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First Brazilian in Space

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Crew changes hands at the International Space Station

Crew changes hands at the International Space StationBrazil’s first astronaut docked at the International Space Station. Marcos Pontes and his American and Russian crewmates arrived in their Soyuz spacecraft, while in Brazil, Pontes’ family and countrymen were overcome with pride. Sky.com reports:

Two days after blasting off from earth, Pontes was pictured smiling and holding his national flag. The 43-year-old Air Force pilot has also taken a Brazilian football shirt into space, hoping it will bring his team luck for the World Cup.


Image above: Expedition 12 and Expedition 13 crewmembers greet each other inside the Destiny Laboratory. From left are Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes, Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and Expedition 12 Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev. Photo Credit: NASA TV

Teach a Village to Farm, and Feed them for Life

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Sauri, Kenya is the first village to benefit from the Millennium Village Project begun 18 months ago. Based at Columbia University, the program is teaching Sauri’s 5,100 villagers how to farm and be successful. And it is working. Associated Press reporter Chris Tomlinson says: the village has "doubled farm output and gone from depending on handouts to donating food to the needy."

The poverty experts now based at the village point out that it costs ten times as much money to give the poor a hand-out as to create self-sufficiency across the spectrum. There is no hunger in the village anymore, the people are empowered, they are ready to join the marketplace with their cash crops, and the experts will be leaving soon.
(Kudos, once again, to AP for delivering another enriching story through the media!)

Kuwaiti Women Vote for the First Time

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kuwaitiflag

Kuwaiti flagKuwaiti women are voting for first time after they were granted equal political rights in May 2005. 28,000 Kuwaitis are being polled today in a local election to fill a vacant council seat. 60% of the voters eligible to vote are women and they will have the chance to vote for the first women candidates to ever appear on a Kuwaiti ballot. Women will vote in widespread national legislative elections in 2007. The BBC reports on the excitement and pride the women are feeling today.

Improving your Chances for a Business Loan

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Neil Berdiev
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Neil Berdiev

Neil BerdievNeil’s column regularly appears in the Good News Network.

Your goal is to secure financing. Your prospective lender’s goal is to understand your company’s dynamics and cash flow so well that he or she becomes comfortable with lending you money. Therefore, to best meet your need for capital, you should try addressing the needs of the lender first.

The most important thing to know about seeking capital is that lenders have a limited amount of time to review a loan request. It is not possible for a lender to be familiar with every industry, so your first priority should be to help them understand the industry in which your business operates. This will make them more comfortable with your company, less skeptical and cautious, and will improve your chances of securing the loan your company needs.

Specifically, you’ll want to discuss a number of factors that influence a business in your industry, including driving forces, risks, and how you mitigate risks.

1. Talk about key driving forces in your industry.

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Green TV Launches

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Green TV screenshot

Green TV screenshotWe have a Food Network, a Style Network, a Shopping channel, why not a Green channel? The world’s first online ‘green’ television channel launched Friday from its virtual studios with the backing of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Green.tv podcasts are also being offered and featured prominently on iTunes.

Promotional videos welcome viewers to the homepage with exceptional quality that generates excitement. If half of the programming looks that good — think National Geographic — internet audiences will be in for a treat.

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China Spends $1Billion on River Clean Up

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China will invest around 1.2 billion USD over the next five years to curb the pollution of the Songhua River, funding more than 200 projects, half of which will address industrial pollution, 70 will focus on sewage processing.

Lost an iPod or Laptop? Check Online

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Honesty and thoughtfulness abound. Check out this Associated Press story about people whose lost items are returned to them via online message boards like Craig’s List. Kudos to the reporter Andrew Ryan for focusing on these truly wonderful stories that happen to average people every day. They renew our faith in the human race.

In an increasingly cynical world, there are still places where people try to do the right thing. Everyday on Internet message boards, honest folks post notes about valuables they found: cash, bank cards, diamond bracelets, engagement rings, wedding bands, digital cameras… and brand new ipods, like the one returned in today’s story: (USA Today)

The Lost and Found page on Craig’s List today in D.C. featured notices by honest people who found car keys, a Sirius player, an iPod Nano, a bird and a passport. Keep up the good work!

Sri Lankans Endorse Peace Talks with Insurgents

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Sri Lanka flag

Sri Lanka flagSri Lankans overwhelmingly elected local officials from the country’s ruling party today signaling a thumbs up to President Mahinda Rajapake for his handling of peace talks with rebel Tamil Tigers. The opposition party, which is opposed to offering any consessions to the rebel group — and had previously controlled most councils — garnered just 12% of local seats on the 264 councils where results were declared. President Rajapake is eager to move ahead with peace talks and reach a settlement.

Terrorism experts say the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have staged two-thirds of all the world’s suicide bombings in its quest to gain a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka. But in February 2002, the LTTE signed a permanent cease-fire with the government and in the following months decommissioning of weapons took place. In December 2002 the government and the rebels agreed to share power.

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Cultivating a ‘Good Heart’ Through Meditation: A Brazilian Research Study

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(Northeastern Brazil) In Fortaleza, a town of 2.5 million people, the poor and the rich will meet once a week to cultivate a "good heart" through meditation. The program is based on work by Dr. B. Alan Wallace, which is understood as the conquest of our inner fears with the realization of the natural resources inherent in our heart and minds. This eight-week clinical program will teach a dozen people the process of mindfulness meditation, a nonjudgmental acceptance, and an empathic attitude, and initiate a daily practice of shamatha meditation homework. This combined approach aims at developing loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity that is summarized as cultivating a good heart and genuine happiness.

Beyond the learning and practicing sessions, participants will be writing or drawing a diary of images and feelings that boil up during the meditations. A final session will qualitatively evaluate the participants’ experiences. This program is free of charge from the Universidade de Fortaleza (Brazil) under the guidance of psychology professor Francisco Cavalcante, Jr., Ph.D.

His RELUS Network of Happiness Studies brings together researchers and practioners from the Portuguese speaking world interested in the happiness studies. People from all over the world are welcome to contribute. (info submitted by Andre)

Mad Cow Disease on the Wane Worldwide

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(23 March) ROME — Cases of mad cow disease worldwide are declining at a rapid rate, some 50 percent a year over the past three years, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

In 2005, just 474 animals died of the disease around the world, compared with 878 in 2004 and 1646 in 2003, and against a peak of several tens of thousands in 1992, according to figures collected by the Paris-based World Animal Health Organization. And, only five human deaths were counted worldwide in 2005. All of them were in the United Kingdom — the country most affected by the disease — where nine deaths were registered in 2004 and 18 in 2003.

Nurse arranges backstage visit for someone special

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Jean Dennis is a nurse near Ithaca, New York, who helps care for Brent Larsen during his trials with Muscular Dystrophy and life on a ventilator.

She knew Brent had been a Billy Joel fan since he was in junior high. “Brent’s life everyday is such a challenge” that she wanted to do something nice for him so she decided to try and make his wish come true when the “Piano Man” would come to town.

Joel was to play on March 25 in Syracuse. It took a bunch of phone calls with Joel’s “people” but she pulled it off, creating a Saturday night to remember for Brent, his parents — and, of course, his nurse! Check out the whole story here, and the great photo of Brent and his new friend.

Brent’s mom was told her son could be expected to live to 18 or 20 years old.

He is now about to turn 29, and was dancing in his wheelchair on the deck a couple days ago, his mom said, rocking out in the sunshine to –who else?– Billy Joel.

(link submitted by R. Ventura-Rosa)

National Donate for Life Month

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donate life logo

donate life logoApril is National Donate Life Month, a time to bring awareness to the astounding fact that with a simple choice today, you can save a life. Really. You can give someone their life.

As a matter of fact, you can actually save SEVEN lives.

You can save seven, and help dozens of others by becoming an organ and tissue donor. The first step, aside from signing a donor card or indicating the gift on your driver’s license, is to express your decision to your family. Learn more and receive a donor card by visiting www.shareyourlife.org

Even though hundreds of thousands of people have provided the gift of life through a commitment to organ donation, there is still a tremendous need. More than 84,000 people are on the nation’s organ transplant waiting list. On average, 16 patients die each day while awaiting an organ. By getting involved, you can provide hope, and share in the abundance of gratitude. Want encouragement? Just read some of these stories of hope from Virginia.

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Corporations Benefit with Charity Efforts

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1st wisconsin building

1st wisconsin buildingOne of the good things about the new global economy is it gives large corporations more reasons to do good works overseas. This Associated Press story is an uplifting look at business philanthropy and the benefits that return as a result of corporate compassion. Companies mentioned are: Starbucks, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric and Merck.

HIV Drops in India

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The prevalence of new H.I.V. infections has fallen significantly in southern India, the region most heavily infected. The decline by more than a third from 2000 through 2004 was attributed to increasing use of condoms. — Lancet, 06/3/31

US Offers Earthquake Aid to Iran

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Despite chilled relations between the two countries over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Bush administration called the Iranian embassy to offer immediate aid to the victims of Friday’s earthquake south of Tehran, including temporary shelter for 100,000 people. The envoy promised a reply after conferring with his government. San Diego Union-Tribune carried the AP report.

NY’s Cabbie of the Year

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Hossam Abdalla was crowned New York’s cab driver of the year year because he returned a king’s ransom in jewels to a passenger who left a million dollars worth of gold and diamonds in his taxi. Hooray for the Egyptian immigrant and his integrity!

China, Japan Try to Mend Ties

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The BBC reports that "China and Japan are making another attempt to patch up their tattered relations today." Former Japanese prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto is visiting with the Chinese president in Beijing. Seven Japan-China friendship delegations also made their first joint visit to China today, and are pushing for non-governmental exchanges between youth, business and cultural groups to help pave the way to better relations. Hashimoto disclosed that he will lead a major trade delegation to China in mid-April.

Belief in a Higher Calling Creates Health

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meditation rock

meditation rock An article by Serena Gordon lists many positive ways that "spirituality" can influence health and longevity. But the experts interviewed are defining spirituality to include more than traditional religion. The executive director of the Integrative Medicine Initiative at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago said spirituality is where people find meaning in their life. It’s what brings them peace and safety:

"Some people feel it with a beautiful sunset. Some people get it from meditation. For some, it’s from their community. It’s a feeling that you’re connected to something greater, something larger than myself. For some that comes from their family," she said.

Harvard Course in Happiness Draws Students in Droves

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The most popular course at Harvard this semester teaches the skill of positive thinking.

855 students signed up for a positive psychology course to learn how to create "a fulfilling and flourishing life." Harvard is one of about a hundred campuses around the country offering courses that focus on what helps people to feel good. Positive Psychology is the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions.

Growing piles of scientific research are promoted on the covers of magazines like Time, and leading to masters degree programs, like the one centered on the work of Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology.

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Condors Return to Big Sur After 100-Year Absence

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A Condor nest has been spotted in Northern California for the first time in 100 years. It is believed to contain an egg. Population levels have increased tenfold in recent decades thanks to condor recovery efforts, but this is the first time since 1905 that an active nest appeared in the Big Sur area. KTVU has pictures and this report.

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