The annual Pride of Britain Awards were held last night to pay tribute to hero members of the public whose selfless, courageous and caring acts earn them honors from the stars of stage, screen and society. (The Daily Mail, which sponsors the awards, has the full story of the heroes)
Also, take a look back at the last ten years of award-winners at this link.
“After more than two decades in prison, I know that kindness is not a value that’s encouraged. It’s often seen as weakness.” But, when a cat wandered into the prison yard, normally gruff men turned into pussy cats, and a lesson was seared into the heart of Troy Chapman. “There’s a lot of talk about what’s wrong with prisons in America … but I think what we really need is a chance to practice kindness ourselves. Not receive it, but give it.” (Read or listen to the essay at NPR)
In celebration of the heroes from September 11, 2001, “The Tunnel To Towers Run” follows the path Stephen Siller and other first responders took on 9/11 as they raced toward Ground Zero. What started in 2002 with 2,500 runners has grown to 15,000 participators, raising more than $4 million for charity.
Are you getting sucked into FEAR and FRENZY and the media gloom around the chaos on Wall Street? It’s too late to join our tele-conference call on October 3, but you CAN listen to the recorded call by dialing in on our free playback line… You can learn how to stop the drama and create positive thoughts and feelings in your life that will lead to a sane and healthy mindset and a more secure future…
Listen to positive thinking experts as they cull through fact and fiction and help you to break addictive patterns that lead to more fear and drama.
YES, we have a reality in financial markets that challenges us and our leaders. But, we do NOT need to get sucked into the false notions that lead to desperate emotions, and addictive patterns that result in more failures and even more poverty.
This is the premiere tele-conference of the 2008 Great Mentors audio seminar series, created to provide free virtual help to those who don’t have the opportunity for one-on-one mentoring. The 2008 series kicked off last Friday with an important bail-out of your financial frenzy!
Admission is FREE, but you must register on-line. Great Mentors tele-conferences give you the chance to ask and respond to questions from the panel. You receive the dial-in number and access code when you register.
TO REGISTER GO TO: www.greatmentoring.com
Marlene Chism is our special guest, the founder of www.stopyourdrama.com. She works with people who want less stress and more success, particularly offering down to earth practical tips — especially to business owners — for increasing performance, productivity and personal power. To get a free e-lesson go to www.TheDramaStopsHere.com
Experts in the field of positive thinking help you deal with your fears and give you a menu of actions to take to effect positive change immediately. We will magnify the world of possibility and productivity, BRINGING RELIEF for your feelings of desperation and doom.
Sign up and get the phone number to listen to the call at your leisure over the next few weeks. Register to hear the 75-minute call by registering online: www.greatmentoring.com
Boeing last week joined Virgin Atlantic and eight other major air carriers, along with Honeywell’s energy arm, in an organized effort to develop new sustainable aviation fuels that will lower carbon emissions and free the airlines from the grip of high oil prices.
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group is supported by and collaborating with the World Wildlife Fund and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Pro baseball pitcher Mike Mussina had always come within an inch of reaching one of the pinnacles for major league starters: He took a perfect game into the ninth inning, he came in second in Cy Young award voting, he came within a single game of winning 20 — two years in a row. But now Mussina has done it, becoming the oldest pitcher to win 20-games in a season, for the first time… (The Atlantic.com and a full report at WashingtonPost.com )
In Iowa City, Iowa, a cop told a drunken man to get lost. The 21-year-old said the officer looked like he needed a hug. The cop warned him off. But even though it caused his arrest, Luke Schreder bravely gave that hug. (Thanks to NPR’s Morning Edition for this news tidbit!)
Against the backdrop of this year’s 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a UN gathering last week promoted universal participation in treaties and international pacts. On the final day of the event, six Member States undertook nine treaty actions by signing or ratifying separate conventions, agreements, treaties and optional protocols.
Industrialized countries pledged more than $6.1 billion on Friday to international investment funds aimed at helping developing countries adopt cleaner technologies and mitigate growth in greenhouse gas emissions, the World Bank said. These included 10 countries — Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland Britain and the United States. (Full story in Reuters News)
According to the latest “Monthly Energy Review” issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration this week, renewable energy accounted for more than 10% of the domestically-produced energy used in the United States in the first half of 2008. (Full story in SustainableBusiness.com)
Honda Motor Co. will start selling hybrid motorcycles as early as the mid-2010s, and with smaller electric motorcycles coming out as early as 2011, the automaker has announced. The move is part of Honda’s efforts to cope with rising gasoline prices and global warming by applying its 4-wheeled hybrid and battery technology to motorcycles. (The Mainichi Daily News)
Hamas security forces in Gaza released 35 members of the rival Fatah movement from prison on Sunday as a goodwill gesture to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The new Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History opened Saturday, the largest renovation in the museum’s century-long history and a transformation of its largest exhibition space.
This latest Smithsonian offering in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, it’s history and its importance in contemporary society. In addition to marine-life specimens and models, the new hall features eight high-definition video screens towering along the ceiling to submerge the visitors in an underwater panorama.
The wine industry is making a concerted effort to adopt environmentally responsible practices, according to two UC Davis surveys of wine industry professionals and executives.
At the annual Wine Industry Financial Symposium in Napa, Calif. this week, Robert Smiley, professor and director of wine studies in the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, said that growers and vintners both were actively engaged in environmentally friendly business activities, such as package redesign, use of biodiesel fuel, wastewater reclamation and developing “green” building plans.
Marci Shimoff, author of Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out, gives Donnie Deutch five tips for achieving success: Start with happiness first; Don’t believe every thought in your head; Follow a power formula that ends with, “Make it a habit to relax”; Let your passion lead; and, Stay away from naysayers and people with negative emotions — spending more time with people who are courageous and support you in your dreams.
Hollywood screen legend Paul Newman died Friday of cancer at the age of 83.
Newman, “known for his piercing blue eyes, boyish good looks and stellar performances in scores of hit Hollywood movies”, also gave away more than $250 million to charity, proceeds from the sale of his Newman’s Own salad dressings, popcorn and cookies.
Founded on a lark by Paul Newman and his buddy A.E. Hotchner in 1982, Newman’s Own, Inc., has grown into a powerful company that donates to thousands of charities worldwide.
Most predominately it provides the funding for the Hole in the Wall Camps, summer getaways for children with life-threatening illnesses, which Paul started over 20 years ago.
The Oscar award-winning actor and director’s company now offers more than 150 varieties of all-natural food and beverage products. Based in Westport, CT, the charitable mission of Newman’s Own is expressed in its Company motto: “Shameless exploitation in pursuit of the Common Good.”
The Newman’s Own Foundation will carry on Newman’s philanthropic legacy for years to come. As always, all profits will be donated to charity.
Wal-Mart Stores committed to reduce its global plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33 percent per store by 2013. This is expected to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally. To help reach this goal, Wal-Mart will reduce the number of bags given out by its stores, encourage the use of reusable bags and give customers the ability to continue recycling plastic shopping bags. The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.
Today, West Texans love the wind!
Wind farms are transforming the rural area’s economy as well as its treeless horizon, while delivering electricity to nearby cities. (Full story in Reuters news)
A coalition of governments, charities and U.N. agencies pledged $4.5 billion on Thursday in an effort to get all the world’s children in school by 2015. (Associated Press via MSNBC )
West African legislators worried by climate change and soaring energy costs want regional leaders to back plans to harness sun and wind energy that experts say could bring electricity to some of the poorest people on earth. ‘We have the natural resource—enough sunshine that can supply our total power requirements,’ an energy expert on the Ghana parliament told Reuters. (Full story on Reuters)
