Fully half of my charitable contributions every year go to this group...not as well known as some, but deserving of everyone's attention. Talk about teaching someone to fish, and thus feeding him/her for a lifetime...God bless them.

Don't have a cow--you can have Heifer.org!. This season's first holiday miracle just happened--my catalog from Heifer International (online at www.heifer.org.)

The miracle is that I am thrilled to see it.

I remember how pleased my mom was when she discovered this way to give her present-showered grandkids the gift of helping poor families. She didn't have to hit malls, wrap packages, or spend a lot to give an unforgettably special present. My kids were old enough to be thrilled by the idea.

OK, I admit it, I'm also smiling at this photo of a little boy holding a baby duck in his hands (it's bigger in my catalog).

Go check them out--and you'll be smiling too.

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"Passing on the Gift" is a key component of Heifer International's program. Participants give offspring of their livestock to others, in an ever-widening circle of hope. Here, a woman in India passes on a goat in a ceremonial setting. Photo credit: Darcy Kiefel Copyright: Heifer International Just $10 lets you give a share of a goat. ...$20 buys a flock of baby chicks. ...or, for that special someone, $25 buys a share in a water buffalo. Each price represents "the complete livestock gift of a quality animal, technical assistance, and training," says my catalog.

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[Betsy Devine: Funny Ha-Ha or Funny Peculiar?]

9:55:29 PM    

The Key to Genius. Autistic savants are born with miswired neurons -- and extraordinary gifts. Now researchers are using breakthrough science to expand our understanding of the brain. By Wired magazine's Steve Silberman. [Wired News]

9:39:25 PM    

The penguin is mightier than the sword. "Bloom County" cartoonist Berkeley Breathed talks about bringing Opus back to the nation's comics page to rip Garfield (and maybe George Bush) a new one. [Salon.com]

9:13:46 PM    

Virtual Eco-Sphere http://www.open2.net/diyscience/ecosphere/
Invites you to "build an ecosphere without getting your hands dirty." Choose your soils, plants, and animals, and then watch the simulation to see what happens.

[Neat New Stuff]

8:56:07 PM