Let's face it - the world is in a bit of a shithole these days. Fortunately, there are some folks who see the more optimistic side of things, or at least get off their lazy butts to help those less fortunate than them.
On that note, I want to call attention to Japan - the natural disasters that have struck this Asian island country are at historical proportions. It is very saddening to hear the news of families gone missing, people reported dead, and those who are at risk from nuclear radiation. One of the best win-win situations for all parties involved is to purchase yourself a goodie from sellers on eBay, such as a Phillip Lim black/gold leather jacket or an Anna Sui dress, where 10 to 100% of all proceeds from the selling item will go towards a relief fund for Japan from GlobalGiving.
For those of you still in your college years and are looking for ways to save when it comes to your textbooks, CampusBookRentals.com has teamed up with Operation Smile, an out of this world, awesome organization, that performs life changing cleft lip surgeries on children whose families could not otherwise afford it. The long term improvement in quality of life for the children that receive these surgeries is almost incomprehensible. The online retail-errrrr....I mean "renter," has committed to donating enough to cover a minimum of 1,000 life changing surgeries. They hope to beat that number, but it's a pretty significant commitment. For every book rented starting now, they will donate a portion of those proceeds to Operation Smile with their sights set on meeting and exceeding their goal of 1,000 lives changed. So add that extra book to your cart, and consider this goal next time you are looking for textbooks.
Just remember some things the next time you need to enter into a monetary transaction: 1) Can I buy/rent this online? 2) Is there a way to have my purchase/transaction go towards a charity? 3) Do I want to feel less guilty about spending money?
If you answered "Yes" to all of the questions above, then get on the internet, do some investigating, and purchase whatever chotchkees you need and win some karma points.
