Silly, silly, silly

You can't miss it - the silly season is not something you CAN miss, really.  And like every year, it seems to have started earlier than normal... hasn't it?  The trees, the trinkets, the Santas, the pageants, and the kids trying (oh trying!) to be good.  The creativity, the preparation, and the anticipation of festivities to come.  And why not?  We wish for everyone enough silliness to relish giving and love the anticipation of time spent with family and friends. 

Can we just add one silly suggestion?  Extend your giving to those who have less than you.  Make one extra food hamper and drop it off at your local city mission.  Put a gift under the giving tree.  Sponsor a child.  Make a dollar hit to onehitwonder.  Invite extras to your christmas lunch.  It really doesn't matter what you do.  And don't worry if other people think you're being a bit silly...  isn't that what the season is all about?

the ohw team.

Coffee, anyone?

I love a good coffee.  Who doesn't?  Truth be told, you could almost be charged with antisocial behaviour if you're not into coffee in our culture.  We may not be as eccentric as some - in Turkey, for example, it used to be legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he failed to provide her with her daily quota of coffee*.  On the other hand, in 2005 Australians spent $840 million on coffee**, so if we speak with our wallets we are definitely making loud statements about being rather fond of it. 

There is something luxurious about coffee.  It has been said that, "coffee is the common man's (sic) gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility"***.  The author is mostly right.  It's just that not all common people around the globe can even afford such a luxury; it is even out of the question for most Australians who live below the poverty line.  

So here's the rub: I'm going to do without one of my coffees this week.  Instead, I"ll make a few one dollar hits to onehitwonder in the hope that by diverting a coffee's worth of dollars, someone else, somewhere else, may be able to enjoy some of the everyday luxuries that I take for granted.  Feel free to join in.  And if doing without that coffee is too personality-altering for you, make a coffee's worth of hits anyway because you just can't stand the idea that someone else, somewhere else, can't have one!

the ohw team.

*http://www.scottbroscoffee.com/culture/frameset_culture.html

**Sheik Abd-al-Kadir, "In Praise of Coffee" 1587.

***http://www.cafe2u.com.au/australia/aus-about-coffee-2022.html

Thought of the day

Here's a thought for today:

'You must be the change you wish to see in the world' (Ghandi)

the ohw team.

Tick, tick, ticking...

The clock is tick, tick, ticking... The campaign to generate as many one-dollar hits as possible for the world's poorest communities is quickly drawing to a close. With just four months remaining until we give away every dollar donated, NOW is the time to spread the wonder as far and wide as possible.

At the time of writing we have received almost $6500 dollars in donations. While we hoped for more at this point, we are certainly encouraged that so many people have hit $1 for the cause so far. There is still plenty of time left to hit our $7 million goal, and with the phenomenal speed at which news moves around the world via the internet we could generate this amount in a number of days. If Barack Obama can generate millions online, so can we! "YES WE CAN!"

We can make this goal happen if we each spread the news by telling others and initiating a virus of goodwill. There are thousands of us now, and if each of us told 10 people, who in turn told ten people, and so on, then you do the maths! "YES WE CAN!"
the ohw team.

Small Story Big

For the last two weeks, much of the world has just witnessed the incredible human jostle for the gold, silver and bronze rewards that represent the pinnacle of sport.  How we love to witness the colossal effort men and woman exert to dominate their field!  We feel such a sense of pride when those who represent our country do so with accomplishment.  Above all, we love the story behind the victory.  They are usually big stories.  Stories about great obstacles overcome to even get to the games.  Stories about pain, injury and healing.  Stories about odds crushed and bodies pushed to (and beyond) their limit.  Stories about the will to succeed and the resilience of the human spirit.

However, most of the stories of humanity are not so celebrated or so media-saturated.  We all have stories, and most of them go unnoticed and unacknowledged.  But does this matter?  As Martin Luther King Jnr. once said, 'Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve.  You don't have to have  a college degree to serve.  You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.'  

Yours may be a 'small', everyday kind of story, like most of us.  But it doesn't mean it won't have big - or even great - consequences.  We all know a small service to others can generate big changes to their lives.  But it's up to you.  Only YOU can make your small story, big!

Got the Sneezes?

Are you a sneezer?  No, I'm not talking about the winter flu.  But I am referring to a way to spread a virus - an 'idea' virus*. You see, the internet is a tool which enables us to spread ideas around just like a virus.  If you like an idea (if you 'get it'), you become the carrier of something that has the potential to go 'viral'.  YOU become the one to keep the idea going, or stop it there.  All you have to do is 'sneeze' the idea so that others - for example everyone in your address book and internet networks - are able to catch the idea too.  It is like infecting as many people as you can with an idea.  This may sound malicious in the context of a flu-virus.  But what if it is a virus set in motion to bring life, food, shelter, health, education and livelihood to some of the world's poorest people?  That is a virus worth spreading... so 'sneeze' away, all you one-hit-wonders!

the ohw team.

*'Unleashing the Ideavirus' by Seth Godin (2000) www.ideavirus.com.

An Internet Wonder

The wonders of the world are so....well, wondrous.  Whether ancient, modern, or natural, they are often quite magnificent: Machu Picchu, the Great Barrier Reef, Taj Mahal or the Aurora Borealis.  Did you know that along with the likes of the Polar ice caps, the Mayan Ruins (Mexico), and the Old City of Jerusalem, the internet was named by six U.S. judges in 2006 as one of the new seven wonders of the world?*  You could go further than this and call the internet a double wonder.  Not only is the internet itself a wonder, what can be achieved through the internet gives birth to many more wonders.  From building wealth to mending relationships, gaming or becoming someone else, it can all be done online. Generosity is another human wonder facilitated by the internet.  We may not all have the capacity to be a Sister Mary MacKillop, but the wonder of the internet means we can give some of our small change and be part of creating wondrous, big changes across the globe.  

Go on, join the wonder!

the ohw team.

*Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_wonders_of_the_world]

Dollar Destinations

Where is your dollar going? With poverty and hunger at crisis point in Sierra Leone, it is not surprising that the majority of dollars have been tagged by onehitwonder givers so far to go to Africa for food and health.  Of those who indicated where they would like their dollar to go, 58% picked Africa: 20% for health related needs; 14% for food; 11% for education; and the remainder for housing, emergency relief and micro-enterprise and small business loans.  The Asian region also featured moderately strongly amongst hitters with 7% choosing their dollar to be used for health, and almost 6% for food related needs. 

[the ohw team]

Internet Socialite?

Are you an internet socialite? Use your internet savvy and social networks to get the word out about onehitwonder!  For example, after you've made a $1 hit, join the onehitwonder group on facebook and send invites to all your friends.  Tell them you've given a dollar and encourage them to do the same. Mention onehitwonder in your blogs or post a link to the the website on your own webpage or blogging site.  Use the 'small change, big changes' mantra to lead people to the onehitwonder page.  And so on. In other words, conjure all your internet influence and become part of something worth spreading!   

[the ohw team].

Be Bothered!

Can't Be Bothered?  I was recently listening to Zainab Bangura - Sierra Leone's foreign minister - pleading with us to ask our governments to act on behalf of the people of her country, 70% of whom cannot afford one meal a day.  Between now and September, 90% of the people of Sierra Leone will not afford one bag of rice*.

Once again I was reminded that nothing will change if we can't be bothered... be bothered by the fact that many on our shared earth face poverty, starvation, disease, civil war.... 

Please be bothered.  Perhaps be bothered enough to make a one dollar hit and pass it on...  Your small change - along with the small change of many others - can make big changes to people's lives: their livelihood, health, quality of life, and ability to survive.  

Thankyou for being bothered!  the ohw team.

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQhqbaqc42w&eurl=http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/tf.php?cl_tf_sign=1

 

Speaking With A Dollar?

How can I speak with one dollar? 

Well, do you have easy access to the internet? If you are reading this, you are counted amongst the more socio-economically privileged in Australia.  Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures from the 2006 census indicate that socio-economic factors significantly impact a persons access to the internet*.  For example, only 34% of people in the lowest income quintile (or 20%) have internet access, compared with 77% of those in the highest income quintile.  Or, if you are an indigenous Australian you are half as likely to have internet access as non-indigenous Australians.

The same study acknowledges that the internet is increasingly a significant player in communications, accessing information and engaging in commerce.

In other words, the internet is increasingly a tool through which we can both communicate to others and spend or make our money.  Herein lies a powerful reality: that those who have internet access have the means to speak for those who don't - with their voices AND their wallets!

So make your voice heard.  Use your ability to access the internet to say something on behalf of those who cannot do so.  Speak with your dollar!

the ohw team.

*www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/8146.0.55.001Main+Features12006?OpenDocument

ONE MILLION HITS!

One million hits!!!  Ok, just being a little optimistic for today.  But there's no reason why this can't be the case a few weeks or months from now.  If onehitwonder goes viral, it can generate much more than one $million within weeks, even days.  

That's the beauty of the internet, of course.  We all know how lucrative www. technology has been for individuals and companies across the globe.  For example, 23 year old Mark Zuckerberg (facebook) has generated $700m for himself, and Chad Hurley (YouTube), at 30 years old, has made $84m*.  All it took them (and many more like them) was a computer, internet connection, and a simple yet brilliant idea.

Well, we've already got the idea - brilliant in its simplicity - and you've got access to the computer and internet... That's all it takes!  Lets use www. technology once again to generate millions, this time for the benefit of the poorest communities in the world.  

the ohw team.

[*source: www.dulcenegosyante.com/top-20-internet-millionaires-under-30/]

Check out these stats

Check out these stats: For the Race to the Whitehouse: Barack Obama: $193 600 733 raised, $154 767 643 spent. Hilary Clinton: $169 003 120 raised, $135 828 257 spent. John McCain: $64 654 539 raised, $56 657 944 spent. Yep that’s US millions! If these Presidential Candidates can raise this much surely we can raise 7mill! And all for a good cause! Remember to check out the aid orgs who will make sure the money goes to where you decide. (Source: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/moneyweb.asp)

if we each give a little.....

If we each give a little, we can turn our small change into big change! Thanks for your participation so far, but if we're going to spread this across the globe we all have to pass it on. We can make this happen if each of us spreads the wonder by telling others and initiating a virus of goodwill. There's over 4000 of us now, if we each told 10 ppl, and they told 10, and so on...you do the math!

Co-Founder Launch Speech

At the recent official launch of onehitwonder, Darryn Altclass onehitwonder co-founder gave this opening speech. If you'd like to listen, hit the video tab on the sidebar. and remember to spread the wonder. the ohw team

onehitwonder around the world

Recently people have been one-hitting from all over the world - United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Newfoundland, Malaysia, Canada, The United States, New Zealand, and of course, Australia. If you have friends and family around the globe, let them know about onehitwonder and see how far it spreads.

It's now up to each of us.

OHW is officially launched! Now the real work begins. Together we can make this happen. Each one of us can spread the wonder by telling our friends and family and initiating a virus of goodwill. If we each give a little, we can turn our small change into big change.

onehitwonder day today!

Today is onehitwonderday! We hope we've ignited a network of grassroots events, of people gathering right across our glorious planet to share in the wonder. It's not too late to host your own event wherever it suits you. It’s simple! 1. Choose a venue & set up a computer. 2. Invite your friends & encourage them to hit $1. 3. Register your event at onehitwonder.org. For more info check out the onehitwonderday link. Happy celebrating!

onehitwonderday, just a few sleeps away!

Remember Feb 29 is onehitwonderday, just a few sleeps away! On this day we hope to ignite a network of grassroots events, where people gather right across our glorious planet to share in the wonder. Host your own event in your backyard, at work, school, the local pub, or wherever it suits you. It’s simple! 1. Choose a venue & set up a computer. 2. Invite your friends & encourage them to hit $1. 3. Register your event at onehitwonder.org & let us know what you’re planning. You could also invite the local media to cover your event. For more info check out the onehitwonderday link. Happy celebrating!

and the winner is....

And the winner is..... onehitwonder: small change. big changes. Thanks to everyone who gave their creative ideas. This tag won hands down!