4.22.2008

Well, friends, I think this site has run its course for now. It can be quite a chore to keep this site current and there are changes in store for our family that will mean less time available for noodling around on the internet.

I'm glad to have discovered sources of good news and become more mindful about seeking out positive new stories. I hope you've been able to change your media diet for the better, too!

Even though this site will go into hibernation, the links in the sidebar will still guide you to the good stuff.

Thanks for hanging out!

4.16.2008

Mobster bear gets new life



A Bosnian bear has been saved from a life of caged loneliness after he fell into the hands of mobsters and almost died from starvation.

When Miljen's mother was killed by hunters in 2000, the bear cub was sold to a crime boss keen to emulate famous Balkan criminals who view keeping wild animals as proof of machismo. The gangster was jailed in 2005, Miljen was left to the mercy of neighbours, who could only afford to feed him bread. (Reuters)

Students bent on fighting racism and encouraging cultural diversity

A group of students in Nova Scotia bring the fight against racism to their school by encouraging people to embrace cultural diversity organizing a mini-United Nations. (Truro Daily News)

California program aids the 'forgotten' homeless

When he was homeless, Timothy Caldwell used to challenge people to a chess match to pay for food. Now he lives at Safe Haven, a shelter in Santa Monica, and is looking to get his own apartment. When he wins at chess these days, he gives the money to others without homes.

Safe Haven, a residence in Santa Monica, takes in those who have been on the streets more than a year and have a disability and helps put them in permanent housing. (CS Monitor)

4.11.2008

Neighbours chip in to buy RV for Seattle man facing eviction from tree house

A homeless man who has spent the last two years living in a tree house has a new, terrestrial home just in the nick of time.

It's all thanks to neighbours who chipped in to by David (Squirrelman) Csaky a used recreation vehicle after learning he faced eviction by the city. (CBC)

Sight restored - after 66 years

Surgeons have restored the sight of a man who was blinded in one eye 66 years ago during the Blitz.

John Gray, 87, was injured during a bombing raid on Clydeside and was told he would never again see through his right eye, reports the BBC. (Ananova)

Miraculous survival in Switzerland

Swiss police say a baby suffered little more than a bump after a buggy was blown onto railway tracks and run over by a train. (CBC)

4.10.2008

Boy, 11, Steers School Bus Out of Semi's Path



An 11-year-old boy who steered a runaway school bus to safety said he took the wheel because the vehicle was rolling toward a semi. Other children on board during Monday's crash were "freaking out," screaming and hollering, but David Murphy decided he had to do something.

Canada to Create Giant New Northern National Park

Canada will create a giant new national park covering some 1.9 million acres along one of the country's most spectacular northern rivers, Environment Minister John Baird said on Monday. (Reuters)

Bangladesh Street Kids Turn From Begging to Banking

Raju's life changed after he discovered an unlikely profession for a street child: banking. The 16-year-old boy started working for the Children's Development Bank, a Bangladesh-based lender that is owned by a non-government organization and managed by street children. He now earns $30 a month and can save a portion of his income. (Reuters-India)

4.09.2008

Dell Headquarters Goes 100% Green Energy

Dell is now powering 100 percent of its 2.1 million square-foot global headquarters campus (home to more than 10,000 employees) with 100 percent green power, the latest step in meeting the company's 2008 carbon neutral commitment. (GNN)

Boeing Flies First Hydrogen-Powered Plane

US aircraft giant Boeing claimed a world first Thursday flying a manned airplane powered by a hydrogen-cell battery, the first time in the history of aviation and a breakthrough that could herald a greener future for the industry. (GNN)

4.04.2008

Cheaper, More Reliable Solar?

A recent renewed interest in alternative energy technologies has also revitalized interest in solar thermal technology, a type of solar power that uses the sun’s heat rather than its light to produce electricity.

Although the technology for solar thermal has existed for more than two decades, projects have languished while fossil fuels remained cheap. But solar thermal’s time may now have come — and mirrored arrays of solar thermal power plants may soon bloom in many of the world’s deserts. (Geotimes)

Boy, 5, made 911 rescue call after mother buried in snow

A five-year-old New Brunswick boy was honoured by the RCMP on Thursday as a hero who helped save his mother's life after she was buried in snow. (CBC)

Woman's warning saves family from house fire

An unidentified passerby averted a disaster in western P.E.I. Wednesday when she alerted a family to a fire in their home, says the local fire chief.

The four managed to escape without injury when a woman driving by their Egmont Bay home noticed sparks coming from the chimney. She went to the door and told the residents to get out. (CBC)