifts you have made in their name. You may also opt to send an e-card version. Each gift item provides support to the mission of the Red Cross and items are available to fit any budget.

In the Holiday Giving Catalog, you'll see that small financial donation can provide a full day of emergency shelter when somebody really needs a hand. Disaster victims often have to leave their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. But a Red Cross response always begins with a safe place to sleep, hot food and emotional support. You can provide these essentials for a disaster victim for an entire day, including shelter, three meals, two blankets, one cot and personal supplies for only $50.

You can help your family and friends prepare for disasters with Red Cross emergency gear like family disaster kits, or a hand crank/ solar powered portable radio that includes flashlight and cell phone charger.

The purchase of each gift item is a tax-deductible contribution to the overall mission of the American Red Cross… and on the rare occasion when donations exceed the need in a particular area, we will use your contribution to help others where the need is greatest.

Join us at the Oregon Chapters of the American Red Cross and give a gift that really means something. Go online to www.OregonRedCross.org to learn more.

New Ways to Help: Use Serve and Double Your Donation

The American Red Cross now has a new "wonder widget" available. With just a few clicks, you can double your donation. The Red Cross invited Charlotte Fuller, who works on the Public Affairs team at American Express to share some insights on Serve.

Anne Marie Borrego: Hi Charlotte. First, I have to ask, what exactly is Serve?

Charlotte: Serve is a new product from American Express that allows you to send and receive money from friends and family. You can access Serve online or through your mobile device or use your Serve card to make purchases everywhere American Express Cards are accepted.

To put it simply, we’ve all been in situations where we need to settle up with friends, go in on a gift, split the check or raise money for a cause – Serve makes it easy to move money wherever you are.

Anne Marie Borrego: That’s helpful. So you’ve set up this special widget for the Red Cross. How does it work?

Charlotte: We’ve developed a Serve Red Cross Charity Widget that can easily be downloaded to any web site, blog or social media page so that our customers and their friends can donate to the American Red Cross in just a few clicks.

As part of this partnership Serve will match contributions made through the Widget throughout the holiday season.

Anne Marie Borrego: I should pause here and say thank you. Matching gifts like this help us stay out there with our shelters, show up when a house catches fire and do all of the good work that the nation relies on us to do.

Charlotte: You’re very welcome. We, at Serve, are thankful and excited to partner with such an important organization to help make a difference this holiday season.

The money raised will fund critical needs like shelters, hot meals, and relief supplies to those affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, and floods.

Anne Marie Borrego: One last question-after making a donation, I might want to share the widget with my friends. Can I do that?

Charlotte: To help us spread the world and encourage your friends to participate, download the American Red Cross Charity Widget on your blog, Facebook page or any of the social networks you hang out, or simply go to the Red Cross Site to donate and help us reach the maximum goal this holiday season – every dollar counts!

To find out more, please go to: https://widgets.servevirtual.net/ViewWidget.aspx?wid=2183