A woman from the lowest “untouchable” caste in India has been unanimously elected as speaker of the parliament. Meira Kumar, a 64-year old diplomat and legislator welcomed the historic outcome and vowed to be neutral in her duties as the first female speaker.
(Read more in Aljazeera)
Once an Untouchable, Elected First Woman Speaker in India
Free Entry to National Parks on Three Weekends This Summer
You’ll get free entry to Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellow Stone and 144 other national parks on three weekends this summer, including Father’s Day weekend, thanks to the government’s desire to help you through “these tough economic times.”
The hand-up can save you $20 per car, or $10 if you ride a bicycle or motorcycle. The offer extends through the weekends of June 20, July 18 and Aug.15. Freebies include no-cost tours, boat rides, shopping bags and other extras. Don’t forget the many historical landmark national parks, Wright Brothers Park, Manassas Battlefield Park, and Saratoga Park.
(The LA Times has more info)
Click here to find a fee-free national park near you
Gay Penguin Couple Become Foster Parents
A baby penguin is lucky to be alive. Its parents repeatedly rejected the egg until zookeepers decided to try giving it to a pair of gay penguins. And, it worked. The two kept the egg warm for nearly 30 days before it hatched and the two dads continue to care for the chick…
Watch the Video below…
Armed Shopkeeper Takes Pity on Robber
A store owner who was being robbed turned the tables on the man pulling a shotgun from behind the counter. When the man started to beg and said he was only trying to feed his family, the shopkeeper provided the man with forty dollars and a loaf of bread and made him promise never to rob again. They even prayed together after the thief said he was inspired.
Watch the interview with the inspiring shop owner (in the first of two videos)…
Those Who Aim to Please May Miss the Mark
Have you ever altered your behavior in an attempt to make someone else feel better? If you have, you may be pleased to know that you are entirely normal. We’ve been trained since the moment of birth to put others’ needs ahead of our own. Perhaps our parents or care-givers wanted us to be quiet when we wanted to be loud, or they wanted us to wear something we didn’t want to wear, or eat something we didn’t want to eat. They were relentless until we complied.
Our teachers often wanted us to learn the way they wanted to teach, society expected us to value what they thought we should value, friends subtly pressured us until we acquiesced to the vision of the pack, lovers withheld love until we gave them what they wanted and bosses withheld favor until we gave them what they required. Many religions even encourage us to deny our desires with the promise of future reward if we comply.
Exercise After Age 30 May Curb Breast Cancer Risk
After age 30, exercising for more than an hour a week may help cut a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting in Seattle.
Photo courtesy of Sun Star
The World’s Most Peaceful Nation Named
The South Pacific nation of New Zealand, already renowned for it’s scenic beauty, has strengthened its idyllic image by being named the Most Peacful Nation on Earth.
The Global Peace Index, a report prepared annually by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, ranks 144 nations on the basis of how peaceful they seem. The ranking takes into consideration 23 different factors such as political stability, risk of terrorism, murder rate, likelihood of violent demonstrations, respect for human rights, internal conflicts, arms imports and involvement in foreign wars.
New Zealand scored top marks for its low homicide rate, stable governement and low defense spending, helping it to outrank the always-strong Nordic countries.
Obama Speech in Cairo Outlines New Beginning for Muslims and America (Video)
President Obama today delivered an unprecedented speech calling for a new beginning in relations between the United States and Muslim communities around the world.
Amidst tension between the United States and some Muslim communities the President said, if all sides face the sources of tension squarely and focus on mutual interests, we can find a new way forward.
He outlined some big goals for the future in this highly-anticipated speech, including disrupting, dismantling, and defeating violent extremism. But, first he detailed what our nations have in common.
(Watch the video, or read more, below)
Buy One Ikea Solar Lamp, One Free to a Child Refugee
Starting this month, every sale of a solar powered bedside lamp at IKEA will generate an additional lamp as a donation to a child in the developing world, enabling them to play, read, write or study at night, even without electricity.
The first shipments will be delivered by UNICEF to Pakistani refugees, helping children in camps for families who had to flee their homes in Balochistan and the North West Frontier province.
The IKEA lamp, called SUNNAN, was made especially sturdy for the developing world, designed to resist the wear and tear of difficult living situations and includes a battery capable of withstanding high temperatures. Just expose the solar panel to 9 hours of sun and get four hours of full light from the low-energy LED technology.
Lifesaving Hero Gets Helping Hand from Truckers
The 18-wheel truck was a gift of uncommon generosity, given to a man of uncommon bravery.
Jorge Orozco-Sanchez went into a burning SUV, not once but twice, to pull two little girls from a fiery wreckage. The fire also destroyed his tractor trailer rig – the source of his only income. After months of struggling to make ends meet after the accident, the Independant Truckers Association and Goodyear stepped in to help Jorge replace his truck.
“We haven’t done this for any highway hero in the past, and we don’t want future ones to expect it,” said Tim Miller. Goodyear’s marketing and communication manager. So why do it now? “Well, have you met Jorge?” Miller asked.
Family Pays it Forward After Son is Killed
Parents who lost their son to street violence are now giving back to the community with a new student scholarship created with the loving donations of family and friends.
“When our son died, the community was so supportive,” Zenobia Drakeford said. “We decided to take that and pay it forward for a child to continue their education.”
Ocean City Comes Alive in May: Biggest Beach Crowd Since 1993
Is the economy still tanking? Not in Ocean City, Maryland where the beach resort enjoyed a marvelous May spike in tourism, including its biggest Memorial Day crowd since 1993.
“I think people are just ready to travel,” said resort spokeswoman Donna Abbott. “All the gloom and doom and the long cold winter. It was a pent-up demand to hit the road and hit the beach. It was just a spectacular weekend.”
(Continue reading at DelMarvaNow.com)
Photo courtesy of Sun Star
Bamboo School is Earthquake and Hurricane Safe
Traditional brick school facades could become a thing of the past as educational institutions aim for sustainability. Take, for example, the first U.S. school building constructed entirely of sustainable bamboo:
The 1,200 square foot building in Maui, Hawaii, uses bamboo that has twice the compression strength of concrete and a higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel. That means it’s an ideal material for hurricane and earthquake-prone areas.
In 1991, 20 bamboo houses built for the National Bamboo Foundation in Costa Rica survived a 7.5 Richter scale earthquake, and Bamboo Living homes held up against three Cook Islands hurricanes in 2005 with winds up to 175 MPH.
Encouraging Economic Data Overshadows GM Bankruptcy Filing
US stocks rose sharply Monday to hit seven-month highs as investors took the General Motors bankruptcy filing in their stride and focused on encouraging economic data.
Stocks were further boosted by better than expected US manufacturing data suggesting the economy was bottoming out. Separate data showed that the income of Americans increased in April.
Dog Jumps at Chance to Be Mom to Orphaned Kittens
It was a sad day when Colleen and Robert’s 1-year-old black cat, Velvet, was killed by a car near their farm house and left behind four orphaned kittens. But a faithful friend, an Australian Shepherd named Lakota, stepped in and made it her duty to help them.
Bride Helps Save Neighbors From Burning Home
Georgette Fogarty-Clemons was heading home from her wedding Sunday evening.
That’s when she spotted smoke from the side of her neighbor’s house in Bridgeport.
Still in her wedding gown and high heels, she jumped out of the car and pounded on the door.
“We have no way of knowing what would have happened had she not come to the door,” said Susan Schneiderman, who owns the house that caught fire.
Brain Surgery Activates Hidden Art Genius
When window salesman Alan Brown, 49, emerged from a gruelling 16-hour operation following his stroke, he found he had become a reborn ‘Michelangelo’ and was able to paint and draw with incredible detail.
Mr Brown, who freely admits that before he went under the knife he could barely draw a stick man, is poised to complete a fine arts degree and plans to open a gallery displaying his works.
World’s Most Energy Efficient Skyscraper Under Construction
One of the world’s tallest buildings under construction in China — the Pearl River Tower — is being billed as the most energy efficient superskyscraper ever built.
With wind turbines, solar panels, sun-shields, smart lighting, water-cooled ceilings and state-of-the-art insulation, the 310-metre tower is designed to use half the energy of most buildings of its size and set a new global benchmark for self-sufficiency among the planet’s high rises.
US State Mows with Goats to Go Gently on Environment
Officials in Maryland have come up with an innovative, cost-saving way to protect the environment: they use goats to mow the grass.
The State Highway Administration came up with the novel idea while building an 85-million-dollar road bypass near the town of Hampstead, northwest of Baltimore, after it found that the construction site was home to bog turtles, the smallest turtle in the United States and a threatened species.
Positive Psychology, Person-Centered Therapy, and Happiness
Mental Health Minute: A New Column By Cristina Frick… This new Monday Morning weekly column will showcase recent news developments and topics in the area of mental health from a positive and inspirational perspective as well as provide information that can help those who may be struggling with mental health issues.
I would like to dedicate this column to my wonderful, kind, and supportive father, who was a Humanistic psychologist and with whom I was very close. He died when I was fifteen, but I know he is looking down on me from Heaven and is very proud.