"Vincent didn’t care about their differences. He was in love and that was that. Sure, some might call it "puppy love." They are, after all, dogs. But Vincent doesn’t seem to care that he’s a well-coiffed, 12-pound poodle and his love, the object of his adoration, is a 40-pound pit bull mix." (A-J Constitution) Steve sent this with the hope that we hear a happy ending for this doomed couple — someone willing to adopt the beauty and the beast…
Honest Man Returns 2 Million Dollar Check
“Expecting a $15 refund from the Utah Department of Commerce, the Draper man opened his mail recently to find a $2,245,342 check.” After some consideration, he returned the accidental over payment to the state. (AP Wire)
Google Plugs the Internet Into Clean Power
"Google and other large data servers now consume more electricity each year than the entire state of Colorado. Sensing perils to both the environment and their bottom line, Google announced Tuesday it will plow $100 million into development of alternative energies." (CS Monitor) Thanks for the link, Steve.
50K in Stolen Toys Being Replaced in Radio Marathon
Not sure if you heard about this in Atlanta, but $50,000 worth of toys were stolen. Those were somebody’s Christmas toys. Now, a morning radio show is trying to make up for that with a fundraising marathon. (A-J Constitution) Thanks for the update, Steve!
One Man Tries to Spur an Urban Revival with Tulips
“Durwin Rice leads a drive to change the image of Troost Avenue, a racial and economic dividing line in Kansas City, by planting millions of flowers.” (CS Monitor) Thanks to Steve G.!
Wind Power Lifts Dying Texas Farm Town
Roscoe, a small farm town in Texas transforms into Wind City U.S.A. — collectively one of the biggest wind farms in the nation and the world. It’s a boon to the town (where most restaraunts had closed) and to its farmers, who get between $5,000-10,000 per turbine per year. (NPR- nice story, audio and slides)
Mexico Invests to Protect Monarch Butterflies
Mexico’s president pledged $4.6 million to protect the forested nesting grounds which are the winter home for millions of monarch butterflies. (Nat’l Geographic )
500 Trees to Mark Half-Millennium of Luther’s Reformation
Churches worldwide are encouraged to adopt one of 500 trees being planted in a special "Luther Garden" in Wittenberg in eastern Germany to mark the 500th anniversary in 2017 of Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation. and also to plant a tree themselves to denote a link with the birthplace of the Reformation.
Healthy School Lunches Prove Popular, Affordable
A new study shows that healthy school lunches do not cost more money for administrators, and students actually like the food. (AP)
Random Act of Kindness Repaid by Stranger
Sometimes something will happen so unexpected that the event leaves us in such a state of awe that we are incapable of saying anything more than a simple thank you. We never know the depth of impact it will have on another when we practice random acts of kindness. This is what happened to me on a recent visit to the dollar store…
I was shopping at a local Dollar Tree searching for inexpensive things to use in a classroom. I was specifically looking for items that would provide hands on experiences for toddlers and pre-schoolers. As I entered the toy area there stood a grown man with a couple of friends. This man was holding one of those tubes that when twirled above the head makes a whistling type of sound.
He looked as if he wanted to try the toy but was hesitant maybe because I had walked up or maybe at his age he didn’t think he could get away with it. I don’t know why, BUT I told him to go ahead and do it. I encouraged him to let the little boy in him out and he would feel better if he did, and life is too short to be worrying about what someone else might think.
The gentleman acted on my suggestion, played with the toy and smiled from ear to ear. We both laughed.
Later the same man came up to me and asked if the items in my baskets were for the students I teach. I told him yes and explained how a couple of the items would be used.
The man reached out his hand and said, “Take this.” It was a gift card for the Dollar Tree. “I want to help you with your purchases today.”
Oh my goodness! I was speechless. I was in shock. I was not able to bring together the words to express all the emotions I was feeling.
What a testimony I was given for the goodness of man. Thank you stranger. (And, keep on playing, allowing the little boy in you to have some fun.)
Judith Swingle is from Knoxville,Tn.
Story originally appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Grandma Gives Thanks for Political Choices
I am a grandmother and holistic practitioner. I have not been active in politics since the ‘70s. I’m sorry to admit that I just gave up hope. Well, HOPE is back! I’d like to see a story about the hope that we DO have, politically. At this point in the upcoming election we have choices, and we do have a voice.
Dog Saves Owner from the Same Fire Twice
"An abused stray dog adopted by an Idaho City resident turned out to be twice a hero, saving Candace Jennings a second time from a raging house fire in the middle of the night after Jennings risked her life to go back into the home to get keys belonging to other people." (IdahoStatesman) Thanks to Kim S. for the link!
Shoppers Rise to the Challenge to “Take the Stairs”
Attention shoppers: taking the stairs protects your heart. That’s the message researchers tried to convey at a suburban British shopping mall by putting up colorful signs along the steps of a staircase. The project worked, with use of the stairway next to an escalator more than doubling over a six-week period.
Illegal Immigrant Rescues Boy in the Desert, Jeopardizing Own Freedom
“A 9-year-old boy whose mother died in a car crash in the Arizona desert was rescued by a man entering the U.S. illegally, who stayed with him until help arrived the next day.” (cbsnews) Thanks to Kim S. for the link!
Relentless Advocate ‘Greens’ Rural China, Village by Village
"She has traveled Yunnan Province village by village showing locals how conservation can make economic sense – and save the region’s prized golden monkeys." (CS Monitor) Thanks to SG for the link!
Church Meets $1 Million Katrina Goal
"Parishioners at Fountain Baptist Church in a New York City suburb reached their goal this month: to raise $1 million for communities hit by Hurricane Katrina. It is one of the largest amounts ever raised by a single U.S. church." (AP Wire)
Pastoral Minister Has Led Prayer Services for Inmates for 20 Years
"She’s the Mother Teresa of the King County Jail, holding prayer services three times a week for 20 years, taking a bus from her tiny home to the downtown jail, and personally visiting with 35,000 individual inmates." One man said, "If I didn’t have this service, I’d sit and dwell… I come here, and the whole day is 100 percent better." (Seattle Times)
Scotland Set to Smash 30% Recycling Target
"Scotland is within touching distance of its 2008 target on recycling – more than a year ahead of schedule." (Scotsman.com)
Massive New Rainforest Reserve Opens to Protect Congo Apes
A new nature reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will become the world’s largest continuous protected area for great apes, particularly the endangered bonobo species, the most human-like of all the apes. Larger than the state of Massachusetts, the new reserve encompasses 11,803 square miles of tropical rainforest, extremely rich in biodiversity and will protect both the bonobo and okapi, a rare forest giraffe found, like the bonobo, only in the DRC.
Stem-Cell Advance Opens Up the Field
The Christian Science Monitor reports: "This week’s announcement that two teams have genetically reprogrammed skin cells so that they take on the traits of embryonic stem cells suggests it will be possible for scientists to advance stem-cell research without the ethical and political difficulties of harvesting them from unused human embryos. "This is enormous," says Jesse Reynolds, a policy analyst at the liberal Center for Genetics and Society. "I can’t think of another development "that has been this big.""