Photo Hunters - Shoes

Every since I saw my friend Jennifer's Keen sandals, I just HAD to have a pair. REI had a sale on them and I snatched them up for $79.99, still not at all affordable! Here they are on a subsequent trip to REI where I saw this cute tiny pair for tots.

And here I am on casual Friday kicking back at work - back when we still had Twitter access :(. 

Happy Birthday Doug!

Here is the first picture from my new Canon Rebel XTi to make it onto the blog. Happy Birthday to me? No, wait, that was in January. How about Happy Father's Day to me? No, that doesn't work either. How about just Happy New Camera to me! Happy Birthday Doug, you're the best! I hope you have a great day and hopefully I won't mess up your cake!

Thursday Thirteen #5: Organ Donation

I recently heard about organ donation in the news and wanted to pipe in for this cause.

1. A Dutch television network said that it would broadcast a "reality" show featuring three patients competing for a kidney to be donated by a terminally ill woman, but it turned out to be a hoax to promote awareness of organ donation and the lack of organ donors. It did encourage tens of thousands of people in the Netherlands to sign up.
2. In the United States, the waiting list for organ donation is nearly 97,000 people. Many will die without receiving one. That is one death every 90 minutes.
   
3. Organs that can be donated include: the heart, intestines, kidneys, lungs, liver, pancreas, skin, bone and bone marrow, cornea.
4. Once removed from a body, a kidney has a 72-hour window before it needs to be transplanted into a patient.
5. Organ donations from dead donors far outweigh donations by living ones. Organs that can be donated from living donors include the lung, partial liver or pancreas and the kidney.
6. A 2005 Gallup poll revealed that more than half the population of the United States was willing to donate organs after death. However, fewer than two out of 10 families opt to donate organs of relatives after death. Relatives can still dissent even in the presence of evidence of explicit consent by the potential organ donor.
7. The percentage of individuals in the United States who have granted permission to donate their organs or tissues reached 53 percent in 2005, almost double the 28 percent in 1993.
8. "Presumed consent" has been adopted in France, Spain, Australia, Belgium and Portugal, although no country mandates that organs must be donated.
9. The Spanish transplant system is one of the most successful in the world, but it still can't meet the demand, as 10% of those needing a transplant die waiting for one.
10. There has been a ban for organ trafficking in India since 1994, although the practice continues.
11. This is an excellent site that dispels myths about organ donations.
    
12. I've been an organ donor as long as I've had a driver's license and my family is well aware of my intentions.
    
13. Become an organ donor and tell you family about it! Here is information on how to register to be a donor in your state.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wired, IHT, NIH, HSRA

MIT Dome goes green

I got this nice email today inviting me to a MIT Dome lighting event this Saturday evening:

Join MIT President Susan Hockfield on Saturday, June 9, when a new lighting system illuminates the iconic Great Dome of Building 10 at 10:30 pm. All local alumni, current students, and parents of current students are invited to attend this special event. For around the same amount of electricity needed to run two hair dryers, a total of 12 new fixtures will light the dome, the Roman numerals that spell out 1916 (the year the building opened), and the limestone facade of Building 10. The new lighting system incorporates energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures and is made possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor. The donor also has provided funds to help pay for a 40-Kw solar photovoltaic array to be connected to MIT’s electrical grid. This new solar power system will ultimately provide three to four times the electrical energy consumed by the dome lighting. The free event, which comes at the conclusion of a full day of Tech Day activities that will bring 3,300 alumni and alumnae to campus, will feature light refreshments and music at the base of Killian Court. All in the MIT Community are welcome. To register, please go to...

That is brilliant (pun intended), using solar energy and energy-efficient LEDs to light the dome. I'm actually going to be at MIT that day for my 20th reunion (yes I'm that old), but in actuality I am only sending Adam to the Kid Tech activities and spending the day with Doug and Dova at museums in Boston. I couldn't get adequate babysitting coverage to attend the reunion in person so Adam will be the only one attending my reunion (brainwash early, brainwash often). He will be having a great time with Lego's and towers, two of his favorite pasttimes. Here are his program descriptions for the day:

L'eggo My Lego's

Forget that Ferrari and jump into the driver's seat of Lego Cars. Younger children build contraptions that propel their cars the furthest while older children design real motor-powered vehicles, as each group races for the gold.

Physically Possible?

Bridge the gap to the physically impossible with a bridge design and competition for all ages. Younger children also reach for the sky as they see who can build the tallest straw tower, while older children hone their design skills to create their very own Rube Goldberg machine.

Very cool! At least someone will be enjoying my reunion. Unfortunately, the kids will never make it to the dome lighting ceremony, but it should be a fun-packed day.

Peace Globe

Since Massachusetts didn't have a representative yet, I decided to put up my peace globe early. Please visit the official Blogblast for Peace site to see all the globes.