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Obama Plays Comedian-in-Chief at Media Correspondents Dinner (Video)

Obama laughs podium

Obama laughs podiumOn Saturday night, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the annual social event that has been held since 1920. In keeping with tradition, the President poked fun at himself and the news coverage he’s received from the reporters in attendance.

As one of Washington, DC’s most anticipated nights of the year, the dinner honors the work of White House journalists and raises money for grant scholarships to journalism students.

WATCH President Obama’s full speech below:

Quark Super-collider Researchers Discover New Subatomic Particle

Super collider CERN photo

Super collider CERN photoEuropean researchers say they have discovered a new subatomic particle that helps confirm our knowledge about how quarks bind — one of the basic forces in the shaping of matter.

The CERN physics research center said Friday that the particle was predicted long ago, but finding it was “really kind of a classic tour de force of experimental work.”

Known as an excited neutral Xi-b baryon, the particle could not be detected directly because it was too unstable.

Good News From Greece Fills New Positive Website

Athens by Rob and Lisa Meehan-CC

Athens skyline, Photo by Rob and Lisa Meehan -CCWith all the disheartening news bombarding the Greek people over the past year, a new website has been launched to offer some relief.

Good News Greece purports to be the first news agency to highlight the positive side of what is happening in Greece.

“Our goal is to showcase every person, team, idea, technology or innovation that deserves to be an example for the Greece of the future,” says lead editor Dimitris Polymenopoulos.

Good News From Greece Fills New Positive Website

Athens by Rob and Lisa Meehan-CC

Athens skyline, Photo by Rob and Lisa Meehan -CCWith all the disheartening news bombarding the Greek people over the past year, a new website has been launched to offer some relief.

Good News Greece purports to be the first news agency to highlight the positive side of what is happening in Greece.

“Our goal is to showcase every person, team, idea, technology or innovation that deserves to be an example for the Greece of the future,” says lead editor Dimitris Polymenopoulos.

Today is ‘Drug Take-Back Day’ to Safely Dispose of Unwanted Prescription Drugs

pillls - Photo by Ron Bergeron via morguefile.com

pills-for-pain-morguefile-ron-bergeronThe Drug Enforcement Administration has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to take place at thousands of sites around the U.S. today. This is a great opportunity for those who have accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications. Check out collection sites near you on their website using your zip code.

During the third Drug Take-Back Day in 2011, Americans turned in more than 188.5 tons of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal. The 5,327 drop off locations were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

US Air Pollution Hits 10-year Low, Report Finds

Los Angeles skyline by Nserrano -CC

Los Angeles skyline by Nserrano -CCA report by the American Lung Association finds that air pollution has fallen to its lowest levels since the group began collecting data in 2000.

The nonprofit organization credits the Clean Air Act for the trend toward tougher environmental standards for airborne smog and soot and the cleanup of major air pollution sources, such as coal-fired power plants and the fleet of older, dirtier SUVs, pick-up trucks, vans, and diesel engines.

Obama Honors Burbank Middle School’s Best as 2012 Teacher of the Year

Obama with Teacher of Year 2012 -WH photo

Obama with Teacher of Year 2012 -WH photoIn a country blessed with an abundance of extraordinary educators, what does it take to stand out as the Teacher of the Year? According to President Obama, who honored Rebecca Mieliwocki, a 7th grade English teacher from Los Angeles County, it is passion that makes great teachers go “above and beyond.”

Rebecca first aspired to be a lawyer, then worked in publishing, floral designing and event planning. As the daughter of two public school teachers, she eventually found her true passion back in the classroom.

“When kids finish a year in Rebecca’s class, they’re better readers and writers than when they started,” said the President.

“But even more than that, they know how important they are. And they understand how bright their futures can be. And they know that if they work at it, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.”

The President and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan welcomed Mieliwocki and all the recipients of the nation’s highest honor for educators, the 2012 National and State Teachers of the Year, to the White House for a ceremony in the East Room Tuesday.

Mieliwocki is known for unconventional and fun techniques developed during her 13-year teaching career, reported the L.A. Daily Breeze.

(WATCH the video below from MSNBC – Read more via NPR)

The Best Cancer Ever

diver against blue sky - Photo by Sun Star

diver against blue sky - Photo by Sun StarMike Stevens is one of the funniest guys I know. In spite of getting wrung through the soul-flattenin’, hand-crankin’ washing machine of cancer treatment — a dozen rounds of chemo, a lobectomy, gamma knife surgery, and two clinical trials — he’s always quick to laugh, crack a joke, or break into an enormous smile.

He regularly speaks, live, before large groups of people. As a cancer superstar, a stage-4 lung cancer patient who’s outlived his prognosis by five years or so, he makes himself available to news media and at fundraisers, most recently the San Diego Breath of Hope, where he raised more money for the Lung Cancer Alliance than anyone else.

“Who thinks that cancer is the best thing that ever happened to you?” Mike often begins his speeches.

The Best Cancer Ever

diver against blue sky - Photo by Sun Star

diver against blue sky - Photo by Sun StarMike Stevens is one of the funniest guys I know. In spite of getting wrung through the soul-flattenin’, hand-crankin’ washing machine of cancer treatment — a dozen rounds of chemo, a lobectomy, gamma knife surgery, and two clinical trials — he’s always quick to laugh, crack a joke, or break into an enormous smile.

He regularly speaks, live, before large groups of people. As a cancer superstar, a stage-4 lung cancer patient who’s outlived his prognosis by five years or so, he makes himself available to news media and at fundraisers, most recently the San Diego Breath of Hope, where he raised more money for the Lung Cancer Alliance than anyone else.

“Who thinks that cancer is the best thing that ever happened to you?” Mike often begins his speeches.

Ford Cuts Global Waste by 100 Million Pounds and Counting

Ford painting plant

Ford painting plantThis week the Ford Motor Company announced impressive results in efforts to cut waste produced in its factories worldwide. Since 2007, the car company has slashed in half its waste that would otherwise ship to landfills in North America and reduced by 44 percent its global waste output — a total of 100 million pounds.

Expanding on the success, Ford plans to further reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills by 10% per vehicle by the end of the year. If successful, that means the company would generate about 20 pounds of waste per vehicle on a global basis – roughly the weight of one tire.

Ford Cuts Global Waste by 100 Million Pounds and Counting

Ford painting plant

Ford painting plantThis week the Ford Motor Company announced impressive results in efforts to cut waste produced in its factories worldwide. Since 2007, the car company has slashed in half its waste that would otherwise ship to landfills in North America and reduced by 44 percent its global waste output — a total of 100 million pounds.

Expanding on the success, Ford plans to further reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills by 10% per vehicle by the end of the year. If successful, that means the company would generate about 20 pounds of waste per vehicle on a global basis – roughly the weight of one tire.

Newborn Fawn Found Nestled on Doorstep (Video)

fawn on doorstep-YouTube

fawn on doorstep-YouTubeA California photographer found a baby fawn curled up on a cozy welcome mat at the front door of his mother’s house.

He posted this video on YouTube after calling animal control officers, who told him the fawn was probably regaining its strength after leaving the womb, and to leave the creature alone until its mother came to take it away.

6 Moms We’d Like to Go to Work With on Take Your Daughter to Work Day

Tina Fey, by David Shankbone-GNU

Tina Fey, by David Shankbone-GNU

Today is Take Your Daughter (and Sons) to Work Day, and while we don’t begrudge the right of kids to tail their parents on this special day, we can’t help but feel a little jealous of what some of them get to experience. Moms working in television, business, politics, and even Olympic-level athletic competition undoubtedly have some really cool jobs to drop in on, and we’ve picked several of our favorite working moms that we’d like to spend a day with. Read and imagine what it would be like to go to work with these awesome working moms today.

1. Tina Fey

“30 Rock” already gives us an idea of what it’s like to work with writer and actor Tina Fey, and that’s exactly why we’d most like to visit her on the set, especially on a day when the cast is performing the show LIVE. We imagine that we’d spend the day picking up gems of witty wisdom like, “Work won’t visit you when you’re old. Work won’t drive you to get a mammogram and take you out for soup.” We’d love to go to work with Tina Fey to get a peek at how she brings it all together with her razor-sharp wit, and maybe share a few bacon-flavored Twinkies.

Kari Byron, Ray Sampson-CC2. Kari Byron

As a busy working mom, Kari Byron fully admits that her personal time and the opportunity to paint her nails on a regular basis have really suffered. But we have to believe that finding the time to be a mom to her young daughter Stella Ruby as a female geek icon of “MythBusters” fame  is worth the sacrifice. Byron’s days are full of playful exploration and experiments. She often gets to shoot at things and blow stuff up, something she actually gets paid to do, and we’d love to be there to see her do it in person.

Michelle Obama-CC3. Michelle Obama

We’re just going to lay it out there: we really want to know what it’s like to be a First Lady — but only for a day. We can’t imagine the stress Mrs. Obama is under on a regular basis, but getting a sneak peek sure seems like it would be an eye-opening experience. We’d love to take part in her experience of travel, meeting new people, and having the power and resources to work for the changes she wants to see in the world.

Dana Torres by Bryan Allison-CC

4. Dara Torres

Dara Torres is so inspirational as an athlete and a mom. She broke age barriers wide open, becoming the first U.S. swimmer to compete in four Olympic games, while winning nine Olympic medals and setting three world records. Remarkably, Torres retired in 2000 to start a family, but came back to continue following her dream of being a star athlete. Just three weeks after giving birth to her daughter Tessa, she broke a world record, and then went on to win three silver medals at the Beijing Olympic Games. We are so impressed by Torres’ drive for greatness, and we’d love to spend a day at work with her to find out how she stays motivated.

5. Sheryl Sandberg

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Financial Times -CC

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg is so incredible to us as a woman who is making things work, not just for herself, but for other moms. We’d love to see her in action as she supports the women of Facebook: she has created maternity leave policies and accessible child care for all Facebook offices. She’s also publicly celebrated the fact that she leaves work at 5:30 each day and encourages other working moms to do the same. But perhaps the thing we love most about Sandberg is that she is refreshingly real, admitting that “there’s no such thing as work-life balance.”

Antonia Lofaso Top Chef

6. Antonia Lofaso

Antonia Lofaso became a star chef after her appearance on reality TV show “Top Chef,” but she finds balance by keeping Sundays as a sacred mother-daughter day. We think it would be fun to work as her sous chef for the day, as she did once with daughter Xea during a charity event. It would also be great to get a sneak peek and insider tips from her new cookbook aimed at busy moms.

READ about 4 more exciting moms to go to work with at OnlineMBA.com

(Note, source material has been removed by the source.)

30 Secret Heroes of American History Revealed in New Book

Inez Boissevain-Library of Congress

Inez Boissevain-Library of CongressSecret Heroes: Everyday Americans Who Shaped Our World,” by Paul Martin, is a remarkable collection of stories that spotlight 30 unknown champions, explorers, inventors, and innovators who were forgotten in the pages of American history textbooks.

Instead of George Washington, we learn about the tailor who saved his life…twice.

The overlooked Americans in Secret Heroes all had an impact on their world (and the modern world), says the author, former Executive Editor of National Geographic Traveler. The illuminating stories include:

30 Secret Heroes of American History Revealed in New Book

Inez Boissevain-Library of Congress

Inez Boissevain-Library of CongressSecret Heroes: Everyday Americans Who Shaped Our World,” by Paul Martin, is a remarkable collection of stories that spotlight 30 unknown champions, explorers, inventors, and innovators who were forgotten in the pages of American history textbooks. 

Instead of George Washington, we learn about the tailor who saved his life…twice.

The overlooked Americans in Secret Heroes all had an impact on their world (and the modern world), says the author, former Executive Editor of National Geographic Traveler. The illuminating stories include:

College Grads’ New Company Recycles Coffee Grounds into Gourmet Mushrooms You Can Grow at Home

Mushroom kits from Back to the Roots

Mushroom kits from Back to the RootsWhen two college students in Oakland discovered they could grow mushrooms in used coffee grounds, they started a company to recycle the waste from local cafes.

Each morning the “Back To the Roots” team picks up 8,000 pounds of grounds in the back of a van for processing in their plant. They are on track this year to divert 3.5 million pounds of coffee grounds from landfills.

New Company Recycles Coffee Grounds into Gourmet Mushrooms You Can Grow at Home

Mushroom kits from Back to the Roots

Mushroom kits from Back to the RootsWhen two college students in Oakland discovered they could grow mushrooms in used coffee grounds, they started a company to recycle the waste from local cafes.

Each morning the “Back To the Roots” team picks up 8,000 pounds of grounds in the back of a van for processing in their plant. They are on track this year to divert 3.5 million pounds of coffee grounds from landfills.

Canada to Help Libya Destroy Mustard Gas Stockpiles

Mustard Gas Shells

Mustard Gas ShellsLibya will start destroying its ageing stockpiles of mustard gas within months after Canada’s donation of 4.5 million euros to the global chemical weapons watchdog, the group said Tuesday.

The Canadian donation is the largest in the history of the 15-year-old Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons  which enforces the Chemical Weapons Convention that has been joined by 188 countries.

12-year-old Saves Grandma’s Home From Foreclosure

10-year-old on internet via CBS News

10-year-old on internet via CBS NewsIn Steven’s Point, Wisconsin, a boy cared enough not only about his own grandmother, but the dozens of foster kids she had taken into her home over the years, that he took on the task of saving her house from foreclosure.

“Noah found out about the situation from eavesdropping on a conversation,” reported CBS’s Steve Hartman in February.

Determined to help his grandmother out, and keep her home available for destitute children, he posted a message on a site called Noah’s Dream Catcher Network asking for the $10,000 needed to catch up on her payments:

12-year-old Saves Grandma’s Home From Foreclosure

10-year-old on internet via CBS News

10-year-old on internet via CBS NewsIn Steven’s Point, Wisconsin, a boy cared enough not only about his own grandmother, but the dozens of foster kids she had taken into her home over the years, that he took on the task of saving her house from foreclosure.

“Noah found out about the situation from eavesdropping on a conversation,” reported CBS’s Steve Hartman in February.

Determined to help his grandmother out, and keep her home available for destitute children, he posted a message on a site called Noah’s Dream Catcher Network asking for the $10,000 needed to catch up on her payments: