Obviously.ca....new environmental website for teens

clipped from www.obviously.ca obviously.ca is the brainchild of a group of 20-something-year-old Ontario government employees. Our bosses thought that the province and the planet could benefit from letting us young’uns do the talking about environmental issues for a while. Specifically, we were asked to develop and environmental website. And so, we did. Obviously. The purpose of the site is to bring you up to speed on environmental issues (without putting you to sleep), and to give you a slew of answers to the age-old "What can I do?" question. We want you to want to play a part in rehabilitating the planet. clipped from www.obviously.ca “Get Out of the Damn Shower!” … And Other Neato Water Conservation Tips! By Jess. Posted on 3:25:01 am - Monday, March 26, 2007. The Time Has Come for Canadians To FLICK OFF By Josh. Posted on 6:19:00 pm - Wednesday, April 25, 2007. You Go Gore! By Stephen. Posted on 4:17:00 pm - Wednesday, May 02, 2007. How Can We Sleep When Australia’s Burning By Stephen. Posted on 1:56:00 pm - Tuesday, April 24, 2007.

Obviously a worthwhile website to explore and share!

The Ministry of the Environment has created this website for secondary students "to explain the challenges facing our planet and inspire them to take actions that protect the environment - all within an interactive media experience that includes music clips and videos. "Obviously.ca is unique. Most environmental government websites bombard you with information and boring statistics," said Sandra Giangioppo, a student at William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute in Toronto. "But obviously.ca uses creative techniques such as video clips and interesting facts to grab your attention and really help you understand the important environmental issues out there. It is a very innovative and cool approach to increasing environmental issues awareness."

Landscaping statement LOL

Shades of Edward Scissorhands! LOL

Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts

clipped from www.nimh.nih.gov Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts Older Americans are disproportionately likely to die by suicide. Although they comprise only 12 percent of the U.S. population, people age 65 and older accounted for 16 percent of suicide deaths in 2004. 14.3 of every 100,000 people age 65 and older died by suicide in 2004, higher than the rate of about 11 per 100,000 in the general population. Non-Hispanic white men age 85 and older were most likely to die by suicide. They had a rate of 49.8 suicide deaths per 100,000 persons in that age group. Depressive disorder is not a normal part of aging. Emotional experiences of sadness, grief, response to loss, and temporary “blue” moods are normal. Persistent depression that interferes significantly with ability to function is not. IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS AND NEED HELP RIGHT AWAY: Call this toll-free number, available 24 hours a day, every day: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You will reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a service available to anyone.

I don't believe that Americans are the only people guilty of neglecting their senior citizens, but I do agree that robbing our older adults of their dignity and leaving them hopeless, to the point of depression and suicide, is shameful. If you take a look at the way many of our seniors are warehoused in nursing homes, waiting to die, you can easily understand why many people opt out of this fate by committing suicide.

On a positive note, there are people working to improve the quality of life of the elderly, helping to keep them in their own homes (where they are happy) yet still monitor their health via technology and homecare services. Also, those who can afford higher quality nursing homes and retirement centers are less likely to suffer the indignities and isolation that create despair and death wishes. We all need to do whatever we can to promote the mental and physical well-being of our seniors; like it or not, we are following in their footsteps.

Tom Tomorrow--Great Moments in Punditry: Four Years Later

clipped from www.democraticunderground.com Tom Tomorrow- Great Moments in Punditry: Four Years Later

Lest we forget...

Blue Beauty Slideshow

A relative emailed me this fantastic slideshow labeled simply "NASA photos". To download and view it click here.