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Solar May Be Cheaper Than Fossil, Nuclear Power in 5 Years, GE Says

sliver panel

thin solar panelSolar power may be cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels and nuclear reactors within three to five years because of innovations, said Mark M. Little, the global research director for General Electric Co.

“If we can get solar at 15 cents a kilowatt-hour or lower, which I’m hopeful that we will do, you’re going to have a lot of people that are going to want to have solar at home.”

Barry Bonds to Pay College Costs for Kids of Beaten Baseball Fan

baseball-stadium-busch

baseball stadium, Busch fieldBaseball great Barry Bonds has quietly pledged to pay the college costs for two children whose father was attacked on opening day of the baseball season outside LA’s Dodgers stadium.

“It was extraordinary of Barry Bonds, I thought. He didn’t say anything about it to the press. This was just a gift he gave the family.”

Football Pro Steps in as Prom Date for Girl Suffering From Spina Bifida

hearts in sand sun - Photo by Sun Star

Photo by Sun StarGenerally, you wouldn’t want to hear that an NFL player went out on date with an eighth-grader. But that’s not the case with this story out of Morgantown, W.Va. That’s where Chicago Bears rookie J.T. Thomas stepped in and took the girl, who suffers from spina bifida, to her prom.

Daughter’s Tweet Results in Kidney Donation For Mom

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Photo by Sun StarFor 10 years, Kirti Dwivedi watched her mother suffer from kidney disease. When she reached out for help via social media, she said, “I never thought that we would be able to find somebody that would be willing to be a donor, let alone a match.”

Thanks to her daughter’s plea for a donor on Twitter, Kirti not only has a new kidney, but a new life too.

WATCH the video below from the Today Show — or read the story at MSNBC…

 

 

Taylor Swift Raises $750,000 For Tornado Victims With Impromptu Benefit Concert (Video)

Taylor Swift - video clip

Taylor Swift, video still via SplashTaylor Swift turned a dress rehearsal into a benefit concert and has already collected more than $750,000 for people affected by the recent deadly tornadoes in the South.

The 21-year-old country singer sold tickets to the last dress rehearsal in Nashville before kicking off her “Speak Now” tour, and is donating all the proceeds to the victims.

 

Dog Honored as Hero for Saving Owner After a Bike Accident

retriever in the waves

retriever in the wavesA golden retriever that saved the life of its owner after the man fell from his mountain bike and became paralyzed, was honored Tuesday in Austin.

Disaster struck when the man jumped a curb on his bike. Luckily, five-year old Yogi was nearby.

When the man woke up, he couldn’t move and was bleeding from the nose and mouth.

Kansas Town That was Flattened by Tornado Rebuilt Green; Can Others Do the Same?

Greensburg, Kansas is rebuilding

Greensburg, Kansas is rebuildingAs the cities and towns ravaged by tornadoes slowly shift their focus from relief efforts to long-term rebuilding, they might want to take a look at the recent history of Greensburg, Kansas.

Four years ago, the town was virtually leveled by a massive mile-and-a-half-wide twister. But the flattened landscape that was their home offered them a green opportunity, one that made a lot of business sense for homeowners and town managers. For instance, the new wind farm produces far more electricity than the town of 1,400 people consumes.

Kansas Town That was Flattened by Tornado Rebuilt Green; Can Others Do the Same?

Greensburg, Kansas is rebuilding

Greensburg, Kansas is rebuildingAs the cities and towns ravaged by tornadoes slowly shift their focus from relief efforts to long-term rebuilding, they might want to take a look at the recent history of Greensburg, Kansas.

Four years ago, the town was virtually leveled by a massive mile-and-a-half-wide twister. But the flattened landscape that was their home offered them a green opportunity, one that made a lot of business sense for homeowners and town managers. For instance, the new wind farm produces far more electricity than the town of 1,400 people consumes.

The Greatest Marriage Proposal EVER!

Ginny is taken to the movie theater and after a preview for the Hangover 2, an elaborate trailer made by her boyfriend asks for her hand in marriage. She has no idea that the entire family is in the theater to witness the young man get down on his knees to propose.

Football Star Spending the Lockout As a Substitute Teacher

Denver NFL player, and teacher, David Bruton

Denver NFL player, and teacher, David BrutonWhat does an NFL player do during months of forced lockout and unending labor disputes with football team owners?

Some athletes are working out with teammates, but Denver safety David Bruton has set himself on a different path — he’s spending the lockout as a substitute teacher at his old high school in Ohio, teaching social studies.

Celebrating Age 40 With 40 Acts of Kindness

40 charitable acts at 40 for Jennifer

40 charitable acts at 40 for JenniferCanadian Jennifer O’Connor is celebrating her 40th birthday this year by completing 40 charitable acts. Her actions are inspiring others to do good in their communities around the world.

The married mother of three has learned some lovely lessons along the way — how people strive through struggles, how small acts of kindness can comfort, and how good it feels to give.

Panera Cafe Letting Diners ‘Pay What They Can’ is a Big Success

panera-bread-flickr-samatha-celera
Flickr photo by Samatha Celera
Flickr photo by Samatha Celera

Readers of the Good News Network have followed this inspiring story from the beginning, when the first Panera Bread experimental cafe offered people hard-hit by economics a good and healthy meal.

Now, after the third donations-only restaurant proved itself a success, the verdict is in: People are good and willing to pay their fair share to help others.

The cafes allow people to pay as much or little as they can afford. The program, “Panera Cares,” is an example of a “community kitchen,” in which for-profit companies act in part like nonprofits.

(READ the new article in CS Monitor)

Obama Explores His Irish Roots on Visit to Ancestral Ireland

Obama drinks a pint in Moneygall, Ireland

Obama drinks a pint in Moneygall, IrelandPresident Obama and the first lady are in Ireland today meeting with leaders and visiting famous sites. Perhaps most excited about the trip are the villagers of Moneygall, where Barack Obama’s great-great-great grandfather hails from.

Falmouth Kearney, an Irish immigrant who left Moneygall in 1850, has — 160 years later — put the charming little town, population 300, on the map. Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was descended from one of the Kearney daughters.

The Guinness brewery even sent a master brewer to the town’s pub to ensure that when the President stops by for the traditional pint of Guinness, he gets a properly poured one.

Experts say that Obama is just 3.1 percent Irish, but Irish Americans, according to Politico, have “become fixated with turning Obama into O’bama.”

John F. Kennedy also took time during his visit to Ireland — the first by an American president — to visit his family’s ancestral home.

Later Monday, the President and first lady travel to Dublin to take part in a public celebration at College Green. Mr. Obama will address the audience at the end of the entertainment which will involve many well known Irish artists

(WATCH the video below from the Telegraph)

Oprah’s Last Show: How Fans will Cope After 25 Years (Retrospective Video)

photo by Alan Light- CC license

photo by Alan Light- CC licenseOnly three more Oprah shows to air before the end on Wednesday. They promise to be star-studded and tear-filled.

Winfrey announced in Nov. 2009 that she would end her popular daytime talk show after 25 years. Since then, she has pulled out all the stops.

Legions of loyal fans are in a state of disbelief that the woman who has been a daytime constant through four presidents, two wars and several recessions will no longer be there.

Oprah’s Last Show: How Fans will Cope After 25 Years (Retrospective Video)

photo by Alan Light- CC license

photo by Alan Light- CC licenseOnly three more Oprah shows to air before the end on Wednesday. They promise to be star-studded and tear-filled.

Winfrey announced in Nov. 2009 that she would end her popular daytime talk show after 25 years. Since then, she has pulled out all the stops.

Legions of loyal fans are in a state of disbelief that the woman who has been a daytime constant through four presidents, two wars and several recessions will no longer be there.

Teens Use Social Networking To Reunite Pair of Holocaust Survivors

Holocaust-fleeing friends -family photos

Holocaust-fleeing friends -family photosWhile most students learn about Nazi Germany through books and movies, Naperville, Ill. middle schoolers have done real detective work to reunite two Holocaust survivors after 73 years.

Madison Junior High eighth graders used Google, Facebook and databases of newspapers to bring together Edith Westerfeld of Skokie, Ill. and Gerda Katz of Seattle. The two met as children on a 10-day voyage fleeing Germany for the U.S.

(READ the story in Huffington Post)

Maternity Ward Uses Music Therapy for Babies When Mom is Absent

photo by Alvimann via morguefile.com

photo by Alvimann via morguefile.comA clinic in Slovakia has found a way to comfort newborn babies that must be temporarily separated from their mothers for treatment: classical music.

Using regular size headphones that appear gigantic on the babies’ tiny heads, the maternity ward in Kosice-Saca hospital has them listening to Mozart or Vivaldi, which calms their breath and heart rate.

Dog Crawls Home With Two Broken Legs After Tornado Drops Him Miles Away

dog crawls home after tornado

dog crawls home after tornadoAmazing stories of survival from the April 27th tornadoes don’t just include people. There are some amazing 4-legged tales of endurance being told including the story of one dog who just returned home yesterday. He is clearly battered, but alive.

Mason, a terrier mix, now rests in an Animal Care Clinic where he’s waiting to find out what kind of surgery he will need to repair 2 badly broken legs. Doctors think it will be a long, but ultimately successful recovery. 

WATCH the video below from CNN:

Dog Crawls Home With Two Broken Legs After Tornado Drops Him Miles Away

dog crawls home after tornado

dog crawls home after tornadoAmazing stories of survival from the April 27th tornadoes don’t just include people. There are some amazing 4-legged tales of endurance being told including the story of one dog who just returned home yesterday. He is clearly battered, but alive.

Mason, a terrier mix, now rests in an Animal Care Clinic where he’s waiting to find out what kind of surgery he will need to repair 2 badly broken legs. Doctors think it will be a long, but ultimately successful recovery. 

WATCH the video below from CNN:

Implant Helps Man Paralyzed for Years to Walk

ReWalk machine helps people walk again

ReWalk machine helps people walk againAfter Rob Summers was paralyzed below the chest in a car accident in 2006, his doctors told him he would never stand again. They were wrong.

After three years of unsuccessful physical therapy, doctors implanted an electrical stimulator onto his spinal cord to try waking up his damaged nervous system. Within days, Summers, 25, stood without help. Months later, he wiggled his toes, moved his knees, ankles and hips, and was able to take a few steps on a treadmill.