I’m celebrating the debut of the Good News Podcast! It’s been a long time since I first dreamed of ‘podcasting’ a dose of good news for the world, but finally the first segment has been recorded and is ready for mass enjoyment… Podcasts are available on BlogTalkRadio.com both as MP3 downloads for your portable devices, AND streaming online from my own host page there. NOTE: You do not have to Register at BlogTalkRadio to hear the show.
Good News Podcast Premieres Live Online!
Stomach Cancer Rate to Fall by 25% Over Next Decade
"New cases of stomach cancer are set to plummet a further 25 per cent in the West over the next decade because of better living conditions, indicates new research." (InTheNews.uk)
Summer Camp Where Military Kids Can Relax (Video)
At Camp Purple, children of military parents make instant friendships with other kids whose parents are deployed overseas, who have experienced the same worries and problems they have. (Video)
98-Year-Old Athlete Still Competes (Video)
A 98-year-old great-grandmother in Australia proves you are never too old to be a champion athlete. Ruth Frith still trains and competes in track and field events like the long jump and 100-meter sprint. She’s earned piles of international medals in shot put, javelin and hammer throw. (Video)
Italian Town Pays Residents to Lose Weight
"Overweight residents of the Italian town of Varallo will be paid to lose weight, the mayor announced on Monday. As an incentive, the town will pay men 50 euros ($70) for losing 4 kg (9 lbs) in a month, and women for shedding 3 kg (7 lbs)." A bonus of 200 euros ($280) awaits those who can keep off the weight for 5 months. (Turks.us)
In Ethiopia, Elders Dissolve a Crisis the Traditional Way
An Ethiopian scholar retired from Harvard has led a ‘council of elders’ in brokering the solution for an intractable two-year political crisis by using the traditional means of forgiveness and compromise. (CS Monitor)
Nobel Peace Prizes Spread Across Globe
Stockholm, Sweden – Nobel Peace Prize winners are increasingly chosen from among diverse nations, as more nominations for the honor are directed toward Africans, Asians, Eastern Europeans, and Latin Americans. Nominees as well as winners are spread more evenly across the globe as war-torn regions give host to those with the strength to work for peace. (below, Geographical distribution of Peace Prize laureates 1901-2000)
Cat Survives House Fire by Wedging into Sofa
Much to the amazement of fire fighters, a family’s cat, which was thought to have perished in a fire, was discovered alive wedged inside the sofa. (AP)
Scientists Create Patch to Repair Hole in Heart
The body’s natural healing power is being employed to treat a common heart defect. One in four human hearts contains a valve-like hole that may cause migraines or stroke.
A team at a London hospital has successfully tested a “bioabsorbable” patch made of collagen which bridges the hole while spurring the body to generate normal tissue to replace it, all within 30 days.
(READ the story from BBC)
Rare Birth by Dialysis Patient
“A young woman who has been on dialysis treatment during her pregnancy, has given birth to a healthy baby girl.” A one-of-a-kind special technique was used on the 19-year-old UK mom, allowing for a kind of birth that is extremely rare.
(BBC) Thanks to Zenda for the link.
Ice Cream for Darfur
Who would have thought that by eating ice cream you could help change the world? But today you can.
Taggarts Ice Cream Parlor, a local institution in Canton, Ohio, is donating 10 percent of their gross receipts all day today, Tuesday, August 14th, to Relief International’s Zam Zam Clinic in Darfur.
A local teen, Sahiba Gill, organized the citywide event, called “Dining for Darfur,” which also includes five other area restaurants.
Coincidentally, Dr. Ashis Brahma, who’s been working in Darfur, actually stopped for ice cream at the Canton shop on 14th and Fulton two weeks ago (pictured at right with colleagues).
Relief International opened Zam Zam Clinic in response to a crisis: Critical medical facilities were closing that would leave 35,000 refugees in Darfur without any health services. RI mobilized to build a clinic with support from US grassroots advocates and collaboration with local tribal leaders. The August 2006 opening could not have been more timely: 6,000 people fleeing violence in the region arrived in the camp.
Today, the Zam Zam Clinic serves 800 patients per week. The facility is run by local Sudanese doctors, medical assistants, midwives, nurses, and pharmacists — all of whom receive professional development training from RI.
If you are in Canton, please bring family and friends to enjoy Taggarts great homemade ice cream and help bring positive change to our world.
Photo and original story by John Stone, eyeclectic.net
Barn Owls Unite Israelis, Jordanians
“Even when tensions run high, the environment is one of the few areas where Israelis and Arabs cooperate. During the Palestinian uprising against Israel, officials of the two countries maintained contacts on issues such as water quality and waste removal.” (Washington Post)
Congo Logging Company Goes “Green”
Timber companies are not always out to empty the rainforest of trees. In spite of all the hurdles, there are some companies working on ensuring that the industry is sustainable and can benefit the local community and contribute to the development of the national economy. One such timber company is CIB (Congolaise Industrielle des Bois).
Amazon Deforestation Reduced Dramatically
Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon have dropped by 25 percent each of the past three years, according to Brazil’s environment ministry. From July 31, 2004, through 2007, an average of 4,000 more square kilometers of forest each year have been spared from clear-cutting over the previous period (1,544 sq. miles). — WWF
Dude, I’m Not Too Old to Skateboard
At 40, he is still as intense a skateboarding enthusiast as ever. "He started skating in the 1970s, when skateboarding was first popular, and he never let go. Not when he got married. Not when he had a daughter. Not when he started a job as a business-suit-wearing legal consultant."
UN Congratulates Sierra Leone on Peaceful Elections
The United Nations yesterday congratulated the people of Sierra Leone on the peaceful conduct of their presidential and parliamentary elections — the first held there since UN peacekeepers departed two years ago — and appealed for continued calm.
Chestnut Tree Poised for Comeback
A CS Monitor story hails the revival of the majestic American Chestnut tree, which was largely wiped out by a fungus in the early 20th century. Learn more from these GNN-i reports: Chestnut Tree Discovered Growing and Virginia Group Grows Blight-Resistant Trees.
How to Say You’re Sorry: Apology as Art Form
For some, they are the two hardest words to say. But learning how to make a sincere apology is not only a necessary skill, it’s an art. Just look at the headlines. Recently, singer Kelly Clarkson lashed out at record mogul and star-maker Clive Davis after they clashed…
Global Bird Conservation Effort Lifts Off
Sixteen bird species were saved from extinction between 1994–2004. Now a major effort by BirdLife International gets underway to help the other 189.
How to Succeed in Business: Meditate
From Fortune Magazine last month, a feature article takes a look at the CEOs who are into meditation, like NBA coach Phil Jackson and Bob Shapiro, the former CEO of Monsanto. Employees at Google have even organized "twice-weekly open meditation hours, at which it has hosted Tibetan monks and a team of mind-science researchers." (CNN Money)