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Archive for July, 2010

Week 29: Saving man’s best friend

Posted in Animal Conservation & Welfare, volunteering, tagged , , on July 22, 2010 | 7 Comments »


I’ve been counting my blessings that no friends and family members have been dramatically impacted by the current recession. No one has gone untouched, everyone I know is worried, but no one I know is without roof nor food.

This week’s Impact Effort showed me a different side of the recession, and I can no longer say I know no one who has truly suffered.

Katie, a 13-year-old, yellow female, nearly faced death when her owners were forced to give her up, in part, due to financial difficulties. A Lab Rescue of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac volunteer happened upon Katie and her owner at a vet where Katie was due to be euthanized. Thankfully, the owner contacted Lab Rescue and Katie is now at a foster home awaiting adoption.

Statistics

Sadly, Katie’s story of losing her family isn’t unusual.  While US national statistics are hard to come by, in 2009,  the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) estimated that between 500,000 and 1 million cats and dogs in the US were at risk of becoming homeless as a result of the continuing economic downturn. Anecdotal evidence ranges from a 9% to 45% increase in number of pets put up for adoption last year — with foreclosure often the reason cited.

Even more shocking, according to the Humane Society of the United States, every eight seconds an unwanted animal is put to death in US shelters, not because of health, but because they’re unwanted. Thanks to Lab Rescue, there is at least one less death this year.

Daphne

This week’s love

I got involved with Lab Rescue this week thanks to my friend, Kathy, who volunteers with the group.  Amongst several small tasks like reference checks and a housecheck that I took on to help Lab Rescue, together, Kathy and I transported a potential “escape artist”, named Daphne. While Daphne may, indeed, have a bit of Houdini blood in her — she’s an extraordinarily clever gal — what was most striking was her winning personality. After several laps at the water bowl, a brief walk and “pee stop”, she good-naturedly hopped in the back of the car. Though nervous and tired from being cooped up in one of many crates in the back of her transport van for several hours, she showed a real affection for us human beings with lots of friendly ear licks and snuggles for scratches behind her own ears. Daphne was quickly examined, evaluated and recently cleared for adoption. I have high hopes that she’ll find herself a kind, gentle family to call her own.

The good news

While numbers of pets seeking homes have increased, so has the number of placements by Lab Rescue. Placement averages in previous years was approximately 600; last year, Lab Rescue accounted for 881. In this past weekend alone, 23 dogs were adopted through Lab Rescue, mostly from the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

What can we do?

Aside from adopting — which as soon as you see the adoptees, I guarantee will be very tempting — there are many ways to get involved. Lab Rescue, and organizations like it, are always seeking volunteers to assist in doing house or reference checks, transports of dogs to vets, or fostering. Many tasks don’t have to take up a lot of time or effort, but the outcome for a four-legged friend could be a new life.

Other ways you can help:

  • Donate old sheets, towels and blankets to your local shelter,
  • If your pet has passed on and you’re not ready to adopt yet, consider donating your animal equipment. Check with your local shelter or Humane Society for a list of what their current needs are. Crates, carriers, leashes, food, snacks, kitty litter, grooming products and equipment, toys, bowls, etc. are among the items often sought after.
  • Donate money. Anything you can donate, even extra change, is welcomed by your local shelter or rescue organization. If you prefer to donate more personally, consider buying a leash or collar (check with your local shelter for their preferred brand and type).
  • Volunteer to walk dogs at your area shelter.
  • If you have computer skills, offer to help develop or update a database, update the website, or keep an Excel spreadsheet.
  • If you have writing skills, volunteer to write grant proposals or website content.

Lab Rescue has a two-fold mission to (1) rescue, foster and place homeless, abused, and/or abandoned Labrador Retrievers (and Golden Retriever-Labrador Retriever mixes) and (2) provide a referral service for owners seeking to place their Labradors in new homes.  As we see it, what they’re simply doing is saving lives and helping make families complete.  Lab Rescue will remain an ongoing Impact effort for us.

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Week 28: … get out of the kitchen, amongst other things

Posted in Uncategorized on July 16, 2010 | 1 Comment »


I’d like to be able to say that I’m made of tougher stuff. But, I’m now in the outskirts of Washington, DC (built on a swamp, by the way) and am really (really!) enjoying the central air conditioning system at my friends’ home.

But, before arriving (I didn’t come to Washington, DC specifically for the air conditioning, honestly!), I did, as promised, research and test solutions for staying cool without air conditioning. I happy to report that I did, indeed, find some solutions that work, and even work well.

From my research and testing, I’ve amassed quite a list of  top tips. Some of these can also be useful to those who have a/c — they can help keep the house cooler, so less work by your a/c system, less impact on the environment, and less money out of your pocket.

But, first:

What didn’t work for me

  • I understand perfectly the principle behind eating spicy food on a hot day. It makes you sweat and the perspiring (and evaporation) cool your body temperature. Though I love spicy foods, this doesn’t work for me in the sweltering heat. I prefer it on a temperate summer eve. The added sweating makes me that much more miserable. I prefer to stick to “cool” foods like fruits, fresh veggies, and chicken or fish prepared simply.
  • Similar to other suggestions that I liked (see below), soaking my pants in water, wringing it out and wearing it was, at best, unpleasant. It reminded me too much of my pre-toilet training.

Top Tips for staying cool without air conditioning

To do around the house

  • Replace incandescent bulbs with florescent. They put out a lot of heat.
  • Close drapes and shades during the day. Keep the windows are dark as possible.
  • Turn OFF electronics when not in use.  We’ve covered this issue before as relates to energy consumption, but not only do these “energy vampires” suck up energy when in standby mode, but they also give off heat — heat that you’re having to tolerate.
  • Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use. They give off an enormous amount of heat.
  • Avoid mid-day washing and drying. In fact, with all this heat, try air drying your clothes instead of using the dryer at all.
  • In that same vein, air dry your dishes instead of letting it run through the drying cycle.
  • Air dry sheets: hang them in front of the windows at night, letting the air pass through the wet sheets.

To do for/to yourself

  • Wear light and light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Dark colors absorb heat.
  • Buy and use a silk or paper folding fan.
  • Shower with a peppermint soap, soften your skin with a peppermint lotion. Mint is cooling and refreshing. Many manufacturers now have peppermint product lines. Ones that I’ve tried and like are Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Liquid Soap (it’s dreamy, and I’ve seen they have a Peppermint Lotion, too) and Burt’s Bees’ Peppermint Foot Lotion.
  • Eat mint candies. I’ve been eating After Eights stored in the freezer. Yummmm!
  • Soak your feet in cool water (and eventually add ice cubes).
  • Stay out of the kitchen: try to avoid using the regular stove or oven. They generate a lot of heat. If you have to warm anything, use your microwave oven.
  • Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetable salads, cold pasta salads, and other light dishes. And, don’t overeat, it will make you feel hotter.
  • Make and eat lots and lots of juice popsicles.
  • Use a gel pack as a wrist support when working on your computer.  When not working on your computer, wrap them around your wrists. Cooling off these pulse points will make your body feel cooler.
  • Water. Drink lots and lots of water.
  • Use a fan: moving air feels 4 to 6 degrees F cooler. An oscillating one is particularly nice.
  • Soak a tank top in tap water, wring “dry” and wear. Ok, not the fashion statement you may want to make outdoors, but it works fabulously indoors! (Nils is trying this with a wet t-shirt this weekend. A shame I’m not there to see it)
  • Do the same with a few bandanas and leave them in the freezer. Take out and hang around your neck as needed.
  • Spritz yourself with a fine spray of water and sit with a fan blowing nearby to cool the air.  The combination of the two works wonderfully. As the water evaporated, my skin shed heat. Additional tip from Nils: Add a bit of alcohol to the water. Maybe not the best for the skin, but it sure feels good.

My top combo cooling techniques

All the tips above are helpful, though no single tip provided complete relief.  However, the tips below in combination made for a perfectly comfortable environment. I was certainly not very glamorous, but I was able to sit for several hours in my office concentrating, working and content (wall thermometer indicated room temperature of just over 38 degrees Celsius/101 degrees Fahrenheit). Here’s what I did:

  • Wet a tank top, wrung it out, put it on (surprisingly, the tank top was bone dry within a couple of hours).
  • used a gel pack as a wrist rest (we have two, so they could be rotated over the several hours).
  • Placed a small oscillating fan nearby to blow on/across me.
  • Sipped ice water (more ice cubes and water added periodically).
  • Using the water spray bottle (normally for ironing), spritzed myself periodically to keep my skin damp.

Longer term solutions to consider

  • Install ventilation in your attic. Ventilation reduces the temperature and prevents moisture buildup. Your a/c won’t have to work as hard. Better yet, install quality insulation — by doing so, you could be eligible for a tax credit (in the US).
  • Install a programmable thermostat. Set it to start cooling the house before you get home.
  • Install inexpensive heat-reflecting film on windows that face the sun.
  • Check for leaks. Seal duct leaks with mastic tape, caluk and weatherstrip windows, doors and around pipes.  All could save on energy usage and money.
  • Install ceiling fans. As long as you’re installing one, make sure it’s one that can rotate in both directions, to be used in hot and cold weather.
  • Install blackout shades or drapes in the rooms facing the sun. These will make an enormous difference.
  • Do extra planting of trees and shrubs on the east, west and south sides of your house to block sunlight and cut cooling costs. Shade your a/c unit (leaving enough space for air flow).

Take care of others

  • Don’t forget the elderly, kids and animals. Pay attention to local warnings. When temperatures reach a certain level, older persons, children and pets should be watched. Make sure that everyone is well hydrated with plenty of water with limited direct sun exposure. Many of the 30,000 deaths reported during the 2003 heatwave in Europe could have been prevented were people properly hydrated.
  • If you have workers doing landscaping or other outdoor work, make sure they get plenty of water and take enough breaks in the shade. Even the healthiest of individuals can succumb to heat exhaustion and sunstroke.
  • Never, ever leave a child, elderly person or animal in a car! Even for “a moment.” Doing so could be deadly!

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Week 28: OMG it’s HOT!

Posted in carbon footprint, Eco-Friendly, Energy-Efficiency, Environment, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on July 14, 2010 | 2 Comments »


This is how I feel

As I sit here, normally the envy of several friends back in the States, in our beautiful 19th century apartment with double high ceilings and decorative moldings in the historical city of Vienna, Austria, I think back to the days when I wouldn’t be sitting on a ^$%)#*@& hand towel to protect the office chair upholstery from sweat.

I just read the weather forecast for today: it will reach 36 degrees Celsius/97 degrees Fahrenheit (309.1 Kelvin for those interested). Nils is in Geneva (in an office, in a suit), the forecast there is a chilly 33 degrees Celsius/91 degrees Fahrenheit. I know this is not politically correct, but I miss the good ol’ American way! Air conditioning!

Evidence that it’s really hot:

  • Even pigeons haven't the energy to come up this high

    I keep thinking there’s something crawling down my legs.  It’s merely rivulets of sweat.

  • We’ve had a problem with ants (yes even up here on the fourth floor). I haven’t seen an ant since this heat wave began. I think it’s too hot for them to exert the effort to come all the way up here.
  • On similar note, normally, the building that’s vis-a-vis to ours has a row of pigeons lined up on the roof gutter. There is not ONE pigeon there now. Perhaps they’ve had Icarus-type experiences, it’s definitely too hot to fly too close to the sun. (I just checked, no scorched carcasses below)
  • For the first time in history, I’ve been successful in killing flies in the apartment — evidently they’re even more lethargic than I, their little cellophane wings more floppy than vibrate-y.
  • The laundry bin is completely empty! I haven’t been generating much in the way of laundry. All I’ve worn in the apartment the past two weeks is underwear and a tank top, IF I wear anything! Ok, sorry, that was probably too much information.
  • I recently read an Associated Press article that said that lizards are becoming extinct in some areas of the world because it’s too hot to reproduce. Let me just say that I understand.
  • NOTE: Added a few hours later. Unfortunately, I had to move around today; I had to go to the post office. Further evidence that it’s really hot: I walked all the way home from the post office. After having spent ten minutes stuffed into the bus with the aromas of humanity (ew), I preferred to broil in the sun.

Air conditioning, evil or not?

At the risk of ticking off friends and family in the States, air conditioning use consumes fossil fuel, and adds to global warming. We’re actually creating a sort of vicious circle. In order to cool our interior air, we’re warming the external air which makes us need air conditioning even more. According to the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. (EPA), “one-sixth of total electricity consumed in the US is used for cooling.” While this information comes from a study done in 1997, and a great deal of progress has been made in making cooling systems more efficient with less impact on our environment, that’s still a staggering statistic.

I wish I felt as cool as a ...

But is it only about comfort? Nils and I remember well the heatwave of 2003 in Europe.  We got married that summer on the hottest day in the history of Hamburg, Germany (everyone in our wedding photos looks very shiny). Our comical memorabilia aside, over 30,000 people died across Europe during that summer because of the heat. Governments became all too aware how ill-prepared they are to deal with rising temperatures. Many have since put in place measures such as installation of portable air-conditioning systems in care facilities, older hospitals and schools.

This week’s Impact effort is most challenging and most definitely self-serving. We’re going to try to discover how we can manage to stay cool with minimal environmental impact (i.e., without air conditioning). With heatwaves going on in many parts of the world, we know we’re not the only ones suffering. I’ll report back later in the week. Wish me luck and if you have tips, please feel free to submit.

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July MIC: Share What You’re Doing Challenge

Posted in Monthly Impact Challenges (MIC) on July 9, 2010 | 4 Comments »


This month’s Monthly Impact Challenge is simple:  Share What You’re Doing.

We know many of you have your own projects, causes and concerns where you’re making your own personal Impact. This month, we encourage you to share what you’re doing in your family, neighborhood or the larger global community. We want to know.

Examples

  • Do you donate or buy at charity shops? Which ones?
  • Do you volunteer at your church or at your local hospital? If so, what kind of work do you do?
  • Did you buy an extra sandwich for the homeless man outside the cafe yesterda?
  • Did you participate in a charitable event? A walkathon?
  • Do you share your knowledge some way to help others grow? If so, how?
  • Are you lowering your carbon footprint and trying to eat more healthfully by growing your own produce? Or do try to buy local?
  • Are you an organizer for a women’s group? Do you do advocacy work for an animal welfare organization? Do you plant trees with an environmental concern? Do you serve up dinner at a  local soup kitchen?
  • Have you done some Random Acts of Kindness lately?
  • Do you bicycle, carpool or walk to work? For the sake of the environment and your own health.

So, stop! Here’s your chance to show what YOU’re doing! Please share as often as you like in the comment section.

Note: If you’re working with a specific organization, we encourage you to provide the full name of the organization and a link to their website.

To Enter for the July MIC Prize

To participate in this month’s Challenge, you can submit however you want, whenever you want during the month.  HOWEVER, to enter for the July MIC Prize, please make sure you include:

  • A description of your Impact Effort.
  • If it’s with an organization, please include the organizations’ full name and (if available) website link.
  • If there was a particular reason you decided to make this Effort, please describe.
  • What Impact do you believe you make/made with this Effort?
  • How does/did this Effort Impact you?

We look forward to hearing from you!

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June MIC: The Winners

Posted in Monthly Impact Challenges (MIC) on July 8, 2010 | 3 Comments »


Heck, there was so much darn happiness being spread around during the month of June, everyone should be declared a winner!

But, we can only give prizes to the two top!

So, based on votes that came in between Monday, 5 July @ 7:30 a.m. EST and Thursday, 8 July @ 5:00 p.m. EST, the prize winners of the Happiness Challenge — those who posted the most popular “happy thoughts” — are:

Sylvia, for “Laughter, so much laughter”

and

Dede, for “Being married to a kind, gentle man”

This month’s winners receive one of these funky, colorful Decodelire bags from France. They’re fun, practical and always get comment. These bags are the smaller models that are great for carrying lunch to the office or for toting your sunscreen, iPod and book for the beach.

If you didn’t win, or didn’t have time to participate this month, no worries, you can sign up anytime on Butter Be Happy and be happy! Or just start your own personal “gratitude journal.” You may be surprised what a difference it makes in your daily outlook on life.

Added July 9: I was so excited about the winning postings, I forgot to say thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!  Thanks!

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Week 27: If the sun don’t get ya, the sunscreen might

Posted in Product Safety, tagged , , , , , , on July 7, 2010 |


As a kid, I’d go to the pool at 8:00 a.m. for swim team practice and spend the entire day either in the pool or nearby, soaking up the sun, sometimes remembering to “moisturize” with Johnson’s baby oil. I did that nearly every day during summers for several years. Thank goodness we know better now and can be safe and protected with our skin cancer protecting, high level SPF sunscreens.

Or can we?

There’s been a lot of noise lately about sunscreens. As a bit of a skeptic, I had to do my own research. It’s been a challenge sorting through the hype, fear-mongering, assumptions and “urban legend” mixed in between fact-based studies. Sorry to report, there is, indeed, well-documented, but poorly publicized studies on the inadequacies and potential dangers of sunscreens.

Hype aside, here’s some bits of what I found:

Buyer and Slatherer Beware!

In 2007, following heavy pressure for decades to develop safety standards, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States stated, “FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer.” I don’t know about you, but that surprised me. So, what are we smearing all over our bodies, faces, and our children!? And, why?

This information combined with the inclusion of some “highly questionable” (my interpretation) ingredients gives cause for apprehension:

  • Oxybenzone, one of the more controversial ingredients in sunscreens, is used in 60 percent of non-mineral-based sunscreens in the U.S. It ‘s been found to be hormone disrupting, also releases free radicals, and can trigger allergic reactions. Though its impact on humans is not yet clear, oxybenzone is NOT recommended for use on children. As of this writing, oxybenzone can be found in some formulas of popular brands of sunscreens including Banana Boat, Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropics. For other names that oxybenzone might be listed as, go to the EWG (Environmental Working Group)* Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.
  • Retinyl Palmitate is another sunscreen ingredient causing concern. It is used in some 41 percent of sunscreens distributed in the U.S. Studies by the National Center for Toxicological Research and the National Toxicology Program suggest that retinyl palmitate may be photocarcinogenic (in other words, in the presence of UV rays, the compound and skin change biochemically and could result in cancer). Additionally, over the years, the FDA scientists have published some 17 studies on the toxicity and chemistry of retinyl palmitate on the skin. The conclusions are similar to that of the NCTR and the NTP. While evidence for humans is yet conclusive, the EWG suggests that we avoid sunscreen products with retinyl palmitate.
  • Overselling: Studies** show that people typically apply about 1/4 of the recommended amount of sunscreen. In fact, “in everyday practice, a product labeled SPF 100 actually performs like SPF 3.2, an SPF 30 rating equates to a 2.3 and SPF 15 translates to 2. Moreover, FDA scientists say SPF claims above 50 cannot be reliably substantiated,” states the EWG.

What To Do!?

The Parasol: Summer 2010 Fashion Accessory?

The jury’s still officially out on the aforementioned ingredients, so “conventional wisdom” says we should still take Mary Schmich‘s advice and/or the lyrics of “Everybody’s Free” and “WEAR SUNSCREEN“, but do so with care and:

  1. read the ingredients, and until we know more,
  2. avoid products that contain oxybenzone or retinyl palmitate.
  3. Protect your body with clothing and wear a hat and sunglasses.
  4. Avoid the sun. Yes, we still need our vitamin D, but what’s considered “sufficient” is measured in minutes per day of sun exposure, NOT time baking! (The amount of sun exposure you get walking from your car to the beach and putting down your towel is possibly more than recommended.)
  5. The U.S. Center for Disease Control provides the following tips for proper sunscreen application:  1) Be sure to apply enough sunscreen. As a rule of thumb, use one ounce/29 grams (a handful) to cover your entire body. 2) Use on all parts of your skin exposed to the sun, including the ears, back, shoulders, and the back of the knees and legs. 3) Apply thickly and thoroughly. 4) Be careful when applying sunscreen around the eyes.
  6. What do you think of bringing back parasols as a fashion accessory? :-)

Where to Find Safe Products?

I’ve come across a couple of non-commercial (and what I believe are dependable) lists of sunscreen products that are free of the above ingredients, as well as a few others.

The Daily Green – 21 of the Best Sunscreens

Environmental Working Group – Best Beach and Sport Sunscreens

Good News for Europeans

  • In Europe, products containing oxybenzone must carry a warning label.
  • Europe is often cited for the fact that it markets sunscreen products with active ingredients that are decades ahead of what is available in the U.S. While U.S. sunscreens will block out UVB rays, European products can contain ingredients that block both UVB and UVA rays. While UVB rays are said to be the most potent and previously thought to be the  main cause of skin cancer, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “Studies over the past two decades … show that … UVA contributes to and may even initiate the development of skin cancers.” (NOTE: some UVA-protecting products have recently become available in the U.S., but at exorbitant prices)

Now What?

I, personally, am going to go through our medicine cabinet and get online to see what our sunscreen products contain. How about you?

===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== =====

* The Environmental Working Group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the organizational goals to:
1. To protect the most vulnerable segments of the human population—children, babies, and infants in the womb—from health problems attributed to a wide array of toxic contaminants.
2. To replace federal policies, including government subsidies that damage the environment and natural resources, with policies that invest in conservation and sustainable development.
** Department of Dermatology, D92, Bispebjerg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark

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June MIC: Vote Your Top 3 Faves

Posted in Monthly Impact Challenges (MIC), Personal Development, Random Acts of Kindness on July 5, 2010 |


If you heard a dull, hollow “thonking” noise yesterday, I confess that was me. Between the hours of about 2 – 4 p.m., I was whacking my forehead with the the heel of my hand repeatedly and firmly, crying, “stupid, stupid, stupid!” What foolishness made me believe that Nils and could easily sort through friend and follower Happy Thoughts and present a short list for voting? If we had really been “fair”, our short list would number in the hundreds. Each Thought was a gem, ranging from touching to moving, odd to ROFL funny, and many made us pause, think and appreciate.

In the end, we managed to cull to 21 items. I can’t say Nils and I were in total agreement, and we’ve no doubt removed what would have been others’ favorites. But for the sake of our marriage :-) , we present the list below. We love each and every thought!

Please help us decide the top Happy Thoughts winners and VOTE for your top three (3) favorites (give the corresponding letter/number combination). Deadline for voting is: Thursday, 8 July 2010 5:00 PM EST. Submit your favorites as a comment below. And, please enjoy reading!

1a Fresh ginger sizzling in a wok. 1b Laughter, so much laughter. 1c Not hearing vuvuzela’s!
2a The shredder! Loves to eat old to do lists, feels so satisfying!! 2b The unexpected scent of honeysuckle in the air. 2c Looking for exquisite new stationery to write letters. Inspirational.
3a My parents’ anniversary, 62 years and still doing the tango. This thought is worth all 5 of today’s happy slots. 3b I am truly grateful that I can really talk to my hubby about anything. He is really my best friend. Ever. 3c The amazing outpouring of help, hope, love, links and all good things from my online friends, and their friends, and even total strangers …”
4a I’ve documented 150 happy thoughts this month (and had many more) 4b Glad I don’t live in a time when I have to dress for dinner. 4c Shared hilarious politically incorrect moment with daughter (oh, oops).
5a The most perfect dawn: unencumbered clear skies. 5b The sound of ginger ale being poured over ice on a hot day. 5c Standing on the beach with my feet sinking into the sand.
6a I am so grateful and happy it rained – after we got home. 6b Had a long cuddle with my kitty because she was in the mood. 6c A walk along deserted beach with dogs and husband.
7a Chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. 7b Being married to a kind, gentle man. 7c Sunbeams on a plain white wall.

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June MIC: Happiness Challenge Follow-up and Vid

Posted in Monthly Impact Challenges (MIC), Personal Development, Random Acts of Kindness, tagged , , on July 3, 2010 |


The entire month of June was marked by serendipity. Opportunities to connect with friends, family and strangers just seemed to fall into our laps. While sadly, not all needs for connection were happy ones, the combined efforts made for a most fulfilling month.

June’s Monthly Impact Challenge was a Happiness Challenge and all about appreciating and acknowledging the “little things in life” and the big and little people who can make such a difference.

Nils and I are in the process of culling through all the Happiness Challenge submissions and will post our short-list of favorites for voting. We hope to have the list up some time next week.

In the meantime, we’d like to share a lovely little video that illustrates what an incredible impact we can have on those around us. I read somewhere that researchers have found that emotions of anger, fear, anxiety, happiness and depression can spread like viruses and can influence at “three degrees of influence”.* In other words, my mood can influence not only my friend, but my friend’s friend. If I’m going to have that much Impact, I’d prefer I spread around joy!

* Note: haven’t yet been able to find corroboration on this, but it’s a nice concept.

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Week 26: I exist

Posted in volunteering, tagged , , , , on July 2, 2010 | 4 Comments »


I mirrored S‘s actions, approached the guard station and traded in my Green Card i.d. for the prison pass that I hung around my neck. We silently moved to the bank of small locker boxes and stowed away everything except a pencil and a few sheets of paper. Led by a young prison guard, we turned left, then right (or was it right, then left?) down narrow passages. We passed another guard office enclosed in glass, along a wall of one-way surveillance mirrors, through a series of locked heavy metal doors, into a secured elevator and down to a prisoner area. To relieve some of my tension, I asked S questions, but oddly, only dared to speak in whispers. I tried to act nonchalant, but I was nervous. I’d been in a prison once before, many years ago when working on a documentary film. But that time, I was surrounded by a bevy of camera- and sound-men and a producer. This time was a lot more intimate and “real.” (more…)

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