Elementary School students are filling the stockings of needy puppies and kittens at the Animal Rescue League this month with donations of dog biscuits and chew toys, decorating a "giving tree" at their school with gifts of dog and cat food, leashes and grooming brushes. (Des Moines Register has the story and cute photo)
Kids Helping Animals for the Holidays
Homeless Programs Benefit Every Taxpayer
Giving homeless people stable housing conditions and providing them with comprehensive social services sounds like an expensive proposition, but the Denver Rocky Mountain News believes the $13,800 spent per year per person is money very well spent. In a study released Monday, the costs government would have paid — $43,239 for emergency services over two years if the people remained homeless — leaves taxpayers ahead by $4,745 each…
Quick Thinking Hero Catches Tot From Window
"If I had delayed one more second, she would have fallen to the ground," Jaimen Ortiz said in Spanish, at a ceremony honoring his quick reactions that saved a toddler from certain injury in a Virginia neighborhood. (AP with photo)
Endangered Gorillas Prosper in Heart of Africa
A 2003 census showed Gorillas in Africa have increased their numbers by 17 percent since 1989, not due to a change in the number of births, but because “there’s no more poaching.”
Rescue of 100 Stranded Horses Through Floodwaters (Video)
A powerful combination of story and music: More than 100 horses were stranded on a small island for days after a heavy storm. 19 of them drowned while onlookers feared for the lives of the rest. A group of women on horseback then attempted a rescue… Very moving!
From Mark in the Netherlands comes this video montage and message to audiences viewing on the web: “The source for the video is a Dutch newsgroup: NOS Journal. I didn’t made the images myself, I just combined them! I was suprised myself by the great video and hereby I want to say thanks to the news team!!”
Study: Higher Taxes are Good for a Nation’s Health and Well-Being
A new study revealed that countries with higher taxes are happier, healthier, benefit from more research and development, and a higher GDP rate per person, meaning they are making more money overall.
Mayor in Spain Delivers White Christmas
Are you dreaming of a White Christmas? One mayor decided to do something about it, even though his is a warm coastal town in Spain. He set up snow cannons to blast the central square with frozen white stuff every evening at 8 o’clock. It’s a big hit with the 20,000 residents of Lepe, as Mayor Gonzalez knew it would be: “We do it mostly for the children — because if the children are happy, so are the parents.” (Herald Tribune)
Afghan Treasure Safeguarded for Decades by Secret “Keyholders”
A 2,000-year-old gold treasure trove of Afghanistan’s heritage was guarded for decades by a mysterious group of Afghans who patiently kept the secret of its underground whereabouts, at great personal risk during the time of upheaval and war with Russia and the Taliban. The group were known as the “key holders,” because they held the keys to the basement vault where the historical treasures were hidden…
Elk Return to British Columbia
Elk are alive and well in the Lower Mainland of BC for the first time in a century, following the transplanting of two separate populations two years ago, the BC Ministry of Environment is reporting…
Homeless Getting New Lease on Life
"Across Massachusetts, men and women who have spent years on the streets finally have what they’ve always wanted. A house key." The Boston Herald reports on an innovative program that takes the chronically homeless "out of the shelter system by offering permanent housing in a group setting where access to medical, mental health and substance services are never far away." (story submitted by GNN’s Columbine Phoenix)
Live As If You Only Had a Month: Gratitude Part 4
In our continuing series, GNN-i looks at Gratitude and how it is essential for creating the life you want. Harry Tucker uses the letters in GRATITUDE, as an acronym to help us remember what attitudes are most important. Part 4 reveals the first T in gratitude represents Time. How we choose to invest time and spend it is critical for our success. Time, in Harry’s opinion, is one of the most valuable things that we have, right behind Life itself and unconditional love…
Cookie Scented Milk Ads Debut In Bus Shelters
Chocolate chip cookie scented bus shelters will spring up in California to treat commuters to an unexpected multi-sensory experience. A new twist on the GOT MILK? advertising campaign will tantalize bus riders with the smell of chocolate chips in an effort to reinforce the connection between mild and holiday treats.
Free 411 Directory Assistance Anytime to Any Phone
Phone companies are charging us $1.00 or more for 411 directory assistance calls. Rather than paying this, simply dial 1-800-FREE-411 (800 373 3411), and find phone numbers without incurring any charge, except for the minutes required to make a mobile call. Jingle Networks provides the free directory assistance to any phone user or internet user. Here’s how it works:
Letters to Santa Flood Alaskan Town
120,000 letters arrive yearly from dozens of countries having made their way to the small town of North Pole, Alaska. "They usually get a reply and a North Pole postmark in a holiday effort that has delighted children all over the world for decades." (AP)
…And, here are a few excerpts from Santa’s letters from children… curious about the facts and eager to show they’ve been good. (AP)
Car Reaches 1 Million Miles Then Retires
If you were told that a car was driven 1 million miles before its retirement by the happy owner, which make of car would you guess it to be?
Think of all the stories you’ve heard about long-lasting automobiles, which brand is the most rugged? You KNOW it’s not an American car, right?…
Iraq’s “Garden of Eden” Wetlands Has Finally Been Restored After Saddam’s Destruction
At the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, considered by some to be the original Garden of Eden, almost half of Iraq’s fabled marshlands of Mesopotamia have once again been restored with water and wildlife, 15 years after nearly being annihilated by Saddam Hussein.
The progress is thanks to a multi-million dollar effort managed by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Satellite images released this week showed that almost 50 percent of the total area, one of the world’s largest wetland ecosystems, had been re-flooded, in sharp contrast to agency images in 2001 revealing 90 percent of the marshlands had already been lost.
They were ravaged by a vast drainage operation carried out by Hussein’s government after the 1991 Persian Gulf War intending to punish and displace the area’s indigenous Shiite people who made their living entirely from the free-flowing water.
He ordered that a large dam be built. The result was the desertification of the Tigres and Euphrates rivers’ millennia-old wetlands, and the near destruction of a unique cultural heritage.
Once an area totaling almost 9,000 square km (7,700 square miles), only 9 percent of the marshlands remained in 2002.
As the regime fell in 2003, people began to open dams and break down the embankments that had been built in an operation led by the local community, funded by Japan and Italy, and managed by UNEP.
Up to 22,000 people living in the region are now getting access to safe drinking water, UNEP said. The program aims eventually to provide clean water for up to 100,000.
300 Iraqis have been trained in marshland management techniques.
By mid 2006, 23 kilometers of water distribution pipes and 86 distribution taps had been installed. A sanitation system pilot project is also being implemented in the community of Al-Chibayish.
The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
WATCH the short story with satellite images from the US Geological Survey…
Dogs Make a Difference for Autistic Children
"Monique Clement said she wasn’t going to cry while viewing a video of her children interacting with a dog trained to help autistic children, but she couldn’t hold back the tears…" Founded in 2000, the non-profit North Star Foundation has placed over 50 dogs with families dealing with cancer and autism. Max, right, a golden retriever, will help a young boy to deal with his severe separation anxiety and autism. (The State newspaper in South Carolina featured the story of Max, but expired the link — the on site search engine isn’t any help.)
Brushing and Flossing Helps Your Heart and Arteries, Too
Can a toothbrush help clean out your heart? Surprisingly, yes. Brushing and flossing your teeth has been shown to be a simple preventative step that can help you avoid heart disease, stroke, diabetes complications and even cancer.
Periodontal disease raises the level of harmful bacteria in the mouth, which travels through the bloodstream to other organs in the body, and can lead to a plaque buildup in arteries surrounding the heart…
Surprisingly, 80 percent of adults have gum disease and don’t know it, according to Dr. Chris Kammer of the Center for Cosmetic Dentistry.
“Most people don’t think of their dentist when it comes to health problems that are not found in one’s mouth,” says Dr. Kammer. “But a dentist can actually be the first line of defense in reducing the risk for many deadly diseases like Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Disease, and Pancreatic Cancer.”
New studies published in the Journal of Periodontology are linking periodontal disease to diabetes and heart disease. And the American Association for Cancer Research has even found that diseased gums raise the risk of pancreatic cancer by 63 percent. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S.
Bleeding gums is one of many symptoms that may indicate that you have periodontal disease. The process begins when the plaque that settles around your gum lines fails to be removed by daily brushing and flossing. When plaque stays on your teeth, it turns into tartar, and only your dentist can remove tartar. The plaque and the tartar are irritants that house the bacteria that cause the gums to become infected.
Brushing and flossing are effective means of prevention. Here are some other tips:
- Twice a Day: Brush your teeth. Also remember to brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
- Once a Day: Floss your teeth. Use an irrigator like a Waterpick or Hydrofloss for even deeper cleaning of the gum pockets.
- Two to four times a year: Visit your dentist for a cleaning (50 percent of patients must go to the dentist more than twice a year to maintain gum wellness). More frequent visits are required by those who have the disease, until it is under control.
- Be Proactive! Visit your dentist if you have any of these warning signs of periodontal disease: Bleeding gums when brushing, flossing or using flossing alternative systems; red, swollen, or tender gums; gums that have pulled away from teeth; bad breath
Dr. Chris Kammer has been an expert for USA Today, Reader’s Digest, Fox
News and CNN. He is available to provide more information at 608-827-6453,
or visit the Center for Cosmetic Dentistry online.
Secret Santa Strikes Again- Handing out $100 Bills to the Needy
People wept with joy as a Kansas City businessman handed out $100 bills from his pocket to people in thrift stores and coin-operated laundries in Columbus, Ohio, a total of $4,500. (AP via MSNBC, with photos)
Having Coffee With a Beggar
He was dirty. His nose was black. His nails were black. His blue jeans were black. He had been begging the whole day and only managed to buy a hamburger and a Dixie cola.
He hates begging, but no one will give him work. He was happy to see me as I’d bought breakfasts for him over the years.
I was going to movies and had 15 minutes. He offered to share half of his hamburger and Dixie cola with me.
I declined his offer, thanked him and offered to get him some coffee.
How humble I felt and privileged to be able to sit and have coffee with John.
He was so appreciative and thanked me for the coffee and all the breakfasts I’d bought for him.
We got chatting and I asked him how his medication was. He replied that he had overslept on Thursday morning and missed his injection. He would have to wait till next Thursday for his monthly injection for schizophrenia. The doctor always asks him if he hears voices; He says no. What would they do to him if he said yes!
He said “I have been lying to the doctors for 35 years!”
I told him that he should get himself cleaned up, have a hair and beard cut, clothes cleaned and have a bath. He would feel better and people would react better to him.
He said that he went to this one woman’s house and was begging. She shouted at him and told him that he was useless!
“I am not useless; people just won’t let me work! I don’t know why I can’t work at Clicks Stores (a local store and pharmacy)”
“She said it in such a horrible way that she meant it.”
He said,” I live in a little wendyhouse at the back of someone’s garden. I just wash my hands and face at the tap with the dogs.”
“Thank you for sitting down and talking to me – no one ever does that. Thank you for telling me what to do-I really appreciate that and I will make an effort now. I am really going to come right.”
I had to leave, my movie was starting.
We shook hands — worlds apart — and I went to my movie.
Mike Kaufmann, 8th Feb. 2002
South Africa