Not too long ago I was pretty pleased to find out that Google Maps implemented walking directions into their maps! There are a few reasons why I was happy that this came about:

1. I’m into public health and the reduction of obesity
2. Walking is good for your health
3. Environmental health - reduce needless auto emissions
4. Gas prices are insane

That last one might have made you chuckle but, if you think about it, wouldn’t you rather figure out that you could get to your destination at the same time (maybe leave a bit earlier) and not have to pay a cent in fuel? Now I can understand you not wanting to lug armloads of groceries down the street - that’s cool. But what about going to the movies? Just leave a bit earlier and take a nice walk, especially since Fall is coming up.

I popped in two random addresses in the DC area on Google Maps and saw this:

You see the WALKING option plainly offered on the left right? Another great thing, it’s easy to find.

Something important I thought about was that this shows another way in which we make technology work for us - for our own benefit. Now it’s just up to us to actually use it.

So next time you aren’t in a rush to get to your destination, check to see if you can get there by using some free transportation: your own two feet.

(Photo Credit: Wicho)

The field of social marketing is growing and I love that. As more people, especially online, get to understand the importance of trying to use communication/marketing tools to bring about better health (which is my mission) and positive behavior changes, the better things will be in my opinion.

My good friend Alex recently put together a list of blogs that you should check out if you are interested in the whole marketing for good movement. I’m super humbled that yours truly is listed - will be doing things in the next few days to make Pulse & Signal a great resource for those in the Public Health/Health Education world, stay tuned for the revamped mission.

Being Informed > Awareness > Getting Tools for Action > Change

At least that’s how I see it.

So last week I had the honor and opportunity to be on Jonny Goldstein’s Partay - along with two wonderful friends of mine, Qui Diaz and Alex Rampy. We were there to talk about the benefits, innovations and overall understanding of social marketing. Much of the evening was spent highlighting our respective passions within the “marketing for good” landscape - Qui with Nonprofits, Alex with a deep knowledge of social marketing practices and myself with a focus on health and social media.

Earlier in the day as I was getting ready for the Partay, my body felt like it was time to not feel well. Of course, this wasn’t the ideal situation to not feel at my peak but with the help of my most excellent co-speakers, I readied myself for the evening. As the Partay started, I became aware that many of my friends (much of whom met through social media interaction) were logging in to watch! Needless to say, as I began talking about my passions and getting in the zone of the chat, I began to feel better. Just the fact that there was friendly support from people I knew online, along with the friendly environment of the conversation, added up to a better evening for me.

Despite the inherent needle in a haystack feeling that one may feel when navigating through the Web, I feel as though there is strong potential in building relationships that reinforce positive mental health. So next time someone tells you that the Internet has no soul (yes, I’ve heard that before), let them know there is a whole world out there waiting to inspire and encourage you!

Hi folks! Well I am really excited because I will be on Jonny’s Partay tomorrow evening. The Partay is a popular Web show where individuals are highlighted for what they are doing in the realm of social media and I am honored to have been picked to be on the show with 2 other awesome friends of mine.

The focus of the show will be on using communication and marketing tactics to bring about positive social change. Of course I will be speaking to how social media and emerging technologies are intersecting with health education, promotion and communications. My other to friends joining me will be Alex Rampy of the SocialButterfly blog as well as Qui Diaz of the Evange.list blog - both are talented individuals who love to use social media to bring to light the things that matter.

The awesome Jonny Goldstein has written a post about the event taking place tomorrow evening, check it out here.

What: Jonny’s Par-tay, the live interactive online talk show
Who: Join special guests Andre Blackman, Qui Diaz, and Alexandra Rampy, with host Jonny Goldstein and super producer Scott Stead.
Where: jonnyspartay.com
When: Weds., July 16, Weds, 9-10PM

Hope to see you there!

I can already tell that being on the Governing Council of the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association is going to allow me to write on great events and campaigns that impact the health sector. I am making it a personal mission of mine to help bring health education and communication campaigns into the Web 2.0 landscape, making use of the many tools out there.

Recently I was made aware of an awesome project in the works - the MWPHA /DC Fights Back Public Health Video Challenge! In essence, the purpose of this project is to foster creative user generated video submissions that will highlight the importance of addressing the social determinants of disease and how that can positively impact the HIV epidemic in the District of Columbia.

Here are more details:

Eligibility: This contest is open to all interested parties

Contest: The contest will be to produce a two-minute video that shows how
working on one of the following social determinants can positively impact
the District’s HIV epidemic.

1. Jobs- an example might be to capture how programs to provide job
skills training can help empower a person to be less vulnerable to HIV
infection.

2. Housing- an example might be to demonstrate on video how a program
to create stable housing can increase an individual’s ability to make
healthy lifestyle choices or help someone living with HIV to adhere to
treatment

3. Substance Use- an example might be to create a video demonstrating
how harm reduction approaches are effective at reducing negative outcomes
for injection drug users and their communities.

Prize: All winners will be given an award and the chance to screen their
video at the Spring 2009 MWPHA conference. The awards are as follows:

• First place- $100 prize as well as an awards certificate
• Second place- $50 prize as well as an awards certificate
• Third place- $25 prize as well as an awards certificate

Deadlines: all videos must be submitted to our YouTube Channel by October
1st 2008 at http://www.youtube.com/group/mwphadcfb

Judging: Members of the MWPHA Disparities Committee as well as the DCFB
steering committee will do the judging. Judging criteria will be
available on the contest website (soon).

For more information, please contact Alex Lawson at alex.lawson@gmail.com

**Coming Up** –> I will be interviewing Alex Lawson about the campaign and how the idea was brought about as well as some other details on the project. I strongly believe that online video will be an integral part of the Health Communications 2.0 movement!

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For background on the participating organizations [taken from their respective websites]:

Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association (MWPHA) is dedicated to protecting personal, public, and environmental health in the Metropolitan Washington area. The Association is committed to:

• protect and promote personal, public and environmental health,
• study and attempt to resolve health problems,
• meet and share knowledge and experience in order to achieve the organization’s goal,
• provide leadership in public health by initiating and supporting voluntary and governmental action to meet health needs or to remedy health problems, and
• promote continuing educational opportunities for public health and allied workers to help them acquire new or broader knowledge and develop skills to provide more effective health services.

DC Fights Back is an all-volunteer network of people living with HIV/AIDS and their allies working to engage ourselves and our communities in every aspect of HIV advocacy for District residents and to end stigma to ensure the best possible treatment and care for those living with HIV/AIDS and implement the best possible science-based HIV prevention for everybody.

We’re now officially in the summer time season and what do you think about when it comes to summer? Iced tea, lemonade, pools, warm weather and vacation are a couple of the ones that come to my mind. So despite our busy schedules and technology-driven, plugged in lives - now is the perfect opportunity to take some time out for one of the most important people you know…yourself!

I know I don’t have to remind you about the importance of getting rest, now do I? Just don’t get carried away with the crazy summer time delicacies - I’m not even going to touch the health implications on that one.

Speaking of enjoying the summer, the Buzz Bin recently wrote about ways to reduce your warm weather induced blogging laziness. One of the ways that Larissa points out is to join in on a meme - doesn’t take much brain power and it’s fun to do! So with that in mind, I was tagged in on this summer themed meme:

SUMMER MEME

4 things you like about summer

1. More sunlight at the end of the day
2. Dining outside with lots of laughter and fresh air
3. Road trips/weekend vacations
4. Cookouts

4 of your favorite vacation destinations

1. North Carolina - Outer Banks, spending time with family down there
2. Caribbean - Magen’s Bay in St. Thomas is mind blowing
3. Canada - Loved the landscapes in Alberta
4. Around Town - sometimes just hanging out is worth it

4 of your favorite summer foods

1. Grilled vegetables
2. BBQ Ribs
3. Hamburgers/hot dogs
4. Rita’s Water Ice!!! (good grief they have key lime ice now!)

4 concerts not to miss

1. The Roots
2. Music events on The Mall in Washington DC
3. Local area jazz places
4. Wolf Trap events

4 things to avoid during the summer

1. Sunburns
2. Mosquitoes
3. Fireworks accidents
4. Forgetting to wear deoderant (don’t laugh, you know people who have)

Thanks for the tag Larissa! Let the good times roll!