“Some students think of their intelligence as something fixed, carved in stone. A new scientific study shows that if you teach students that their intelligence can grow and increase, they do better in school.” (Text or audio clip from NPR) Thanks to Ellen M. for the link!
Students’ View of Brain Power Can Help Grades
Cat Poo Coffee Cost A Lot
A rare type of coffee made from the droppings of the civet cat is wowing coffee connoisseurs around the world. Enzymes in the cats’ stomach break down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste, thus enhancing its flavor and creating a brew many consider superb.
Traffic Police Taught Laughing Exercises
More than a thousand Bangkok traffic cops who work in some of the most polluted streets are taking part in a project aimed at improving their mental and physical health.
Murder Numbers in NYC Lowest on Record, Say Police
“New York City is approaching its lowest yearly murder rate in its recorded history,” with 120 fewer people killed in 2007 than last year. (Reuters)
Increased Employment Is Climate Change’s Silver Lining: UN
Despite the detrimental effects brought on by climate change, new industries to combat global would likely spur employment oportunities for not just the middle class, the head of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said in December.
Hero on One-Man Mission to Fight Crime
The streets are littered with villains and Superman is nowhere to be seen. But help is at hand because do-gooder Vincent Oligbo is on a one-man mission to fight crime. He has rescued damsels and foiled pick-pockets… Also see the Bexley Times story covering the Have-a-Go Hero Courage Award presented this month to Vincent.
Hero Policemen Save Elderly Couple From Car Fire
“Two quick-thinking policemen have rescued an elderly couple from a car just moments before it exploded into flames on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast”, Australia. (CourierMail) Submitted by Leisa C.
Welcome to the New Site: Please Be Patient!
Hello everyone and welcome to the NEW Good News Network site. It is a “beta” site and we are still working out the bugs. People with OLDER Internet Explorer browsers are having some problems, while still enjoying the new design. The regular ‘On This Day’ column has been moved to this tabbed box. (Please upgrade your old IE browsers (to v.7) or switch to (the always superior) Firefox, recommended for viewing this site. (It will import all your bookmarks, too). . . If you are a newsletter subscriber you need to resubscribe, because we also hired a new service to send out my weekly Top 10 Good News of the Week. You can send an email and it will be done automatically, here.
Big Holiday Pickup for Soldier and Family
Chicago-area groups gave a soldier and his wife a 2008 Chevy Silverado for Christmas with thanks for his service in Iraq. Mark returned home in April recovering from gunshot wounds. (Naperville Sun) Thanks to DJ Cabel for sending the link!
Sorrow For My Wounds? Go Elsewhere, Says Soldier.
A Navy SEAL lieutenant was shot through the face in Afghanistan. Recovering with surgeries in a hospital, he has hung a sign on his door so inspiring and so positive that we are compelled to find the man and meet his optimism. The sign on the wall reads:
Attention to all who enter here. If you are coming into this room with sorrow or to feel sorry for my wounds, go elsewhere. The wounds I received I got doing a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting the freedom of a country I deeply love. I am incredibly tough and will make a full recovery. What is full? That is the utmost physically my body has the ability to recover. Then I will push that about 20% further through sheer mental tenacity. This room you are about to enter is a room of fun, optimism, and intense rapid regrowth. If you are not prepared for that, go elsewhere. – The Management
Op/Ed column at (HumanEvents.com) Thanks to DJCabel for sending the link!
Pamphlet Turns Life Around for Drug Addict in Kenya
Sammy Gitau grew up in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. As a teenager, he joined a gang, and became a drug addict. But a pamphlet in a dust bin helped turn his life around. NPR’s Scott Simon speaks with Gitau, now a graduate of Manchester University. (Nat’l Public Radio audio)
I was affected by panic attacks…
Thank you for making this site. Daily, I was affected by Panic Attacks which were triggered from the news and all it’s negative content. I considered starting a good news site and I was so happy to find one already here.
– Lisa
GNN has really changed the way I see the world…
GNN has really changed the way I see the world. A few months ago I realized that I was getting really bogged down by all the terror and destruction that hit me first thing in the morning, and throughout my day. Now, with the Good News Network set as my homepage, I see first the good that goes on in the world and my attitude and state of mind are much better.
– Brian Dicrocco
David Cooperrider absolutely loves our work
I am a professor at Case Western reserve University and absolutely love your work–it is very significant. I would like to share your link at our website on Appreciative Inquiry. Thank you for your work!
-David Cooperrider
I’ve felt suffocated by today’s news…
Your Good News Network has changed my life! -Camille in Seattle
I’ve felt suffocated by today’s news that rains down a storm of death, war and terrorism. I decided to search the web for positive news. Thank you for lifting my spirits, after only 10 minutes of reading I felt better about the world in which we live. -Paul Lastovica
One Laptop Per Child (Video)
Units of the XO laptop are now shipping to Uraguay and Peru. Designed for poor children in developing countries, the XO is low-cost ($100-$200), durable, solar powered and includes a video camera, microphone, and long-range Wi-Fi. Donated models from the Buy-One-Give-One program are going to kids in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Rwanda.
Ivory Coast Peace Hopes Rise (Video)
All parties have begun pulling back from front line positions they have held for more than four years under a peace deal signed in March.
Revealed: The Seven Great “Medical Myths”
Reading in dim light won’t damage your eyes, you don’t need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy and shaving your legs won’t make the hair grow back faster.
Mentoring Program Gives Girls Strength to Succeed
A former corporate worker, Nicole Steele now helps troubled girls to transform their lives through her Diamond in the Rough program. (http://www.ditr.org/our-history.html) Thanks to Steve G. for the link.
Untraditional Students Rewarded With Scholarships
Scholarships to the finest universities help students who might not have the highest grade point averages or SAT scores, but whose potential is undeniable. Since 1989 the non-profit Posse Foundation has helped more than 1,850 students get to and stay in college. (Atlanta Journal-Const.) Thanks to Steve G. for the link!