Fascinating article on
AIDS in Africa and corporate social responsibility on the Harvard Business School website.
"Much of the debate over AIDS in Africa has surrounded the high cost of the drugs that have turned the deadly disease into one that patients in the West can now live with for many years. But another challenge in Africa, according to panelists from the healthcare field and the pharmaceutical industry, is delivering drugs that are donated or available at reduced prices to patients who need them."
"The reality is, [governments] have limited resources. When we have limited resources, how do we use them most effectively?" he said. Governments can use two avenues for education without spending more money, he said. Through the media, the government can insist on precautions.
In Kenya, for example, half the population is younger than 15. By training teachers to talk about AIDS prevention, the government can use a built-in educational infrastructure."
We can donate drugs. But if there is no infrastructure to distribute those drugs, we can't do any good," said a representative from Phizer.
Sounds like a good diversion tactic to me. Classic bait and switch. They shift the focus away from themselves onto a topic that, if addressed with government support, would increase their consumer base. But it's still a worthy point.
"AIDS has destroyed education, it has destroyed agriculture...it has destroyed the entire fabric of society."
I was blown away by the fact that half of the population of Kenya is under 15! Crazy huh!? Imagine if the US had that kind of demographic...scary!
Facebook sure knows me. This house was an ad on the side of my homepage. Clearly this something I'm shopping for at the point in my life. I loved the heading "River Runs Through it". Check out more pics of what just became my dream summer cabin. :)
Mom, Dad - let me know what you think! I think LOS could easily look like this if we put a couple grand into diverting a river to flow through the middle of the property...
They have wonderful simple and sweet adventures.
Shelf books by color! Such a fabulous filing system!
I really love the mixed media look - natural wood looks striking and fresh against bright graphic drawers.
I like furniture with personality. This is gorgeous but not squashy enough for me.
This is the kind of bedroom I want to build for my kids. They can sleep in the teepee or the turret. Of course then I will have to find somewhere else to send them when they are being naughty...
I wish I could afford to buy tons of these Fairy Doors (or if my dreams ever come true I could make them in my wood working studio...) and place them on trees, buildings and nooks and crannies everywhere! It's the kind of thing that makes you stop. in the middle of your busy day and think about possibilities. You wonder and dream like a child for a moment and then have a laugh at yourself.
Art. I've seen some great stuff on Etsy, on Flikr, on Threadless t-shirts...all over the place. Museums don't usually have my style. Which is painfully busy and bright enough to make your eyes bleed. Here's my favorite artist (I found her on My Love for you is Like a Stampede of Horses blog):
I call this one Fern Face.
Hidden shadow people!
This one is called Major Meltdown.
There is something so beautiful and sad about abandoned fountains. I heart the swan mosiac in this one.
This one is called Not So Ancient. Since I recently read The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven - incredible books - by one of my all-time favorite authors Barbara Kingsolver, I've been more interested than ever before in modern Native American life. There are so many misconceptions and misunderstandings regarding Native American culture. When I was in New Zealand several Kiwi's asked me about the local tribes and I realized I didn't know anything about them besides the casinos they run!
