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UPDATED: Waitress Gets $1,000 Tip on $30 Bill (w/ Video)

waitress gets 1000 tip - WLBT video clip

waitress gets 1000 tip - WLBT video clipA big tipper is spreading wealth and joy in the city of Madison. A customer at Vasillio’s Greek restaurant left a $1,000.00 tip Thursday on just a $31.94 bill.  [UPDATE: This took place in Madison, Mississippi; not Madison, Wisconsin as previously reported.]

Sarah Simmons, the lucky waitress who earned the big tip, was surprised and elated over the generous gesture and the note scrawled at the bottom of the credit card receipt: “God bless you.”

The customer previously had visited the eatery but wishes to remain anonymous.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story from WLBT-TV)

UPDATED: Waitress Gets $1,000 Tip on $30 Bill (w/ Video)

waitress gets 1000 tip - WLBT video clip

waitress gets 1000 tip - WLBT video clipA big tipper is spreading wealth and joy in the city of Madison. A customer at Vasillio’s Greek restaurant left a $1,000.00 tip Thursday on just a $31.94 bill.  [UPDATE: This took place in Madison, Mississippi; not Madison, Wisconsin as previously reported.]

Sarah Simmons, the lucky waitress who earned the big tip, was surprised and elated over the generous gesture and the note scrawled at the bottom of the credit card receipt: “God bless you.”

The customer previously had visited the eatery but wishes to remain anonymous.

2-week-old Infant With Mom Rescued in Turkey Quake Rubble

sunrise over hill

Photo by sealion in SacramentoA 2-week-old baby girl, her mother and grandmother were pulled alive from the rubble of an apartment building on Tuesday in a dramatic rescue, nearly 48 hours after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake toppled some 2,000 buildings in eastern Turkey.

Rescuers in orange jumpsuits clapped and cheered as the baby, Azra Karaduman, was removed from the wreckage. A rescuer cradled the naked infant, who was wrapped in a blanket and handed over to a medic.

The baby’s mother, Semiha, had been clutching the infant to her chest when rescuers reached them.

(READ the story in CNN)

Puppy Rescued From Top Of Train

black lab photo by Phil Romans Flickr-CC

black lab photo by Phil Romans Flickr-CCA black Lab puppy is lucky to be alive after being rescued from the top of a train car, thanks to alert motorists who called authorities after spotting the dog while at a railroad crossing.

How the animal got there is a mystery, as is, how many states he traveled through while perched atop the 50 mph moving train.

The Good Samaritan called 911, then followed the train.

After officials rescued the pup using ladders, the family volunteered to care for him.

Artists Raise $104,000 With Sketchbook That Traveled Round the World

Sketchbook case for Sketchtravel project

Sketchbook case for Sketchtravel projectA blank sketchbook was sent to 71 exceptional artists around the world who each illustrated a page. After four and a half years of travel, the sketchbook was completed in January and auctioned last week to raise money for children’s libraries in third-world countries.

Illustrators Gerald Guerlais of France and Dice Tsutsumi of Japan started the project in Paris envisioning their artist pals hand-delivering the book from San Francisco to Tokyo to Barcelona, each added their personal vision to its pages.

The goal of Sketchtravel was to raise $45,000 to build a library in Laos and sponsor the publishing of a children’s book.

Artists Raise $104,000 With Sketchbook That Traveled Round the World

Sketchbook case for Sketchtravel project

Sketchbook case for Sketchtravel projectA blank sketchbook was sent to 71 exceptional artists around the world who each illustrated a page. After four and a half years of travel, the sketchbook was completed in January and auctioned last week to raise money for children’s libraries in third-world countries.

Illustrators Gerald Guerlais of France and Dice Tsutsumi of Japan started the project in Paris envisioning their artist pals hand-delivering the book from San Francisco to Tokyo to Barcelona, each added their personal vision to its pages.

The goal of Sketchtravel was to raise $45,000 to build a library in Laos and sponsor the publishing of a children’s book.

A Hero’s Welcome for Libyan Fighters Returning Home to Benghazi

libyan-flags-rebels-BRQ-photo-Flickr-cc

Libyan flags held by rebels - photo by BRQ Flickr - CC licenseThe fighters who finished off the last of fallen leader Moammar Gaddafi’s forces returned to a hero’s welcome in the birthplace of the Libyan revolution on Saturday as thousands of flag-waving residents poured into the streets to cheer the convoy.

“God is great! God is great!” the crowd chanted, eight months after anti-Gaddafi demonstrations erupted here in Benghazi, triggering the first war of the Arab Spring.

No Jobs? These Mexican Immigrants Made Their Own

cleaning women starts own company

cleaning women starts own companyFive Mexican women living in New York City got tired of waiting in the day-labor line for inconsistent freelance jobs.

They set up their own cleaning cooperative that specializes in using eco-friendly non-toxic products.

They went further by mixing their own cleaning products at home from natural ingredients like vinegar and lemon. Their growing roster of clients appreciate a new less toxic home environment and the women themselves are safer. Some of them used to suffer from headaches after working hours amid traditional chemical cleansers.

Check out the blog for their Apple Eco-friendly Cleaning Cooperative.

(WATCH the video from the New York Times or READ the story here)

285 Indian Girls No Longer ‘Unwanted’

girl-w-duck-world-vision

girl-w-duck-world-visionHundreds of Indian girls whose names mean “unwanted” in Hindi chose new names Saturday for a fresh start in life.

Central Indian district officials held a renaming ceremony giving the girls official certificates touting their new names, hoping it will help fight widespread discrimination.

They shed names like “Nakusa” or “Nakushi,” which mean “unwanted”, in favor of Bollywood celebrities names like “Aishwarya” or Hindu goddess names like “Savitri.”

Hero Firefighter and Rescued Boy Honored By Ellen Show (Video)

firefighter with 6yo boy he caught

firefighter with 6yo boy he caughtOne family is very grateful to Lieutenant Glenn McGillivray of the Boston Fire Department. He caught a 6-year-old boy when he was dropped from the third floor window of a burning building.

The hero firefighter and the Lamb family joined the Ellen DeGeneres Show to tell their story and receive a few impressive gifts.

Humans are Less Violent Than Ever: A Harvard Professor Explains the Decline

earthheart

earthheartMost people think the world is more violent than ever, with more wars and murders, but in reality, we’ve never had it so peaceful.

That’s the thesis of a new book by prominent Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. It uses graphs and statistics to reveal dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, racism, rape, and murder.

In his book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, Pinker writes: “The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species.”

For the improvement, Pinker credits the spread of government, literacy, trade, and cosmopolitanism. “We increasingly control our impulses, empathize with others, bargain rather than plunder, debunk toxic ideologies, and deploy our powers of reason to reduce the temptations of violence.”

(READ the full AP story via MSNBC)

Thanks to Seri Mylchreest for sending the link!

Humans are Less Violent Than Ever: A Harvard Professor Explains the Decline

earthheart

earthheartMost people think the world is more violent than ever, with more wars and murders, but in reality, we’ve never had it so peaceful.

That’s the thesis of a new book by prominent Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. It uses graphs and statistics to reveal dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, racism, rape, and murder.

In his book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, Pinker writes: “The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species.”

Mobile Phones Don’t Cause Cancer, Says Largest Study Yet

cellphone user by Darnok via morguefile

cellphone user - by darnok, via morguefileDanish researchers offered reassurances to people concerned about a cellphone-cancer link: Don’t worry. Your device is probably safe.

The biggest study ever to examine the possible connection between cell phones and cancer found no evidence of any link, suggesting that billions of people who are rarely more than a few inches from their phones have no special health concerns.

Zookeepers Stunned as Moose Rescues Drowning Marmot from Watery Death (Photos)

elk in Idaho zoo

elk in Idaho zooAn Idaho zoo gained notoriety a few months ago when a four-year-old elk started acting strangely at his water trough.

Baffled zookeepers watched as the animal – who is so massive some keepers are afraid to even enter his enclosure – tried to dip his hooves into his drinking trough, before attempting to dunk his whole head in the water.

Then they were amazed as 10ft tall “Shooter” lifted his head from the trough clutching a local marmot between his jaws.

President Obama Wrote Checks to Struggling Americans, Says New Book

Obama reads letters at desk WH photo

Obama reads letters at desk WH photoAn inspiring new book by Washington Post reporter Eli Saslow reveals a few instances when President Obama personally helped struggling Americans whose stories reached him as part of a daily ritual to read ten letters from average citizens every day.

From an excerpt of Ten Letters: The Stories Americans Tell Their President:

A few times during his presidency, Obama admitted, he had written a personal check or made a phone call on the writer’s behalf, believing that it was his only way to ensure a fast result. “It’s not something I should advertise, but it has happened,” he told [Saslow].

 Many other times, he had forwarded letters to government agencies or Cabinet secretaries after attaching a standard, handwritten note that read: “Can you please take care of this?”

“Some of these letters you read and you say, ‘Gosh, I really want to help this person,’ ” the president said.

(READ the story in the Washington Post)

Thanks to Julia Frerichs for sending the link!

‘Hero’ Boy Mourned Whose Bracelet Campaign Raised Thousands for Others With Cancer

"Help Harry Help Others" bracelet charity for cancer

"Help Harry Help Others" bracelet charity for cancerA grieving mother has paid tribute to her “hero” son, who died of brain cancer after raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for others with the disease.

Harry Moseley, 11, from Sheldon, Birmingham, died on October 8, four years after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

During his illness he set up the Help Harry Help Others campaign, speaking at events and selling hand-made bracelets to raise more than £500,000 for Cancer Research UK.

“Harry was an inspiration to children and adults alike in his quest to raise awareness of brain cancer,” said Richard Taylor, Executive Director of Fundraising at Cancer Research UK. “Harry was a very special boy – even when faced with a life-threatening illness he retained his cheeky persona and his drive to help others. He truly touched the hearts of everyone that he met and the difference he made during his short life is remarkable.”

With eyesight problems in 2007, Harry received medical attention and eventually a diagnosis that identified an inoperable brain tumor.

When starting radiotherapy to stop its growth, he met Robert Harley, 55, who was also having radiotherapy treatment for a brain tumor. The two endured the treatment side by side every day for six weeks and became “very good friends”.

”In 2009, Robert became very ill so I decided to make and sell beaded bracelets to raise lots and lots of money for brain cancer research to help make him better,” explained Harry on his website. “I spend lots of time working on my campaign so that we can make a difference to all people that suffer with brain tumors.”

Sadly, four weeks into the campaign Robert died, having also worn a bracelet from Harry.

You can get involved by ordering a bracelet or donating on the website. Each bracelet costs £2.

(READ the Press Association coverage of funeral, here)

‘Hero’ Boy Mourned Whose Bracelet Campaign Raised Thousands for Others With Cancer

"Help Harry Help Others" bracelet charity for cancer

"Help Harry Help Others" bracelet charity for cancerA grieving mother has paid tribute to her “hero” son, who died of brain cancer after raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for others with the disease.

Harry Moseley, 11, from Sheldon, Birmingham, died on October 8, four years after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

During his illness he set up the Help Harry Help Others campaign, speaking at events and selling hand-made bracelets to raise more than £500,000 for Cancer Research UK.

Firefighter Revives Family Pet, Mouth to Snout

firefighter w/ rescued lab NBC video clip

firefighter w/ rescued lab NBC video clipWhen his fellow firefighters carried an unconscious Labrador retriever out of a burning house on Tuesday, Jamie Giese had no medical equipment to revive him. So he went with something he had only seen on TV.

The Wasau, Wis., firefighter leaned in to provide mouth-to-snout respiration to help the struggling yellow Labrador breathe.

All U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq by Year’s End: Obama

soldier-walks-w-child

soldier walks with Iraqi child - DOD photoPresident Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will pull out all of its troops from Iraq by the end of December, drawing the nine-year war to a conclusion.

“Our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays,” said the President from the White House briefing room today.

Factory and Jobs Data Offer Hope for U.S. Economy; Retail Sales Up, Surprising UK

business-graphic-up

business-graphic-upThe economy appears healthier than many had feared a few weeks ago, raising hopes that it can end the year on an upward slope.

A raft of data Thursday show layoffs are trending down to a six-month low and factories in the Mid-Atlantic are growing again.

Meanwhile, in the UK, British retail sales grew more than expected in September after a surprise increase in sales of laptops and video games, the Office for National Statistics said on Thursday.