#MyDaffodil

I decided to dust off my blog to talk about something near and dear to my heart, Daffodil Month. Did you know that every 3 minutes, cancer picks a fight with another Canadian? Every April, the Canadian Cancer Society-with the help of generous volunteers- sell daffodil pins. Daffodils are worn to support Canadians living with cancer and to let them know they do not have to face this disease alone.

In August of 2012 I started working for the Canadian Cancer Society and my passion for this organization and everything it does has intensified. I wear my pin not only for family members I have lost to cancer and family who have survived, but to also show that I am a part of this fight and support everyone working towards seeing cancer defeated.

 I want to sincerely thank everyone who wore a daffodil this April. It is becoming the "poppy of spring" and I look forward to more and more Canadians uniting in the fight against cancer each and every April.

Gay Penguins Must Mate for Survival

Pedro and Buddy came to the Toronto Zoo this year from Pittsburgh's National Avairy to "pair bond" (aka get hooked up with a couple females). Instead of pursuing the eligible females, Pedro and Buddy became quite the love birds. The cute couple were snuggling, calling to each other, and displaying courtship behaviour. Cute, right? Well until the fact that these African penguins are flirting with extinction...

The Toronto Zoo has decided to isolate the pair for the sake of their species survival. Mr. Mason, curator of birds and invertebrates at the Toronto Zoo, explains the following:

“The two girls have been following them; we just have to get the boys interested in looking at them... If [Pedro and Buddy] weren’t genetically important, then we’d let them do their thing"

They want to be clear that their separation of the homosexual penguins is by no means trying to be anti-gay. The zoo simply cannot afford to go a season without passing on the penguins' genes.

I am curious to see if the males will even be interested in the females. Thoughts?

Article source

SlutWalk Toronto

As I type, Toronto's SlutWalk is well on its way. Starting with speeches from 1:30-2:00 and followed by a walk from the Legislative Building to Toronto Police Headquarters at 40 College Street. The SlutWalk idea sparked as a reaction to comments made by a police officer that victims can be blamed for sexual assault based on how they dress.

"On Jan 24, Const. Michael Sanguinetti told a group of students at York University : 'Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.' " - Montreal Gazette

Despite the police force's apologies, Sonya Barnett (SlutWalk Co-Founder) believes this is an indicator with respect to issues of "victim-blaming" within the police force. She encourages everyone to come out to support the walk in whatever he/she feels. The can range from fishnets and stilettos to jeans and an old tee shirt.

"Our stance is that slut is an attitude, not a look." -Sonya Barnett

This year's SlutWalk Toronto is expected to have over 3,000 participants. With lots of buzz being generated from its social media that number could increase by many! I encourage you to learn more about the march and check out what has been said by visiting the following links. I hope the event has much success!

Click on the following to learn more and show support:

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Filling The Gap

The Gap in Sydney, Australia

As seen above, The Gap is a cliff at the top of Sydney Harbour. Aside from it being a breathtaking sight to see, it is also Australia's most famous suicide spot. That being said, Don Ritchie has made it his mission to decrease the number of jumpers. Don, a retired life insurance salesman, lives near the The Gap and for the past 45 years has officially talked 160 would-be jumpers out of attempting suicide (unofficially, the number is close to 400 people).

Believing in the power of a smile, kind words, and an invitation into his home for tea has not only saved the lives of many but earned him the following awards:

- Medal of the Order of Australia (2006)

- Citizens of the Year by Woollahra Council (2010) -- This included himself and his wife

- Local Hero Award by the National Australia day Council (2011)

Many of Don's experiences both successful and not are documented in a diary and/or his memory. Saving a remarkable amount of lives, he is truly a special man and living proof that a little can go a long way.

Endangered Species: The New & Improved Trojan Men

With the rapidly growing human population increasing the difficulty for endangered plants and animals to survive, custom made condoms were designed to help the cause. Not only do the clever slogans and pictures on the packages create awareness about endangered species, but by using the condom you are doing your part to control the rise in human population.

"Because New Year's Eve is one of the most popular days of the year for condom use, 50 000 of the Endangered Species Condoms were sent to volunteers to hand out this Friday" - The Huffington Post

Since the first Earth Day (1970) the world's population has doubled! At 6.8 billion people (and growing) I think the least we can do is put these clever condoms to some good use. I mean, we are using 50% of Earth's fresh water AND 50% of its landmass.

Personally, I think this is an incredibly creative and brilliant campaign to create a buzz around the harmful effects of overpopulation and overconsumption with respect to these animals and their habitats.

It just goes to show that [safe] sex sells!

According to their official website:

Human overpopulation is the driving force behind the current mass-extinction crisis, endangering:

- 12% of mammals

- 12% of birds

- 31% of reptiles

- 30% of amphibians

- 37% of fish

Endangered Species Condoms in 2010 distributed 350,000 of their condoms in all 50 states as well as Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. To learn more please click here to check out their website.

Is it just me or have you lost weight?!

Old: 64 oz.

New: 59 oz.

Difference: -7.8%

Reason: Last winter's freeze in Florida.

In the February 2011 issue of Consumer Reports (yes, it's January... yes, my dad subscribes) a particular article jumped out at me. The focus is on the remaking of products and packaging in order to lessen the quantity of goods without lowering the price. The article explain "ways manufacturers hide their handiwork: indenting the bottom of containers (a favorite trick among peanut butter processors, making plastic wraps thinner, or whipping ice cream so that you pay for air instead of ingredients." Take a look at some of the pictures I took from the article. (I apologize for the picture quality, they were taken on my phone as they are not "googlable"...yet)

Old roll: 115.2 sq. ft.

New roll: 104.8 sq. ft.

Difference: -9%

Reason: Strength improvement increased fiber by 10%. Company also realigned the roll to match other companies (alternative to price increase).

Yoplait Original: 6 oz.

Yoplait Whips:4 oz.

Difference: -33.3%

Reason: Product full of air bubbles due to the whipped consistency. When stirred it does not fill the container

Old: 96.2 sq. ft.

New: 85 sq. ft.

Difference: -11.6%

Reason: " 'It's a good question. I will look into it and e-mail a response.' (We never got one)"

Kraft Mac & Cheese Elbows: 7.25 oz.

Kraft Mac & Cheese Spirals: 5.5 oz.

Difference: -24%

Reason: A shape is more expensive, difficult, and involved than an elbow. The company also makes much more of the elbows (so they can be sold for less).

Old: 30 0z.

New: 24 oz.

Difference: -20%

Reason: 30-ounce discontinued in smaller stores due to increased costs for raw materials.

Classic Roast: 11.3 oz.

French Roast: 10.3 oz.

Difference: -8.8%

Reason: Weight difference based on roasting process and amount of moisture removed from beans. The darker, the roast, the more lightweight the coffee. The containers should provide the same number of brewed cups.

These are just some examples featured in the article, others include (but are not limited to) Classico Pesto, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and Jessica Simpson's favourite... Chicken of the Sea "Pink Salmon".

Here are some tips and tricks from the lovely people at Consumer Reports:

- Look at different brands (Minute Maid still sells OJ in half-gallons and Ben & Jerry's packs its ice cream in pints)

-Compare unit prices

- Try store brands (cheaper and still taste good)

- Buy in bulk

and when all else fails...

- Contact the company. "When we asked customer-service representatives why a product had been downsized, we were often given coupons toward our next purchase."

Zeitgeist 2010: Year in Review

So good I don't even mind if it's too wide for my template. 2010 in a nutshell, take it in. (Double click the video to open in separate screen)

Carrying the World on Your Shoulder

When working at the oneofakind Show this weekend in Toronto I stumbled across this booth that really intrigued me. The company is Joy Apparel and the product is the Joy T-Shirt.

You design and purchase your Joy T-Shirt on www.joytshirt.com by choosing a person and a shirt to put the face on. Each visage (face) represents a real person and the tag will have information on the stranger (ie name, where he/she is from, goals in life). The idea is that

"when you wear your shirt you are encouraged to think about that person and how your everyday actions can affect others and the world we live in"

Then, once you bought your Joy T-Shirt, you can then upload your visage to the website. It will then be hand drawn and put onto a shirt for others around the world to wear next to their hearts. How cool is that?!

As stated by the people at Joy Apparel:

It is about taking an active stance against racism and discrimination while being an advocate for peace and equality... because in someway or another, we are all connected!

The Girl Effect

(Double click on video to watch full screen)

The Girl Effect is passionately dedicated to spreading awareness about the tragic lives of adolescent girls in the developing world. They stress the importance of education-among other things- in order to keep the girls safe as well as empower them to inflict change.

Here are some FactSnacks provided by The Girl Effect's website:

- An extra year of primary school boosts girls' eventual wages by 10%-20%. An extra year of secondary school: 15 %-25% percent

- When a girl in the developing world receives 7+ years of education, she marries 4 years later and has 2.2 fewer children

- When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90% of it into their families, as compared to only 30%-40% for a man

- 1 in 7 girls in developing countries marry before 15 (38% marry before 18)

- One quarter to one half of girls in developing countries become mothers before the age of 18

In Nicaragua, 45% of girls with no schooling are married before 18 versus only 16% of their educated counterparts. In Mozambique, the figures are 60% versus 10; in Senegal, 41% versus 6!

Girl Effect is full of passionate people striving to eradicate poverty and give girls the chance at a better life. To visit their website CLICK HERE and you can make a donation, spread their key messages/videos through Twitter and Facebook, and learn more on what they are all about. I encourage you to visit their website and learn about how these young girls can make a difference.

LGBT Bullying Epidemic

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) bullying amongst teens in North America has been a hot topic this year in the media. As seen above, Ellen DeGeneres has continuously shed light on what has been happening and encourages those being bullied that they are not alone and there is help. She has had many guests recently on the show to talk about their bullying experiences and this issue including Ricky Martin and actors Chris Colfer and Mike O'Malley from GLEE. This Monday, November 22, Ellen will have Graeme Taylor on her show.

Graeme is a 14 year old gay student who defended high school teacher, Jay McDowell. One of McDowell's students told the class he "didn't accept gays". McDowell did not like where this was going and asked the student to leave the classroom. As a result, McDowell was then suspended without pay for a day. Here is what Graeme had to say about this at a Howell school board meeting:

"I want to force adults to look at what situation we've created,'' he said. "I would really like us to be more aggressive in our policing of harassing and bullying.'' - McDowell

There are many campaigns right now creating awareness of and trying to rid North America of this tragic bullying epidemic. Love is Louder is another example, it was started by Brittany Snow, the Jed Foundation, and MTV. MTV Canada also dedicated this week to talking about this issue and encourages others to talk about it as well.

To read the full story with regards to McDowell please click here

For more information about Love is Louder please click here

Also, remember to tune into The Ellen DeGeneres Show Monday to hear more about Graeme's story and the impact standing up for someone has on an individual and an epidemic like this.

Movember

For those of you who live under a rock, we are currently on Day 11 of Movember. Movember being the month where men commit to growing a mustache to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer.

"The mustache becomes a ribbon for men's health" - Movember.com

Did you know...

- This clever idea was generated back in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia.

- In 2004 432 Mo Bros raised $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (aka the largest donation they had ever received)

- Movember has now spread to Canada, USA, the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South America, the Netherlands, and Finland!

- In 2009 there were 255,755 Mo Bros & Mo Sistas globally raising $47 million

And last, but not least...

"Last year’s Canadian campaign was the second largest in the world behind Australia, with 35,156 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas coming together to raise $7.8 million for Prostate Cancer Canada."

Shout outs to all the guys committed to rocking their Mos (and of course the ladies to support it)! Here are a few:

The fundraising during Movember is something to be very proud of but it is equally important to remember the reason why the money is being raised and the awareness being made. In a recent survey of the Movember community it was found that "because of their involvement in Movember, 39% of the Mo Bros sought medical advice, whilst a further 36% encouraged someone else to seek medical advice. "

Happy Movember everyone! Special thanks to those who showcased their pictures for FactSnacks, much appreciated :)

For more information and/or to show your support please visit www.movember.com

Giving Art Deeper Meaning

This blog highlights some of my favourite pieces from Chis Jordan's "Running the Numbers: an American self-portrait" collection. He has an unbelievable gift to not only create remarkable artwork, but also have the end product speak volumes. Each piece of art illustrates an alarming American statistic which is stated in the caption. Take a look at the following I have chosen to get the picture...

Depicts 106,000 aluminum cans, the number used in the US every 30 seconds.

Now if we take a closer look at the piece, we can see that it is in fact made with 106,000 aluminum cans!

Depicts 32,000 Barbies, equal to the number of elective breast augmentation surgeries performed monthly in the US in 2006

Again, when you zoom in, it is made clear that the piece is comprised of 32,000 Barbies.

Depicts 28,000 42-gallon barrels, the amount of oil consumed in the United States every 2 minutes

Depicts 320,000 light bulbs, equal to the number of kilowatt hours of electricity wasted in the United States every minute from inefficient residential electricity usage

I strongly encourage you to visit Chris Jordan's website to take a close look at his artwork. The website actually allows you to slowly zoom in on each piece so you can see the intricate details that make up the big picture. To visit CLICK HERE (it's worth the look!)

Lady Gaga "If you don't like it, GO HOME!"

I think the speech is self explanatory ...

You Go "Girls"!

After Oprah Winfrey had a show about how 85% of American women are wearing the wrong bra size she sparked a bra revolution! Once the episode aired, Nordstrom reported a 189% sales jump and bra sales rose to $5.7 billion a year. That is a $700 million increase from the previous year!

Oprah’s bra intervention has essentially started a bra revolution sweeping the nation.

“We have changed the bra industry” – Oprah

On behalf of those not exactly part of the “Itty Bitty Titty Committee”, I would like to thank Oprah for making this problem known and giving “the girls” some support!

Image source

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Sarah Jane supporting the CIBC Run for the Cure :)

As you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What you might not know is that, According to the Canadian Cancer Society breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer).

In 2009: 22, 700 women and 180 men will be diagnosed with it.

Doctor Kristi Funk, who has appeared on many television shows but most recently The View, has some statistics about how weight gain increases your risk. The following numbers relate to the amount of weight you have gained since high school:

-Lost or gained 4 lbs = no increased risk

-Gained 10 lbs = 10% increase

-Gained 10-20 lbs = 20 % increase

-Gained 20-30 lbs = 60% increase

If you have gained 40 pounds since high school you have increased your chances of getting breast cancer by 50%!

In addition to living a health active lifestyle to help decrease your risk, Dr. Funk suggests green tea. She claims that drinking 3 cups of green tea a day will reduce your chances of breast cancer by 50%...so drink up folks!

Polar Ice, On The Rocks

Source

There are approximately 20, 000 polar bears in the wild. Due to the reduction in sea ice in the Arctic, we can expect a loss of 2/3rds of the entire world’s population of polar bears over the next 50 years.

Last year it was proposed that they be added to the 2008 threatened species list. Polar bear deaths as a result of global warming are of great concern and rapidly increasing. It has also been foreshadowed to lead to extinction. Many are drowning because their homes are literally melting away.

I remember my Journalism Ethics professor standing in front of my class and telling this students that a sure fire way to sell a story is to use babies or cute animals. If the statistics are not tugging at your heartstrings then perhaps the video and image will. There are many petitions and ways you can show your support to this issue including Nature Canada’s petition. I encourage you to help shed light on this problem and do what you can, big or small, to help lessen the effects of global warming.

I would like to thank Sarah Jane showing me the above video clip to share with you :)