Japan’s Prime Minister expressed deep regret over the suffering his country inflicted on Asian countries during World War II in a solemn ceremony Saturday. The Prime Minister vowed that Japan would never repeat the tragedy. Emperor Akihito said he hoped Japan would never again wage a war
(Read the AP account at WTOP News)
Japanese Leaders Voices Deep Regret Over WWII Suffering
Docs Working in Poor Neighborhoods Get Help with Student Loans
Hundreds of newly minted physicians can benefit from a California program that offers them help paying off their student loans in exchange for three years of work in poor neighborhoods.
“At the end of my residency in 2008, my worry was about the kind of work I’d have to find to be able to pay off that $150,000 debt,” said Dr. Jorge Rubal. “For me this grant is a blessing, because it gives me the chance to work with my community where they most need doctors who speak Spanish.”
Is War Fading?
Wars are less deadly than they’ve been for 12,000 years. Things could get even better. A sign at the entrance to the West Point War Museum states, “Unquestionably, war-making is an aspect of human nature which will continue as nations attempt to impose their will upon each other.” Actually, this assertion is quite questionable.
A recent decline in war casualties—especially compared to historical and even prehistorical rates—has some scholars wondering whether the era of international war may be ending.
Woodstock Festival Began 40 Years ago Today (Video)
It was 40 years ago that young hippies watched the sun come up at the Woodstock music festival, an event that spread the message of love and peace, and defined the 1960s.
A new museum opened last year at the site to celebrate the memory of the old dairy farmer in Bethel, NY, Max Yasgur, who welcomed the concert-goers to his meadow, more than a million strong.
These videos help paint the picture of an anniversary mood forty years later. . .
Today is National Relaxation Day!
It is certainly no secret (unless you’ve been relaxing for decades with no media access) that stress is a killer. Our bodies suffer chemical changes that are long lasting and lead to high blood pressure, a compromised immune system and other very detrimental health issues.
Read this article from Examiner.com about how important it is to reduce your stress and RELAX!!
Iowa to Restore Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel
The Historic Park Inn Hotel, along with City National Bank in Mason City, Iowa, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, will stand together forever, thanks to a group that has claimed victory in its efforts to begin restoration of the collapsing properties.
The Park Inn Hotel was the last of six Wright designed hotels left in the world, after the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo was demolished in 1968. Once the $18 million restoration is complete and the building reopens to the public in early 2011, Wright enthusiasts will be able to stay overnight in any of the functional hotel’s 20 suites. The group, Wright on the Park, Inc., named because of the location across from central park, plans a complete renovation of the striking design, including restoration of the distinctive brick and terra-cotta façade as well as the art glass windows.
Read a feature story w/photo from the AP, at USA Today.
Photo from wrightonthepark.org
The Longer You Live, the Happier You Are Likely to be: Study
Recent studies indicate that happiness and emotional well-being improve over time because many older adults learn to limit negative influences.
Researchers who spoke at the recently concluded annual convention of the American Psychological Association said that mental health generally improves with age. Given that the world population of people over 65 is expected to nearly triple by 2050, according to U.S. officials, this should come as good news.
(Continue reading in US News and World Report)
Email this site to a friend to help them to “limit negative influences”.
Photo courtesy of Sun Star
Ode to Inventor of the Electric Guitar: Les Paul (1915–2009)
Musician and inventor Les Paul, creator of the solid-body electric guitar and a giant in the pantheon of rock and roll, died yesterday at the age of 94. Musicians of all generations praise Les Paul, whose name and mark of innovation on a Gibson guitar will remain a coveted American icon.
He invented multi-track recording, overdubbing, and a range of guitar effects, like reverb, yet it was his innovative guitar playing style, included trills, chording sequences, and fretting techniques that also set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day. “I only invented things because I couldn’t find them in a store.”
He used to say he could make anyone in the audience cry using only a few notes, and then he’d begin playing a slow, halting, lilting version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Watch this short documentary by Gibson Guitars honoring the man from Waukesha, Wisconsin (pronounced Wah-ke-shaw) on his 90th birthday. (If you only have time for 60 seconds play the great Coors commercial at the bottom of the page, where senior citizen Les Paul shows the young buck how it’s done.) Photo, above, from the Gibson guitars documentary.
Squirrel Pops Up Into Family Photo in Greatest Photobomb Ever
Melissa Brandts and her husband were exploring in the Banff National Park in Canada when they stopped to take a scenic photo of themselves using the timer on their camera.
They had their camera set up on some rocks when a curious little ground squirrel appeared, intrigued by the noise from the focusing mechanism centered himself right in the picture frame.
Melissa called it a once in a lifetime moment, “We were laughing about this little guy for days!!”
Read the full story at CBC…
Squirrel Pops into Family Photo
Melissa Brandts and her husband were exploring in the Banff National Park in Canada when they stopped to take a scenic photo of themselves using the timer on their camera.
They had their camera set up on some rocks when a curious little ground squirrel appeared, intrigued by the noise from the focusing mechanism centered himself right in the picture frame.
Melissa called it a once in a lifetime moment, “We were laughing about this little guy for days!!”
(From National Geographic)
Share this link on Facebook, or other social networks, with the buttons below…
Reaching Mideastern Youth With Muppet Diplomacy
Sesame Street is trying to foster a culture of understanding worldwide using Muppets to teach nonviolence in a Mideast version of the TV show called “Shara’a Simsim.” Sesame Workshop calls this effort “Muppet diplomacy.”
With some funding from the U.S. State Department and guidance from the U.S. producers, a team developed the Sesame program into something uniquely Palestinian, complete with live-action segments filmed in the West Bank and Gaza, a set that looks like a typical Palestinian street and Muppets named Haneen and Karim.
(Part of Christiane Amanpour’s Generation Islam — special reporting about Muslim youth in the Middle East)
Continue reading at CNN.com or watch the video below…
Newspaper Plea for 2-year-old’s Brain Operation Helps Raise 32K
With some help from the New York Daily News, a little boy in desperate need of a lifesaving operation will get the help he needs. Readers opened their wallets – and their hearts – to help raise more than $30,000 for the operation since The News highlighted the family’s plight on June 12.
(Read the story w/ photo in the Daily News)
File photo courtesy of Sun Star
Lawyer for Refugees Goes the Extra Mile
Raoul Boulakia handles a lot of legal-aid cases but he was never attracted to the big bucks. “I wanted to do something which had a moral purpose, I always felt that.”
An idealist, he goes the extra mile for clients. (He took up Spanish in law school so he could help Chilean refugees). He finds it tough to say no to people who need help, and feels awful when they lose.
Obama Gives Medal of Freedom to Outstanding Leaders
President Barack Obama recognized the accomplishments of actors, activists, scientists and humanitarians by awarding each one a Presidential Medal of Freedom in a White House East Room ceremony yesterday.
Mr. Obama called the 16 recipients “some of the finest citizens in the world”. Hailing from very diverse backgrounds – from the tennis court to the Supreme Court – all have been agents of change in their communities and around the world: Nancy Goodman Brinker; Pedro José Greer, Jr.; Stephen Hawking; Jack Kemp; Sen. Edward Kennedy; Billie Jean King; Rev. Joseph Lowery; Chief Joe Medicine Crow; Harvey Milk; Sandra Day O’Connor; Sidney Poitier; Chita Rivera; Mary Robinson; Janet Davison Rowley; Desmond Tutu; and Muhammad Yunus
Read more about the award winners in Good News Network, or watch video report below.
Watch the entire 40 minute ceremony at the White House blog.
It was Difficult Mentoring Gus But I’m Glad I Did
Was I ever glad to get home. The day was spent walking dogs outside during a Wisconsin ice and sleet storm. My clothes were soaked and a hot shower sounded good. Gus, the 12-year old boy I was mentoring with, looked just as cold when we had called it a day. He was a petty thief, chronic liar, and also was being raised in a very dysfunctional home (as I had been). We were walking dogs at a pet adoption center. The animals needed tending to, no matter what the weather was like outside. Gus was earning money to pay back the victim for a phone he had stolen.
I don’t think Gus had listened the entire day. We talked about his stealing and about how gangs were calling him into their direction. I liked Gus and did not want him to experience what waited for him from foolish actions. Gus was not a ‘bad’ kid. He was 12-years old and life had taught him to be tough and put a front on that he was cool. He looked up to the gang life like it was a honorable calling. The whole day he kept trying to push the limit with things and even once let a large pit bull loose. The dog started a fight with a smaller dog I was walking. Gus wanted to see how I would responded being in the middle of these two sparing dogs. Would I show weakness and look afraid? He later said it was an accident but I knew it hadn’t been. I got a little frustrated by it but I didn’t show him any reaction at all. I separated the dogs and looked at the puncture wound on my hand. He asked if it had hurt and I simply said that it was part of working with animals. Gus was not going to see any reaction other than taking care of business. He did get the ‘look’ though.
We spent the next 2 hours walking dogs, in the rain, and dealing with real things. His home life was spent bouncing around from one city to another with his mother and siblings. Gus’s mother was out on parole and dealing with a lot of her own personal issues. She loved all her kids but life just never seem to get any better for her. As an ex-convict jobs were limited yet her desire to change her own life around was strong. Gus shared that she had been laid off from her last job and was looking around for work again. I told Gus that his mother seemed like a good person and that something would come up. I made a conscious effort to try and contact a business deli owner I knew, and inquire if he had any openings. The rest of the day went smoother and Gus felt the pride of a job well done. He even had fun doing it. He trusted me, the environment he was in, and he was a pleasure to be around. I don’t know if anything we talked about stuck but I did know that he did not spend the day smoking cigarettes and stealing cell phones. Most of the time real change does not come overnight. It happens slowly and hours at a time. The hours become days and the days become weeks.
Gus looked forward to quitting time each day. We would finish up whatever we were doing and then stop somewhere to eat before taking him home. The guy could eat! We were struggling in our own home, trying to save every dime, but I had no idea what this child had to eat at home. I wanted him to at least have a good meal inside him before he slept that night. This was not a kind act but simply something that helped me sleep better at night as well. When I got home I called the deli owner and the next thing I knew Gus’s mother called saying that she had been hired. I took no credit and shared it was simply someone I knew.
I don’t know if my time spent with Gus did any good. I know he will think back to these days and remember them. I did not ‘have’ to do what I was doing but I’m sure glad that I did. The ripple effect could go far on this one.
TheSequoiaProject.blogspot.com
Photo by Alvimann via morguefile
Helping When You Don’t Know How
I had no idea what to expect. A pastor had called me and asked if I could visit a man who was in the hospital. He completely broke down and was threatening to shoot his entire family. I didn’t know what I would say to him. I had no magical wand or secret powers.
When we met he first looked at me with mistrust and bewilderment. His eyes looked tired and he was shaking. Who was I and what did I want? I simply introduced myself and sat down. We talked and in time he opened up to me about his feelings of failure, the job he had been laid off from, and the bottle that was giving him relief. He said he was not serious about hurting his family, and that people overreacted. We talked about how this experience could be used as a powerful stepping stone forward. I knew a thing about bouncing back and how anything really is possible.
I worked with him on moving forward with his life. Amends could be made but he had to forgive himself first. He had to get back up, dust his pants off, and try again. As humans we live our lives constantly falling down and failing. Its what we do with our failures that count. I shared some very personal information about my own life and bouncing back. I had been a patient, in the same exact room he was in, over 10 years ago. I knew what he was feeling because I had shed the same tears.
What happened next I will never forget. Instead of taking on these challenges he took his own life. I felt like I had failed and may be at fault for not having done more. Helping in these lives come at a price. I was hurt and angry with his choice.
My wife helped me understand that to stop this program would be failure. Was I basing my actions on success or on need?
I shared this post to show that all this program is not one that always has a happy ending. Did I fail? I know the answers today but didn’t at that time. Who wants to walk into a county mental health hospital and connect with lives in the midst of hurt? I did not want to go, yet something inspired me to go forward. I thought of the lives of those who might choose the right paths ahead. Was it fair to them?
It took a bit for me to get back on the horse and move forward. I had to understand what happen and know that the dark side of life often needs the most light shown on it. I have used this situation as a reminder not to duck the phone or not return a call. I had ignored a call around the same time as his death, thinking he was just drunk and loaded.
Super Hero Assures Amputee Tot, He Will Walk Again
Brave four-year-old amputee Harley Slack beamed with joy yesterday as kids’ TV superhero Sportacus visited the Manchester hospital where he’s lived for months after being struck down by meningitis.
Muscleman Magnus Scheving, who created and plays Sportacus, flew in from Iceland along with a representative from a leading manufacturer of prosthetic limbs who promised Harley a set of junior “sprinting feet”.
A hospital worker fought back tears and said: “I don’t think I’ve seen Harley smile before.”
The newspaper’s reporting on the tot’s plight had touched the nation’s heart and swelled the parents’ fundraising campaign to more than £400,000.
(Continue reading in UK’s Sun w/ photos)
British Conductor is Hero in Wedding Pianist Emergency
Disaster was imminent: The bride was due to arrive at any moment and the pianist called to say he wouldn’t arrive in time. Fearing his fiance would have to walk down the aisle in silence, the frantic groom ran into the concert hall adjacent to the wedding venue – with stupendous results.
His luck led him to the music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, British conductor Bramwell Tovey. Disheveled and dressed in shorts, he agreed to act as substitute, dashing up to the piano ready to play the required Cole Porter’s Night and Day… He even chose the closing piece.
“No one had told me what to play as the bride and groom walked out,” he said. “So I decided to be traditional and went with the Mendelssohn march, which I finished with a big flourish.”
(Read the wonderful account w/ photo in the Toronto Globe and Mail)
Thanks to Bill McMahon for submitting the link!
Tube Rider Finds Bag of Cash, Turns it in
An anonymous Tube rider in London’s Underground found and turned into authorities a purse containing more than $3,300 in cash. The bag, left in the Tube Monday by Sri Lanken tourists, also contained passports and credit cards.
A LU spokeswoman said: “We don’t know who handed the bag in – we would like him or her to come forward so we can add our thanks.”
(Read story w/ photo at London Evening Standard)
Image by Sun Star
Beaten Pizza Driver Receives Check from Kid Rock
Musician Kid Rock sent a check for $1,500 to a stranger he read about in the paper.
While in Cincinnati for a July 22 concert, Kid Rock read an Enquirer story about a brutal attack on a pizza delivery man and was moved to help.
When questioned about the gesture, Nick Stern, the musician’s representative said the rocker often quietly helps those in need.
Kid Rock performs for military men and women as part of a USO show onboard Camp Phoenix – free license photo