We all want to know about the origin of language

Here is a good read about this topic, albeit not tech writing, but still the nyt (New York Times) always has good stuff to read here.

Get together...for relaxing time enjoying good food :)

Sitting pondering life-longing thoughts...and then it hit me.... I cant believe the semester is practically done!.....and so Chrismas gets here.... I was wondering if we could all get together to enjoy some good talks, laughs, and yummie food this week!

Let me know what are your thoughts, availability, and ideas for eating-out!
I miss u all! :(

xoxo

3 a.m. til I come ... down from the caffeine!

Note to self: Do not drink a Grande Tazo Chai Latte at Starbucks unless you are fully prepared to be wired.

• 100 mg of caffeine, check.
• Time is flying by, check.
• Can no longer focus, check.

Don't get me wrong, I love chai lattes. Not. At. 8 or 9 p.m. at night. I'm fine with it now. It's cool. No trippin'. Ok, a liTTle biT of Trippin'. Chill, Linda. Breathe!

In the short number of hours I've been home, I've watched House and Dexter (downloaded - no commercials), reviewed for the exam, knitted half of my scarf, tucked Tim into bed, cleaned the house, checked Facebook only once for 3 minutes (I deserve an award!), and I'm writing this blog entry. I rule!

This is what happens to a caffeine-sensitive person who woke up at 6 a.m., went to work, went to the gym, and reviewed stuff on the bus on the way home, and met up with Prisci in the evening. I should have been done hours ago! Usually by 1 a.m. I'm toast. But not tonight! ah! Did you know there is a Depeche Mode song called "But Not Tonight"? Didn't think so. I could most possibly do 50 push-ups in the state I'm in. I'm not jittery. I'm not headache-y. Nada. Not the name, but I mean not at all. This is the zone!

Why am I posting this? I simply want to warn you all about the affects/effects (or as I like to say "offects" because I can't figure out for the life of me WHICH is WHICH, so why not go with the "o"?) of drugs like caffeine in this instance on the body (nothing else, I promise). I feel like an experiment right now. I told myself that if I ever put myself in this situation again, I would blog about it. Why, because I can.

Sit back and enjoy the ride, Linda and anyone else that is reading this. The enlightening state of mind is a wondrous experience. I feel fully aware and pretty sponge-brained now. The benefit could be that I retain much of what comes my way; the detriment may be that I only remember the sopped up information when I'm in this state again.

Poll:
How much would you appreciate me being hyped during the exam? Pretty distracting in fact.

Let's leave it at that. Thank you for not smoking.

Why I Don't Write Fundraising Letters

Dear Colleagues

What would you do if you had no money to buy food? What if you couldn’t pay your child’s medical bills? Where could you turn if you were the victim of an abusive relationship?

Right now, many of our fellow Torontonians are asking themselves these very questions. Thanks to the United Way, many will get the help they need to make a fresh start, but the demands keep growing:

oOne in four Toronto families is struggling in poverty
o50% of households who use a food bank in Toronto report earning less than $12,000 per year
o76% of women and 88% of children in all Canadian shelters were escaping situations of abuse*

Do you want to change these numbers? Are you willing to help deserving families and individuals? With your support we can reduce poverty and provide vital services to those who really need them. Every year the United Way funds 200 agencies to help thousands of people living in and around our city – through food-banks, shelters, legal aid and advocacy for abused women, employment for disadvantaged Canadians and newcomers, youth counselling, leadership training, after-school programs, homecare and health support services, and so much more.

Sadly, the need for these services has dramatically increased in only one year. More than ever before, our help is needed to provide food, shelter, counselling and support for those who are at-risk in our population. Not only will 90% of donations go directly to client services, but through the generosity of the D’Alessandro family, an increase of 10% or more in our donation will be matched by the Leadership Challenge Grant. Last year we raised an impressive $205,760 – but with this added incentive, we know we can do even better. This year, we’re aiming to increase that amount by 15% for a total of $236,625 by December 31. If we can raise this sum, the United Way will receive an additional $30,000. Together, we can reach this goal and help others in our community.

Please give generously – without you, there would be no way.

Sincerely,


Kate Lundy
United Way Coordinator

Enc 1
*Statistics taken from http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/

Linda's A4: fund-raising

This is the final letter I gave Sabine. Enjoy!

Dear colleagues,

As the winter winds chill the air, you can feel extra warm this holiday season with a tax-deductible donation to the United Way during our year end gift matching campaign.

Your contribution can go a long way -- a donation of at least two dollars a day, every day, seven days a week, will help us reach this year's goal of $1 million. And until December 31, for every dollar you donate to the United Way we will double it with a matching gift from the Employee Charitable Foundation (ECF).

Did you know that only 10% of all charitable giving in Canada goes to Social Services?* This makes your gift all the more important. Last year, IBMers surpassed the $850 000 goal by contributing $1.75 a day. Thanks to your support, the United Way sustains a vital network of over 200 health and social service agencies in the Greater Toronto Area.

The United Way is an established organization with a proven track record. Over 90% of our donations go directly to initiatives such as the Eglinton Community Health Centre, the Pathways to Education Partnership, and the Career Search Portal. Through these initiatives, the United Way has placed 294 000 youth participants on the path to success with educational after-school programs, counselling, employment training, and job placements. A number of these job placements were here at the Toronto Lab!

IBM ECF Challenge 2007
When your division reaches 97% participation, each member wins a day off.

A payroll deduction form is enclosed to fill out for your convenience. Won't you return your donation of at least two dollars a day in the self-addressed envelope provided?

Without you, there would be no way.

Sincerely,

Linda Ristevski
ECF Coordinator
IBM Canada, Toronto Lab

*Taken from http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/

*************************************

Assignment 4 (Second posting)

Dear colleagues,

As the winter winds chill the air, you can feel extra warm this holiday season by making a tax-deductible donation to the United Way during our year end gift matching campaign.

It's a really exciting time to make a gift to the United Way. Until December 31, for every dollar you donate to the United Way we will double it by a matching gift from the Employee Charitable Foundation up to $5000.

The United Way could not sustain a vital network of over 200 health and social service agencies without the support of IBMers. Currently, government support accounts for less than 50 per cent of revenues. The remainder must be made up through the generosity of individual and corporate gifts.

Without your support, the United Way could not finance such important initiatives as the Eglinton Community Health Centre, the Pathways to Education Partnership or the Career Search Portal. Please don't hesitate, make a tax-deductible donation today. Your contribution can go a long way -- a donation of at least two dollars a day, every day, seven days a week, will help us reach this year's goal of $4 million. A payroll deduction form is enclosed to fill out for your convenience. Won't you return you're donation in the self-addressed envelop provided?

Contact (alt: You can visit the ECF website) the Employee Charitable Foundation to learn more about how your support will help guarantee the future of the United Way in Toronto. In addition to making a financial donation, you can make a difference by organizing a fundraising event. If you have a great idea for an event, please contact your ECF campaign manager who can assist you in the planning process. Take advantage of the new favourable tax rules and donate IBM shares, or include the United Way in your will. Without you, there would be no way.

Assignment 4 (First posting)

Dear colleagues,

As the winter winds chill the air, you can feel extra warm this holiday season by making a tax-deductible donation to the United Way during our year end gift matching campaign.

It's a really exciting time to make a gift to the United Way. Until December 31, for every dollar you donate to the United Way we will double it by a matching gift from the Employee Charitable Foundation up to $5 000.

The United Way could not **happen** without the support of individuals like you. Currently, government support accounts for less than 50 per cent of revenues. The remainder must be made up through the generosity of the public and private sector.

Without your support, the United Way could not **continue** such important initiatives as the Eglinton Community Health Centre, the Pathways to Education Partnership or the Career Search Portal. Please don't hesitate, make a tax-deductible donation today. Take advantage of the new favourable tax rules and donate shares, or include the United Way in your will. A payroll deduction form is enclosed for you to fill out today.

Contact the Employee Charitable Foundation to learn more about how your support will help guarantee the future of the United Way in Toronto.

From your filching friend, to Prisci!

Prisci, as she is affectionately known as, is a wonderful person because she is so accepting of other's faults, for example, when I pilfered her textbook (not on purpose! I swear!).

Prisci also has talents that I'm still learning about. Did you know she can dance and performs? She was my first friend in class too! Every time I came to class I got a big Prisci bear hug (trademarked and all) that made me feel especially welcomed. She always there for you. How many times have I messaged her on gmail chat for a pick-me-up at work? Countless. Who could ask for a better friend? I love that Prisci is confident, but vulnerable, yet passionate in what she believes in. This girl will fight for fairness! At the same time, she isn't embarrassed if she doesn't know what "Mr. Smith, I think he's on crack" means, and no one expects her to! The fact that she cares more about understanding than pride is something we should all look up to.

Oh, the first time we went to the cafeteria together, she said hello to everyone there! She's got friends to spare and treats them like her family. Even her cat is awesome (Mishu is so cute it's unreal).

It's amazing how the people in our class treat each other better than most families do. To Prisci, Kate, Arvindi (and anyone else from class who may read this), I hope that next term is just as fun and fruitful as this term was. Again, just as Kate said, Priscila please write about someone else, but not me because I tagged you :) *hugs*

Linda's Hidden Talents

I'm telling you, this girl can do it all! She can hail cabs out of nowhere (with her specially honed cabbie radar), she can make up a song and dance routine about penguins while still looking cool (and feeling warmer while waiting for that darn #124!!), she knows things (like random facts about why men's and women's zippers are on opposite sides, and the difference between "topic" and "topicalization"), she tells great stories (sometimes about bus drivers who steer with their elbows while eating take out), and she loves to cheer us up and make us laugh along with her! Is there anything she can't do?!?!

Thus endeth my little "Ode to Linda". . . I just thought that with all the stress of exams and end of term assignments being due (for us students) and craziness at work and school it would be nice to take a moment to think about the things that really matter - like the people who make our lives so much better. I just wanted to say that I'm really thankful for ALL of you, and so I though why don't we write a little message saying what we appreciate in our fellow bloggers? It will be fun and only take a minute or two. So Linda, you've been tagged, girl! Who are you going to write about? ;)

P.S. Has to be someone other than the person who tagged you! :)