So we get some really good mail, not including all the free offers to collect money on behalf of some lost uncle who just needs my bank account .

My friend Diane at First Book sent me this, and I thought it would be perfect for a new series in posts called "From the mail bag". I'm also encouraging beautiful Actresses or Philanthropic Princesses to write in as well ;-)

Take it away Diane...

Working at First Book these last two years, I've decided that the ultimate job perk is getting handwritten thank you notes from small children simply for showing up and doing your job. Yesterday I received this one from a 7 year-old:
"Thank you for my book. Last night I read half of it. It is so fun. I don’t want to read the rest because then it will be over and I won’t have any more stories."

On a particularly wet, dreary day like today here in Washington, DC , notes like this one help remind me why First Book is here: to ensure that every child knows the joy of great books.

What many people don't realize is that millions of children, right here in the US, will never have the chance. Studies show that the single strongest indicator of a child's future reading ability is simple: access to books -- and specifically, the number of books in the home. Yet the same studies show that, while in middle-income neighborhoods, there are on average 13 books for every child, in low-income neighborhoods, that ratio drops dramatically to just one book for every 300 children.

First Book is working rapidly to close the gap. Since 1992, we have provided more than 60 million books to children in need nationwide.

You can help! Now through June 21, every time you donate to First Book through eBay's Community Gives campaign -- even as little as $1 -- the eBay Foundation will give $1 to First Book too. You can also buy or sell on eBay to support us.



Please help us bring brand new books to the kids who need them most.

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a company called Eco-Libris, which gives avid readers like me the opportunity to balance out the books they read by planting trees.

Until recently I didn't put too much thought into the environmental stipulations of book production. Yes, I know trees are necessary for paper, and paper is necessary for books. However, I did not know that over 20 million trees are cut down annually to supply the United States with books. That number IS ridiculous; especially when you consider that it only pertains to one country. In fact, of the 4.15 billion books produced in the US annually only about 5% of the paper used in production is recycled.

For every book that you read, Eco-Libris gives you the chance to plant trees in developing communities for an affordable price. Eco-Libris wants one tree per book to be planted. Just $10 and you can balance out the last 10 books you read, 13 trees will be planted to assure the survival of at least 10. The trees that readers purchase are planted in communities in Latin America and Africa, where deforestation is a crucial problem. High ecological and sustainable standards were considered when Eco-Libris teamed up with their planting partners to decide which communities would be chosen. By planting trees where the threat of deforestation is high, we are able to fight climate change, conserve soil and water, and also benefit many locals by offering an investment in their futures.

"The bottom line is that the trees planted to balance out our customer's books are planted where they have the most value both environmentally and socially and we're very proud of that," says Eco-Libris CEO, Raz Godelnik.

Not only will the bookworm & environmentalist in YOU be satisfied after working with Eco-Libris, but you'll also receive awesome stickers to place inside each book you balanced out to display your contribution.

Keep in mind; it's not just readers who can become involved to make reading greener. Eco-Libris aims to work with anyone in the book industry who wants to go green. Eco-Libris teams with publishers, authors, and bookstores.

So far over 45,000 books have been balanced out, and 60,000 new trees have been planted! Let's all tally the books on our bookshelves and plant some trees. Help Eco-Libris reach their goal of balancing out half a million books by the end of 2008!

Check out Eco-Libris today!

It's not really a secret that I love baseball and have a slight bias towards the Red Sox.

Monday night, starting lefty pitcher, Jon Lester, threw a No Hitter for the Red Sox in Fenway Park against the Kansas City Royals.

By the numbers:
130 - pitches thrown
52 - years since the last lefty No Hitter
24 - Lester's age
9 - strike outs
8 - months since the last No Hitter (by the Red Sox Clay Buchholz)
2 - walks
0 - complete games Lester pictched prior to the No Hitter

By now you have probably heard (even if you're not a Red Sox fan) that less than 2 years ago, Lester was disgnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, missing the end of the 2006 season.

In December 2007, it was announced that Lester appeared to be in remission, and he returned to the Red Sox in July 2007, and successfully pitched Game 4 of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies. And now a No Hitter.

Lester's fairytale night reminds me why I love baseball. It's a game of cameraderie; a true example of a team sport. Would there have been a No-No without Jacoby Ellsbury's diving catch in the 4th? Would it have happened without Jason Varitek behind the plate? Curt Schilling certainly doesn't think so.

No Hitters aren't the result of one play. Rather, they are an epic build up of 9 innings, at least 27 batters and at least 9 other guys who have got your back. There's no other equivalent.

Maybe except for Curling, according to my friend, Molly ("Have you ever seen them go with the broom?").

Curling aside, that's why I listen to 162 games - you never know when something like this will happen, or when it will happen again. Jon Lester has a great story - one which has been done greater justice by many more entrenched than me.

Still, the story reminds me of how fulfilling it can be to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Who is your team? Who is your support group? Who do you owe your successes to? But more importantly, who do you root for? Whose team are you a part of? Whose successes can you celebrate?

What do you champion?

Congratulations to Jon Lester and here's to everyone else who is fighting or has fought cancer.

So you can imagine how guilty I feel every Monday when I sit in front of the TV and turn on the CW. And then I proceed to:

Not answer my Mother's phone call while ignorning my boss's "red" flagged emails and muttering "This is MESSED UP" repeatedly.

Why do I do this? Because of you Queen Bee. I too want to be on the upper east side and love you from afar, or stalk you. And now I face one of the most difficult times in my life...having to wait for the next season of GG.

So for those of you in the same boat, I am giving you recommendations of what you can do until the fall:

Save a puppy or two. Best Friends Animal Society is one of the coolest nonprofits in the nation, they save puppies! And because I live in San Fran, I don't have a yard...so it might be a while before I get a dog. So I decided to sponsor Abbey. She's cute, isn't she?

Clean your closet and sell those old items, I'd even suggest doing so for charity...yes, on eBay Giving Works. After all, what would Blair say if you're wearing the same clothes you did during the Spring? (Actually, she'd just walk past you)

Volunteer! And yes, there are actually places that can help you and give the extra "nudge" to get your butt off the couch, and it's called VolunteerMatch.

And lastly, I think confessing that you are addicted to Gossip Girl will help, it won't help with the ridicule, but you'll feel much better.

photo licensed by PR Photos

I believe all of us get "caught up" in the idea that our favorite musician should win every award and bestowed every public recognition possible. I am no different, and believe Columbian artist Juanes should be given the Nobel Peace Prize. It's actually hard to come across someone now who doesn't know Juanes, either because of his various collaborations with other musicians, or just because of his music. He's sold more than 10 million albums worldwide and has 12 Latin Grammys (yes, they are equivalent). And his world tour is pretty much sold out.

So no one wins a peace prize for their music...and I'm not claiming Juanes should, rather I'm talking about the "humanitarian" behind the music. Juanes is a goodwill ambassador, and has established his own foundation that spreads awareness of the landmines in Columbia. Juanes doesn't don the activist cap on a part time basis, he walks the talk, he even took his message to the European Parliament seeking support for his cause (video!). I'm not the only one on this bandwagon, there are a few facebook groups that total more than 10K supporters of the idea of him & the peace prize. So yes, I'm a fanatic, though I think after reading all he's done, you may agree with me. After all, if Al Gore can...why not Juanes?

Oh, I'm seeing Juanes at HP Pavillion tonight...and I'll be twittering @romangarcia

I just shouted that out, but don't duck! In fact, you should stand up and pay attention for this one. We just found out that Tiger Woods, the king of the course himself, is auctioning off the opportunity to accompany him for a round of golf.

And we're not talking about Golden Tee, here, either. This is the 2008 Buick Open Pro-Am Tournament! The package being auctioned for charity includes a Pro-Am gift pack, tournament tickets, access to Pro-Am events, and -- of course, the chance to play 18 holes with Tiger Woods himself.

If you think this experience might bring out the "Tiger" in you, just because you've gotten really good at Tiger Woods '08, you might need to get yourself out to the range -- the winning bidder has to have a handicap of 21 or lower.

Rumor has it that this starts May 31st...

Bookmark today to ensure that you're not the one left tee'd off!