Ten of Canada's young budding artists have a chance to win a $7,500 grant to "support environmental initiatives" at their school as part of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) and Earth Day® Canada Art Contest.
Children from over 4,800 elementary schools from coast to coast were asked to submit a drawing of their favourite part of nature, and you can vote for your favourite here. The polls close on November 11, 2011.
“From snowcapped mountains and majestic glaciers to towering ancient trees and wildlife, we are amazed by the unique and creative ways elementary school children illustrated their favourite part of nature,” says Executive Director pf TD FEF, Mary Desjardins. “I encourage Canadians to go online and view the extraordinary artwork submitted by these talented students and vote for their top pick.”
In addition to the grant, the winning drawing will be featured on a limited-edition TD FEF reusable shopping bag. The student will receive a digital camera (to capture those nature shots!), and each member of their class will be given a litterless lunchbox.
The drawings may also be featured in the 2012-2013 edition of Earth Day Canada’s EcoKids Calendar.
“The passion that Canada’s young people have for the environment is strongly represented by the fabulous artwork submitted as part of this contest,” says Jed Goldberg, President, Earth Day Canada. “It is reassuring to see that this generation considers the health of the environment to be such a major priority.”
New research from Indiana University suggests that hormone-based contraceptives can "stifle sexual arousal, limit lubrication and decrease the number of orgasms in women."
Over 1,000 sexually active women using forms of contraception including the Pill, patch, ring and shot reported deriving less pleasure -- and therefore less sex -- than women using non-hormonal methods such as condoms, diaphragms and the withdrawal method (if it can be called a method!)
Although the Pill is a fairly reliable means of reproductive control, it may be compromising the quality of many women's sex life.
"[The Pill is] something women are often on for as many as 30 years or more; it plays a huge part in their life," says lead researcher Nicole Smith, a doctoral student and project coordinator at the school's Center for Sexual Health Promotion.
"If they're experiencing these negative effects, they might stop using contraception correctly or altogether. They need to know that there are options, such as lubricants or other sexual enhancement products that may help to alleviate some of the negative effects they are experiencing."
While the findings might prompt women to try out different forms of birth control, researchers bemoan the "lack of interest" in making sex more pleasurable for women on the Pill.
"A great effort has been made to make condoms more pleasurable for men," the lead author said. "But you don't hear about this same effort going toward reducing the negative impact of contraception on women's sexual functioning."
Has the Pill affected your sex life? Do you feel the pros of this form of birth control outweigh the cons?
Tired, scatty, ravenous and heavily pregnant, you open a sandwich while grocery shopping, planning to scan it at the till. Then you forget. It's called mommy brain, and it has happened to every one of us at some point.
Except, for Nicole Leszczynski, it's a nightmare she can't seem to wake up from. "It was the most ridiculous chain of events that happened," said 30-weeks-pregnant Leszczynski. "It's still hard to believe what happened."
After 28-year-old Leszczynski forgot to include two chicken salad sandwiches (one for her husband) with the rest of her groceries at a Safeway in Honolulu, she and her husband were handcuffed, searched then released on $50 bail each.
Their 2-year-old daughter Zofia, meanwhile, was taken into custody and spent a first terrifying night away from her parents.
"When the security guard questioned us, I was really embarrassed, I was horrified," Leszczynski said. The couple expected to endure a lecture, pay for the $5 sandwiches, before collecting the rest of their groceries.
Instead they were charged with shoplifting, and Child Welfare Services took Zofia away.
That's when the pregnant mom understandably lost her composure. "I didn't want Zofia to be scared because she's never spent a night away from us. She didn't have her stuffed animal. She didn't have her toothbrush."
After an 18-hour separation from her parents, Zofia was returned.
Safeway representatives, where the couple is now banned for a year, say they are looking into the incident. I doubt somehow Leszczynskis would voluntarily shop there again anyhow.
The couple, charged with fourth-degree theft, a petty misdemeanor, are scheduled to appear in court date on Nov. 28, yet they may well take legal action against Safeway.
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