1. They are made in America. Right here in Texas.
2. They give back to they community and the world, as shown in this video. Awesome.

Check out their YouTube channel for more. Then, go buy something awesome, that will last forever.

I’m waiting on the funds, but one of their products may be the only thing that I buy this year that’s not an iPad 2 or Macbook Air.

Think about this as you go through this holiday season. What is truly meaningful to you? What message do you want to send your kids and/or grandkids? You have a wonderful opportunity!

Let’s change it up, give back, and keep this season simple and fun, remembering its true value is in the friends and family you celebrate with.

Look, there are a lot of reasons to give back to society. A lot of us do, a lot of us don’t. It’s a personal choice. Here’s my pitch for giving back:

Consider how lucky you are. If you’re even reading this post, you’re so lucky it’s ridiculous. You have power. You have the internet. You have a smart phone, an iPad or a computer. That alone puts you at a great advantage over the majority of the people on this planet. Most of you have a job that pays you more than $5 per day.

You’re lucky.

Consider the magnitude of this. You have an incredible opportunity to do good. To be good. To help someone that is not as fortunate as you. It’s simple. Donate $1. Donate $100. Volunteer. Write a blog post about a charity. Share this link on Facebook or Twitter. It doesn’t matter. It’s simple.

Give back.

If you’d like to give back, and want to join in the official charity for Blog Action Day, use the widget below. Otherwise, check out Charity Water, Village Learning and Achievement Center, or Serve.

A plea to those who enjoy giving this time of year:

Patrick posted this over at Minimal Mac and it got me thinking.

All of this stuff will generate a bunch of stuff to be thrown away or recycled. Wrapping, packaging, spent gift cards – they all have to end up somewhere. Not to mention all of the stuff we had to build and machines we run in order to make the stuff we give and receive.Then once the season is over, in fact the very next day, comes the inevitable stuff we have to return (for cash to buy stuff if you have the receipt, exchange for different stuff if not).

Last year, we pledged $50 each (half our gift budget) to a charity, and cut down on gifts. We’re doing the same thing this year, and, again, I ask friends and family to consider donating to charity or the kids’ college funds in place of more stuff.

We have enough stuff. We need less of it. I’m trying to minimize. If it’s meaningful, functional and worthwhile, awesome. If it’s frivolous or wasteful, save the money and put it to better use, please.

Think about all the good we can do! We welcome the generosity, but would like to redirect it to something more substantial, that’s all.

Thanks in advance!

25 reasons why your company is boring

Set My Browser Size – excellent resource for usability testing, screencasts, tutorials, etc.

Oldest human ancestor discovered – intriguing

Give a little (via Brian)

Social media venn diagram (via Moehlert)

The Social Media Guru (NSFW) – Hilarious, and so true! (via Chris)

A big-assed post about Fireworks – a love hate relationship I have as well (via DF)

People of Walmart – for those of you living under a rock that haven’t seen this yet.

Many developers (Brian, Veerle, etc.) go Pink for October. I’m doing the same, and if you’re in the market for a theme, take a look at WooThemes. One, they are awesome themes. Two, they are great people and offer incredible support.

I already donate 50% of all revenue generated on this site to charity. In addition, for October, if you use my WooThemes affiliate link, not only will WooThemes make their donation, but I will donate 100% of my referral revenue to Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

Don’t need a WordPress theme? Check out TweetForBoobs.

You can go to Kiva’s website and lend to someone across the globe who needs a loan for their business – like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent – and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back – and Kiva’s loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

It’s finally easy to actually do something about poverty – using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they’re using it for. And most of all, I know that I’m helping them build a
sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world – one loan at a time.

Thanks!

P.S. If you are in the learning industry, you can donate as part of the Learning Ninjas team.

Also, check out Nuru while you’re in a giving mood.

Millions of people die each year from malaria – but there’s a simple, life-saving solution, and all it takes is $10 to buy a bed net, distribute it to a family, and explain its use.

You can help support me by making a secure online donation. Click on the link below to help prevent malaria:

For more information on how YOU can participate in Nothing But Nets, please visit us at www.NothingButNets.net

Thanks for your support!

I just read a very good article from the Times. There are many valuable points made about making the effort, however small – like helping a nonprofit get set up with Twitter and Facebook – to help make this world a better place. I’ve tried to work with my kids on this, and have been fairly successful.

I recently took my son (9) to the Village Learning and Achievement Center, the local nonprofit (where I volunteer) he chose back in January in lieu of presents (yes, we’re slightly tardy in our delivery).

He had an amazing experience with the director giving him a tour and meeting some of their clients. He did really well, and I was proud of him. He came out of there, and said, “that place was really cool.”

Anyhow, just wanted to share, and encourage you to talk to your kids, your friends, even your parents and coworkers, about doing something good and meaningful in this world.

Every dollar helps, every minute of time volunteering helps, in some way, to make this place better for all of us, and especially our kids.

So, almost one year later, I’m still using Spanning Sync. I’ll be honest, the main reason, even with all the new technologies, is that I don’t have to worry about it. It’s been running in the background on my systems for 10 months. I kept it when I moved to my Macbook Pro earlier this year. It just freakin’ works, so I had no reason to change anything.

SS is also doing a nice job of adding new features and keeping up with Google, so, again, I haven’t had any issues with compatibility or sync issues. Quite remarkable, since I had just moderate expectations.

Anyhow, if you need to sync Google and Mac and/or iPhone, I still highly recommend Spanning Sync.

**Disclaimer: Those are affiliate links, and 50% goes to charity.

Playing For Change | Song Around The World “Stand By Me” from Concord Music Group.

Thanks Mom!

In the end, we get direct feedback from the teachers, which is awesome. Here are some pictures from one of the causes I donated to. I love the direct response and being able to see the results.

Anyway, I’m about to receive another check from Spanning Sync, and thought instead of me donating it, I’d open up a little contest and give the winners a DonorsChoose gift card to give to the project(s) of their choice.

Simply post a comment detailing what social responsibility means to you. 1st place will receive a $50 card, and two runner-ups will receive $25 each. It’d be even better if you would match my donation and double the donation amount when you choose your project(s)!

This is just another fun way to give back to a great cause and take care of the less fortunate.

Be good, people.

Read more, and support this cause, here.

So, here it is already a week into 2009 and I’m behind. I have many goals for 2009. Here are a few (in no particular order) that I’ll keep track of through this blog.

1. Read 50 books. A mix of fiction and non-fiction.
2. Get more of my friends and family online via blogs, facebook, twitter, or other means to improve communication and info sharing.
3. Volunteer at least 200 hours.
4. Get in better shape (soccer, Wii Fit, Mountain Biking, Boxing)
5. Spend more time with the kids, especially outside, and less time inside stressing over work and other crap.
6. Keep the new house as clutter-free as the old house is right now.
7. Continue helping those less fortunate through this site and other donations. Continue to include my kids in this process.
8. Get my old laptop working for Megan (4) to play her learning games on.
9. Organize my data (using Drobo) and photographs. I sent 600+ off to ScanCafe the other day.
10. Take more photographs that aren’t of my kids. I love photography, but rarely go out with my D50 to just shoot nature/sports, etc.
11. Finish my two family projects. 2008 Year In Review and the Yearbook.
12. Complete the 7 Random Things Meme Aaron pinned on me.
13. Blog more original content. I love to write, this is my outlet.

EDIT: I’m also adding “play more board games.”

With my recent wonderful experiences with non-profits and charity organizations, and the current state of our lovely economy, I’ve decided to make a change in the way we give around here during the holidays.

While I understand my kids (and especially my wife) need to unwrap presents on Christmas morning, there’s just something that bothers me about all that waste.

1. The ridiculous amount of paper, ribbon and packaging really gets to me. Such a waste.
2. The excess this creates. My kids aren’t any more spoiled than most kids with three sets of grandparents, but when you walk into their rooms and see all the crap they have, it’s an awakening.

So, getting to my point…in recent years I’ve pleaded with family to consider donating to the kids’ college funds, maybe in tandem with a smaller number of packaged gifts. I’ve only had limited success.

This year, I’m going to continue that request, but also add another. In place of gifts, or in addition to a smaller amount of gifts, I’m asking for a donation to charity.

I’m working with the kids to pick their favorite charities, and the wife and I are each picking one ourselves. Of our current budget for holiday gifts, I’m taking half of that and putting it to charity.

If you have the wonderful opportunity to shower your kids and/or family in gifts, please take a moment to consider the rest of the world. The less fortunate. Then, sit down with your family and discuss what you’re doing and why they should consider giving back. Give them the responsibility to pick their own charities to donate to.

• Brian: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
• Emily: Family Time
• Ryan: Village Learning & Achievement Center
• Megan: Toys for HAAM

If you can’t think of any yourself, consider the causes we listed above, or some of the opportunities below. Or check with the stores you’re shopping at. Most will be doing something for charity.

Also, even if you don’t want (or have the resources) to donate money to charity, consider donating time as a family to volunteer at a local charity handing out gifts, feeding the hungry, or some other wonderful and much-needed opportunity.

So, if you can, give back in some way. It’s really important, for all of us. Giving back feels good. It is necessary given the current state of the world, and, we’ll all be the better for it.

Happy Holidays!

P.S. Do you really need to use all that wrapping paper? Try recycling some packing paper, newspaper or anything else you have lying around. I promise, it feels just as good to rip apart as the fancy wasteful stuff. Every little bit helps.

Green Tips from Amazon

Donation Opportunities:

• Build a well in Africa
• Donors Choose
• Epic Change
• End Breast Cancer
• Help entrepreneurs in developing countries
• Help a child at Texas Children’s Hospital

Three things:

1. Charity gets half, as promised.
2. Thanks Aaron.
3. Drobo on order.

Charlie from Spanning Sync:

“Last night at 6:33pm CST you made your 200th Save 5+Make 5 referral. Congratulations on being our first $1,000 affiliate! I’ll be writing a blog post about it.”

Be good, people.

I have a category on my site that is “Be Good.” I frequently come across wonderful deeds being done in this crazy web 2.0 (I hate that term, but it’s sort of relevant here) world.

I posted earlier about the September project, and it’s success, and, unfortunately, it’s failure to meet the ultimate goal by the end of September. With as much money that there is flowing around in this world, with campaigns, blog revenues, and whatever else, it’s a shame we can’t all come together to meet the needs of these charities and their reasonable goals.

About a month ago, I posted about Spanning Sync, which has in turn yielded an incredible return for doing very little on my part. To date, I have made over $700 on Spanning Sync referrals. All for doing nothing but writing a silly post and review about it. This is from a software program that I don’t even use much outside of syncing contacts.

I also get referral money for hosting, WordPress themes, contact management and online accounting software that I love.

As Aaron did a few weeks ago (thanks for the thoughts on our Ike situation), I am pledging 50% of my referral profits back to charity. I volunteer, I donate time, money and items to good causes, but it’s never enough. We can do more. I support Kiva, DonorsChoose and many more.

Poverty is another huge issue we can fix, hence the Blog Action Day link at the top of this post. Think about your situation and then think about what you can do to help. It’s the right thing to do.

If you read this entire post, and you need anything technology related (themes, software, hardware), please let me know because I might have an affiliate account, and you’d not only be helping me out, but helping out a charity as well. I’ll even support the charity of your choosing if you’d like to post a comment and let me know.

The important thing in all of this is social responsibility. We all have a place in this world (and this World Wide Web), and we need to make sure we’re giving back.

Again, you can set up your own site here.