One good reason to connect with old highschool friends and frenemies on Facebook?
People often search for old friends (and lovers) when they join a social networking site, but in many cases the “old friends” have little in common or don’t make the extra effort to genuinely reconnect.
One too many Mafia Wars or In God we Trust updates and these superficial friendships are a click away from oblivion.
Here is a refreshing story for a change, of high school friends connecting on Facebook to make a difference. I am proud to say it is my very own, Mehlville High School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Operation Ozzy is a Facebook group that was created to literally rescue Mehlville’s all time number one fan, Tim Osborn “Ozzy” from hard times and homelessness. It is difficult to describe the devotion “Ozzy” had to our school and our sports teams for so many years. You had to see it to believe it and as a cheerleader, see it I did! “Ozzy” was a fixture at the games; his enthusiasm and loyalty equally impressive. You can read more about Ozzy’s situation here at OperationOzzy.com.
Originally, a few alumni got together to see how they could pitch in to help out Ozzy once he was located. This group has achieved so many practical (lifesaving) things like offering housing, arranging a job, applying for benefits and getting medical attention. They also started planning a benefit and the Facebook group has now grown to nearly 700.
Tonight’s Mehlville Panthers football game will be the biggest game of Ozzy’s life. He will be officially honored as the MHS number one fan and all proceeds go to the Tim Osborn trust. The organizers have captured the hearts of the media and rallied the community. It is sure to be a success.
I feel very far away from Mehlville High School tonight and for the first time in ages, long to be part of my high school gang. They have obviously grown up to be amazing, caring individuals, and unlike highschool, considerate as a group too! Sure, I have made a donation and arranged to snag a t-shirt, but due to the distance, I find myself cheering from the sidelines. Go Panthers! Go Ozzy!
Filed under In the news, Inspiring, Social Issues | Comments (2)
Blog Action Day 2009 Climate Change
Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web.
One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.
As a parent, the future for my two small children is my primary concern. The damage has been done and the alarming effects of climate change continue to reveal themselves, like the recent Swiss warning on the dangerous levels of (now banned, like dioxin and DDT) toxic chemicals from the 70s being released as the Alpine Glaciers melt.
Let’s focus on the good news about climate change. Is there any good news, other than the Dutch beaches on the North Sea will be sizzling like St. Topez? Yes, awareness is a bright spot.
Climate Change is an issue with skyrocketing momentum! Thanks to Al Gore and An Inconvenient Truth, the connection between our actions and the detrimental impact we have on our environment was seared into our global consciousness. Fan or not, the controversy of the film took the conversation mainstream. The level of awareness achieved in the past 3 years, relative to the previous 30 years is astounding!
The current generation of children growing up in the “Post Inconvenient Truth Era”, are well informed and the environmental issues are in the forefront, not an afterthought! For example, my students at New Business School Amsterdam aim to incorporate CSR into every project and business plan as a core component. Unlike some of the conservation messages of my youth, where pollution just caused things to be “less beautiful”, today the consequences are clear!
I thought it would be fun to share with you the most prolific voice from my childhood on the topic of conservation. Woodsy the Owl and his slogan “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute” playfully promoted the role each of us plays in safeguarding the environment. The video below is a classic and demonstrates that Woodsy the Owl was ahead of his time advocating everyone’s favorite way to offset carbon emissions- tree planting!
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The Aging Population is More than a Demographic
Strength of body and will
now a shadow of that man
fights and pleads with his eyes
we don’t speak the same language
there is understanding and love
his voice now quieted to a murmur
indistinguishable
we bear gifts and smiles
cheeks hot with tears
he is not mine to set free
he longs for his life
he is ready to go
home
four kisses and we’re gone
he waits and pleads with his eyes
Filed under Just Life, Social Issues | Comment (1)
Trashed-The Evidence of The Effort
In honor of Earth Day, here is a photo of the recycling spot on our street. Yes, our neighborhood is trashed! Yes, to accumulate this many bottles, some of the neighbors must have been trashed too!
It was shocking to see the recycling bins overflowing for so many days, but it also makes me smile. This photo represents where we are today in relation to environmental issues; awareness and good intentions! The demand for recycling obviously exceeds capacity at the moment and I believe programs will expand exponentially to meet the market demand!
Along with a group of my Business Students, I visited the largest factory of recycled plastic products in all of Europe yesterday and saw the innovative products they are making. While remarkable, the complexity and limitations of using recycled household plastics reinforced my belief that Reduce is the R that will soon come to the forefront and make the biggest environmental impact!
Will the willingness to recycle carry over into a desire among consumers to reduce waste? Perhaps the new economic climate and corporate cost cutting will drive some of the wasteful and environmentally unfriendly packaging out of our household products? Let’s hope big innovations in waste reduction are just around the corner…
Filed under In the news, Just Life, Social Issues, Unsolicited Advice, Women | Comment (0)
