Not only are Germany solar power plants producing a world record amount of electricity – equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity – now, the village of Wildpoldsried is producing 321% more energy than it needs.
As of August, 2011, the small farming village in Bavaria was actually earning $5.7 million in annual revenue from its investments in renewable energy — 7 windmills, 190 buildings with solar panels, 4 biodigestors — and they did it all without going into debt.
Apple Inc plans to move some production of Macintosh computers to the United States from China next year, Chief Executive Tim Cook said Thursday, in what could be an important test of the nascent comeback in U.S. electronics manufacturing.
The effort is expected to go well beyond simple final assembly of devices, with Apple spending more than $100 million on the initiative and unnamed partners joining to build most or all of the components in the United States as well.
A group of high school students wanted to lift the spirits of their friends who had survived a deadly automobile accident over the weekend that killed two others in the car. Their goal, to get two celebrities to call the hospital, has once again proven the power of social media.
Within an hour the football star Tim Tebow learned of the kids’ Tweets, and the hashtag #TebowCallMatt that began nationally trending on Twitter.
Still in his Albany, New York hospital bed, Matt Hardy received a call from the famed good-guy quarterback, Tebow.
A group of high school students wanted to lift the spirits of their friends who had survived a deadly automobile accident over the weekend that killed two others in the car. Their goal, to get two celebrities to call the hospital, has once again proven the power of social media.
Within an hour the football star Tim Tebow learned of the kids’ Tweets, and the hashtag #TebowCallMatt that began nationally trending on Twitter.
Still in his Albany, New York hospital bed, Matt Hardy received a call from the famed good-guy quarterback, Tebow.
Jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck died Wednesday — a day before his ninety-second birthday.
He was best known for his 1959 album “Time Out,” recorded by his band, the Dave Brubeck Quartet. With its complex and unusual beat patterns, many experts believe a new age for jazz was launched.
The inspiration for an American to use such odd time signatures came from the sounds and rhythms of the developing world, including Turkey, where Brubeck traveled. The most famous jazz song in history, “Take Five,” is on the album. The song, with its famous melody written by the band’s alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, was so catchy and became so widely known that it crossed over to Billboard’s pop charts in 1961. (Hear it below)
Every year, the SPCA needs to find homes for thousands of dogs that have been abused, abandoned, or just forgotten. The dogs may be mutts, but they are smart — and this organization of animal lovers in New Zealand decided to prove it. They have been training three shelter dogs to drive a Mini Cooper.
The head “driving coach” is Mark Vette, a professional Animal Psychologist, Zoologist and Director of the team. They designed a driving simulator to use indoors to teach the pooches the basics — how to stop and move forward. The Mini Cooper itself needed to be modified so the drivers could actually reach the pedals.
Every year, the SPCA needs to find homes for thousands of dogs that have been abused, abandoned, or just forgotten. The dogs may be mutts, but they are smart — and this organization of animal lovers in New Zealand decided to prove it. They have been training three shelter dogs to drive a Mini Cooper.
The head “driving coach” is Mark Vette, a professional Animal Psychologist, Zoologist and Director of the team. They designed a driving simulator to use indoors to teach the pooches the basics — how to stop and move forward. The Mini Cooper itself needed to be modified so the drivers could actually reach the pedals.
While the Club Monaco brand was born in Canada in 1985, it changed nationalities when the Ralph Lauren group acquired it in 1999 and is now offering a “Made in the U.S.A.” line.
The collection is sewn by artisan hands up and down the Eastern seaboard and includes a line of casual shirts, jackets, ties and trousers, all manufactured in different workshops in the United States.
This collection of forty items is now being introduced to overseas markets in Asia and Europe. (See the products being made by hand in the video below)
People have bicycled, walked, even roller-bladed across Canada for charity. But Mark McIntyre is likely the only person who has ever hitch-hiked across Canada wearing nothing but his underwear and a smile.
As a testicular cancer survivor, he teamed up with an underwear manufacturer that agreed to donate $20,000 bringing Mark’s fundraising total to $32,000 for men’s cancer research. He also wants to educate men on how to check themselves regularly, like women do.
“A really negative thing in my life became a really positive thing,” he told CTV when he arrived at the underwear factory to end his three-week cross-country adventure.
After setting out from Vancouver on Nov. 14, fans and followers on social media helped arrange some of the rides that got him to the finish line in Truro, Nova Scotia on Tuesday, December 5. (He switched to insulated long underwear in the frigid mid-section of the country.)
(WATCH the video below, or READ the story (and see another video) at CTV)
People have bicycled, walked, even roller-bladed across Canada for charity. But Mark McIntyre is likely the only person who has ever hitch-hiked across Canada wearing nothing but his underwear and a smile.
As a testicular cancer survivor, he teamed up with an underwear manufacturer that agreed to donate $20,000 bringing Mark’s fundraising total to $32,000 for men’s cancer research. He also wants to educate men on how to check themselves regularly, like women do.
“A really negative thing in my life became a really positive thing,” he told CTV when he arrived at the underwear factory to end his three-week cross-country adventure.
After setting out from Vancouver on Nov. 14, fans and followers on social media helped arrange some of the rides that got him to the finish line in Truro, Nova Scotia on Tuesday, December 5. (He switched to insulated long underwear in the frigid mid-section of the country.)
(WATCH the video below, or READ the story (and see another video) at CTV)
A team of Montreal designers whose goal is to bring magic to everyday events, has placed an interactive installation of musical swings alongside a Montréal city street — next to a bus stop.
A fresh look at the idea of cooperation, the swings play a tune when pedestrians move in unison rather than independently.The result is a giant instrument made of 21 musical swings; each swing in motion triggers different notes, all the swings together compose a piece, the sounds of which emerge only from cooperation.
The project stimulates ownership of the public space, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds, and creating a place for playing and hanging out in the middle of the city center.
A team of Montreal designers whose goal is to bring magic to everyday events, has placed an interactive installation of musical swings alongside a Montréal city street — next to a bus stop.
A fresh look at the idea of cooperation, the swings play a tune when pedestrians move in unison rather than independently.The result is a giant instrument made of 21 musical swings; each swing in motion triggers different notes, all the swings together compose a piece, the sounds of which emerge only from cooperation.
The project stimulates ownership of the public space, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds, and creating a place for playing and hanging out in the middle of the city center.
Asserting that nonprofits now lag behind industry in technological innovation due to lack of funding, Google unveiled its remedy yesterday. It announced $23 million in grants to organizations that are advancing society but asking nothing in return.
Five million each are going toward projects that aim to prepare more minorities and women for careers in science, increase access to clean water and conserve endangered species and biodiversity.
The new Global Impact Awards go to:
Sue Wedemeier, who works at Mercy Hospital is disinfecting rooms every day with mops and sponges. But she is also infecting the patients and staff alike with a virus of holiday cheer, now that she has decorated every inch of her cleaning cart with Christmas decorations.
It’s hard to pass her cart these days without smiling. Decked out from top to bottom with lights, decorations and even Christmas music, she is like a walking, talking and singing holiday card.
Even the mop handle is painted like a candy cane.
A UK grandmother left completely bald after health troubles has thrown out her wig in favor of a tattoo covering her entire head.
Ann McDonald, 60, was inspired to get a tattoo that resembles dark curly locks, after becoming depressed having lost her hair, and frustrated by wigs and hats.
She says it’s changed her life and made her happier than she’s ever been.
A series of funny TV ads produced by the mortgage company Ameriquest clearly demonstrate why it is not a good idea to judge our fellow human beings too quickly. Situations are often not what they seem.
Humor makes the point so very well in these clever ads.
An organization called One Simple Wish has granted the wishes of more than 3,000 foster children providing a small piece of comfort and joy to kids still in need of a permanent family.
12-year-old Kahlil always wanted music lessons, something most kids take for granted but which remains elusive for many in foster care. Thanks to One Simple Wish a donor was able to make Kahlil’s dream come true.
After serving a 14-year sentence for murder, no one would have expected Sarah Jane Coffman to go anywhere near the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center once she was released.
But every Saturday she makes the 10-mile drive with a viola in tow for orchestra practice at the prison just north of Anchorage.
Coffman is a founding member of the women’s string orchestra at the prison, playing since 2003.
In contrast to what the news media portrays as a hopeless situation in the Middle East, there is an Arab village in northern Israel, Ibillin, where the leaders of tomorrow are gathering daily in school classrooms, Jews befriending Muslims befriending Christians.
At the Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI), children receive a superior education but also work together to promote peace, justice, and reconciliation in the Middle East. MEEI has become a shining beacon of hope for all people of the Holy Land – and around the world.
In contrast to what the news media portrays as a hopeless situation in the Middle East, there is an Arab village in northern Israel, Ibillin, where the leaders of tomorrow are gathering daily in school classrooms, Jews befriending Muslims befriending Christians.
At the Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI), children receive a superior education but also work together to promote peace, justice, and reconciliation in the Middle East. MEEI has become a shining beacon of hope for all people of the Holy Land – and around the world.
