You’ve probably had the experience of “catching” someone’s good mood. Happiness can be contagious. Sometimes it’s passed along through simple gestures – a warm smile from a stranger; someone holds a door for you; another driver lets you in. It feels great to be on the receiving end of another person’s good spirits. These brief interchanges between one or more people are tiny portraits of a massive canvas that spans the globe. Every day, too, your life touches other species and the natural environment. These encounters leave a footprint in the world. Sometimes we’re contributing to happiness and wellbeing, and sometimes (often unwittingly) we are not.
How to Increase Your Happiness Footprint
When Son Sends Out Digital Prayer, a Stranger Answers to Rescue His Mom
No relative or friend proved to be a suitable donor match for Michael Andrade’s mom. Weeks dragged on, with Lucy on a waiting list, while her condition grew visibly worse. “I was just skin and bones,” she says.
Michael, the youngest of her four children, decided they needed to cast a wider net.
Under the headline “Please help us find a liver donor,” he added a grainy photo of himself as a boy on his mom’s lap and wrote a detailed appeal on a Tumblr blog post.
“I’m just really worried, and I don’t want to lose my mother, especially without me trying everything I can do to save her. The least I can do is spread the word and try to find a donor for her,” he wrote. Hundreds of readers spread the word, reblogging it on their own sites.
Meanwhile, after no one could help Graeme McNaughton’s cousin, who died of ovarian cancer when she was just 16, he vowed that if an opportunity came up to help save someone from the same grief, he would want to do something.
Michael’s digital prayer was about to be answered.
(READ the moving story in Toronto Globe and Mail)
Thanks to Craig Withers for sending the link! -Photo by miserabledays-tumblr
Israeli on Mount Everest Skips Summit Dream to Rescue Stricken Climber
An Israeli who rescued a distressed climber on Mount Everest instead of pushing onward to the summit said Friday that the man he helped, an American of Turkish origin, is like a brother to him.
The friendship stands in contrast to the political tension between Turkey and Israel, which were once firm allies.
Four climbers died on their way down from the summit as the weather deteriorated.
(READ the story at Washington Post) – Thanks also to Roberta for sending the link.
In Age of Bullying, Special Needs Student Elected Prom King
Scott Shaver and Katie Buell were crowned prom king and queen last week at Westview High School. Sound typical? Yes, but Westview is not your typical high school.
Sure, Katie is an all-American girl, class president, champion in girls basketball, and “an absolute sweetheart,” according to her teachers. Yet, it seems every student, no matter their ability, is accepted here and treasured.
“Scotty”, as the kids call him, is a HUGE personality at the school, brought out of his shell over four years by the nurturing attention given, not only by specialized staff who have tutored him as a special needs student with autism, but by the accepting student body.
When he first came to the San Diego area school, he was petrified of the chaotic sounds of 2300 kids in an assembly. Now, he attends all the sporting events cheering loudly in the bleachers. When the football team scores a touchdown, he gets the giant “W” flag and runs up and down the sidelines.
When he first came to the school, his mother said, he could never have believed he would be dancing in front of the entire school to the pulsing beat of “We Are Family”. But after just one year, his success at school — mainly, said his mother, Marlene, due to all the “regular ed” kids practicing inclusion — Scotty was able to join the Westview dance group in their twice-yearly choreographed “Friendship Dance”, which includes the special needs kids each paired with a team regular. For three years now, he has been taking a bow at every performance while flexing his muscles in the air with wild enthusiasm. (See the video below).
Marlene also credit the “Best Buddies” program that matches a special needs kid with a regularly-enrolled student to be partners in friendship throughout the school year. It’s one of the most popular clubs on at Westview.
This spring, when the senior class prepared to nominate boys for prom king, they put Scotty on the ballot. “Not as a joke,” said Scott Wild, a teacher and student advisor at the school, “but as a sincere tribute to him because they love him, respect him, and appreciate him.”
Mr. Wild said there were 4 other boys who were also selected to be on the ballot- – all good athletes, students, and high character kids. “They found out about Scott being on the ballot, and collectively took their names off because they wanted Scotty to win – to have his moment in the sun.”
No one knew the outcome last Saturday, when students assembled in their rented tuxedos and hand-picked dresses. Scott’s mom and older brother Kyle, a graduate of Westview, were there, too. Scotty’s “Best Buddie” was delighted to be his date for the evening. At 10 o’clock, the faculty announced the prom court winners, saving the king for last.
This is not normal high school stuff. With the release of the documentary, Bully, people are all too aware of the dark side for many teens. Westview should have been making their own documentary. As one educator said, “There’s a reason why everybody tries to get hired in the Poway School District, this is one of them.
Scott’s “HUGE” personality “is over the top”, says his mom, because everyone at Westview accepted him and loved him.
“We could only hope, and wish, that every special needs child in every school was truly nurtured to their highest potential the same way Scott has been nurtured at Westview.”
Mother of the prom queen, Susie Buell agrees. She wrote in an email: “Once again, we feel overcome with the emotion of how fortunate and grateful (we are) to have had all our children attend school in this district. Working in Special Ed at the elementary level, I personally know how dedicated some of the Poway Special Ed team works and their tireless commitment to their students. It is incredible!”
“Katie was so honored to share that moment with him and so proud and happy for him. It was the highlight of the her night,” she added. “She really loves him.”
The teachers and administrators at the school will very much miss Scott when he says goodbye in 2 weeks. He cheerfully helped out in the office over the years and “people couldn’t help but love him”.
Kathy, who works in his critical skills classroom told her spouse, “On Monday morning, when the doors to his bus opened it looked like a bull busting out of a rodeo gate with Scotty yelling, “MISS KATHY, MISS KATHY, I am the SUPER SENIOR POWER PROM KING!”
Mr. Wild summed it up best: “For as much as Westview High gives him, Scott Shaver has no idea how much of a gift he is to us.”
Watch the video of Scott (the tall one) dancing at an assembly in 2010
In Age of Bullying, Special Needs Student Elected Prom King
Scott Shaver and Katie Buell were crowned prom king and queen last week at Westview High School. Sound typical? Yes, but Westview is not your typical high school.
Sure, Katie is an all-American girl, class president, champion in girls basketball, and “an absolute sweetheart,” according to her teachers. Yet, it seems every student, no matter their ability, is accepted here and treasured.
“Scotty”, as the kids call him, is a HUGE personality at the school, brought out of his shell over four years by the nurturing attention given, not only by specialized staff who have tutored him as a special needs student with autism, but by the accepting student body.
German’s Son Returns Stolen Treasures to Russia from WWII
Treasures stolen from a Russian museum during WWII have found their way back home. Two crates with hundreds of rare exhibits stolen in 1941 were voluntarily returned to Russia by a Wehrmacht doctor’s son.
The 480 objects including a collection of crosses, archeological findings and icons stunned employees – many of the objects are extremely rare and valuable.
Italy Dedicates 1,400-year-old Olive Tree to Michelle Obama
A province in southern Italy has dedicated a 1,400-year-old olive tree known as “The Queen” to US First Lady Michelle Obama because of her commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles.
Local farmers that manage the land where the tree is located said that the roughly 100 litres (26 gallons) of extra-virgin olive oil made from the fruits of the giant tree would be sent to the White House every year starting this fall.
Mrs. Obama planted an organic garden on the White House lawn and advocates a diet rich in vegetables.
(READ the AFP story via, Decan Herald)
Gary Sinise and his “Lt. Dan Band” Plays Benefit Concert for Triple Amputee Vet
Actor Gary Sinise, known for his role as Lieutenant Dan in the film Forrest Gump, played a concert last night with his “Lt. Dan Band” to raise money for a North Carolina soldier who lost both legs and one arm while serving in Afghanistan.
Corporal J.B. Kerns will get a custom home from Sinise’s foundation which has helped build several technological “smart homes” to meet the needs of wounded veterans.
Gary Sinise’s passion in this area was born from his family’s deep roots in military service and from a desire to contribute following the attacks on September 11, 2001.
“Lieutenant Dan,” the character Gary portrayed in the film Forrest Gump, earned him not only an Oscar nomination, but also an instantaneous, enduring connection with servicemen in all branches of the military community. Since 2003, he has contributed his time doing hundreds of personal appearances and concerts in military bases in Iraq and around the world.
He will once again co-host the annual National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC this weekend.
The Gary Sinise Foundation works in partnership with Building Homes For Heroes and the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports children who have lost a parent, and firefighters and military that have been seriously injured. He has helped to raise millions of dollars, as well as donating his own money to help give back to military personnel and their families.
(READ the story in the Martinsville Bulletin)
Mom Will Sell Family Heirlooms to Help Son’s Killers
A mother whose son was stabbed to death by four members of a hooded gang plans to sell her family heirlooms to help his killers.
Fatemah Golmakani, 56, also said she wants to “hug and kiss” them and “tell them that someone loves them”.
Ms Golmakani added: “I want to bring their humanity back even if my son is gone.
(READ the story in the Daily Mirror)
Israeli Peace Movement to Launch Online University for Israeli and Arab Students
Organizers of an online Mideast peace movement say they are launching the Internet’s first university for Israelis and Arabs across the Middle East.
The Online Academy will offer students courses in government, social networks, communications and skill development, which the founders say “can revolutionize relations between young people of the Middle East.”
Twin-Tuition: Man’s Sixth Sense Helps Find Brain Tumor in Brother
When an Australian identical twin with persistent headaches got an MRI scan, nothing unusual was found. But he had a notion that his brother should go and get the test done, too.
Incredibly, his twin’s brain scan discovered a massive and rare tumor.
Since undergoing surgery, the twin has since recovered well.
One Year After the Disaster, the Final Pet Lost During the Joplin Tornado is Claimed
One year ago after a deadly tornado ripped through Joplin, Mo., among 161 humans killed, countless pets also lost their lives or became homeless because of the twister.
Since then, the ASPCA found forever homes for 745 pets and about 500 families were able to reunite with their lost pets.
This week, KKOW-AM radio reported that the last unclaimed pet from the Missouri storm was claimed.
Hero Anti-mob Cop Uses His Past to Help Vets With Post-traumatic Stress
Bob Delaney, an undercover cop who infiltrated the Genovese and Bruno crime families in the 1970’s, knows what it’s like to feel the stress of being alone and helpless, as if no one else understands. That’s one of the curses of post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety that develops in response to a traumatic period.
This hero cop has harnessed that experience for another career, helping the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars coping with PTSD.
The 60-year-old was honored today by Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno with the Outstanding Civilian Service Award for his work mentoring soldiers.
Bus Passengers Pass the Hat to Help Woman See Dying Mom
A West Vancouver bus driver and passengers on an express bus to Horseshoe Bay are being hailed as Good Samaritans after they stepped up to get a woman to Nanaimo to see her dying mother on Mother’s Day.
Because of a highway accident, passengers would not be able to transfer to an inexpensive ferry and the woman would likely miss saying goodbye to her mother who only had hours to live.
(READ the story in the Vancouver Sun)
Thanks to Ellen Gray for sending the link!
New Laxative-free Colonoscopy May Increase Screenings
People getting checked for signs of colon cancer may not need to take a laxative if they choose a less invasive scan for their cancer screening over a tradition colonoscopy, according to a new study.
605 people over the age of 50 received the so-called CT colonography test and got results that were nearly as successful at identifying certain polyps as the traditional colonoscopy, but without the need to drink nasty laxatives, which may encourage more people to get screened.
Egyptians Vote Freely for a Leader Today, First Time in 29 Years
Egyptians relished their first free leadership vote on Wednesday, with Islamists pitted against secular figures in a contest unthinkable before a popular revolt swept President Hosni Mubarak from power 15 months ago.
“I will vote today, no matter what,” said one citizen. “It is a historic thing to do.”
Once Bound for Slaughterhouse Horse Becomes Prize Winner
Can Ace, the reddish-brown, strong-bodied animal with the outsized personality really be the same horse that arrived several months ago, malnourished and afflicted with a variety of maladies?
Indeed, in eight short months, Ace has gone from pitiful horse to prizewinning thoroughbred, thanks to volunteers with a new nonprofit organization that wants to train and find new homes for neglected and abused horses.
The Right Way to Try to Buy Happiness
I always felt like it was a lie whenever I heard people say, “Money can’t buy you happiness”. Recent research proves my instinct was correct.
It’s not saying that more money in anyone’s pocket will instantly lift them into a blissful nirvana, but rather, it shows that people might not be spending their money in the right way.
Bipartisan Senators Come Together With New Bill to Spur US Job Growth
Two Republican senators have joined two Democratic Senators to try and bust the myth that nothing can get done in an election year. They launched Startup Act 2.0, a bipartisan bill aimed at jumpstarting small businesses to power the US economy.
Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) hope to create an environment in which entrepreneurs from around the world can succeed in creating American jobs.
Startup Act 2.0 picks up where the JOBS Act left off, paving the way for America-educated, entrepreneurial immigrants to remain in the U.S. where their talent and ideas can fuel growth. The bill also alleviates regulatory burdens and makes changes to the tax code to encourage investment in startup companies.
Bipartisan Senators Come Together With New Bill to Spur US Job Growth
Two Republican senators have joined two Democratic Senators to try and bust the myth that nothing can get done in an election year. They launched Startup Act 2.0, a bipartisan bill aimed at jumpstarting small businesses to power the US economy.
Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) hope to create an environment in which entrepreneurs from around the world can succeed in creating American jobs.
Startup Act 2.0 picks up where the JOBS Act left off, paving the way for America-educated, entrepreneurial immigrants to remain in the U.S. where their talent and ideas can fuel growth. The bill also alleviates regulatory burdens and makes changes to the tax code to encourage investment in startup companies.