Hmmmn I thought I entered a post. I hope I don't accidentally post twice.
Anyhow, thanks for the giveaway!
I'd give one to Children's Hospital here in Pittsburgh, one to my autistic son's preschool classroom, and one to his TSS. I'd keep the other one for myself.
First, thank you for this contest. I have entered almost all the HP giveaway contests out there because I am that determined to win.
For as long as I can remember I have been surrounded my heros in everyday life and I believe it has turned me into one. While my aspirations have all yet to be reached, I do strive daily for excellence in family and business.
When my husband joined the military, I really didn’t know what to think. We were both young and like all young people, we “went with the flow”. 4 months after entering the Air Force, right out of college, 9/11 hit and the world changed drastically and so did our new marriage. Now my husband was on trainings and trips and school like we had never thought before and it was whirlwind for years. But we settled into it and were able to be a part of something great.
At the end of 2005, my husband was taken to Afghanistan and left me in a city alone, with no family or friends, to care for our then 10 month old. But rather then crawl in a hole, which some days I felt was the only option, we worked together overseas and created a charity for Afghan orphans. I worked diligently over here in the states to attract attention for the program, sometimes emailing and getting on the phone for hours and hours a night, trying to get news attention, and my husband worked in Afghanistan, finding out what we needed to do to complete our ideas. Eventually the project was picked up by some local media and it spun from there. We were able to collect over 1200 kites around the world to send to orphanages in Afghanistan to give those children a small glimmer of hope. Through the military and the US embassy, we were able to ship them over and have them passed out. Ill never forget the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Unfortunately, with my husband now on his way home in 2006, without a liaison there, the project was impossible to continue.
I spent the next two years launching myself into project after project online and quickly became a ‘go to guru’ for help with moms wanting to start online boutiques. I created countless resumes for strangers, websites for strangers, and help create and launch several online businesses. Throughout all this, I wanted something that was for myself, my own. I had dabbled in a bit of everything and finally found something I loved other then just being a consultant. I started my own business in fall of 2007 on eBay, that eventually moved into a full time store online where I was able to work from home. I invested in my products and hand created everything. Single handedly I was able to get my product into stores and sell off my website. But then a fire struck in Jan 08 and I lost all my materials, we lost all our brand new Christmas presents, our couches, our mattresses, our linens, everything in the kitchen…the list goes on and on. Worse, we were exiting the military in a few weeks, and with only the clothes on our back. The items that made it through the fire and soot damage were sent to a professional cleaner, where they spent several months “restoring”. Meanwhile, I moved in with our daughter to my mother in laws, while my husband too his first civilian job in another state.
Eventually the rest of our household goods arrived, and the good old military managed to break half of what made it out of the fire. It just seemed to never end. But the great thing was that we could all move together and my daughter and I were able to meet up with my husband, find a place to live, and literally start over. New household goods, no military, new state, new job….
I started my business back up again and it has been great. I cant afford all the newest technology to keep it running as effectively as I would love to, but I am blessed with what I do have. I also started a blog and have been very fortunate to meet with and spend my days with mentoring and connecting with other women with aspirations like myself. I have been trying to do my best to create content that assist women that were in my position and realize that things just happen to us, that we cant control everything, but we CAN control how we feel and react in life. It would have been easy to pack it up so many times, but NOT doing it, is a testimony of strength.
In the upcoming year, I am expanding to include a nonprofit. My past has inspired me to know that what I need to do in life isn’t done. All my experiences have given me an amazing idea that I am going to go forth with and should be ready in January 09. This equipement IS the start of this new project for me. It could be the foundation of the new office and being able to start with zero debt and create from get go, would be incredible.
I feel like life is a journey. Something that you cant count on everyday to be the same, but you can create and mold what you get out of it.
What I would do with the other computers is pass the magic. There are so many ideas for the other computers. I have people in my life that have touched me and could use them, but I honestly want to take one into public, go to a mall, and stop people and ask about their years, their life, how they have been affected the last year and then LIVE reward someone in front of anyone that walks by, and change their Christmas with a computer right then and there. I would love to take a camera and capture someone’s joy with a random act of kindness from a stranger and share it with the world on you tube. I hope it could inspire others to pick an angel off the tree and give as well.
I also would like to take one computer and give it back away to someone on my blog. The reason is because we did a Christmas of dreams giveaway and I was able to solicit over $2500 worth of items and give it to three people that really needed it (one to a woman that lost her husband, one to a growing family that has been through some hard times, and one to someone to hand out to the local hospital where her child was at), but there were so many more deserving stories and lives. I would like to pick one more out and give one away.
The last computer I would like to keep as the first donation to the charitable foundation I am starting. If I won, not only would the equipment help in launching, but be the first actual donation that would go on to be something greater. Its just amazing to think about.
I hope this story shows you that I am someone whom tries her best to be a part of something bigger and beyond who just I am. I will continue to give and know that I will be blessed in return. Thankyou for the chance, Trisha Haas www.momdot.com
So, while filling out the form for the giveaway, I accidentally pressed the Enter key when I moved my hand over from my mouse which submitted the form, an incomplete form,
Obviously my question is, should I forget my chance on this giveaway and try the other sites or hopefully get another shot at this, voiding my previous entry?
Neverthless, this is a freakin awesome giveaway, and I like this site.
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My reasons for wanting to win this contest is difficult to right because as I write the words they become more realistic. Please believe me when I tell the hardships my family has endured. First My who is only 42 lost her father and a younger and older brother within a 3 year span. It has been hard on her and I see her cry when she talks about them. Shortly after this she became disabled, she won?t tell us everything she has or if it was the deaths of her family members, but I do know she has agoraphobia. I am 23 and I have 2 more sisters one who is 22 and one who will be 16 shortly. I have cancer and just had my cervex removed. My 22 year old sister is disabled with melonoma cancer, which is weird because she has never liked being in the sun. She is also agoraphobic. Myself and my 22 year old sister have a very rare blood disorder called inherited Dysfibrinogenemia. They say they don?t know alot about the disease. But I think it is causing the cancer in us. There are only about 300 people in the entire world who have this form of the disease. If I won this contest I would give my mom and my sisters computers. Because mom and sis doesn?t leave the house and this way they could have a life to read the news or pay the bills online. My youngest sister stays at home for e-schooling on a computer provided by the school, only schoolwork is allowed on it. she has to be here to help my disabled family if something happens. They can?t drive, because they have no car. I have a car but I am going to College to become a doctor, to help the sick. Laptop would be okay for me but I have to go by their diseases and what works best for them. Anything that cannot be used will be sent out to help the disabled. Please let me pay it forward and help my family. Any old computers or broken ones (because that?s all we have) will go to http://www.atohio.org/computers.html This is a great site for disabled persons to get a used computer, they only have to pay shipping. Their job is to take pieces and parts and put working computers together. One computer per household. Because my mom received one from here I would like to pay it forward to this site that helps the disabled. They aren?t the best computers, slow and not up to par, but will help someone if they really need one. Please choose my family, so that we can help the disabled people who really need help. Like us who pay bills online, and get to have a life, when they can?t leave the house do to the diseases. I hope we win, but if we don?t then I have sent you to a site that will help others. Happy Holidays everyone!
chrisjunkie: Tashie247: Can you please format your posts better with more blank lines etc.. They are quite hard to read
Please do. The cut and paste job is fine, though this forum is for discussion and it is not necessary for you to explain yourself here. However, if you really want to share your story, please review it and edit it after you paste the text, prior to submitting so that we can read it.
I don't think she knows how to format. I will tell her. If she loses this contest she will be so upset because she didn't do it right. Either that or she was in a hurry this computer is at least 15 years old and doesn't do much.
The video is made for Digital Lifestyle (I did not win there), and I have the same goal so I posted the video link here too. Please help me win or if you are selected, maybe you can share the magic to me.
I am John Raul Joven II, 21 years old, and I am web developer trying-to-be-geek here in the southernmost city of the Philippines called Davao (do a Google Map search). Actually, I lived in the outskirts of the city so it’s more like I’m a geek living in the middle of the jungle than surrounded by buildings. Here many people don’t know how to use computers and most things are still done manually.
I participated the HP Magic Giveaway because some of the prizes can change my life and the lives of the people who need the prestigious computer resources.
Computer and technology have been bound to me since I was little. My interest with computers started when I was younger and watching Super Mario in my neighbors place. I grew up in a poor family and we used to live in slums. I really wanted to play the game but I couldn’t put my hands on it because my parents cannot afford to do so. Regardless of that fact, as a young person I thought of ways.
Out of desperation, I climbed a tree in our backyard and sold fruits in the villages under the mid-day sun to earn money – I was six years old. There were days that I was successful but then the tree’s fruits are gone, I always ended up crying because I couldn’t put my hands playing my favorite Super Mario. That game wasn’t just a game for me, I learned logics. However, it made me frustrated because my family can’t afford to buy it during my young age.
In my high school, I was lucky because computers were one of our subjects. I always loved Tuesdays because we go inside out computer laboratory and I got my first time hands-on. It was during that time I learned how to program in QBasic and Foxplus. I’ve always wished to have a computer myself and whenever a friend invites me to come into their house, I would never hesitate to go especially if one has computer – because it was only my few means to get my hands on it.
Using other person’s computers, I learned how to use desktop application software, designed logos and wrote stories. I went to my neighbors houses and fix their computers (yet I didn’t own one for myself) and I helped a lot of classmates and friends when it comes to computer stuffs.
One day, my parents spared me a little money and they bought me an Intel Pentium II 350 MHz computer. I was jumping to the roof that day and started with Windows ME (Millennium Edition). It took me 7-10 minutes before I enter my desktop and it made me wonder why in Internet cafes computers are so fast.
During this time, the fastest CPU speed was 2 GHz Pentium 4, and I was running at 350 MHz. Despite that, it was my gateway to learn Flash 5, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and other software, which sucked because I had to run one application at a time. After 2 years, I completed a Pentium 4 computer which ran at better speeds, yet the technology I had was 3 years behind the latest ones. I’ve always wished to do extensive video editing, to innovate on the web with my skills, but my system prevents me to do it.
My web knowledge in computers until 2003 was summed up on the greatest accomplishment I had on Geocities that is still live until now:
I had many classmates in college who had computers but they didn’t use them well. I’ve always wished to have a better system so that I can explore more my talents and hone them as I really want to be productive like making tutorials, editing sound through Audition, learning Flash and ActionScript, 3Ds Max, Vegas and a lot more. With my current system I cannot run the software I want to learn and it frustrates me a lot because I have so much motivation to learn, and ideas to put in action to make a difference.
When I graduated two years ago and started working at home for an employer who provided me an entry-level laptop to use for work, I was able to do the things I dreamed to do way back when I was younger. However, still the limitations are so low --- it's like I'm being choked everyday, I can’t play games, I can’t do video editing especially HD video editing using Premiere or other video software, Photoshop crashes, and there are many software I couldn’t run once or at the same time because the laptop lacks CPU speed and dedicated graphics card. My desktop experience hinders my overall productivity so much.
It’s noteworthy, however, that despite these limitations, a laptop slowly changed my life.
My greatest fear is to lose ownership of this laptop since my employer might ask me to return it back -- I am afraid to lose a life and career, and my support to my family. I cannot afford to buy a laptop or computer of my own yet. I want to do more, I want to produce and I want to continue helping people -- losing my laptop will take all these motivations from me.
I pray a lot that I would win the prize at least the HDX and the HP Multimedia Laptop. It would not only make a history but it would let me multiply the magic given to me and share it to other people through my assistance and support to their day to day lives. I can't let them down just because my system doesnt allow me so.
Thanks so much and this is what I can share with you. I love you Geekzone and HP, and others for this wonderful opportunity. Merry Christmas!
If I win, I will keep one laptop, give the HP TouchSmart to my 70-year-old mom whose computer breaks down frequently (runs on win98 - when it runs), give the HP mini1000 to my niece Jessica so she can take notes when she returns to school, and give one laptop to our local humane society.
They've had so many problems lately. An outbreak of parvo in the dog section and an unidentified virus in the cat section have brought them to owing $10,000 in vet fees. I found out tonight they need a computer - theirs is old and doesn't work properly. So I would share one of the computers with the Humane Society of North Central Iowa (Fort Dodge, Iowa). I can't help them by adopting a pet because we have too many pets already (city ordinance) but I could help them by donating a computer.
More background: the HS is housed in an old building that doesn't have enough room. They've had inspections where they had to close to accepting pets for awhile because of conditions. They are doing the best they can with what they have. Donations are down because a local couple won $200 million in the Powerball a couple of years ago and set aside money to build a new facility if the Humane Society can come up with matching donations. This money is in a trust. People assume because of this that they should have plenty of money and don't need anything. Nothing could be further from the truth. (And I don't blame the Guderians - they shouldn't have to pay for everything just because they won the lottery.)
Articles listed from most recent: http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/511397.html http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/511029.html http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/510715.html
Anyway, thanks for considering my entry. (I realize that it's based on the survey.)
As the time draws near - I have to remember all that I am thankful for . . . Including this wonderful contest. Best of luck to everyone out there in the cyber world.
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