It’s 10:30 PM and most folks are getting ready for bed, but on this World Malaria Day, there is still time to make a difference before falling into a peaceful sleep free of Plasmodium infected mosquitoes.

I’ve been to Africa, and I didn’t have a net. I remember one mosquito in particular who haunted my nights buzzing in my ear canal the moment I’d drift off to sleep. Terrible, right? Poor me. And I could afford Malaria medicine. I had been taking it as a preventative measure before I even left for the continent where it kills over half a million people every year.

It used to kill more. Since 2001 progress has been made to the tune of a 25 percent reduction of malaria deaths per year worldwide. That’s thousands of lives, saved. We’ve seen an increase in effort since 2007 when the World Health Assembly formally designated April 25th as Malaria Day, and the issue was catapulted into the hearts and homes of millions around the world.

Unfortunately it’s just not enough. According to the World Health Organization, 650,000 people still die every year from this preventable disease, and most of those people are children under five years of age. Just pause for a second and let that sink in. imagine the elementary school in your neighborhood, and multiply that by like, a whole lot. OK? Can't fathom it. It's crazy! But guess what? There are solutions. The United States ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, tweeted today that “around the world, there are problems of baffling complexity. Malaria is not one of them. It is preventable.”

Now some people will say there is just a lack of political will, or that the situation is more complex with various roadblocks, corruption problems etc to really make dramatic progress in eliminating Malaria. Well, guess what? They’re right! But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do something. Since when did a lack of political will block the will of the people, the will of one person, you, to do something about it?

There are great groups like the World Health Organization and various United Nations entities that are focusing on the big picture and saving the lives of children affected by Malaria. But they need the help and support of people like us. Avoid the tendency to say, “It’s terrible, sure, but what can I do?” That’s what this article is for silly; it empowers you! Surprisingly there are quite a few things one can do on an individual level that help efforts in eliminating Malaria in Africa where 90% of those 650,000 deaths occur.

So, let’s streamline the simplicity. Do you have Internet access? Do you use PayPal? Do you have a dollar, or five, or ten? Of course you do. That’s life here in our mosquito-net-free world. Here is ONE thing you can do: chip in a couple bucks. Go to philanthroper.org and just do it. Don’t worry about it. All your money will go to Nothing But Nets, a United Nations effort to eliminate Malaria. Your couch cushions take more money from you. Then you can brush your teeth for two minutes (the time it takes two kids to die from Malaria) and go to bed, knowing you did something—at least you did something! It’s a good feeling. And I promise, you won’t miss the money, you won’t regret learning a thing or two about the issue, and you certainly won’t feel terrible about saving lives and stuff. Look at you, you philanthroper. Go on with yourself.

 

My previous post on the Killers' Christmas Album needs an amendment. Now that I've been listening to it for a few days it has soared to the top of my list of favorite Christmas albums ever, right up there with Diana Krall and Sufjan Stevens. Every song is unique, funny, poignant, and musically GENIUS! 

Take this resolute ballad with the great Elton John about Joseph the Carpenter. I'm still speechless so just listen. Best line is "And the desert: it's a hell of a place to find heaven, 40 years lost in the wilderness looking for God..." It goes on to illustrate a rather unique perspective the Killers and Sir Elton bring to the nativity family, their religion and the cultural, historical context in which their Savior ended up coming into their lives. The song is a rare tribute in the Christmas music canan to the step dad of Jesus. Anyway, he had to be quite the guy to step up and be the man, and I join in saying 

Joseph, Better You Than Me:

The next video is my new favorite original non-traditional Christmas song. I can't believe I'm just discovering it. A call back to the gleeful excitement of a childhood Christmas in a well-written piece of nostalgia that's all about toys and also about life and relearning to let that youthful innocence still find expression in our grown-up lives. Sometimes all we need to to is just take a metaphorical and addreneline-packed ride in 

A Great Big Sled 

And a heart-warming song with a homecoming theme is always appropriate at Christmas. Just remember to stomp your

Boots

I may be fairly late on this bandwagon seeing how they have a new holiday album with Bono's huge philanthropic (RED) brand but the Killers' take on a Mojave Christmas is so incredibly quirky, artistic and a fun edition to any holiday soundtrack. And with their (RED) songs, listeing (or purchasing, then listening rather) to their music is also allegedly doing a bit of good in the world. After all, isn't that what Christmas is all about. 

Here's their 2011 offering: The Cowboy's Christmas Ball

But it doesn't resonate quite so well as 2007's "Don't Shoot Me Santa Claus"

And now for a grateful replacement from the dreaded Feliz Navidad, which is endlessly blasted on second-rate radio stations every December. The Mexican/Southwestern Mariachi-derived essense of Happy Birthday Guadalupe is actually a fantastic song that is more than capable of replacing the apparent single alottment for Mexican Christmas anthems. 

buy their (RED) album here

 

For reasons I believe no one is totally aware of, melancholy and Christmas make a fitting albeit odd pair. No where is this more true than in the canon of Christmas music that is sad, dark or somberly pensive. In a few instances songs start out dark and dreary and end up bright and cheery. It's like every hymn of the season wants to take the listener on a Longfellow-esque journey. You know the one, Henry Wadsworth? He wrote "I Heard the Bells" amid the historical background of the Civil War and intense personal tragedy in his own life as well. The now-famous Christmas anthem talks of despair and lack of peace in the world (phew, glad that's not the case anymore!) but in the end finding hope in a higher belief and, in this case, the hope of God ensuring a Good-will-triumph outcome in the final chapter of life. Here is what I think: Christmas is a happy holiday with a dark underbelly that aknowledges all the sadness in the world, collects it into one single semi-conscious thought and tries to paint a thin veneer of hope over all of it. A cynic would condemn this practice but I applaud it. If not for hope, how would anyone ever get out of bed every day (or perhaps more acutely, out of their gutter, dumpster, dirt floor or woven grass mat). 

Apart from the big picture of despair, Christmas time can wrench our intimate soul as well. Relationships can feel a strain as sensitivites and expectations are heightened and in a season when most everyone is expected to be on their best behavior (and most are sincerely trying to be), the lashing out that is bound to happen can come with a heavier pang. But like Longfellow, we are often humbled and refreshed by the lights of Christmas, those perennial symbols of that hope, in which all things from our most personal relationships to world peace can find solace. To be filled darkly and brightly at once, hopefully at last. That is the essence of Christmas, and the hallmark of good Christmas music. 

Coldplay's Christmas Lights is the inspiration for the above pontifications. Listen and add to your holiday soundtrack. 

Having schools 'busting at the seams' with students eager to learn and develop should be a happy problem. You can make the solution even happier. Consider giving to this little village that could. They've proven their dedication by raising so much of the money themselves, and for a dollar (what? only a dollar?) you can reward their herculean efforts. Read more about the project below and donate on tippingbucket.org

 

From Tippingbucket.org: The village of Ondati is located in one of the poorest regions of Kenya, where HIV infection rates are amongst the highest in the country. With the prioritization of boys education, most girls are given little or no schooling.

 

In 2009, the Ondati community came together to open up the opportunities available to girls by setting aside land and collecting the materials needed to start a simple secondary school. However, with only modest community funds they were unable to pay for the running of the school. Following the success of a small Teach a Man to Fish project in a nearby primary school, the community requested the help of the organisation in April 2009.

 

For the past two years, we have been working with the local community to create a school which is 100% financially self-sufficient. We have so far raised enough money to build two classrooms, and the community held a harambee (local fundraiser) to build a third classroom. We have also developed business activities, such as bee-keeping and dairy production, which we hope will provide enough income to cover the school’s running costs so that the school won't need to rely on fees to keep running, and a good quality, relevant education will be offered to girls in the region. 100 local girls are currently attending the school in Years 1 through 3. The students of the school are taught business and entrepreneurial skills, in addition to more traditional subjects. These skills will provide the girls with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty.

 

Because of the success of the project to date, the school which had originally been planned for 40 students now has 100 and is severely lacking in boarding facilities (the dorm can only hold 40 girls). With the school literally bursting at the seams, Ondati School for Girls desperately needs a new dorm.  An adequate place to live close to the school is vital to facilitate the students’ education. The modest income so far generated through the school’s business activity is being used to cover running costs. The school is therefore in need of funding to build the new dormitory. We are looking to you to help raise these much-needed funds for the girls. 

 

 

Maybe you're an avid listener of iTunes free weekly download, or maybe you follow American Idol alums like it's your religion. Whatever the case may be, and whichever of the myriad paths you can take to discover Jack and White, just see that you do. Brooke White (who I've mentioned before) has teamed up with fellow singer/songwriter/guitar player/groovy kid Jack Matranga to offer a throwback EP titled Gemini, released yesterday on iTunes. Right off the bat I gotta say some of the instrumentations and recording bells and whistles remind me a little bit of Coldplay which pairs just as nicely with a raspy female voice as it does the mellow Brit's. Listen for the really rich and creative musicality in between the lyrics and melodies where awesome riffs and ditties pot up all throughout. It gives the music a warm, layered complexity without getting muddy or interfering with the effervescent happy-go-lucky dominance. It's hipster music with crossover quality...why? Because it's good. It's not overly emoted or hyper-sensitive music, it's just good, happy music with nuanced artistry and writers with a penchant for good lyrics. Best tracks: Inside Outside, Smoke and Mirrors, but they are all good. Check 'em out!

To be in the historic New Orleans Convention Center watching a live jazz concert with saxophonist Branford Marsalis in a room of 4,000 volunteers and people dedicated to making our coummunities, our country and our world a better place. To call it inspiring would be an understatement.

There is a real need for nuts and bolts talk, straight-shooting, ugly admissions of industry failures and loud promotions of industry best practices...which is exactly what the National Conference for Volunteering and Service is about. But it's also about this collective inspiration that comes from thousands of people who believe in what they are doing, and believe as Mr. Marsalis just said, "what you want done can be done." Indeed with this group of committed and skilled people, anything we imagine, we can achieve. We saw it in microscale today with 25 service projects throughout the city, and in dedicated learners and presenters who feel passionate enough to take a week out of their busy lives and commit to becoming better at whatever it is they do. 

The words of Margerete Meade come to mind when she said,

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." 

 Well, this small group really isn't that small, but wow, can you feel the power! The most empowering thing to consider is not just our potential to change the world, but that this group, right now, IS changing the world. When we consider that every community large and small is still rife with problems and social needs, it can feel like a volunteer's work is insurmountable and never-ending. While that's pretty much true, a volunteer must never think that his or her drop in the bucket is meaningless or ineffectual. It's these type of events where one can take a moment to see that those drops in the bucket really do add up!

One of the most inspiring moments was hearing from Chad Pregacke who embodied the ultimate volunteer spirit when he decided to clean out the Mississippi River near where he grew up. Well, that desire (and HARD WORK!) has fueled a movement to clean America's great rivers, harnessing the power of more than 60,000 vounteers and 6 million pounds of garbage. It's stories that his that make me think a couple things. First, what the hell am I doing?? Or not doing? I got to step it up because there are issues I care about and work for, but with perhaps a little less dedication than I want to have and a little lazier work ethic than I should have. And secondly, from Chad's story comes a great boon of motivation on the snowball effect one person can have on the world and in our communities. Check out more about his work and amazing service here.

Follow what's going on at the National Conferenece on Volunteering and Service here and continue to be champions of service in your communities!