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Photo of the Day – World Ranger Day

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Today is the sixth annual World Ranger Day, first organized by the International Ranger Federation to honor the work and sacrifice of park and wildlife reserve employees worldwide.

park-ranger-yellowstone-450pxOn July 31, we remember the approximately 1,000 rangers killed or injured around the world in the line of duty in the last ten years –103 in 2013, and 56 so far this year. Many in remote areas deal every day with the realities of extreme violence amid their anti-poaching efforts, and live in hard conditions, often earning low wages.

For more info, visit the Thin Green Line Foundation, an Australian group that works to protect rangers, or the excellent website of the International Rangers Federation.

Photo credit: Park Rangers in Alaska by Marina via CC license on Flickr

Transit Company Surprises 102 Year-Old Rider With ‘Birthday Bus’ Party

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Portland’s transit company sent a special bus to pick up one of their regular riders, 102 year old Vida Trout.

The distinguished East Portland retiree uses the bus to travel to her many volunteer positions and last Wednesday was surprised when the sign identifying the approaching bus read, “Happy Birthday Vida”.

Inside was a TriMet employee who led the passengers in a birthday song, and passed out cupcakes and a gift for Vida — free rides for the rest of her life. OregonLive.com reports that Vida’s sister lived to be 104, so she might be enjoying her special status on the bus for a long time.

Obviously TriMet deserves one check one box for excellent customer service and another for the appreciation shown its customers — at least on this July 29 run

(WATCH the short video below or READ the story at Oregon Live)

Bank Makes ‘ATM’ Into Auto THANKS Machine, Dispenses Incredible Goodwill

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TD bank in Canada turned an ATM into an Automated Thanking Machine and recorded customers’ reactions to receiving personalized gifts dispensed through a small door that opened in front of them.

“Never in all my life have I had such a beautiful surprise,” said one elderly woman.

Watch below, and have tissue ready!

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A Happy Dancing Retirement Home (WATCH)

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Seniors at this New Zealand retirement home created one of the best dance tributes out there using the Pharrell hit, Happy.

Sixty residents and staff at the Diana Isaac Retirement Village in Christchurch wanted to show their children and grandchildren just what they’re made of.

You will be tickled by their combined spunk and talent, especially with the average age being somewhere around 80.

The dancers, which have also filmed a dance performance to this song in April at a shopping mall, call themselves 80-odd years of happy.

SHARE the Inspiring Video With Buttons Below!

4-year-old Girl Seeking Donation From Every State to End Alzheimer’s

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4-year-old old Lilly is on a quest to end Alzheimer’s, a disease that has claimed her great-grandmother’s memory. Although Nanny slip further and further away, her face still lights up with love at the sight of her 21 great-grandchildren. And that connection drives Lilly in her charity work.

She started raising money at the age of three, asking neighbors for donations and eventually becoming one of the top fundraisers on her team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. She would say, “My name is Lilly and I am doing a charity walk for Alzheimer’s would you like to sponsor me?” She raised over $250.

Earlier this year, she worked with her cousins on several lemonade stands that raised more than $1,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association, but her latest goal is to get a donation from each of the 50 states. She has a map ready to mark off the states as the donations come in through her online page.

”The joy in her face when she gets to color in a new state on her map is priceless,” said her mom Amy Myers in an email to the Good News Network. “We are so proud that she has such a giving nature and we really hope she reaches her goal.”

Pledges have already come in from 31 states and 3 countries. Still needed are: Oregon, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Alabama, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

When asked what the money is for Lilly will tell you that it is for the people who are sick with Alzheimer’s. She will tell you that sometimes Nanny forgets her name but she knows that Nanny never forgets that she loves her.

You can find Lilly’s fundraising page for the September 2014 event at Act.Alz.org.

This video below shows Lily asking for donations…

Restore Your Faith in Humanity in 4-Minutes Flat by Watching This Video

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The Creative Director for Animals Australia made a video montage of beautiful humanitarian rescues that were on YouTube. She added some soaring music and it became a 4-minute antidote to all the depressing news lately.

“Here’s to you — the kind-hearted,” she says at the end.

We also like that she tried to acknowledge the owners of the original footage, which lets us research more information about some of the rescues, if we wish.

Let the cheers begin…

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After Six Long Years, Britain’s Economy is Back to Pre-crash Level, a New High

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Britain’s economy has reached a record high – surpassing its peak before the financial crisis struck six years ago, according to official figures the Office for National Statistics released Friday.

Strong GDP growth of .8 percent in the second quarter has kept it on track to be the fastest growing industrial country this year.

“Today we reach a major milestone in our long-term economic plan. But there is still a long way to go,” Chancellor George Osborne told ITN News. “The Great Recession was one of the deepest (in history).”

(Check out the charts at the Daily Mail)

Photo credit: Aurelien Guichard via CC license

American Consumer Confidence Jumps to Highest Level in 7 Years

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U.S. consumers are more confident about the economy than they have been in nearly seven years.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its confidence index rose to 90.9 in July from an upwardly revised 86.4 in June. The July reading is the highest since October 2007, two months before the Great Recession officially began.

(READ the full AP story in the Boston Globe)

Comedian Calls a Payphone – Would You Take the Bait? The Curious Were Rewarded

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In this social experiment, comedian Fred Armisen anonymously calls a payphone across the street from the Comedy Cellar in NYC.

Those who were brave enough to answer the call and, after hearing an invitation, walk into the unknown, were rewarded with an amazing experience.

(WATCH the video made by Heineken)

 

How to Rescue a Wild Leopard From a Well Without Injury

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A wild leopard was rescued in July from the bottom of a well in a rural part of India. A group of villagers and forest officials rescued the animal after it found itself trapped at the bottom of a well in a rural area of Panchmahal district in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Local men involved in the effort said they had heard noises from the spot and then discovered it stuck inside.

Without a tranquilizer, the rescuers attempted to ensnare the leopard in a rope, but the animal growled and pounced fiercely when it was being caught. Eventually the lucky leopard was saved without any one getting hurt.

(READ the story from ITN News)

 

Alvin Ailey Dance Camp Gives Disadvantaged Teens a Way to Shine

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Fighting multiple sclerosis since he was 8 years old, Jahi Gibson was unable to defend himself while growing up in a crime-ridden neighborhood.

Weeks of physical therapy had helped him walk again after MS temporary paralyzed him from the neck down. This was his chance to not only walk better, but to even dance.

Jahi is among 1,000 young teens in nine cities picked for a free summer camp led by the world-famous New York dance company, each teen facing personal challenges that would seem overwhelming to the average adult.

(READ the story from TODAY.com)

Photo credit: Justin Namon / Courtesy of the Adrienne Arsht Center

German Musicians Prove Sitting With Homeless Can Be Inspiring

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Four Germans made a music video based on their inspiring experiences with street people, playing instruments and singing meaningful songs while drawing attention to the overlooked humanity on a sidewalk.

The video, made by Be Japy e.v., has attracted 4.3 million views on YouTube since July 1.

Without any cameras the group performed around homeless people this Spring, which spurred many donations of Euros and made them think about what else they could do. They wanted to make a wider point, so hired an actor to recreate the scene.

What do you think? We found it touching. The music itself is melodic and worth listening to over and over.

(WATCH the video below)

Paintings by 11year-old Boy Fetch More Than $600,000

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A collection of 40 paintings by an 11-year-old boy has sold for more than a half million dollars (£390,000).

Kieron Williamson, from Norfolk, England saw his watercolors, oils and pastels sell on Friday in just a matter of minutes.

The child prodigy is worth about £2m after selling pieces at auction since the age of seven. His aspiration is to paint in Europe like his favorite French, Italian and Dutch masters.

(READ the story, with photos, at the BBC)

Story tip from Terry Peacock

Doctors Taking Medicinal Honey Seriously

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The antibacterial properties of honey have long been known, both ancient Greek and Egyptian physicians are said to have valued it and it was used in the treatment of wounds right up to World War II.

Honey is now regularly being shown to kill superbugs in the laboratory, as scientists and doctors work together to once again prove honey’s effectiveness in battling life-threatening bacteria.

(READ the story from the BBC)

Photo credit: Flood G. via CC license on Flickr

Herd of Elephants Work Together to Protect Calf in River

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In Thailand, a herd of elephants get innovative to protect a calf from strong currents in the river.

This YouTube video shows animals in the Elephant Nature Park working together, using their instinctive nature, standing in a tight circle around the calf  to protect the baby.

(WATCH the video below)

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American Hero Impressed by Kindness of Irish Strangers

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The US tourist whose phone and wallet were robbed while rescuing a man from the Liffey River in Dublin has said he is overwhelmed by the response he’s had from the Irish public since the incident.

Nebraska man Joe Sheehan said he would like to thank the Irish people, especially passers-by Hugh, Cathal and Katie who came to his aid after he was robbed, treating him to a night out and ensuring he had somewhere to stay.

“The kindness of everyone around me, especially the Dubliners has replaced anything that I could have lost,” the 20-year-old told the Independent.

(READ the story from the Irish Independent)

Photo credit: Liffey River at sunset in Dublin – by Philip Milne via CC license

GreenStep Cities Sprout in Minnesota

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St. Anthony used to dump 18 water towers’ worth of storm runoff and other water into the Mississippi River each year. Then it turned around and pumped 24 towers’ worth of groundwater to sprinkle the lawns of Central Park and City Hall.

This project, along with 1,600 others have been catalogued for a Minnesota program called GreenStep Cities which aims to provide step-by-step instructions for environmental and cost-effective projects to city and small-town leaders.

The water project in St. Anthony has also improved the quality of life with its three fountains that hide the water reuse tanks and provide a background for local wedding and anniversary photos.

(READ the story from the Star-Tribune)

Photo by Louis du Mont via CC license on Flicr

Shanghai Carbon Emission Market Cut 5Mil Tons of CO2

200 firms in Shanghai’s carbon emissions trading scheme cut their CO2 output by 5.3 million tons in 2013, according to state-owned media in China.

UPDATE: Little Danny Gets 100,000 Birthday Cards, Truckloads of Gifts

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It took multiple hours and several trucks to bring home all of the cards and mountains of gifts sent to Danny Nickerson from all over the world.

The boy, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor last fall, celebrated his sixth birthday on Friday climbing through bins of packages at the post office after visiting LegoLand with his cousins and riding in a fire truck.

“It’s taken a lot of stress off of us and thinking about him being sick,” Danny’s father Daniel Jameson told reporters

Photo credit: Danny’s Warriors on Facebook

Former Army Man Sets Up Taxi Service Employing Former Soldiers


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34 years after retiring from the Army, a former British soldier has started up his own taxi business employing ex-servicemen hoping to help them adjust to civilian life.

In Tolworth, England, Paul Reynolds, 58, started Heroes Cars and currently employs five drivers.

The business also plans to pay back a percentage of its profits to charities that help to rehabilitate soldiers.

(READ the story from the Guardian)

Photo credit: Steve Lyon, via CC license on Flickr