Loggerhead nestings have reached record high levels in South Africa, a positive sign for the endangered marine turtle. There were over 2,000 loggerhead nestings found along a 56 km stretch of the northern KwaZulu Natal coastline — the highest number recorded in 43 years — according to monitoring conducted by the World Wildlife Fund over the 2005–06 season.
Sea Turtles Nesting in Record Numbers on African Coast
U.S. and Iraq Invite Iran and Syria to ‘Neighbors Meeting’
In an about-face, the U.S. joined Iraq in a new diplomatic initiative to invite Iran and Syria to a “neighbours meeting” to discuss stabilizing Iraq. President Bush had been counseled by his own "Iraq study group" to engage with the two nations but had, until now, resisted. (AP story)
Consumers Stand Up for Rights in UK Banks, Stadiums
"People are exhibiting a steadfast refusal to put up with unfair high prices or shoddy standards, sometimes harnessing the power of the internet to fight back. Yesterday the number of people thought to be taking action against the banks over excessive charges for overdrafts or bounced cheques topped one million. Banks are forecast to lose at least £50m from this unprecedented consumer revolt, which is gathering pace by the day." (Details in the London Independent)
Iraqi Sectarian Lines Dissolve Each Friday Night
“At last, the warring factions in Iraq seem to have found something they agree on. Every Friday night, Iraqis gather around their TVs to root for Shada Hassoon, 25, as she tries to sing her way to victory and a big cash prize on Star Academy, an Arab-world talent competition… Recently she prepared to sing Baghdad, a famous old song that describes a great city of moonlight, riches and beauty. She wept during the televised rehearsal.” (Story in USA Today)
Click to WATCH her on the show.
Month to Remember All the ‘Sweetie Pies’
"Each year during Black History Month, the country focuses largely on the great African-American leaders of the past. However, thousands of lesser-known African-Americans deserve recognition too. Who are they? People like my maternal grandmother, Marjorie Day, who we affectionately call "Sweetie Pie." At age 92 she still has pep in her step. Sweetie Pie represents a generation of African-Americans whose names can’t be found in any almanac, but these senior saints helped many blacks achieve success." (Read full essay by U.S. Army Chaplain James Key in USA Today)
REMINDER: Free Tele-Seminar March 4, Finding Gratitude in the Toughest Situations
RESENTMENT CAN BLOCK OUR HAPPINESS!
Next Sunday "gratitude author" Harry Tucker and I will be on the phone with our GNN readers discussing how to find gratitude in the toughest situations. Find out how to be thankful for the trouble spots in your life in order to make room for your greater good. All the details you need to join the call are found below (click read more). Ask us your questions in advance, or join in the discussion yourself, as we open the phones to all callers. Names of those who ask a question, or join the call, will be entered to win a book, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom
Aid From Rich Nations Doubled in 4 Years
Industrialized nations are giving more economic assistance to the world’s impoverished states, revealed the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in statistics released on Jan. 29, 2007. Aid rose by 8.8 percent in 2005, the fifth consecutive annual increase, and had more than doubled since 2001.
Poor Earn Income From Trees – Without Felling Them
Entrepreneurs don’t grow on trees, but with a little help from the U.N., poor families around the world are starting their own small businesses using what is already growing on those trees. An innovative new approach from the Food and Agriculture Organization helps poor villagers in developing countries to turn forests into cash income — without felling the trees.
Singer Sarah McLachlan Diverts Video Costs to World’s Poor
Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan produced the first music video that donates the normal cost of production to people around the world who need it most — mothers, babies, hospitals, schools. For instance, the hair and makeup expenses for a video shoot, about $5,000 a day, provided schooling for 145 girls in Afghanistan. Some of the lyrics to World On Fire are pasted below.
Congrats to Sarah, who lists her donations here.
The world’s on fire and
It’s more than I can handle
Dive into the water
I try to pull my ship
I try to bring what I am able
Bring it to the table
I watch the heavens and I find a calling
Something I can do to change this moment
Photo: EJ Hersom for DoD News (Flickr)
Some Respect, Please, for the Afternoon Nap
A study of more than 23,000 adults in Greece shows that short naps during the day "increase productivity and creativity while reducing stress." On top of that, "those who napped for about 30 minutes each week had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from a heart attack than those who did not." (NY Times)
Man Buys Rare Copy of Declaration of Independence for $2.48
A man bought a rolled-up, yellowing parchment in a Nashville thrift shop for $2.48 that turned out to be a rare, 184-year-old copy of the Declaration of Independence worth probably a quarter million dollars. Bargain hunting pays! (AP)
Canada Court Rejects Detention Law
"Canada’s Supreme Court has struck down a controversial system that allowed the government to detain and deport foreign-born individuals… The nine judges ruled that the system, in place since 1978, which allowed a suspect to be held indefinitely or deported on the basis of evidence presented in secret – violated Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms." (BBC)
Shark-Smuggling Bust Nets $1 Million for Habitat Protection
"Leopard sharks in San Francisco Bay will benefit from fines totaling nearly a million U.S. dollars — money resulting from the bust of a massive shark-smuggling ring that had been operating locally. Fines collected from six people convicted of the crimes will be used to create a habitat restoration fund for the sharks." (Nat’l Geographic News)
Cop Who Ticketed Himself Reaps Praise
KEWASKUM, Wis. — “A police chief who ticketed himself (and docked his driver’s license four points) after passing a parked school bus says that he has received congratulatory e-mails from all over the globe and that he has even turned down money to cover the fine.”
(READ the AP article in CTV)
First Beaver Spotted in NYC in 200 Years
"Beavers have returned to New York City for the first time since colonial days when the animals were hunted to extinction for their pelts. The appearance of the animal in the Bronx river, probably having swam downstream from Westchester County, is a symbol of New York City’s improving urban environment." (MongaBay.com)
New Year’s Resolutions Falling Apart?
How are you doing on those 2007 New Year’s Resolutions? Are your goals for better health and more happiness falling to the bottom of your To-Do list? Maybe you’d like the help of an astrologer, energy healer, yoga teacher or natural products to enhance your health and home — or if you’d like to advertise your own services that help others. Visit GNN’s 500 Good Things, a list of Web sites and good stuff that can make life more positive and productive in the coming year…
Bus Riders Get Free Yoga Sessions on Way to Work
Commuters in Tel Aviv can catch the "yoga bus" on Tuesdays and reduce their stress with the free instructions on deep breathing and stretching. (AP reports, with photo)
IKEA Takes a Stand Against Plastic Bags
The number of plastic bags used in the United States that end up in landfills is staggering — some 100 billion bags, which represents a recycling rate of less than one percent. Most Americans will use the bags only once to tote a purchase, yet the plastic persists on our planet for up to a thousand years.
IKEA home furnishing stores may be the first major company in the country to take a stand against the ubiquitous waste. The Swedish manufacturer will no longer be offering customers free plastic bags…
Free Tele-Seminar March 4- Find the Gratitude in Your Life, Despite the Conditions
FREE TELE-SEMINAR:
Join me and my special guest, Harry Tucker, on Sunday, March 4 at 8:30 pm EST, for a discussion on gratitude. Find out how you can be thankful for the good things in your life, despite your perceptions to the contrary (more details in full article). Send us your questions or join in the discussion yourself as we open the phones to all who call in! For all who ask a question via advance e-mail or live on-the-air, your names will be entered to win a copy of the book, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom