Viewpoint: Is gap year volunteering a bad thing?

Volunteering abroad to build schools or dig wells might make people feel good about themselves - but it can be detrimental to those who are supposed to be helped, writes tour company founder Daniela Papi. I've volunteered all over the world - building homes in Papua New Guinea, doing post-tsunami work in Sri Lanka, helping paint a school in Thailand - and I used to think it was the best way to travel. In 2005 I even organised my own volunteer trip - a bike ride across Cambodia with five friends. There turned out to be more than one small problem. Much of the money we had raised for other small projects had been wasted, or landed in corrupt hands. I decided to stay in Cambodia a bit longer to see how we could better use our time and money. To raise money for our work, I started a volunteer travel company that led hundreds of volunteers on trips to Cambodia. Our lack of critical engagement about international volunteering is creating a double standard. Related: Stuff

Letting my boyfriend cum on my face? : sex A Time to be Overcome 9.11.11 "Overcome" Live even now the world is bleedin' but feelin' just fine all numb in our castle where we're always free to choose never free enough to find i wish somethin' would break cuz we're runnin' out of time and i am overcome i am overcome holy water in my lungs i am overcome these women in the street pullin' out their hair my master's in the yard givin' light to the unaware this plastic little place is just a step amongst the stairs and i am overcome i am overcome baby holy water in my lungs i am overcome so drive me out out to that open field turn the ignition off and spin around your help is here but i'm parked in this open space blockin' the gates of love i am overcome i am overcome holy water in my lungs i am overcome beautiful drowning this beautiful drowning this holy water this holy water is in my lungs and i am overcome i am overcome i am overcome i am overcome Ten years ago on this day I was running late for school, this was not unusual. We are breathless. We are overcome.

What sentence is perfectly innocent, but turns terrible dirty or bad when said to someone naked? NSFW : AskReddit Surviving Whole Foods | Kelly MacLean Whole Foods is like Vegas. You go there to feel good but you leave broke, disoriented, and with the newfound knowledge that you have a vaginal disease. Unlike Vegas, Whole Foods’ clientele are all about mindfulness and compassion... until they get to the parking lot. Then it’s war. As I pull up this morning, I see a pregnant lady on the crosswalk holding a baby and groceries. This driver swerves around her and honks. As the great, sliding glass doors part I am immediately smacked in the face by a wall of cool, moist air that smells of strawberries and orchids. The first thing I see is the great wall of kombucha — 42 different kinds of rotten tea. Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. Next I approach the beauty aisle. I grab a handful of peanut butter pretzels on my way out of this stupid aisle. Next I come to the vitamin aisle which is a danger zone for any broke hypochondriac.

The importance of Keith Ellison Progressives loved seeing Rep. Keith Ellison smack down his GOP congressional colleague Peter King on “Meet the Press” Sunday, insisting that profiling Muslims in the wake of the Boston bombing is not only wrong but “ineffective law enforcement.” As Ellison warned: “Once you start saying, we’re going to dragnet or surveil a community, what you do is you ignore dangerous threats that are not in that community, and you go after people who don’t have anything to do with it.” Of course right-wing bloggers hailed King as the winner in the debate – he wasn’t – and one sad sack even called Ellison “the jihadi Democrat.” The fact is, we need more Keith Ellisons in Congress. Not just because he’s a great progressive voice, supporting the president but challenging him strongly on his questionable austerity politics, but also because he’s a patriotic American who’s also a Muslim. Ellison shot back: “I’m an American,” Ellison replied.

Your New Year’s Resolutions Guide When you find yourself counting down on New Year’s Eve and welcoming 2014, what do you feel? Do you feel excitement? Anxiety? Dullness? Celebrate the Past One of the first aspects of the new year that teachers overlook is that they fail to perceive it as a chance to celebrate the end of the previous year. It’s important to examine three critical areas when looking back over the course of a year. As you continue down your own path of connectedness, consider some of these... Anti-bullying activist Jodee Blanco shares her 10-step guide for teachers to... As teachers, we’re all at least vaguely aware of the four “C’s” of education—... Use these Halloween creative writing prompts for a quick Halloween activity or... Here are a few fun classroom ideas to help you celebrate Family History Month. The second area is your failures: what did you screw up? If you can take some time to think about each of these three areas, then you will truly have something to celebrate about 2013. Celebrate the Future

ors with STDs, how have they affected your life? : AskReddit Invasive Species Alert: ZOMBIES! Welcome to this special Fresh Afield blog post. Be warned of our state’s newest invasive species threat – ZOMBIES! While zombie management is largely left to the police, military, and health agencies, conservation plays a role in protecting Missouri's fish, forest and wildlife resources – and Missourians – from this invasive species. Hunters, campers and others in the outdoors and on conservation areas should know there is always the chance they may encounter a zombie while out in the field. Good preparation helps you know what to do if you encounter this newest invasive species in Missouri. The zombie invasion is like the feral hog problem in parts of Missouri, and its management is similar. Zombie Identification Some indications that you have a zombie in view: Zombie Hunger and Habitat Zombies require meat and brains. While zombies are primarily found in populated areas, there are zombies in undeveloped rural areas, far from cities and towns. Cold weather slows down zombies. Note to Anglers

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