A Good Samaritan returned a wallet filled with cash and credit cards to a Colorado woman’s home after finding it in a restaurant where she’d eaten with her children.
Watch the video below…
Friars Trudge 300 Miles and Find Kindred Souls on the Way
After trekking along more than 300 miles of dusty Virginia country roads and suburban highways, six Franciscan friars reached Washington on Tuesday, having walked from Roanoke with only their brown robes, sandals and a belief in the kindness of strangers to feed and shelter them.
(Continue reading, with photos, in Washington Post)
Elusive Musical Gift Can be Taught to Very Young
The gift of perfect pitch — the ability to identify a note simply by hearing it — may teachable, after all.
The Eguchi Method is used by more than 800 teachers around Japan to teach perfect pitch to very young children, claiming a success rate of almost 100 percent for those who start before they are 4 years old. At the end of the training, which starts by matching chords with colored flags, a teacher will play random notes on the piano and the child, without looking, can identify them.
Obama Names Medal of Freedom Winners: Kennedy, Poitier, Hawking, 13 Others
President Obama on Thursday named the 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. America’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Described as “agents of change”, the trailblazers include Billie Jean King and Sandra Day O’Connor, who broke through barriers for women, Sidney Poitier and Harvey Milk, who led the way for blacks and gays, and Stephen Hawking for the disabled.
President Obama said, “These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way.”
President Obama will award the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom to the following individuals during a White House ceremony on August 12:
* Nancy Goodman Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer organization
* Pedro José Greer, Jr., founder of Camillus Health Concern, an agency that provides medical care to over 10,000 homeless and low-income patients each year in Miami
* Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist and Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University
* U.S. Congressman, Jack Kemp, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (posthumously)
* U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy
* Billie Jean King, tennis champion and gender equality activist
* Rev. Joseph Lowery, civil rights leader and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King
* Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, the last living Plains Indian war chief, author of works on Native American history and culture
* Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official, elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (posthumously)
* Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice
* Sidney Poitier, the first African American to be nominated and win a Best Actor Academy Award
* Chita Rivera, actress, singer and dancer, the first Hispanic to receive the Kennedy Center Honor
* Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
* Janet Davison Rowley, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago who discovered the first consistent chromosome translocation in a human cancer
* Bishop Desmond Tutu, leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa
* Muhammad Yunus, global leader in anti-poverty efforts, founder of the Grameen Bank, the source of millions of dollars in “micro-loans” to poor individuals
Gaza Children Break Kite Flying Record (Video)
Thousands of Palestinian children gathered in the Gaza Strip to break the world record on the number of kites flown at the same time, in the same place.
Around 6,000 children from 119 schools in Gaza flew at least 3,000 kites simultaneously to earn the Guinness crown.
Thursday’s event was part of a UN initiative organised to restore hope and normality to the war-torn territory.
Al Jazeera’s Ayman Mohyeldin reports in this live video…
Iran Band Rocks in the U.S.
After playing clandestinely in Iran, Hypernova visited the U.S. intending to stay for a few days. They’ve been here for two years and recorded a new album.
Now they’ve founded a non-profit to help other artists in Iran.
Watch the video from Reuters… It may take a moment to load.
Beijing Closing Coal Plants in Environmental Move
Chinese Authorities have closed small coal-fired power plants — more than 7,000 generating units — continuing its efforts to clean up the pollution in China.
“The latest closures will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions that cause acid rain by an estimated 1.1 million tons and carbon dioxide output by 124 million tons per year,” reports the AP.
(Continue reading in the Miami Herald)
5-Year-Old Helps Feed 18,000 People
5-year-old Phoebe became sad after seeing a hungry person holding a cardboard sign on the street. She decided she wanted to help feed people and knew that she could raise money by recycling because her family traded cans for cash on the weekends.
She wrote to 150 friends and family members asking for their cans or donations. Bags of cans and money began pouring in.
Collecting a nickel per can she wildly exceeded her goal of raising one thousand dollars and donated it all to the San Francisco food bank.
For the full story, watch the GoInspireGo.com video below…
Peregrine Falcon Returns From Brink of Extinction in Canada
The widespread use of pesticides had virtually wiped out the peregrine falcon population in North America by 1970, with only one nesting pair found in Canada east of the Rockies and south of the Northwest Territories.
But, thanks to a ban on DDT and an aggressive recovery effort, the peregrine is making a big comeback. Today, there are between 50 and 60 breeding pairs in Alberta, and the numbers keep on growing.
“It’s very gratifying,” says Edmonton biologist-photographer Gord Court, who is part of a second generation of scientists involved in the recovery effort.
(Continue reading in the Edmonton Journal)
Thanks to Cam, the Edmonton Journal’s good news reporter, for emailing me about their ‘Bright Side’ news focus…
The Elders Announce Visit to Middle East
A delegation of six Elders, from the independent group of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela, will visit Israel, the West Bank and Gaza at the end of August.
Former Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso will lead the group of fellow Elders, Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu, Ela Bhatt and Gro Brundtland. Two business leaders supportive of the Elders, Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Skoll, also plan to attend.
Rocket-battered Israeli Border Town Enjoying Calm
Six months after Israel ended its bruising offensive against Gaza Strip militants, the people of the rocket-scarred border town of Sderot are enjoying their calmest stretch in recent memory, reports the AP.
Playgrounds are filled with children, stores are bustling, and the town’s public swimming pool is open for the first time in five years. The fact that the attacks have all but ended has improved the atmosphere and set the stage for possible talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
(Continue reading AP article in the Wash. Post)
Photo courtesy of Sun Star
Elephant Car Wash Raises Zoo Cash (Video)
One of the highlights of the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon is a pay-for-service elephant car wash.
Mom Magazine described it this way:
The boys roared with laughter when, time after time, the elephants dipped their trunks in the water and then squirted it all over our van! Then one of the elepants actually picked up a sponge and scrubbed the car.
And, just like any good car-wash…they followed with a rinse!
Watch a YouTube video below, or watch a BBC video report…
Dog Found After 9 years, 1,200 Miles Away
A flea-bitten dog rescued from a squalid Melbourne backyard is to be reunited with her overjoyed owner – nine years after disappearing from its Brisbane home 1,200 miles away.
And 17-year-old Chloe Rushby, who was only eight when her best mate disappeared, can’t wait to have Muffy back in her arms.
Continue reading from the Australian Herald Sun, or watch the video below…
Thanks to Trig for submitting the story from Down Under!
Small Cars Get Good Marks in Crash Tests
Small in stature, a group of 2009 two-door cars are providing good safety value to car shoppers, according to crash tests released last week.
The Ford Focus, Volvo C30, Chevrolet Cobalt and Honda Civic all received high marks.
Watch the AP video below, or read the story at Seattle P-I.
Pakistanis Breaks Guinness Record Planting 500,000 Trees in One Day
A Pakistan team set the Guinness World Record for tree planting, beating India in an international competition this month. Just 300 volunteers from the local fishing communities planted more than a half million young mangroves in one day, breaking the previous record of 447,874 held by its Indian rivals.
Covered in mud and sweating, the 300 volunteers who have been trained to plant record numbers without using any mechanical equipment, worked all day in a temperature of up to 99° (37°C) before breaking the record some 150 km south east from Karachi.
Philly Rolls Out Solar-Powered Trash Compactors
Philadelphia has replaced 700 downtown trash bins with 500 high-tech compactors, which use solar energy to condense trash — cutting down collection trips by 75 percent.
Facing a billion dollar budget deficit, the city estimates it will save $875,000 a year with the compactors, bought with state grant money. Cities from Vienna to Boston to Vancouver have tried the devices in smaller numbers, but Philadelphia put them along four collection routes in its heavily traveled downtown area.
The Amazing Benefits Of Sleep
In the modern world, most of us live in a supercharged society where energetic activity always seems to take precedence over the simple common sense awareness of our basic need to get enough sleep. In fact, our active lives can be so enticing, so interesting that we get to the point where we actually begrudge the need to slow down – and simply – get enough sleep.
Consider for a moment some of the negative results of a constant habit or way of life where you never get enough sleep: a malfunctioning of the brain occurs; reaction time slows down; ability to focus attention is impaired; memory lapses; the ability to think creatively suffers; you feel drowsy and lack good judgment in both minor and critical situations.
Studies show that most adults require six to eight hours of sleep in every twenty-four hour day, totaling one-third of our entire life. It has also been demonstrated that people who get enough sleep are more productive and happier than those who do not get enough sleep. In short, the people who decide to be well-rested by getting enough sleep, are the people who become more productive as well as better companions to family, friends and business associates.
Let me give you a personal example: As a creative person, I find myself in the role of one who is constantly thinking about, coming up with and generating brand new ideas. Because my waking hours are so interesting and exciting I used to think sleep was a waste of time. There was a time when I almost hated to go to bed. The result of my lack of sleep was that my work suffered, and my good ideas became fewer. Then, by trial and error I must admit, I became aware of the many benefits of sleep. For instance, some of my most creative thoughts come to me while I am – you guessed it – sleeping. When I am asleep, I’m relaxed and my creative subconscious thoughts can intertwine and mingle with my conscious thoughts using no effort on my part. Amazing!
Thinking can require hard work but when I am fresh and rested, after a good night’s sleep, my thoughts are usually clear and right on target.
So, if you want to live a more productive, happier life you need to pay attention to the many benefits that can be yours during the hours you invest in getting the right amount of sleep. It is a fact that instead of a waste of time, sleeping can be some of the most productive hours of your whole life.
If you have trouble turning off the cares of the world and getting to sleep, you might want to consider some of the sleep aids offered to help you on my website, www.OriginalsByWeber.com.
A Million More Americans Volunteered in 2008
A million more Americans took time out of their schedules to volunteer in 2008 than they did the year before. 61.8 million Americans volunteered last year, the largest number since 2005, giving 8.1 billion hours of service, according to the government-run Corporation for National and Community Service.
June New Home Sales Soar 11 Percent in US
New US home sales rose by the largest amount in more than eight years last month, in another sign the housing market is finally bouncing back from the worst downturn in decades.
“The worst of the housing recession … is now behind us,” said David Resler, chief economist at Nomura Securities. “We’re turning the corner toward increased activity in housing.”