Myanmar’s government signed a cease-fire agreement today with rebels in a major step toward ending one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies.
The talks, between officials and Karen National Union leaders, were part of efforts by Myanmar’s new civilian government, which took office after November 2010 elections, to embarked on democratic reforms after years of military repression.
A small team of 11 people and numerous volunteers around the world have made Bookbridge a successful social program that is measured not by the amount of profit, but by its impact on children and society in Asia.
The group has “built a bridge with books” since its founding in 2009, setting up 14 education centers in Mongolia and Cambodia, funneling donated books, maps and learning materials to children in rural areas, in order to facilitate their access to higher education.
In addition they have trained 300 teachers and are currently planning to open more education centers.
A small team of 11 people and numerous volunteers around the world have made Bookbridge a successful social program that is measured not by the amount of profit, but by its impact on children and society in Asia.
The group has “built a bridge with books” since its founding in 2009, setting up 14 education centers in Mongolia and Cambodia, funneling donated books, maps and learning materials to children in rural areas, in order to facilitate their access to higher education.
In addition they have trained 300 teachers and are currently planning to open more education centers.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued six Iranians from sea whose boat had flooded on Tuesday in the Gulf, the second time in less than a week that the American military has come to the aid of Iranians mariners.
In the cover of night, the Iranian cargo ship sent up flares in the Persian Gulf to signal to the Coast Guard, involved in support of the US Fifth Fleet, that it was in distress, according to the AP today.
More than a dozen more Iranians were saved from pirates in two other rescue operations over last five days.
You thought I didn’t really notice. But I did. I wanted to high-five you.
Yesterday I had a pair of brothers in my store. One was maybe between 15 and 17. He was a wrestler at the local high school. Kind of tall, stocky and handsome. He had a younger brother, who was maybe about 10 to 12 years old. The only way to describe him was scrawny, neat, and very clean for a boy his age. They were talking about finding a game for the younger one, and he was absolutely insisting it be one with a female character. I don’t know how many of y’all play games, but that isn’t exactly easy. Eventually, I helped the brothers pick a game called “Mirror’s Edge.” The youngest was pretty excited about the game, and then he specifically asked me, “Do you have any girl color controllers?” I directed him to the only colored controllers we have, which include pink and purple ones. He grabbed the purple one, and informed me purple was his FAVORITE.
The boys had been taking awhile, so their father eventually came in. He saw the game, and the controller, and started in on the youngest about how he needs to pick something different. Something more manly. Something with guns and fighting, and certainly not a purple controller.
He tried to convince him to get the new Zombie game “Dead Island” and the little boy just stood there repeating, “Dad, this is what I want, OK?” Eventually it turned into a full-blown argument complete with Dad threatening to whoop his son if he didn’t choose different items.
That’s when big brother stepped in. He said to his dad, “It’s my money, it’s my gift to him. If it’s what he wants, I’m getting it for him, and if you’re going to hit anyone for it, it’s going to be me.” Dad just gave his oldest son a strong stern stare-down, and then left the store. Little brother was crying quietly. I walked over and ruffled his hair (yes, this happened all in front of me). I said, “I’m a girl, and I like the color blue, and I like shooting games. There’s nothing wrong with what you like. Even if it’s different than what people think you should.” I smiled, he smiled back (my heart melted!). Big brother then leaned down, kissed little brother on the head, and said, “Don’t worry, dude.”
They checked out and left, and all I can think is how awesome big brother is, how sweet little brother is, and how Dad ought to be ashamed for trying to make his son any other way.
Originally published last week by Kristen Wolfe, a 20 year-old student, retail manager, and blogger on her Tumblr site, www.sweetupndown.tumblr.com.
You thought I didn’t really notice. But I did. I wanted to high-five you.
Yesterday I had a pair of brothers in my store. One was maybe between 15 and 17. He was a wrestler at the local high school. Kind of tall, stocky and handsome. He had a younger brother, who was maybe about 10 to 12 years old. The only way to describe him was scrawny, neat, and very clean for a boy his age. They were talking about finding a game for the younger one, and he was absolutely insisting it be one with a female character. I don’t know how many of y’all play games, but that isn’t exactly easy. Eventually, I helped the brothers pick a game called “Mirror’s Edge.” The youngest was pretty excited about the game, and then he specifically asked me, “Do you have any girl color controllers?” I directed him to the only colored controllers we have, which include pink and purple ones. He grabbed the purple one, and informed me purple was his FAVORITE.
The boys had been taking awhile, so their father eventually came in. He saw the game, and the controller, and started in on the youngest about how he needs to pick something different. Something more manly. Something with guns and fighting, and certainly not a purple controller.
It was bravery at the highest level: William Shemin defied German machine gun fire to sprint across a World War I battlefield and pull wounded comrades to safety. And he did so no fewer than three times.
Yet Shemin never earned the nation’s highest military citation, the Medal of Honor — a result, many suspected, of the fact that he was Jewish at a time when discrimination ran rampant throughout the U.S. military.
Now, nearly four decades after his death, Shemin may finally get that medal, thanks to the tireless efforts of his daughter, whose long quest also opens the door for other overlooked Jewish veterans of the Great War.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued six Iranians from sea whose boat had flooded on Tuesday in the Gulf, the second time in less than a week that the American military has come to the aid of Iranians mariners.
In the cover of night, the Iranian cargo ship sent up flares in the Persian Gulf to signal to the Coast Guard, involved in support of the US Fifth Fleet, that it was in distress, according to the AP today.
More than a dozen more Iranians were saved from pirates in two other rescue operations over last five days.
Trainers at a Texas fitness center, Cindy Rodriguez and Stephen Frazier collected donations throughout December and made goody bags to bring to the homeless in downtown Fort Worth.
A camera followed the volunteers documenting the joy on both sides of the giving.
A young woman of 23 is helping to turn pizza crusts, leftover lasagna, and other food waste into methane gas to fuel electric generators at an alternative energy start-up that is transforming the way North America manages organic materials.
At its Waltham plant, Harvest Power uses airtight reactors to allow plant and animal wastes to decompose and produce biogas and other useful products, such as fertilizer.
“We are basically creating a facility where bacteria happily feed on waste and produce lots of useful bioproducts,’ said Molly Bales who also researches and develops composting facilities for municipalities, colleges, military bases, stores, and even theme parks.
A young woman of 23 is helping to turn pizza crusts, leftover lasagna, and other food waste into methane gas to fuel electric generators at an alternative energy start-up that is transforming the way North America manages organic materials.
At its Waltham plant, Harvest Power uses airtight reactors to allow plant and animal wastes to decompose and produce biogas and other useful products, such as fertilizer.
“We are basically creating a facility where bacteria happily feed on waste and produce lots of useful bioproducts,’ said Molly Bales who also researches and develops composting facilities for municipalities, colleges, military bases, stores, and even theme parks.
Scientific studies come and go. But there is evidence that accumulates slowly over many years that support often ancient claims that herbs can provide medicinal help for ailments such as stomach upset, hot flashes, depression, nausea and indigestion.
The weight of the evidence clearly shows that these 16 herbs, some of which are already in your kitchen, are safe (with certain caveats) and effective. Many can be used regularly to promote health and deserve a place in your medicine cabinet.
(READ the about these herbs in the Herb Companion)
A 7-year-old boy from California had the opportunity to be the one to push the button and implode a massive ConAgra grain silo in Erie County, Ohio.
Maxwell Hinton, a cancer patient, never thought he would get a chance to play with explosives at such a young age. But on Sunday the little boy’s big dream came true thanks to an organization that turns wishes into realities.
“I watch MythBusters and they inspired me to blow a building up,” said the young boy from Fresno, Calif.
The presidents of South Korea and China agreed Monday to work together to achieve peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, in their first summit since Kim Jong Il’s death opened the chance for major changes in North Korea.
China’s Hu Jintao said he is willing to make ‘unremitting efforts’ to safeguard peace and stability between the Koreas, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Giselle Osborn was among a handful of youth chosen to travel to Haiti this past August as part of a delegation to build eco-friendly homes. Working side-by-side with the local villagers, they not only had to contend with oppressive heat, humidity and mosquitoes, but also the torrential rains of Hurricane Irene.
Giselle laughed off the hurricane. “It was pretty scary for the parents back here to think that we were in a remote village with a hurricane bearing down on us, but it was just one day with a lot of rain.”
Despite the miserable conditions, the Georgia teen is headed back again in mid-January to help a group of girls orphaned by the catastrophic earthquake of 2010.
Giselle is no stranger to community service work. A Girl Scout since age 5, she has taken on project after project including making blankets for a nursing home and making equestrian equipment for a Girl Scout camp. She traveled to India in 2009 as part of a leadership program where she met and worked with girls in a Muslim Orphanage and in 2010 she was one of 12 girls chosen to represent the United States at the 100th Anniversary of Girl Guiding in Leeds, England.
“While I was there, I learned about a place called Camp Oasis. It’s a refugee camp for 40 girls who were rescued from the general refugee camps after the quake. These girls had no family left to provide for them and if left in the camps would have been forced into prostitution just to stay alive. This is a group of girls that I know I can help.”
And help she will. Not one to sit back and wait for others to fix a problem, Gigi is returning to Haiti to take even more supplies than she did the first time around.
“These girls need books in French. 10% of the people in Haiti speak French, but it is the language of the elite, the government, and the media. If these girls hope to become leaders in their community, they have to understand French.”
Gigi has been sending messages through Facebook about her project – and her efforts have finally begun to pay off. She came home one day to find a package on her doorstep – Harry Potter in French – sent to her by an anonymous donor.
“This is exactly what I need,” said Gigi. “I want books that will make these girls want to learn French.”
She laughed, when asked why she would travel a second time when she could easily ship the items and stay safely in the States:
“I went to Mumbai just months after the 2008 bombings; I arrived in Iceland on the same day that Norway was terrorized by a gunman. There are dangerous places in the world for sure, but I won’t live my life in fear.”
“There was nothing that would have replaced being with the children in Papaye, those are memories that I will carry with me always. I know that meeting the girls at Camp Oasis will be the same. I only know a little Creole, but I do know some freedom songs to sing – and maybe I could teach them some Disney songs.”
Gigi will leave for Haiti in mid-January, carrying suitcases full of books in French. Afterward, she plans to start her own non-profit to remove barriers to education for girls in other countries.
“HIPPO (Helping Initiate Powerful & Positive Opportunities) will be my way of keeping the project going. First, I need enough money to buy the books for Haiti, and then I have to cover my plane ticket. After that, I need enough money to file my non-profit corporation. It will be a lot of work, but that doesn’t scare me. I don’t give up easily.”
Hurricane Irene may not have affected Haiti, but Hurricane Gigi? Well, that might just be an impact felt for years to come.
WATCH the video about Giselle’s travels and humanitarian service below…
To donate a book in French, please send to:
Girl Scout Troop 27552, PO Box 446, Social Circle, GA 30025-0446
Or, donate to the Fundrazr link on the Hippo Facebook page.
Giselle Osborn was among a handful of youth chosen to travel to Haiti this past August as part of a delegation to build eco-friendly homes. Working side-by-side with the local villagers, they not only had to contend with oppressive heat, humidity and mosquitoes, but also the torrential rains of Hurricane Irene.
Giselle laughed off the hurricane. “It was pretty scary for the parents back here to think that we were in a remote village with a hurricane bearing down on us, but it was just one day with a lot of rain.”
Despite the miserable conditions, the Georgia teen is headed back again in mid-January to help a group of girls orphaned by the catastrophic earthquake of 2010.
A substitute cricket player, Bevan Small, 19, was a surprise hero last week when he made an amazing play for New Zealand by simultaneously jumping over the boundary line and throwing the ball back to his teammate.
The ball looked to have cleared the boundary but Small soared into the air back over the boundary rope and, still airborne, flicked the ball into the hands of teammate Michael Mason, saving six in the process.
Almost half a million people have so far viewed the clip since it was posted on YouTube, with some hailing it as one of the greatest catches ever.
As grasslands diminish on prairies and savannas around the world, an innovative ranching technique that reverses the environmental damage of desertification makes its way to the US.
For a rancher whose livelihood depended on those diminishing grasslands, it was an oncoming economic and ecological disaster in slow motion.
But in Colorado, the grass came back. Today, “the grass has covered the sand.” A dozen or more sandy, wind-blown basins have become lush and green.
Trying to keep a New Year’s resolution to practice yoga? It might benefit you to schedule classes in a local studio, but for others, like blogger, Starre Vartan, the answer is a collection of online yoga classes from a website called YogaGlo.
Vartan pays just $18 per month to access more than 1,000 different yoga classes available online from the website.
The Danish navy says it has captured a suspected pirate mothership off the Horn of Africa and rescued 14 people from Iran and Pakistan who were being held hostage on it.
While participating in NATO’s Ocean Shield anti-piracy force, the Danes encountered the ship Saturday and after boarding it they arrested 25 suspected pirates.
