Dictionary

Charitable giving is an obvious casualty of any economic downturn. Even when people want to give - or maintain their previous rates of donation - the realities of a shrinking portfolio force themselves into the decision-making process. Of course, a rather unique charity is struggling with this issue now. Koryo Tours, which takes westerners on rare excursions into North Korea, is looking to raise a mere $6,700 for two projects to benefit the people of North Korea. One involves buying braille dictionaries (which haven't been available in that part of the world), and the other is to buy playground equipment for an orphanage in Wonsan, North Korea.

If Koryo Tours is able to raise the funds necessary for the dictionaries, which is the first priority, it will be the first time that North Korean blind children will have this type of resource available -- the books currently do not exist.

They say that scent is one of out most deeply ingrained senses because our memory for them tends to be much better than our memory of sights, sounds, tastes and textures. The sensitivity of the sense of smell varies from person to person, but a familiar smell will probably always evoke a strong reaction. Barney's has an exclusive Le Labo Olfactory Dictionary that is designed to help you refine your sense of smell and develop a greater appreciation for perfumes and other scented things. It includes 40 specific essences and testing strips, all packed in a professional looking case, that you can experiment with. By mixing and matching a few, you may even be able to come up with your own signature fragrance. Price: $490.