Every now and then it’s nice to have a little reminder of exactly how much love surrounds us in the world. A loving couple, the love between a parent and child, or even the love between a kid and their favorite pet — today we’re showcasing it all in a special photostream honoring love. So go ahead — give it a look, smile, and then go tell someone that you love them today.

Photo by by ~quelquechose

Photo by =maticgolob

Photo by ~LAMASSUdesu

Photo by by ~xianlove

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The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has quickly shot up to the top of the charts in terms of human-caused ecological disasters. Every week, the underwater leak gushed enough oil to mirror the Exxon Valdez of 1989. As it lasted for 94 days before being capped, it easily is one of the largest oil spills ever. It has caused a shutdown of 36% of the entire Gulf of Mexico, which clocks in at about 87,000 square miles.

Despite all this, the disaster has still been relatively well-contained compared to others in years past. What follows are examples of ecological disasters that were either severely economically damaging, extremely lethal, or both.

One of the greatest losses of life that started with well-meaning roots was the Great Sparrow Campaign. It was known alternatively as the Kill a Sparrow Campaign or the Four Pests Campaign and it took place during the Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962. The four pests to be killed were rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows, the latter being a challenge to agriculture because they ate seeds of grain. Mao Zedong initiated the campaign and asked Chinese citizens to kill and terrorize sparrows for the good of the harvest, which yielded greater crops for a time. Read the rest of this entry »

When the military member is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, the family and friends of the Veteran are also affected by the disorder. While PTSD is classified as an anxiety disorder, it is much more involved than that and can create devastating outcomes for the person suffering from it and those around him.

Ryan’s Battle with PTSD

Ryan experienced four combat deployments overseas during the wars with Iraq and Afghanistan. Coming under fire during a mission, he witnessed a good friend and fellow soldier be shot and killed. Though there was nothing he could do, he blamed himself for the death of his comrade.

After returning home from the last deployment, things began to spiral downhill. Ryan began spending all of his time binge drinking. While he did this to deal with his anger and depression issues, the alcohol abuse often exacerbated the problems. Ryan spent every bit of savings the family had and left them without even basic necessities. Read the rest of this entry »

Post traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can cause acute stress for the sufferer as well as those around him. While anyone who suffers a traumatic event can experience PTSD, it is more common among military members than the civilian population as a whole. PTSD has become more widely recognized with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan though people have been suffering from PTSD for centuries.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 11% to 20% of all Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans are suffering from PTSD. This is compared to 10% of Gulf War Vets and 30% of Vietnam Veterans. The differences in how many suffer from PTSD depend on what the Veteran did during the war, the political environment and how the public responded to the Veterans upon their return. Read the rest of this entry »

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Who needs natural disasters when we as human beings are so capable and talented at making our own — the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico for example? Yet Mother Nature rarely cuts us any slack. She buries us in mudslides, submerges us in floods, and pummels us with hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes.

Mother Nature has taken quite a toll on us over the years, leading to countless deaths. And yet we seem to know so little about her, or how to predict these disasters accurately enough to save all of the lives lost. At the same time, we have no problem throwing more money and resources into things like war. So today I want to look at those two things, death tolls, and why maybe Mother Nature deserves a little more of our attention. Read the rest of this entry »

Credit: skeggy (via Flickr)

Politicians do some downright stupid things. Sure, we all do. But these are the people who draft our laws — the ones who decide how the rest of us should live and behave. Maybe you consider wars you disagree with to be “stupid” decisions. Perhaps it’s the latest report of infidelity from politicians that’s getting under your skin. But today let’s have some fun and look at the lighter side of government gaffs by exploring some incredibly stupid laws that may still be on the books.

Please note that I am not saying all of these dumb laws are still in effect (or even were). But they’re examples reported for various states in the U.S. and some international laws as well. Maybe they’ll make more sense to you than to me. Or perhaps you’ll also find them good for a laugh.

1. In Pennsylvania it’s illegal to have more than 16 women live in the same house — doing so makes it a brothel.

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What do many of the world’s biggest celebrations have in common? Fireworks! If you love a good fireworks display, but you can’t wait until New Year’s Eve or the next big boom-worthy occasion, you’ll love what we have for you here. We’ve collected 41 incredible photos of fireworks that you can enjoy any time of the year!

Photo by PeaPix

Photo by DeathByBokeh
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Snow. Storms. Floods. Droughts. The shaking Earth. Erupting volcanoes. Mother Nature sure knows how to throw a tantrum. Despite the deadly nature of, well, nature, these phenomena can actually be beautiful sights to see. Let’s take a look at some amazing photos capturing Mother Nature at her worst — which just happens to occasionally also be at her best.

Photo by nasa1fan/MSFC

Photo by Mullenkedheim

Photo by Verino77

Photo by ZackHughesPhotography

Photo by meltedplastic

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Sometimes the best way to help us figure out who we really are is to take a look at those around us. No two people are exactly the same, but underneath it all we’re more similar than we sometimes realize. Check out this beautiful photostream featuring images of the world’s residents and spend some time thinking about how much we all have in common before you judge anyone, including yourself, too harshly.

Photo by Andre-Batista

Photo by Janis Lanka

Photo by hoveringdog
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