Education for free

My one take-away LSS from Avenue Q was Trekkie Monster’s mantra:  The internet is for porn.

While that may be true for most,  the internet has proven extremely useful for geeky SAHM moms like myself to keep up to date with the latest global issues and trends.   The internet has shrunk the [...]

Ted and Jose Antonio Abreu’s wish: El Sistema to Go Global

For the past few days,  whatever spare time I have has been spent surfing TedTalks.com.  Today’s uploads were especially thrilling as I finally got to hear from the founder of El Sistema:  Jose Antonio Abreu.
Mr. Abreu is a retired economist, trained musician, and social reformer who founded El Sistema (“the system”) in 1975 based on [...]

Lessons from our forefathers (and mothers): Greatness is never a given. It must be earned

“In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches [...]

Barack Obama: “‘What I Want for You — and Every Child”

It could be said a politician’s family makes the ultimate sacrifice:  privacy and any semblance of normalcy.   For Malia and Sasha,  tomorrow marks the start of a new life lightyears away from the one they left behind in Chicago.  I appreciate President-Elect Obama for sharing with us the letter he wrote to his children.  It [...]

The Obama Inauguration: Get a Piece of history

The excitement in the air is almost tangible.    On Jan 20,  2009,  Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.    For me, his presidential campaign was remarkable not just because he was making history as the first black president but because he generated a feeling which had been missing [...]

Are schools educating our children out of their creativity?

We may differ in parenting styles and philosophies but one thing holds true for all parents:  we want our children to be the best that they can be.  For many,  this is achieved by investing in education – sending them to the best schools that money can buy, hiring private tutors etc.
So why is it [...]

Midweek Reading & Freebies

 Here are some great articles from here and around the world.

FOR FAMILIES
 

Anatomy of a Marriage (BusinessWorld)
10 Secrets To Help Your Children Handle This Financial Crisis (iVillage).  Key takeaway:  Reduce stress as a family.  “Whatever happens,  we’re together.  When all is said and done that really is what matters most.”
The Next Meltdown: Credit-Card Debt (BusinessWeek)
The New [...]

Severn Suzuki: The Little Girl who Roared

When we were still little, more often than not, we were told that we were too young, too idealistic, too [fill in the blanks] to deal with the harshness of the real world. But then again… if not now, then when? We were also taught not to speak unless spoken too… [...]

The smartest advice I ever got

Learning is a continuous process and it’s great to hear the words of wisdom of people I admire.
Money magazine recently came out with a feature in which 40 great minds share the best money lessons they ever learned.  I would like to share my favorites:

Know where your money goes - Derek Jeter.  “Even if you have someone [...]

Randy Pausch, 47

I just received word that Randy Pausch passed away today. The Carnegie Mellon professor who caused a sensation 2 years ago with his “last lecture“, was a great inspiration: a kid at heart who achieved all his dreams by remaining true to himself and having fun in the process.
“I mean I don’t know how to [...]