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Montreal Couple Spearheads Community Project to Bring Fresh Produce to Homeless

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What started as a backyard initiative for the Argentos to help feed the homeless has quickly grown into a project that involves neighbors, businesses and farms around Montreal.

It started when Susan and Domenic Argento began donating the surplus of fresh produce from their garden to the Old Brewery Mission in 2013 — and also put out a collection box at their home so neighbors can also contribute.

People are even buying produce from the store for the Argentos to bring to the shelter.

(READ the story and watch the video from the Montreal Gazette)

Finding a Better You

Beach loafing woman-Photo by Sun Star

Beach loafing woman-Photo by Sun Star

There seems to be a piece that is missing in some folks’ lives, preventing them from being all they can be to their community, their family, and most importantly, themselves. It is different things to different people, but the common theme is not money or property or how good they look in the mirror. It comes down to who they are as human beings.

Many of us feel less-than-worthy or just plain invisible to anyone. We can’t seem to make the right decisions or choices and that usually means we end up in heartbreak or just plain broke. Many of us have overcome early images that we did not like and grew beyond what we thought we could become. We must spread the word that this can be done, and without paying $19.95 in three easy installments, shipping and handling not included.

EVERYONE can feel the joy that comes with self-confidence, self-esteem, or whatever “self” you want to conjure up. Look straight into your own eyes. Are you seeing someone you can be proud of, someone whose friends know they can count on, someone who doesn’t first think, ME, ME, ME? If not, know that everyone can get there, and when you do, cast a glow of joy on everyone around them. It isn’t easy to STAY there, but once you have the directions, you can get back to it, no navigation needed.

It seems funny to think that, to be a better you, involves NOT thinking of you. Just consider it. What makes YOU, you? It isn’t the person, it’s what the person DOES. Think of anyone real quick and you will see what I mean…

Mother Theresa…. charity and love of all humanity
Barack Obama…. President of the United States, great speaker
Bill Cosby…. his work in comedy, on TV, and of course, Jell-O pudding pops
Donald Trump…. greed, self-promotion, bad hair…(maybe he wasn’t a good example!)
Warren Buffet…. investor and adviser to Presidents, philanthropist, needs new truck

It’s what we DO that makes us, so why not try and DO something that touches your heart and brings out the passion in your life?

It would appear that the greatest joy we have in common as human beings is in making others feel better, even if only for a moment. How will we go about this lofty goal? Are there words of encouragement that will spark a change in someone? I doubt it. Is there a pill to take that will wash away all doubt an individual has in himself? Nope. The only way I know is to talk to people, ask them about their life. What have they done? Where did they meet their spouse? What is their passion? What are they most proud of? Take an interest without having ulterior motives. It’s an easy thing to do. People are fascinating, if you just take the time to listen.

Sometimes we need reminded how terrific we are. We take for granted the good things we do and torture ourselves for the mistakes that naturally happen to us as flawed human beings. To understand – we WILL make bad decisions, we will turn left when we should turn right. We will have accidents along the way. The way successful folks handle these situations is simple – accept what they have done and LEARN from it. Pull a positive out of the cloud of shame we may feel. As long as we can do that, no error is too great that it should cripple us forever. We CAN grow as a human being, despite all that stands in our way!

The perfect scenario is that a person realizes on their own, they are ok. They don’t need Dr Phil, Dr Oz, or Dr Doolittle. They see the good in themselves and also face the shortcomings AND WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! They can’t understand why they suddenly see it but they do. There comes a moment of clarity. Grab it!

No matter which person WE are, we ALL can win.

You don’t even need a lottery number.

Cut, diced and sliced from TomsMiscRamblings.blogspot.com

Photo by Sun Star

Michigan Police Officer Saves Choking Woman Who Ran Red Light

officer-gets-hug-from-traffic-stop-Kalamazoo-Safety-Office

Kalamazoo Police Officer Jason Gates pulled over a driver for running a red light but when he looked in the car, he found she was choking. Officer Gates asked the driver if she was ok, but quickly realized she was not able to breath. He slapped her back a few times with no success.

He then pulled the distressed female from the driver’s seat and did the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the stuck sausage biscuit.

The recording from the police car dash camera shows the woman break down crying, pulling Officer Gates into an embrace, thanking him for saving her life.

We don’t know if he wrote her a ticket or not.

(WATCH the video below)

Photo of the Day – World Honey Bee Day

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Today is World Honey Bee Day, previously known as Honey Bee Awareness Day, organized by beekeepers in the USA. They petitioned the USDA in 2009 for an official day to honor honey bees and beekeeping.

Help boost pollinator populations by planting native plants. Bees love crocus and hyacinth in the spring, bee balm, cosmos, snap dragons, daisies and hosta in the summer, and zinnia, sedum and aster in the fall.

Always avoid pesticides, too. Learn more about feeding bees at Fish and Wildlife Service.

41 Years Later Students Return to Surprise Beloved Teacher on Last Day

teacher-Nancy-Flexer-surprise-hug-Soul-Pancake-screenshot

Mrs. Flexer has been a first-grade teacher for 41 years, and on her final day, a giant surprise was waiting in her classroom. Students through the generations had returned to let her know she was their favorite.

With the help of Kid President, who has a new show on Hub, and the YouTube group Soul Pancake, Cole Elementary School in Tennessee surprised Nancy Flexer with the ultimate retirement party featuring former students dating back to the first class she taught in the 1973-74 school year.

(WATCH the video below, or READ the story from TODAY)

New Device is Better Than Dog’s Nose for Sniffing Explosives

bomb-sniffing-dog-CC-ThomasHawk

New technology under development at UC Berkeley could soon give bomb-sniffing dogs a pink slip.

A team of UC Berkeley researchers has found a way to dramatically increase the sensitivity of a light-based plasmon sensor to detect incredibly tiny concentrations of explosives. The researchers noted that the sensor could potentially be used to sniff out a hard-to-detect explosive popular among terrorists.

The new sensor could have many advantages over current bomb-screening methods.

“Bomb-sniffing dogs are expensive to train, and they can become tired,” said study co-lead author Ren-Min Ma, an assistant professor of physics at Peking University who did this work when he was a postdoctoral researcher in Zhang’s lab. “The other thing we see at airports is the use of swabs to check for explosive residue, but those have relatively low-sensitivity and require physical contact. Our technology could lead to a bomb-detecting chip for a handheld device that can detect the tiny-trace vapor in the air of the explosive’s small molecules.”

The sensor also could be developed into an alarm for unexploded land mines that otherwise are difficult to detect, the researchers said.

The engineers put the sensor to the test with various explosives – 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), ammonium nitrate and nitrobenzene – and found that the device successfully detected the airborne chemicals at concentrations akin to a blade of grass in an entire football field.

The results are much more sensitive than those published to date for other optical sensors.

“Optical explosive sensors are very sensitive and compact,” said Xiang Zhang, who led the research as a professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Materials Science Division at the Berkeley Lab. “The ability to magnify such a small trace of an explosive to create a detectable signal is a major development in plasmonsensor technology, which is one of the most powerful tools we have today.”

The team’s findings were published in the July publication of the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

(LEARN more at Berkeley.edu News) – Photo by Thomas Hawk, CC license

Story tip from Lawrence Fernald

Civilians in an Abandoned McDonald’s Gain Control of Wandering NASA Satellite

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For the first time in history, an independent crew is controlling a NASA satellite and running a crowd-funded mission in space. They’re doing it all from a makeshift mission control center in an abandoned McDonald’s in Mountain View, California, using old radio parts from eBay and a salvaged flat screen TV.

Citizen scientists have, with NASA’s blessing, taken control of a de-commissioned 70s-era satellite and plan to collect data from real-time solar winds and make it freely available to everyone.

Google has also been helping the team to build a website — spacecraftforall.com — that will offer up the data to the world.

(READ the story from BetaBeat.com)

Story Tip from Jeffery Scharn – Images by Google

halo-orbit-earth-sun-graphic-nasa-satellite-GooglePhoto

Dog Splashes Water on Beached Fish, Melting Hearts on Internet


This video on YouTube shows a dog busily splashing water onto some dead fish.

It’s hard not to cheer for the “rescue attempt” even though the pooch may not be trying to save the fish at all.

It is TOO cute not to share. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

(WATCH the video above)

Cop Challenges Street Youth to Dance-Off (Video)

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With all the bad press following recent police encounters that turned violent, it’s good to see cops connecting with their community and building positive relationships, especially with neighborhood youth.

Officer Jeff Krebs in eastern Kansas City, Missouri challenged a group of youngsters to a dance-off Sunday on a neighborhood street.

In the contest for style, he lost badly. But, something more important was gained.

The impromptu showdown, recorded by a local resident and uploaded to YouTube by the Kansas City Police Department, shows that Krebbs isn’t afraid of looking ridiculous or making fun of himself if the outcome achieves better relations with the public.

“When I went through the (police) academy and when I first got hired on, I told them how I wanted to interact with the community and start building some rapport with the citizens because I feel like if we build rapport with them, then they’re more likely to call us when they need us,” he explained to KSHB.

(WATCH the video below or READ more of the story from TODAY)

FDA Approves First Simple DNA Screening Test for Colorectal Cancer

cologuard-screening-test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week approved Cologuard, the first stool-based colorectal screening test that detects the presence of blood and DNA mutations that may indicate the presence of abnormal growths, especially colon cancer.

Colorectal cancer primarily affects people age 50 and older, and is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Screening is effective at reducing  illness and death, but only two-thirds of adults in this age group are getting the invasive colonoscopy tests. The CDC estimates that if everyone over 50 received the recommended screening tests, at least 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be avoided. Now, people may have an easier option for screening.

The safety and effectiveness of Cologuard was established in a clinical trial that screened 10,023 subjects. The trial compared the performance of Cologuard to the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), a commonly used non-invasive screening test that detects blood in the stool. Cologuard accurately detected cancers and advanced adenomas more often than the FIT test. Cologuard detected 92 percent of colorectal cancers and 42 percent of advanced adenomas in the study population, while the FIT screening test detected 74 percent of cancers and 24 percent of advanced adenomas.

The test is still not perfect. Cologuard tallied many false positives. 13 percent of the positive test results were actually clear of cancer, compared to FIT which was inaccurate in only 5 percent of its positive results.

Colorectal cancer occurs in the colon (large intestine) or rectum (the passageway that connects the colon to the anus). Most colorectal cancers start as abnormal raised or flat tissue growths on the wall of the large intestine or rectum (polyps). Some very large polyps are called advanced adenomas and are more likely than smaller polyps to progress to cancer.

Using a stool sample, Cologuard detects hemoglobin, a protein molecule that is a component of blood. Cologuard also detects certain mutations associated with colorectal cancer in the DNA of cells shed by advanced adenomas as stool moves through the large intestine and rectum. Patients with positive test results are advised to undergo a diagnostic colonoscopy.

“This approval offers patients and physicians another option to screen for colorectal cancer,” said Alberto Gutierrez, Ph.D., director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Fecal blood testing is a well-established screening tool and the clinical data showed that the test detected more cancers than a commonly used fecal occult test.”

Today’s approval of the Cologuard does not change current practice guidelines for colorectal cancer screening. Stool DNA testing (also called “fecal DNA testing”) is not currently recommended as a method to screen for colorectal cancer by the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Among other guidelines, the USPSTF recommends adults age 50 to 75, at average risk for colon cancer, be screened using fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services already proposed national coverage for Cologuard to “provide the innovative screening test to help in the early detection of colorectal cancer in seniors.”

Cologuard, manufactured by Exact Sciences in Madison, Wisconsin, will cost $599 per patient.That compares to about $25 for a traditional stool blood test, according to CBS News.

(WATCH a video below or READ more from CBS News)

Great Lakes Sailing Rebounds

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The story of improving Great Lakes water levels is making harbormasters, marina owners, charter fishermen and freight shippers swoon.

Record snowfalls last winter, coupled with a rainier-than-usual spring and summer, have Great Lakes levels recovering faster than they have in decades.

This is the second straight year of rebounding from record-low lake levels.

(READ the story in the Detroit Free Press)

Photo of the Day: Sunset near Lorain lighthouse on Lake Erie by Rona Proudfoot (CC license)

Germany Shatters Another Renewable Energy Record

Germany has shattered another record: In the first half of 2014, 31% of the entire country was powered by renewable energy. (Inhabitat)

Pioneering Surgery Lets 3 Brothers Smile for First Time, Now They’re Giving Back

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The three Lori brothers were born with a rare condition called facial paralysis, which meant they couldn’t close their mouths, show facial expressions or even smile.

After dozens of doctors told them there was no hope for their sons, the family found Dr. Ronald Zuker, the pediatric plastic surgeon who pioneered a muscle transplant surgery.

The family was so thankful to the surgeon, who volunteers for the medical charity Operation Smile, that they wanted to give back.

They created their own charity, The Three Bears, to help other kids who are awaiting surgeries for their own smiles.

The boys bring teddy bears for the children to hug while on the operating table and offer words of encouragement that carry special meaning because they come from a child who knows what they are going through.

(WATCH the video or READ the story from TODAY)

They Said the Dog Could Never Have Pups – She Just Birthed 18 at Once

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The vet told Holly that their family’s 3-year-old dog, Kimber, couldn’t have puppies, but the English Mastiff proved him wrong — in terrific fashion.

Little did they know, Kimber and their other Mastiff, Magnum, found a love connection and despite the vet’s prediction, the dog became pregnant.

The whole family was thrilled when the vet told them she would have ten puppies — but the surprises kept coming.

(WATCH the adorable video or READ the story from WTVA News)

First Woman to Win ‘Nobel Prize of Math’

Stanford-Professor-Maryam-Mirzakhani

Stanford University professor Maryam Mirzakhani made history this week by becoming the first woman to ever win the Fields Medal – known as the “Nobel Prize of mathematics” since its establishment in 1936.

“This is a great honor,” said Mirzakhani, who was born and raised in Iran. “I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians.”

Officially known as the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, and awarded every four years, the Fields Medal will be presented tonight at the International Congress of Mathematicians, in Seoul, South Korea.

The first Stanford recipient since Paul Cohen in 1966, Mirzakhani will be honored in recognition of her contributions to the understanding of the symmetry of curved surfaces.

The award recognizes Mirzakhani’s sophisticated and highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding the symmetry of curved surfaces, such as spheres, the surfaces of doughnuts and of hyperbolic objects. Although her work is considered “pure mathematics” and is mostly theoretical, it has implications for physics and quantum field theory.

‘Like solving a puzzle’

As a young girl in Tehran, she dreamed of becoming a writer. By high school, however, her affinity for solving mathematical problems and working on proofs had shifted her sights.

“It is fun – it’s like solving a puzzle or connecting the dots in a detective case,” she said. “I felt that this was something I could do, and I wanted to pursue this path.”

“I am sure there will be many more women winning this kind of award in coming years.”

Mirzakhani became known to the international math scene as a teenager, winning gold medals at both the 1994 and 1995 International Math Olympiads – she finished with a perfect score in the latter competition. Mathematicians who would later be her mentors and colleagues followed the mathematical proofs she developed as an undergraduate.

After earning her bachelor’s degree from Sharif University of Technology in 1999, she began work on her doctorate at Harvard University under the guidance of Fields Medal recipient Curtis McMullen. She possesses a remarkable fluency in a diverse range of mathematical techniques and disparate mathematical cultures – including algebra, calculus, complex analysis and hyperbolic geometry. By borrowing principles from several fields, she has brought a new level of understanding to an area of mathematics called low dimensional topology.

(READ more from Stanford News) – Story tip from Zaida

A World Without Heroes?

Elvis-Presley-publicdomain-John-Wayne-DVD-screenshot-Stagecoach

There may come a time when your world may be without anyone you admire or idolize. You may have lived a long life and they are all passed on, had your previous role models exposed as flawed human beings, or maybe you have just become numb to people who are outstanding yet, you can’t see them through the darkness. I’ve been at every stop along the way and I am here to tell you, there is no shortage of heroes.

In the past few months, I have thought about many of the folks I looked up to from my childhood. Elvis, John Wayne, my Uncle Roger, and a few others I held a profound respect for, are all gone. I was lucky to have some priceless memories with my Uncle and came to understand none of my heroes were perfect, but I knew deep down that perfection wasn’t what I was looking for anyway.

Elvis was as poor a boy who ever grew up here in the United States, faced his share of obstacles in life and succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. He stayed humble and caring by all accounts and was able to inspire thousands of kids and adults alike to chase their dreams and enjoy the ride. You don’t have to be around a hundred years to be unforgettable….

John Wayne was a hero to countless people. In the movies, he is always the star and beats the bad guy, has the swagger you can’t fake, and sometimes even gets the girl if she isn’t killed off in the process. He led a charmed life and truly was in character 24/7. He WAS John Wayne. I wish I could have met him.

As I age not-so-gracefully, I find myself admiring more people than ever.

I worked with a VERY flawed young man who overcame a destructive lifestyle and is on his way to a great life. Despite the bad choices and the heartache he has given his family, he has a Dad he respects and that loves him, an ambition that will see him succeed at anything he chooses to do, and dreams that I have no doubt will be fulfilled. Terry could be a hero to many.

I am lucky enough to have an aspiring writer (no I am NOT going to steal your idea of writing about loving cake, and not just because I am a PIE guy!) that allowed me in her life despite my offering very little in return. She has close friends whom she counts on and that count on her to share the joy and the unjoy of this thing we call life. She tries to inspire me to write when I can’t seem to find any words. She has a career that is full of death and despair yet sees the victories of those overcoming cancer first. Shelly makes it easy to see heroes can be heroines too.

Every week, I seem to run into a single-mother who, despite all the hard work and effort, brings up children in a happy and healthy atmosphere. They accept the reality of their world and do whatever they can to give their kids great memories. If I had to pick any class of human being, I think it would be these same Moms that get a standing ovation from me. Without them, where would our world be? Much worse I have no doubt….

Heroes don’t have to be running into a burning building, at war with an angry enemy, or a sports figure with endorsements. If you look around, people do compassionate and caring things every day. Heroes and heroines can be everyday people doing extraordinary things. They don’t do it for the publicity, money, or because we are keeping score. They simply are the human beings we aspire to be, and CAN be.

Are YOU a hero to anyone?

First published in TomsMiscRamblings.blogspot.com

Autistic Business Owners Capitalize on Strengths, Find Income and Joy

A growing movement to find work for autistic people is helping some start their own businesses.

Work requiring an attention to detail and with repetitive tasks is ideal for an autistic person who wants to start a business, says Gregg Ireland, co-founder of Extraordinary Ventures, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based organization that creates jobs for the autistic. Ireland’s son Vinnie, who is autistic, has a business doing yard work and landscaping.

(READ the AP story via the Minn. Star-Tribune)

RELATED:
Autistic Man’s Gift for IKEA Assembly Turns into Business

Autistic Adults Prove Valuable as Software Testers

Image by Sal Falko, CC license

See How This Gorilla Mourns for her Friend Robin Williams (Photos)

Robin_Williams-with-Koko-the-Gorilla

In 2001, Robin Williams was invited to meet Koko, a gorilla who communicates in sign language and uses more than 1,000 words. The video of their visit, the two sitting together on the floor and tickling at The Gorilla Foundation in northern California, has been widely viewed on the internet (view it below).

On Tuesday the Foundation released a statement not only to express their condolences but also their belief that Koko was actually moved, too, and mourning the death of her friend.

The gorilla was in the room with when calls began coming into their office asking for reaction to the terrible news.

”Koko came to Dr. Patterson with an inquiring look on her face. Dr. Patterson explained that ‘we have lost a dear friend, Robin Williams.’

They recall that Koko was quiet and looked unusually thoughtful (see photo below, left).

On the Koko.org website, they wrote, “More phone calls about the news came in, and Koko overheard the one from a former colleague who had worked with Williams while filming a public service announcement for The Gorilla Foundation (based on his visit with Koko). The colleague’s voice broke at the end of the conversation. About a half an hour later, Koko in sign language said to Penny: ‘CRY Woman’.

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At the end of the day, Koko became very somber, with her head bowed and her lip quivering (photo, right).”

In the video below documenting the meeting of Robin and Koko, the comedian makes the animal smile — something she hadn’t done for 6 months, since the passing of her lifelong gorilla companion at the age of 27.

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Ebola Vaccine Trial Nearly Ready to Start

Vaccine shot US Army

Vaccine shot US Army

A vaccine developed by scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada is now available in enough doses to launch the first ever human safety trial of an ebola vaccine.

NewLink Genetics Corp has lined up two contract manufacturing companies and possibly a third and will be able to produce tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine within “the next month or two,” its chief executive said on Wednesday.

(READ the story from Reuters News)

Photo of vaccination by US Army

DC Teens Give Coats to the Needy With Encouragement in the Pocket

josh-and-dmani

A group of Washington D.C. high school students participated in a service project to collect and distribute coats to people who needed them. What I love is that these amazing kids did more than distribute coats.

The high schoolers from Woodrow Wilson High School wrote encouraging notes and put them inside the pockets as a surprise for recipients.

They have also fed thousands of homeless people while offering smiles like those in the photo.

(READ the story BradAronson.com)