Monday, November 30, 2009

Have a Heart - Save the Date, Save a Life

Your signature is more powerful than you know. Amnesty International's Global Write-A-Thon is December 5-13, 2009. Register here if you are not with a local group. Residents of other countries, see this link.

[photograph by Giampaolo Macorig via flickr. Full size format, here.]

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Tonight on 60 Minutes - Congo Gold


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Five million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a war fueled primarily from gold mined in the country by warlords. Scott Pelley reports. 60 Minutes, Sunday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m. ET/PT.

We'll update the link with the full story as it becomes available. Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo page for additional information & actions you can take, here.

[photograph by
PHGCOM via wikimedia commons]

Friday, November 27, 2009

Attention Must Be Paid - Week's End

GG does exactly what the kitten is doing...only on the laptop! Have a good evening while we chase her around the apartment. [audrey hepburn complex/tumblr via we heart it]

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

We repeat last year's vintage card (still looking suspiciously like Hallowe'en-turned-Thanksgiving) because we must dash. For those celebrating here in the States, have a safe & great holiday.

ciao-meow/GG & her editor

[image via Vintage Holiday Crafts]

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Hunger Bytes

A billion for a billion. An international video competition sponsored by the World Food Programme--go for it. Entries accepted through 31 December 2009. Watch it, pass it along. Thank you.



[Southern Sudanese women drag bags of grain to a central collection point dropped by WFP chartered airplane in the village of Pochalla, Jonglei state © Peter Martell/IRIN]

Monday, November 23, 2009

Made4Aid Monday - London Calling

We're reviving Made4Aid Monday...not enough people are bidding to keep us happy. These cards are not on auction but available without bidding. Below are a few details, but you'll be sorry if you don't hop over & see all 16 cards. Really beautiful. (They'd make a great gift. Ahem.)

"These cards will be on sale until around early December or so... for a minimum donation of $1.70 per card. This isn't an auction - you're not bidding against anyone else as I can make up more cards for the next person - you can simply pay and I'll mail your cards to you once your payment is received....Postage for up to 8 cards would be: UK - free; Europe - $1.90; Worldwide outside Europe - $2.40. If you want to buy more than 8 cards please email..."...

ciao-meow/GG's editor

[photo collage by Made4Aid/used with kind permission]

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Eclipsing the Sun

So cool, we couldn't pass it up. Have a great Sunday evening.

[Buck Eclipses the Sun via animalphotos]

Friday, November 20, 2009

Autumn Wall - Week's End

Lovely winding vine-twine from Giampaolo Macorig in Rome. A good weekend to all.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

1 Dollar is a fortune

IKEA's 2009 Soft Toy Aid tag line.* It matters not if you purchase a teensy rat (eek!) or something larger. IKEA donates the equivalent per soft toy purchased to UNICEF & Save the Children. A double-dip thought: adopt one more toy than you need & donate to Toys for Tots. (*£1 in the UK, €1 elsewhere)

ciao-early-merry-meow/the Management


[
GG Central collage from IKEA images]

Can You Hear Me Now? Again?


While we are under the weather, some updates on Darfur, South Sudan, & Congo (DRC). Today from Enough Project's John Prendergast on New Legislative Action Tackles Congo's Conflict Minerals. Please click through to the take action link for suggestions regarding personal electronic purchase & recycling. Thanks.

[photographs by drburtoni & Mvemba Phezo Dizolele/Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting]

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Swan Sunday



UPDATE Tuesday, 17 November 2009. GG Central is under-the-weather again. (What a bore.) Please visit links, especially Made4Aid & Darfur Peace & Development Organization. Ciao-meow...cough...

Have a lovely Sunday.
[black, mute, & whooper swans via animalphotos]

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Made4Aid Holiday Shopping - Week's End


Start your holiday shopping this weekend by visiting the Made4Aid site. There are some beautiful items on auction now. Also the Women's Peace Collection (formerly the Amber Chand Collection) & Darfur Project - Eclectic Bags. We're in a hurry, no doubt about it. More soon...but there's plenty to investigate on GG links.

ciao-rushed-meow/GG Central

[Made4Aid photographs/all rights reserved/used with kind permission]

Opportunity Knocks

We'll be with you soon. Must check this out. Ahem.

[from
cute overload:) via we heart it]

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

GG Central Breakfast Special

The special? Donate some time or funds (or both) to a humanitarian organization & we won't pester you about it until...tomorrow. If you're blogger, sneak in some do-gooder business. It's a deal, OK? Here's one of our very favorite organizations. Yes, we're running late. What else is new?

ciao-meow/GG's short-order cook

[photograph from Motley Photos via we heart it]

Monday, November 9, 2009

IKEA's Soft Toy Aid 2009 Begins

For every soft toy you purchase from now until December 24, 2009, $1 will be donated to UNICEF and Save the Children. (See here for other countries' currency donations.) This year's campaign tag line is $1 is a Fortune. And so it is. This year, the soft toys got together & made a darling video. There's an interactive website for us regular people to join in, here. We will be featuring the soft animals as we did last year. They are so cute & very inexpensive.

At the moment, GG is asleep beside ancient Celeste the IKEA Pig (her full name). We just might keep one of the toys this year for GG, too.

[GG Central collage made from IKEA images/2008 archives]

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Remembrance Sunday

A red poppy to all Commonwealth soldiers & veterans who have served or are serving currently. We are in the States, but are thankful for your service, as we are for GG's human uncle, a cat lover, serving in Afghanistan.

a subdued ciao-meow/GG's editor

[public domain image]

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Everybody Wants to be a Cat - Week's End


Everybody wants to be a cat,
because a cat's the only cat
who knows where it's at...
--The Aristocats

Some Thursday afternoon fun via stlyrics. Update: The video disappeared from stlyrics but we found the person who made the YouTube video (bea142 --thanks!), here.

ciao-meow/GG Central Cinema

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

GG Garden Reminder - Indoor Bulb Time



It's time (almost past time) to persuade the paperwhite (& others). Please see here for last year's New York Times article by Anne Raver on forcing bulbs. Also, here on GG's editor's blog. Yes, she does more than cater to GG & (try to) persuade people on other, weightier matters. For instant gratification, amaryllis & paperwhite kits are hard to beat...but branch out. If you don't have a cold mudroom, garage, balcony, don't worry, a fridge will do just fine. You'll be so happy if you do this, trust us.

Happy Wednesday!

GG's floral designer


[flower photographs via White Flower Farm; image of Amaryllis via artmagik]

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Neapolitan Ice Cream Skinny Scarf


This gorgeous, aptly-named long cable scarf is at Made4Aid as of this morning. A similar one was nearly ours but we dropped the ball of yarn, so to speak. This would make a great holiday gift. The bidding began at $15.00 (!). Try to beat that anywhere. Anytime. Can be used as a gelato substitute if you're on a slimming regime before the holidays. Ahem. Now scurry on over & just try to take this away from us.

Speaking of Italy (we were, sort of), check out Cacio e Pepe, a GG Central favorite at A Cup of Jo's today. Joanna went to our favorite places on her honeymoon in August. See southern Italy & Roma through Joanna & her Alex's eyes, here.

ciao-belated-congratulations-meow to Joanna & Alex!


[photographs property of Made4Aid/used with kind permission]

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A Ginger Sunday


GG has a vet appointment tomorrow & that means so does her editor. GG can do many amazing things, but hailing a taxi, calculating a tip, & writing checks are not part of her portfolio. (Good Lord, we hope not. Haven't checked the bank statement lately!) If you're rambling 'round the Internet looking for some good clean fun (well, of course you are), head over to Made4Aid & bid on something for an upcoming birthday or holiday gift. There are some very pretty handmade things--the latest is about $7. Yes, really.

Have a wonderful Sunday evening. (A cheery spring Monday to our friends in the Antipodes!)

ciao-meow/GG Central

[photograph of the adorable & thoughtful Elmo (top) by tnt.dc via animalphoto; second, unknown. Let us know if you do. A croissant cat if we ever did see one.)