The Squid Calendar

September is Pain Awareness Month. Millions of people suffer chronic pain. Chronic Pain is a physical problem, but it has physiologic, emotional, social, and economic implications.

Learn more at Pain Awareness Month by Macs.

Today is World Population Day.  Today we need to think for a bit on how the rise in population is effecting the earth and how we plan to provide for the masses.  We need to consider what changes we need to make now, so that we don’t overpopulate it.

Learn more about World Population Day.

I tried to find an amazing lens that addresses these issues, but could not find anything that fully satisfied me.  So instead, I’d like to introduce a great lens that takes a look at the world population and breaks it down so you can gain a better perspective on its composition. Are any of the statistics surprising to you?  If The World Were A Village of 1000 People… by lisadh

Photo by Markusram used by permission CC 2.0

Today is World Blood Donor Day. The need for blood is universal. It is needed worldwide by the young and the old, the rich and the poor. If you are able to donate blood, you will find that it is a simple process that can help someone else go on living.

I am a blood donor, and since both my mother and my sister have received blood, this is an important issue to me.

Learn more about Donating Blood, it’s importance, and the process of blood donation from LeorG.

Also, JohannTheDog shares the importance of dog blood donation.

Photo by Herkie used by permission CC 2.0

Today is World Oceans Day, a United Nations declared day to think about our oceans and how much we depend on them, and what we can do to protect them.

Our oceans have taken a beating in the last century. With pollution, over-fishing, and climate change the oceans are struggling to survive. Learn more about our oceans at World Oceans Day by kimmanleyort.

Photo by sub_lime79 used by permission CC 2.0

June is Women’s Golf Month!  The popular sport of golf is a man’s game no longer!  Women have stepped up to the tee and proved that the golf course is perfect for everyone.  Golfers like Michelle Wei are become athletic role models for little girls around the world.

Women’s Golf: The Lady Golfer’s Guide by nextchapterlearning

Photo by JaeYong.BAE used by CC 2.0

Tonight is Earth Hour. Between 8:30 and 9:30 (local time) millions worldwide will unplug their activities. Turn off the lights – the TVs and computers too, and enjoy an hour of Earth Unplugged.

Here are the Top Ten Things to Do for Earth Hour by Mortira

While many are familiar with Dyslexia, few understand Dyscalculia, a learning disability affecting a person’s ability to process numbers and mathematical concepts.

Learn more about Dyscalculia Awareness Month (by AddaptAbilities)

(Photo by D Sharon Pruitt)

March is National Kidney Month.  This topic is near and dear to my heart, as my mother has suffered renal failure and now requires dialysis.  You never really appreciate your kidneys until they stop working.

Three times a week, for four hours at a time, my Mom sits in a dialysis center attached to a machine whose job it is to clean her blood.  She cannot drive herself home, and in fact, she can’t do much of anything after dialysis until the next morning – it simply wipes her out.  Her diet has become strict – the standard Renal diet which means to minimize phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and fluids.  Do YOU know which foods have a lot of phosphorus?  It is not an easy diet to learn or keep.  And, for those who also have diabetes, it is a huge burden.

My Mom is not alone.  There are over a dozen sitting in the same room as her, and thousands more sitting in other dialysis centers.  In fact, in 2006, there were over a 350,000 people on dialysis in the United States alone. (source)

Let me introduce you to some people who think a lot about kidneys.

Boomer27 knows all to well the importance of the kidney. He explains how he has struggled with his kidney failure: How Fragile Life Can Be .

Matthew is a little boy with diabetes. He is fighting to keep his kidneys healthy. Read about Matthew’s Journey.

GramaBarb’s sister, AnnaRuth, had to undergo dialysis. Kidney Dialysis – Finding Support. Dedicated to my sister, AnnaRuth

ConnieW was a living kidney donor to her cousin who was born with Polycystic Kidneys.

(Photo by shanelkalicharan)

February is Pet Dental Month! You brush your teeth, and don’t think for a minute your pets wouldn’t brush their – you know, if they had opposable thumbs. So help them out. Help them brush their teeth. Give them the chews/treats that will help them maintain good dental hygiene.

Here are some tips for Brushing your dogs teeth from JohannTheDog.

(Photo by coral11)

February 6 is International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. An estimated 100-140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting and more than 3 million girls are at risk for cutting each year in Africa alone.  (source)

The Asante Africa Foundation recently hosted Maasai tribal chief Salaton Ole’ Ntutu who built a rescue shelter to protect young girls from female genital mutilation.