Toad Tryouts

Marketing your company

2013-11-04T04:20:00.000-08:00

One of Toad's professional design associates from the firm of "Athos de Comunicação Ltda" has offered to provide your company with a free piece of design work for marketing purposes.

It could be a banner, an advert or a logo. It's a "no strings attached" offer, just as the other offers are on this site. It is made in the expectation that, assuming your company is pleased with the design, you will want to find out more about their marketing services.

"Athos" has considerable expertise in corporate communications. They know how to help your company expand its market sector by skilfully selecting the communication tools which are most appropriate for your company.

Need help with your CV or resume?

2009-11-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

Toad has extensive experience in the preparation of CVs and can offer sound advice on style and presentation.

You may just want him to give an existing CV a quick onceover - the idea being that another person has the advantage of seeing it with fresh eyes. On the other hand you might need him to make a nice looking MSWord document based on a textfile of your details. No harm in just asking him what is possible and what is not.

So is a CV different from a resume? Toad's take on this is to claim that a resume focuses on the skills that someone can offer, as opposed to the focus of a traditional CV which lists qualifications and education. Whether or not you want to use the Comment facility to provide a truer statement of the differences (!) the fact remains that employers are increasingly concerned with present skills rather than past exploits.

(SEO) Search Engine Optimisation

2009-11-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

Try out Toad by letting him look over your site or blog (Google Blogger and WordPress are 'specialities') - and he will try to point you in the right direction.

He has researched Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) extensively and can perhaps help you to attract more visitors as well as improve your Google ranking. We all know how difficult an area this is - and how difficult it is to obtain unbiased information.

Of course there is no better SEO technique than providing your site or blog with fresh, interesting, content - unless it is obtaining a quantity of reputable backlinks.

If you check the source code for this post, you will see that it has its own meta tags for description and content - completely separate from those in the home page. Clearly this is extremely useful in terms of promoting the blog. It is not done automatically, each post requires a little piece of code - which can be very time consuming if you have a lot of posts.

Toad offers to provide the code for three of your posts, which you can implement via your Dashboard. This is a free offer with no strings attached. Once you see that the code works correctly, you may want to negotiate a donation for him to provide code for your other posts. If you get stuck with inserting the code - Mr_Toad will talk you through it. Provided you have saved your template first, there should be no difficulty.

Please note that Toad's Terms and Conditions apply.

HTML and CSS troubleshooting

2009-11-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

Toad is not a coder by profession and does not guarantee that he will solve the problem you are facing. But he promises to look carefully at your HTML and/or CSS and can certainly sort out minor problems relating to syntax etc.

All queries are carefully considered, however small they may be.

Toad is familiar with WordPress, DreamWeaver, Google Blogger and knows a thing or two about the recurrent problems associated with the IE6 box model.

Here are some examples of my work (in addition to the Toad Tryouts blog):

Example 1
(single page business card type website)

Example 2
(non-commercial blogsite)

Example 3
(commercial website)

Example 4
(newspaper layout blogsite)

Banners, logos, icons and ... favicons!

2009-11-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

If you have a banner, logo or any other image that needs a little tweaking (rounded corners, for example), Toad is happy to oblige. He can also create images for a particular purpose.

For example, you may or may not know about favicons - these are the tiny little logos that appear next to web addresses in your Favourites menu. I can design and make one for you - and also tell you how to get it to appear properly. Hopefully you can see Toad's effort in your browser's address bar - a letter "T".

Banners, logos and icons can be animated too (Toad would need to change them into GIFs, if they are not already in that format). Please note that if they are to work properly on a website the original values of the width and height must be retained - you cannot re-dimension the size of the image on the page. The animated GIF shown here is based on one of the images produced by Eduardo Di Lascio.

Your chess games reviewed

2009-11-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Would you like one of your games reviewed for free? Just submit your game (in PGN notation if possible) to me using the email address in the top menu bar
- along with any comments you wish to include.

You may wish to ask me to look at the game from a particular perspective eg middle game or talk about a particular position which arose during the game. As far as Mr_Toad is concerned, to review one of your games counts as a 'free Toad Tryout'!

Let's be clear from the start - my standard is that of an average club player. But I can bring a psychological dimension to my reviews and have received favourable comments from various quarters. Also, I have a teaching background. I don't mind going in for some correspondence about your thoughts on the review afterwards - depends on various factors eg how busy we both are.

I can use chess engines to provide a thorough analysis if that's what your after. And you might want to follow up the review with a coaching game (which might be fun). In both of those cases I would ask you to consider a donation for Mr_Toad's time and effort (no obligation to do so - it depends on whether you think the whole exercise has helped you or not).

COACHING is also a possibility - again, please email me to discuss this possibility if you are interested.

My chess blog is "Celebrate Chess".

Proofreading

2009-11-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

Have your important documents (for example, job application letters) checked for grammar and vocabulary. Advice on improving the overall layout and the style of the writing is part of the package.

Try Toad out for free for a few (hey, spontaneous alliteration - woo hoo!) selected pages from that book you just wrote - then negotiate a suitable fee for proofreading the rest of it, depending on the quantity and difficulty level of the text. Toad is educated to degree level, well read and has an extensive vocabulary. It's irritating when he insists on talking about himself in the third person though, isn't it?!

Proofreading is important to get your message across - mistakes look unprofessional. People assume that if you can make glaringly obvious proofreading errors, that the writer of same may well make mistakes in other areas as well. Toad also takes great pains with layout and readability - no indigestible blocks of text, no repetition of particular words etc.

The following article shows the dangers of accusing other people of mishandling the language - in this case the British tabloid "Sun" attacked the PM for making a spelling mistake, then committed a similar one on its own website. A classic case of "Don't throw bricks if you live in a greenhouse!". Thus:

Sun apologises for misspelling name of soldier's mother on website

Tabloid had attacked Gordon Brown for spelling mistakes in letter to Jacqui Janes, whose son Jamie died in Afghanistan

The Guardian (on-line newspaper)

By Mark Sweney

Friday 13 November 2009 16.55 GMT

The Sun has apologised for misspelling the surname of Jacqui Janes on its website, days after the News International title attacked Gordon Brown for making a similar error in a letter of condolence over her son's death in Afghanistan ... More

osCommerce shopping cart

2009-11-03T23:56:00.000-08:00

This is the popular free open source shopping cart. Mr_Toad can help you with with installation, functionality and security issues.

Advice on deterring hackers could be a 'Toad Tryout' in the first instance. Advice can be provided on the most suitable addons to use (and how to install them) can be given.

Animated GIFs - to your own spec

2009-11-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

Toad can string images together for you to make an animated GIF to your own specification.

This example was produced for the Idealist project, being "an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives" .

WC3 compliance

2009-11-02T23:29:00.000-08:00

Webdesigners know that being approved by the WC3 (World Wide Web Consortium) adds a certain cache to their site - it is a universally accepted gold standard for properly written HTML / CSS.

The Toad Tryout in this instance is the editing of the code from one of your website pages of your site in order to satisfy this standard. From that point on you may wish to proceed on your own, having seen the types of code changes that Toad has shown you. Alternatively you may wish to have Toad tackle the rest of the pages for you - which may, or may not, be chargeable, depending on the work involved.

You will then be able to put the coveted WC3 icon on your site to reassure visitors that you take a professional approach to the work that you do - down to the smallest detail. It is possible to do this for certain types of blogs too - depending on how accessible the code is.

Teaching resources

2009-10-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

Toad has oodles of teaching experience - so has at least some idea of setting worthwhile and interesting assignments and exercises.
He specialises in Mathematics and Computer basics (he has been a GCSE Examiner in both those subjects) and has written teaching software to help students with GCSE Computer Studies projects.

But he can obviously have a go at other subject areas, such as English grammar provided the level is not too high - he's only a toad after all said and done! You want some drill questions on a given topic - try him out! We can work together on preparing an assignment too if you like - he enjoys the end process of making it all "look nice" once the content has been established.

Toad can talk with (not at you) if you are either a trainee teacher or a probationer and want to get something off your chest. He has taught in a variety of schools and colleges, so is well aware of the stresses involved. So it's open house really, please feel free to ask whatever you like - if he can help in any way, he will.

Provided you put a nice shiny apple on his desk every morning of course!

Terms and conditions

2008-11-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

The use of this website is subject to the following terms and conditions:

    * Welcome to Toad's website. If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use.

    * The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. The information is provided by "Toad Tryouts" and while Toad endeavours to keep the information up to date and correct, he make no representations or warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and he expressly excludes liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

     * Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which Toad shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements. You do, however, have full rights of possession for any of these "Tryouts", there is no requirement to provide backlinks (or a credit) to this site, nor to carry any advertising as a consequence of having received a free "Tryout".

    * Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, "Toad Tryouts" takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website (including his 'chatbox') being unavailable at various times.

    * This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to Toad. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.

    * Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.

    * From time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that Toad endorses the website(s). He has no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).

Webdesign

2008-11-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

Toad can design and create a website for you from scratch according to the schedule below. For other services the prices are negotiable eg SEO, cloning, rewriting (or other work) on an existing website.

Option (A) - A Business Card Type Website (from 200 USD)

Most businesses now recognise that they need a web address. But some businesses are not ready for a full website or they have no real content to place there. In this situation I can create a single page website, with some information about what you do and your full contact details, including an email link.

If the HTML file grows to much more than about 70 kb the page may load prohibitively slowly. In this case there will be a further charge of 150 USD for a second page for the extra items.

An example (which has a registration form and PayPal shopping cart) can be seen here.

Option (B) - Three Page Standard Website (from 450 USD)

You will want to decide how many pages you will need and how they are used. You don't need to decide right away and we can discuss the possibilities together. Each extra page after the third costs 80 USD.

Examples:
A commercial site with a shopping cart facility is here.
An online teaching site with interactive map of London is here.

In either case, the price will include:

Making the site from scratch - not a template
Contact details in the required format
Search Engine Optimisation - meta keywords, headline tags, submission to Google, Yahoo etc
AdSense (optional Google 'Pay per Click' advertising)
Research on swapping links.

Further options:

Search Search facility - 50 USD
Site Map - 120 USD
A simple PayPal shopping cart facility - 180 USD
A custom built, shopping cart facility - 400 USD

Maintenance:

80 USD per month, in advance, for a minimum of 6 months.

Details to think about:

Have you a design for the site in mind? Up to a maximum of three different design options can be supplied for your consideration at no charge. Thereafter each design costs 40 USD. These are professionally produced designs from "Athos de Comunicação Ltda".

Who is providing photos? Extra, negotiable, charges if we have to supply or redesign.

Who is providing text? Extra, negotiable, charges if we have to supply.

Proofreading charges - 10 USD for 1200 characters (including spaces).

Please note - Webhosting charges, including taxes and other, related, overheads (client responsibility).

Please note - I do not want the responsibility of coding financial data eg credit card numbers. This can cause many problems even for large businesses. I would suggest that PayPal is a perfectly adequate option to use – or even the simple use of emails and bank transfers.

Privacy Policy

2008-11-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

1. Third Party Ads:

This site uses third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here. There is a page there which includes various OPT OUT options.

2. Interest-based ads:

This site does NOT show ads based on user interest or demographic categories. Visitation information will NOT be used to help create interest or demographic categories. This site does NOT drop the DART cookie into your browser which is used by Google to serve ads to you based on your previous visits to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.

Many websites employ the DART cookie. Google rightly suggest that people should be able to make a personal choice as to whether they wish to OPT IN or to OPT OUT of the scheme. So they offer an OPT OUT page at this advertising opt-out page.

BlogDesign

2008-11-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

Toad can provide you with a customised blog - either a personal blog or for commercial use. Your 'blogsite' will be based on one of the free templates available with WordPress or Google Blogger. Please feel free to discuss the relative merits of these two services without commitment.

Full instructions are provided, together with all necessary support to get you up and running. A full search engine optimisation programme will be implemented (within the limitations of the blog template itself, the content and the backlinks available).

Your own 'blogsite' - from 80 USD

Commercial considerations:
Most businesses now recognise that they need a web address. But some businesses are not ready for a full website or they have no real content to place there. In this situation the concept of a 'blogsite' makes very good sense in terms of cost and convenience. It will contain information about what you do, your full contact details and an email link.
Here is an example used to enhance a tourism marketing company by providing posts about Prague. It uses Wordpress.

Personal blog:
Magazine or newspaper layouts are available which have the appearance of a website eg this one (!) or the one here. My own chess blog is here. These use Blogger ie thy are Google "Blogspots"

In either case, the price will include:

Creating the blogsite using a template chosen by the client
Site Search

Search Engine Optimisation - meta keywords, submission to Google, Yahoo etc.

Extras (chargeable):

HTML SiteMap (for your visitors) - 10 USD
XML SiteMap (for search engine use) - 10 USD
Adsense (optional - client gets training with the Google Tool) - negotiable
Maintenance work - after the initial support programme you should find that you will be in a position to do this yourself. If not, we can negotiate - it all depends on how much work is actually done.

WORD PLAY

2008-10-01T04:36:00.000-07:00

Basically this is a links page, none of which require membership, registration or payment. However Toad is happy to, for example, select the best anagrams (using the link below) from a name or phrase that you may wish to provide him with - or any other task you have in mind based on some form of word manipulation.

1.    It is with something approaching awe that I refer to Michael Quinion's "World Wide Words" website at http://www.worldwidewords.org/index.htm - because this is the way the internet was MEANT to be ("Stop shouting, Toad"). Find out how words and phrases evolved, where those weird spellings came about and so on. Warning - this website will educate and enlighten. Do try it at home.

2.    http://wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html ... Just type in a word or phrase and you will be presented with an extensive list of phrase the letters of which comprise an anagram of the original letters that you typed in. So you can find anagrams of someone's name - for example, "Diana Princess of Wales" might become "Sirs, pine A solaced fawn" or "A special, sad, finer swan".

OK, my efforts are not too great - but the process of trying to find a pithy and satisfying anagram is pleasurable in itself. The old saw of "it's the journey that's important, not the destination" would seem to apply. Of course it's 'machine made' and although you will get plenty of useful possibilities, it needs a human (or possibly a Toad) to look at the results and put them into some sort of context.

Toad also recommends that you click on "Other Services" at the top of the page for various interesting options - for example there is a very nice forum to investigate. Did you realise that 'Elvis' is an anagram of 'Lives'! Here are some others listed on the website:

Schoolmaster = The classroom
Listen = Silent
Clint Eastwood = Old West Action
Madam Curie = Radium came
A telephone girl = Repeating "Hello"
Western Union = No Wire Unsent
The country side = No City Dust Here

And don't blame Toad for this one ("Nought to do wi' me!"):
Mother-in-law = Woman Hitler.

You can find more of these on the "Anagram Hall of Fame" page.

3.    http://www.visuwords.com/ ... Typing in a word allows you to see its meanings and associations with other words and concepts - visually. The implementation of the resulting applet is absolutely superb and is undoubtedly worth seeing at least once. 'Visuword' uses Princeton University’s 'WordNet', an opensource database built by University students and language researchers.

4.    http://www.writerhymes.com/ ... Provides masses of words, neatly categorised with regard to the number of syllables they contain, which rhyme with the word you type in - as you press down the 'Alt' key. Don't forget to press the 'Alt' key (that was for the hard of hearing).

5.    http://www.chris.com/ASCII/ ... the esoteric art of forming pictures from ASCII characters. Transfering them to another program is usually difficult - great care must be exercised in the choice of font if hugely distorted pictures are to be avoided. Another good example is at: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7373/indexjava.htm.

Yes, it is easy to find websites which can make an ASCII picture automatically, starting with an image that you upload from your local drive - but you may feel that the results are inferior in terms of subtlety and in terms of art.

6.    http://www.synonym.com/synonyms/fashionable%20/ ... synonyms, antonyms and definitions of any word you can think of. It's an efficient, simple and useful site. So it goes on the list.

7.    http://www.revfad.com/flip.html ... Yes, it works a treat, but I guess it's just a gimmick really. Anything you type in can immediately be flipped upside down - but if I put the results into a text editor I find that my program hasn't got half of the fonts that are needed to use the results in any sort of practical way.

8.    Hey, why are you not concentrating?! Perhaps you need to visit SimplyNoise.com. White noise in the background can take the edge off that traffic noise (or whatever) that is distracting you.

9.    http://crickler.com/crickler.html ... "Cricklers are a new type of word puzzle. (They) set out to totally re-invent the crossword puzzle for the computer age. Traditional crossword puzzles are incredibly successful but they have several serious drawbacks: (1) They are difficult to construct, (2) Most words are short and often silly - chosen only because they fit, (3) Matching clues to numbers is a distraction, and (4) A given puzzle is usually either too easy or too hard.

Cricklers solve all of these problems while retaining the essence and feel of a traditional crossword puzzle. Cricklers adapt: they become easier or harder depending on the skill of the solver. Words are chosen by the designer - the computer takes care of fitting them together. Clues and answers sit side by side.". That's what they say on the site - believe me, you'll be entranced. So many different types of puzzle to try.

All rights reserved. The author also asserts his Moral Rights to this article, "WORD PLAY" and warrants that he is the sole owner and creator of same. You may quote no more than the first 250 words before providing a link to Toad Tryouts. The author's TERMS AND CONDITIONS also apply.

HELPFULNESS

2007-01-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

Do we need to feel sorry for someone before feeling that we want to help them? No, not at all, in fact, I would contend that the desire to help should be classed as one of the core emotions, along with happiness, nervousness, guilt and all the rest. It is as natural as breathing. It is not genetic nor is it part of the conditioning we all receive as members of a family or of society.

So what can we say about this hitherto unclassified emotion which I will call "helpfulness" for want of a better idea? I would say that it is actually a rather problematical emotion, given that we live in a capitalist society. I would say that the Victorians were much better at handling this emotion than we are. They were known for their philanthropic outlook, indeed many of the institutions we hold so dear today were initiated by them.

In Toad Tryouts we appear to see the concept of "helpfulness" on show in a small way. And what was your reaction, Dear Reader? I guess you were looking for the usual catch somewhere in the small print. The silly answer is that there is no conniving businessman trying to "catch you out" - because, of course, a Toad can hardly be a business-'man'! But while we are thinking about the animal kingdom let's admit that they know all about the concept of being helpful (when they are not busy eating each other anyway).

It's part of nature for a monkey to groom another monkey, removing ticks and so on. So it's natural. Of course the monkey gets its reward in terms of it's being accepted by its peer group. There may be other, more direct, rewards from the monkey it just groomed too. But I doubt if any of that is the primary reason for this helpful behaviour towards other monkeys. And yes, I think it applies to us as well.

So along comes capitalism and there is an immediate conflict between "helpfulness" on the one hand, and what we all feel is the all-important business of earning a living. I don't want to discuss the merits and demerits of capitalism here, but it does seem to have stunted our ability to deal properly with our emotion of "helpfulness". We get extremely upset if we suspect that others see us as an "easy touch" - being an "easy touch" is almost a crime in the current climate.

There are some very difficult issues hidden in the background here - one of which relates to charities. The well-paid senior staff who work in charities would argue that you can only attract competent staff if you pay them the same rate as their peers in other, more commercial organisations. Yes, but there is also the argument that people might prefer to know that their donations go directly to those who need to be helped, rather than to maintain the infrastructure of yet another mega-corporation. Perhaps it comes back to the 'all-important business of making a living', whereby even those of us who dedicate our lives to helping others still need to live. And if I mention Ghandi at this point ... we could be here all night.

And so I finally I come to the actual mechanics of helping others. You hand over some hard earned cash to the guy who tells you a sad tale of having his airline ticket stolen. Later you see him staggering about with a bottle of gin pressed to his lips - yes, the bottle he bought with your money. Easy to get annoyed about it, easy to feel stupid, yes. But I think that, in that position, you also feel an extra burden - that you have somehow let the system down. It is after all, your own money that you gave. No crime was committed. The guy needed a drink and you provided him with the pleasure of alcohol.

Instead of getting angry I suggest that it would be better in the first instance to stop berating yourself. You acted with good intentions - so, and this is important, you have nothing to castigate yourself for. The feeling of "helpfulness" is a natural human emotion and that's what you experienced. The problem is not actually yours. As I have been saying all along, it's a problem that society has made, that society needs to address.

So the mechanics are difficult. I once decided to try to help a guy who seemed in a bit of distress. Thinking on the lines as described above, I decided not to give him money. I offered to buy him a meal instead - to keep control of what my (hard earned) cash was actually going to be used for. Well, it seemed to work - though we had a bit of trouble persuading the cafe to let him in (he'd obviously been on the scrounge there before).

In fact the opportunities to take this sort of action do not arise very often, or at least as not as often as we might wish. You need to have been given a clear indication that your help is needed and, crucially, it will be accepted when it is offered. And oftentimes it can be a dangerous undertaking - perhaps the guy wants more than you are prepared to offer and gets nasty.

OK, so what are the practical possibilities still open to us? You want to give directly to those who need help - or at least have some reassurance that your donation will be used wisely? At least one charity has set up a system with both of these ideas firmly in place. Let's hear it for ... "The Big Issue" magazine. Let me quote from their website and, if you didn't already know about them, I am sure you will see the logic of their methodology:

"The Big Issue exists to offer homeless and vulnerably housed people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income by selling a magazine to the general public. We believe in offering ‘a hand up, not a hand out’ and in enabling individuals to take control of their lives.

In order to become a Big Issue vendor an individual must prove that they are homeless or vulnerably housed, undergo an induction process and sign up to the code of conduct. Once they have done so they are allocated a fixed pitch and issued with 5 free copies of the magazine (or 10 in London). Once they have sold these magazines they can purchase further copies, which they buy for 75p and sell for £1.50, thereby making 75p per copy.

Vendors are not employed by The Big Issue, and we do not reimburse them for magazine which they fail to sell, hence each individual must manage their sales and finances carefully. These skills, along with the confidence and self-esteem they build through selling the magazine, are crucial in helping homeless people reintegrate into mainstream society".

They also touch upon another aspect of our competitive society, thus:

"Millions of people, mainly on low incomes and living in rented accommodation, are declined affordable credit each year. They end up turning to high cost lenders, such that the poorest people end up paying the most for credit". More

Well, yes, you know the old saw "the poor get poorer and the rich get richer". How can we change this? ... 'answers on a postcard' (obviously). But let me not sink into depression over all this - especially having found a charity which is so obviously doing things right. I am going to finish (except for a late addendum) by talking about a group of people who you never thought would appear in such an article. Let me say it quietly ... you didn't hear me? OK, I'll shout - SOLICITORS. Oh, hang on, our American friends think I'm referring to ladies of the night ("How coy, Mr Toad!"), so I'd better repeat that in American English ie LAWYERS!

So what are these lawyers up to then - in terms of "helpfulness"? Granted that they cannot express themselves in anything other than legalese, we do find evidence enough of their willingness to help - at least in respect of their 'pro bono' work. So here is what they say about volunteering their time to help others. I am going to let them speak for themselves - but I ask you to think about my contention that "helpfulness" is an instinct which is natural to every one of us, as you read their words. Like all of us too, they have had to find a balance between 'philanthropism' and 'earning a living'.

"Corporations, in that study, reported that they support volunteer efforts, not only because they view themselves as stakeholders in their communities, but also because they address important business goals,

including attracting and keeping a quality workforce and improving their image and appeal with

consumers of their goods and services".

Also - "Using carefully selected pro bono opportunities as a training vehicle will enable law firms to

provide a wide variety of high-quality skills training at a very low cost. In addition, since younger

lawyers are typically afforded greater autonomy in pro bono matters, they also offer meaningful

work experience and accelerated professional development o pportunities that benefit both the

individual attorney and the firm". More

Here's a difficulty - "If you don’t believe you can afford to take on even the creative portion of a (pro bono) project gratis, but still want to contribute, an option is to offer the client a break on your normal price. For example, reducing your creative fee by 50%. However, because this provides an opportunity for the less than scrupulous to get work by “marking up before marking down,” some organizations tend to be suspicious of such an offer, jeopardizing somewhat the goodwill that pro bono assignments otherwise generate".

They also point out that - "Regardless of how generous you may feel, considering pro bono requests would be a lot easier if they were backed up by a tax benefit. Unfortunately, it isn’t. The value of any labor donated, even to a not-for-profit or charitable organization, is not tax deductible in the United States".

... "There is one strategy that can produce something of a business benefit, though. Rather than donate creative time for a pro bono client who would normally pay for their own production, turn the tables: ask if they will pay for the creative if you donate the production cost. This way you will receive income that will at least partially offset your donation. (Because of the potential consequences, check with your accountant before making the offer)". More.

Addendum

Since writing the above I came across a possible explanation for "helpfulness" in the following Amazon book review - even if this one is not to your taste (and it isn't to Toad's), do check out his book "The User Illusion".

Editorial Reviews of "The Generous Man: How Helping Others is the Sexiest Thing You Can Do".
~ Tor Norretranders (Author), Jonathan Sydenham (Translator)

From Publishers Weekly
From his first sentence - "Welcome to this book about sex, or, more precisely perhaps, a book about how to get it" - Danish science writer Nørretranders offers his fresh, irreverent take on popular sociobiology (by this point a veritable genre). While deploying the standard tropes - a bit of game theory, descriptions of psychological experiments, some colorful anecdotes from the natural world - he does so in the service of a novel and intriguing perspective: that human generosity, creativity, cooperativeness and cleverness serve the singular evolutionary purpose of making us sexier. According to Nørretranders (The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size), "costly" actions, like sharing one's food and expending valuable energy on artistic pursuits, that don't directly contribute to our survival make us seem stronger and more virile. Rather than trying to transcend our sexual instincts, he claims, we should embrace them. Horniness is good! - it drives us to the limits of our capabilities. Nice guys do finish first! - at least when prospective partners are looking for more than a one-night commitment. And all the best in human endeavor, from open-source software to international medical aid, "everything spiritual, beautiful, and wise is 'merely' an aid to getting laid."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
When it comes to sex, Darwin didn't go far enough. Whereas his theory of natural selection dictates that species adapt the most efficient and logical traits (a streamlined fin, say, or a long wingspan), Generous Man makes the case that an animal's success, sexually, depends on developing the least efficient traits. Nørretranders uses as the central symbol of his theory the peacock's plumage. It's cumbersome, showy, and inefficient - and therefore terribly attractive to peahens. Put more simply, nothing shows a potential mate just how worthy you are as a partner than your ability to be wasteful and inefficient. It's like a man with money to burn. But money isn't everything: humans really measure their worth by doing something that's difficult. This is a central - though hitherto overlooked - factor in evolution. In order to win a partner to mate with, humans display their best sides. We strive for perfection, prove we are willing to help others, show consideration, and go out of our way. In other words, we are generous. This book shows how our nobler traits derive from our need for sex and are, in fact, the best way to get more of it.

FURTHER READING:

On Humanitarianism - Is Helping Others Charity, or Duty, or Both?

All rights reserved. The author also asserts his Moral Rights to this article, "HELPFULNESS" and warrants that he is the sole owner and creator of same. You may quote no more than the first 250 words before providing a link to Toad Tryouts. The author's TERMS AND CONDITIONS also apply.

Don't lose it all

2006-01-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

The inspiration for these musings came from reading 'Katherine' by Anya Seton (as shown)

The old cliche is as follows "You bring nothing with you into this life and you will take nothing out". Undeniable as far as material goods are concerned - yet what are the consequences? Let's see.

The obvious conclusion is that you own nothing, you are the OWNER of nothing. It is indeed best to accept this, not cling to your possessions. No, you don't have to go around like a saint who has no earthly possessions - but you CAN stop lusting after possessions in the way that we are conditioned to by the materialistic society in which we live (whereby are all expected to consume our quota and keep the capitalist illusion alive.

How can you be happy when you are a slave to the WANTS that others have inculcated inside you - when these impulses are not your own? You will have been taken for a fool if you live by other people's code. You need to make a strenuous effort, if you have not already done so, to find out what your OWN desires are - not desires which have been foisted upon you by others.

This includes those who make promises to you of their undying love and devotion or whatever. Have a thought about what these people stand to gain from you, whether they are making a simple bargain in terms of what they are offering and what they expect in return. If you find this harsh then all I ask is that you consider their situation before and after falling in with their plans. Do they stand to gain or lose? What then their motives? This is healthy pragmatism, is all.

Perhaps even more important is that you should live moment by moment (I'll come to the actual benefits later). Accept that everything you have, every thing and everybody you love, can be snatched away from you in a moment. Which in your heart, you know to be true. Maybe not an accident or a death but simply a turning away. I don't suggest you therefore make plans for this - that would not be right. Nor even adopt a way of behaviour in which you stand strong, ready to survive on your own if need be. No, if you presently love and need someone then this should not be denied or circumvented in any way.

In fact I would suggest the opposite. I would ask you to open your heart even wider, if that is possible. We all live in this 'double jeopardy' whereby we deliberately make ourselves vulnerable to others, to risk indifference or even outright rejection. But the truth is that if you don't live your life in this way, then you cannot expect an authentic response from those who love you (or might love you in the future). If you try to shield yourself from hurt you will be living a lie and canot expect a full and open response. This applies to life in general as well as loved ones. Life will pass you by if you do not live it fully. You can and must be brave enough to risk everything, to go wherever your inner voice asks you to go.

There is a joy in living from each moment to the next. If you know in your heart that everything can be lost by tomorrow then you will truly cherish all that you have today - and be able to enjoy it to the full. We are too much inclined to take things for granted - understandable because, as mortals, we have to have some mechanisms in place to deal with the awful knowledge that one day we will inevitable die. But taking things for granted is a way of ignoring things and if we ignore things such as a partner's love then we are simply cut off from that love - completely. It might as well have never been. You will have lost it all.

"Happiness is not having everything that you want, but wanting everything that you have" - Rabbi Hyman Schachtel (1954)

Interestingly the above maxim was tested scientifically - here's a quick summary and here is the Full Monty!

And here are some other inspirational quotes about 'happiness'

Toad's Hints, Tips and Freeware

2003-12-02T04:34:00.000-08:00

Hints and Tips

1. Google Instant provides suggestions for you
when using Google Search and is hard to block. Here is an alternative Google Search link without this "feature":
Google Search without Google Instant

2. Don't forget how useful Windows Notebook is for copying stuff to Word or OE when you only need the text. Copy and paste into Notebook then Copy and paste into your application.

3. As you are editing your work, save your backup copies as a sequence such as
"mywork1.doc", mywork2.doc", "mywork3.doc" and so on.

This can be a lifesaver eg when a sudden power failure removes your "mywork.doc" file completely (you will still have the previous backups).

Recommended Freeware

1. TClock allows you to modify the clock on the taskbar in Windows to include the day, month etc. Fully conformable.
TClock

2. Set up a sandbox so that websites cannot leave ANYTHING on your local drive eg trojans. Delete the sandbox contents after surfing (there is an option to retain the items that you want to keep). Doesn't slow down surfing. Surf safe!
Sandboxie

3. Paint.net is a powerful yet simple tool for photo and image editing. It has support for layers, blending, transparency, and plugins.
Paint.net

4. Translation software par excellence.
Lingoes

Intelligence precludes Happiness?

2001-03-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

The following text appeared on the Metafilter site, whereupon other members offered their opinions and support. I'll let you read it first and then I will tell you how it struck me and what it says about modern day society. Please comment!

"It's hard to think about the meaning of your life when you can barely make rent. Just graduated from college. Unbelievably bitter and having an existential crisis. So, now what? This will be hyperbolic. I don’t always feel this way, I have friends, I have a job, I have time, my life isn’t over. But right now I feel as though it is, so that’s how I’m going to write this.

I have spent my entire life being told by teachers how clever I am, and expending essentially zero effort to make As and Bs. And now I’ve graduated from college and suddenly realized that the past 16 years’ worth of effort were absolutely pointless, because no one cares if you’re smart.

So now I make $8 an hour working food service and every day of my life I think of the statistic that people who graduate in a recession never make as much money as their luckier counterparts, and applying for job after job in my major and not even getting called back. I live in a s***ty apartment in a s***ty part of the town I went to school in. My friends are here, I like the area, but apparently I can’t get a job here that isn’t s**t.

The same smug assholes who say “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” they’re telling me “just keep applying, SOMEONE will call you back!” They all have jobs, of course, because they didn’t graduate in 2010.

So here I am, with skills like ‘writing’ and ‘organizing’ and ‘generating ideas,’ which are also known as ‘utterly pointless’ in today’s job market. I’m bitter about what dozens of teachers told me, I’m bitter I wasn’t better prepared, I hate the fact that I have no goals besides “get a better f***ing job.” I don’t know what I thought would happen when I graduated, because everyone made it sound like I, with my marvelous skills, would walk into some cushy job and then just ~go from there~. It was all very nebulous. I can’t believe I didn’t see through the bullshit years ago and start cultivating some ACTUAL skills but now it’s too late.

If someone puts a syllabus in front of me and says ‘go,’ I’ll blow them away. But there’s no syllabus for f***ing LIFE. Every day I work food service I become less and less employable, like an actress with fading looks, and if the economy ever turns around they’ll just hire a bunch of fresh little grads and I will still be making $8 an hour, won’t I? So what the f*** do I do now? Feel free to tell me I'm just a spoiled little white girl who needs to shut up and chill out."

Firstly, the writer's intelligence certainly shines through. She claims to be smart and she is. And most of you reading this, including myself, may have experienced similar frustrations to hers at some point.

Basically my comments relate to intelligence and the implications it has for those who have it. Her intelligence seems to have lead her to a place that she would rather not go. One question, for all of us who claim to be intelligent, is "would I prefer to be less intelligent?". If this lady were less intelligent, would she be 'happier' in some sense? For example:

Would she be less likely to belabour herself with painful images such as "like an actress with fading looks".

Would she have come across powerful and frightening admonitions such as "“the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.

What I am saying is that perhaps the 'uneducated' do not have what she describes as "existential crises" - because they do not know what the phrase means. An intelligent person is able to appreciate the pathos of such a situation and is just as capable of torturing themselves by dwelling on unpleasant thoughts, as enriching themselves by dwelling on instructive/enjoyable ones.

Clearly intelligence can be a mixed blessing. It certainly allows us to experience richer, more productive, lives (the power for change and so on). But does it come at a price? I would say that the price may be high if we do not control and refine our intelligence in a productive way. An intelligent person needs to train themselves to dwell on the positive aspects of their situation.

They need to think up strategies for staying happy/content and ways that they may contribute positively to the society in which we find ourselves. To discover the eternal truths for ourselves. Furthermore, if we only think about our own needs we are not likely to live rich and fruitful lives are we? It could be argued that it takes an intelligent outlook on life to realise the benefits of putting the needs of others above our own needs.

The lady who wrote the above text would seem to be in the process of confronting the joys and tribulations of her intelligence. She is uncomfortable with being thought of as "a spoiled little white girl". She is more than is suggested by this perjorative phrase - as the Desiderata reminds us (yes, that link takes you to my chess blog!). She is perhaps too concerned with what others think of us - a fault we do not experience as children and which we hopefully learn to eradicate in our mature years!

She is of course correct in saying that they forgot to provide us with a user manual when we were born. I don't think she needs to feel guilty for not seeing "through the bullshit years ago". She probably saw through them sooner than many others, I guess!