Did you know that this year the deadline for filing U.S. Tax Form 1040 is Tuesday, April 17? Americans have two additional days because April 15th falls on a Sunday and April 16th is a legal holiday in the District of Columbia. Great news, but what happens if I miss the deadline? Find out from GNN’s featured tax expert, Julian Block…
This Year’s Tax Deadline, April 17th, Gives More Time To File
L.A. to Turn Sludge into Clean Energy
Great news from the LA Times: “Los Angeles city officials broke ground Thursday on a renewable-energy project in San Pedro they touted as an innovative way to produce electricity for about 3,000 homes while saving money, reducing truck traffic on local roadways and cutting greenhouse emissions. The mayor says the plan, which will make money, is “absolutely electrifying.”
Pit Bull Dies Saving 2 Women From Cobra
A pit bull terrier named Chief died saving two women from a cobra attack in the Philippines. "The snake entered through an opening in the family’s kitchen and struck twice at the women. Twice, the dog dashed from a corner and shielded them." At the dog’s funeral, a local pit bull club president addressed what he said was a misperception about the breed, "They are not natural-born killers; they are gentle and very loyal to their masters." (Manilla Times)
Malaysian Saves 100 from Sinkhole
“A Malaysian man paying a late-night visit to the toilet has saved about 100 people from being buried in the rubble of their homes, reports say.” (BBC) Kindly submitted by Andrew Norris.
School Enrollment Rates Double in Southern Sudan
The number of students enrolled in school in southern Sudan has more than doubled since the end of the long-running civil war two years ago, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, which is backing a local campaign to provide hundreds of new or renovated classrooms and millions of schoolbooks, pencils and other materials to encourage better enrollment rates.
Cat Saves Family From Poisonous Fumes
A 14-year-old Indiana cat saved a family whose home was filling with deadly — though odorless — carbon monoxide. In the middle of the night, Winnie the cat jumped up and down wildly, while screeching madly, to spur the family into action. (AP via MSNBC)
7 Ways to Make Yourself Happier in the Next Hour
You can make yourself happier — and it doesn’t have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now. In the next hour, check off as many of the following items as possible. Each of these accomplishments will lift your mood, as will the mere fact that you’ve tackled and achieved some concrete goals. The first one is to boost your energy, which can be an easy, quick transformation…
1. Boost your energy: stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better, take a brisk ten-minute walk outside. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up, and the activity and sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information. Plus, because of “emotional contagion,” if you act energetic, you’ll help the people around you feel energetic too.
2. Reach out to friends: make a lunch date or send an email to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Having warm, close bonds with other people is one of the keys to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch. Somewhat surprisingly, it turns out that socializing boosts the moods not only of extroverts, but also of introverts.
3. Rid yourself of a nagging task: answer a difficult e-mail, purchase something you need, or call to make that dentist’s appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and cheer, and you’ll be surprised that you procrastinated for so long.
4. Create a calmer environment: clear some physical and mental space around your desk by sorting papers, pitching junk, stowing supplies, sending out quick responses, filing, or even just making your piles neater. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizeable dent. Try to get in the habit of using the “one minute rule” — i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute. An uncluttered environment will contribute to a more serene mood.
5. Lay the groundwork for some future fun: order a book you’ve been wanting to read (not something you think you should read) or plan a weekend excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theater — whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is an important part of that pleasure. Try to involve friends or family, as well; people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.
6. Do a good deed: make an e-mail introduction of two people who could help each other, or set up a blind date, or shoot someone a piece of useful information or gratifying praise. Do good, feel good — this really works. Also, although we often believe that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. When you act in a friendly way, you’ll strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.
7. Act happy: put a smile on your face right now, and keep smiling. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile has a positive influence on your emotions — turns out that just going through the motion of happiness brightens your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.
Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal. To the contrary. Studies show that happier people are more sociable, likeable, healthy, and productive — and they’re more inclined to help other people. So in working to boost your own happiness, you’re benefiting others as well.
Feel happier yet?
Gretchen Rubin is writing The Happiness Project, an account of the year she spent test-driving the current scientific studies and wisdom of the ages about how to be happy. On her popular blog, The Happiness Project, she recounts her day-to-day adventures as she strives to be happier.
7 Ways to Make Yourself Happier in the Next Hour
You can make yourself happier — and it doesn’t have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now. In the next hour, check off as many of the following items as possible. Each of these accomplishments will lift your mood, as will the mere fact that you’ve tackled and achieved some concrete goals. The first one is to boost your energy, which can be an easy, quick transformation…
World Bank Gives Africa $164.5 Million for Internet Connections
The World Bank approved a financing package of US$164.5 million in grants and credits for Kenya, Burundi and Madagascar to establish high-speed connectivity to make the countries more competitive…
Schoolgirl Hero Acted on Common Sense to Save Busload
“A Queensland schoolgirl who police say may have saved the lives of a busload of students with her quick wits and steely nerve has shrugged off her bravery, saying it was just common sense.” (…and, it was. She was raised on a farm, operating machinery, so downshifting the bus to first gear as the driver slumped was her first move.) Brisbane Times has two reports here, and here.
The Martin Luther King of Football Dies (Tribute)
Eddie Robinson, the legendary football coach of Grambling State University for 56 years, has passed on but is being hailed as one of the most decent, inspiring, motivational figures for black men of the last half century. He transformed the small historically black college in Louisiana into a powerhouse of football talent. Given little money or staff and barely a field to practice on when he arrived in 1941, he eventually guided more than 200 players into the NFL and won 408 games over his expansive career. Most inspiring though was the way he stood his ground in the deep south as a proud man in the face of Jim Crow laws and a college football good-ol’-boy’s network that implied no black man could do as well as a white man…
1 Minute Motivator: Getting Started on a Project (Video)
I would like to introduce Ed Smith, of the Bright Moment cable TV show broadcast in Northern New Jersey and the Bright Moment radio show (now online). He wants to give you action-oriented advice on reaching your peak performance. His One Minute Motivators are now on YouTube and I’d like to feature my favorites. Today’s advice from Ed is regarding how to get started on a project you’ve been procrastinating on…
After Supreme Court Ruling, California Free to Set Tough Emission Standards
By a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court has assigned the problem of greenhouse gases and auto emissions firmly under the purview of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which will likely force action on cafe standards. The ruling is cheered by states like California which are demanding carmakers limit vehicle emissions like carbon dioxide. The Sierra Club said this is "probably the most important Supreme Court environmental ruling in history." (Cincinnati Post)
$10 Million Prize Offered for Best 100-mpg Car
The X PRIZE Foundation, the organization that awarded the $10 million prize for a workable private spacecraft, is launching an Automotive X PRIZE for the team that can deliver a super-efficient vehicle that is mass-marketable and can exceed 100 miles per gallon…
U.S. Supreme Court Gives Boost to Environmental Groups on Power Plant Cleanup
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously supported a federal clean-air bill that "forces power companies in the U.S. to install pollution control equipment on aging coal-fired power plants." Duke Energy Corp. lost the case, which is similar to dozens of others pending, but says it has other arguments to pursue in its fight to resist the upgrades. (AP)
$500 Million Pledge to Reverse Childhood Obesity in U.S.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today announced it will commit at least $500 million over the next five years to tackle childhood obesity. The goal is to reverse the epidemic by 2015 and to bestow a seriousness on the issue, calling it one of the most urgent public health threats facing the United States…
15 British Sailors Released as Gift from Iran
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says 15 British naval personnel captured in the Gulf are free to leave… and said they were being released as a "gift" to Britain." (BBC)
Mankind Has Never Been Healthier, Wealthier or Freer. Surprised?
Environmentalists and globalization foes are united in their fear that greater population and consumption of energy, materials, and chemicals accompanying economic growth, technological change and free trade—the mainstays of globalization—degrade human and environmental well-being. Indeed, the 20th century saw the United States’ population multiply by four, income by seven, carbon dioxide emissions by nine, use of materials by 27, and use of chemicals by more than 100. Yet, overall, the world has never been healthier, wealthier or freer…
Jerusalem Church Leaders Call for End to Hamas Embargo
Leaders of churches in Jerusalem in an Easter message have urged Christians around the world to work to end an international financial boycott of the Palestinian government imposed after the Islamist Hamas movement came to power in 2006.
"We would ask that you make a particular effort to encourage your particular nation to stop the embargo imposed upon us and to restore aid to the Palestinians."…
Laser Therapy Spares the Scalpel and the Chemo
"Imagine you could treat cancer by taking a pill, then directing a laser light toward the location of the tumor. The growth would dissolve with no chemotherapy, and no harm to healthy tissue. It might sound futuristic, but a select number of cancer patients already benefit from the method." (Wired.com) Here’s a fact sheet on Photodynamic Therapy from the Cancer Society.