Very often, people equate style with fashionable clothes but style is far from merely donning the latest trends. It’s about having a sense of self-expression that translates who you really are from inside out; it’s in the subtle body movements, the way you carry yourself, your natural swagger, and even the way you shrug your shoulder as you walk. Clothes are simply tools that help individuals express their emotions.

Different clothes determine the way you move as the style, cut and structure of the garment put you in different states of mind. There is a distinct psychological change between wearing a loose pair of pyjamas and a suit; or the difference between a pair of sneakers and heeled shoes that almost certainly affect your posture and poise; something happens and it affects your mannerisms, and perhaps even your thought processes.

You don’t need a lot of clothes to be stylish. Timeless items can be some of the best style companions: A classic navy pinstriped suit, a pair of well-worn jeans, a well-cut white shirt, a fitted T-shirt.

However, it is the way you mix things together that ultimately creates your style. Dressing head-to-toe in designer labels isn’t being stylish, it screams “fashion victim”. Mixing old and new items are great but you must have a sense of aesthetics and creative imagination to make it work.

There is no room for modesty when it comes to creating your own style; you have to be narcissistic, get the right hairdo and the right outfits – and look effortlessly put together. You need to know yourself and who you want the world to see.

While it’s hard to pinpoint what makes a certain style desirable, suffice it to say good taste is only one small part of what makes a person stylish – you can be a geek and be extremely stylish, or you can be super-wealthy with zero style.

Karl Lagerfeld probably sums it up best when he says: “Good taste only tastes ‘good’ to the people who think they have good taste; good taste can be very uncreative and boring. Good taste is something very bourgeois, very established, so it needs fresh air.”

It’s time to own your style.

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APPROPRIATE SHOE STYLE FOR THE OFFICE There are many kinds of offices, some that are more accessible to the public than others and the considerations that you need to apply when buying shoes for the office are these.

STYLE

The style of shoe for wearing in an office should complement the clothing which you choose to wear. Although women are tempted with high heeled shoes, a moderate heel and conservative style will enhance the professional business woman’s look. Those that work in an environment where they are expected to climb ladders etc., for filing, would be well advised to choose a style that is practical as well as looking nice. Laces for example are not the best choice for women for work, because of the neatness factor, though also from the point of view of safety.

COLORS

Conservative is always safer. Colors that blend with the clothing look rather professional, and matching a handbag to complement the clothing chosen tops off that look. Garish colors in shoes look cheap and tacky and don’t add to the corporate image.

COMFORT

Since much of your day will be spent in an office, it is important to establish how warm that office environment is, and how comfortable your feet would be in closed shoes all day. Many women have problems with swollen ankles, and if the office is too hot, a choice of open shoes may not only enhance the look, but make the choice a comfortable one. Heels kept to a minimum add to the commonsense question of comfort, as eight hours on excessively high heels really can make your feet hurt.

BUDGET

In budgeting for office shoes, put enough aside to buy quality, because at the end of the day, quality not only looks nicer, and gives a better image to the company. It lasts longer and makes economical sense.

Shoes are a very personal item, and one of the main issues is that workers wear footwear that doesn’t look ridiculous, or call into question the seriousness of the office environment. Keep your casuals for after hours, and look after your feet by buying great shoes with appeal and style that last. Classic styles of womens shoes always give the right impression, take care of your feet, and never look out of place.

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The world is heading for the next major climate change conference in Cancun later this year on course for global warming of up to 3.5C in the coming century, a series of scientific analyses suggest. The failure of last December’s UN climate summit in Copenhagen means that cuts in carbon emissions pledged by the international community will not be enough to keep the anticipated warming within safe limits.

Two analyses of the Copenhagen Accord and its pledges, by Dr Sivan Kartha of the Stockholm Environment Institute, and by the Climate Action Tracker website, suggest that, with the cuts that are currently promised under Copenhagen, the world will still warm by 3.5C by 2100. Such a rise would be likely to have disastrous effects on agricultural production, water availability, natural ecosystems and sea-level rise across the world, producing tens of millions of refugees.

A month ago, in its annual State of the Climate report, published in conjunction with the UK Met Office’s Hadley Centre, America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) listed 10 separate indicators of a warming planet, seven of them rising – ranging from air temperature over land and humidity to sea level – and three of them declining: Arctic sea-ice, glaciers, and spring snow cover. “The scientific evidence that our world is warming is unmistakable,” NOAA said.

Cancun, or “COP 16″ as it is officially known, will again see ministers and officials from nearly 200 nations grapple with the politics of global warming, but no one thinks they will be able to close a widening breach in the world’s defences against dangerously rising temperatures – the “gigatonne gap”.

A gigatonne is a billion tonnes of carbon, and the emissions cuts currently promised by the nations of the world in the Copenhagen Accord – the last-minute agreement patched together by leaders after the conference in the Danish capital all but collapsed – will mean that, by 2020, when global emissions should be on a firmly downward trend, they will be several gigatonnes too high to limit the warming to C above the pre-industrial level. This is widely considered the most that human society can stand without serious consequences.

Yet the international community does not seem any closer to consensus on the need to make further reductions in carbon and at Cancun, which takes place from 29 November to 10 December, it is at best side issues on which any progress will be made.

Today, the Coalition’s Climate Change Secretary, the Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne, will travel to Berlin to discuss strengthening the EU climate target in advance of the Cancun meeting from 20 per cent to 30 per cent, with his German and French counterparts, Norbert Röttgen and Jean-Louis Borloo.

Mr Huhne told The Independent: “There’s hard work ahead to maintain and build on the level of commitment embodied in the Copenhagen Accord and to rebuild the credibility of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process.

“We in the EU still need to finalise our positions in advance of COP 16, but I think there’s a real chance the negotiations could take important steps forward in Cancun, in particular to implement parts of what was agreed in Copenhagen and to work towards the global deal the world needs.”

He added: “It’s the UK’s view – and one shared by my French and German counterparts – that the EU should raise its ambition and that the economic case for doing so stacks up.

“Cutting emissions by 30 per cent by 2020 would be a game-changer in shifting investment into new clean technologies, generating jobs and growth in supply chains across our economies. The great risk for Europe is in waking up late to these opportunities and losing out to other major blocs who are already eyeing up market share.”

It is hard to exaggerate the dire effect which the failure at Copenhagen has had both on the climate change negotiating process itself, and on the belief of those involved that an effective climate deal might be possible.

A year ago, many environmentalists, scientists and politicians genuinely thought that the meeting in Denmark might produce a binding agreement to cut global CO2 by the 25-40 per cent, by 2020, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has calculated is necessary to keep the warming to below C.

Today that optimism has vanished. The Danish meeting foundered on the disagreement between the developed countries and the developing nations over who should do how much, and when, in cutting emissions; the major point of disagreement was the Kyoto Protocol, the current treaty, which makes developed countries do a lot, and developing nations not very much.

The Kyoto treaty runs out at the end of 2012 and the developing nations, led by China and India, wanted it renewed, while developed countries, including Britain and the rest of the EU, want a completely new treaty to share out the carbon-cutting burden.

At Copenhagen last December, world leaders cobbled together an agreement which ended up devoid of any binding carbon emissions targets (but did recognise the need to stay under C for the first time). Instead of the legally-binding treaty which had been hoped for, nations were invited to “register” voluntary targets, saying by how much they thought they could cut their CO2 by 2020.

Britain is part of the EU target of a 20 per cent cut, on a 1990 baseline, which may be raised before Cancun to 30 per cent. (Britain’s own domestic target is one of the highest, to cut CO2 by 34 per cent by 2020.) Other targets include 25 per cent for Japan, Australia by 5 to 25 per cent and the US by 17 per cent on a 2005 baseline – although the legislation to achieve it is firmly stalled in the Senate. Among the developing nations, China has promised to reduce the energy intensity of its economy by 40 to 45 per cent by 2020.

Various analyses of all these pledges suggest they amount to cuts of the global CO2 total of between 11 and 19 per cent by 2020, instead of the 25 to 40 per cent which the IPCC says is needed. This can also be expressed in real amounts of CO2, of which the world is currently emitting annually about 45 gigatonnes – 45 billion tonnes of carbon.

If the world continues with these levels of emissions it is thought this will increase to between 51 and 55 gigatonnes by 2020. Lord Stern of Brentford, author of a landmark report on the economics of climate change, has calculated that if, instead, global CO2 could be cut back to 44 gigatonnes by 2020, the world would be on a credible path to stay below a rise of C. Yet analysis suggests the Copenhagen Accord pledges will leave the figure at 48-49 billion tonnes – the gigatonne gap which Cancun is not going to close.

What the conference may do is agree the architecture for the new major climate funds to help developing countries which were agreed in Denmark – a “fast-start” fund of $30bn (£19.4bn) per year in new money for the years 2010-12, and a fund of $100bn annually to be set up by 2020.

If there are no further breakdowns, it is possible that the meeting may at least restore faith in the UN climate process. “Nobody thinks Cancun will be a big-bang moment,” said Keith Allott, head of climate change for the World Wide Fund for Nature. “What the world needs to do is put some wheels back on the climate truck.”

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Everyone has a boss. Even if you “work for yourself,” you’re still an employee to your client.

A big part of maintaining the boss-employee relationship is to never allow a boss to think you dislike your work, are incapable of doing it, or–worse–consider it beneath you.

These sound like no-brainers, but many statements heard commonly around the workplace violate these basic rules. Looking for an example? Here are seven heard in workplaces all the time. They may seem ordinary, even harmless. But try reading these from your boss’s point of view. You’ll see right away why it’s smart to never allow these seven sentences to pass your lips:

“That’s not my job.”
You know what? A lot of bosses are simple souls who think your job is to do what’s asked of you. So even if you’re assigned a task that is, indeed, not your job, refrain from saying so. Instead, try to find out why your boss is assigning you this task–there may be a valid reason. If you believe that doing the task is a bad idea (as in, bad for the company) you can try explaining why and suggesting how it could be better done by someone else. This may work, depending on the boss. In any case, remember that doing what’s asked of you, even tasks outside your job description, is good karma.

“It’s not my problem.”
When people say something is not their problem it makes them look like they don’t care. This does not endear them to anybody, especially the boss. If a problem is brewing and you have nothing constructive to say, it’s better to say nothing at all. Even better is to pitch in and try to help. Because, ultimately, a problem in the workplace is everyone’s problem. We’re all in it together.

“It’s not my fault.”
Yet another four words to be avoided. Human nature is weird. Claiming that something is not our fault often has the result of making people suspect it is. Besides, what’s the real issue here? It’s that something went wrong and needs to be fixed. That’s what people should be thinking about–not who is to blame.

“I can only do one thing at a time.” News flash: Complaining you are overworked will not make your boss feel sorry for you or go easier on you. Instead, a boss will think: (1) you resent your job, and/or (2) you aren’t up to your job. Everybody, especially nowadays, feels pressured and overworked. If you’re trying to be funny, please note that some sarcasm is funny and lightens the mood. Some just ticks people off.

“I am way overqualified for this job.”
Hey, maybe you are. But the fact is, this is the job you have. You agreed to take it on and, while you may now regret that decision, it’s still your job. Complaining that it’s beneath you only makes you look bad. Plus, coworkers doing similar jobs may resent and dislike you. And guess what? Bosses will not think, “Oh, this is a superior person whom I need to promote.” Nope, they’ll think, “What a jerk.”

“This job is easy! Anyone could do it!”
Maybe what you’re trying to convey here is that you’re so brilliant your work is easy. Unfortunately, it comes off sounding more like, “This work is stupid.” Bosses don’t like hearing that any work is stupid. Nor do they really like hearing that a job is easy peasy. It belittles the whole enterprise. If a task is simple, be glad and do it as quickly as you can. Even “stupid” work needs to get done.

“It can’t be done.”
Saying something can’t be done is like waving a red flag in a boss’s eyes. Even if the thing being suggested truly is impossible, saying it is can make you look ineffectual or incapable. Better to play detective. Why is the boss asking you to do whatever it is? What’s the problem that needs to be solved? What’s the goal? Search for doable ways of solving that problem or reaching that goal. That’s what bosses really want. Most of them do not expect the impossible.

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Some people view shoes as practical necessities, while others have a shoe obsession. Most people probably land somewhere in between. This article provides some basic but useful rules for men to choose shoes.

General rules:

1. Try to pick a shoe that matches, or is darker than your pants.
2. Although it is a safe bet, socks do not need to match your shoes. Instead, think of your socks as you would a tie – an item that can bring bring the whole outfit together.
3. If wearing a belt, try to match your shoes to it, unless of course, your belt is some multi-colored striped thing.

Men’s Shoes for Jeans
You can wear almost any color or style of shoe with jeans, but avoid very shiny shoes that were obviously intended for more dressier outfits.  Boots, lug soles, sneakers, loafers and sandals all work great with jeans, so you may find it helpful to let the style of your shirt guide you.  For example, a sporty, polo shirt might work with a loafer; t-shirts go well with sneakers or retro-style shoes; long, artsy button-downs work well with sandals or contemporary styles.

Men’s Shoes for Casual Pants
Whether you call them Dockers, chinos, or khakis, there are a variety of loafers, oxford and other men’s shoes that work well with casual pants.  Let the ornamentation and style of the shoe guide you towards the look you’re trying to achieve.  For example, a tassle or a buckle is a little more on the dressy side, while a woven pattern or heavy stitching is a little more on the casual side.

Men’s Shoes for Dress Pants
With dress pants, shoot for the same type of shoe that you might wear with a suit. Shinier materials usually indicate a dressier shoe, as do less bulky heels and soles. Choose a shoe that is the same color or darker than your pants, and if wearing a belt, match your shoes to it.

Color Matching for Men’s Shoes

1. Black shoes work well with navy, grey or black pants.
2. Brown shoes are best suited to tan, brown, beige, greens, other darker earth tones.
3. Burgundy shoes work well with khaki, lighter browns, blue and grey.
4. Tan shoes look great with lighter earth tones, blue, beige, lighter tan or white.

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When shopping for a new dress this season, be sure to keep your body type in mind. By following these simple tips, you can accentuate the positive and downplay the areas of your body that… well, aren’t so perfect.

Full hips and thighs

For pair-shaped women with full hips and thighs, the dress should shouldn’t be shorter than an inch or two above the knee. Select a dress with an A-line skirt but not something too full. A short, fuller dress will look like a tu-tu.

Adrianna Papell printed halter dress To draw the attention away from your lower body, select a dress with a plunging V-neck, halter top or embellished neckline.

Thick waist

If you are apple-shaped with a thick middle, you need to elongate the look your torso and draw the attention away from your waist. Select a dress with an empire waist or drop waist to re-define your waist line.

Avoid thick belts cinched around your waist and instead choose a chain or sash belt slung low on your hips.

Heavy arms

Sleeveless and cap sleeve dresses aren’t for you. Instead, select billowy, bell sleeves that are 3/4 or even full-length to hide flabby arms.

Use hand-held dumbbells 15 minutes a day to get your arms in tip-top shape.

Small bust

If you weren’t endowed with ample breasts, avoid deep plunging necklines. Instead select dresses with a scoop or bandeau neck with sequins or other adornments to add a little dimension up top.

Layered necklaces are very popular right now and they can add some dimension to depth to your bust. You can also follow these simple instructions to make your breast look bigger with makeup to enhance your cleavage.

Big bust

Dresses with halter tops and deep V’s are very attractive for women who want to accentuate their big bust. Select fabrics that aren’t skim your body rather than bind, which can make your breasts look too big.

To draw some attention away from your bust and balance out a smaller lower body, choose a dress with an A-line skirt that falls one or two inches above your knees.

Plus size

Don’t pack on layers of baggy clothes to try to cover-up your body. Contrary to what you may believe, baggy dresses will just make you look bigger. Select fabrics that don’t cling to your body, but drape nicely.

A wrap dress is particularly flattering to full-figured women. Don’t avoid color and prints. The colorful collection of plus-sized dresses at Avenue.com offers a variety of different types of dresses for full figured women, including bold prints and sexy styles.

Too thin

Sweater or knit dresses are terrific options for thin women. Add layers to your dress, such as a cardigan or fitted jacket to add some bulk. If you have extremely thin legs, avoid mini-skirts and choose longer, flowing dresses instead.

Thin women can add a thick belt to give their waist more definition. Bubble dresses are very trendy right now and can also give the appearance of a larger lower body.

Shift to the shift

The shift is a dress that hangs straight down from the shoulder. It’s a dress type that is flattering to almost everyone. It skims your body nicely, but doesn’t cling. For summer, you can find shifts in cool cotton, linen and light knits. When fall arrives, wool and heavier knit shifts will continue to be popular.

Though the typical shift dress has a straight skirt, some fashion designers have created shifts with a slightly A-line cut this season.

The Lilly Pulitzer crocheted shift dress pictured here is perfect for a summer party. It’s beaded jeweled neckline adds some glitz. You can get this dress for $328 from Nordstrom.

Whatever your body type, you can find a beautiful dress that will flatter your figure. When shopping, bring a trusted girlfriend along for her honest opinion and be sure to look at the dress from all angles in the dressing room mirror.

Remember to accentuate the positive and don’t obsess with the negative. If you dress confident, you will look and feel beautiful too!

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These unique and modern ideas for wedding flowers and decorations are sure to inspire your own creations.  Your wedding flowers offer ample opportunity to stretch your creative muscles and add a bit of originality to your wedding day, so don’t be afraid to design a floral scheme that bucks tradition.  This list of our favorite ideas for bridal bouquets, centerpieces, colors and other decorations is a great place to start designing a memorable decor scheme.

Play with Shape
Arrangements with a just-picked, unstructured look are replacing the tightly-bound bouquet and centerpiece shapes of previous seasons.  Ensure a modern, not messy, look by choosing the right flowers.  Hearty blooms like lilies, orchids, and amaranthus work well in looser arrangements because of the sleek shape of the individual blooms. Also consider incorporating non-floral elements like feathers, berries, and crystals to add interest and depth.

Get Into Navy
Sophisticated and classic navy is one of the hottest colors on the 2009 wedding palette, and many brides are daring to think beyond basic baby blue by incorporating the darker shade into their floral schemes. Naturally navy flowers may be hard to come by, but there are some options that are a close match:  deep blue violets, thistles, and hydrangea are available in various shades of blue and indigo, while roses are a versatile bloom that can be dyed any color – including navy blue.  Pair these bold navy blooms with white or ivory for a classic look, or yellow for a bright burst of color.

Think Beyond the Vase
Options abound beyond the basic floral vase for holding your flowers.  Consider instead mixing and matching clusters of unique containers like wood buckets, mason jars, cans, pitchers, antique urns and uniquely shaped vases to add interest and reflect your wedding theme.  Some ideas: Fill watering cans with wild flowers for a garden fete, or use apothecary jars filled with sand and sea glass to complement to a waterfront wedding.

Lighten Up
Candles, always a popular choice for centerpieces, are becoming even more popular as a budget and eco-friendly enhancement to traditional floral centerpieces.  Ample candlelight lends the day a romantic, organic feel, while the natural resource saves electricity and drapes the setting with an intimate glow.  Another way to enhance your arrangements with lighting and really make your centerpieces pop is through a technique called pinspotting.  This advanced light design shines tiny beams of light from the ceiling to illuminate the center of each arrangement.

Get Stoned
Say good-bye to light pastels and muted shades, and seek inspiration from the baubles on your ears and wrist. Rich gemstone colors like amethyst, turquoise, and amber are hot on this year’s wedding color palette.  Accent these rich colors with soft sandy tones or grays instead of chocolate brown (so last year!)

Go Green
Going green is easy when it comes to wedding flowers.  Consult Mother Nature for inspiration and bring the outdoors in. Natural objects like stones, leaves, pinecones, even twigs can add an organic aesthetic to your reception décor.  Place in rustic containers or scatter amongst pillar candles for added ambiance. Get more green weddings ideas and advice here.

Make it Personal
Further seeking to personalize their weddings, brides are using their wedding flowers to call out specific interests by incorporating unique items into bouquets and centerpieces and creating a conversation piece for guests.  For instance, book worms can use use intricately piled leather-bound books in place of floral centerpieces, and wine lovers can use wine bottles and decanters as centerpiece holders.

Tie it Together
The hand-tied bouquet continues its reign as the most popular bouquet style as brides opt for a tailored and natural look to their wedding flowers. A fresh bunch of flowers gathered and wrapped in a wide satin ribbon presents the look of simple elegance, but brides wishing to up the glam of this otherwise simple look can embellish the bouquet with brooches, pins, and crystal picks.

Lose the Corsage
De rigueur brides are forgoing corsages and instead having the moms carry nosegays or tussy mussys down the aisle.  Besides the fact that corsages tend to conjure up memories of proms gone bad, there’s practical reason for this trend because it saves the dress – often made from fragile fabric – from pulling and tearing from the weight of the corsage.

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Just as you manage your employees, you need to manage the boss. Your management career will take off if you can show the higher-ups that you’re a reliable, trustworthy star. The very thought of trying to impress the boss may make you cringe. The notion of currying favour with powerful people at your organization may strike you as a fake, calculated attempt to get ahead.

There’s a right way and wrong way to impress VIPs.

If you exceed expectations, anticipate and address a boss’s concerns, and consistently look for ways to add value, you’ll shine.

But if you show off, bad-mouth colleagues, and hog credit for team accomplishments, you’ll muddy your reputation and lose any chance of advancement.

Speak in can-do language.

Bosses will heed your comments if you sound like you’re organized, enthusiastic and eager to deliver results. When they ask you a question, give a one-sentence overview before you dive into the details. For example, start by saying, “We have three options” or “Let’s examine this on three different levels.”

Look ahead when discussing the status of a project.

Focus on what will happen next rather than rehash what’s already occurred. And never admit you’re in wait-and-see mode. It’s better to say, “We’re going to make progress when we resume our meeting next week” than “I’m waiting for a return call so we can schedule a meeting next week.”

When the boss asks you to do something, respond with confidence.

Say, “I’ll have that for you by 8:00 tomorrow morning” rather than “I’ll try to get that to you tomorrow morning.” Don’t leave yourself an out. Executives grow suspect of managers who lace their remarks with qualifiers and back off from making bold commitments.

Look for patterns in your interaction with your superiors.

Anticipate what issues or requests the boss will raise and be ready to answer. If you promise to do something, follow through promptly. Never make your boss nag you.

Most importantly, adopt a “no excuses” policy.

Failing to produce results almost guaranteed that a boss will doubt your abilities. When you’re asked to give a progress report, start by summarizing what you’ve done, not what you haven’t been able to do. Say, “Here’s where we are at” or “So far we’ve achieved these five goals.” Don’t say, “I haven’t had a chance to…..” or “I’m hoping that soon I can….”

Prepare to delight the boss by taking these steps:

Arm yourself with answers:

Think in advance of what the boss will ask you – and prepare concise answers. Research the facts and gather the latest information so you’re ready to impress with your vast knowledge of an issue.

Under-promise and over-deliver:

Set time frames that you can beat. List your project objectives – and then accomplish all of them along with tossing in something extra. Consistently go beyond what’s expected and you’ll stand out.

Challenge in private:

Wait for a calm moment to question a boss’s order. Make sure no one else can overhear. Never object to the boss’s comments in public.

Source:

Andrew Rondeau.  He is the author of the free guide “The Simple Steps To Deliver A Dazzling Presentation”. Grab your complimentary copy at http://www.greatmanagement.org/blog/

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A 48-hour-old fundraising campaign to help Haiti earthquake victims, done solely through text messages, was already stunning Red Cross officials on Thursday when it hit $3 million. By Friday morning, the tally had more than doubled. (notes: Please still help those victims online and offline)

The campaign, made viral on networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, had raised $8 million by Friday, according to a Twitter message from the White House that was reposted on the Red Cross account. The campaign leads a spate of online efforts that have allowed people to help victims of the devastating quake.

The Red Cross campaign’s tally would be double the $4 million that was donated to all charities by mobile texts in all of 2009, a spokeswoman said.  Abi Weaver, spokeswoman for the Red Cross, confirmed that the mobile giving campaign hit the $7 million mark about 11 p.m. Thursday.  “It’s shattered any record that we’ve seen with mobile giving before,” Wendy Harman, social media manager for the Red Cross, said Thursday.  Friday morning, “Red Cross” was among the 10 most popular topics on Twitter.

Many celebrities, including singer Adam Lambert, actor Ben Stiller, cyclist Lance Armstrong and actress Lindsay Lohan, used their Twitter feeds to plead for earthquake-relief donations.  “Yele haiti now for the disaster,” Lohan tweeted Wednesday, referring to musician Wyclef Jean’s online earthquake relief fund. “Please do all that you can. Please.” Yele Haiti also has launched a text message fundraising campaign.

Armstrong, an active Twitter user with more than 2.3 million followers, posted that his Livestrong Foundation had pledged $250,000 to humanitarian aid groups.

The online classified site Craigslist posted a list of relief organizations, including Medecins sans Frontieres and CARE, along with links via which users can donate.

Multiple Facebook groups related to Haiti had been created by Thursday. One of the largest, Earthquake Haiti, had nearly 170,000 members. Many Facebook users also were changing their status updates to reflect when they’d donated to the Red Cross campaign, thus encouraging their friends to do likewise.

Earlier Thursday, when the Red Cross topped $3 million in text and social media donations — it hit nearly $40 million from all sources by late Thursday — spokesman Jonathan Aiken described it as “a phenomenal number that’s never been achieved before.”

“People text up to three times at 10 bucks a pop,” Aiken said. “You’re talking about roughly 300,000 people actually spontaneously deciding, ‘I can spare $10 for this.’ And that’s remarkable.”

As of late Thursday, more than half of all donations to the Red Cross’s Haiti relief effort had been received online, according to a news release. Harman said the Red Cross has been active on Twitter since the California wildfires of 2007.

The organization also has accounts on Facebook, Flickr and YouTube as well as its own blog, and hosts an online newsroom that provides updates on the organization’s disaster responses. She said the Red Cross has “a pretty robust social media strategy” but that the Haiti response is unprecedented.  “It feels like every person who has a Twitter account has tweeted about it, which is a pretty amazing thing to see,” she said.

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