All News - Page 1088 of 1714 - Good News Network
Home Blog Page 1088

Manchester Dogs’ Home Raises £1 Million in 24hrs After Arson Attack

Manchester-Dogs-Home-ad

“To the people of Manchester – thank you is not enough. We cannot find the words,” said Lisa Graham, manager for 10 years at the Manchester & Cheshire Dogs’ Home.

Since 1893, the English charity has provided shelter and veterinary care,and found adoptive homes for more than one million dogs. Now it’s people who are stepping up to rescue the animal shelter, after their kennels in Manchester burned to the ground last evening, as a result of arson, killing 53 dogs.

Almost immediately, the staff at Manchester Evening News set up a fundraising page on JustGiving.com to collect donations. In just 24 hours the page has raised more than 1.1 million pounds for the animal sanctuary, with donations pouring in from around the world.

“Thanks to the help of the fire service and police,” approximately 150 dogs were saved, according to the group’s Facebook Page.

Also, Jason Dyer, 41, and his nephew Dean Rostock, 25, ran into the burning building after they heard the animals yelping around seven o’clock, according to the Manchester Evening News. The pair are believed to have saved 20 dogs from the flames.

Numerous local organizations assisted in transporting the surviving dogs to other kennels, and the community has been delivering blankets and food at a central drop-off point (Christchurch on Water st. harpurhey).Manchester-Dogs-Home-logo

Businesses are stepping up too. Green Frame, a business that specializes in refurbishing reclaimed UPVC windows & doors, heard the tragic news and volunteered to donate as many windows as needed.

“We would like to help as much as we can… for the rebuild of Manchester and Cheshire dogs home.”

(READ the full story from The Independent)

Photo credits: Manchester & Cheshire Dogs’ Home on Facebook – Story tip from Amy

Israeli Intelligence Veterans Refuse to Spy on Palestinians

Israeli-Defense-Force-CC-FabioHofnik

Dozens of veterans of an elite Israeli military intelligence unit have said they will no longer serve in operations spying against Palestinians.

43 officers and staff, past and present, signed a letter about Unit 8200, which carries out electronic surveillance, saying it values no distinction between Palestinians who are, and are not, involved in violence.

“Information that is collected and stored harms innocent people. This does not allow for people to lead normal lives, and fuels more violence further distancing us from the end of the conflict.”

Their letter is copied below…

(READ more from the BBC)

We, veterans of Unit 8200, reserve soldiers both past and present, declare that we refuse to take part in actions against Palestinians and refuse to continue serving as tools in deepening the military control over the Occupied Territories.

It is commonly thought that the service in military intelligence is free of moral dilemmas and solely contributes to the reduction of violence and harm to innocent people. However, our military service has taught us that intelligence is an integral part of Israel’s military occupation over the territories. The Palestinian population under military rule is completely exposed to espionage and surveillance by Israeli intelligence. While there are severe limitations on the surveillance of Israeli citizens, the Palestinians are not afforded this protection. There’s no distinction between Palestinians who are, and are not, involved in violence. Information that is collected and stored harms innocent people. It is used for political persecution and to create divisions within Palestinian society by recruiting collaborators and driving parts of Palestinian society against itself. In many cases, intelligence prevents defendants from receiving a fair trial in military courts, as the evidence against them is not revealed. Intelligence allows for the continued control over millions of people through thorough and intrusive supervision and invasion of most areas of life. This does not allow for people to lead normal lives, and fuels more violence further distancing us from the end of the conflict.

Millions of Palestinians have been living under Israeli military rule for over 47 years. This regime denies the basic rights and expropriates extensive tracts of land for Jewish settlements subject to separate and different legal systems, jurisdiction and law enforcement. This reality is not an inevitable result of the state’s efforts to protect itself but rather the result of choice. Settlement expansion has nothing to do with national security. The same goes for restrictions on construction and development, economic exploitation of the West Bank, collective punishment of inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, and the actual route of the separation barrier.

In light of all this, we have concluded that as individuals who served in Unit 8200, we must take responsibility for our part in this situation and it is our moral duty to act. We cannot continue to serve this system in good conscience, denying the rights of millions of people. Therefore, those among us who are reservists, refuse to take part in the state’s actions against Palestinians. We call for all soldiers serving in the Intelligence Corps, present and future, along with all the citizens of Israel, to speak out against these injustices and to take action to bring them to an end. We believe that Israel’s future depends on it.

Signed:

Senior Academic Officer Or, First Sergeant Ori, Sergeant Ella, Sergeant ***, Sergeant First Class Amitai, Captain Assaf, Lieutenant Assaf, First Sergeant Ariel, First Sergeant Guy, Sergeant First Class Galia, Lieutenant Gilad, First Sergeant Doron, Captain D, Professional Academic Officer H, First Sergeant T, First Sergeant Tal, Sergeant First Class Yair, First Sergeant Yoav, First Sergeant Yuval, Lieutenant Yonatan, Sergeant First Class Lior, Sergeant Liron, Sergeant Maya, Sergeant Michal, First Sergeant Menahem, First Sergeant Nadav, Sergeant Noa, First Sergeant Sa’ar, First Sergeant Eden, Sergeant Idan, Professional Academic Officer Amir, First Sergeant Amit, Sergeant K, Sergeant Keren, Sergeant First Class Regev, First Sergeant Roi, Sergeant R, First Sergeant Rotem, First Sergeant Shira, Major Shmulik, First Sergeant Schraga, Sergeant Sheri, Senior Academic Officer Tomer

(Letter contents from the Guardian)

Good News for U.S. Bird Species

shore-bird-Steve_Corey-CC-California-900px

An annual report on bird populations in the United States released Tuesday offers hope and good news for a variety of birds in key habitats, including waterfowl, Eastern song birds, wetland species and shore birds.

• Among the 49 coastal species examined, there has been a steady rise in population— 28 percent since 1968—a direct result of the establishment of 160 national coastal wildlife refuges and nearly 600,000 acres of national seashore in 10 states.

• The creation and preservation of large swaths of forests through public-private partnerships in the Appalachian Mountains and the Northwest has helped declining forest-dependent species such as the golden-winged warbler and the oak titmouse.

• Wetlands are one of the habitats to benefit most from conservation. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act has restored an area larger than Tennessee. While wetland loss continues in some regions, the Act has helped protect and restore wetlands through public-private partnerships across the United States, thereby reversing declines in waterfowl populations such as the mallard and blue-winged teal. Total duck populations were up 8 percent over last year, and a whopping 43 percent higher than the long term average since 1955.

The strongest finding in State of the Birds 2014 is simple: conservation works. Ducks fly once again in great numbers up the Mississippi River and across the Chesapeake Bay. California condors are rebounding from just 22 birds to more than 200 today. Bald eagles, brown pelicans, peregrine falcons—all species once headed the way of the passenger pigeon— are now abundant.

Now extinct, the passenger pigeon, once numbering in the billions, is a strong reminder that even species considered common can become extinct without careful attention, as it did in1914.

“The State of the Birds report shows that public-private partnerships are working to successfully strengthen conservation efforts,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We are forging a new era of conservation by joining non-traditional conservation stakeholders with farmers, ranchers and foresters to do more together than we ever could have separately.”

The State of the Birds 2014 is authored by the U.S. Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative—a 23-member partnership of government agencies and organizations dedicated to advancing bird conservation.

PHOTO by Steve Corey in California (CC license)

Depressed Dad Gets Surprised By Strangers

Thank-you-for-the-internet-gift-economy-sign-MikeSlemko

Mike Slemko felt like nothing was going his way. His wife had just left him and the internet had been cut off. Because Slemko works in IT, he cannot make money without the internet. He was broke and alone.

Slemko asked an acquaintance, Brice Royer, for help.

Royer had recently dedicated his life (literally) to the “Gift Economy.” He was unemployed and had cancer, yet offered to pay a stranger’s rent for a year. Days earlier Royer was given a van by someone he’d never met, and a place to stay by another. Slemko had been inspired by such generosity and offered to join a team to create a website for that would further facilitate this gift economy.

The concept of a gift economy, or sharing economy, is based on the idea that if you need something you can ask for it. The gratitude, in turn, compels you to pay it forward for someone else.

While Royer and Slemko were talking, Brice asked if Mike was separated. Slemko replied, “Yeah, it just happened yesterday. It was unexpected, she just surprised me and moved out.”

He held back tears as he continued, “I have no money left, it was all put towards helping my wife and step daughter.” Royer asked him what he needed help with. After some hesitation he answered, “When I got up this morning, the internet was turned off…” His ex-wife had left him an unpaid bill of $100

From Victoria, Canada, Royer posted to his new gift economy Facebook group for help. Within 30 minutes, they had raised $105. Then, a stranger called the internet company, himself, and paid the overdue bill, plus more for the next month. Mike was gifted the rest for future payments.

In a Youtube video (see below), Royer made a phone call to Slemko to announce the surprise: “Remember that $128 Internet bill you had? It’s now zero dollars.”

An elated Slemko wrote on Facebook, “Wow. It’s amazing. My son and I are so thankful. I’m confident being a part of the gift economy is why I don’t ever see myself having an anxiety attack ever again, no matter what happens.”

Although Slemko still has debt from his separation, he decided to pay it forward by offering struggling parents caught in the BC teachers strike, a place for their kids to play.

This new community of sincere and kind hearted people continue to make a difference in each others lives. For more information about the gift economy go to: www.gifteconomy.ca

From an article by Emylou Lewis

Artist Transforms Toilet Paper Rolls into Amazing Faces

 

toilet-paper-faces-by-JuniorFritzJacquet

French paper artist Junior Fritz Jacquet created this fantastic series of weird masks made from toilet paper rolls. Inspired by the craft of origami, each mask is made from a single paper roll which is folded and squished into an expressive face.

Follow Jacquet’ artwork on Facebook

(READ the story and SEE more photos at Colossal)

Learning From My Nemesis

bullying-wikimedia-CC-irfe

Have you ever had a nemesis? Someone who was there to remind you that life isn’t fair. Someone who you wished awful things would happen to? I had one. I saw him last night after many, many years.

I was catching up with Joel, an old friend from grade school, and, who walks in but Billy Baumbach. Picture Woody Harrelson only with a much tougher life.

Billy was a great athlete, one of the best our town ever had. Unfortunately using and selling drugs, followed by the inevitable jailtime, made his story a lot different than mine. I have been thinking of this guy for years, wondering how karma had treated him.

I learned over my younger years to despise him. My hate sprung not from any one incident, but from years of torture and humiliation. I was abused by him and others for a variety of reasons, yet too hard-headed to run. I was very naïve about life in general and could not understand why people acted like they do.

You might think that was unfortunate, but in retrospect, I was gifted the opportunity to evolve from humble beginnings to where I am today – only mildly stunted! I know there were some kids scarred for life and never quite recovered, and that is a shame.

It wasn’t EASY, but the biggest reason I overcame it all was through my accepting me as me. I worked on the things I could, and dealt with what I couldn’t by being the clown. No pain can be given if you beat them to the punch. I’m sure growing up would have been much different if my life was without difficulties.

When I was really young, I would ride my bike for hours on end. I was the winner of every race. I would play football in the backyard by myself (how in the heck did I do that and NOT get committed???) I scored the winning touchdown every time. In my mind I was everything I was not. A jock, the big man on campus, anyone but me.

bullying-350px-Pimkie-ccSlowly but surely, I gained enough self-esteem to function as a human being in a cruel world. This not only made me tougher, but it gave me compassion for anyone that may view themselves as less than they are. It seems like good training for this adventure called life.

And life in school was sometimes very, very tough. I can remember times when the depression hit so hard that I could not imagine ever being happy again. I would stay in my room for weeks on end, losing myself in music and dreams. I hated that I was ugly. I hated I wore coke-bottle glasses. I hated no one seemed to care about me. I was a mess. I’m sure there are medications perscribed for this condition today, but back then, I had to persevere using my own devices.

Joel knew Billy and they shook hands and exchanged how-you-beens. I was smiling when Joel asked Billy if he remembered me. He vaguely did. I finally got to admit, to my nemesis, those awful thoughts about him. I asked if he remembered a few of the most significant events in my younger years – hitting a triple off him in Little League. Nope. Didn’t remember. Getting pummeled daily by our school’s basketball team, that he was on. Nope. Any of the torture I endured? Nothing.

I stated that, for many years, he was the only person on earth I truly hated. He laughed it off as I bought him a drink. I realized years ago, he placed no importance on any of the things that were brutal to me. That made it easier to accept, for some reason. I’m sure there’s a deep-rooted psychological manifestation involved…. I just moved on.

I hope to see Billy again and listen to his exciting stories. He has quite a few. I’m happy I finally understand and appreciate the role he had in making me, me.

I’m doing OK.

Originally written at TomsMiscRamblings

Photo credits: (top) Irfe (middle) Pimkie – via CC licenses

China Sees Big Drop in Carbon Emissions

China cut its carbon emissions by 5 percent in the first half of 2014 – the largest drop in years, said the country’s premier, Li Keqiang. (Xinhua)

Scientists Confirm Victory in Ozone Layer Recovery

UNEP image

UNEP-image-ozone-layer-Earth

“It’s a victory for diplomacy and for science,” and for the fact that all the nations in the world worked together, said the Nobel Prize chemist who first forecasted the coming ozone depletion in 1974.

A United Nations scientific panel confirmed that our protective ozone layer is healing itself since countries signed on to a treaty in the late 1980s that phased out man-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which caused the problem.

From 2000 to 2013, ozone levels climbed 4 percent in the key mid-northern latitudes, according to NASA scientist Paul A. Newman, who co-chaired the every-four-years ozone assessment by 300 scientists, released by the United Nations.

UN leaders called the effort to get rid of ozone-destroying substances “one of the great success stories of international collective action,” and are hoping that the world can similarly unite in the fight to lessen climate change.

197 nations signed the ozone treaty agreements, making the Montreal Protocols the first to be unanimously adopted by all members of the United Nations.

(READ the AP story from the Dallas Morning News)

Animation / image by UNEP

Abandoned Baby With No Legs Becomes Power Gymnast, Discovers Miracle Sister, too

Jennifer-Bricker-shoreline-handstand-FB

Jennifer Bricker was given up at birth after she was born without legs. Fortunately, a pair of loving parents adopted her and taught her there were no limits to what she could achieve.

What the little girl wanted more than anything was to become a gymnast, like her hero, Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Moceanu. Bricker pursued sports — even baseball and basketball — with unending passion and fearlessness, and eventually became a champion in Illinois power gymnastics.

Already this story is a sensation, but what happens next is nothing short of an incredible miracle.

Bricker discovered her long lost big sister is none other than Dominique Moceanu.

(WATCH the 2012 story from ABC News’s 20/20) – Story tip from Sally Meek

Photo from Jen’s Facebook Page

Sea Lion Steals Huge Catch Out of Fisherman’s Hands

sea-lion-steals-fish-photo

This theft, however heartbreaking for the fisherman, is our Good Laugh for the week.

Locals in Los Cabos call this sea lion Pancho. It snapped up a huge fish right out of a man’s hand while he posed for pictures.

The YouTube video, now 10 months old, describes it as happening while a crew was filming a show called Chef On The Water for the Mexico Travel Channel. WATCH below…

Long Lost Dr. Seuss Stories Published

Lost-Stories-by-Dr-Seuss-cover-cropped-640px

Theodor Geisel — better known as Dr. Seuss — has been charming generations of children and adults since the 1950s. And though Seuss died in 1991, a new collection of his lesser-known work from the 1950s and 60s, called Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories, came out in stores yesterday.

“The four stories in this book came from columns that appeared in Redbook magazine in the 1950s,” Cathy Goldsmith, an associate publishing director at Random House told NPR. “Dr. Seuss actually wrote a piece once a month for Redbook.”

(READ – or Listen – to the story at NPR News)

– Story tip from Mike McGinley

Boy in China Will Walk Again With 3D-Printed Vertebra

3D-printed-vertebra-liu-zhongjun-orthopaedics-peking-university-third-hospital

A boy with a tumor on his spine, who could only muster the strength to stand for a few minutes at a time, has been given a new lease on life thanks to a 3D-printed bone for his neck.

In August, surgeons in China successfully implanted an artificial 3D-printed vertebra made of titanium powder into a 12-year-old bone cancer patient. The five-hour surgery at Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing, was a world first.

After spending the previous two months confined to a hospital bed, the boy named Minghao is recovering well.

(READ more from the Business Insider – WATCH video from China TV)

Photo: Liu Zhongjun, director of orthopaedics at Peking University Third Hospital, holding a 3D-printed vertebra – Story tip: Julia Frerichs, LMT

Sports Celebrity Snaps Photo of Random Kindness by Indiana Cop

NBA basketball player Roy Hibbert witnessed an act of kindness by an Indiana police officer and shared a photo of the event on Instagram.

“Just seen an Indy police officer pull over,” Hibbert described on his Instagram account. “Go into his trunk n give a homeless guy a pair of shiny boots.”

The Indiana Pacers star also created his own good news story last week when he donated $1 million to his alma mater Georgetown University to fund the John Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center, according to the Washington Post.

 – Story tip from Tonya Brown Wright

University of California Signs Major Solar Deal

Frontier-Renewables-solar-roof

The University of California announced yesterday that it will make the largest solar energy purchase by any U.S. higher education institution to fulfill 60% of the energy needs on five campuses and three medical centers.

UC signed two Power Purchase Agreements with Frontier Renewables to secure the renewables energy for a 25 year period. The agreements will help the University meet its goal to make UC the first research university to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025 for all UC’s 10 campuses and five medical centers.

“As a national leader in sustainability, the University of California is taking on bold, new goals and transforming our approach to procuring and using energy in more sustainable ways,” said Napolitano. “Our partnership with Frontier Renewables will ensure that UC has a steady supply of cost-effective, climate-neutral electricity.”

The projects will use two solar fields in Fresno County, with a combined capacity of 80 megawatts (MW). Construction on the solar fields — which have undergone a full environmental review and been approved by Fresno County — is expected to end in late 2016 for UC Irvine and its medical center, UC Merced, UC San Diego and its medical center, UC San Francisco and its medical center, and UC Santa Cruz.

The project also allows Frontier Renewables to consider education partnerships with UC researchers and students, such as research access to solar fields, the creation of a field station on the project site, internships, technology testing and curriculum development, according to UC News.

Bill Murray Drives Taxi So Cabbie Can Practice Saxophone

Bill-Murray-day-with-crown-TorontoFilmFestivalvideo

Here is another reason to love the hilarious mind of Bill Murray.

He was attending the Toronto International Film Festival September 5, on the date officially named Billy Murray Day, which featured screenings of old films like Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day and the premiere of his latest movie St. Vincent.

At a Q&A discussion he recalled that the night before the festival, he got into a taxi in Oakland and ended up driving for the cabbie after he mentioned he was a saxophone player.

“I said, ‘When do you practice?’ He said, ‘I drive 14 hours a day.’”

When the driver told him the sax was in the trunk, Murray told the cabbie, “Pull over and get in the back, I know how to drive a car.’ ”

“Not only did he play all the way to Sausalito, which is a long way, we stopped and got barbecue. And it made for a beautiful night!”

(READ the story, w/ photo, from Page Six)

Story tip from Mike McGinley

Nonprofit Pub in Portland: “Have A Pint, Change The World”

Have-a-pint-change-the-world-sign-EVO-StillmotionVid

The Oregon Public House began as a dream to bring the individual charitable experience into the social space of a community. They wanted to transform the solitary act of quietly donating to a good cause and give it some bravado — and some beer.

It took three years to renovate the building at 700 NE Dekum Street in Portland. Today the “family-friendly” pub, with its delicious-looking menu of sandwiches, pastas and salads, is open every day at noon.

It serves as a “community center for change” with 100% of all profits going to a variety of charities on the menu — just pick your favorite.

The video below was created by Stillmotion’s 4-day Filmmaking intensive, EVO 11, and helps promote nonprofits.

Story tip from Amy Martin

Photo of the Day – Kid Gets Bored With President Obama

cropd-Oval-office-kid-gets-bored-with-Obama-LawrenceJackson

In June, a little boy visiting the White House with his parents had no interest in chatting with the President of the United State.

Here in the Oval Office he made his boredom known by face-planting into the sofa.

The moment was caught by White House photographer, Lawrence Jackson.

Cat He Rescued From Shelter Returns the Favor Saving Man From Terrible Fire

cat-saves-man-from-fire-IBTimesVid

Craig Jeeves of Melbourne, Australia rescued a cat two years ago from an animal shelter and this week, she returned the favor and saved his life.

Jeeves, 49, was awakened by the tabby in the middle of the night. Sally jumped on his face, screeching, as a fire raced through his home. He said, otherwise, he would have probably stayed asleep and not made it out alive.

(WATCH the video below from IB Times UK) – Story tip from Cathy Fries

Good News in History, September 9

Elvis_on-Sullivan-show

Elvis_on-Sullivan-show
On this day in 1956, Elvis Presley appeared nationwide on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, performing Don’t Be Cruel and Love Me Tender. Sullivan, the most popular TV variety host of the day, had relented after previously vowing never to allow the performer on his show. (1956)

How Many 10-Year-olds Raise $250,000 for Cancer? The Youngest Car Racer in History, That’s Who.

mini-tyrell-at-8-yo-640px

Timmy Tyrrell celebrated his 10th birthday today, and he’s not counting how many gifts he received for himself but counting the money he’s raised for families dealing with pediatric cancer — over a quarter million dollars since he was six years old.

For three years this extraordinary boy from Virginia has planned an annual charity kickball tournament in September during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. His latest event, a tournament in Manassas on Sunday collected donations of $29,000 and his friend, NASCAR king Jeff Gordon, is matching that, dollar for dollar.

When he was just six his friend Ella was diagnosed with cancer and he overheard adults saying that her father was losing time at work due to the illness and bills were mounting. Timmy, who goes by the name “Mini”, decided he could raise money for their family with his favorite hobby, racing go-carts. He started his charity Mini’s Mission, with the slogan “Burn Rubber to Help Another,” in March 2011.

His father, Timmy Tyrrell, Sr., who holds car racing records himself and owns an auto repair shop and used car showroom in Manassas, delights in his son’s charity work.

“My wife Tina spends all her time helping him enact new ideas about how to help people,” he said. “Like the tsunami in Asia: Even after I suggested there was nothing we could do, he insisted that we had to help.”

mini-tyrell-with-jeff-gordon
Hanging out with Jeff Gordon at the race track

At six years-old, Mini’s story as reported by NBC Nightly News so impressed Jeff Gordon that, not only did the NASCAR driver donate to Mini’s charity events, and take him into the pits to inspect race cars close-up, the charismatic kid was hired to work with the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for pediatric cancer.

“He’s not only inspiring adults. He’s also inspiring young kids,” said his mom.

He won $70 at the race track in a kids event and she asked him, ‘What are you going to do with it.’

“Duh, mom… I’m going to give it to the kids with cancer.”

Another little boy, a regular on the racing circuit heard him, went home, and brought back $50 the next week, saying, “I want to donate this to your charity.”

The quarter million dollars has been raised through a conglomeration of events, from the car racing to lemonade stands, from 5K walks to the kick ball tournaments that support the Kick It campaign. Gordon introduced Mini to the Kick It campaign, founded by a 10-year old Ohio boy during his second battle with cancer, which has raised more than $2.5 million through community Kick Ball events nationwide.

Mini, with Timmy and Tina Tyrrell
Mini, with Timmy and Tina Tyrrell

“Never in our wildest imagination, could we have predicted what Mini would accomplish in just three years,” said his proud mom, Tina.

As a racer, Mini is the youngest winner in Arena Car Race History, at 8, and the youngest driver, at 9, to compete in a Late Model Stock Car race, in Virginia earlier this year.

This self-possessed young man who has given speeches, talked to car clubs, and lately is persuading his local government to adopt gold ribbons for Children’s Cancer Month says he doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up — even though he has become a celebrity on the racing circuit as the youngest driver, at nine, to ever place in a late model stock car race.

He either wants to be a trash man, recycling valuable metals and materials, or a doctor so he can help more people. You can join him on Facebook at MinisMission.