Human Library Lets You Check Out People, Aims to Foster Diversity

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Sep 7, 2015

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover… especially if they can talk.

The Human Library based out of Denmark lets people check out “interactive books” for half an hour–but the words are coming from humans that volunteer to tell their tales.

Readers peruse the library catalog and select an experience to hear about–Child Of The Holocaust Survivors, The Gypsy Tale, Iraq War Veteran, and Orphanage Boy, are examples of story titles offered.

With library card in hand, readers are led to a discussion area to meet their book and hear the tale, cover to cover.

Started in 2000 by a Danish youth-based nonprofit, “Stop The Violence,” the Human Library was a project intended to start conversation and foster understanding between different types of people that would normally not interact with each other.

“The purpose is to challenge what we think we know about other members of our community,” reads the Human Library Facebook Page. “To challenge our stereotypes and prejudices in a positive framework, where difficult questions are accepted, expected and appreciated.”

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The first Human Library event was hosted at the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen. One of the largest summer festivals in Northern Europe, its theme focused on community activities to help stop growing levels of violence and bias in the area. Now the project has spread to over 50 countries across the world.

If you feel like you’ve got a bestseller inside you, check out the Human Library website to see if there are events happening near you–with no late fees involved.

(WATCH a CBC documentary below)

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(WATCH) 100 People Work Together to Rescue a Great White Shark

By

Terry Turner

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Sep 7, 2015

Dozens of people literally pulled together trying to rescue a 14-foot great white shark that washed up on a Massachusetts beach.

The video shows about 100 people — police, lifeguards, wildlife experts, and vacationing beachgoers — working frantically to save the shark on Cape Cod’s Whitecrest Beach.

They created a pool around the shark and showered him with buckets of water to help him breath. Others dug a trench leading dozens of yards to the ocean.

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When the trench was finished, they tied a rope around the shark’s tail and together dragged the 2,000 pound great-white back into the sea.

Unfortunately, the heroic effort ended with the shark eventually dying in the water, but it was a dramatic show of humanity nonetheless.

Shark experts say it’s very difficult to save large sharks when they beach themselves, although an effort in July did save a 7-foot great white in Cape Cod.

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That younger shark was tagged and has been spotted several times this summer off the coast.

(WATCH the video below) — Image from Robyn Schnaible on Vimeo

Cape Cod Great White Shark Rescue - Whitecrest Beach, Wellfleet from Robyn Schnaible on Vimeo.

10 Easy Ways You Can Practice Mindfulness

By

Elyse Santilli

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Sep 6, 2015

Have you ever wondered what it means to live in the present? Aren’t we all here, now, in the present?

Technically, yes, but for so many of us, we are only ten percent here.

We are really living in our minds. We exist from day-to-day in a dream-like state where we’re not really connected to the world around us, nor centered in our own body or being. Instead, we’re preoccupied with memories of the past, churning thoughts and worries about the future, and judgments and reactions to the few things we do see.

We’re literally missing out on most our own lives, which leaves us feeling shallow, empty and deeply unsettled.

The great news is you can learn to be more present and mindful. Here are 10 easy ways you can practice mindfulness in your daily life.

1. Eat mindfully.

When you scoff down your meal on autopilot while distracted by the television, computer, or constant conversation, you miss out on the delicious taste and smell of your food. You’re also less likely to feel satisfied and nourished, because you ‘missed out’ on the fact that you ate.

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It can be helpful to remember this phrase: When you eat, eat. When you drink, drink.

In other words, don’t attempt to do fifty other things when you sit down to a meal, coffee or green juice. Simply focus all of your attention on what is in front of you.

2. Walk mindfully.

Take a beautiful tip from spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh and “walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.”

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In others words, when you are out and about, pay attention occasionally to the movement of your body and your surroundings.

Notice as your feet connect with and leave the ground. Feel your muscles moving and supporting you.

Observe what is going on around you — the sights, sounds and life unfolding. You may be amazed to find a whole new world you hadn’t even noticed before.

3. Observe your breathing.

As Echkart Tolle once said, a single breath in and out is a meditation.

Your breathing occurs naturally and rhythmically. When you pay attention to it, it takes you out of your mind and into your body.

You momentarily free yourself from your churning thoughts, worries and fears, and you remind yourself of who you really are — your inner spirit, not your thoughts.

4. Connect with your senses.

Your senses — touch, smell, taste, sound and sight — are your gateway into the present moment.

But when you are lost in thought, you don’t experience what your senses are picking up.

Pause to soak up the beautiful aroma of your coffee. The salty ocean air. The beauty and diversity of flowers in your neighborhood. The mouth-watering waft of wood-fire pizza coming from your local Italian restaurant as you pass it.

Notice how your clothing feels against your body. The soft clean bed sheets on your skin in the morning. The comforting warmth of your lover’s kiss. The grass under your feet. The sensation of water and suds on your hands as you do the washing up.

Put love and attention into the simple tasks of your day, and you will be amazed how much joy and peace they can bring you.

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5. Pause between action.

Pause and listen to the sound of the phone ringing before answering it.

Pause and feel the weight of your body in your chair before beginning your work for the day.

Pause and feel the door handle of your home before you open it at the end of the day.

Putting mini pauses between actions in your day can ground you in your inner being, clear your mind, and provide you with fresh energy for the new task ahead.

Think of it like putting energetic bookends at the start and end of each activity.

6. Listen wholeheartedly.

Most of us never truly listen to people when they are speaking to us, because we’re too busy planning what to say next, judging what they are saying, or getting lost in daydreams altogether.

Next time you’re in a conversation, make it your goal to fully listen to what the other person is saying to you, without getting lost in your thoughts.

Trust that you will intuitvely know the right thing to say next when it’s your turn to speak.

7. Get lost in the flow of doing things you love.

We all have certain activities we love doing — they connect us with our inner spirit and bring us fully alive.

For you it could be cooking, dancing, singing, gardening, writing, painting, bushwalking, swimming, or building Ikea furniture.

We love doing these things so much that we often lose ourselves in them. That is, we lose our smaller self — our churning thoughts and worries – because we are pouring all of our love and attention into the present moment.

Incorporate more flow activities in your weekly routine, and your happiness will skyrocket.

8. Mediate daily.

There’s no getting around it — meditation has huge benefits and increases your levels of energy, happiness, inspiration and inner peace.

It doesn’t have to take long. Even 10 minutes a day can have a positive impact on your life. It will also strengthen your mindfulness muscles, so you’ll find it much easier to become present throughout the day.

9. Travel or mix up your routine.

There’s more than one reason you feel amazing on holidays. When you’re in a new place, you automatically become more present and mindful — simply because there are so many new sights, sounds and smells to soak up.

Your senses take over for a short while and it frees you from your mind.

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No travel plans? That’s fine. Mix up your routine — it will have the same effect.

Take a different route, stop at a new coffee shop, visit a new place locally or try something you’ve done done before like paddle boarding, cooking a new recipe or writing calligraphy.

10. Observe your thoughts and emotions.

You are not your thoughts — you are the observer of your thoughts. The fact that you can listen to them shows that they are not you. You are something higher and separate.

By simply becoming aware of your thoughts and non-judgmentally observing them as they come and go — like clouds passing in the sky — you are being more present. You are not getting caught up in your thoughts and forgetting that they are not you.

Our Thoughts Become Our Reality

As you observe, resist the temptation to get carried away by a particular thought down a tunnel into the past or future. Picture your thoughts like trains at the station – you’re on the platform watching them come and go, but you’re not going to jump on and go for a ride.

Before you leave this article, I encourage you to take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and sense what it’s like to be alive in this very moment. This moment is your life.

Photo Credit: CC HTB

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Postman Delivers Touching Letter to Each Home With Some News

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Good News Network

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Sep 6, 2015

They are all like a second family to this letter carrier in Glendale, Arizona. That’s why he delivered a hand-written letter to each of the homes on his route last week, to announce his retirement.

One of those who received the letter used a more modern form of communication, Reddit, to share a photo of the letter, which delighted thousands of readers, who posted comments about their own beloved mail carriers.

They also suggested the neighbors should throw a party for the man in blue.

“I’ve been here long enough that I’ve seen kids when they are little, and I watch them grow up,” said Michael Raymer, who is hanging up his mail bag on September 30, after 20 years at the US Postal Service.

(WATCH the video below or READ more from KSAZ News)

Photo by Reddit user g3tyasum – Story tip from Tonya Brown Wright

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Loggerhead Sea Turtles Set Another Nesting Record in Georgia

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Good News Network

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Sep 6, 2015

What a difference a decade of conservation can make.

In 2004, the number of loggerhead sea turtle nests on Georgia’s barrier island beaches, a prime nesting ground, plunged to 358, the fewest on record.

Th 2015 summer count shows the threatened marine turtle is bouncing back, with Georgia wildlife officials announcing a total of nearly 2,300 nests–the most since 1989.

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“If you had asked me less than 10 years ago, I would’ve said there’s a possibility we’ll lose loggerhead nesting in Georgia,” said Mark Dodd, a senior wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources sea turtle program.

Much of the success is due to the Georgia Sea Turtle Cooperative, a network of volunteers, researchers and agency employees who patrol beaches daily during the nesting season, protecting and recording data on the nests.

The long-term trend shows nesting increasing at about 3 percent a year, which Dodd calls, “an exceptionally good rate … for a long-lived species with a low maximum-population growth rate.”

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Dodd credits the recovery to a wide range of conservation measures, from the Cooperative members using wire screen to shield nests from predators to commercial fishery regulations reducing sea turtle deaths along Georgia’s coast and far into the Atlantic Ocean.

With nesting completed for the summer, hatching is in full swing. More than half of sea turtle hatchlings on Georgia beaches have already emerged, digging out of their sand nests and heading toward the surf.

The hatching success rate – hovering at about 68 percent – has been boosted by a lack of storm surges and the extreme high tides caused by such tropical weather events.

The future reliability of Georgia as a safe nesting zone for this iconic species has been assured by the incredible involvement of the state’s human citizens– with more than 30 percent of residents 16 and older taking part in wildlife-watching activities.

Follow nesting and hatching activities all along the Atlantic coast at Seaturtle.org

The US Economy’s Second Quarter Went From Solid to Stellar

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Good News Network

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Sep 5, 2015

The U.S. economy grew at a far faster pace last quarter than economists first had estimated–expanding at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in the April-June quarter

The Associated Press reported that the country’s gross domestic product was “outpacing the rest of the developed world and bolstering confidence that it will remain sturdy in coming months, despite global headwinds.”

The gains were “broad-based, reflecting more robust spending by consumers, businesses and government,” and based on the Commerce Department report released August 27.

(READ the story from AP) Photo by US Army Corps of Engineers

A Safety App That Lets Friends Digitally Walk You Home at Night

By

Terry Turner

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Sep 5, 2015

You’ll never walk home alone again with this app on your smartphone.

The Companion app connects you with friends to let them keep a virtual eye on you as you walk home from the corner coffee shop or take a taxi across town.

Five students at the University of Michigan developed the app that lets users select friends from a contact list, and then texts to them a link to a map. They can then watch as GPS tracks the user’s movement.

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It also uses GPS and the phone’s accelerometer — the device that measures speed and direction — to tell if the user is in trouble. The app can tell if the user is pushed or falls down, if the user suddenly starts running or if the phone is snatched from the user.

If the app detects trouble, it asks the user if they are alright, and if the user doesn’t answer within 15 seconds, it turns the phone into an alarm and allows the user to instantly call the police. At the same time, it alerts your contacts that you need help.

The Companion app’s developers are working with colleges and universities to integrate it into their campus safety networks.

(READ more from International Business Times) —Photo mashup includes image by Thomas Hawk, CC

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WATCH Fun-Loving Bear in the Wild Do Something We ALL Did as Kids

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Good News Network

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Sep 5, 2015

Ah, there’s nothing like a good roll down a hill. It’s the favorite pastime of many a young person.

In this incredible video, onlookers were amazed to see a wild bear do the same thing– rolling over, and over, and over…down a huge hill.

The chances of seeing a bear, at all, in Alaska’s Denali National Park are slim, so these camera-happy visitors were thrilled.

(WATCH the video below for a good chuckle) Photo by Tambako The Jaguar, CC)

Animals looking like children… Pass it on!

This Yoga Class Leads Inmates to Find Freedom From Within

By

Sheila Key

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Sep 5, 2015

There’s nothing like a little time on the yoga mat to take you away from it all—especially behind prison walls, where that goal is not easily accomplished.

While incarcerated people have made mistakes in their lives and caused others pain, many are victims themselves—of poverty, neglect, sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes. Because of that, they are poised to benefit deeply from the holistic self-care offered by a Charleston, West Virginia nonprofit.

Every week, Laotong Yoga—the name means ‘kindred spirit’—brings mats into the Lakin Correctional Center for women in West Columbia and the men’s maximum-security prison in Mount Olive.

Prison Yoga meditation Laotong Yoga video “The need for healing within the prison environment is profound,” co-founder Sue Julian told Good News Network. “They’re using these tools to get in touch with what they care about. What kind of person do they want to be while they’re in prison—and how to find that freedom on the inside while they’re incarcerated. It’s really very powerful.”

Before 2013, when Julian and her co-founder Barbara Steinke launched the nonprofit, both taught yoga for years while working in the criminal justice system–Julian as a domestic-violence activist, and Steinke as a federal court reporter.

“The yoga that Barbara and I offer is rooted in the Kripalu model, a philosophy of non-judgment and compassion for self and others,” Julian said in a phone call. “We really do believe that we’re all connected in the present moment, and that, whether we’re aware of it or not, we are involved in the healing of one another.”

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In addition to the emotional and spiritual benefits, participants in the program earn certificates of completion after each 8-week session they attend–documentation of ‘good behavior’ that could help their case before a judge or parole board.

The breathing and other mindfulness practices that inmates learn in class has helped them reduce reactive behavior, avoid confrontations in the yard, and better cope with their anger and depression.

“Yoga makes me focus on one thing and one thing only. My mind doesn’t race or move around,” reports one female inmate. “I used it the day I went before the parole board—my (yogic) breathing—and it calmed me down, it relaxed me. It’s very peaceful.”

Yoga May Be As Good As Aerobic Exercise for Your Heart

By now, hundreds of inmates at both facilities have completed Laotong’s beginners’ series, and dozens of these ‘grads’ have continued as regulars in the ongoing series.

After a recent class at Mt. Olive, one participant seemed stunned by the power of yoga.

“I’m not sure what happened back there,” he said. “All of a sudden I felt overcome by emotion and just wanted to cry. It’s been a long time since that has happened to me.”

(WATCH video below) Photo by Laotong Yoga released — Story tip from Colleen Anderson

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Wal-Mart Pledges $25Mil to Disaster Recovery on Katrina Anniversary

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Good News Network

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Sep 4, 2015

In observance of the 10^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Walmart Foundation announced that they will be making a $25 million commitment over a five year span to support organizations that aid in disaster recovery and resiliency efforts.

In addition to the $25 million, the company and its foundation will also be awarding nearly $3 million in grants to several nonprofits, including Team Rubicon, which helps reintegrate veterans by putting them to work responding to disasters across the United States, cleaning up communities effected by tornados and flooding, for instance.

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As part of the commitment, the Walmart Foundation is making an initial investment of $500,000 in grants to select local nonprofits in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.

“Working hand in hand with the people of the Gulf Region at that difficult moment showed us there are times when we can make a real difference,” said Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon, who gathering with leaders in New Orleans this weekend to reflect on the progress made since the storm.

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“When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Walmart was on the front lines of the response. They opened make-shift stores, sent truckloads of supplies to our city, and activated associates on the ground to help those in need,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “In turn, they started to change the role of the private sector in disaster response.”

The company has also funded a study, conducted by Louisiana State University, that examines the past and future of disaster response since Hurricane Katrina.

The study utilizes insight from academics and first responders who have experienced disasters worldwide, and found that the lessons learned from Katrina and other large scale emergencies drove an increase in public-private partnerships, the use of technology, and innovations to create a better “preparedness culture.”

Photo by Mike Mozart, CC

Farm Dust Prevents Child Allergies, Could Lead to Asthma Vaccine

By

Terry Turner

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Sep 4, 2015

The secret to an effective allergy and asthma vaccine may be down on the farm, swirling in the dust that farmers kick up while plowing and planting.

Scientists have long known that people who grew up on farms tend to have far fewer issues with allergies and asthma than people who didn’t.

Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium set out to discover why.

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They found that when a person breathes in farm dust, their body produces a protein called A20. The researchers wrote that the protein “makes the mucous membrane inside the respiratory tracts react less severely to allergens such as house dust mite.”

The scientists discovered that if they deactivated the protein in mice, the rodents weren’t able to fight off an allergic or asthmatic reaction.

The researchers also examined 2,000 people who grew up on farms, where exposure to farm dust would have produced A20 in their bodies. Most didn’t suffer from asthma or allergies, but those who did showed deficiencies of the protein.

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The scientists say their discoveries will still require years of research, but put them on the “right track” toward isolating the chemical in farm dust the triggers the protein and turning it into a workable vaccine against allergies and asthma.

The study was published in the journal Science.

(READ more at CTV News) — Photo by David Joyce, CC

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Big Cats Have “Obsession” for Calvin Klein Cologne–Helps Conservationists

By

Terry Turner

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Sep 4, 2015

Jaguar CC Kali the destroyer — Kali the Destroyer, CC license

The jury’s still out on whether cologne will attract a romantic partner, but this one will lure a jaguar out of the brush so you can take pictures of it.

Biologists studying the big cats in Guatemalan rain forests had trouble photographing the stealthy predators, until they turned to Calvin Klein’s “Obsession for Men.”

Turns out, it’s like catnip, only pricier — $55 for four ounces.

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Since jaguars are able to smell it a half mile away, the investment pays off. The cats come running and stick around, rubbing up against the rocks and wildlife cameras spritzed with the scent long enough for researchers to get detailed photos of the cats.

Their pictures give Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) biologists a more precise count on the exact number of jaguars living in the 8,100 square mile Maya Biosphere Reserve. Their research also helps spur support for conservation.

The WCS discovered the animals’ obsession with Obsession during an experiment at the Society’s Bronx Zoo in New York. Pat Thomas, the zoo’s general curator, tested 24 fragrances on big cats to see which ones would keep their curiosity the longest.

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Obsession for Men was the clear winner, holding a cheetah’s attention for more than 11 minutes — longer than they take to eat a meal.

There might even be some truth in those ads touting a cologne’s animal attraction —researchers have even gotten rare photos of the mysterious jaguars’ mating rituals.

(READ more at ABC News) — Photo: Kali the destroyer, CC

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New Goal for German Football Stars: Helping Refugees

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Terry Turner

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Sep 4, 2015

Some of the fiercest competition among German football clubs right now is happening off the field.

A number of teams are trying to outdo one another—in the best possible way—by extending kindness and help to refugees.

Germany, along with Iceland, has been the most welcoming of EU nations as the crisis in Syria has led to a flood of exiles seeking safety in Europe.

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Eight-time national champion Borussia Dortmund, Germany’s third largest team, invited 220 refugees to one of their games to help take their mind off their misery. The team also launched an initiative to help refugees relocate to Germany.

Cologne has supported refugee projects for years while other teams, including Leverkusen, Hannover, and Hoffenheim, have started programs to collect clothing donations, provide tutoring, and programs to help children adapt to life in Germany.

Last year, teams and fans launched #RefugeesWelcome on social media to showcase German hospitality, waving welcoming banners in stadiums across the country.

Football fans in Germany said #RefugeesWelcome this weekend, RT if you think the UK should step up to the mark. pic.twitter.com/dOZnND9XOc
— #RefugeesWelcome EFL (@RefugeesEFL) September 3, 2015

“People come here thinking it’s all beautiful. You get treated with a lot of respect and there are values,” Syrian refugee Ghaith Al Kalla told the Wall Street Journal. “But living on, it’s just as hard as anywhere.”

European football stars carry a lot of clout and their pleas on behalf of refugees can move fans into action. Teams have been taking advantage of that with powerful videos.

The German national team released one featuring players holding up signs in support of “openness, tolerance, support, respect, and fair play” towards refugees.

Global Outpouring for Refugee Father and Child Selling Pens on Street

Schalke star Gerald Asamoah is featured in another video calling on fans to help refugees.

“We have to stand up,” Asamoah says in the video below, “Otherwise we achieve nothing.”

Later, he and the team dramatically call on the viewers — as they stare into the camera — to stand up alongside them, in support of refugees.

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Germany has a highly efficient system for getting migrants into shelters, caring for their necessities, and relocating them across the country. The country has taken in 40% of the EU’s 334,080 requests for asylum in the first five months of 2015.

(WATCH the Schalke team video below and READ more at Deutsche Welle) Photo: @RefugeesEFL, Twitter —Story tip, Craig Withers

#standup #standupifyoureroyalblue #standupifyourehuman https://t.co/ZccbsSr3ut
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) September 1, 2015

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Healthy Flavored Popcorn: 5 Easy Variations You Can Make in a Pan

By

Maria Rodale

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Sep 4, 2015

Here’s a delicious riddle for you: what is gluten-free, vegetarian (vegan if you skip the butter), easy to make from scratch, healthy and the perfect accompaniment to melted butter?

POPCORN!

As more and more “harrowing” news surfaces about the perils of microwave popcorn, we want to show you just how easy it is to make your own—no fancy popcorn maker needed. Just get out a deep pan with a lid, follow these simple seasoning suggestions, and make your own. You will never look back.

To Cook:

½ cup organic popcorn
¼ cup organic olive oil or coconut oil

Start with a large, deep pan with a lid. Bigger is always better because popcorn needs room to explode. My kids suspect that a better-quality pan with a thicker bottom is also key.

Place the oil and popcorn in the pan and turn the stove burner to high. Don’t skimp on the oil, because it’s necessary to make the popcorn beautiful and delicious.

Editors Note: Use a little extra oil to be on the safe side. I put the kernels in the measuring cup with the oil to make sure they were coated, then added a little extra. Every single kernel popped and nothing was burnt!

Put the lid on. I repeat, put the lid on. Keep the heat on high.

You should start to hear popping after a minute or two. It will quickly turn into a crescendo of popping, kind of like the grand finale at a fireworks show. At that point, quickly turn the heat down to medium low. (If you’re using an electric stove, you should turn it down even before the crescendo, since electric heat cools off slower than gas heat).

When the popcorn popping starts to slow, turn off the heat. But let the pan sit on the burner and continue to pop. (UNLESS you smell burning. Then, remove it immediately).

Seasonings:

Classic with butter and salt: Melt as much butter as you like—more is always better and appreciated, not less. Melt it in the microwave or on the stove. Add it to the popcorn. Stir. Now, this is important, always put the melted butter on before the salt; that way the salt sticks to the popcorn instead of going to the bottom of the bowl. Salt to taste.

Cheesy: Melt some butter (or use olive oil if you prefer) and toss into your popcorn. Add grated Romano cheese to your desired level of cheesiness

Spicy: Melt some butter and toss it into the popcorn. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper, perhaps a bit of paprika. For added kick, use a smoked salt. If you are unsure of the combination, test it on a small batch and then roll it out to the larger bowl.

Herbal: Add some melted butter or olive oil, and then some fresh chopped herbs like parsley, basil, rosemary and dill. You can also add some Romano cheese or even a bit of truffle oil. Salt and pepper to taste. (If you don’t have fresh herbs, try dried). =

Sweet: For dessert, melt some butter, pour and toss the popcorn in it and then add some sugar or maple sugar. If you prefer your sugar less granular, add it to the butter when it’s melting. Then it becomes caramelized.

MORE: The Perfect Healthy Breakfasts When You’re in a Hurry

Photo by Sarah (Rosenau) Korf, Ervins Strauhmanis, Toshiyuki IMAI, CC

Maria Rodale is the CEO and Chairman of Rodale Inc. She is an activist and a businesswoman who has made promoting the benefits of an organic lifestyle both her personal mission and her business.

Major Milestone For Church Group That’s Built 500 Homes In Haiti

By

McKinley Corbley

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Sep 4, 2015

Five years is a long time to go without a home.

While many of us have forgotten about the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, one organization has spent half a decade continuously helping hundreds of families to rebuild.

Now, Mission Of Hope is celebrating a huge milestone: they’ve just built their 500th permanent home for families affected by the quake.

The Christian missionary organization, which provides education and hospice care to the people of Haiti, partnered with Hope For Haiti and the Haitian government to build the homes in Leveque. The project, titled Blue To Block, aims to provide not only stable homes, but a strong foundation for mental and spiritual growth.

Church Installs 6 Colorful Micro Homes In First Nashville Village For Homeless

The last ten houses were presented to families during a festive moving-in ceremony with balloons and a celebration to bless their new home.

“Our vision from the first home built has been to provide those who lost their homes with a quality, cost efficient Haitian home that will not only provide a place to live but a place to thrive,” says Mission Of Hope President Brad Johnson.

Each house includes three rooms, a small plot of land for farming, a detached bathroom, two fruit trees, access to education, a church, water, and training in agriculture–each built for a cost of $6,000.

Click Here To Read More Inspiring News About Christians

Since their outreach started in 1998, Mission Of Hope has made other kinds of progress in the community as well: between specially housing 150 hearing-impaired families, educating 6,000 kids in school, and providing over 91,000 individual nutritious meals each day, Leveque has become one of the most advanced permanent settlements in Haiti since the earthquake in 2010.

“Our nutrition program started as a result of our education initiative,” says the Mission Of Hope website. “The children who were not properly nourished were having a hard time concentrating and learning in school. We quickly realized there was a problem – kids were fainting in the classrooms because they were hungry.”

College French Students Make Their Own Storybooks For Poor Kids In Haiti

With a lot of their meals coming from locally-grown farmers, Mission Of Hope has made sure that all of their food is agriculturally sustainable, as well as healthy, for young learners.

If you would like to see how you can help Mission Of Hope’s progress, you can go to their website, MohHaiti.org and either make a donation, volunteer, or become a North American Church Advancement Partner.

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Watch The Reactions of People Finding Out They Won the Lottery

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Good News Network

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Sep 3, 2015

Are you a believer in Law of Attraction?

If so, watch this video and practice feeling the emotion you would have if you won the lottery.

Shock, tears, jumping, hugging… Who knows, you may attract a little luck yourself.

Five Percent of Iceland’s Population Volunteer to Take in Syrian Refugees

By

Terry Turner

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Sep 3, 2015

Iceland may be cold most of the year, but it’s full of warm hearts.

After the government said it would take in only 50 refugees from Syria, 16,000 Icelanders volunteered to open their homes for more refugees. That’s five percent of the country’s population.

Global Outpouring for Refugee Father and Child Selling Pens on Street

The crisis in Syria has caused a flood of refugees into Europe, including more than a thousand unaccompanied children. Iceland, along with all EU countries, are being called upon to assist with the massive influx.

Not many Icelanders, though, thought their government’s offer was good enough.

In response to the nation’s meager welcoming, author and professor Bryndis Bjorgvinsdottir set up a Facebook page. More than 10,000 people signed up in the first 24 hours, and the volunteers keep coming.

“I’m a single mother with a 6-year-old son,” Hekla Stefansdottir posted to the page. “We can take a child in need. We have clothes, a bed, toys and everything a child needs.”

She even offered to pay for the child’s plane ticket.

The outpouring has been so fast and overwhelming, Iceland’s Welfare Minister, Eyglo Hardardottir, now says the government is rethinking its position and may be willing to accept more Syrian refugees.

(READ more at The Telegraph) — Photos: Ronile, CC; UKEAStw, CC; Óli Gneisti, CC

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Construction Workers Left a Message in The Sky For Little Girl in Hospital

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Good News Network

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Sep 3, 2015

Every day, a two-year-old and her mother look out of the hospital room window to catch a glimpse of the creation scene across the street.

In contrast to the gray medical gear stacked in their room, the view outside is a constant display of cranes and trucks, and people in brightly colored hard hats as construction workers continue to erect a new building.

Vivian Keith and her mom loved to start their mornings by waving at the construction workers, and, of course, the men happily wave back.

Strangers Show Up on Elderly Man’s Roof, Restore More Than Just Shingles

As the building climbed higher and higher, ironworkers Travis Barnes and Greg Combs saw a lot of kids at the Saint Louis, Missouri, children’s hospital watching from the windows, but Vivian was special — waving to the little girl with leukemia became part of their morning routine.

One day, the Keith family looked out the window to see a message from Barnes and Combs to Vivian scrawled on one of the girders.

SEE More Heartwarming Stories from Hospitals

From the creation of a building came a bridge–to Vivian and her family.

(WATCH the KDSK News video) Photo: KDSK video – Story tip from Rae Hunt

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Workers Salute a “Brother’s” Funeral With Epic Machine Display

By

Terry Turner

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Sep 3, 2015

It was a powerful send off for a man who kept the electrical power flowing and the lights on in Peterborough, Ontario.

“Big Ed” Spoelstra was a lineman for the local utility company, going out in all types of weather to repair downed power lines for 20 years. When he passed away last month at age 69, his fellow linemen gave him a hero’s salute.

Strangers Create MACK-nificent Funeral Procession For Boy Who Loved Trucks

Like an arch of swords above the procession of a fallen soldier or a salute of spray from fireboats for a returning ship, Peterborough linemen lined “Big Ed’s” funeral procession route with the arms of their bucket trucks, saluting him as he passed by one last time.

Olive Cedar Photography included several photos of the salute on their Facebook page.

The linemen at Peterborough Utilities paid respect to co-worker and friend this week. RIP Ed Spoelstra.
Posted by Olive Cedar Photography on Friday, August 28, 2015

(READ the story at PTBO Canada) Photo: Olive Cedar Photography — Story tip from Anne Corke

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We Can’t Even Handle This Boy’s Cute Reaction To Becoming A Big Brother (WATCH)

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Good News Network

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Sep 3, 2015

The accent, the offer to share his bed, the wonder….it’s almost too much cuteness to handle.

When mom-to-be Sarah Bromby handed her son a set of sonogram photos, the little boy assumed they were photos of him.

Surprise! That’s your big brother.

“He’s in there right now?”

Enjoy his reaction as the truth sinks in…

(WATCH the video below)

Too Cute Not to Share… (click below)

1. Eat mindfully.

2. Walk mindfully.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 3. Observe your breathing.

4. Connect with your senses.

5. Pause between action.

6. Listen wholeheartedly.

7. Get lost in the flow of doing things you love.

8. Mediate daily.

9. Travel or mix up your routine.

10. Observe your thoughts and emotions.

To Cook:

Seasonings:

3. Observe your breathing.