Monday, July 30, 2012

A 'modest' thank-you for dressing decently in Iran

Women dressing modestly in a northern Iranian province have been receiving gifts from police “modesty squads,” scouring the streets for decently dressed women during the Islamic month of Ramadan.Each woman spotted out and about, deemed to be modestly dressed by female members of the squad, is given a rose, according to report from the Israel-based Ynet news on Sunday.Islamist rulers in Iran have recently ordered stricter enforcement measures from the Iranian Moral Police and the Revolutionary Guards.Once You Get The Hang Of It, Thank-you Notes Are Easy.

According to Iranian police Chief Ismael Ahmadi Moqadam last June, Iran now wants to intensify its struggle against women who it believes dress in an un-Islamic way.Moqadam said last month that his forces require the assistance of Iran's "moral capital and pious people,” and that the regime “must not allow the virus to spread by badly worn headscarves."

But some critics have branded the rose “gifts” to modestly dressed women as patronizing.“Just who is the Iranian government to intervene and distinguish between 'good and bad' women?” asks Alireza Nourizadeh, the director of the Center for Arab & Iranian Studies in London.“The good woman, who follows Islamic instructions and is covered from top to toe, gets a flower,” Nourizadeh added, mockingly summarizing his interpretation of the phenomenon.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Once You Get The Hang Of It, Thank-you Notes Are Easy

Miss Manners was about to snap back like that because, in her experience, when a student asks for help with a simple task that is generally considered to be onerous, he means, "Do this for me."But that would be unprofessional of her, and unfair to you. Surely what you mean is that you are eager to know what makes a letter of thanks gratifying to the recipient.

It is not that hard. All you have to do is to give the impression that it was not written under duress, as it doubtless was. Rather, you should seem so overcome by the thoughtfulness involved that you can hardly wait to set it down on paper.That means that you are actually using paper, and that the words "thank you" are not printed on it, but written by your own hand.

However, "thank you" should not be the opening words, because that would suggest you were writing by rote. Start with a statement of emotion -- that you were delighted that they came to your party, or thrilled when you opened their present. Then come the thanks, with a specific mention of the present (except that money is referred to as "your generous gift"), and then a friendly line about the donors (such as that you remember something they told you, or that you hope to see them soon). A line about your own plans -- summer,ollege or work -- is optional. 

Monday, July 23, 2012

Thank You Notes is notable among Fringe Fest plays

Playwright Vicki Vodrey combines element of farce, satire and classical tragedy in “Thank You Notes: Headed to Heaven With Flat Jimmy Fallon,” an entry in the KC Fringe Festival that stands out for the quality of the performances.Vodrey's play undergoes a remarkable change of tone in 60 minutes. In the early going it all seems like a lark, a kooky idea that gets laughs with its absurdist sense of humor.Once you get the hang of it, thank-you notes easy to write.

By the end, we are confronted with profound questions about forbidden love. Ultimately this play is sobering, disturbing and exciting for its audacity.The setting is a funeral for a young woman named Angela (Vanessa Severo). The eulogy read by her twin brother, Ethan (Scott Cox), is one of Angela's choosing. He is to read a stack of her “thank-you notes,” each addressed to an important person in her life.

First, we hear Angela's voice from her open casket challenging Ethan's introductory platitudes. Then she rises from the coffin and becomes a full-fledged character on stage.Also on hand is Ethan's wife Betsy (Mandy Mook), who initially seems almost a nonentity but, like the other characters, undergoes a major transformation before the final curtain.



Thursday, July 19, 2012

Once you get the hang of it, thank-you notes easy to write

Miss Manners was about to snap back like that because, in her experience, when a student asks for help with a simple task that is generally considered to be onerous, he means, "Do this for me."But that would be unprofessional of her, and unfair to you. Major Gifts Manager,Surely what you mean is that you are eager to know what makes a letter of thanks gratifying to the recipient.

It is really not that hard. All you have to do is to give the impression that it was not written under duress, as it doubtless was.Rather, you should seem so overcome by the thoughtfulness involved that you can hardly wait to set it down on paper.That means that you are actually using paper, and that the words "thank you" are not printed on it, but written by your own hand.

However, "thank you" should not be the opening words, because that would suggest you were writing by rote. Start with a statement of emotion — that you were delighted that they came to your party, or thrilled when you opened their present. Then come the thanks, with a specific mention of the present (except that money is referred to as "your generous gift"), and then a friendly line about the donors (such as that you remember something they told you, or that you hope to see them soon). A line about your own plans — summer, college or work — is optional.


Friday, July 13, 2012

Major Gifts Manager

We have a new role for an international animal welfare charity. You will be responsible for developing, implementing and managing the UK Major Gifts programme. You will be soliciting and securing donations in excess of £50,000. Develop plans and budgets for a major gifts programme Manage a portfolio of high net worth individuals and prospects with the propensity to give gifts in excess of £50,000 Develop and project manage all stages of the Major Gifts programme including prospect identification, cultivation, solcitation and stewardship.

Instigate, maintain and nurture new relationships with Major donors Work with the Head of Major Gifts to ensure a programme of donor cultivation opportunitiesSubstantial experience of managing a successful Major Gifts fundraising programme, including the management of substantial income budgets
Experience of utilising major donor prospect research to drive funding relationships.

Our aim is to respond to all successful applications within 5 days. If you haven't been contacted within 5 days your application has been unsuccessful and your details will not be held further but we positively encourage you to apply for any other positions that you may see in the future. We apologise that we cannot contact everybody in person but thank you in advance for your interest. 

Thursday, July 12, 2012

A Houseguest's Guide to the Perfect Thank-You Gift

The fun and froth of summer have a few strings attached. Along with those country-house or dinner invitations comes the task of giving your hosts the perfect thank-you present.Michael Fazio, co-founder of Abigail Michaels, a New York-based luxury concierge service for residential buildings, corporations and hotels, is often a host at his East Hampton, N.Y., house but also spends weekends at friends' homes.Thank you, can mean volumes to people. Whether he is staying two nights or 10 days, his gift philosophy is the same: "A statement that gives just a little simple delight hits the perfect note," he says.

He adds: "Never be afraid of rich people. … You know what they love? A fancy pot of jam," he says, quoting the play and movie "Six Degrees of Separation." "And that's kind of true. People who materially have everything, they're all quite picky, so keep it small and simple."Mr. Fazio, whose firm buys more than 1,000 gifts a year on behalf of clients, has a "gift cabinet" in his home that he keeps stocked with what he calls "small luxuries." These include pricey designer candles and items such as soaps and cocktail napkins.

Sometimes he has already monogrammed them with the initials of friends. "Anything monogrammed is great," says Mr. Fazio. "The personalization shows that you really put thought into it."Often, Mr. Fazio seeks gifts that are conversation pieces. A quirky gift he's given recently is a sleekly designed Home Hero fire extinguisher. "I believe you can give somebody just a bag of potato chips if it has a story—like, 'these potato chips started in this small Vermont town and are made by a grandmother and her grandson,' " he says. "Suddenly, it's interesting."

Friday, July 6, 2012

Thank you, can mean volumes to people

One can also prepare baskets that comprises of various personalized goodies and gourmets that could make the thanking occasion even more special.It is not always necessary to choose very expensive thank you gifts. As a matter of fact, incorporating interesting ideas to weave gift baskets could be the best way. Gift baskets are, in fact, the most loved thank you gifts in the world, as it can be tailored according to the preference of the person to be gifted.

Regardless of gender or age, the personality and liking of a person will determine the components of a gift basket.There are some premade baskets available as well, that goes with the details of demography or religion. There could be many more themes for gift baskets to be chosen. However, people have an inclination for creating some of the finest gift baskets out of the box - utilizing their creativity and skills, effective thank you gifts can be prepared.

It may take some time for a novice to come up with a brilliant design, but the effort is certainly worth it.Themes can be chosen for thank you gifts. There are different themes available for choosing gift baskets, such as gourmet theme, spa theme, gardening theme, sports theme, wine theme etc.Gourmet theme, as known to all, is one of the most preferred themes for baskets of all times.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Longtime teacher says thank you, Shamong

Thank you for the numerous opportunities you provided me as a teacher in your community. Thank you for the many gifts I received over the past 27 years, of which the most precious were your children. I loved them as I love my daughter and son.PRS Guitars Summer 2012 Free Strings for a Year Thank You Package and Experience PRS Sweepstakes. I hope the 3,000 students I taught became more whole, more confident, and more able to find their niche in the world as they pursue a positive path toward happiness.

I am also grateful to my Indian Mills Memorial School colleagues who helped develop an integrated cross curricula Environmental Education approach to learning; utilizing the Camp Ockanickon overnight camping trip as its keystone event. I hope my 20-year effort as camp coordinator laid a strong foundation for the continuation of this Shamong cultural event, which instills a sense of place and builds stronger interpersonal bonds.

Thank you to the community for its support of IMMS student council events such as the annual Camp No Worries Volleyball Tournament. As the first advisor, I look back over those 20 years of community service and school activities feeling tremendous honor and pride in the leadership demonstrated by student council members. I will see you on the hiking trails we have begun.