Waldemar Kaminski, who quietly ran a food stand in Broadway Market for more than 50 years, has been revealed to be a self-made millionaire and philanthropist who anonymously gave millions to Buffalo charities and neighbors in need… He made his hidden fortune in the stock market, carefully investing his hard-earned money over the course of his lifetime. (6/23/06) Buffalo News
Humble Grocer Quietly Gave Away Millions
States Demand Clean Air, Adopt California’s Greenhouse Gas Limits
More states are saying the EPA doesn’t go far enough in forcing the car makers to raise emission standards in their new models. State politicians want cleaner air and are trying to force carmakers to provide it.
On Friday, Massachusetts joined Oregon, Connecticut and five other states in adopting California’s tough greenhouse gas rules, which limit the amount of carbon dioxide and other gases that can be emitted from vehicle tailpipes. These new rules would supplement federal exhaust pollutant standards. Two other states are in the process of adopting the rules.
The Washington Post reports that the status quo reaction from the Bush administration favors automakers, important because federal waivers would be needed before states can impose new rules.
NYC Courtesy Tops the World, Survey Says
Readers Digest conducted a survey in big cities to see if courtesy was dead. Are people really more rude than they were 20 years ago? The Digest sent reporters into retail establishments to see how many would hold the door, would help them pick up papers dropped by accident, would say ‘thank you’ at the register. They’ve ranked 35 cities around the world in a sort of kindness index.
The verdict was unexpected but delightful… NEW YORK City topped them all!
In the end, four out of every five people they encountered passed the Readers Digest courtesy test — making New York the most courteous city in the world. Imagine that. (All the courtesy reported here.)
First Whooping Cranes Hatch in Midwest in Over 100 Years
Last week wildlife officials in Wisconsin celebrated the birth of two whooping crane chicks marking the first time in over 100 years that a whooping crane has hatched in the wild in the Midwest.
“With the hatching of the first two wild chicks from the migratory whooping crane reintroduction, another chapter in wildlife history has been made. The journey took six long years of dedication, vision and believing it could happen — as well as the blood, sweat and occasional tears of the many partners that worked on the project. This is truly the start of a new generation of wild things…and a symbol for restoring our wild places,” said John Christian, co-chair of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership.
Warren Buffett Gives Away His Fortune
Warren Buffett, the world’s second richest man – who’s now worth $44 billion – will start giving away 85% of his wealth in July – most of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (CNN)
The Gates Foundation is focused on world health — eradicating diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis — and on improving U.S. libraries and high schools.
Black and White Twins
Both Kylie and her partner Remi Horder, 17, are of mixed race. Their mothers are both white and their fathers are black. "It doesn’t matter to us — they are just our two gorgeous little girls." …Check out this gorgeous family photo in the Daily Mail!
Afghan Rapper Wins Fans with Message of Peace
Modern music was banned in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Now one young man donning baseball cap and shades is introducing hip hop to the people and winning fans with a message of national pride and peace.
DJ Besho answers reporters’ questions in English. "My message is peace, a fight against drugs, against the people that do not try to learn something for this country, to love this country, to do something for this country. The BBC-TV has a video. Here’s a little more on him at the HipHopMusic blog.
Cameroon, France Sign Africa’s First Debt-for-Nature Swap
France and Cameroon have signed a debt-for-nature swap that aims to conserve some of the most pristine and threatened rainforest in Africa. Under the agreement, at least US$25 million will be invested over the next five years to protect parts of the Congo River Basin, the world’s second largest tropical forest after the Amazon. (ENS) … yay, France…
Blogger Freed From Prison in Egypt
After six weeks in detention, Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel-Fatah was finally released Thursday. The Christian Science Monitor reported May 17:
Web community rallies to free Egyptian blogger:
Mr. Abdel-Fatah is one among hundreds of demonstrators detained last month while protesting the treatment of two judges who claimed that recent Egyptian parliamentary elections were rigged. Abdel-Fatah and his wife, Manal Hassan, published a widely read blog called Manalaa.
His blog serves as a meeting point for hundreds of Internet-savvy and politically active young Egyptians. It says, “We also offer free hosting and free aid in developing a website for any cause we find worthy or interesting and for any speech that is censored or prosecuted in Egypt.” In November 2005, the blog won a top award from Reporters Without Borders for promoting freedom of expression. Abdel-Fatah was also featured in the June 1 Time magazine.
Red Cross Connects Brothers Separated by War in Sudan
The American Red Cross of Alaska recently helped reconnect local Anchorage resident Tor Gach with his brother, who lives in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, through the home delivery of a Red Cross Message.
Originally from Sudan, Tor Gach lost contact with his brother more than a year ago, having received no replies to the multiple letters he sent. Solace finally came in an unexpected form when a Red Cross vehicle drove up to his home.
"Most of my family lives in areas of armed conflict, and I was fearful that the Red Cross were bringing me bad news about my family†. . .
Omega-3 Fish Oil Better ADHD Treatment
OMEGA-3 fish oil can be more effective than stimulant drugs like Ritalin commonly prescribed for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research. (NutraIngredients.com )
In addition to better attention and behavior, the study showed improvements in the children’s vocabulary.
“This might be attributed to enhanced reading ability, which has been found in other studies of children with learning difficulties who take fish oil,” researcher Natalie Sinnm said.
“Alternatively, it might have resulted from improvements in attention. Fish oil is believed to work via its effects on brain function. Sixty per cent of the brain is composed of fats, with the most important being polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These must be obtained through diet and can be found in dark leafy vegetables, walnuts, linseeds and oily fish.” (FishUpdate.com)
‘Mind Over Matter’ No Longer Science Fiction
Typing on a keyboard now requires only the power of the mind. Brain Computer Interfaces will provide life-changing opportunities for 10 million people with paralyzed bodies. (AFP via Physorg.com)
12-Year-Old Surgeon Certain to Cure Cancer
Akrit is an incredible boy, aged 12, living in India who performed his first sugery at seven. Now he works with 76 adults on his theoretical cure for cancer. He sees his duty as stopping “all the suffering in the world.” He is sure of himself, compassionate of others, and declares that for the sake of others, “I won’t waste my talent.”
A documentary was made about his extraordinary intelligence, you can find the entire film on youtube, but here is a clip.
Ten-Yr-Old Raises Money to Save 4000 Acres of Rainforest
A Guyana news agency reports on the Lemonade Stand in Maryland, USA that raised money to save 4000 acres of Guyana rainforest. Alex Rice and his Cub Scout Troop raised $350.00 that was matched by Conservation International (CI), and CI-Guyana… Public Service at its finest!
Homeless Find Benefits in Internet World
The wired and wireless web is allowing the homeless to better communicate with the world. (Wired)
Math is Poetry for Autistic Savant
Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant. He can perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations at breakneck speeds. But unlike other savants, who can perform similar feats, Tammet can describe how he does it. Now scientists are asking whether his exceptional abilities are the key to unlock the secrets of autism.
He doesn’t calculate these math problems in his head. He is immediately shown the answer. It started at the age of three after an epileptic seizure.
Since his epileptic fit, he has been able to see numbers as shapes, colours and textures. The number two, for instance, is a motion, and five is a clap of thunder. "When I multiply numbers together, I see two shapes. The image starts to change and evolve, and a third shape emerges. That’s the answer." (Fantastic Story and Interview in the Guardian)
EPA Unveils Trucks Promising 60% Fuel Savings, Cleaner Air, Less Noise
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with UPS, will test a new hydraulic delivery truck on the city streets of Detroit this summer that offers fuel savings, cleaner air, and less noise.
The new system replaces a truck’s transmission with hydraulics and that, combined with a low-emission diesel engine, yields a 60 percent to 70 percent saving on fuel use…The delivery company, United Parcel Service partnered with the EPA; Eaton; International Truck and Engine Corp., UPS’ largest supplier; and the Army in February 2005 to develop a green fleet of low-emissions vehicles. (AP)
More Than A Game
OPINION
Washington, D.C. – “Some people believe that football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude, it is much, much more important than that!”
With those words, former Liverpool football coach Bill Shankly inadvertently alluded to a new reality: football is not just a game, but is also an economic force, a model of globalization and, more importantly, a vehicle for conflict resolution.
Football and sports in general can play and have played a role in limiting the reaches of war and de-escalating violent situations. There are numerous examples from the 20th and 21st centuries showing just how large a role:
Arabs, Jews Clean Up Galilee Together
In the northern port town of Acre, Jewish and Arab high school students work together to transform rubbish into hand-crafted benches. And in the Galilee hills, Arab and Jewish women go for regular walks together alongside a pristine road that was once strewn with garbage.
Those are two of the activities of LINK, a non-profit environmental protection organization that brings together Arab and Jewish residents of the Galilee. The main goal of LINK is encouraging Galilee residents to participate in environmental protection programs. But an outgrowth of these activities has been an improvement in relations between Arabs and Jews. . .
Bald Eagle Population Recovers in Indiana, From Zero to 200
In the 1980’s Indiana wildlife officials imported 73 eagle chicks to raise in artificial nests at Lake Monroe, for eventual release into the wild.
The goal was five nesting pairs by 2000. Instead, there were 24 pairs by that time; since 2000, that number has almost tripled. (AP )
Today more than 200 eagles reside in Indiana, a number not seen in more than 100 years. The population in the nation overall is likewise booming, as Roger Marion reported here in March.