"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.

PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News

PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News Connecting People through News. All-you-can-read digital newsstand with thousands of the world’s most popular ne...

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)