Firefighters in a Minnesota community rescued a donkey that had fallen down an old dry well, working hours on the complicated procedure.
Economy Positive for Developing Countries, First Time in 3 Decades
The economic outlook for developing countries is positive for the first time since the early 1970s, driven in large part by the growth in China and India, according to an annual report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development released Monday.
Town Ditches Traffic Lights to Cut Accidents
"A town council in Germany has decided the best way of improving road safety is to remove all the traffic lights and stop signs. The idea, called "Shared Space," was developed by a Dutch traffic specialist, and is supported by the E.U." (Reuters)
New ‘Great Mentors’ Audio Series: GNN-i Presents Free Access to Leaders in Fields of Success
“Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account.”
GNN-i is launching its new Great Mentors audio series this weekend with a free tele-seminar featuring Tal Ben-Shahar, happiness mentor to hundreds of students taking his popular Harvard University class in positive psychology. Tal is the author of a new book, Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment.
Join me and 95 others on a tele-seminar this Sunday, September 16 at 2:00 PM EST as we discuss with Tal the ways that happiness “can be learned and earned.” Just sign up to receive info on the Great Mentors audio program, or my Weekly Newsletter, and you will receive the U.S. phone number for dialing to join the Great Mentors audio program. It’s free and easy and you will receive the call information, and a reminder, by e-mail. Even if you can’t make the Sunday tele-seminar, you receive access to a recorded call that replays the whole thing by telephone for free. Be mentored at your leisure.
Everyone needs a mentor. Now, you can have virtual access to mentors in the fields of health, happiness, success, business, style, and spirituality FREE with Good News Network tele-seminars.
SEND IN YOUR QUESTIONS regarding how to become happier. We will be opening the phone lines for questions during the last part of the call. Even if you can’t join us Sunday (2:00PM EST), e-mail your questions to me and I will seek the answers from Tal. Many of your questions can become part of the audio recording, helpful to all, and available at your leisure by telephone. Just make sure you are signed up for the newsletter and you will receive all the phone numbers for this and future Great Mentor calls.
With HAPPIER you will learn:
• The relationship between happiness, self-interest, and benevolence;
• Happiness Boosters: brief activities that are meaningful and pleasurable
• To overcome the psychological barriers imposed upon yourself
• A thought experiment that answers your most important question
• How simplifying your life may free you up to find happiness
Tal Ben-Shahar teaches the most highly attend course at Harvard University – Positive Psychology. More students have signed up to hear him than any other teacher in Harvard’s history. His lectures have led to a groundswell of “happiness classes” taught in colleges around the country. To date, over 100 classes have cropped up, with similar courses being established in Europe and Asia.
Besides his pleasant and friendly demeanor, which makes him easy to listen to, both in class and on the telephone, Tal is a Harvard graduate with a degree in philosophy and psychology. For the last ten years, he has been teaching personal and organizational excellence, leadership, ethics, and self-esteem. He’s been featured on CNN, NPR, Today Show, US News & World Report, New York Times, Boston Globe, and many other national media outlets. (Read more at his website, www.talbenshahar.com.)
Sign up to receive call information for the Great Mentors series (or to get our weekly newsletter of good news). Receive virtual access to mentors in the fields of health, happiness, success, business, style and spirituality with the new Good News Network tele-seminars — helping you be the best person you can be.
Child Mortality Falls to Record Low Worldwide
Thanks mainly to campaigns to combat measles and malaria and promote breast-feeding, child deaths worldwide have reached a record low, falling below 10 million per year for the first time to 9.7 million, down from almost 13 million in 1990, according to new figures released today by the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Surfer Rescues Dog Swept off by High Waves
A surfer rescued a dog that had been swept from a pier into Lake Michigan. (story/photo AP)
Mauritius Parakeet Avoids Fate of the Dodo
"In the 1980s, there were only about 10 left alive. But, in a rare success story, a two-decade conservation program has brought the Mauritius Echo Parakeet back from the brink of extinction." (Reuters)
Latte Art in Coffee Cups Served in NYC Cafe (Video)
A coffee shop in New York city is creating latte art on the surface of espressos with steamed milk. Complex flowers, hearts and even monkey faces are poured and drawn with stirring straws using the coffee and cream. (Video)
First Ethanol-Capable Pump to Open in Miami
The first E85 ethanol station opened in Miami as an alternative to gasoline and a way to fuel the 11,000 ethanol-capable (Flex-Fuel) vehicles in the region. (Video)
Libya to Protect Past Treasures with Huge Eco Project
In a country that is mostly desert, Libya wants to preserve a rare verdant region with archaeological treasures from the ravages of looting and encroaching urbanization.
Say Om: Yoga and Other Therapies Good for Chronic Pain
Ask any devotee about the benefits conferred by alternative therapies such as yoga, tai chi and hypnosis, and they’ll tell you the list is lengthy. Now, chronic pain management is another, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.
Burger King Unveils Healthier Kids Menu
Burger King pledged Wednesday to offer healthier fast-food items for children under 12, with plans to sell and market flame-broiled Chicken Tenders and apples cut to resemble thick-cut french fries. (Video)
Free Download: 9/11 Edition of Some Good News!
Editor’s Blog — I am back at my desk after a week’s holiday. I wanted to post this 9/11 notice yesterday but was traveling. For your free download of the September 11 Commemorative edition of Some Good News! that you can print out and share, please see the Links and Resources page (in the left column) or download the PDF now — eight pages filled with stories of compassion and kindness in the aftermath of 9/11. The newsletter, Some Good News!, was published from 1997-2003.
Officials Rid Indiana Lake of Invasive Weed
An Indiana lake gets a clean bill of health after officials found no trace of the invasive hydrilla plant that had threatened the local ecosystem but was successfully eradicated with chemicals. (AP)
Steve Irwin’s Daughter Launches Eco-Friendly Fashion Line
A year after Steve Irwin’s death, daughter Bindi Irwin is launching a new eco-friendly fashion line for kids. The clothing, hats, bags and shoes carry the environmental messages of her father while an amazing 100 percent of profits will be used to fund the Australia Zoo’s conservation programs. “The tags are made from recycled cardboard, the soles on the shoes are made with recycled rubber. They are clothes with a message," said nine-year-old Bindi.
Defying History and Stereotype, The South’s Schools Rise in U.S.
"An unassuming suburban school in Irondale, Alabama, is about as deep in the South as you can get, yet ranks in the top five high schools in the United States, breaking stereotypes of what Alabamians are like." (CS Monitor)
Positive Thinking Can Relieve Pain Says Study
"U.S. experts say they have strong scientific proof that mind over matter works for relieving pain: Positive thinking was as powerful as a shot of morphine for relieving pain and reduced activity in parts of the brain that process pain information." (BBC) More proof that GNN-i is VALUABLE for you and your family — and their health! — Thanks, Andrew for the link.
Kenya’s Bus Stop Cartoonist Lightens Travelers’ Loads
“A young, innovative artist has turned the bus stop into his very own daily cartoon strip, entertaining commuters on a busy highway in the Kenyan capital for six years with light-hearted illustrations of daily life.” (BBC) Thanks to Shanna for the link!
So Cal’s First LEED Certified All-Solar Multi-Family Community
"Trendy Orange County’s first all-green new-home community, opened its sustainable all-solar model homes to the public this weekend." (ENN)
Hardy Plant Hailed as Fuel Source of the Future
"It’s been described as the antidote that will save humanity from itself. The manna to our hunger for fuel, the miracle pill to our ravenous appetite for energy — a wonder shrub, a weed… jatropha." (Edmonton Sun) Thanks to Daniel for the link!
