Socks: A Great Gift for the Homeless

Life is composed of ups and downs. At times we have small gains and losses, while at others we rejoice in momentous achievements and mourn massive losses. Homeless folks live every day with great losses in numerous aspects of their lives. How can you make a difference in the face of such need?

Giving a homeless person a pair of socks is a small gesture that has a big impact. According to Otago University professor Jim Cotter, overall body temperature is closely linked to the temperature of our feet[1]. Our feet have few muscles and a large surface area, which causes them to lose heat rapidly. This in turn causes our body temperature to decrease. Pulling on a warm pair of socks will avoid the uncomfortable sensation of cold feet and help regulate the entire body’s temperature.

Warm feet have another benefit which would be an invaluable help to a homeless person and that is to aid the immune system. Welsh Professor Ron Eccles did a study which proved that people with cold feet are twenty percent more likely to get sick, then those with warm feet.[2] Cold feet and a low body temperature cause fewer white blood cells to circulate within our bodies. The lack of these germ fighting cells allows common colds and viruses to invade and work havoc within us.  Such a simple thing as slipping on a pair of warm socks encourages our bodies to circulate important white blood cells and helps prevent sickness.

As the weather grows colder this season and you pull on thicker socks, remember how important this lowly garment is for your overall wellbeing and don’t stop at that, make a big difference in a homeless person’s life by giving them a pair of socks!

---

[1] http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/7205016/Ask-a-scientist-Feet-keep-us-warm

[2] http://edition.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/11/14/cold.chill/index.html

The Blog and I

I burst into the world in 1981. My days were so full of milk and reaching babyhood milestones that I did not take the time to appreciate my nine-year head start on the blog. The earliest predecessors of the blog only debuted in the early 1990s. These forerunners were similar to bulletin boards. Topics of interest were posted and then in the threads below them internauts, which were scarce back then, shared their opinions.

By 1994, I was entering my teens and up to my ears in junior high. Blogs, however, were gaining on me, as the first one was leaving college. Literally! Justin Hall, who is credited with creating the first blog, made a personal webpage while he was in college. He used it to share his opinions and any internet news which caught his eye.

As I faced popularity issues in high school, personal webpages gradually entered the spotlight on the internet. Various internet aficionados built their personal webpages using HTML. These webpages soon earned the name Weblog, because they were logs of what their owners found interesting and helpful on the World Wide Web. Eventually the “we” was dropped and the blog had officially come to the internet.

Fresh out of high school in 2000, I had plenty of book learning under my cap, but desperately needed to gain experience. Blogs continued racing ahead of me. Programmers developed blogging platforms, which enabled common people to maintain a blog by simply clicking a few buttons. Instantly blogging became a popular means of sharing our daily life with friends and family. Within a short a short time, blogs gained entrance into the professional world as politicians and newspapers posted political viewpoints and current news. The blog was now a valuable means of communicating with a growing audience.

Blogs have continued to develop steadily and their use has spread to every corner of the universe in the last fifteen years. The Human Spaceflight Blog, which carries news “From the space shuttle and beyond”, is proof of this. There are currently over one hundred million blogs and at least four times that many people who read blogs on a daily basis. This extensive readership surfs the internet for blogs carrying the latest Hollywood gossip, world news, instructions for their favorite hobbies, articles on medical conditions, updates from their local animal shelter … the list is unending.

Suffice it to say that blogs play a vital part in our society. The use of blogs will continue to evolve in the years to come. Eventually the blog may change so much that even its name will change. However, the need for people to communicate in a practical way among themselves will never change.  

For those of you who are wondering, I continue lagging behind the blog. I have learned a lot and gained experience over the years, but am still struggling to carve out my little niche in the world. Maybe one day I will catch up with the blog …. J

Sources

http://human-spaceflight.blogspot.com.br/

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/03/a-brief-history-of-blogging/

http://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/history-blogging-51411626

Translation from Brazilian Portuguese to English

This English article is my own work. Below it you will find the Portuguese article that I translated it from, as well as the link to where it was originally published.

School Targeted by Racism Wants to Change Name to Nelson Mandela

Marcelle Souza

From UOL, in São Paulo

09/08/2015 3:28pm > Updated 09/08/2015 3:53pm

The roads surrounding Municipal Pre-School Guia Lopes, on São Paulo’s north side, were invaded this last Friday (4th) by 4 and 5-year-old protesters. The protesters’ primary demand is worthy of publicity: change the school’s name to Nelson Mandela.

Five years ago, the school put in motion an educational project which obeys law 10.639/03. This law requires the inclusion of African-Brazilian history and culture in school curriculums. The school has held activities and parties with African-Brazilian themes, and because of this the building was targeted by racist graffiti. These aggressions simply strengthened their resolve to continue implementing the project. In 2014, UOL visited the school and reported how racial prejudice, discrimination and the appreciation of the African-Brazilian culture had become everyday topics in the classroom.

The idea of changing the school’s name was born in May of this year. The subject was brought up during a school council meeting, because few of the parents and students knew who Guia Lopes was – he was a soldier in the Paraguay War. However, everyone knew the story of Nelson Mandela.

“Grandpa Mandiba (as the students affectionately call Mandela) has become a positive role model for all the children,” Cibele Racy the school’s director said, and she continues, “The school deserves to have him as its namesake”.

The children voted on the new name, before the school formally requested the name change. Prior to the vote, the children were told the history behind Guia Lopes. Mandela still won the vote. The school administration then officially requested the mayor’s office and the City Council of São Paulo to change the name of the school. The request is currently being processed and, as of yet, does not have a date when it will be voted on by the city councilmen.

To strengthen their request, the school collected signatures via an online petition and the students began “practicing” how to hold a protest. The students used various areas within the school to publish their demands, discussed what phrases would be printed on their posters and, finally on the 4th, took to the roads to give their request a voice.

Escola que foi alvo de racismo quer mudar de nome para Nelson Mandela

Marcelle Souza
Do UOL, em São Paulo

08/09/201515h28 > Atualizada 08/09/201515h53

As ruas do entorno da Emei (Escola Municipal de Educação Infantil) Guia Lopes, na zona norte de São Paulo, foram invadidas na última sexta (4) por manifestantes de 4 e 5 anos. A principal reivindicação é digna da mobilização: mudar o nome da escola para Nelson Mandela.

Há cinco anos, a escola iniciou um projeto pedagógico para atender à lei 10.639/03, que trata da inclusão do ensino de história e cultura afro-brasileira no currículo escolar. Por causa das atividades e festas temáticas, a unidade já foi alvo de pichações racistas, mas respondeu às agressões com o fortalecimento do projeto. Em 2014, o UOL visitou a escola e contou como preconceito, discriminação e valorização da cultura afro-brasileira se tornaram temas cotidianos em sala de aula.

A ideia de mudar de nome surgiu em maio deste ano, quando o assunto foi levantado durante uma reunião do conselho da escola. Isso porque poucos pais e alunos sabiam quem foi Guia Lopes – combatente na Guerra do Paraguai --, mas todos conheciam a história de Nelson Mandela.

"O vovô Mandiba [como Mandela é chamado carinhosamente pelos alunos] se tornou uma referência positiva para todas as crianças", diz a diretora Cibele Racy. "Ele é o patrono que a escola merece ter", afirma.

Antes de solicitar formalmente a mudança, o nome foi votado entre as crianças, que foram apresentadas também à história de Guia Lopes. Após a vitória de Mandela, a direção apresentou um projeto de alteração do nome da escola para a prefeitura e a Câmara Municipal de São Paulo, onde o processo está em tramitação e não tem prazo para ser analisado de forma definitiva pelos vereadores.

Para dar força ao pedido, a escola fez um abaixo-assinado pela internet e os alunos começaram a "treinar" como fazer uma manifestação. Usaram os espaços da escola para fazer suas reivindicações, discutiram que frases seriam impressas nos cartazes e, finalmente, saíram às ruas no dia 4 para dar voz ao pedido.

This article was originally published here.

Chia: Health Fad to Food Staple

Look around you. We are surrounded by a wide variety of fads which rise and fall in popularity. The colors, textures and styles of ever-changing fashion dictate what we wear.  The latest trends greatly influence what we drive. How we exercise and what we eat to be healthy are definitely not immune to the impact of similar fads.  Chia seeds have ridden this rollercoaster of popularity in recent years. At the crest of their popularity, exaggerated claims which centered around weight-loss abounded regarding chia. Now as the hype dies down and we are more inclined to focus on chia’s true qualities, perhaps we should consider elevating them from fad to staple.

Sixteenth-century records show us that chia seeds were a primary staple among the Aztec and other indians which populated southern Mexico as well as Guatemala. Salvia Hispanica, which produces the tiny seeds known as chia, was so widely grown and valued at that time that it was even used to pay tribute. Hundreds of years have passed, but even so Salvia Hispanica is still cultivated in many Central and South American countries. The seeds reaped from these crops are destined not for the health food stores, but ground or left whole and incorporated into the everyday recipes of the common people.

Eating chia on a daily basis makes sense when you consider the many nutrients hidden within each tiny seed. Not only do these black and white speckled seeds provide a generous serving of fiber, but they are also a significant source of protein and Omega 3. And the list of their beneficial qualities doesn’t stop there! Chia also furnishes us with various B vitamins, including Thiamine and Niacin. Thiamine is essential for proper metabolism and a healthy nervous system, while Niacin works to regulate cholesterol levels and contributes to the overall health of the heart. Our bodies also receive several essential minerals, including calcium, iron and magnesium, from chia.

Unlike ancient times when chia was eaten by the general population, today most of the people who appreciate chia are health-conscious. They shop for whole chia seeds, chia flour or even chia oil in the health food aisles of their favorite supermarket or the health food store of their choice. These chia products are then fixed in a variety of ways and taken as a supplement. There is nothing wrong with this. Wouldn’t it be better, though, to make a permanent spot for chia in our pantry? We would benefit so much more from chia if we made it a daily staple, rather then allowing it to continue being a supplement, which will eventually be forgotten and replaced by another health food fad.

Bits of This 'n That

I read online that it helps young writers if they will write in "bursts". That means several times a day take 10 minutes, chose a topic and just write about it. Throw all caution to the wind! Don't worry about spelling,  punctuation, pleasing an audience or anything else. Simply allow your thoughts to flow from your mind, down your arms, to your fingers and out onto the page. This is good writing practice and it helps aspiring writers to overcome fears and gain confidence. I enjoy doing it, and below is one of my favorite "bursts" (the edited version, of course).

Sept. 3, 2015

This afternoon I had an adventure. I was headed for the drugstore and decided to stop at a park in order to allow Bitsy, my canine companion, to stretch her legs. As usual, we followed the cement path as it wound its way through the grass. On the one side, flowering bushes and cement benches lined the path and on the other, a cement stage with a few faded bleachers. I decided to turn around and retrace our steps through the park to the car, but Bitsy had other plans. She led me down a footpath in the grass to her favorite fountain. This fountain is never on when we are there, but the pool is always full of water and for some reason Bitsy enjoys sniffing around it. I walked slowly past the pool, focusing on the traffic rushing past our grassy island and then turned my attention again to Bitsy, who was calmly sniffing this blade of grass and that spot of dirt. I glanced quickly across the pool and then looked again. There was a young pigeon floating near the fountain! My mind quickly told me, “Leave it there! It is probably sick!”, but my animal loving heart wouldn’t let me turn away. I quickly located a stick and tried to push the soggy bird over to the edge of the pool near me, but it didn’t work. The pigeon fluttered around helplessly and ended up even further from my reach. There was nothing else to do, but sit on the edge of the pool, right there in a busy section of town, and remove my socks and shoes. I then faced a dilemma. I could easily wade over to the pigeon, but Bitsy could not and leaving her loose on the park was not an option. Scooping Bitsy up in one arm, I stepped into the water. The dust on the bottom of the pool scurried away from my toes and the cool water rose to my knees. In just a few steps, I was at the fountain. The pigeon quivered slightly but did not resist as I picked it up in my free hand.  It only took a few moments to waded back to the edge of the pool and set the pigeon down on a warm spot of grass. I’ll never know what became of that pigeon (and thankfully I will never know what thoughts crossed that lady’s mind when she saw a barefoot girl holding a dog and a pigeon in the city fountain), but I am glad that I had such a memorable adventure!