The Squid Calendar

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.

February 5, 2010 – Go Red for Women!

Today is National Wear Red Day sponsored by the American Heart Association. This is an day of awareness about the the impact of heart disease on women.

Heart disease is by far the biggest killer of women in the United States.  Indications of heart disease display themselves differently in men and women.  Learn more about heart disease in women:

National Wear Red Day: Heart Disease Awareness

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. Every day, thousands find out they have cancer.  Every day, thousands live with cancer.  And, every day, thousands die from cancer.

But, many are doing all they can to stop it.  This group of artists sell their art and contribute the proceeds to cancer related charities.

Art for Cancer Group by CaseyShannonStudio

These are the Squidoo charities that aid people with cancer, awareness, and cancer research:

• Athletes for a Cure
• DonnaBella’s Angels
• Michael’s Way
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Women’s sports have come a long way since Title IX was enacted in 1972.  In my high school a few years ago, we had a girl on the football team, and two more on the wrestling team.

We’ve come a long way, but even now, thirty eight years later, the money allotted to girls’ sports does not compare to that of boys’ programs.

2010 is the 24th year of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, with this year’s theme being “Stay Strong, Play On.”

SusanVillasLewis gives a great account of some amazing female athletes in Sports: First Woman To …

(Volleyball photo by Gil Searcy)

February 1-5, 2010 is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.

XP has covered this issue well on National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Week.  Here are some startling statistics:

• 1 in 3 female teenagers in a dating relationship has feared for her physical safety.
• 1 in 5 teenagers in a serious relationship reports having been hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner.
• 29 percent of girls who have been in a relationship said that they have been pressured to have sex or to engage in sexual activities that they did not want.
• Technologies such as cell phones and the Internet have made dating abuse both more pervasive and more hidden.  (source)

Today is January 28, 2010, Data Privacy Day.  It is a day to raise awareness for information privacy.  Take the time to understand what information is collected about you, how it is used, and what tools you have to control it and protect it from being misused.

This is a great time to educate kids and young adults about the importance of protecting their identity online.

For a start, read cherangelry’s great Guide to Controlling Your Privacy on Facebook.

Today being Penguin Awareness Day, we must time to recognize these amazing birds, and how remarkable their existence is, let alone revel in how adorably cute they are.

Penguin Awareness Day by melymj4
A Potpourri of Penguins by Christene

So today, watch your favorite penguin movie – whether it be Happy Feet, March of the Penguins, or Farce of the Penguins.

(Penguin photo by magical-world)

Today is Religious Freedom Day.  Today we celebrate the American right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech in respect to our beliefs.

Freedom of religion in public schools is often an issue of confusion.  Can students pray in school? Read the Bible? Wear religious t-shirts? Can they leave class to pray?  They they write school papers on faith related issues?

In short: Yes.  Learn more at Religious Freedom in Schools by PastorKay

We are in the middle of National Braille Week which runs from January 4-10, 2010.

Braille opens up another world to the blind.  It is used in over 140 countries, and it has given immeasurable opportunities to people who are blind.
Helen Keller was both blind and deaf, but learned to read braille.