Freedom Writers Foundation

The Freedom Writers movement was born in 1994 from a teacher's simple notion - inspire young, underprivileged students to pick up pens instead of guns. Since then the Freedom Writers Foundation has evolved into a renowned charitable organization led by Erin Gruwell, with the unwavering support of the original Freedom Writers. Her work has since become the Hilary Swank movie now playing in theatres. The Foundation is dedicated to replicating the Freedom Writers' success in classrooms across the country by equipping teachers with the tools they need to reach and empower their students. An excellent source of education and inspiration for educators, writers, and parents.

We Are Family

Geni is one of the coolest and most useful sites we've seen in a while. Enter your name and address, and Geni begins to build an online genealogy of your family. As you add names to your family tree (siblings, spouse, parents, etc.), Geni automatically invites them via email to join the site and begin adding their own information. The Ajax interface is fun, intuitive, and easy to use, and your family tree will quickly grow as more relatives continue to add more relatives. Awesome use of Web 2.0 technologies for both form and function.

Revolution Church

If you don't think there's anything new going on in the world of religion, take a look at Revolution Church, a new congregation founded by Jay Bakker, son of Jim and Tammy Faye, ministers-turned-TV-hosts who helped start the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the 700 Club, and later the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club. At the height of their popularity, they pastored the largest church in the country -- until their lives were changed by one of the biggest scandals in American history. After witnessing firsthand the excommunication treatment his family received from the church, Jay wanted nothing to do with God, and turned to a life of drugs and partying created to mask his pain and suffering. Eventually, Jay was able to conquer his demons and made a personal decision to find out who God really was. He explains on the website that he was floored to discover an understanding God offering his gift of love and grace with no strings attached, rather than the judgmental, condemning deity sitting on a throne waving an angry fist in the direction of sinners. As a result of this discovery, Jay started a church for those who feel rejected by traditional approaches to Christianity; this church is called Revolution, and is currently being filmed as a reality show for the Sundance Network. The idea behind Revolution is to show all people unconditional love and grace without any reservations due to their lifestyles or background, past or future. All services are recorded and posted on the Revolution Church website to create an 'online church for people who have given up on church.'

Get in Shape with your iPod

PumpOne portable personal trainers are professional photographs of exercise form that visually guide you through your workout. Glancing at your nano, iPod, Treo, or other handheld will show you simple tips and imagery to perform the exercise. Listen to your favorite playlist and start pumping with workouts for weights, cardio, pilates, yoga, and even kettlebell training. Great new use of the insanely popular iPod.