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Toys of Hope initiative
2007-10-16 15:57:00
For a child, having a small toy to play with is usually a welcomed break from homework and chores, but for thousands of underprivileged children this Ramadan, the gifts they will soon be receiving as part of the Toys of Hope initiative will be bringing immeasurable happiness and hope.Hearing about the initiative, on Play 99.6 FM, a local Jordanian radio station, Queen Rania called into the station's morning show an voiced her support for the project."All of our small efforts combined can make a huge difference," said the Queen during her first radio-call, "The idea isn’t just how much you can give, it’s how much of yourself you can give."Inspired by the simplicity of Toys of Hope, the Queen said, "The initiative teaches us that you don't have to be super rich or famous or influential to make a difference. It teaches us that each one of us has the power to make a difference and to help others and to be part of the changes we want to see, so I hope this galvanizes people to tak...
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8 Facts About Me
2007-10-12 14:46:00
I was invited by Lady Skye Fyre earlier this week to participate in a meme called "8 facts about me" .Here we go!1. I don't like bright sunny days, I prefer overcast foggy days.2. I Love Starbucks coffee.3. I own a Myspace Page.4. I enjoy meeting new people and making friends wherever I go.5. I can be quite moody sometimes and emotionally irrational.. ( Pisces )6. I am a little Neophobic, being a creature of order, I tend to like some sort of consistency.7. I day-dream quite a bit.8. I love life, it can be scary, confusing and complex but I still enjoy every second, every breath.Now who am I going to tag for this...Here:Pink Ginger's Sketch of Life,Margert's Wanderings,Make the Most of You, Herbal Connection, Beyond Understanding, Let's Change The World, Energy Healing,
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Bono Awarded the Liberty Medal
2007-10-11 16:57:00
Irish rocker and activist Bono , acceped the Liberty Medal for his humanitarian work in Africa, exhorted Americans to keep working to solve the world's problems and spoke of those who are without freedom."When you are trapped by poverty, you are not free. When trade laws prevent you from selling the food you grew, you are not free," said Bono, wearing his trademark sunglasses even at night as he stood just steps away from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell."When you are a monk in Burma this very week, barred from entering a temple because of your gospel of peace ... well, then none of us are truly free," he said.Bono and the organization he co-founded - Debt AIDS Trade Africa - received the award from former Liberty Medal recipient Pres. George H.W. Bush at the National Constitution Center.The award comes with a $100,000 prize, which Bono said will be donated to the organization. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister of Nigeria who sits on the group's policy advisory bo...

Queen Rania Paints
2007-10-09 14:42:00
Queen Rani a of Jordan, made a surprise visit to a local primary school and when she found the buildings in a state of severe disrepair she didn't just indulge in a lot of hand-wringing.She got on the phone to raise funds for the renovation and returned two weeks later to oversee construction work and lend a hand in getting things underway. She really does this kind of thing folks, it is amazing, not many Royals would spend this kind of time helping local schools.On Monday she made good on her promise to the children of Khawla Bint Tha’laba college. Paint-brush in hand and with her sleeves rolled up, she ended up helping parents, teachers and students in decorating classrooms. Which is why you should always carry spare clothes.. in case you get stuck painting walls lol"I hope the way you have all come together can serve as an example for others in Jordan," she told them after inspecting new window fixtures and electrical installations.The school is one of four the queen has "adop...
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Grand Slam for Children
2007-10-08 16:18:00
Andre Agassi's Grand Slam for Children netted $9 million for the 580 students that attend the school his charity is helping to build. Agassi's annual benefit, in its 12th year, is Las Vegas' showiest display of philanthropy, and it's the one with the speediest results. His favorite-son status as a Las Vegas native and direct connections to the casino industry marshaled construction of an entire K-through-12 school in just six years. Agassi described the event as not just a concert "but a movement" and announced that the event had raised a combined $8.1 million. The total was bumped up another million by a last-minute donation from Tuscany Suites and Casino owner Charles Heers. The benefit featured surprise performances by the Goo Goo Dolls and Daryl Hall and John Oates, as well as billed headliners Seinfeld, Kelly Clarkson, Carlos Santana and Matchbox Twenty. Tony Bennett kicked off the show with "They All Laughed" and "Fly Me to the Moon," which he introduced as Aga...

Weekend Fun #13
2007-10-05 19:44:00
Hello everyone, hope your week was a great one. I had an awesome week, a little tired and very happy that it is Friday - Sort of. :)_______________________________________ ____________________How about a great new Episode of JetSet? - Great Episode!_________________________________ __________________________So what's my plans for the weekend? Well, tomorrow I have some family stuff to do, moving furniture and fun stuff like that, but hey.. tomorrow night I will be out on the town in Joysey (New Jersey) lol Sunday I will be spending sometime at Barnes & Noble reading and relaxing and recharging for Monday when it all starts over again :)Hopefully soon I will be updating my whole blog and giving it a new design, I enjoy doing that, helps to keep things fresh. Also if any of you have any interesting humanitarian stories to share, feel free to email me and I will do a post about them, I always enjoy hearing what others are doing to make the world better.___________________________...
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A Book Meme
2007-10-03 02:15:00
Recently I was invited by Karen, over at Beyond Understanding.. to participate in a Book Meme , and so here goes.... :)Total number of books: The total number of books I own, could probably fill a public library, ( no kidding ) I have some in boxes, in storage, on shelves.. bookcases and under the bed, and beside the bed! - Not to mention all of Barnes & Noble, I spend many Sundays in there drinking Starbucks and reading books.Last book read:Obama: From Promise to PowerLast book bought:Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope -by Jenna Bush - Bought it 5 Minutes Ago ;) Five meaningful books:The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by Howard CutlerThe Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack ObamaA Hand to Guide Me by Denzel WashingtonField Notes on the Compassionate Life: A Search for the Soul of Kindness by Marc Ian BaraschWisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons by Tim Russert Choosing five people for this meme is hard, I...

Ana's Story
2007-10-02 16:28:00
While posting this I found myself conflicted, up till now the very name of Bush would upset me and make me want to start creating voodoo dolls ( not that I know how )... after reading this story about one of his daughters, perhaps I should slack off a little on the last name thing. Jenna Bush, who interned with UNICEF in Latin America from September 2006 through May 2007, has drawn from that experience to write ‘Ana’s Story : A Journey of Hope’ – a personal account of a girl who struggles to break free from a vicious cycle of abuse, poverty and illness. "I hope the book will inspire you to make a difference for children like Ana," said Ms. Bush, 26, daughter of US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. A portion of the proceeds from sales of ‘Ana's Story’, published by Harper Teen, will benefit UNICEF. At a book launch held tonight at UNICEF headquarters in New York, Ms. Bush was joined by her mother, her twin sister Barbara, photographer Mia Baxter, who t...

Clinton Global Initiative
2007-10-01 17:50:00
A $30 million pledge to help educate children affected by conflict, especially in Iraq and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and a pledge of $1 billion to help improve maternal and child health worldwide were announced at the Clinton Global Initiative .The contributions were highlighted at two separate events in New York during the annual meeting organized by the William J. Clinton Foundation to address serious global issues.The education grant was announced late this afternoon as part of the Clinton initiative’s Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, co-chaired by economist Gene Sperling and actress and advocate Angelina Jolie. "Over 20 million children of conflict are out of school," said Ms. Jolie. "Education is often forgotten.""Today we launch a campaign to save millions of lives," Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference launching the pledge.Also on hand for the announcement were UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, President Armand...
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Mothers For Change
2007-09-28 18:16:00
Hey everyone, sorry I have been really busy lately, and so my posting has slacked off, I found this great story today and wanted to share it with you. A story about what it is to be a mother, to other people's children.White head scarves became the symbol of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo as they battled a dictatorship that killed their children. Now they've donned hard hats, filling a new role as homebuilders for the poor.The women are still fighting for the prosecution of agents of Argentina's 1976-83 military regime. But as their hair goes white and their numbers thin, they are trying to build a human rights movement that will outlive them. Their latest project: to build more than 1,200 apartments for low-income residents.Backed by center-left President Nestor Kirchner, with private donations and more than $10 million from the city of Buenos Aires, four projects are under way, employing the jobless and offering them a future.One of their leaders, Hebe de Bonafini, says the ...
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You gotta Laugh!
2007-09-24 21:51:00
I couldn't resist posting this, this baby has the funniest laugh I ever heard.. I can't help laughing every time I watch this lol. Instant Stress Killer! lolTags: Laugh ter, Happiness, Baby, Child, Children,
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Weekend Fun #12
2007-09-21 19:31:00
I hope everyone had an awesome week, I played my bball game this week and won, easily.. well, I was not distracted this week. :) - I decided to do something different for this weekend's post and share with you a couple of my personal top 10 lists.___________________________________ ________________________My Top 10 people I would love to meet.1. Roger Federer2. Tiger Woods3. Denzel Washington4. Justine Henin5. Maria Sharapova6. Catherine Zeta Jones7. Harrison Ford8. Bruce Willis9. Barack Obama10.Colin Powell___________________________________ ________________________Top 10 Loveable Gadgets1. Apple iPhone2. Gaggia Titanium Superautomatic Espresso Machine3. Ojo video phone4. Creative - ZEN V Plus Mp3 Player5. iPod Nano Mp3 Player6. Mac Mini7. Bose Headphones8. PowerShot TX19. Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control10. Dell Optical Mouse____________________________________ _______________________Have an AWESOME WEEKEND!!!!!! :)
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Stories of Compassion
2007-09-20 15:36:00
I discovered this wonderful website called QuantumShift.TV - they share stories of how every day people that are changing this world. Their goal is to shift this culture from 'me' to 'we' through a socially responsible media business that shares the stories of those who positively impact social and environmental change on our planet.Here is one such story, Enjoy. And for more like this please visit their website Here_____________________________________ _______Letters From Litein An emotional, thought provoking, and inspiring feature length documentary about a group of students, teachers, and parents, from a small school in Canada, reaching out from half way around the world, to touch the hearts of orphans in Africa, and as a result change their own hearts and world.Watch more videos like this at www.quantumshift.tvTags: Stories , Hope, Kindness, Compass ion ,
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Ana Ivanovic becomes Ambassador to UNICEF
2007-09-18 07:38:00
Great news, one of my favorite Tennis superstars - Ana Ivan ovic has officially been named as a National Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for her home country of Serbia, where she will advocate for children’s rights, especially in the realms of education and child protection."This is a great honor for me to be invited to be UNICEF Ambassador," said Ms. Ivanovic, speaking at the Vladimir Rolovic elementary school in the capital Belgrade. "I love children, and I relish this opportunity to help them in some small way."Ranked number six in the world, she has contributed funds to allow three schools to implement the "School without Violence" program."I’m looking forward to supporting UNICEF’s ‘child-friendly schools’ concept," she said. "Serbia is already on a good way in this respect thanks to UNICEF’s activities. I will give my contribution and hope that it will add up to the positive changes that are occurring for children in Serbia."The schools ...
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Weekend Fun #11
2007-09-15 03:24:00
Another great week come and gone, I hope everyone had a great week as well. :) While trying to figure out how to fix something I came across this website, which is filled with information on just about every subject imaginable. If you want to fix a tire or build a house or just improve your tennis game... try ehow.comWow, what to say - I have been very busy lately, a lot of family stuff happening, and the whole making money thing.. I have taken some time to play basketball, but unfortunately I lost this week so now I am down 2 games - only because I was distracted, or so I claim lolI will be doing some volunteering this weekend, which is always a good thing, and now that the US Open is over, and tennis, I will need to find another distraction. lolAlso if you get a chance.. run over to Alyssa's baseball blog and check out some of her new awesome posts.___________________________________ ________________________Here's is a funny Tiger Woods Ad, for all us Tiger fans!_______________...
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Good News for Children
2007-09-13 15:25:00
The number of children dying worldwide has dropped below 10 million a year for the first time, UNICEF said Today. "More children are surviving today than ever before," said Anne Veneman, UNICEF's executive director.New data collected from UNICEF suggests that life-saving measures like vitamin A supplementation, insect nets and vaccines are reaching more children than ever in poor countries. Global child deaths fell to 9.7 million in 2005, down from nearly 13 million in 1990.In Morocco, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic, UNICEF reported that child death rates dropped by more than a third. In Africa, increased vaccination coverage reduced measles deaths by 75 percent."We are very encouraged by this progress," Veneman said. "If we can maintain the sense of urgency, then real progress can be made."The World Health Organization agreed that the progress in reducing child mortality has stalled. In a press statement released earlier this week, its Asia office said that the decline in chil...
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Queen Rania's action for Iraqi Children
2007-09-12 21:05:00
Jordan's Queen Rani a issues call to action for Iraqi Children Tags: Queen Rania, Jordan, Children, Iraq, UNICEF,
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Goals For Girls
2007-09-11 14:57:00
In the run-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007, UNICEF has launched a new series of dynamic public service announcements called ‘Goals for Girls !’."The PSAs we’ve produced with FIFA are intended to capture the fun of football (soccer)and the sense of achievement girls and women who participate in the sport enjoy," said UNICEF Director of Public Partnerships Peter Crowley. "It’s also an attempt to show the links between girls playing in their own communities and the stars who make it to the top."In addition to being seen on television around the world, the PSAs will be played for hundreds of thousands of football fans before each match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup around China this month.Football- which is also known as Soccer - is the world’s most popular sport, and UNICEF has found that the game is an excellent way to reach out to girls, providing them with role models as well as opportunities to mix with their peers, enjoy the sense of achievement that comes...

Tribute to Roger Federer
2007-09-10 16:42:00
Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of posting lately, I hope all of you are doing well. :)I would like to highlight a very cool person, and someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for - and that is Roger Federer . If you have been following my weekend posts you know that I am a big fan of Tennis and the US Open.Roger Federer is a 26 year old Swiss tennis champ, by winning the 2007 US Open, Federer became the only player in the open era to win the US Open 4 straight times; he is now tied with Roy Emerson with 12 Grand Slam titles, only 2 behind Pete Sampras, who has the all time Grand Slam singles titles record with 14. With this win, Federer also became the only man to have won three of four Grand Slam singles tournaments in the same year three times, repeating his achievements of 2004, 2006 and 2007.On April 2006, Federer was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF. Roger has always loved children and wanted to give back, from an early age. "I am honored to join the ranks of...
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Queen Rania Visits China
2007-09-06 17:11:00
Her Majesty Queen Rani a Al-Abdullah of Jordan today visited a migrant community at Shibalidian Township in Chaoyang District, Beijing, to experience first-hand the situation of migrant women and children."I am very impressed by the work that is being done here – and elsewhere in Beijing, and China at large – to address the needs of migrant communities, particularly mothers and children." Queen Rania, UNICEF’s first ever Eminent Advocate for Children, said."What I have seen here today is a model of good practice in tackling the challenges posed by large migrant communities. It attests to the commitment of the Chinese government, alongside UNICEF, the WHO and other civil society organizations, to ensure that their children have not just the right start, but the best start of life."During her visit, Queen Rania toured a community health centre, where she met a number of pregnant women receiving antenatal care and learned about UNICEF’s work with national, county and local partn...

Creative Children
2007-09-05 17:31:00
Does every child have an inalienable right to be creative?What about the right to be empathic? Who said: Have empathy for your enemy?How can children build a more just, prosperous and nonviolent world when little attention is paid to their creative and empathic development? These are the words from a wonderful organization known as International Child Art Foundation. and they believe that art is a native language to all children. Through art you can nurture your child’s innate creativity. Research indicate that a child who is exposed to the arts will have a better chance to grow up to be more creative, imaginative, expressive, confident, self-reliant and critically thinking adult.The International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) supports a comprehensive, holistic approach to child development by embracing innovative programs that heal, inspire and unify children across the globe. From the Healing Arts Program for victims of natural disasters to the Peace Throug...
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Children in Iraq
2007-09-04 16:03:00
Afrah and her brother Bilal were barely teenagers when they were left to fend for themselves on the streets of Baghdad. The young brother and sister still carry the scars of their frightening separation from their family. "My father lost his job and my mother could not care for us," said Afrah, 13. "We were too poor to eat or stay in school, so we had to leave home, and this is how we ended up in the institution." By 2003, at least 15 per cent of Iraq i children under the age of 14 were working to support their families in some way. Today, the figure is likely to be far higher. Tens of thousands of family wage-earners have been killed in sectarian violence. Many more are fleeing to new areas in search of safety and jobs, disrupting family life and eating up household savings. Many street children end up trapped in even more desperate situations, drawn into drugs, prostitution and violence. The more fortunate ones find a refuge in government institutions. The unlucky ones end up in ...
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Weekend Fun #10
2007-09-01 02:05:00
I hope everyone had an awesome week, I did. :) I'm not sure what everyone else is doing this weekend but I plan on, watching the US Open, and relaxing.________________________________ ___________________________Got talent?I found this video on my friend Jose's blog The Good News Blog - When I saw this I was really surprised, and I think the comment I left on his blog was... Holy.. wow..For more on Paul Potts go to his Website__________________________________ _________________________And for all you educated "snobs" quit picking on Miss Teen South Carolina...The Question was : "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world map.. why do you think this is?"Everyone is talking about how stupid or uneducated she must be for her complex.. mixed up answer.. yet... if someone would have asked me why a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world Map.. I wouldn't know how to answer either...and if a fifth of American's can't locate their own country....
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UNICEF and HIV Education
2007-08-31 16:21:00
UNICEF on Monday launched a weeklong, $500,000 program in Zimbabwe aimed at training 1,500 primary and secondary teachers on how to provide HIV prevention education.About 500,000 children will participate in the program, which will focus on teaching life skills for HIV prevention, addressing gender dimensions of HIV, fighting sexual gender-based violence and providing counseling.The program also will help teachers to understand and handle their vulnerability to HIV and will examine prevention, care, support and treatment. The program will be held at seven teaching colleges in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Mutoko.About 20% of Zimbabwe's adult population is HIV-positive.Tags: AIDS, HIV, UNICEF, Zimbabwe, Education ,
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Queen Rania on Business
2007-08-29 16:32:00
Queen Rani a of Jordan - pushes Arabs to train entrepreneurs. Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah emphasizes the need to teach Arab kids how to start their own businesses and create jobs. She's crisscrossed the region to drum up support for Injaz al-Arab, a fast-growing NGO that has helped 270,000 students learn business skills and set up their own mini-companies. Her Majesty answered Stefan Theil's written questions from the royal family's undisclosed vacation retreat. In many Arab countries, there are countless obstacles to starting a business—from punitive bankruptcy laws to lack of financing to the time and money it takes to set up a company. Why focus on education? Queen Rania: Because it's not just about creating an environment in which entrepreneurs can succeed, it's also about creating the entrepreneurs themselves. It's about nurturing creativity, innovation and critical thinking in our classrooms. Our schools need to graduate more students who can recognize opportunity...
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Tennis Teaches Kids
2007-08-27 15:51:00
In the spirit of the upcoming US Open series, and for all of you fellow Tennis fans, here is a great organization that has been helping kids form life skills and confidence, since 1972.The The Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program is a not-for-profit organization that offers free tennis lessons at the 369th Regiment Armory on 143rd Street, in Harlem, New York. We have a highly qualified and caring staff who are all USPTA and USPTR certified teaching professionals.Registration is open to anyone 7 to 18 years old from the greater New York City area.Bill Brown and Claude Cargill founded the organization because they were frustrated that few urban children had the opportunity to explore and excel in tennis. It was usually considered a “country club sport”, so they decided to provide tennis training to Harlem youth. They believed that children who learn to appreciate tennis as a lifetime sport develop self-discipline, sportsmanship, self-esteem and social skills.In 1979, HJTEP e...
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Weekend Fun #9
2007-08-25 00:44:00
I hope that everyone had an awesome week. I know that this has been said many times but it is very true - Life is a gift.Try to imagine yourself 100 years old, looking back over your lifetime, and think about the adventures, the experiences.. the relationships and friendships you have had. Think about the good times and the bad, what you learned, and what you did with that knowledge.We all have but one life, and it goes by very fast, we should spend our time doing things that enhance our life, and give us great memories. One of the best ways we can record our memories, is through photographs... and photo Albums. I wish I had taken even more photos from my past, although I have quite a lot of photo albums lol._____________________________________ ______________________Here is an Awesome Video - For us Speed Lovers.Lamborgini vs. Ducati___________________________________ ________________________I hope you have a great weekend!
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Denzel's Philanthropy
2007-08-23 15:54:00
Denzel Washington and his family recently visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC).This is where soldiers who have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the United States, especially burn victims. There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital.BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time. While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses.He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it.That's my boy! :)Tags: Denzel Washingto...
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If I Die before you Wake
2007-08-20 16:12:00
I got an email from my friend Lorna, she sent me an excellent flash video in honor of our soldiers around the world. I am totally against the Iraq war and believe war should always be the last possible option - but we should always respect and honor those soldiers who fight for us and keep us safe.Because some people can't view flash videos I located the vid on YouTube, below.If you can view Flash then here is the link to the actual Flash Video If I die before you wakeThanksTags: War, Soldiers, Troops, Honor, Hero, Movies, Youtube,
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Weekend Fun #8
2007-08-18 01:04:00
Greetings friends, I have redeemed myself during my weekly basketball game, winning yet another game. Yay me. I have been super busy this week, and thankfully I have been able to post pretty regularly. Hey, I found a cool Website with a Tonage of Blog Widgets and addons, Click Here if you want to add some fun to your blog.____________________________________ _______________________Here's a Video I found on you tube, one of my all time Fav Songs. :) Legendary " Purple Rain" - Prince___________________________________ ________________________In case you have not noticed, I am a Die Hard YouTube fan...but I am also a Die Hard Music fan, so how about visiting Anywhere.FM?You can upload your entire Music Collection, play it anywhere, and Make friends and discover new music. Check it out :)_______________________________________ ____________________I hope all of you have an awesome Weekend ! Have fun, you only live once... I think. :)