Lise's Ramblings

In five-cent increments, the twitterverse buzzed with tweets that will make millions of dollars flow to support mental health.  From a social-media metrics perspective, the #BellLetsTalk (French version #BellCause) garnered impressive reach, which rivalled #SOTU for President Obama's State of the Union address. Even by adding the long form (#stateoftheunion), as of this morning there was only a five-million gap between the BellLetsTalk hashtag and the State of the Union hashtags. Impressive. How did it happen? Collective thanks to major leaguers, mobile technology, multitudes of do-gooders and an annual marketing campaign for all the activity on January 28, 2014.  Entertainers like William Shatner, Jann Arden and Ellen Degeneres encouraged their fans to retweet the #BellLetsTalk messages about mental health. Thousands upon thousands of followers responded. Millions in all. Who else helped the cause? Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. Olympian Clara Hughes. NHL fra...

Let this be the year you set aside triskaidekaphobia to focus on the positive potential of number 13 .    This random rambling lists my 2013 intentions ―some new and the rest annual or daily ones― and is brought to you by the letter H. Hatch new ideas Find humour Hydrate frequently Eat healthily Head off negativity Pursue hobbies Hoof it more often Walk hand-in-hand Huddle for warmth Visit favourite haunts Horse around Kick habits Hum away Show hutzpah Hone skills Orchestrate harmony Honour others and self Be humble Ham it up Savour the hush Heal injuries Pay homage Hula regularly Evoke hilarity Heighten goals Learn from hardships , heartache and history Hurry less Prevent hunger Hold true to own values Recall heartwarming moments Hang art Celebrate happenings Halt gossip Be honest Heave excesses Sidestep hoaxes Halve overtime hours...

  Source: dailymail.co.uk via Is Marraconis on Pinterest Health practitioners, nursing home staff and early-childhood educators have long recognized the positive powers of pet therapy, and I don't mean that in the Hollywoodized, my-chihuahua-needs-psychotherapy sense.   Studies continue to show that a minimum of 20  minutes interacting with a dog can lower blood-pressure rates, reduce crankiness and improve social behaviours of the elderly, children and patients from all walks of life. Last week, I heard about efforts to bring similar benefits to over-caffeinated, sleep-deprived, overwhelmed, post-secondary students. My alma mater tweeted that McGill's Redpath Library (@McGillLib) staff set up a room for students to hang out with therapeutic dogs as an exam de-stressor. I'm sure that the Brandy, Whiskey, Elvis and the other canine participants made a world of difference. To seal the deal, there was free hot chocolate at peak...

When it comes to vaccines, have you ever whined about a bruised arm, long lines at a clinic, a tiny blood speck on your shirt sleeve, or inconvenient opening hours at your doctor's office? I know I'm guilty, but I encourage you to stop for a minute to ponder how fortunate we are to live during a time when vaccines exist. Or for that matter, in a country where vaccines are available to us, in many cases, even covered under health care plans.  As adults, we tend to think about vaccines when we face potential harm. Step on a rusty nail and you wonder, "When was my last tetanus shot?" You're taking a trip and realize you should get to a travel clinic early for a Hepatitis A/B needle. Or, fall arrives, bringing seasonal influenza along for the ride.   And what a ride! The flu pulled a hit-and-run on my hubby this week. It's sobering to see what the flu can do to someone who eats well, is fit and has more get-up-and-go than the En...