James Earl Jones, who remained mute as a child because of a stuttering problem, but went on to give voice to some of entertainment’s most memorable characters, will receive the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award for a vocal tenor that is “without peer.” (Associate Press has a good article, too)
Leo, Ellen, Halle And More Celebs’ New Message: Don’t Vote (Video)
Don’t vote? A new public service announcement uses big-time celebrities and reverse psychology to urge citizens to vote.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston, Tobey Maguire, Eva Longoria Parker and other stars “just say no” to young people to get them into voting booths on election day.
In a new public service announcement that hit YouTube and other online outlets Wednesday, DiCaprio says: “Please — just don’t vote.” Others echo his plea: “Don’t vote.”
But the stars soon twist the message: Voting is a civic duty and the only way to effect change.
“I mean, seriously, … after this whole video — if you’re not gonna vote, I don’t even know what to say. … You know you have to vote,” says DiCaprio, who produced the PSA.
Also appearing: Ellen DeGeneres, Forest Whitaker, Dustin Hoffman, Demi Moore, Sarah Silverman, Jonah Hill, Ashton Kutcher, Courteney Cox, Laura Linney, Natalie Portman, Jamie Foxx, Usher, Kyra Sedgwick and will.i.am.
Celebrating Amazing Weight Loss
Patients of weight-loss surgeries celebrated their slimming success by throwing a red carpet party. Their success stories include more exercise, eating healthier, and diseases and symptoms subsiding. Amazing “before and after” photos… (on the video below)
Nevada’s First Green Convenience Store
Nevada’s first full-sized alternative fuel station and LEED-certified convenience store opened in Minden Tuesday. With solar panels and skylights, bamboo shelving and biofuels, the idea was to “take a Whole Foods market, and shrink it down to the size of a 7-Eleven.”
A Good News Network fan submitted the story link and said a friend of theirs stopped in to the store yesterday, the second customer for Don Bently, owner of Bently Biofuels Outpost.
“She was told that if there was anything natural that she would normally get from a health food store or order online, just to let them know and they will order it for her… so we’re very excited.”
California Launches Broad Effort to Control Hazardous Chemicals
California on Monday launched the most comprehensive program of any state to regulate chemicals that have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other deadly effects on human health. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the broad laws…. (Read more in the Lost Angeles Times)
Stars Gather to Honor Britain’s Citizen Heroes
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.
Caring Makes Us Human — Even the Prisoners
“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)
Tunnel To Towers Run Celebrates Heroes Of 9/11 (Video)
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.
Wall Street Woes? Free Yourself From the Frenzy
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, Virgin Join Group Committed to Biofuel for Commercial Jets
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).
At Last, 20 Games for Mike Mussina!
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 )
Bravely He Gave the Cop a Hug
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!)
Final Day of UN Event Sparks Endorsement of 11 Treaties
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.
Donors Pledge $6.1 Billion to Climate Change Funds
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)
Renewable Energy Tops 10% of Domestic U.S. Energy Production
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 to Sell Hybrid Motorcyles In Two Years
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 Releases Prisoners as Goodwill Gesture
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.
Diving Into a New Smithsonian Era
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.
Wine Industry Intent on Truly Going Green
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.
Reach Your Peak: 5 Tips to Pump Up Your Happiness (w/ Video)
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.