In an effort to clean up the air pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, "the state will offer up to a $3,500 bounty of sorts on vehicles that are more than 10 years old — pre-1996 cars and trucks that emit up to 30 times as much pollution as late-model vehicles." (Dallas Morning News)
Homemade Robot Reacts to Bad News
"One student, for example, made a robot that sits on the side of the road and, when it sees a car going too fast, lowers a sign that says slow down! Another made a flower robot that wilts every time an act of violence is reported on the TV news." (MSNBC) Andrew submitted this one
Spread of Hospital Bugs Halted
Two recently qualified doctors in the UK have developed a new disposable tourniquet that can limit the the spread of cross infections in hospitals. Tourniquets are used to cause veins to expand enabling blood samples to be taken or drips inserted.
The problem is that tourniquets, used in 40 million procedures performed each year in the UK, are reused again and again. Their product, the ‘Tournistrip,’ — a long strip of plasticized paper — is already generating interest and is slated to be inexpensive.
(READ the story from the BBC)
Welcome to new GNN-i contributor, Zenda, from South Africa!
Jordan to Allow Iraqi Refugees into Schools
When Jordanian public schools start classes on 19 August, all children, including expatriate Iraqi students will be able to attend classes in the country’s public schools. The UN Children’s agency UNICEF hailed the decision by Jordan’s government, pointed out that Iraqi youngsters have faced numerous obstacles since fleeing their homeland.
Jordan’s Queen Rania Says Banking to Poor Yields Returns
Jordan’s Queen Rania believes that offering banking services to the world’s poor yields wide social benefits and launched a new microcredit campaign Wednesday, with insurance giant AIG pledging 1.5 million dollars to boost its operations. The new program seeks to offer small loans to 1 million of the world’s poorest families, including Jordanians and the needy Iraqi refugees who have flooded over the border. (The News Room is not loading properly at the moment; try back later for all the details on this story.)
New Patron Saint of New Orleans
New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany founded the Brees Dream Foundation to rebuild children’s facilities and programs throughout New Orleans. USA Today featured Brees, 28, at the unveiling of the Dream Foundation, calling him “the patron Saint of hope in a place where so much is still needed”…
Malaysia Commits to Protecting Rainforests
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pledged Friday not to indiscriminately approve logging licenses that threaten endangered species and tribal communities. (AFP)
Meteor Showers Light Up Weekend Skies
"Shooting stars are set to grace the night sky with a spectacular light display this weekend. The annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak sometime after midnight Sunday, but it will be visible from Saturday night until Tuesday morning." Look for the celestial show in the north-eastern part of the sky, to be most apparent from North America and Western Europe. A darkened moon will provide the best view in years, best observed away from city lights in clear weather. More info at BBC and from CBC, continued below. Thanks Andrew!
Wild Ferrets, Birds and Forests Recovering
Three papers published in the journal Science this week showcase success stories that may point the way to future victories for endangered animals and plants. Thanks to conservation programs, several European bird species are rebounding; the most endangered mammal in North America, the black-footed ferret, has recovered rapidly from a low of only 18 ferrets in the late 1980s to 223 last year; and Peruvian rain forests are faring better. (AP) Thanks to Abigail for submitting the link!
Aerial Robot Camera Helps to Fight Fires
It may look like an invention straight out of a science-fiction film, but a new remote-controlled helicopter robot is the latest gadget being used to help tackle fires and other emergencies.
Drug Prevention in Sochi Prior to 2014 Olympics
New GNN-i member LNat sent this from the Netherlands: The Russian resort capital of Sochi is advancing the slogan, "Sochi is a drug-free city” in preparation for the Olympics, mobilizing efforts in advance to stem an expected tide of drugs and anabolic substances. (Russia I-C.com)
New Artificial Disk May Offer Real Pain Relief
Last week a dozen patients around the U.S. were the first to receive a "stainless steel replacement disk that could offer hope to hundreds of thousands of people nationwide who suffer from neck pain."
All-Electric Sports Car to Hit Road by Year End (Video)
One of the first electric sports cars to hit the U.S. market is the Tesla Roadster. No gas and no emissions, plug in this gorgeous sports car for seven hours and you’re set for 200 miles of non-polluting fun! As CBS’s Manuel Gallegus reports, some Hollywood stars have already put down deposits.
Warming Draws Evangelicals into Environmentalist Fold
Pastor Joel Hunter is a leading advocate among evangelicals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, "regularly preaching about climate change to 7,000 congregants in five Central Florida sites and to 3,000 more worshipers online. He even has met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill." (Washington Post)
Prison Yard Dance Routines a Hit on YouTube (Video) UPDATED
In the exercise yard of a Philippine Detention Center crowds of inmates in identical orange jumpsuits perform precision dance routines to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller ” and the Village People’s “YMCA.” The dancing serves as exercise and rehabilitation, says the facility chief who masterminded the program. Three million YouTube visitors liked what they saw!… Thanks to Christophe for the links.
9-Year-Old Oregon Boy Steers Big Rig to Safety
In yet another example of what kids are capable of when called upon to do the extraordinary, a nine-year-old boy steered a tractor-trailer (hauling over 100,000 pounds of lumber) to safety when his father lost consciousness behind the wheel.
Read about it in the Oregonian.
Mauritania Passes Anti-Slavery Law
Mauritania’s national assembly has unanimously passed a law criminalizing slavery for the first time. The practice has persisted in certain parts of the north African country despite its official abolition in 1981.
Teen Rescued After Dangling from Cliff
She went to retrieve a flip-flop about 20 feet below a ledge, with a "straight drop-off into the abyss below." "Not knowing how much longer the root was going to hold, officers quickly formed a human chain to retrieve the dangling girl instead of waiting for Los Angeles County firefighters to arrive."(DailyBreeze.com)
Boomers Answer Call to Service, in Legislatures and Classrooms
In the last four years, a growing number of boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — are showing up in the freshman class of state legislatures. Aspirations for the statehouse reflect a broader trend: Boomers, nearly 3 million of whom will celebrate their 60th birthday this year, are eschewing retirement in favor of meaningful second careers. Nearly 60 percent of Americans aged 50 to 70 said they want to put social purpose ahead of other goals, according to a recent survey commissioned by Civic Ventures, a group promoting older workers. (right: Pennsylvania Rep.-elect Frank Andrews Shimkus (D), former news anchor of WYOU-TV)
As evidence, some 20 percent of new teachers in alternative certification programs are over 50, the number of boomers in divinity schools has nearly doubled, and community colleges report a noticeable increase in older entrants in nursing and other health-related fields, said David Bank, senior vice president of Civic Ventures, and co-author of a forthcoming book on boomer retirement entitled “Encore.”
As a group, baby boomers have been more civically engaged than previous generations, and because they are expected to live longer and healthier lives than their parents, late-life political careers are a natural fit, said Jim Emerman, executive vice president of Civic Ventures (link to PDF of survey).
“They want to use the talents and experience they have to solve big problems in their community and in the country,” he said.
Frank Andrews Shimkus has been in the public eye for three decades. But for the freshman Democratic representative from the 113th District in Scranton, Pa., politics is a second career. Shimkus, 54, is better known as local TV anchor Frank Andrews.
He is one of more than 1,200 new faces in statehouses across the country.
Boomer Legislators
November’s elections ushered in a crop of lawmakers with non-traditional backgrounds: Many are not lawyers and have never before held public office. More women, Hispanics, blacks and Native Americans than in previous years were also part of the mix along with a new political breed — baby boomers who want to make a difference.
For his part, Shimkus said his goal is to make the Pennsylvania Legislature more accountable — a tall order in a state where lawmakers were recently chastised for secretively giving themselves a last-minute pay raise. Not one to shun a challenge, he vows to reduce the size and cost of the Legislature, even if it means eliminating his own job.
To increase his visibility, Shimkus chose a ground-floor office with a plate-glass window on Main Street in Scranton, and he even plans to put his reporting skills to work by holding town-hall-style meetings and speaking directly with as many constituents as possible.
“My staff and I want to personally call at least 30 people every day. Most people have no concept of what a state representative does or should do. I want to bring Harrisburg to the people,” he said.
The decision to run for the Legislature was tough, Shimkus explained, because it meant giving up his career as a journalist. Pennsylvania legislative positions are considered full time, and professional ethics bar journalists from politics.
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| Nebraska Sen.-elect Annette Dubas and her son on the farm in Fullerton, Neb. |
Some new boomer legislators, however, plan to keep pursuing their first careers while holding office. A case in point is Annette Dubas, 50, a lifelong farmer and mother of four, who was elected to the Nebraska Statehouse.
Because of term limits, 22 of the 49 seats in Nebraska’s nonpartisan, unicameral Legislature opened up, and Dubas saw the opportunity to follow her political ambition while maintaining her family’s farm.
The decision to run for public office was difficult, she said, because it meant leaving more of the farm work to her family: “We are a family operation. My son and his wife took care of the harvest this fall while my husband and I were out campaigning.”
Even though she has yet to take office, Dubas splits her time between the Nebraska Statehouse, road trips to meet constituents and chores on the farm. “I haven’t even been sworn in yet and I’m going somewhere every day, doing a lot of reading and educating myself,” she said.
Like Shimkus, Dubas wants to be accessible. She plans to set up field offices and drive around her four-county district to meet citizens so they won’t have to travel to the capital.
“There seems to be an intimidation factor. I want people to just call me up and let me know their concerns,” she said.
In Nebraska, taxes and education are always big issues, Dubas said, but for now she plans to concentrate on the state’s severe water shortage. She’ll also work to keep small schools open and maintain the vitality of towns.
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Nebraska Sen.-elect Greg Adams with volunteer
students from local high schools |
Another Nebraska boomer, 54-year-old Greg Adams, said he joined the Legislature after 31 years in teaching because he “wasn’t ready to sit down and quit yet.” Adams was somewhat familiar with what he would face in the Statehouse — he has more than two decades of political experience, including a stint as mayor of York, Neb., his hometown.
Adams figures he can combine his classroom experience and political savvy to solve some of the state’s most pressing problems.
“Education has always been important to me. I want to get kids to stay or even come back to the small towns,” he said. He hopes to accomplish this by boosting economic opportunities in the state’s rural communities, he explained.
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| Arkansas Rep.-elect Kathy Webb (D) on left, at her restaurant |
Education is also a top priority for Kathy Webb, 57, a freshman Democratic representative in the Arkansas House. Webb — owner of the Little Rock restaurant, Dim Sum Then Some — said she understands what education means for workers: “I have daily interaction with people who can’t read and can’t do percentages. I see the need for something to offer people who are not going to college — more vocational training.”
Voicing a common theme among new state lawmakers, Webb said she will focus on staying in touch with her constituency — something she’s already accustomed to through her interaction with employees and customers at the restaurant.
As boomers nationwide learn the ropes of lawmaking during legislative orientation classes this month, they’ll get a taste of the challenge ahead. The work of a legislator is not rocket science, but it isn’t easy; it takes patience and an ability to digest reams of information, said Bruce Feustel, senior fellow at NCSL. Experience counts for a lot, but like any new legislator, boomers will have to pace themselves to avoid burnout and information overload, he explained.
Are statehouses likely to fulfill baby boomers’ quest for meaningful second careers? “Most legislators choose to run for re-election — that is evidence the job is rewarding,” said Karl Kurtz, a director at NCSL.
Story originally published by Stateline.org. Contact Christine Vestal at [email protected]
Bringing Back Thank-You With $20,000 Kindness Prize
The first annual National Thank You Day launches this month with a contest to search for one small deed that deserves one big thank you. Sponsored by merci® European Chocolates, in collaboration with the celebrity etiquette expert, Peggy Post, the Thank You Day contest hopes to encourage people to remember and recognize everyday acts of kindness by nominating someone whose good deed deserves a grand prize valued up to $20,000.
“The simple words, thank you, have the power to make our world a more civil place,” says Post, spokesperson for National Thank You Day. “When you express appreciation, you can’t help but notice its positive impact. These words, when sincerely expressed in any form, can bring happiness, change attitudes and influence people.”
Post will present a deluxe thank you in person with a prize valued at up to $20,000 to the winner on Monday, September 24, 2007, the debut of National Thank You Day.
To enter someone in the contest, nominators are asked to write an essay of up to 150 words about who they would like to nominate and why, and submit it by August 24. The grand prize winner will be selected by Peggy Post, among other judges.
National Thank You Day, to be held annually on the last Monday of September, was inspired by the findings of a recent survey* conducted by merci and The Emily Post Institute that found that while 87.3 percent of Americans said they are bothered when people don’t say thank you, 90.2 percent feel that they don’t say thank you enough. The 1,088 people surveyed believed saying please, thank you and you’re welcome are the most important good manners to observe, followed by practicing patience while waiting in lines.
One hundred first prize winners will receive an autographed copy of Post’s latest book, Excuse Me, But I Was Next: How to Handle the Top 100 Manners Dilemmas,
Details and entry forms are available at www.nationalthankyouday.com
*Impulse Research Corporation conducted the Thank You Survey in June 2007 for merci Finest Assortment of European Chocolates in collaboration with the Emily Post Institute through an online survey of a random sample of 1,088 men and women, ages 35 to 54, with an overall sampling error rate of +/- 3 percent.