A simple piece of duct tape can double the amount of healthy food shoppers buy at the grocery store, a marketing professor has discovered.
The secret to healthier grocery shopping: duct tape
Giant Oriental Carpet of Flowers Debuts in Brussels
Close to a million begonia flowers were used to create a huge carpet covering the city plaza in Grand-Place, Brussels.
Based on a medieval rug design, craftsmen arranged the carpet by hand, directly onto the square’s cobblestones, without any pots or soil.
The carpet was crafted yesterday and opens to the public in Belgium today.
The first Carpet of Flowers was created in 1971 as a way to promote begonias. Each square metre of ground contains more than 300 flowers.
Watch the slide show at www.flowercarpet.be.
Giant Oriental Carpet of Flowers Debuts in Brussels
Close to a million begonia flowers were used to create a huge carpet covering the city plaza in Grand-Place, Brussels.
Based on a medieval rug design, craftsmen arranged the carpet by hand, directly onto the square’s cobblestones, without any pots or soil.
The carpet was crafted yesterday and opens to the public in Belgium today.
The first Carpet of Flowers was created in 1971 as a way to promote begonias. Each square metre of ground contains more than 300 flowers.
Watch the slide show at www.flowercarpet.be.
(More Photos at TheFirstPost.co.uk)
Once War-Ravaged, Sierra Leone Opens its Breathtaking Beaches to Eco-tourism
Sierra Leone, a country once synonymous with child soldiers and blood diamonds, is now at peace. Communities forced to start over and create jobs for unemployed youth while halting the rampant poverty, are turning their hopes toward the coastline, one of the most beautiful in Africa, for help in rejuvenating the country.
“Tourism,” Daniel Macauley of Sierra Leone says, “can be the biggest opportunity for Sierra Leone.”
Two young entrepreneurs, who created Tribewanted Sierra Leone, agree. In October they launched an ecotourism community on one of the most breathtaking and untouched beaches in Africa.
(READ the story by Jenny Inglee, a Good News Network supprter, at TakePart.com)
Photo courtesy of Filippo-Bozotti
Tennessee Purple Coneflower No Longer Endangered: An Environmental Success Story
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed removing the Tennessee purple coneflower from the list of threatened and endangered species, marking the success of a decades-long cooperative conservation effort under the Endangered Species Act.
“More than 30 years of protecting and expanding Tennessee purple coneflower colonies finally brought success to conservation partners,” said Cindy Dohner, the Service’s Southeast Regional Director. “Thanks to the efforts of many people, along with adequate regulation, these populations have stabilized to the point that the species has recovered and no longer needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act.”
Declared to be endangered in 1979, the Tennessee purple coneflower was found only in small populations in Davidson, Rutherford, and Wilson counties, each considered a unique population. Successful recovery efforts grew the known number and increased distribution of coneflower populations range-wide, and provided adequate protection and management to ensure the plant’s long-term survival and recovery.
Afghan Villagers Build Their Own Road
Two years ago, residents of Kamich village in the Ghor province of Afghanistan tried to get the government to build a road so they can reach neighboring Herat province easier and more quickly. According to them, the government wasn’t able to meet their needs and so they took matters into their own hands.
On Sunday they officially inaugurated the 14-kilometer road which they built themselves.
(READ more in Good Afghan News)
Amputee Veterans Stand Up to Mount Kilimanjaro and Win
Five years his Army vehicle ran over a buried explosive in Afghanistan, he and two other former soldiers, three men with one leg between them, came down from summiting 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. You read correctly: Three soldiers, one leg. Mountain success.
(READ the story in the Wash Post)
From a photo by Reed Hoffman, Disabled Sports
Inspiration Deficit Disorder: The No-Pill Prescription to End High Stress and Low Energy
Do you feel stuck? Do you lack the time to regularly renew yourself and enjoy your interests? Are you relying on caffeine, anti-depressants or alcohol to manage your stress and emotional well-being?
If so, you might be suffering from Inspiration Deficit Disorder.
An inspiration deficit occurs whenever we feel unfulfilled or somehow unexpressed in an important aspect of life – something is missing; a job we don’t like, a struggle with self image, a relationship we aren’t satisfied with, are all examples of where we may feel an inspiration deficit. When we let these deficits persist they translate into addictions, bad habits, poor health, and high stress. Sadly, most people have it to some degree and it impacts their health and happiness more than they know.
Once people understand Inspiration Deficit Disorder, one of the more common questions is: “How do I know what my soul wants? If I’ve been disconnected from my essence for so long, how do I begin to feed it and make decisions with it in mind again?”
Fortunately, the Essential Self never goes away, and it never stops speaking to us. It does get covered up, and we can get out of practice with it, like a language we once studied years ago but rarely use. But, in fact, the Essential Self expresses itself in hundreds of ways and in every facet of life. From simple things such as taste in clothing and music, to the hobbies, foods, people, jobs, and pets that attract us, the soul is always being revealed.
Inspiration Deficit Disorder: The No-Pill Prescription to End High Stress and Low Energy
Do you feel stuck? Do you lack the time to regularly renew yourself and enjoy your interests? Are you relying on caffeine, anti-depressants or alcohol to manage your stress and emotional well-being?
If so, you might be suffering from Inspiration Deficit Disorder.
An inspiration deficit occurs whenever we feel unfulfilled or somehow unexpressed in an important aspect of life – something is missing; a job we don’t like, a struggle with self image, a relationship we aren’t satisfied with, are all examples of where we may feel an inspiration deficit. When we let these deficits persist they translate into addictions, bad habits, poor health, and high stress. Sadly, most people have it to some degree and it impacts their health and happiness more than they know.
Once people understand Inspiration Deficit Disorder, one of the more common questions is: “How do I know what my soul wants? If I’ve been disconnected from my essence for so long, how do I begin to feed it and make decisions with it in mind again?”
Fortunately, the Essential Self never goes away, and it never stops speaking to us. It does get covered up, and we can get out of practice with it, like a language we once studied years ago but rarely use. But, in fact, the Essential Self expresses itself in hundreds of ways and in every facet of life. From simple things such as taste in clothing and music, to the hobbies, foods, people, jobs, and pets that attract us, the soul is always being revealed.
Dog Chews off Michigan Man’s Toe Saving his Life
A Michigan man credited his dog with saving his life by chewing off his diseased big toe as he lay passed out in a drunken stupor.
Douthett’s wife, Rosee, rushed him to a hospital where doctors found he was suffering from Type 2 diabetes. His toe was badly infected and surgeons amputated the remainder of the digit.
Douthett’s wife, a registered nurse, had been urging him for weeks to have his infected toe examined by a doctor.
(READ the story from Reuters)
Comfort Zone Camp Helps Kids Cope With Loss
The wonderful thing about finding your life’s purpose is that you never know when it will be revealed. Years after her tortured grieving over the death of both parents, Lynn Hughes started a summer camp for bereaving kids.
The non-profit Comfort Zone Camp is designed to bring healing during the beginning of the grieving process. The camp now operates in five states and has served 2,900 children, ages 7-17.
Visit their website for more information, or…
WATCH the video below, or at the TODAY Show on MSNBC…
New Study Finds Solution to Lionfish Invasion, Eat The Delicious Fish!
Chefs need to introduce this “delicious” fish to consumers, says a new government study looking at how to curb the rapid growth of lionfish, an invasive species not native to the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA researchers suggest that approximately 27 percent of mature lionfish will have to be removed monthly during an entire year for its population growth rate to be reduced to zero.
But the good news is that the invasive fish happens to be delicious, with a delicate white meat tasting similar to a snapper or grouper.
Lionfish are native to the Pacific Ocean, but have established themselves from North Carolina to South America. Scientists and public officials are seriously concerned at the effect lionfish are having on reef ecosystems, since this predator is capable of rapid population growth and outcompeting native fish for food and territory.
They are a popular aquarium fish that were likely first released in Florida waters in the mid-1980s. Since then, the species has spread rapidly.
New Study Shows Women More Attracted to Men Wearing Red
A new study headed by researchers at the University of Rochester finds that women are attracted to men wearing the color red.
Even though women are unaware of the effect, the study shows there is a marked increases in men’s attractiveness, status, and sexual desirability when women view men wearing or bordered in red.
(READ the story in the Examiner)
Bio-Bug VW Runs on Human Waste
A car that is powered by methane gas produced by human waste has been launched and its makers claim drivers cannot tell the difference.
The Bio-Bug is a Volkswagen Beetle converted by a team of British engineers to run on biogas, which is produced from human waste at sewage works across the country.
They believe the car is a viable alternative to electric vehicles.
(READ the story in the Telegraph)
Hero Dog Senses Owner’s Collapse and Runs to Get Help
Missy, the dachshund, knew there was something wrong with 66-year-old Charlie Burdon, even though she was in the yard and couldn’t see him.
She scampered across the street — something she never does — and went for help.
The neighbor told her to go home but she wouldn’t budge. When he finally accompanied her back home they found Charlie collapsed. A rescue ensued.
(WATCH the story below, or see the story at ABC-2 news)
Hero Dog Senses Owner’s Collapse and Runs to Get Help
Missy, the dachshund, knew there was something wrong with 66-year-old Charlie Burdon, even though she was in the yard and couldn’t see him.
She scampered across the street — something she never does — and went for help.
The neighbor told her to go home but she wouldn’t budge. When he finally accompanied her back home they found Charlie collapsed. A rescue ensued.
(WATCH the story below, or see the story at ABC-2 news)
Iranian Journalist Named ‘Press Freedom Hero’ for Courage in Face of Intimidation
The International Press Institute named Iranian journalist and dissident Akbar Ganji as this year’s World Press Freedom Hero, in recognition of his decades of work defending freedom of speech and equal rights for all, in the face of continued harassment and imprisonment.
Often called ‘Iran’s most prominent political dissident’, Ganji spent six years in Iran’s infamous Evin prison for a 1999 series of articles which he, (along with investigative journalist Emadeddin Baghi) wrote on Iran’s notorious ‘chain murders’, for the daily publication, Sobh Emrouz.
His expose is credited with spurring the defeat of a number of conservative candidates in the 2000 elections.
In December 2000, two months after the elections, Ganji was arrested and accused of endangering national security and spreading propaganda. He was eventually sentenced to six years in prison, much of which he spent in solitary confinement.
Despite the brutal prison conditions, Ganji continued to write.
His ‘Republican Manifesto’ outlined the steps by which Iran could achieve a secular democracy, and emphasized respect for human rights, an independent press and an independent judiciary.
He was released in 2006, and left Iran immediately. He has since continued campaigning for freedom and liberty for Iran and for all nations.
“We are delighted to name Akbar Ganji our 59th World Press Freedom Hero”, said an official for the Press association. “His courage in the face of intimidation and his continued fight for truth and justice should serve as an inspiration to all of us. His struggle is especially relevant now, in light of the continued persecution of political prisoners in Iran.”
Ganji was involved with the Iranian revolution at an early age, even joining the Revolutionary Guard, a branch of Iran’s military constituted after the 1979 revolution, but he soon grew disillusioned with the ideology of the revolution he had supported, as ‘one despotic kingdom replaced another despotic kingdom’.
In the mid-1990s, he turned to journalism. In 1998, a year after the election of then-obscure cleric and reformist Mohammad Khatami to the presidency in the 1997 elections, Ganji spoke out against the dangers of a fascist interpretation of religion. He was arrested and sentenced to a year in prison, but was released after three months. He has also written about his opposition to velayat-e-faqih, (the clause in the Iranian constitution that calls for an Islamic jurist to serve as the Supreme Leader of the government).
The honoring of Akbar Ganji was unanimously approved by the five-member IPI World Press Freedom Hero jury. Ganji will be one of 60 World Press Freedom Heroes honoured in a ceremony to commemorate IPI’s 60th year of defending press freedom worldwide at the IPI World Congress in Vienna and Bratislava, from 11-14 September 2010.
Israeli Millionaire Builds Mosque in France
Jewish businessman Robert Harush who grew up in France decided to spend part of his fortune on renovation of a large Muslim house of worship outside Paris, in an effort to promote co-existence.
Even after living through a rocket landing near his second home in Israel, he has not harbored any ill-feelings against the Arab side and is a strong supporter of co-existence.
(READ the inspiring story in YNetNews.com)
Thanks to Sadia Carone for submitting the story via Facebook – Photo by munozgo via morguefile.com
School Shopping Season Begins With 19 States Waiving Sales Tax
Many states are implementing a tax holiday in the coming weeks, hoping to boost retail sales and let struggling families get more for their money in a down economy.
Illinois began on Friday waiving its 5 percent state sales tax for ten days on certain purchases, including school backpacks, pens, notebooks, and most clothing items under $100.
The Land of Lincoln joins 18 other states, ranging from Florida to New Mexico, Maryland to Virginia, in offering a tax break this year — the highest number since New York first launched a tax holiday in 1997. Most of them begin this weekend and are pegged to school shopping.
North Carolina’s back-to-school tax holiday this weekend is the nation’s most generous. The state’s 5.75 percent sales tax is waived not only on clothing and school supplies under $100 per item, but also on computers under $3,500, computer equipment under $250, and instructional materials under $300.
(READ the full article in the CS Monitor)
Cool as a Cucumber: Fresh Snacks That Beat the Heat
Dustin Platt celebrated his 100th article last week as a food writer for the San Francisco Examiner. In addition to recipes, he discusses food history, philosophy, and the culture that develops around the table.
This is one of my favorite recent articles:
In the heat of early afternoon, when the kitchen is already the hottest room in the house, the desire to cook wanes fast.
Why not take the opportunity to appreciate the fresh plethora of fruits and vegetables available from your local gardens and farmer’s markets. As with strawberry bruschetta, it also gives one the opportunity to experience foods in their natural state, as well as experiment with favorites new and old.
Fresh sweet tomatoes off the vine tantalize the tongue, while creamy cheeses wash the acid away. Red onion becomes an artform all its own when seasoned with red wine vinegar.
Click below to find more examples of how to combine oils, vinegars, sugars and salts to create a tap dance of flavors, like the food-loving rodent Remy does, in the great animated foodie movie, Ratatouille…
(READ the article in the SF Examiner)