A Secret Santa went to Reading, Pennsylvania, reportedly because it was the poorest city in America, with the goal of handing out $20,000 in cash to random people in thrift stores, laundromats and bus stops who look like they could use a helping hand.
He chose to remain anonymous but allowed TV cameras to trail him, providing a rare glimpse into the joy that can be spread by one generous man in red tee shirt and beret.
“I get more out of it than they do,” he enthusiastically told the press.
Scores of U.S. senators have signed on to an idea for a gift exchange, Secret Santa style, across party lines.
Senator Al Franken (D-MN) came up with the idea:
“We did Secret Santa when I was in grade school and I remember one year I picked this kid who used to intimidate me on the playground. Turns out after we got to know each other and we became friends. So, I thought Secret Santa would be a good way to cut through the partisan divide here in the Senate.”
And who knows, maybe it will create some unlikely friendships.
(READ the story in the New York Times)
11 white-furred rats are in the final stages of a training program to find landmines that kill or injure hundreds of people each year in conflict-wracked Colombia.
The government project, which began in 2006, trains specially bred rats to detect the metals used in landmines, thousands of which have been laid during the country’s decades-long conflict with left-wing guerrillas.
A retired Menlo Park teacher completed her seventh summer volunteering to teach math at a high school for girls in Africa — a school that she raised more than $1 million to build.
Margo McAuliffe marvels still at how much the experience in Kenya has changed her since 2003 when she retired from her job as a high school math teacher and was looking for a way to put her time and talents to good work.
Though she had never raised a cent before, the quiet gray-haired teacher did it one step at a time by enlisting friends and holding small fundraisers. Eventually she set up a non-profit foundation called Kenya Help.
(WATCH her tell the story in her TED Talk, or read the full story in Patch.com)
A $127 million building dedicated exclusively to stem cell science opened Tuesday, hailed by speakers as a watershed event that could hasten development of treatments for incurable diseases and injuries, and provide an economic boost to San Diego with potentially hundreds of jobs.
Wow, good news is breaking out all over the place.
A new report on U.S. private sector employment for November showed an impressive gain of 206,000 jobs. That tops October’s 130,000 gain and blows past economists’ expectations.
Elsewhere, a move by Euro zone central bankers to ease financial weakness among EU banks propelled the Dow Jones industrial average an astounding 490 points or 4 percent.
A world away from the chaos, violence and abuses of elections under Hosni Mubarak’s rule, Egyptian voters queued in huge, orderly lines on Monday, many still in disbelief that they could now play a part in shaping their nation’s future.
Some brought their children. Others clutched briefcases on their way to work. Banners represented a multitude of parties — all banned under Mubarak, who was swept away by a popular uprising in February after 30 years of one-man rule.
Under international pressure, Israel announced Wednesday that it would release tens of millions of dollars of tax funds owed to the Palestinians.
Israel collects the tax funds for the Palestinians and transfers the money each month, in accordance with partial peace agreements from the 1990s.
As the days grow shorter and winter sets in, depression may add to the darkness. It’s inspiring to learn that many have succeeded wildly in their lives despite living with depression.
Bookmark this video montage to send to anyone who might need to be inspired by a list of famous people who’ve overcome their own dark night of the soul.
Watch the video below…
An anonymous man proves there is no time limit on redemption.
After 60-plus years, the man returned money he stole — plus interest — to a Sears store, hand-delivering a note along with a one hundred dollar bill.
The note said he stole $20-30 from the Seattle store during the late 1940’s.
Several luxury hotels and popular restaurants have decided to take shark fin soup – a traditional delicacy on banquet tables – off the menu to help keep the species from becoming extinct.
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, parent company of The Peninsula Hotels, said that it will stop serving shark fin on Jan 1 at all of its eight hotels globally, including one in Shanghai, one in Beijing and one in Hong Kong.
The pro-environment mindset is spreading. In November, Swissotel Beijing also began a ban on shark fin soup.
A new exhibit opened this month at the Iraqi Museum, providing one more sign that the worst horrors of the war in Iraq are receding and the country is settling into a new normal.
“So many things are happening that convince us things are changing for the better,” says Shaimaa, an archaeologist who has worked at the museum since 1999.
Among them is the reemergence of her beloved museum, after being devastated by looting early in the war.
The overwhelming support shown to block club leader Cheryl Walker Williams, whose home was firebombed by drug dealers deserves the praise of the entire community.
Walker Williams is a true hero in the city for helping to organize an East Side block club and standing up to ongoing drug dealer intimidation.
After the brutal act against this model citizen, Buffalo, New York rushed to stand with its hero.
(READ the editorial from the Buffalo News)
Entrepreneurial success stories are the stuff of which American dreams are made. Much like Oprah Winfrey and Steve Jobs, the six self-made millionaires profiled here have one thing in common: Thanks to hard work, determination and sound advice from mentors, friends and family, they’ve been able to build thriving businesses from the ground up.
The rise to the top can be bumpy. In fact, some of the entrepreneurs we talked to were homeless during the early years of their companies. That’s why they all agree, including Radio One’s Catherine L. Hughes and Life is good co-founder Bert Jacobs, that it’s important to help others in need.
All have advice for young entrepreneurs…
(READ the Kiplinger story in Yahoo Finance)
US shoppers hungry for Black Friday deals came out in droves, spending at record levels.
“We were expecting Black Friday openings to be very strong, (but no one) expected that they were going to be this strong,” a National Retail Federation analyst told ABC.
This is welcome news for the nation’s overall economy and for Wall Street, where stocks soared on Monday Morning.
226 million people shopped during the 4-day weekend pumping $52 billion into the coffers of retailers — an increase of 14 million shoppers over last year. The average amount spent also increased by about ten percent to almost $400 per shopper.
US shoppers hungry for Black Friday deals came out in droves, spending at record levels.
“We were expecting Black Friday openings to be very strong, (but no one) expected that they were going to be this strong,” a National Retail Federation analyst told ABC.
Several days later, online sales during “Cyber Monday” broke another record reaching $1.25 billion in one day, up 22 percent over last year, according to one monitoring group. Another group measured the increase at 33 percent compared with Cyber Monday in 2010.
This is welcome news for the nation’s overall economy and for Wall Street, where stocks soared to start the week.
226 million people shopped from Thursday to Sunday pumping $52 billion into the coffers of retailers — an increase of 14 million shoppers over last year. The average amount spent also increased by about ten percent to almost $400 per shopper.
The House of Representatives last week managed a landslide victory for “the little guy” passing the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act by a vote of 407-18.
The bill would allow entrepreneurs to “crowdfund”. That means they could raise money over the Internet through relatively small donations from people they don’t know.
The legislation removes barriers so that business owners can raise up to $2 million from an unlimited number of individuals who can invest as much as $10,000 each.
Today is Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year.
If you know which websites to shop, you can save 40% or more on cameras, laptops and toys.
Consumer advocates this mornings revealed some of the best deals online.
For instance, the EasyShare digital camera by Kodak, regularly priced at $140, can be purchased for $69 at OfficeMax.com. (But shoppers are warned to “be quick” to ensure access to some of these deals.)
A 32-year-old police officer hasn’t benefitted from a good night’s sleep in years. Suffering with sleep apnea, the only option for him was an invasive tracheotomy. Until now.
A new robotic surgery to cure the disorder gets to the narrow channel of the throat and removes the obstructing tissue as the surgeon guides the tiny instruments.
Karl Rabeder, the Austrian businessman who last year decided to give away his $6.7 million fortune, because he realized money didn’t make him happy, now lives on just $1,350 a month.
It was one of the most shocking headlines of 2010. A millionaire from Telfs, Austria, announced he was in the process of selling his luxury properties, sports cars and private plane because he had realized money actually prevented him from being happy. His goal was to “have nothing left, absolutely nothing”
His entire fortune went to a charity he set up called MyMicroCredit, which helps people in third world countries to start businesses.
Where is he now and what’s he up to?
(READ the article w/ photos in Oddity Central)
