"Profit and purpose: A marriage made in consumer heaven"/ "Let the gamers begin"/ Spring season 2021 TV shows

Mar. 28, 2017 "Profit and purpose: A marriage made in consumer heaven":

Companies need to build causes into their strategy, not just their marketing

Today I found this article by Craig and Marc Kielburger in the Edmonton Journal:

Conventional wisdom in advertising says steer clear of politics. But at the Super Bowl, the Holy Grail of advertising, brands broke the rules.

Shelling out $5 million for a 30-second spot, marketers made poignant statements about gender pay equity and immigration while hawking cars and beer. They used the biggest ad stage to take a stand for a cause.

Judging by the online exposure from the debate about ads and issues, these commercials were a huge success in terms of reach. And while we applaud brands for bringing millions of people into these important conversations, some got flak for false advertising.

For instance, a car company preaching gender equity while only a small fraction of its executive team are women, raised questions for some about what they’re actually doing to change the status quo.

“Cause washing is when your walk and your talk don’t match up,” says Marcia Stepanek, professor of digital media at Columbia University. “Solidarity with a cause is a good step, but it has to go further than the latest ad campaign.”

Stepanek points to the importance of “brand democracy,” where companies follow their customers’ lead to get meaningfully involved in social issues.

And the data proves that customers respond.

People form relationships with brands not just because of what they sell but because of what they stand for. 

A sizable majority of shoppers—80 per cent—agree companies should address social issues. But the effort has to be authentic. A 2016 Drexel University study found there is a cost for companies whose behaviour and brand don’t match up.

 Unplanned purchases dropped by 15 per cent when companies violated consumer expectations.

Cause washing, while fashionable, may be detrimental in the long run.

“[Customers] don’t understand the power they have” says Danielle Fugere, president and chief counsel of As You Sow, a shareholder advocacy group that pushes corporations to make positive footprints.

 More than 84 per cent of consumers say they want to support companies making real progress. If shoppers act on this impulse, they are essentially voting with their dollars for the change they want to see in the world.

In order to win these customers with real brand activism, companies need to build causes into their strategy, not just their marketing.

Clif Bar is lobbying for legislation to forgive student-loan debt for budding farmers, one of the major obstacles keeping youth from jobs in agriculture, an aging industry. Patagonia donated their entire $10 million Black Friday sales to conservation projects in 2016. 

And Airbnb paired an ad for diversity during the Super Bowl with free housing to refugees and those in limbo in the United States after the travel ban.

Companies represent 58 per cent of the largest economic entities in the world, with tremendous resources to grow and scale. 

When they invest meaningfully in causes, marrying profit and purpose, they make sales and social impact.

For Stepanek, corporate causes hold tremendous promise. But she cautions shoppers: 

“Awareness is not an outcome, it’s the start of the journey.”

http://www.canada.com/profit+purpose+marriage+made+consumer+heaven/13212443/story.html

Apr. 25, 2017 "Let the gamers begin": Today I found this article by Craig and Marc Kielburger in the Edmonton Journal:

Your kid is holed up in the basement, alone in the dark except for the glowing screen and the alien invaders from his or her favourite video game. Again. Don’t worry, an alternative to space war is on the way.

Critics call video games a frivolous hobby. Lately, the industry has got a bad rap for enabling gender discrimination and harassment. 

But a handful of game enthusiasts have been looking for productive ways to harness all that virtual time — and it’s a lot. The average gamer has been plugged in for 10,000 hours by age 21, according to researcher Dr. Jane McGonigal. That’s about 417 days.

Now, gamers can set their crosshairs on solving pressing global problems such as drought and pollution. Last month, the United Nations launched World Rescue, a mobile game in which players try to make progress on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Lane Merrifield is the cofounder of the massive online children’s game Club Penguin, another game for good. Players can give up their in-game coins to help the company donate real proceeds. 

Merrifield says about $33 million has been donated to various causes, including WE Charity. “I feel a responsibility for kids dedicating hours of their lives to something we’ve created,” he says.

Here are a few other groups helping gamers use those 10,000 hours for good:

Extra Life

Victoria Enmon played video games to fill the long hours she spent at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston as a leukemia patient. When her friend Jeromy Adams shared her story on a popular gaming website, she was flooded with donated games.

Enmon died in 2008, at age 15, and Adams founded Extra Life. The charity rallies gamers to livestream 24-hour marathons of their favourite games to fundraise for Children’s Miracle Network.

Last year, 55,000 players logged on to bring the charity’s fundraising total to more than $30 million since launch. 

AbleGamers is driving the industry to make games more accessible for people with disabilities. The nonprofit organization consults with developers and provides grants to create games and assistive technologies.

Projects include redesigned controllers, eye-tracking software and custom-built gaming rigs to unlock new games for players with motion-limiting disorders, such as cerebral palsy and spinal muscular atrophy.

World’s worst road trip

Desert Bus has been called the “world’s most boring video game,” a simulator for driving a slow bus from Tucson, Arizona, to Las Vegas and back.

A group of gamers in Victoria livestreams an annual fundraiser in which they extend playtime for donations. Last year, their virtual trip through the game’s desert lasted 159 consecutive hours, attracting millions of viewers and raising $3.2 million for charity.

Levelling up

If you’re worried about your kid’s 10,000 hours, challenge him or her to use some of that time to make a difference. That console could be their link to mobilizing a real-life social movement.

Nineteen million Canadians are regular gamers. If all those gamers come together, that’s 19 million heroes stepping out of their virtual worlds. We’re excited to see the impact they could make in the real one.

Craig and Marc Kielburger are the co-founders of the WE movement, which includes WE Charity, ME to WE Social Enterprise and WE Day.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/times-colonist/20170423/281960312636151

This week's theme is charity and job articles by Craig and Marc Kielburger:

"Millennials seek more than a check"/ "Converting problems into profit"

Tracy's blog: "Millennials seek more than a check"/ "Converting problems into profit" (badcb.blogspot.com)

"Classrooms of the past unequal to future job market"/ "Are you living your best work life? Get paid to find your purpose"

Tracy's blog: "Classrooms of the past unequal to future job market"/ "Are you living your best work life? Get paid to find your purpose" (badcb.blogspot.com)

My week:

Mar. 22, 2021 "Paperboy, 15, saves elderly woman’s life after noticing pile of deliveries": Today I found this article by Emily Chudy on Yahoo news:

A 15-year-old paperboy has been credited with saving an elderly customer’s life after spotting a pile of untouched deliveries outside her door and taking action into his own hands.

Student Liam Apps, from Wigmore in Kent, was doing his job as usual on Thursday, when he spotted an unusual number of newspapers piled up outside the 89-year-old woman’s house.

“I counted how many there were, and it was Sunday’s up until Thursday,” Liam told the PA news agency.

“I didn’t really think anything of it, so I went to school and it was playing on my mind the whole day.

“When I got home I asked mum if we could go over there to ring the door and see if she’s alright.

“We didn’t get an answer, so we went to a neighbour two doors down who helped us go around the back.

“We shouted through the window ‘are you okay?’ and we didn’t have a response firstly, but then she shouted ‘I can’t get off the floor’.

“So that’s when I dialled 999 and called for an ambulance, and after that we had her permission to break the door down to get in. Everyone played a part in it.

“When we were inside, we saw that there was quite a lot of blood everywhere… we went over and asked if she was alright and got her secure.”

The woman is thought to have been stuck on the floor for several days before being rescued.

Liam said he does not have first aid training, but had been advised by his mother Katie Pollitt, a midwife, on what to do in an emergency.

The neighbour who helped them gain access to the house, meanwhile, was a paramedic.

“It was a really good team that we made, and all of us played a part in sorting the lady out and waiting for the ambulance,” said Ms Pollitt.

“I’m very, very proud. He’s really well behaved so I wasn’t surprised… I’m very proud.”

Liam said that the paramedic later informed him over the phone that the lady was “doing alright” and was in hospital.

When asked what advice he would give to anyone who found themselves in his situation, he said: “Definitely just check that everything is okay, because immediately I wasn’t going to, and now because of what happened I’m so glad I did.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to replace the woman’s door, with any surplus funds to go towards cleaning the blood from the carpets. It can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/fix-a-94yr-old-ladies-door-after-a-fall.

Paperboy, 15, saves elderly woman’s life after noticing pile of deliveries (yahoo.com)

"Cruise ship appears to float in air off Devon coast in optical illusion": I found this on Yahoo news at first.  Here's an article by Tom Batchelor from the Independent:

A cruise ship appears to float above the surface of the sea off the coast of Devon in the latest image showing an unusual visual phenomenon called superior mirage.

The vessel, moored close to Lyme Bay, was shown in the photo apparently sitting out of the water thanks to a temperature inversion, in which warm air sits on a layer of cold air.

The Fata Morgana optical illusion results from the brain’s assumption that light travels in a straight line. When light bends due to a temperature inversion, the brain is tricked into thinking that the object is in the position it would be if the light's path was still straight.

Cruise ship appears to float off coast of Devon in optical illusion | The Independent

This was on Facebook- a memory from last year:

Kathleen Smith:

Mar. 25, 2021 "Police: Man in Atlanta grocery had 6 guns, wore body armor": Today I found this article by Jeff Martin and Desiree Mathurin on Yahoo news: 

ATLANTA (AP) — A worker at an Atlanta grocery store heard “clicking sounds," and it sounded to him like someone was loading weapons inside a restroom stall, he told police. Then he saw an an “AR-15-style rifle" leaning against the wall.

The sharp-eyed Instacart worker is getting credit for helping officers to stop the man wearing body armor and carrying a half-dozen guns from roaming through the Publix grocery store Wednesday, police said.

The new details are included in police incident reports released Thursday by Atlanta police. The man's intentions are not explained in the reports.

The worker, Charles Russell, “heard clicking sounds from the bathroom stall," a police report states. “It sounded to him like someone was loading firearms."

Russell then alerted a manager at the store, urging him to call 911.

Two Atlanta police officers arrived. One grabbed a rifle from his patrol car, put on a ballistic helmet and went into the store, where he apparently surprised the armed man as he came around the corner from the restroom.

“I immediately ordered the accused to put his hands up and don't move to which he complied," the officer wrote in his report. “The accused appeared to be surprised when he saw us that close to him."

Officers then arrested Rico Marley, 22, without a shot being fired.

Police: Man in Atlanta grocery had 6 guns, wore body armor (yahoo.com)

My opinion: That's good that a mass shooting was prevented.  You don't read a lot about prevention of mass shootings happening.

Spring season 2021 TV shows: 

Manifest: This show will come out with season 3 on Apr. 1:

"After being presumed dead, passengers onboard Flight 828 return and discover the world has aged five years. As they reintegrate into society, they begin to experience guiding voices and visions, and soon a deeper mystery unfolds."

Manifest (TV Series 2018– ) - IMDb

Law and Order: Organized Crime: This will come out on Apr. 1.  I quit Law and Order: SVU by 2012.  I watched that show from 2002-2012.  It was good and all, but I was getting depressed.  I will check out the pilot and will record the series and watch this all in a week.

"Elliot Stabler returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he's been away, and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Throughout the series, we will follow Stabler's journey to find absolution and rebuild his life, while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city's most powerful criminal syndicates one by one."

Law & Order: Organized Crime (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDb

Kung Fu: This new TV show will come out on Apr. 7 on the CW.  This is an action drama.  There are lots of Asians.  I will check out the pilot and will record the series and watch this all in a week.

"A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Chen, to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, Nicky uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice -- all while searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her."

Kung Fu (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDb

Rebel: This starts on Apr. 8 and stars Katey Sagal.  I will check out the pilot.  I don't know if I will watch more than that.

"This potential series pilot follows a legal advocate with a blue collar background, who helps those in need without a law degree."

Rebel (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDb

"Millennials seek more than a check"/ "Converting problems into profit"

Here are 2 articles by Craig and Marc Kielburger.  They're about jobs, charity, and helping people, solving problems, and making money:

Aug. 22, 2017 "Millennials seek more than a check": Today I found this article by Craig and Marc Kielburger in the Edmonton Journal:

As high schoolers return to guidance councillors’ questions about the future, one trend continues to dominate the workforce: the gig economy.

A growing number of young people are cobbling together contract work, side jobs and short-term employment as university degrees no longer guarantee jobs. When young people do find work, more than a quarter are underemployed.

A still-slumping economy has put mounting pressure on the job market. Despite this trend, the pressing search for young people isn’t just for a paycheque, but for meaning. 

One study found that more than half of millennials would take a pay cut for a job that aligns with their personal values.

Combine this desire for meaning with the most educated, most connected and yet least financially successful generation, and you get a new cadre of entrepreneur: one who leverages traditional skills to fulfil unique social needs.

When Katherine Laliberte graduated from law school, she achieved what many in her program considered “the be-all and end-all,” she says: articling at a major firm in litigation and corporate law.

After years of expensive tuition and countless hours in the library, the 30-year-old felt external pressures from her peers to seek big returns on her big investment. But she wasn’t fighting for justice or advancing causes she cared about. She quit and started a notary business to help clients navigate the legal system, cornering the market in Toronto’s west end, while looking for a way to give back. 

That quickly led to pro bono work helping transgender people change their names and get official documents to reflect their personal identity.

Helping her first trans client “live the way she wants to ... was the most rewarding part,” recalls Laliberte. “I saw how appreciated it was, even though it was a tiny gesture.”

From there, paying and nonpaying clients started streaming in as her business — and her impact — continued to thrive. She has plans to expand through subcontractors to offer pro bono services for other clients in need.

Laliberte is not alone in this growing trend.

A structural engineer from Stouffville, Ont., 39-year-old Luke Anderson left his big firm behind after a mountain biking accident confined the athlete to an assisted mobility device. He uses his engineering skills to help create a barrier-free world with the StopGap Foundation, a non-profit that installs ramps to expand accessibility in the Toronto area.

At 25, Shannon Lee Simmons took a break from the rat race as an investment manager to start the Barter Babes Project, skills sharing her financial expertise with young entrepreneurial women. Since then, she’s launched her own financial planning practice, gearing her services to young people and women.

Law school, an engineering degree and a career in financial services still hold allure for many. 

But as Canada produces more professionals than ever — with fewer jobs to go around — entrepreneurs are carving their own path, finding niche jobs that solve social problems.

Just a generation ago, most workers counted down the hours to clock out of a job with little personal satisfaction. Now resourceful young people are putting their skills toward their passion, not just a paycheque.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/edmonton-journal/20170822/282132111564498

Aug. 29, 2017 "Converting problems into profit": Today I found this article by Craig and Marc Kielburger in the Edmonton Journal:

At any given moment, across Nigeria, more than 12 million gas-powered generators are running. They churn out megatons of greenhouse gas annually, and sometimes kill entire families with their fumes.

Nigeria’s undersized energy grid barely provides enough electricity for quarter of the nation’s 190 million citizens. Even then, it’s often just a few hours of power a day. Most Nigerians rely on small, gas-powered generators in homes and small businesses. Apart from environmental and health damage, fuel is an unwelcome cost in a country where the average yearly income is just US$3,596.

Ademola Adesina saw his country’s power problem as an opportunity.

Using a pay-as-you-go leasing model, Adesina’s start-up Rensource replaces gas generators with hybrid solar-battery systems. Zero emissions, and the monthly fee is less than the upkeep of a generator. 

Since launching this past February, Rensource has already installed 500 solar systems. The company plans to replace 500,000 gas generators with renewable energy over five years.

With African nations undergoing a business renaissance, Adesina represents the continent’s rising entrepreneurial class. He’s among those finding a profitable niche by taking on social and environmental challenges.

“It’s all that I see in Nigeria. The most viable and successful businesses target some sort of (social or environmental) impact,” says Adesina.

These businesses aren’t learning about corporate social responsibility after they launch.

 “They’re doing it from the start because it makes the most business sense,” adds Eliot Pence, a Washington-based international investment advisor and founder of the Africa Expert Network, a collective of consultants for global companies wanting to do business in Africa.

Adesina and Pence both point to another prime example of Africa’s entrepreneurship working for social impact — Andela. This three-year-old firm has already built an international reputation for training young Nigerians, Kenyans and Ugandans in software development, then connecting participants with tech companies around the world. 

The business is creating job opportunities — especially for those from low-income backgrounds — and raising local wages while stemming the brain drain of skilled professionals fleeing the continent.

Look no further than last year’s winners of the Africa Entrepreneurship Awards to see more.

Mahmud Johnson founded a zero-waste palm fruit processing facility that uses every part of the palm plant to produce consumer goods, from cakes to skin care products. 

A valuable resource in his home country, Liberia, the business has increased incomes for small-scale palm farmers by 200 per cent.

Jennifer Shigoli, from Tanzania, won recognition for Elea, a company producing affordable and reusable sanitary pads. One in ten girls in sub-Saharan Africa skip school during their periods because they cannot afford expensive disposable pads.

In Morocco, award winner Abdeladim Moumen invented a “molecular diagnostic kit” that allows rural clinics to quickly and inexpensively spot health issues like breast cancer and Hepatitis C. 

His new company Moldiag began producing kits this year, to sell across Africa.

African entrepreneurs have found their niche solving social problems for considerable profit, and to the benefit of their communities and their countries. This is the future of business.

 Entrepreneurs around in Canada — and around the world — should take note, or risk being left behind.

http://www.canada.com/global+voices+entrepreneurs+tackle+challenges+africa/14427701/story.html

"Classrooms of the past unequal to future job market"/ "Are you living your best work life? Get paid to find your purpose"

May 16, 2017 "Classrooms of the past unequal to future job market": Today I found this article by Craig and Marc Kielburger in the Edmonton Journal:

Canada’s education system must give children the skills they need to adapt.

What will your children be when they grow up? Maybe a quantum automotive programmer or a multi-phasic data sculptor.

OK, we made those jobs up. But consider this: just 10 years ago, ‘social media manager’ or ‘mobile app developer’ would have seemed like imaginary job titles to most. With the accelerating pace of social and technological change, the World Economic Forum estimates that 65 per cent of children today will end up in careers that don’t even exist yet.

It’s hard enough to get kids to do homework for known subjects. How can we prepare them for a future job market that we can’t predict? Our education system must give young people the necessary skills to adapt.

And those skills are not what you might think. Literacy, numeracy and scientific knowledge will always be critical. But recently, the World Economic Forum asked executives from some of the world’s leading companies what they thought the most important job skills would be in 2020. 

Their No. 1 response? Complex problem solving. Other skills on their top 10 list included critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and emotional intelligence.

Unfortunately, our school systems — built during the Industrial Revolution — are not well equipped to impart these skills, according to world-renowned education expert Ken Robinson.

“The emphasis on standard academic work is eroding the talents and abilities students need to face the future,” he says.

“We have become obsessed with two aspects of education — math and languages,” adds Peter Gamwell, co-author of The Wonder Wall: Leading Creative Schools and Organizations in an Age of Complexity.

Robinson and Gamwell agree: Our education system must shift to a student-centred, practical model of learning. Robinson points to Big Picture schools in the U.S. Small groups of 15 students work with an adviser and tailor their studies to their own interests. 

A student who loves soccer could research physiotherapy and then, through partnerships with organizations and businesses in her community, apply her research to creating an injury-prevention program for local sports teams.

Gamwell notes that schools across Canada are piloting the “Genius Hour.” Every few days, students get one hour, carte blanche, to take on any project that interests them, like developing a video game or learning to silkscreen T-shirts.

These initiatives ignite a passion for self-directed learning and create opportunities for creativity and problem-solving — skills easily adapted to changing times.

Robinson is also a strong advocate of service learning, incorporating social and environmental actions into core curriculum. 

A class might look at the science behind global warming, and then take on a project to address it — from writing letters to politicians, to launching a local campaign to raise awareness about energy use. 

In addition to creativity and problem solving, youth pick up better leadership, collaboration and emotional intelligence — the ability to handle interpersonal relationships with empathy. 

These skills are timeless. Yesterday’s classroom won’t prepare our kids for tomorrow’s job market. It’s time to rethink education, teaching the lessons they’ll need for careers we can only imagine.

Craig and Marc Kielburger are the co-founders of the WE movement, which includes WE Charity, ME to WE Social Enterprise and WE Day. For more dispatches from WE, check out WE Stories.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/ottawa-citizen/20170516/282175061045130

Oct. 12, 2018 "Are you living your best work life?  Get paid to find your purpose": Today I found this article by Katie Hewitt in the Edmonton Journal:

I’m in the back of a rickshaw looking out over India’s oldest mountain range through a dusty windshield and marigold garlands. My driver, Laxman, is on delivery, bringing supplies to the local Anganwadi, a health resource centre in Kalthana, one of the WE Villages partner communities in Rajasthan. 

On my ride-along, I’ll meet the families who’ll receive the nutrient packets currently stacked at my feet. It’s the world’s best work assignment—to witness this social impact firsthand, and to write about it for WE.

Back at home, I tell a close friend about the trip.

“Great,” she deadpans, “I push paper around my desk.”

The vast majority of the global workforce is disengaged—at 85 per cent, according to Gallup. A sense of purpose in life is critical to well-being, and since we spend a good chunk of time on the clock—about 90,000 hours over a lifetime—meaningless jobs can leave us feeling unfulfilled.

But quitting your day job to find an ashram would be ludicrous. Keep the job security, health benefits, RRSP contribution and vacation package. Then, infuse more purpose into your nine-to-five. Frankly, your current employer should be paying you to bring more meaning to your work. It’s in their best interest.

A changing workforce now demands transparency and meaningful engagement. Millennials are willing to take a pay cut to work for a company with an authentic social mission—75 per cent of us, in fact.

 Consumers are more likely to trust brands with stated values, and will pay a premium for responsible products. A strong corporate purpose, one that counts positive social impact among the core metrics for success, has been proven to boost employee engagement and woo customers.

WEconomy, by Craig Kielburger, Holly Branson and Marc Kielburger, is about this new way of doing business that fuses purpose and profit. It’s their hope and experience that more companies are doing the most they can to make a difference, instead of the least they can get away with. 

They make a business case for doing good. For individual employees, that means it’s now possible to fashion your own meaningful career makeover. You can be bored at your desk, or you can find a way to bring your personal values to work, be at the forefront of this movement, and present a purposeful plan with a firm business strategy behind it.

On a large scale, entrepreneurs are founding companies to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Sproxil is a digital labelling system that weeds out toxic formulas from real medicine. 

Founder Ashifi Gogo read about the death of Nigerian babies after a batch of phony cough syrup made it to market in 2008, passed off by fraudsters to fool worried parents. Gogo’s market niche was a health epidemic. After a partnership with big pharma, his product solution saved lives.

On a smaller scale, HR reps are convincing companies to offer paid volunteer days, donate leftover food from meetings or partner with a reputable charity. 

From inside big business, social intrapreneurs are moving the needle, using the resources and scalability of that business to give back. Bring a viable good deed to your boss and increase your social capital, get face time with the higher-ups when you need approvals and make yourself known. It’s better for the company and your career.

Don’t dread the office. Bring your values to work and make it a place you care about.

Katie Hewitt is an associate director at WE and editor of WEconomy: You can find meaning, make a living and change the world (Wiley 2018)

This article was provided by WE Day for commercial purposes.

https://nationalpost.com/sponsored/life-sponsored/are-you-living-your-best-work-life-get-paid-to-find-your-purpose

"Small actions add up to big change"/ "Mobile mental health expands"/ "Generous 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant donates entire $145,000 in winnings to charity"

Sept. 27, 2016 "Small actions add up to big change": Today I found this article by Craig and Marc Kielburger in the Edmonton Journal:

All the world’s problems might be solved — if only there were more hours in a day.

We may be exaggerating. But many Canadians don’t volunteer because they don’t have time — the top reason given in a national survey. Recent studies have turned up a whole library of research about barriers to volunteering, from hectic schedules to physical limitations to commitment phobia, or fear of joining the wrong organization.

Luckily, one trend is luring hesitant humanitarians with impact-driven actions that are low risk.

Welcome to micro-volunteering, 10-minute increments of doing good that can (mostly) be done from home. 

Code-slingers and charities are inventing ways to make use of these small pockets of downtime to give a growing movement of people the chance to step up for a cause.

Byte-sized volunteer projects could be the antidote for the busy excuse, and offer those with physical or health limitations the chance to give back from home. Think of it as gateway volunteering.

Micro volunteer activities range from simple, one-time tasks — like signing an e-petition — to more immersive interactions that can become habit. iPet Companion lets users remote control robotic toys online to play with cats in shelters across America. 

Play sessions don’t just help the kitties stay active. Participating shelters boosted adoptions by 18 per cent, with donations increasing as much as 295 per cent, according to the iPet website.

This technology is ideal for potential volunteers who may be house-bound because of illness or disability. 

In 2012, patients in the cancer ward at Seattle Children’s Hospital used iPet for some quality playtime with residents at the Idaho Humane Society. Bringing a live animal into a hospital ward might pose a health and contamination risk; virtual pets are allowed.

You don’t have to stay home to be a micro volunteer. If you’re too busy to get down to the soup kitchen or local park clean-up, use geotagging websites to help feed your community or protect local animal species — while you walk your dog or run errands.

With Falling Fruit, users mark the locations of fruit-bearing trees in public spaces on an interactive map that anyone can access. Foragers can then use the data to harvest produce that would otherwise go to waste, distributing it to neighbours or the needy. 

Another website called The Great Eggcase Hunt uses the same model to track the U.K.’s dwindling shark populations with civilian reports of egg sacs that wash up on shore.

These technologies are proof that small actions really do add up to big change. 

Every point of data reported by a “citizen scientist” (anyone geotagging for research purposes) could be part of a larger breakthrough made possible by thousands of participants. 

You’re not just helping a cause; you’re helping to advance collective knowledge.

Take WomSAT, a new website where do-gooders Down Under report sightings of Australia’s wombats. This real-life Pokémon Go helps researchers learn about the population distribution of these environmentally crucial marsupials, one variety of which is on the brink of extinction.

Micro volunteers are using their powers for other kinds of preservation, too. One foundation has rallied users to digitize 32,560 books, creating a public archive of literary classics, as well as some rare and historic titles, for readers around the world.

Not a bookworm? You could help medical science. Stanford University has rallied 98,000 volunteers to run protein-folding simulations on their home computers, creating a globally distributed supercomputer.

Millions of simultaneous calculations from micro volunteers could help find a cure for Parkinson’s, Influenza, AIDS, Alzheimer’s or even cancer.

If you’re still not convinced, visit HelpFromHome.org, a database of 800 micro-actions you can sort by cause, difficulty and time requirement. Micro volunteering could be just the excuse you need to get started.

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Nov. 6, 2018 "Mobile mental health expands": Today I found this article by Craig and Marc Kielburger in the Edmonton Journal:

The world can look grim through the window of a smartphone screen.

At its worst, the internet is a stream of depressing headlines, cyberbullies, trolls and political rants — and our data plans keep us constantly connected. One mental health author recently referred to smartphones as “nightmare rectangles.”

But what if the LCD screen keeping you up nights could also be your gateway to better mental wellness?

With the growing strain on Canada’s health-care system, mobile mental health offers patient-driven solutions, potentially relieving the system and its overworked staff.

Resources are wide-ranging, from guided mediation apps like Headspace, to check-in apps for reaching out to friends in distress, to FaceTime sessions with licensed therapists and digital PTSD counseling through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

These services look promising, especially for rural communities where mental health risks are higher and care options are fewer. Mental wellness apps also have the power to reach youth, an at-risk demographic, where they already live — on their phones.

Research shows that online treatment can help remove barriers to health-care access, giving clients an experience on-par with in-person therapy. Many apps offer self-assessment to help patients seek early intervention before a condition escalates and requires more time, energy and resources to tackle.

“These apps have a significant place at the table,” says Sean Kidd, chief of psychology at the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and creator of A4i (App4Independence), an app for patients with schizophrenia or psychosis.

Kidd’s app was inspired by a former patient with schizophrenia who used his phone to track appointments and detect audio to determine whether or not the sounds he heard at home were real or hallucinations. 

The finished platform includes medication tracking, sleep data, curated newsfeeds featuring positive peer-to-peer discussions, as well as patient diaries to encourage self-care and prediction tools that alert care providers if red flags in user’s habits mark a potential relapse in recovery.

Kidd spent three years testing the app in development with CAMH. He warns that many privately funded apps focus 

more on slick marketing campaigns than research and quality control.

As with all of the internet’s offerings, these apps are a case of user beware. If someone in your life is seeking to improve their mental health, the right resource could be a milestone in their journey, but the wrong one could be a setback. 

Help them do their research. That dream journaling app with the cute graphics could burn their limited energy for recovery, and distract from meaningful progress.

“You’ve got a certain amount of gas in the tank for a coping activity,” says Kidd. “It’s not Angry Birds.”

If the app isn’t offering results, find a new option. Leave honest feedback for developers and reviews for future users.

And if your phone is still causing anxiety, try Moment, which tracks how your use of apps effects your mood, or Thrive, a boundary-setting app to foster healthier online habits.

There’s no replacing professional mental health care, but given how much time we spend on our phones, mobile mental health apps could be worth the screen time.

https://o.canada.com/life/global-voices-can-mental-health-apps-change-your-life

This week's theme is about Craig and Marc Kielburger's news articles about charity and other important topics:

"Trafficking wildlife happens here"/ "A neighborly approach"

Tracy's blog: "Trafficking wildlife happens here"/ "A neighborly approach" (badcb.blogspot.com)

"Living in a digital bubble"/ "Think before you click"

Tracy's blog: "Living in a digital bubble"/ "Think before you click" (badcb.blogspot.com)

Mar. 13, 2021 Leo opinion: Jean Marc Leger asks: "Do we love our pets too much?"

No- 70%

Yes- 30%

My opinion: No.  Do whatever makes you happy as long as it's not hurting yourself or others.  I do find a lot of people spend a lot of time, effort, and money on their pets.

Mar. 14, 2021 Miss. Vickie's chips: I tried the Sour Cream and Caramelized onion because I like both ingredients and it was average.  I also tried the spicy dill pickle and it was average.

"Girl dead, young man in custody after attack in classroom at Edmonton-area school": I found this on Yahoo.  It was written by the Canadian Press:

LEDUC, Alta. — RCMP say a 17-year-old female student is dead and a fellow student is in police custody after a violent assault at a school just south of Edmonton.

Mounties say the attack happened this morning in a classroom at Christ the King School in Leduc, which has about 350 students in Grades 9 to 12.

The girl, was airlifted to an Edmonton hospital where she died of her injuries, and her death is being investigated as a homicide.

Bob Young, mayor of Leduc, says the girl was stabbed and all schools in the area were locked down until police made an arrest.

Police say a 19-year-old man, who was a student at the same school, was later taken into custody at another location.

Insp. Dale Kendall says the two students were known to each other, but she won't say if it's believed that the attack was targeted.

She also won't confirm if the girl was stabbed.

"This is a true tragedy. It is incomprehensible that an act such as this could happen here in our close-knit community of Leduc," she told a news conference Monday.

"This is life altering for the family and friends of the deceased, the youth and staff at Christ the King and for our entire community.

"If there ever is a time to support your neighbours and hug your loved ones, this is it."

The school's police resource officer was not present at the time of the attack, Kendall added.

Major crimes investigators were taking control of the case and officers were not looking for more suspects.

Girl dead, young man in custody after attack in classroom at Edmonton-area school (yahoo.com)

My opinion: 

1. That's crazy.  This happened at a small school.

My elementary school: 300 students

My jr. high school: 700 students

My high school: 1300 students

I expect this to happen at a big school.

2. Inner city school: Or at least in an inner city school where it's a bad neighborhood with low incomes.

3. This is in a small town.  I guess a lot of people expect a big city.

4. I also noticed the male student is 19 yrs old.  That's kind of old.  The oldest student in a high school should be 18.  Or unless this school had some students go there to upgrade -as in go to school for an extra year to take classes again to get higher grade or pass.

There is Centre High for that and I went there to upgrade all 4 core subjects like English, Social Studies, Math, and Biology (you need one science to graduate.)

Mar. 17, 2021 M.E. Lazerte: My co-worker/ friend Ray used to go to this school in 2008-2009.  A boy got stabbed there at that time.  This school isn't in a bad neighborhood.

Brother TN420 Genuine Black Toner Cartridge: I went on Amazon and bought this for $52.  The last time I bought this was in 2018.  A couple of weeks ago I asked my friends Mark and Mel to print something for me and they did.  I thanked them.

Looking for an old computer to buy: I emailed 50 of my friends on Facebook to see if there's an old PC desktop computer I could buy.  I have a 2013 computer I use all the time and share with my dad.

I mainly use my Samsung tablet that my brother got used from his friend.  This is good and fast.

However, I can't always be asking my friends to print things for me.  It's also inconvenient to go to the library to print and pay for the paper and ink. 

"Cardi B responds to 'WAP' backlash and mom shaming: 'Stop expecting celebs to raise your kids'": Today I found this article by Megan Sims on Yahoo news:

Cardi B. set the record straight about why she does not allow her daughter to listen to her music.

On Sunday night, the 28-year-old rapper made headlines when she and Megan Thee Stallion performed their song "WAP" at the Grammy Awards. Transitioning from her hit "Up," Cardi began the performance dancing on a pole before she was joined by Megan and the pair crawled on a bed and danced with their legs intertwined.

Social media was abuzz following the performance, drawing praise from fans, including the Recording Academy.

The backlash was just as swift with many criticizing the Grammys for allowing the performance to air. Complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) were even made. However, a spokesperson told TheWrap that the number of complaints were average for the type of event.

Even more criticism was directed at Cardi herself, particularly from Candace Owens. During a Monday night appearance on Tucker Carlson's show, the conservative commentator called the "WAP" production "an attack on American values, American traditions" and accused the Cardi and Megan of "actively trying to make children aspire to things that are grotesque." Cardi quote tweeted the clip and wrote, "Yaaaayyyyyyy WE MADE FOX NEWS GUYS !!! Wap wap wap." She went on to add, "Matter fact I'm just going to thank Candy (Owens) She put my performance on Fox News giving it more views that boosted the views on YouTube and is counting towards my streams and sales," the rapper tweeted. "STREAM UP AND WAP .REMEMBER GROWN PARENTS ONLY YOU CAN MONITOR WHAT YOUR KIDS WATCH NO1 ELSE."

Cardi further defended herself when a user took to a post on Instagram about the feud to question why she does not allow her 2-year-old daughter, Kulture, to listen to her music.

"But how is this she empowering women with her music but doesn't let her daughter listen? Don't you wanna empower your daughter also??" the commenter wrote, referencing a video Cardi previously shared of herself turning off "WAP" when it was playing in front of her toddler. After being questioned why, she responded, "I don’t make music for kids I make music for adults. Parents are responsible on what their children listen too or see...I’m a very sexual person but not around my child just like every other parent should be."

The rapper replied to the Instagram comment: "My daughter doesn't need to listen to music to be empowered neither should your children. The only way to empower your kids is by talking to them, boost their confidence and making sure they get a good education. I never ever said that WAP was made to empower women, I'm just a freaky person and this is not the first sex song ever made. Stop expecting celebs to raise your kids."

Cardi B on how she's empowering her daughter in response to 'WAP' backlash (yahoo.com)

My opinion: I thought the performance was very sexual.  It was 18+ with the: 

1. Sexually suggestive dancing 

2. Sexually suggestive lyrics and profanity

3. They all wear tight and revealing clothes

I wasn't really offended.  There are lots of female artists who do that in their music videos:

1. "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilara

2. "Booty" by Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea

3. "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls

Mar. 18, 2021 "Generous 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant donates entire $145,000 in winnings to charity": Today I found this article by George Back on Yahoo news:

Thursday's Wheel of Fortune champion Scott Kolbrenner may just be the most generous contestant in the show's history. The financial advisor from Encino, Calif., is a volunteer and sits on the board of directors for Uplift Family Services at Hollygrove.

"Hollygrove is a wonderful place," said Kolbrenner. "It's dedicated to helping kids excel and grow. And their families as well — mental health and other services for them."

After winning $45,000 during regulation play and scoring an ultra rare $100,000 prize in the bonus round, Kolbrenner donated his $145,000 in winnings to charity. Wheel of Fortune revealed the generous gift on the show's Twitter feed.

"Scott has pledged to donate all of his winnings to Uplift Family Services and L.A. Regional Food Bank!" the tweet read. "Way to give back! What a generous gesture! Such good fortune all the way around."

To learn more about these charities or to donate, visit Uplift Family Services and L.A. Regional Food Bank.

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant wins a whopping $145,000 and gives it all to charity (yahoo.com)