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Giving Average Colombians a Chance to Play Golf

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brazil-kids-learn-golf.jpgAs an American living in Colombia, South America, Tony Ciabattoni’s world has changed dramatically. Growing up learning to love and appreciate the sport of golf, he now finds himself in a metropolitan area of 1.5 million people with only two private golf courses and absolutely no place for the average citizen, especially children, to learn and play. Now he is helping to make his new community a better — and more fun — place, especially for the kids.

“I grew up playing public golf, and never dreamed that there were places with no public golf courses,” said Tony. “It became my DREAM that I could positively affect the lives of an entire metropolitan area.”

 

 

 

Eight! Phelps Wins Record-Setting Gold in Beijing (UPDATED)

Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal Sunday at the Beijing Olympics, swimming with the victorious U.S. 400-meter medley relay team, surpassing Mark Spitz for most golds in a single games.

The Baltimore kid, who was diagnosed with severe ADHD and medicated during the school week, has proven wrong his English Middle School teacher who said he would never be successful.

(WATCH the video below)

The Miracle That is Dara Torres

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dara_torres.jpgTorres’ winning 2 silver medals in the Olympics was for all of us fortysomethings with clouded minds and sagging bodies. It was for all of us parents who lose focus playing chauffeur. It was for the divorcees who start over, the dreamers who fight the dimming light, and the defiant ones who feel the doubts but keep moving forward. Dara Torres is a 41 year old single mom and the oldest American swimmer ever to claim a spot on an Olympic swim team. 

The Lion Who Thought He was People

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christian-lion.jpgChristian is the name of a lion cub bought from Harrods department store in 1969 by two young lads who couldn’t bear to see the cub locked in a cage at Christmas. A year later the lion had grown from 35 pounds to 185 pounds. He needed more exercise and a larger home.

After a chance encounter with the stars of the film Born Free, the owners arranged to send the lion to Africa for reintroduction to the wild with the help of the “Lion Man”, conservationist George Adamson.  A film entitled Christian the Lion at World’s End documented the movement of Christian from England to Kenya’s Kora National Reserve to live free with other wild lions.

When they returned to Africa a year later, the two young men who’d raised the cub were told that Christian would not know them or remember. But, the home movie capturing their ecstatic reunion (accompanied by the song, I Will Always Love You) has become an internet sensation –  more than 11 million views – rekindling celebrity for the two Australians who’d rescued the cub from a cage.

After the meeting, Christian was never seen again. Watch the story and joyful reunion below.

The film is written, produced and directed by Bill Travers, star of Born Free, and James Hill the director of Born Free. This movie and the film The Lions are Free were released on DVD in November 2006 to help raise money for their African work.

THE DVD, Christian the Lion at World’s End, can be purchased on Amazon in the UK.

Thanks to Sun Star, Steve G., and Susan, who all recommended this story!

A Better Way to Walk and Lose More Weight (Video)

Called interval walking, this alternative method for your walking routine may rev up your metabolism and help you lose more weight — even belly fat — says the author of South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life.

US Makes Progress in Finding Homes for Homeless People

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homeless.jpgOn July 30 the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported the number of chronically homeless people living in shelters and on the streets dropped roughly 30% from 2005 to 2007 (175,914 to 123,833).

3,800 US cities and counties and the localities engaged in counting every homeless person living on the street, using shelters or housed in jails and hospitals with nowhere to go upon release.

On a national level the credit for the reduction is being  given to the “housing first” strategy where local officials place homeless people into permanent shelter – apartments, halfway houses or rooms – and then focus on drug detox recovery, and mental or health problems.

At the local level the web of services coming together is much more intricate and the progress varies from one US metro to another.  This makes it important to consider how the cities achieving the highest success rates are making this happen.

For example the city of Miami had a 50% reduction in the count of homeless people from October, 2006 to March, 2007.  Behind this are multiple sources of funding and a broad coordination of efforts.

The city of Miami is in Miami-Dade County which has a 1% Food and Beverage Tax as a dedicated revenue source for homeless initiatives. Almost $12 million was collected in 2007 for the homeless trust fund. The city also benefits from strong public/private partnerships such as the Bank of America initiative that donated $1 million towards the creation of the Camillus House residence.

In addition The City of Miami Homeless Assistance Program (MHAP) provides out reach, assessment, jobs, and transportation services to homeless individuals and families, even employing 30 mostly formerly homeless men and women.

Using this network, other services can be managed, like emergency shelter placement, an indoor feeding program (165,410 individuals fed in 2006), specialized hospital discharge planning, drug and alcohol abuse treatment and mental health assessments and treatment referrals.

Somerville Residence in Miami is one place offering affordable housing for 47 families in one-two and three-bedroom units. Their program is designed to provide support during a transition period from homelessness to the workforce.

In New York City numbers of homeless living on the street or in the subway was down 12 percent (2006 – 2007) and 25 percent (2005 – 2007).  This is an actual decrease of nearly 1,100 people. The City and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) are using multiple strategies, partnerships and programs including a public education campaign, called ‘Give Real Change’. This campaign reminds New Yorkers that the best way to help homeless individuals on the streets or in subways is to call 311 to have an outreach team sent to help.

Other examples of NYC efforts are the Homeless Encampments Initiative where more than a dozen city and state agencies partnered to clear 70 targeted encampments and “hot spots” throughout the five boroughs, a major overhaul of the city’s approach, into an innovative partnership with the MTA and a new housing options providing small housing structures called Safe Havens.

The smaller Safe Havens offer a safe, barrier-free temporary housing option for street homeless individuals who choose not to come into shelters. The first Safe Haven was piloted by NYC in November 2006 in partnership with the Bowery Residents Committee (BRC), a non-profit service provider, and with the support of a grant from The Betty and Norman F. Levy Foundation. In its first year, the BRC Safe Haven partnership had served 52 clients with an average length of street homelessness history of seven and a half years. Seventeen of these clients—some who were chronically homeless for more than 20 years—have moved into permanent homes of their own.

Based on the success of the Bowery pilot program, Mayor Bloomberg provided funding in the City’s budget to replicate the Safe Haven model citywide. There are currently more than 200 Safe Haven beds across the City at five sites, and by the end of 2008 there will be more than 500 beds available. The city now emphasizes placing the longest-term or most chronically homeless individuals into permanent housing.

Many other US cities and counties are addressing the problem of homeless in creative ways that are producing positive results.

For more details visit the web site for the US Interagency Council on Homelessness and click on the right column choice called “Our innovation series continues with 5 more ideas”.  Along with the 5 new innovations you will see many other efforts showing how Federal, state, local agencies, corporate sponsors and faith based groups are coming together to provide shelter, food and more permanent homes for people.

Pollster Sees A Brighter Future

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katie-couric.jpgPollster John Zogbey says attitudes are changing as Americans are becoming more likely to care about the world around them, to demand authenticity from their government and media, and turn inward for spiritual growth. Katie Couric thinks we have a brighter future and a lot to look forward to.

Scientists Closer to Discovery of Invisibilty Cloak

Harry Potter doesn’t need science when he has magic cloaks. Researchers, however, need Metamaterials – mixtures of metal and circuit board materials such as ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite – to bend visible light around objects avoiding the reflections or shadows, making them essentially invisible. (MSNBC reports on this scientific advancement)

Iraqi Team’s Route to Olympics Runs Through War Zone

Photo by Sun Star

running-uphill-2-sm.jpgTheir eyes tearing when the flag goes up, the members of the Iraqi Olympic team are standing for unity. The president of its committee is a Kurd; the sprinter in the 100-meter dash is Sunni; the coach is Shiite.

The sprinter, Dana Abdul-Razak, has had to dodge sniper fire and cut deals with militia to allow her to practice on the track back home. Her Olympic dream might end in the first round, but that is not as important as the journey to get here.

(Photo courtesy of Sun Star)

Humpback and Two Other Whale Species on Road to Recovery

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humpbackjpg.jpgThree whale species, the humpback, minke and southern right, are recovering from the threat of extinction according to a new study released by the world’s largest conservation network. Thanks to curbs on hunts since the 1980s, the status of both the southern right and humpback population has been lowered from Vulnerable to Least Concern.

Dell Declares Carbon Neutral Status

Photo by Sun Star

clouds-sun-starf.jpgDell has met its carbon neutral goal ahead of schedule, achieving a major milestone in its commitment to green power sources and energy-efficiency. Dell pledged last September to move toward carbon-neutrality, and has already reached its goal through a series of environmental protection purchases, renewable energy investments and by offsetting carbon emmissions. Its headquarters in Round Rock, Texas is now powered by 100% renewable energy.

(Photo courtesy of Sun Star)

21 US Cities Will Measure and Disclose their CO2 Emissions

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nycity-skyline.jpgTwenty-one US cities, including New York and Denver, have announced they will measure their greenhouse gases emissions, in a joint effort to seek ways to halt and reverse global warming. A non-profit organization will help the cities report carbon emission data for their jurisdiction’s operations – fire department, ambulance and police services, municipal buildings, and waste transport, for example.

Ethical Coffee Helps Save Peruvian Rainforest

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coffee_immature.jpgOnce bleak and lifeless places degraded by years of high-impact farming, Peruvian coffee farms are being transformed by a growing trend for certification schemes offering ethical and environmental guarantees to western coffee drinkers.

Iranian Vice-President says Iranians are Israeli Friends

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inter-cultural-pals.jpgAn Iranian vice president said in rare comments that Iran was a friend of Israeli people, newspapers reported on Monday. “I say for a thousandth time that we are a friend of all people in the world, even Israelis and Americans,” the daily newspaper Etemad quoted Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, the vice president for tourism.

(Photo courtesy of Sun Star)

Polish Heros: Stories of Saving Jewish Families During Holocaust

(Reuters) – Poles who risked their lives a half century ago by taking in fugitive Jews during the Nazi Holocaust were honored in Warsaw on Sunday, in what may be one of their final gatherings. They recalled how they risked the death penalty for themselves and their family. “At various times we had up to nine people living in our flat. They had free run of the house, but when they heard a knock at the door, they would all run down to a special hiding place next to the coal bin,” said Waclaw Nowinski, 83. (Read about the heroic Christians in Reuters report) Also read more of their stories at WTOP .

Jordan’s King Abdullah Makes First Visit to Post-Saddam Iraq

On Monday, King Abdullah II of Jordan became the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since Saddam Hussein’s regime collapsed in 2003. The brief and previously unannounced visit was seen as a sign that Iraq’s Arab neighbors finally are shedding their fear of a Shiite Muslim-led Iraq. (Most nearby countries, like Iran and Jordon are Sunni Muslim-led.)

8 Foods You Should Eat Every Day

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tomato.jpgHere are 8 superfoods you should eat every day. Packed with nutrition and often called brain foods, they can protect you from heart disease, cancer and other malfunctions as you age. (MSNBC with photos)

Israeli President Posts Peace Song on Website

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ray-of-hope.jpgIsraeli president Shimon Peres, who is a Noble Peace Prize laureate, wrote lyrics to a song about peace, entitled Ray of Hope and posted them on Songweavers, a website where musicians from around the world — including Iran — have added music to go with the words.

So far, musicians from around the world, including Iran, have transformed his Ray of Hope with compositions as members hope, “Maybe the world can find some peace through music.”

Members of the Songweavers website have designed and compiled a humanitarian CD from which all proceeds will go to charity.

The CD was given to Mr. Shimon Peres this week and he has taken 100 copies, containing 20 versions of the song with him to Bejing, where he will give the Peace CD to other heads of State.

Here are his lyrics: 

‘Nutraceutical’ Citrus Formula Helps Beat Incurable Cancers

Dr. Eliaz uses citrus pectin to help stage-4 cancer patients

dr-eliaz.jpgIf you want to know what truly sets Dr. Isaac Eliaz apart, just ask Bonnie Bell, a spirited survivor of Stage 4 breast cancer, who experienced a near-miraculous recovery—one that most conventional doctors would have called impossible. But with Dr. Eliaz’ guidance, her passion for life prevailed—and what was once considered an “incurable” diagnosis became another inspiring example of triumph over a deadly of diseases.

Today, Bonnie is alive, well, and in full remission. And like so many of Dr. Eliaz’ patients, she attributes her healing not only to the strength of mind and body that she has found though her struggle, but also to the carefully integrated holistic protocol that led her there—an approach to fighting her disease that embraced both modern Western medicine and the centuries-old traditions of ancient healing wisdom.

This unique synergy is the heart of Dr. Isaac Eliaz’ practice—and Bonnie is just one of many patients at Amitabha Medical Clinic and Healing Center to have faced death and lived to tell their remarkable stories. A respected author, lecturer, researcher, product formulator, and clinical practitioner, Dr. Eliaz has been a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine for over twenty years now—and his contributions to the growing body of research on natural cancer treatment have been profound.

Among these many contributions is his discovery of modified citrus pectin (MCP)—a substance derived from the peel of citrus fruit that has proven to be one of the most promising breakthroughs in integrative oncology to date. Not surprisingly, it was also an integral part of Bonnie Bell’s treatment.

Research has revealed that cancerous cell communications are dependent upon a class of sticky cell surface proteins called galectins—a primary target in the search for new and effective cancer therapies. If these galectins can be bound and their communication cut off, then the growth and spread of cancer will be essentially disarmed. MCP is a modified form of ordinary citrus pectin, altered by means of a cutting-edge enzymatic process to meet the ideal size and molecular weight necessary for precisely this type of cancer inhibition.

Citrus Compound Shows Compelling Clinical Results

Dozens of published studies in the past decade have been devoted to revealing the immense potential of this simple substance against a variety of cancers, including lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, and prostate cancer. And the latest study provides some of the most compelling results so far.

dr-eliaz-bonnie.jpgResearchers at Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany enrolled 49 patients, each with advanced state solid tumors of varying types—colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, liver cancer, and pancreatic cancer, among others. Each patient had completed conventional treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation without success—nearly 90 percent of the cancers had metastasized.

During the trial, patients were administered 5 grams of MCP orally, three times a day. They would later be evaluated for clinical benefit—including pain reduction, improved physical functioning, increased appetite and sleep, and reduced fatigue. At just eight weeks, the results were already overwhelmingly positive, with 20.7 percent of the patients showing an overall clinical benefit response and stabilization of disease. The results for those completing 16 weeks of treatment showed an overall clinical benefit of 42.9%.

Perhaps most remarkably, one patient with advanced hormonal refractory metastasized prostate cancer demonstrated a 50 percent decrease in PSA levels after 16 weeks, accompanied by a significant increase in clinical benefit. By the conclusion of the study, response rates continued to improve, with a majority of the patients showing improved quality of life and pain reduction.

Nutraceuticals: East Meets West, Ancient Meets High Tech, Traditional Meets Modern

Meg Jordan, health journalist and professor of Integrative Health and Medicine at the California Institute of Integrative Studies, says Dr. Eliaz’s methods allow the body’s innate healing mechanisms to be supported. “If cancer is our immune systems failing to detect cancer cells and sweep them out of our body, then allowing our immune systems to do their job with more efficiency and greater surveillance is suddenly a noble undertaking.” It’s the opposite of chemotherapy and radiation, which act like a big hammer and a poison, taking a toll on our bodies.

Nutraceutical is a new word referring to the wise use of nutrients in an action that is almost pharmaceutical-like within the body. Like Vitamin C, nutraceuticals, such as Bilberry extract, are derived from botanicals and sold without a prescription.

“In the laboratory we watch closely what happens with the nutraceutical in a cellular reaction,” said Jordan. “The beauty is, what we see in the lab is so positive that going ahead and recommending their use to the general public generally has no downside.”

“We are at a tipping point now, as the evidence builds in the labs as to what these botanicals can do, and we try to educate conventional doctors,” Jordan explains.  “If we’re erring, we are erring on the side of precaution, by suggesting people replicate what is happening in the laboratory.”

Medical Community Taking Notice

Dr. Eliaz would be the first to note that these impressive results don’t constitute a cure for cancer. But it is a major leap in the right direction, yielding benefits in this group of patients that were comparable to, if not better than, chemotherapy—without the adverse side effects or toxicity. The potential of MCP as part of an integrated and comprehensive approach to treating cancer is undeniable to many who’ve studied it—and the medical community at large is taking notice.

Dr. Stephen Strum, an oncologist who has devoted his practice and research to the treatment of prostate cancer, is among MCP’s greatest advocates. “My clinical experience using MCP (modified citrus pectin) in prostate cancer,” he says, “has been that it slows PSA doubling time in the majority of patients taking the standard dose of 5 grams three times per day.”

“Because this treatment is well tolerated,” he continues. “I use MCP in any situation where sustained increases in PSA may occur.”

Dr. Eliaz founded EcoNugenics in 1995 to deliver nutraceuticals to the general public beyond his practice. Meg Jordan sees value in offering these products for sale over the web to patients far and wide.

“I just got a call from my dear friend just diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and I’m going to make sure she gets on it,” explained Jordan. “She is going to take it to her oncologist and show them the research, saying she’d like to be on it as well.”

For more information, visit EcoNugenics at www.econugenics.com.

Scientist Uses Adult Stem Cells to Repair Human Heart

stemcells.jpgEvidence is growing that new kinds of stem cells — immature adult stem cells extracted from bone marrow, hearts, kidneys or even the skin, which can be taken without destroying embryos — now have the potential to seriously transform diseases like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and liver failure.