Finding Homeless People Living in the Woods Motivates Starbucks Manager

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Jun 19, 2012

A regional manager at Starbucks in Fredericksburg, Virginia discovered that there were homeless people living in the woods behind the shopping malls, where they stay unnoticed. She decided to help, collecting hotel toiletries, socks, and money, and delivering them, along with other Starbucks employees, to the dozens of people encamped back there.

“For all the customers who come in to Starbucks and buy Ethiopian Fair Trade coffee or water to pay for village wells or mugs to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, Kelly has provided a cause that’s a little closer to home,” reports the Washington Post.

A lawyer, who is a regular customer in the cafe, also donated his time creating a non-profit organization for the group to work under.

(READ the story in the Washington Post)

Photo by miekaspop, via Morguefile – Thanks to Craig Withers for sending the link!

Brilliant Mr. Rogers Remix: Garden of Your Mind

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Jun 19, 2012

When PBS discovered video mash-up artist John D. Boswell on YouTube, they immediately hoped to collaborate. It turns out that Boswell is a huge Mister Rogers Neighborhood fan, and was thrilled to get the opportunity to pay tribute to the Public Television hero.

The video below uses an auto-tune method of transforming words into musical tones. This is the first in a planned series of PBS icons set to be remixed.

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Wounded GIs Build Fancy Cars and New Lives

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Jun 19, 2012

Soldiers rehab with Automotivation-OperationComfort

The “Automotivation” program began eight years ago after the founder of San Antonio-based Operation Comfort talked with a soldier in Brooke Army Medical Center’s burn ward.

Aaron Coates was so badly injured after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his fuel truck that the gear shift knob and steering wheel melted into his hands.

She said to Aaron, “What on earth can I do to make you use what hands you’ve got?” He replied, “If you put an engine block out there on that patio area I’d be working on it 24/7.”

Now, a cadre of war-wounded veterans are determined to rebuild lives through the assembly of unique vehicles.

(READ the story in the Houston Chronicle)

Viet Nam Ranks Second on the Happy Planet Index

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Jun 18, 2012

Despite complaints of traffic jams and overcrowded hospitals and schools, Viet Nam is considered the second happiest country in the world in terms of sustainable well-being — behind Costa Rica.

The ranking, called the Happy Planet Index, was compiled and released by the New Economics Foundation, a UK independent think tank that wanted to create an index that measured the sustainability of a country and the happiness of its people (summing up how efficient is their happiness).

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Deal Between Rival Candidates Keeps Attack Ads Off the Air in Mass.

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Jun 18, 2012

In the tight Massachusetts Senate race, GOP incumbent Scott Brown and his Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, have signed a deal to discourage third party groups from running television, radio and online ads in Massachusetts.

At this point, at least, their pleas seem to have been heard.

And the two are leading by example: Voters are not hearing any caustic negative advertising because each of the candidates is airing a variety of positive ads, instead.

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Red Carpet Dreams Come True for 14-year-old Fashion Designer with Cancer

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Jun 18, 2012

When MTV host Aliya-Jasmine Sovani walks the red carpet at the MuchMusic Video Awards this Sunday night in a one-of a-kind sparkly purple number, she’ll be making dreams come true – those of the 14-year-old dressmaker who’s long aspired to be a designer to the stars.

In just seven days, Hiba Allam, the student designer diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last July, brought to life one of the the many sketches she made during long and sometimes lonely hospital visits, along with the help of Ottawa-based designer Richard Robinson, to create Sovani’s red carpet look.

(READ the story in Elle Canada)

Thanks to Anne Corke for sending the link!

‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish’: The Best Quotes From Graduation 2012

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Jun 17, 2012

Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, and J.K. Rowling have all lit fires in the bellies of graduates with their words.

Whether or not you’ve walked across that stage, commencement speeches can be helpful, no matter your age.

HLNTV.com posted their 12 favorite graduation quotes here, which can inspire any graduate.

More poignant, NBC Nightly News edited their annual homage to college graduates, featuring some of the best moments from the season of 2012 on video.

(Watch that video below)

‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish’: The Best Quotes From Graduation 2012

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Good News Network

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Jun 17, 2012

Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, and J.K. Rowling have all lit fires in the bellies of graduates with their words.

Whether or not you’ve walked across that stage, commencement speeches can be helpful, no matter your age.

HLNTV.com posted their 12 favorite graduation quotes here, which can inspire any graduate.

More poignant, NBC Nightly News edited their annual homage to college graduates, featuring some of the best moments from the season of 2012 on video.

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Aung San Suu Kyi Finally Claims her Nobel Peace Prize, 21 years Later

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Jun 17, 2012

Aung San Suu Kyi - CC photo by Htoo Tay Zar

Aung San Suu Kyi received two standing ovations inside Oslo’s city hall as she gave her long-delayed acceptance speech 21 years after she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her unflagging support for democracy in the face of arrest and imprisonment in her military-controlled homeland of Myanmar.

The 66-year-old champion of political freedom praised the power of her 1991 Nobel honor both for saving her from the depths of personal despair and shining an enduring spotlight on injustices in distant Myanmar.

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Father’s Day 2012: The Most Awesome Dads Of The Year

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Jun 17, 2012

The Huffington Post has compiled some of the best stories of creative dads, selfless dads, supportive-of-their-gay-son dads, and funny dads.

In celebration of Father’s Day, they put together a slideshow of ten of their favorite dads from the last six months.

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Music Star Taylor Swift is Role Model of Philanthropy

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Steve Ghent

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Jun 17, 2012

When we’re used to our pop stars making headlines by behaving badly or entering rehab for the fourth time, it’s always a pleasure to report on country star Taylor Swift, whose many charitable actions are an inspiration.

In May she donated $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in her hometown of Nashville.

This is only the latest in philanthropic efforts over the past several years by Ms. Swift, who has also donated thousands of books to a Pennsylvania library near her birthplace and supported the Red Cross.

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Aussies Petition Their Government, Secure Historic Marine Protection for Coral Sea

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Jun 16, 2012

Pushed by a chorus of 486,900 citizens, the Australian government announced Thursday their intention to create the world’s largest marine reserve, a highly protected zone in the Coral Sea stretching almost 200,000 square miles — a historic moment for ocean conservation in Australia and globally.

Australia’s Coral Sea, east of the Great Barrier Reef, is one of the last remaining intact tropical ocean ecosystems in the world where populations of large ocean predators – sharks, tunas, and marlin – have not been severely reduced. The waters are home to healthy coral reefs, atolls, cays, and islands that provide shelter to reef fish, sea turtles, and seabirds.

Equivalent in size to Spain, the Coral Sea marine national park will be safeguarded from all extractive activity, including mining, oil and gas development, and fishing. In addition, its creation will ensure the protection of more than a third of its namesake fragile coral reefs.

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Aussies Petition Their Government, Secure Historic Marine Protection for Coral Sea

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Good News Network

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Jun 16, 2012

Pushed by a chorus of 486,900 citizens, the Australian government announced Thursday their intention to create the world’s largest marine reserve, a highly protected zone in the Coral Sea stretching almost 200,000 square miles — a historic moment for ocean conservation in Australia and globally.

Australia’s Coral Sea, east of the Great Barrier Reef, is one of the last remaining intact tropical ocean ecosystems in the world where populations of large ocean predators – sharks, tunas, and marlin – have not been severely reduced. The waters are home to healthy coral reefs, atolls, cays, and islands that provide shelter to reef fish, sea turtles, and seabirds.

Equivalent in size to Spain, the Coral Sea marine national park will be safeguarded from all extractive activity, including mining, oil and gas development, and fishing. In addition, its creation will ensure the protection of more than a third of its namesake fragile coral reefs.

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Millions in Insurance Rebates on the Way to US Consumers, Businesses

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Jun 16, 2012

Due to a rule in the 2010 Affordable Care Act, US health insurers generally have to spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care and quality, not administrative overhead or marketing. Insurers that don’t meet or exceed this standard, are sending millions in rebates back to the consumer.

In May, insurers were required to report the refunds that will be sent out later this summer:

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has announced that it will pay $8.6 million to about 73,000 individual policyholders in August because they spent less than 80 percent of premiums on health care.
In Arizona, more than $36 million in refunds will go to both consumers and small businesses. One insurer in the state, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, alone will pay out an estimated $8.7 million to more than 77,000 individual policyholders, and another $3.2 million to more than 3,700 small businesses. United Healthcare’s Golden Rule Insurance will refund nearly $8.7 million to more than 30,000 additional Arizona policyholders.
Two insurers in California will pay out more than $50 million in rebates to nearly 1 million customers statewide.

The rule encourages insurers to give you better value for your premium dollar and holds them accountable if they don’t. This is just one way the new health care law is helping American families and businesses get a fair deal when it comes to their health care.

(Source: The White House)

City Tries to Curb Panhandling With Puppies and Stipends

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Jun 16, 2012

When it comes to tackling San Francisco’s entrenched panhandling problem, City Hall has tried just about everything: laws banning sitting on sidewalks, teams of service providers and an employment program to get them hired.

But it’s never tried puppies – until now.

Starting Aug. 1, the city – in a program believed to be the first of its kind in the country – will exchange a small stipend for fostering problematic puppies at the city’s Animal Care and Control, making them ready for adoption.

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Surprise Marriage Proposal for Fan at Foster the People Concert

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Jun 15, 2012

Concert proposal onstage with Foster the People

Will Staney contacted the rock band, Foster the People, via Twitter, asking if he could ‘pop the question’ to his girlfriend on their stage during an upcoming show.

Mark Foster was happy to oblige, and gave backstage passes to Will and his friends for the June 5 concert in Austin, Texas.

His girlfriend of two years, Mallary, had no idea why the singer suddenly called out to Will to join him onstage.

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Surprise Marriage Proposal for Fan at Foster the People Concert

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Jun 15, 2012

Will Staney contacted the rock band, Foster the People, via Twitter, asking if he could ‘pop the question’ to his girlfriend on their stage during an upcoming show.

Mark Foster was happy to oblige, and gave backstage passes to Will and his friends for the June 5 concert in Austin, Texas.

His girlfriend of two years, Mallary, had no idea why the singer suddenly called out to Will to join him onstage.

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9-Year-old Silenced By Politicians Has Changed School Lunches Forever

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Jun 15, 2012

A blog started by 9-year-old Martha Payne of western Scotland document in photos the daily lunches she was being served in her public primary school, and it has led to sweeping changes.

“Payne started blogging in early May and her lunch photos went viral in days,” reports Wired. “She had a million viewers within a few weeks; was written up in Time, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail; and got support from TV chef Jamie Oliver, whose series “Jamie’s School Dinners” kicked off school-food reform in England.”

Yesterday, Martha was called out of class, and though her school officials had been very gracious about her food blog, the higher-ups in officialdom had had enough. She was forbidden from taking any more photos of her dinner plate.

CHECK OUT: Lego Releases Female Scientist Toy After 7-year-old Girl Complains

Her delightful blog, Never Seconds, is still racking up dozens of views every minute. It also features full plates from other schools around the world, the photos having been emailed from students in Vietnam, China, Taiwan and America.

The girl has also channeled her newly found celebrity into a fundraiser for a charity, Mary’s Meals, that feeds African children while at school. Donations are up to $35,000.

EDITOR’S UPDATE: Just hours ago, following widespread anger over the decision, and in response to a request from Scotland’s education minister, the local council reversed their ban on Martha taking pictures of her school lunches. [Great news, because I’ve become addicted to her clever writing.]

(READ the full story from Wired)

Thanks to Sandy DeBoice for sending the link!

9-Year-old Silenced By Politicians Has Changed School Lunches Forever

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Jun 15, 2012

For the past two months, one of my favorite reads has been a blog started by 9-year-old Martha Payne of western Scotland to document in photos the daily lunches she was being served in her public primary school.

Payne started blogging in early May and her lunch photos went viral in days. She had a million viewers within a few weeks; was written up in Time, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail; and got support from TV chef Jamie Oliver, whose series “Jamie’s School Dinners” kicked off school-food reform in England.

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Superhero Art Tour for Real-World Famine Relief

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Jun 15, 2012

A new national art exhibit launched by DC Entertainment will shine a light on the company’s efforts to raise awareness and money for the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

The exhibition, Darkness & Light: Art Inspired by Heroes & Villains, Hope & Heroism, opening this month in Portland and traveling to other cities this summer, features new contemporary art inspired by the DC Comics’ superheroes paired with real world photography that depicts the everyday heroes fighting hunger in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. From the Super Heroes that fight for justice in the comic world, to the human heroes who make a difference every day in the real world, Darkness & Light tells the story of those working tirelessly to help the people of the Horn of Africa fight the hunger crisis.

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