December 2009

  • Poverty in America Awareness Month

    By sarajean on 12/31/09 2:13pm
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    As much as we think we’ve got it bad, there’s always someone who has it worse. Yes, we might be behind on some bills, or we might have to live off tea and toast or ramen noodles for a little while, or give homemade gifts for Christmas—but if you’re reading this, we both have Internet connections, which says something. There are plenty of people who starve throughout the day—who would gladly eat the leftovers we throw out or even compost, who would be so grateful to simply sleep in the beds that we have.

    January is Poverty Awareness Month, so be sure to take a few moments this month to reflect on how much luckier your family is than some other families out there and be grateful for what you have. There’s no need to be sanctimonious or even grim; just give a heartfelt moment of gratitude.

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  • Internet Meme: Pay It Forward

    By lisala on 12/30/09 7:26pm
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    I like, very much, the concept of "pay it forward."

    It's a bit disconcerting to realize that the concept as currently presented, especially in online culture, is most closely associated a slight novel that's so full of saccarine that my teeth hurt just looking at the cover blurb, and a film that's actually even more annoying. Nonetheless, the concept itself is utterly fabulous. Sometimes called "alternative giving," or even "random acts of kindness,""pay it forward" has deep roots in both legal and American culture.

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  • Resolve to Make a Difference

    By sarajean on 12/30/09 11:16am
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    If every year ends with you thinking about how you really want to leave your mark, how you really want to help others and make a difference—yet you never seem to really do anything with your desire—why not make 2010 the year of making a difference? There are plenty of ways to do this. Here are some resolutions you might want to make about volunteering, being an activist, and generally making the world a better place.

    Make the Earth a little cleaner every week. Maybe you’ll pick up the park one week, clean up a stream the next, or adopt a highway. Remember to wear protective gloves.

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  • Adopt a Loon

    By lisala on 12/28/09 6:01pm
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    The Common Loon is quite lovely to look at; one of the most geographically dispersed water birds. The loon's black and white markings, especially the black head and checker-board back, makes it easy to spot on lakes or coastal estuaries from the width of Canada to the northern United States. But, lovely as they are to watch, loons are best known for the eerie cry of the male. Loons are, however, declining rapidly. They have ceased to appear at all at lakes where they have been breeding for hundreds of years; we are not sure, exactly what has caused this decline.

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  • December is Human Rights Month

    By sarajean on 12/23/09 2:44am
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    I know the issue of human rights can seem pretty far away from the American mindset. Sure, we see commercials of starving kids that make us either cry or change the channel or send a few bucks in to assuage our guilt (or bad-mouth the organization running the ads to make ourselves feel better about not sending a check)—but we pretty much take it for granted that our kids aren’t going to be sold into slavery, that we can wear what we want without punishment, that we’re not going to be burned to death or hanged for being a widow, gay, or a freaking psychic.

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  • Playing for Change

    By lisala on 12/15/09 10:06pm
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    Go here for more.

  • Save Some Polar Bears!

    By sarajean on 12/15/09 2:02pm
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    Though the cries of “Drill, Baby, Drill!” from the Sarah Palin crowd are a whisper of what they were back in her bun-induced, moose-lugging stupor, the dangers of Arctic drilling are not behind us by any means. As the Arctic continues to melt, leaving “unlucky” polar bears to sink or swim for their lives, we’re expanding efforts that both deplete the habitat directly, as well as continue to egg the force that makes it melt in the first place on like an Alaskan cheerleader.

    Have we not learned anything?

    We’re looking at a population of incredible creatures—mammals, like us, who raise their young and try to survive despite these brutal conditions—that may be completely wiped out by 2050. Can you imagine having your grandchildren looking up at you with a troubled expression, inquiring as to how we managed to allow the polar bear to go the way of the Dodo?

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  • December Volunteering

    By sarajean on 12/14/09 7:37pm
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    Looking for a way to give some time this holiday season? Here are some ideas for volunteering projects during December. Many of them can flow into the New Year as well; maybe you’ll find something you enjoy that you can stick with.

    Be Santa at an unusual place. Hospices, hospitals, nursing centers, rehabilitation clinics, sheltered workshops and plenty of other places could use a visit from jolly old St. Nick. If you’re not comfortable dressing up, you could still volunteer to help out at one of these places. Maybe a patient could use someone to talk to, or if you’re religious, you could take someone with you to see a nativity scene or to Christmas service. Not religious? Offer to chaperone a trip to see some Christmas lights, see a movie, or to organize a small party.

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  • Kiva Charitable Micro Loans

    By lisala on 12/9/09 1:22pm
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    I first heard about Kiva four years ago. Kiva is a charity devoted to allowing individuals to make micro loans directly, from one person to another. Kiva has partnered with micro finance institutions world-wide, who select qualified loan applicants. Kia sends Field Partners who interview loan applicants, take their pictures, and create a profile for them on the Kiva Web site.

    It works like this:

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