KallOut is one of my favorite tools these days and I am very impressed with the moves they’ve made to give the people what they want. KallOut is a desktop search tool that has a varied menu of search options, which can be “Kall(ed)Out” by selecting text from within your desktop programs, (Outlook, Word, etc…). It started out with the usual suspects, Google, Yahoo, and Live but has now branched out and included our good friend Twitter. Here is a step by step process of running a Twitter Search directly from your desktop! If you’re not using KallOut I greatly recommend this tool for various reasons, but currently, this is at the top of my list.

http://kallout.com

From within an email to a friend, using Outlook, I selected the text “BlogHer” and under the search options, chose Twitter Search.

The KallOut box then pops up and I clicked on Search All Tweets.

Tah-Dah! You’ve got the tweets about BlogHer

I know that most will never see what AIDS can do to a person, how sick and debilitated one can become from the suffering caused by this disease…I have. Even at the young age in which I encountered myself watching the havoc tear apart a life that I cherished, I felt the sad feeling of helplessness. At that time AIDS was not as prevalent and treatment was scarce and experimental, eventually her only way to end suffering was suicide. This experience left a need for me to be a constant voice for the cause. I have become one of many that is whispering, speaking, pushing and shouting, when need be, just to get the message out that the need for every one of us to intervene, in any small way we can, is vast. We cannot standby and let the poor, underprivileged and geographically unfortunate suffer. We should all find a role of responsibility in the line of global support to facilitate treatment and better living for those that we will never meet. There are approximately 301 million people in the US, if we all just gave $1, just one dollar to support the cause globally, we could change people’s lives, ease suffering and help find a cure for this epidemic. It’s a small gesture that could make an enormous impact on the world.

I especially feel for the orphaned Children of Africa, the children that may not even have the fortune of an orphanage, they live alone at very young ages, siblings caring for each other. Most are unable find means to  acquire HIV testing, causing the spread to continue weaving it’s deadly web. It is a sad state and one that we could never understand. Imagine an 8 and 10 year old living alone here? Yet through such pain and loss I’ve read and seen so many inspiring stories of ways that they find to help each other, truly amazing spirits and I have a goal to head to Africa, be a physical servant there but for now, I do it here and ask for everyone to I know to join me.

“Eight out of every 10 children in the world whose parents have died of AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa. During the last decade, the proportion of children who are orphaned as a result of AIDS rose from 3.5% to 32% and will continue to increase exponentially as the disease spreads unchecked. As a result, the disease is in effect making orphans of a whole generation of children, jeopardizing their health, their rights, their well-being and sometimes their very survival, not to mention the overall development prospects of their countries.”

It’s December now and as the Holiday Rush is upon us, I know that I can do without another lotion set, gift card or chocolate basket, my joy would come from knowing someone is feeling relief, care and love from someone they will never know. This is the legacy we have an opportunity to leave behind.

One Day For AIDS is a great organization that has 3 options for directing 100% of your donation. I hope that if you can, you will make a difference in someone’s life.

http://www.onedayforaids.com/

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5yo4gp6_Y]