Free Rice Catches the Attention of NPR
By Jane • Dec 17th, 2007 • Category: Publishing News • •Free Rice is reaching the national press stage. NPR wrote about the origins of the computer program (written by computer programmer, John Breen, to help his son who was studying for the SATs) and the success (more than 8.2 billion grains of rice has been given away).
The Web site earns money from advertising and gives cash to the Word Food Programme. Some $100,000 has already gone to buy rice to feed survivors of a recent cyclone in Bangladesh.
Parmalee said the Web site offers a greater gift – the gift of awareness about world hunger. In just two months, FreeRice.com has driven the most Internet traffic to the World Food Programme site.
“We are all kind of dazzled by the power of a great idea  an idea that seemed to have come completely out of left field,” she said.
Read more about it at NPR. Thanks Troy!
Jane is a long time romance reader whose passion is, you guessed it, reading. Jane also does not like to talk about herself in the third person, but apparently this is the way that this biography thing works (although in a true biography, someone else would be writing this blurb). Anyway, currently Jane loves urban fantasy authors Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. She's really excited about this year's crop of historicals including Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady and Sherry Thomas' Private Arrangements and the upcoming Loretta Chase Her Scandalous Ways.
She's looking for a good contemporary author. Email her with a recommendation!
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I was completely addicted to this game until I reached level 50. I still play, but because I don’t feel so much pressure to beat the game I’m a bit less obsessive about it all. It’s still a brilliant idea, IMO, and I wish it would be replicated for other things. Like how about food delivered to the poor in America, or money to Katrina survivors, or, well, any number of needs in the world.
Once I reached the 50 level, I learned all the words; it became less enjoyable. I had chosen the option that recognized the computer and started at level 50. I changed to the other option where I start at zero. Now I have to work on words that I don’t know as well, which increases my interest level.
I have found that I cannot play for a long period of time before my carpal tunnel kicks in. So, I play until I reach 2000, stop, and then return later in the day.
Kay