Raise Money for Thaakat Foundation by Writing Reviews!

Howdy all!!!

We’ve got 7 days left for our ‘Insider Pages’ Online fundraiser!!!

Insider Pages and  Thaakat launched an online fundraiser, allowing their project for Green Gold Solid Waste Management to raise money. Throughout the fundraising period, from 01/27/10 – 02/17/10, members and supporters are encouraged to the visit http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraisers/Green-Gold-1002 and write reviews on local businesses recently visited. For every qualifying review, Insider Pages will make a donation to Green Gold.

“Thaakat Foundation is excited to launch our online fundraiser with Insider Pages. Our goal is to raise $8,000.00,” said Thaakat Fdtn.

“This program allows us to reach out to friends, family and co-workers without selling anything or asking for donations.”

Insider Pages Fundraising is an easy and fun way to get involved with your community. Once registered at:

http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraisers/Green-Gold-1002

fundraiser participants can conveniently write reviews on their favorite local business from work or home, day or night, throughout the fundraising period.

Not only does this program simplify fundraising, Insider Pages receives valuable user reviews, and the community gains a rich source of customer referrals and tips on local businesses that remains online for years to come.

For additional information and guidelines about Insider Pages Fundraising Program, please visit:

http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraiser/terms

About Insider Pages

Insider Pages is a reviews-based local search site that helps people find the best local businesses through recommendations from friends and neighbors. “Insiders” have created nearly 1,200,000 customer reviews of local businesses in categories ranging from dentists, doctors and hairstylists to plumbers, realtors and auto mechanics.

Founded in 2004, Insider Pages was recently acquired by Citysearch, an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ:IACI). For more information on Insider Pages, please visit www.insiderpages.com

To date we have already raised $2,700 in a matter of ten days and need volunteers and supporters to reach out and write a few reviews to help us in our cause to empower others who need it!!!

Thank you to so many of you who have dedicated so much time to helping us get this far

Peace and Love,

Thaakat

StoryCorps- Making memories forever

We always speak of historic figures and events quite fondly. We honor and glorify people the media finds to be of importance. But we usually seem to forget that we have heroes who live among us.  They live on our block; down the street; in our homes. We do glorify them when we talk of past happenings but how often do we have these marked in history? We only speak of them from the stories that have been passed down to us. Story Corps found a way to make them a part of our history.

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. Established in 2003, StoryCorps wanted to help the common man incorporate his life, experiences, story into history.

I learned of StoryCorps through a book “Listening is an Act of Love”. The book contains several short stories of people whose stories are quite inspiring. It makes you realize that the man sitting next to you on the ‘El’, the lady behind the cash register, your teacher, and even your own mother has a story to tell. Stories that might change the way you think or just help you see your own life with a much better perspective.

StoryCorps started off with a small team of volunteers who wanted to make the experience of recording and preserving stories accessible to everyone. Dave Isay, the founder of StoryCorps, started by opening a small booth in October 2003 when they established a booth in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. It gave ordinary people to reserve a time slot where they could go in themselves or with someone important/close to them and just sit there and listen to their story. These moments get recorded and at the end of the story, you get an opportunity to take a copy of the session with you. Something you can listen to over the years and reminiscence.

Over the years StoryCorps has established a few mobile and permanent booths. They have also launched initiatives to remember people who’ve been affected by the World Trade Center tragedy and also for people affected by memory loss. In June 2007 they received the Peabody Award, which is an establishment that honors achievements in electronic media.

StoryCorps has given the common man a platform to acknowledge and honor lives that go unnoticed; lives that make a difference without knowing.  If you ever get a chance, take some time out of your schedule and do visit a StoryCorps booth. I know I would love to take my parents there one day. They are the most beautiful part of my life. A couple that has molded me into the person I am; people that make me complete. It’s a small gesture to acknowledge them. I am positive we can all do that. And if a StoryCorps booth seems too far, a video camera shouldn’t be.

(http://www.storycorps.org)

The Swindle

Rakhshan Khan /Thaakat>If you still believe the money orders are okay, you should wait 5 days before sending the payment anywhere, to make sure the money orders don’t bounce.

About a month and a half ago, I was surfing through Craig’s List looking for a job when I came across a vacancy for a secretary. The qualifications were nothing too demanding, something almost all students could fit in. They read: “ honest, hardworking, $600/ wk, PAID vacation, flexible schedule.” I remember being really excited to have found this vacancy. Right away, I sent in my resume and a week later I got a response. It read, “I have read your resume and think you make a good candidate so I will give this a GO. Allow me to test your ability in the coming week by giving you a few tasks.” The mail continued with him giving detailed information of his job and what he expected from me. “ Currently I am in Hong Kong on a business trip and am looking forward to meeting you as soon as I arrive back into the States. As you can see, I am a very busy person and need someone who can handle some of my errands so I can focus on my projects. You will be handling my finances, keeping in touch with my clients, booking my flights and keeping me organized. I want you to be rest assured that I’ll never stress you at all in any assignment given to you and I promise to pay your fees weekly as we both agreed. Take good care of yourself and have a blessed day.”

The next day, I got my first assignment. He wanted me to buy toys and deliver them to a foster home, something he does annually but now could not because he was out of country. A few days later I got another email saying,

“a payment in form of Money Orders has been sent to you from one of my client and will be delivered to you soon via USPS POST OFFICE (kindly look forward to receiving the Money Orders between Wednesday and Friday ). I will send you the tracking number prior to the delivery so you can be home to receive it. I am donating it to the Foster Home. I contacted them, and I was given the lists of the items to be bought and the items are much and will cost alot to get them shipped, so we have reached an accord…They will be getting the items themselves. All you need do is just to receive the payment from USPS. Once the payment has been cashed you are to deduct $100 for GAS and send the remaining Money through Western Union Money Transfer IN MINUTES to the information below. ” At the end he said, “ I need your 100% LOYALTY and co-opertation. God Bless.”

When I received the Money Orders, I did just what he had told me. When I went to my bank, the teller told me I had to wait 24-hrs before the money orders could be cleared. I agreed to come back the next day and got $3000 in cash. I then went to Western Union and sent it to the address he had given to me. A day later I got an email saying, “ Thanks for the fast response and honesty. The money has been picked up and everything went on fine, I have decided to give you another assignment to handle this week. Another payment will be delivered to you at AM via USPS. Thank you and have a Blessed Day.”

Five days later, I got a call from my bank. My account was -$3,000. “Are you aware the money orders you cashed were all counterfeit?” “Oh my God! What! Oh my God! No, I did not! The teller told me to wait 24 hours so I thought everything was okay when I got the money the next day.” “ Ma’am these money orders appear to be fine but you usually have to wait 5 days before you can see if they were counterfeit or not.” “What! I wasn’t told this information! I thought 24 hours was okay. How am I suppose to pay off this money, I am a college student” “ Sorry ma‘am there’s nothing we can do.” … I was crushed.

They say when the economy goes down, crime goes up. Scammers try to invent new ways of ripping people off. People on the other hand, living in desperate times such as now, are less reluctant to think twice before falling for these scams, in hopes of acquiring something. Now that I look back at it, I feel so stupid. But I should have known better. And I am glad that Iv learned this lesson in my early years. What I found most disturbing though, was how he wrote ‘God bless you’ at the end of every email. To me, this is the greatest shock.

These online fake job offers have been going on a lot lately. After my incident, I have heard of many stories. These scammers are not limited to one site. Below, I have created some red flags and precautions.

> The job description can fit everybody. This is one way of luring people in.

>The job benefits are hard to pass up.

>These people are not even in the country. They will make an excuse of why they are unable to meet you.

>Never send money out of the country.

>By law, banks are required to cash Money Orders within 24 hours ( this does NOT mean the money orders are okay). Banks give you the money by making your account liable. So if the money orders turn out to be counterfeit, they will take that money out of YOUR bank account.

Yéle Haiti who?

Sara T. Khan/Sponsorship Management/sarakhan85@gmail.com

Everyone has seen the status updates on Facebook saying “Donate through Wyclef Jean’s foundation, Yéle Haiti. SMS “Yéle” to 501501 & $5 will be charged to your phone bill & given to relief projects”.

What is the Yéle Haiti foundation anyway? And why are some attacking the integrity of the organization? For those who aren’t familiar with Wyclef Jean, he is a musician who was a part of the Fugees, and a native of Haiti.

Wyclef Jean founded Yéle Haiti, a grassroots movement for the betterment of Haiti, in 2005.

According to its website, the Yéle Haiti foundation sponsors the primary education of 4,500 Haitian kids, 12 top ranking University students, sponsors a rehab center for imprisoned child gang members, employs women to cook meals for children in six schools, and distributes dry food to 7,000 families

Yéle Haiti also sponsors a soccer and tutoring program for 650 at-risk youth, a music studio, national youth orchestra, and support for an art school where students are commissioned to create works for abroad. They also have Yéle Vert, a tree-planting program, to combat the current rate of just 2% of tree coverage in the country.

TheSmokingGun.com alleges that Wyclef was using proceeds from the foundation for his personal use – his production company, recording studio, and a live performance. A 2006 tax filing shows that more than a third of the total revenue for the year went towards such expenses, the most notable being a $250,000 payment to Wyclef’s own television company.

Wyclef refutes the allegations via YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDE8YJac0Wc) by saying that those were business expenses, necessary to put together a fundraising show, and that he never took a penny for his own personal gain. He also mentions that he put in $1 million of his own money into the foundation.

Just a reminder, you should do your research before donating to a charity. And a note for supporters of Thaakat: Any donations that are sent to Thaakat through the end of the month will be dedicated to a Haiti Relief fund. Love and prayers for Haiti…

10 Things to do on a snow day

Sara T. Khan/Sponsorship Management/sarakhan85@gmail.com

10.  Organize your life. Write up some to-do lists, get some planning done, and set some goals.

9.  Catch up on reading. That book you’ve been wanting to read that everyone else has, but haven’t found the time to?  Get on it! I still have to finish reading Three Cups of Tea.

8.  Learn new card games. Use the time to brush up on your Poker skills, play Spades, or just play some Uno.

7.  Bake cookies. Freshly baked ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies spread a delicious scent throughout the house, bring instant cheer, and just make everything better. Keep your fridge stocked with some Jewel chocolate chip cookie dough. All you have to do is cut it into pieces and bake. Very easy, and perfection every time!

6.  Order take-out. Since you can’t go anywhere, why not spoil yourself a little bit and order in? My roommate and I frequently ordered in Reza’s steak and chicken combo with potatoes… yummy way to get rid of the winter blues.

5.  Play some games. Spend some time with the family by playing games like Scrabble, Monopoly, Charades, Jenga, or even good ol’ desi Ludo which my grandma never ties of. Everyone will get into their competitive modes and forget all about the snow.

4.  Put on a face mask. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque is wonderful, and cheap. The cooling, tingling sensation is nice and relaxing and leaves your face feeling fresh. You can even give yourself a mani/pedi while you wait for the mask to dry!

3.  Pop in a DVD. Watch an old favorite, a workout video, or an entire season of your favorite show. Next snow day I’ll be watching season three of The OC.

2.  Make yourself a drink. Fix yourself something warm to sip on while you read your book or watch your movie. Abuelita’s Mexican hot chocolate is really easy to make, or you can brew up some mint green tea.

1.  And last but not least, the best thing to do: play in the snow! Take advantage of the weather. Make a snowman, build a fort, have a snowball fight then make some snow angels.



Two Thumbs “Up in the Air”!

By Denish Ghayal

Ryan Bingham, the main character played by George Clooney, is a smooth and good looking gentleman who fires people for a living.  He enjoys his work mainly because he gets to fly all across America doing what others would hate doing.  The movie starts off showing Clooney enjoying his “elite” status as a loyal customer to airlines companies, car rental companies, and various hotels chains by maintaining “executive” level loyalty programs.  One of his major goals in his life is to rack up about 10 million air miles as he travels to different cities for seminars and to fire people at various companies.  All of these are people he does not know and will never see again.  He diffuses and disarms the unfortunate that are deemed unneeded for their jobs and does this with his amazing charm.   Although he comes across as a very nice guy, he can be seen as self-centered and uncaring by those who are familiar with him, which is what makes him good at what he does.  In his mind, his lack of real empathy for others is not an undesirable characteristic but a desirable trait which he actively cultivates for his career.

I do not want to go into detail or give a summary of the entire movie, but will give you an insight to what I liked about this film.

The movie has two main themes:  satirical romantic comedy and the exploration of our current economic conditions.  You get to see Clooney firing a lot of people, including real people who have been let go as well.  The real takes of these people being fired are included into the movie, which give it an even more authentic feel of the individual’s anger and pain.   In a time of economic meltdown, it is pleasing to have a drama that animates the alienation all around us, asking questions about what life is really all about.

The movie has several layers and depths which reveal Clooney’s true nature as the movie plays on.  You see him as a man without any boundaries and any responsibility for anyone but himself.  He lives in a very simple apartment which looks very utilitarian.  He spends most of his time on the road (or should I say air) and is home 42 days out of the year.  He has no ties with anyone, not even his own family.  Although he does chat with them once in a while, he is practically dead to them due to the lack of his presence for majority of their lives.

His behavior and label as a loner is justified by the fact that he is always surrounded by people everywhere (airport, seminars, companies, etc.).   He likes the lifestyle of no marriage and no kids.  He describes a metaphor at one of his seminars stating something along the lines of having a backpack full of all the things that are important to you in your life and things you are surrounded by (such as a house, vases, TV, refrigerator) will get really heavy.  Trying to move with that backpack on will be impossible and if you are not moving then there is no progress and you cannot live life.  He even said at one point that you should just burn your backpack.

Eventually in the movie, his creed is challenged by a female which captures his heart and has him swaying in a different path; a path of relation.  This internal struggle leads the movie in several different directions challenging his beliefs and views.  I find this character to be somewhat relatable to anyone that watches the film.

I don’t want to give anything away but, overall I thought the movie was a good one.  I would have to give the movie an 8/10.

Haiti Cries..

Don’t take it from me, read it yourself on the CIA Factbook-“Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country’s widespread deforestation.”

Natural disasters have been hitting Haiti way too often, from Hurricane Gustav last year to the monstrous earthquake a few days ago, the country is in ruins every time it tries to pick itself back up again.

What a shame that it is surrounded by countries and islands that serve as the glamorous Western playgrounds. From the Bahamas to St. Lucia, cruise ships and vacation goers keep no secret of the exploitation of their journeys to the Caribbean’s.

So why has Haiti struggled?

Like a business, every country needs investors. They need people to improve on the infrastructure and opportunities. If we look back a decade ago, Haiti was a depressingly poor country, if we see its circumstances today I can guarantee that they are no better.

Yet how many people really reached out to Haiti before we heard of the massive earthquake. Not me. I wasn’t even aware of its sad circumstances.

This earthquake is Haiti’s cry for help. I encourage you all to donate what you can to give hope to the country’s survivors. After the storm has passed and people begin to go back to their normal routines , let them know you are still there to help them recover from their ghastly past.

Invest in their future.

Here are some great non profits that are setting up camps to nurse people hurt back to help, at this point, they are in most dire need of medicine and medical care.

Partners in Health-http://photos.pih.org/who/vision.html

Unicef for Haiti-https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6680&6680.donation=form1

*Any donations that are sent to Thaakat through the end of the month will be dedicated to a Haiti Relief fund.

Trusting Your Instincts

By: Ammara Bokhari

“Know thyself.”- Socrates

Everyone tells you to do it but how often does one really follow through in listening to their gut feelings? Can one really trust their intuition every time when faced with a choice? Whether it’s making an important decision on the job, trusting the very first impression you get when meeting someone new, choosing the right answer on an exam, or even at the grocery store deciding between which pears will turn out the juiciest, we all go with some sort of intuition and thought process. However, sometimes our thought process can cloud our intuition. And other times our intuition can cloud our thought process. Both involve experience, knowledge and environment.

Listening to your first instincts can be very beneficial. For example, when you meet someone for the first time, trusting your initial impression of them can be wisest. Your experience with the people you’ve come across in life gives you clues on how to react. This is when you should definitely listen to your inner voice. It’s your subconscious telling you exactly what you need to know. Be in touch with your inner being and listen to the little voice in your head. After receiving an initial first impression of someone or something, outside forces begin to change or evolve it. The biggest problem with intuition is self-deception. Sometimes we talk ourselves into believing something is right, even though our gut tells us it’s wrong. A gut instinct quietly tells you what you need to do. And how do you know listening to your subconscious is the best thing to do? It’s by knowing yourself and trusting yourself. Clear your mind, be highly aware of the surrounding energy and notice your mood at the time (are you comfortable, energized, do you have a sick feeling in your stomach, a headache coming on, or are you in a calm state and relaxed?). You need to be in touch with your intellect and listen to what it tells you. Don’t ignore your body’s reaction!

However, it is important to remember that intuition is not a substitute for reason. Rather, it acts as a bridge between your logical reasoning and your experience-based knowledge. Sometimes we choose to ignore our instincts in order to take chances. Your gut may be telling you one thing but you decide to follow your curiosity. Other times, real logic is required to make a decision and you just can’t base it solely on your gut feeling. Your intuition is influenced by your emotion and psychological biases. It’s not good to completely rely on instincts during business meetings, on the job, or on an exam since coming to a final answer in such scenarios require a well structured thought process involving experience and knowledge. Such scenarios also sometimes run on a time crunch- adding more pressure to making a careful decision. It’s also wiser to think logically when being faced with a decision under unfamiliar territory. Don’t go with your gut instincts when cooking up a new recipe or traveling to a new place. Follow the directions!

Intuition is a gift given to all. Be in touch with it. Listen to your heart. But don’t forget to be rational and clear headed. Know when to use logic and reason. Trust yourself by finding your inner balance.

A Complicated Thought Process

By: Umaymah J. Syed- National Campus Co-op Lead

As I lay in bed reading my rosary, a thought came into my mind. It revolved more so around immigrant and first generation children living in western countries.

Many and most of us are expected to follow what we have been taught by our parents eg: dress modestly, don’t talk to boys/girls, become doctors or engineers (or well if you really aren’t that smart accountant works), spend most of your time with family, don’t question the elders, etc, etc. But what truly got me thinking was the following question: why is asking or stating what you prefer or desire considered rebellion and not stating your mind? Is having your thoughts controlled by your adults a sign of growing into being a model child and accepting the path of righteousness? And where and when does the double standard in Middle Eastern and desi families usually end?

I was recently having a conversation with my dad about how I was never allowed to leave home for college until recently when I was let to dorm. Mind you, I’m 22. But then at the same time, when my brother was going off to college last year, my family made a comment like, “Only if you would have done all this during your freshmen year, we would’ve gotten a hang of dorming and all that stuff by now and it would be so much easier for your brother”. The thought process in my mind was along the lines of- “Are you serious? Ugh, I’m disgusted.” Scenario two- my friend recently asked his folks if he could take a year off from his undergrad and attend culinary school (mind you, he can cook!). The loudest response in unison from his parents was “WHAT? Is this what we are still alive for? To see our son become a chef? What are we going to tell people? That our son knows how to chop onions with his eyes closed?” Scenario three- a close friend of mine proposed to her parents (who have been asking her quite casually but quite often about her plans for marriage) that she is willing to get married only after she graduates next year and all she expects is that a groom has a master’s degree. The mother responds saying_ “Oh God! So now our judgment isn’t good enough that you need to set requirements. What makes you think we will find you some aaltoo faaltoo nikamma(useless loser)? Whatever we find you, I’m sure he will keep you happy. Now go finish doing what you were doing!”

Well there are many more situations like this that I’ve experienced or heard of, and I always wonder why our opinions never matter or seem childish to our adults. It isn’t to prove that we are smarter than our elders but it is only a way of us stating what we prefer, want, desire. Is that so bad? Many kids these days have started living a double life, they do what their parents ask of them but then they tend to go out and do things that are not quite acceptable by their community.

What bothers me is the thought that are these kids better than the ones who outright rebel and find a way to fulfill their dreams, or is it better to turn to parent obeying robots who may or may not find extreme sources to vent their frustration?

Soul Searcher

By: Umaymah J. Syed- National Campus Co-op Lead

While I sit here through these endless nights and yawn-ful days (well at least till school starts), I really wonder what “soul searching” really means.

 

I often ask for advice. Not because I don’t know what to do, but maybe more so because I think I know what to do, I just don’t know if it is right or wrong. I don’t ask to make sure I please people but I just ask for a second opinion. I don’t know why I ask. I was told quite recently by someone very close to me, “you know what you really want, when you know who you really are”.

 

Who are we though, for real? Are we defined by what we think or by what we do? Not all thoughts become actions and not all actions are always thought about. Impulse, emotions, compromise, ideas, and dreams always come in play, always.

 

It may almost sound like I am constantly confused with the relationships I am in but don’t get me wrong, relationships and their fine print, in my opinion at least, are what define most of me. Being a daughter, sister, friend, peer mediator, etc. these roles make me think twice of what I should’ve/could’ve done and what I should do now and next. It is almost hard to not think of others close to one before doing something. But does that make one a pushover or putting yourself on top of the priority list (which is, trust me, a real good thing) make you selfish. When is it that you draw the line of how this priority list shifts its order? It’s maybe a power within you, a strength or even maybe a weakness that can help you through this but then again what do you need to do in order to find that strength? Pull out your scrapbook and all the other stuff from the attic to reflect back or just sit and see how things pan out? Just because my relationships mean so much to me does that mean that “that is who I really am”- a person defined merely by the relationships I am connected with?

It is almost frustrating to not know who you are but it is more frustrating to start searching for yourself. And how do you know if you have “found yourself”?

 

It is almost quite confusing and frustrating but then again if we all knew the answers to everything this world would either be super peaceful or waging a crazy war. Is it good to ask advice? And if so, what type of people are the right ones? Many turn to close friends and family but then again is it always safe to turn to people who are constantly protecting you? What defines soul searching? Figuring out who you are or who you can be?