Bman's "What's Good about the World" thread

[Bman]

I've been accused, perhaps legitimately, of focusing too much on what is going on WRONG in the world... so I'm starting this thread to say what's going on RIGHT in the world.. both in the US and Abroad

I think this is a noble story to start the thread...


Copyright 2005 Associated Press

April 11, 2005, Monday, BC cycle

Community and national groups providing homes for disabled Iraq vets

By BILL KACZOR, Associated Press Writer

PENSACOLA, Fla.

Army Sgt. Jamvis Armour lost his right arm and sight in one eye, broke a leg and suffered burns over 40 percent of his body while in Iraq. And it got worse: Unable to serve, he no longer had military-provided housing for himself and his family.

In contrast with the scorn sometimes heaped on veterans returning from the Vietnam War, Armour and other former soldiers forced to retire on medical disability are finding local and national groups willing to provide housing.

Armour, 25, returned home in November. He spent more than year recovering from wounds suffered in a May 2003 grenade attack on his truck in Iraq.

The military had provided housing for his family while he was a soldier. But now he was on his own and partially disabled. Adding to the problems was a housing crunch created by Hurricane Ivan.

"We knew nothing was guaranteed," said Armour's wife, Kiersten. "We knew after the hurricane how hard it was to find a place."

Local veterans groups and community leaders stepped in, putting the Armours up at a hotel at one of Pensacola's Navy bases, and launching a campaign to obtain a house for the desperate family.

Armour, his wife and their children - Alexis, 5, Gabrielle, 4, and Elijah, 2 - moved into a nearly new 2,500-square foot house three days before Christmas. It was theirs free and clear - thanks to an assist from the Housing and Urban Development Department.

HUD sold a repossessed house to Escambia County for $1 and it then was passed on to the Armours through the group Veterans in Need.

"It's surprising that people get together and do something like this," Jamvis Armour said. "Words can't even describe it."

The effort was patterned after a similar one in neighboring Santa Rosa County and now at least two national groups have been formed to provide more houses for disabled Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

"It's sort of catching on," said John Gonsalves, founder of Homes for Our Troops in Taunton, Mass. "People are now, throughout the country, starting to look at this and see that there is a need."

Last year, Roger Chapin created the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes in McLean, Va. Since then, the group is planning to build its first five homes in Ohio, Georgia, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Texas.

More than 11,600 U.S. troops have been wounded in Iraq including about 6,000 unable to return to duty within 72 hours, according to Pentagon data. The latter figure includes troops, such as Armour, who were disabled by their injuries.

The personal support that veterans from the recent conflicts are receiving at home has stirred up memories of the Vietnam War for some involved.

"The main thing to me was honoring and helping the troops of today because of the way we were treated back then," said Navy veteran Terry Sanders, president of the Escambia County Veterans Roundtable.

Armour's injuries sidetracked his plans for a civilian career in music. He was wounded the same day he was supposed to be discharged before his enlistment was involuntarily extended.

In Pensacola, his aunt, Alma Strong, learned of a handicapped-accessible house built for a National Guardsman who had lost both legs in Iraq. She decided to seek similar help for her nephew from U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller.

Miller's office eventually contacted the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and the Veterans Roundtable, which formed a fund-raising committee to help Armour and possibly other local casualties.

The right-handed Armour is learning to use his left. He still has difficulty walking and seeing, but hopes to fully regain the sight in his right eye after a few more operations.

Now he can do so in a spacious brick house - repainted, repaired and furnished by Veterans in Need.

"We knew he had no home to come to," said retired Navy Lt. Barbara Turner, the chamber's military program manager. "All of this effort was nothing but the community doing its part for a local hero."

[Rightwingnut]

:happy_01: :happy_01: :happy_01: :happy_01:


Thanks for that Bman. I am not in a very good mood this morning. This cheered me a bit.

[Mr. Drags]

What's good about the world? -- well me for one :D;)

[Bman]

I posted this story in one of the obscure threads, but I'll repost it here..

When I was a kid, playing Little League baseball was one of the highlights of my entire childhood..

now, as a parent of an autistic child, I know what this guy is talking about ... the unbelieveable and overwhelming feeling of joy that you feel when you see a child who has some challenges laughing and enjoying something as wonderful as baseball!

Three cheers to this guy.. my personal hero

IF YOU BUILD IT.. THEY WILL COME



Copyright 2005 The Topeka Capital-Journal
Topeka Capital-Journal (Kansas)

March 25, 2005 Friday

Father dreamed of special baseball field

Capital-Journal


If you want to split hairs, some in the medical field identify autism as a neurological disorder rather than a developmental one.

Trevor Hallman's dad isn't interested in splitting hairs.

Eight-year-old Trevor has autism. A broken arm and broken front teeth already have been badges of his daily battles with poor dexterity.

Trevor's dad, Bryan Hallman, doesn't care what you call it. He only cares what can be done to help.

Thanks to him, this time next year, Topeka will be one of a handful of cities in the United States with a special ballfield adapted to those with disabilities. Adults or kids. Crutches, walkers or wheelchairs. Physical or cognitive disabilities. Neurological or developmental disorders.

Doesn't matter.

"I'm doing it for kind of a selfish reason," Bryan Hallman said.

We all should be so selfish.

The sales manager for three of Cumulus Broadcasting's six radio stations in Topeka, Hallman pitched this idea not long after he arrived from Tulsa a couple of years ago. His bosses bought in right away. Cumulus representatives took the idea to the city, which seized on the idea and dedicated Gage No. 6 to the cause.

When it's finished, the field will have a new surface similar to that on a running track, as well as fully accessible dugouts, stands and walkways and new lighting.

The project will cost about $300,000.

If you drive one of those new-fangled cars with a radio in it, you're familiar with the first phase of fund-raising. Since January, Cumulus stations have filled more than $1 million in airtime with a campaign to raise 6 million pennies for the project.

Right now, they're about 4.3 million pennies short. Maybe it's been the economy. Maybe it was the tsunami-relief effort. The rolls just haven't rolled in as hoped.

But Hallman vows that they will.

"We've made a commitment to raise this money," he said. "We've made a commitment to build this baseball field. Period."

Debbie Scharven, the city's adaptive recreation specialist, who last year coordinated programs for 1,700 participants, is confident that grants and corporate donations will make the field a reality --- she hopes by Summer 2006.

Scharven is thrilled about the chance to expand programming for those with disabilities, who numbered almost 15,000 in Shawnee County in the 2000 census. She's just as thrilled about where it will happen.

"We always want exposure to the rest of the community that adaptive sports are just as competitive and just as much fun as any other," Scharven said. "To be able to do it at Gage Park ... it's a prime spot in the city, which is wonderful."

Hallman just wants to see the looks on the faces. All the faces.

"It's not just the kids," he said. "The parents will see their kids for the first time out on the field running and laughing and having fun and building self-esteem and making new friends."

"This will literally change people's lives."

Kurt Caywood's column regularly appears Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. He can be reached at (785) 295-1288 or kurt.caywood@cjonline.com.

Please see CAYWOOD, Page 4D

Continued from Page 1D

Caywood: Scharven hoping to have field ready in '06

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To contribute to the baseball field project, contact Bryan Hallman at Cumulus Broadcasting. He can be reached at (785) 272-2122.

[Imperfectionist]

What a Wonderful World -- Louis Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin' "how do you do?"
They're really sayin' "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Oh yeah

[Dora]

Bman - my son's Little League career was one of the best times of my life - thank you for that lovely story. My best wishes & hopes & dreams for your son. :)

[Ono]

Bman...thanks for this thread, it's a nice departure from the usual. :)

[Bman]

Bman...thanks for this thread, it's a nice departure from the usual. :)


Thanks for noticing it, Ono

Bman :)

[SmokedYourDSM]

ISRAELI TA-TA'S are DEFINITLY what is good about this world. :sex_02: :sex_02:

[Alli]

ISRAELI TA-TA'S are DEFINITLY what is good about this world. :sex_02: :sex_02:
You're RUINING BMan's thread! :mad_14:

[Rightwingnut]

The mood that I am in today makes it difficult to think of anything good in the world.

Well, Beer. Lots and lots of Beer. That is something good in the world.

[SmokedYourDSM]

amen, rwn.. i would have to agree with you on that one... beer, baseball, and tata's. i believe this thread has indeed identified the top 3 things good with this world. feel free to list more though ;)

[Imperfectionist]

The mood that I am in today makes it difficult to think of anything good in the world.

Well, Beer. Lots and lots of Beer. That is something good in the world.
Mmmmm... beer. I'm having Rouge's "Dead Guy Ale" right now.

:food_02:

[Imperfectionist]

amen, rwn.. i would have to agree with you on that one... beer, baseball, and tata's. i believe this thread has indeed identified the top 3 things good with this world. feel free to list more though ;)
Beer, baseball, and boobs.... the three "B"s. ;)

[Elli]

Great thread Bman :)

What's good about the world? Families, friendship and love :love_02:

[NYC]

You now can have a remote control for everything!!!

When I was a kid the giant 3 button remote for a TV was hightech

[Imperfectionist]

You now can have a remote control for everything!!!
Yes, and who can forget the remote to find the remote? :add09:

http://images.sharperimage.com.edgesuite.net/all/en/images/products/si676fun_pip.jpg

Wireless Locator (http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/productview.jhtml?sku=SI676FUN)

[Bman]

Mmmmm... beer. I'm having Rouge's "Dead Guy Ale" right now.

:food_02:


I've had that one.. very "hoppy", but all in all a good beer

Bman

[Shipwrx]

Apparently Bman....... We have much in common.

[Terdarmo]

Great thread Bman :)

What's good about the world? Families, friendship and love :love_02:


They have their 3 Bs, beer boobs and baseball.

Perhaps we should have our 3 Fs, families, friendships, and fornication! :add06:

[bellatrix]

This thread is making me feel very warm and fuzzy inside. :)

[NYC]

This thread is making me feel very warm and fuzzy inside. :)

Are you sure it's the thread and not the vibrating office chair?

[bellatrix]

Are you sure it's the thread and not the vibrating office chair?

:add09:


You have a vibrating office chair??! That must be sweet.

[T3D]

My 3 B's are basketball bitches and blunts :add01:

[T3D]

Here's a right in the world...L O V E!!

[NYC]

:add09:


You have a vibrating office chair??! That must be sweet.

No But I wish I did my ass falls asleep in this chair

[Shipwrx]

No But I wish I did my ass falls asleep in this chair
Geeez..... your friggin lucky NYC....... Where I work..... not a chair in the place... not kidding..... eight hours and no sitting whatsoever... and you're ready to go home and sit!!

[Bman]

Bman,

Good idea. It's nice to see you at least TRY and look at something in a positive light.

By why do it with yet another cut and paste? Surely you can have your own thoughts without prompting from others...

What's right with the world?

For all of our faults, for all of our wars and fighting and bickering and bitching...
When the chips are down, those that can help will do so. -Rod-



Well Rod, MOST of my posts aren't cut and paste. I cut and pasted those STORIES, because I felt those STORIES were good examples of things that are right in the world.. .

I could have just TOLD the stories in my own words, but I cut and pasted them so that people could read the details for themselves.


Now frankly, what I intended the thread for was "STORIES" or tales that we could point to as examples of what is going right with the world.. I really wasn't thinking of people just putting up concepts (like LOVE, or BASEBALL, or BEER), but hey.. its ALL GOOD... whatever comes to mind

Bman

[NYC]

Geeez..... your friggin lucky NYC....... Where I work..... not a chair in the place... not kidding..... eight hours and no sitting whatsoever... and you're ready to go home and sit!!

man that sucks what do you do?

[SmokedYourDSM]

yeah, but alas the extreme right winger comes in and ruins all our fun.....
whats good about the world? the fact that i live FAR FAR away from rod, as i'd have my dog shitting on his property every morning :)

[NYC]

He's not paying the bills nor walking in our shoes. So why allow him to color our own perceptions of the world?

No one is walking in my shoes and I think that's one of the good things in the world.

[Terdarmo]

yeah, but alas the extreme right winger comes in and ruins all our fun.....
whats good about the world? the fact that i live FAR FAR away from rod, as i'd have my dog shitting on his property every morning :)


I don't think it would bother him much, he sticks Q-tips up his cat's you-know-what.

:add39:

[Bman]

You have no experiences of your own? No observations? Who really gives a shit what some writer thinks about the world? He's not paying the bills nor walking in our shoes. So why allow him to color our own perceptions of the world?

That's been my problem with you from day one. You parrot what everyone else is saying.

Think for yourself. It's mind expanding. -Rod-


Well , I'd say I'm one of the most prolific posters on here of "my own ideas".. .but yeah, you're right.. I don't often tell personal little stories about me or my family or whatever.... You never know what sort of a weirdo is out there.. .On a recent thread, someone suggested that I should be shot between the eyes for posting a thread about Sadr... Then some other wacko showed up and offered to do it..

Oh... wait a minute.. THAT WAS YOU... LOL

and you wonder why I don't share personal stories..

Bman

[lotimer]

Well , I'd say I'm one of the most prolific posters on here of "my own ideas".. .but yeah, you're right.. I don't often tell personal little stories about me or my family or whatever.... You never know what sort of a weirdo is out there.. .On a recent thread, someone suggested that I should be shot between the eyes for posting a thread about Sadr... Then some other wacko showed up and offered to do it..

Oh... wait a minute.. THAT WAS YOU... LOL

and you wonder why I don't share personal stories..

Bman

I agree. I don't even have my real birthdate listed in my profile. You never know who's lurking on a board like this. Remember the ominous warning that use to be on the front of itshappening? I agree with it. Death threats via private are not too uncommon.

[Nyarlathotep]

its all bushes fault

:mad_13:

[Imperfectionist]

This thread is making me feel very warm and fuzzy inside. Chewed up horse meat is also warm and fuzzy. :D

Well, since Nyar made it to this thread, I'm surpried he hasn't mentioned anything about cats.

http://www.cutecats.com/modules/My_eGallery/gallery/faces/Coco.jpg

http://www.cutecats.com/modules/My_eGallery/gallery/faces/PB230016.JPG

http://www.cutecats.com/modules/My_eGallery/gallery/faces/noisy2.jpg

Why are cats always lazy? Because they're drunk. (http://www2.b3ta.com/sleepy-kittens/)

[Strike4ce]

Thanx Bman

[Skip]

What a Wonderful World -- Louis Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin' "how do you do?"
They're really sayin' "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Oh yeah

Oh, I see- so it's okay for you to post lyrics in R and R!

[Shinywalrus]

Yes.

[Imperfectionist]

Oh, I see- so it's okay for you to post lyrics in R and R!
D'oh!! :mad_08: :add36:

[lotimer]

What's good about the world? A certain plant offered by nature that relaxes like no other... :add01:


http://www.1stmarijuanagrowerspage.com/marijuana-pictures-7-small.jpg

[Shinywalrus]

What's good about the world? A certain plant offered by nature that relaxes like no other... :add01:


http://www.1stmarijuanagrowerspage.com/marijuana-pictures-7-small.jpg

Oregano?

[Bman]

I sure do hope you can back that assertion up :mad:



well, why don't you give your interpretation, then...

Here's the thread... Explain to me posts #114- #117, the enlightened exchange between yourself and "Eat Me".. I took them as a threat


http://www.wincoast.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3895&page=2&pp=10

Bman

[Trinity]

what's good in this world...... mp3 players and satellite radio!

Have you guys tried satellite radio ..... I got to play with one today........ and all I could do was channel surf...... it was friggin' awsome!!!

:) :love_02:

[lotimer]

what's good in this world...... mp3 players and satellite radio!

Have you guys tried satellite radio ..... I got to play with one today........ and all I could do was channel surf...... it was friggin' awsome!!!

:) :love_02:


Nah. I have about 500GB of music on my computer, so I never really listen to any kind of radio.

[Pghredneck]

Oh, I see- so it's okay for you to post lyrics in R and R!There are special rules for Satchmo’s lyrics... ;)

[wild one]

what's good in this world...... mp3 players and satellite radio!

Have you guys tried satellite radio ..... I got to play with one today........ and all I could do was channel surf...... it was friggin' awsome!!!

:) :love_02:
aaaaahhhhh yes satellite radio, did you where the remote out??
:add01:

[Trinity]

aaaaahhhhh yes satellite radio, did you where the remote out??
:add01:

did I hear one song through to the end today?

:mad_01:

[Fictious Actor]

What's good about this world?

We are all human.......... (well almost all)

We have a bond ..... a connection.......


PS. am I the only guy on this board who doesn't smoke the mary jane?

[knightroar]

What's good about this world?

We are all human.......... (well almost all)

We have a bond ..... a connection.......


PS. am I the only guy on this board who doesn't smoke the mary jane?


you and jimb

[lotimer]

you and jimb


Roddy boy of course is also vehemently opposed to it.

[knightroar]

Roddy boy of course is also vehemently opposed to it.


forgot about him. wonder why? :add09:

[lotimer]

forgot about him. wonder why? :add09:


:add09:

[Bman]

What's good about this world?

We are all human.......... (well almost all)

We have a bond ..... a connection.......


PS. am I the only guy on this board who doesn't smoke the mary jane?


I actually don't smoke that stuff... but I have no beef with those who do

Bman

[Nyarlathotep]

I actually don't smoke that stuff... but I have no beef with those who do

Bman
i dont smoke pot either.....it smells good though.

http://img153.echo.cx/img153/3177/c62jk.jpg

[Franco]

Whats going right is that we are starting to realize the consequences of our irresponsible actions.

For example Kyoto is a possible reflection on how we are impacting our environment. And realizations lead to possible actions and solutions. One must realize the solution before we can cure the problem.

[sweetchild]

Logged on to IH for my dose of ranting & raving stressbuster release, but whadya know whats in today, “Whats GOOD About the World?”. Well, in honour of this sudden IH departure, I’ll juz add a feminine touch to this thread, courtesy of late teens Mills & Boons overdose.

Whats Good about the World?

LOVE

Of lazy Sundays on the sofa and dancing cheek to cheek
And increasing the volume to a sentimental song

Of scrawling heart shaped patterns on the sand upon the beach
And looking at the clock when the other is away

Of a shoulder to cry on and an arm for a pillow
And laying out the diningware in matching sets for two

Of breezy moonlit beaches and of lingering goodbyes
And candlelight dinners and breakfast brought to bed

Of a casual arm belonging on the other person’s lap
Its someone to go home to who is waiting there for you

[Bman]

In today's posting I salute the Indominatable Human Spirit, which certainly ranks high on the list of things "right with the world". It is well documented that the entire course of history can be dramatically altered by the actions of a single individual who, through sheer will of determination, refuses to accept the "unacceptable"..

25 Year ago today, a Canadian hero by the name of Terry Fox refused to accept the "limitations" dictated by a body ravaged by cancer, and instead set out to run across that great nation to our north.... on one leg.

Ultimately, his mission failed.. but in the process... he became Legend...

To the spirt of human triumph... SALUTE!


Copyright 2005 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global
The Vancouver Province (British Columbia)

April 12, 2005 Tuesday


Fox's odyssey would change entire nation: His drive made Marathon of Hope work

The Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld.



ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. -- Before the cancer that took his right leg, before the Marathon of Hope that followed, there was Terry Fox's drive.

"I've never seen a human being so determined. Once he decides to do something, he's relentless," says Fox's best friend, Doug Alward, who accompanied him on the legendary cross-country run that began 25 years ago today.

He still refers to his friend in the present tense.

Fox's drive during the odyssey would change a nation. He had lost his right leg to bone cancer in March 1977. Moved by the suffering of children he met while undergoing cancer treatment, and inspired by a one-legged runner in the New York marathon, Fox decided to run across Canada to raise money and awareness.

"The running I can do, even if I have to crawl every last mile," Fox wrote in his 1979 letter seeking support for the Marathon of Hope.

"The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles.

"I am not a dreamer, and I am not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer. But I believe in miracles. I have to."

He dipped his artificial leg into murky St. John's harbour on April 12, 1980. It was just Fox, Alward and a couple of local reporters.

The Marathon of Hope wasn't yet a big deal. Alward didn't even bring a camera.

"I didn't think anything would come of it," he says now with a laugh.

But with every step of the 5,373 kilometres he would run over the next five months, the one-legged runner drove himself into the hearts and minds of Canadians.

"I, to this day, do not know how he was able to accomplish it," says Darrell Fox, who joined his older brother and Alward in Saint John, N.B., at the end of May 1980. "It just doesn't seem possible."

Every day, Fox completed the equivalent of a marathon.

His bones were bruised as he pounded the pavement for 42 kilometres day in, day out.

The stump of his leg was rubbed raw inside the fibreglass bucket attached to his artificial limb. It filled with blood, which spilled out as he ran. His toes and heel blistered until there was nothing left to blister and his toenails fell off.

"It didn't matter if it was pouring rain, snowing, if the wind was in his face all day or if it was 100 degrees," Alward says.

Unbeknownst to supporters and even his parents, Fox was also suffering from dizzy spells and worried he'd suffered heart damage during chemotherapy, says Alward.

They kept it to themselves, worried the Canadian Cancer Society or Fox's family would force him to quit.

Alward knew it was gruelling and dangerous, but he didn't try to talk Fox out of it.

"You don't talk Terry out of anything," he says.

"I think I'd come to understand that Terry had tasted death when he had cancer. He didn't know if he was going to live or die so he had come to an acceptance of the fact that he might die out there."

In one of many interviews and speeches that consumed the little time he had off the road, Fox said his physical challenges were nothing he couldn't overcome.

"Physically, it's tough, but mainly it's a mental battle, what you do with your head," he said. "It's something anybody could do if they're strong enough in their mind."

While people were in awe of his incredible physical accomplishment, they were even more taken with his humbleness and humility, says Darrell Fox.

"I think we were drawn to that average person who set this extraordinary goal and was prepared to do it to help others," says the younger brother.

Then came Sept. 1, 1980.

It was a good day, as Darrell Fox remembers it, and they were just outside Thunder Bay, Ont., more than halfway home.

Darrell was driving a motorhome and it was time for one of Terry's regular water breaks.

"He wasn't there," says the younger Fox. "Within a minute, a [police] officer pulled up on the side of the road to tell us Terry had requested to go to the hospital."

Doctors later discovered Fox had lung cancer. The run was over, but the legacy was just beginning.

Terry Fox died on June 28, 1981. He was 22.

In the months before his death, he became the youngest-ever companion to the Order of Canada. The Canadian Press named him Canadian of the Year in 1980, an honour he received again the following year.

In September 1981, the first Terry Fox runs were held across Canada.

After dipping his foot into St. John's harbour 25 years ago, Fox told a reporter he'd like to raise $1 million.

"Do you think that's attainable?" the reporter asked.

"Yeah, I think it's attainable. People want to help and get involved. I think it's possible."

To date, more than $360 million has been raised around the world in Fox's name.

[Imperfectionist]

I'm tired of bullshit. I think this thread needs a big BUMP.

[OldGit]

What's good about the world?

This waterfall I snapped today about half a mile from my house. We had rain the last two days...

[White Trash Superstar]

Well, for me, the birth of a child. I have a personal story to go along with my statment.

A few months ago, I was with my cousin and her husband at the hospital, they were going to have a child. My cousin-in law were sitting in the waiting room, and we were told to come see the baby, we both started sobbing when we set our eyes on her because the she was so adorable. I never saw a newborn before myself, and it just caught me off guard. For him, I think it was because it was his first child.

:)

Great thread Bman.

[Imperfectionist]

What's good about the world?

This waterfall I snapped today about half a mile from my house. We had rain the last two days...
I love waterfalls... especially in the winter. The falls are frozen in beautiful shapes, and yet the water still flows beneath it.

[Dora]

What's good about the world?

This waterfall I snapped today about half a mile from my house. We had rain the last two days...

Beautiful pic!

I would like to sit on that rock in the middle & have a picnic & a nap......


tho it might be a tad noisy

[OldGit]

Beautiful pic!

I would like to sit on that rock in the middle & have a picnic & a nap......


tho it might be a tad noisy

.... and dangerous.

[Atlas]

I posted this today in greenie orgy

You know what makes a good Saturday morning in April?

Puttering in the garden for a couple hours. Then Coffee. Then a nice rare roast beef and provolone panini with blazing hot fresh horseradish sauce and a big claussen pickle.

Swinging in the double wide hammock in the backyard, reading the whole paper uninterupted and listening to an afro-celtic cd so obscure I may be the only owner in the world. Then the sun, a full belly and the locust sound of the sprinkler put you to sleep.

Mourning doves wake you up an hour later.

Spouse comes home and you go to the local ice cream stand, first time this year. Went down to the marina, boating season starts in two weeks.

All is right with the world.

[Bman]

I posted this today in greenie orgy

You know what makes a good Saturday morning in April?

Puttering in the garden for a couple hours. Then Coffee. Then a nice rare roast beef and provolone panini with blazing hot fresh horseradish sauce and a big claussen pickle.

Swinging in the double wide hammock in the backyard, reading the whole paper uninterupted and listening to an afro-celtic cd so obscure I may be the only owner in the world. Then the sun, a full belly and the locust sound of the sprinkler put you to sleep.

Mourning doves wake you up an hour later.

Spouse comes home and you go to the local ice cream stand, first time this year. Went down to the marina, boating season starts in two weeks.

All is right with the world.


nicely done.. I feel better simply having read this.. thanks!


Bman

[Bman]

What's good about the world?

This waterfall I snapped today about half a mile from my house. We had rain the last two days...


Great pic! there are few things in life so satisfying as snapping a great pic... Capturing the image just the way you hoped it would turn out when you hit that shutter...

Beautiful!

Bman

[mackinnon]

What's good about this world?

We are all human.......... (well almost all)

We have a bond ..... a connection.......


PS. am I the only guy on this board who doesn't smoke the mary jane?

No, you are not. I have always found alcohol (esp. Scotch Whisky) to be a more than efficient mood enhancer. Although to be honest, I did once smoke so much dope I had a fit (literally).

[Atlas]

I'm not a doper either

[OldGit]

Guys like this are another good thing about the world -




Centenarian takes computer course


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41027000/jpg/_41027721_platt203x300.jpg

At the age of 100 most people would think about winding down rather than downloading - but not Sidney Platt.

Mr Platt has embarked on his latest information technology course - at Havering College, east London - so he can better manage his finances.

A former fencer and tennis player, he piloted a plane when he was 92.

He attributes his longevity to regular exercise and to eating a bowl of porridge every morning. Mr Platt has a daughter of 65 and a son of 72.

Tips and shortcuts

Mr Platt said: "I started using computers on the old Amstrad system so I've seen some really big changes over the decades.

"I have learnt lots of little tips and shortcuts on the computer that most people don't know.

"I enjoy going to the centre because I always get a lovely smile from the ladies there and I can impress them with new computer tips."

Mr Platt, who turned 100 in March, has been studying computer courses at the college's Romford campus for five years.

He has a Level 1 certificate, covering spreadsheets, word processing and databases and is working towards a Level 2 certificate involving more advanced skills.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif
Mr Platt speaks German, French and Italian and plays the piano.

He said: "There is always something new to learn and I have found learning new computer skills has kept me up-to-date with all the new technology."

Of his long life, he added: "The key is lots of exercise and I have had plenty of it in my life.

"I used to play tennis and fence and I even piloted a plane at the age of 92.

"Porridge is also the secret to a long life. I have it in the morning and it's the best start to the day."

IT centre manager Monica Irvine said: "He is one of the trail blazers of the centre.

"We would call him an advanced computer user. He's an amazing character and a real inspiration to others." Mr Platt said: "I didn't think it was anything special to reach 100 years old - lots of people are reaching 100 . "But I'm told even if that's true, there aren't many 100-year-old IT students."

[Bman]

In today's edition we salute the ability of SPORTS to UNITE HUMANITY.. at least for a little while...



Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
The New York Times

April 22, 2005 Friday

A National Hero One Day, An Enemy to Some the Next

By STEVEN ERLANGER

SAKHNIN, Israel



Israel finds itself with a chance to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 35 years, and the legs most responsible belong to a devout Muslim who faces racist taunting nearly every time he steps on the field.

Abbas Suan is the captain of Bnei Sakhnin, the only Israeli Arab team in Israel's first division, a team without its own stadium or practice field but one that still managed to win the prestigious State Cup last year. It was knocked out in an earlier round this year, on April 9, but hopes to hang on to its place in the first division.

Suan, 29, whose last-minute equalizer against Ireland on March 26 kept Israel in World Cup contention, now finds his cheery face and toothy smile featured in ads for the state lottery. Its director said he wanted to strike a blow against racism, but also to entice more Israeli Arabs to play the lottery.

For Suan, it's a little more money for someone who makes, without bonuses, about $1,500 a month, and it's another chance to stress, in his quiet way, that Israeli Arabs are an integral part of Israel and are not going to disappear.

After his big goal against Ireland -- the pun in Hebrew, on the word ''equalizer,'' was that ''finally an Israeli Arab gets equality'' -- Suan was hailed by numerous Israelis as ''gibor yisrael,'' a biblical phrase meaning hero or savior of Israel. Four days after Suan's goal, another Israeli Arab on the team, Walid Badir, scored the tying goal in the 83rd minute in a 1-1 draw with France.

But the following week, Suan was welcomed to a league match against Betar Jerusalem with profanity and a large sign: ''Abbas Suan -- you do not represent us.'' Some Betar fans chanted a slogan, ''Abbas Suan is sick with cancer,'' which rhymes in Hebrew.

In response, Sakhnin fans booed the playing of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, rarely heard in league games but a theme of the Jerusalem team, known for its right-wing nationalist followers. The game itself was a dreary 0-0 tie, and Betar Jerusalem was later subjected to a fine for verbal abuse and to the loud sound of tut-tutting in the more liberal sectors of Israeli society.

Suan takes the high road. He is bilingual and speaks Arabic at home, as he did during a recent interview. Lying on the pitted grass of a borrowed practice field in the Druze village of Yarka, a 30-minute drive from Sakhnin, in Galilee in northern Israel, Suan said he wanted ''to bridge the gap between Jews and Arabs'' and ''send a good message to the Arab sector.''

Rival fans are trying to disrupt Sakhnin's concentration, Suan said. ''One shouldn't pay attention to what goes on in the stands,'' he said. ''It's not my problem.'' Those fans are trying to make him an Arab in a Jewish country, he said, adding, ''They try to put me in one group, but I represent both.''

Pressed harder, Suan said, ''I don't want to talk about these issues, to give legitimacy to these negative people.''

His prominence has done wonders for Arab pride and has outlined some of the less attractive divisions in Israeli society. Israel has about 6.8 million people, with about 1.2 million Israeli Arabs.

Israeli Arabs are Palestinians who live inside Israel's 1967 boundaries, which represent the armistice lines of the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war; they are descendants of the 160,000 or so Palestinians who remained in what became Israel. They are full Israeli citizens and carry Israeli passports. But many Israeli Arabs complain of discrimination in political and social life.

Suan, a midfielder, is expected to start in Israel's next World Cup qualifying match, at Ireland in early June. With four games left, including two against the Faroe Islands and one against Switzerland, Israel has a realistic chance to get to Germany for the 2006 World Cup. In its only World Cup visit, in 1970, Israel played weaker Asian teams in qualifying and was eliminated in the first round in Mexico. Arab boycotts of Israel made it easier for FIFA, the sport's world governing body, to put Israel in the European zone, where the problem for Israel is not boycotts, but stiffer competition.

Suan's club, Sakhnin, is a tale in itself, a monument to the perseverance of a building contractor, Mazen Ghanaim, the club chairman. He says that the club has the lowest budget of the major Israeli teams, $2.1 million, about a quarter of the average first-division budget, and that he is $2.3 million short of funds to finish rebuilding Sakhnin's stadium.

''Of course we're under pressure,'' Ghanaim said. ''We're the only Israeli Arab team that has come this far. We have very little, and we don't have anyone to support and help us. We always wonder, 'Why are other teams getting help and not us?' It's very frustrating.''

Ghanaim may be exaggerating a little, but not much. A relative, Jamal Ghanaim, has been working for the team for 11 years and says that referees give Sakhnin more penalties than Jewish teams. ''Our problem is that the Arabs say we're betrayers, we're with Israel, and Israelis think we're Arabs,'' he said. ''So we have no father or mother.''

The team itself is a model of coexistence: a majority of Israeli Arabs, some Jews and some foreigners. The coach, Eyal Lachman, a Jew, tried to use the team's anger about being small and snubbed to feed its aggression. The team plays hard, with a lot of fouls, but Lachman said it was the only way to stay with richer Israeli teams, let alone top European ones.

''Look at this place,'' Lachman said of the shoddy training field at Yarka. ''Every second-division team in Israel has a stadium and at least one training field, and some have four or more, including synthetic grass.''

Part of his job, Lachman said, was to control the pressure from outside. ''There's too much pressure on the team,'' he said. ''They don't have a lot of experience, it's the first year in the first division, and they take every word of criticism like the bomb on Nagasaki.''

[After a disappointing 4-0 league loss to Hapoel Haifa on April 15, Lachman, 39, was fired as coach. The club chairman, Mazen Ghanaim, called it a resignation in a telephone interview. He said the next coach would also be Jewish.]

Suan has had offers from three major teams in Israel, teams with bigger budgets, and he said he hoped Sakhnin could at least come close to matching them.

Jerrold Kessel has been following Bnei Sakhnin with a colleague, Pierre Klochendler, and writing a diary, ''The World According to Sakhnin,'' for the newspaper Haaretz. He has also been preparing a documentary film, ''A Winning Season,'' about the club.

''This team has already achieved a lot, putting themselves into the consciousness of Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs,'' Kessel said. ''Before, Israeli Jews thought of Israeli Arabs as a disorderly force. But Sakhnin has forced Israel to a degree -- not that they like it all the time -- to relate to this team as an Israeli Arab club, one that's in the heart of the Israeli experience.''

Although the team's fans are passionate, they rarely wave a flag. ''They've enabled Israeli Arabs to raise a Palestinian identity without a flag, and to express their Israeli identity without a flag,'' Kessel said. ''They don't talk politics, they are politics. They play coexistence.''

Suan lives with his father, his wife, Safaa, and their two children in Sakhnin. His father, Said Hamad Suan, said he was proud that his son represented ''all these people, and that he represents Israel.'' When Suan scored the goal against Ireland, his uncle suggested that relations between Israel's Arabs and Jews would improve. But Said Hamad Suan answered softly, ''It all depends on them.''

[Imperfectionist]

Even some developers realize this court decision is wrong. It's good to see one of them making a point about it.

Developer seeks SC Judge Souter's property

Looks to build 'Lost Liberty Hotel' at home of Supreme Court justice

Posted: June 28, 2005
1:45 p.m. Eastern

By Ron Strom
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

A private developer has contacted the local government in Supreme Court Justice David Souter's hometown in New Hampshire asking that the property of the judge – who voted in favor of a controversial decision allowing a city to take residents' homes for private development – be seized to make room for a new hotel.

Yesterday, Logan Darrow Clements faxed a request to Chip Meany, the code enforcement officer of the town of Weare, N.H., seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road, the present location of Souter's home.

Wrote Clements: "Although this property is owned by an individual, David H. Souter, a recent Supreme Court decision, Kelo v. City of New London, clears the way for this land to be taken by the government of Weare through eminent domain and given to my LLC for the purposes of building a hotel. The justification for such an eminent domain action is that our hotel will better serve the public interest as it will bring in economic development and higher tax revenue to Weare."

The Kelo v. City of New London decision, handed down Thursday, allows the New London, Conn., government to seize the homes and businesses of residents to facilitate the building of an office complex that would provide economic benefits to the area and more tax revenue to the city. Though the practice of eminent domain is provided for in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, this case is significant because the seizure is for private development and not for "public use," such as a highway or bridge. The decision has been roundly criticized among property-rights activists and limited-government commentators.

According to a statement from Clement, the proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, "featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America." Instead of a Gideon's Bible in each room, guests will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged," the statement said.

Clements says the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site – "being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans."

"This is not a prank" said Clements. "The town of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."

Clements says his plan is to raise investment capital from wealthy pro-liberty investors and draw up architectural plans. These plans would then be used to raise additional capital for the project.

While Clements currently makes a living in marketing and video production, he tells WND he has had involvement in real estate development and is fully committed to the project.

"We will build a hotel there if investors come forward, definitely," he said.

Clements is the CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, which is dedicated to fighting "the most deadly and destructive force on the planet: abusive governments," the website states.

The activist says he is aware of the apparent conflict of someone who is strongly opposed to the Kelo decision using it to purposely oust an American from his property.

"I realize there is a contradiction, but we're only going to use it against people who advocated" the Kelo decision, Clements told WND. "Therefore, it's a case of retaliation, not initiation."

Clements says some people have already offered to put money into the project.

[Ono]

Even some developers realize this court decision is wrong. It's good to see one of them making a point about it.

Developer seeks SC Judge Souter's property

Looks to build 'Lost Liberty Hotel' at home of Supreme Court justice


Excellent!!

[Fictious Actor]

"Developer seeks SC Judge Souter's property

Looks to build 'Lost Liberty Hotel' at home of Supreme Court justice"



That is superb.........
I was thinking about affordable housing being built on the Kennedy compound 1,600 acres....

Well Done......

Back to the point of the thread.......

I think HOPE is good.............. or as it was written by scarry boy in the Shawshank Redemption......... Hope is a good thing... perhaps the best thing of all........

I hope for a world void of people who feel that they must kill to voice their beliefs......

I hope those who have been recently kicked off of IH to be allowed back into the mix.............

I hope that every person who reads these words has found their passion in life.....

[Bman]

Extra mile for boy's best friends
Cross-country relay will keep them together
Friday, July 29, 2005

By Jacqueline Shoyeb, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The volunteers call the cross-country trip a doggie relay. The Kuehn family calls it a godsend.

For two Labrador retrievers, Trikzy and Daisy, and 12-year-old owner, Joshua, it's their lucky break.

Joshua, who is autistic and is calmed by the animals, was faced with the possibility he might have to give up the dogs for adoption after airlines told his parents it would be too hot in the cargo hold to fly the dogs to the family's new home in Phoenix.

So the Kuehns reluctantly put the dogs up for adoption, posting an e-mail on AutismLink, a Web site that provides information and support for families with autistic children.

But the response they got was not what they expected. A woman from Du Bois in Clearfield County told them, Your dogs are coming with you.

And so this morning, Trikzy and Daisy will begin the first leg of a three-part trip involving volunteers from two states who will eventually take the pair to their new home in what they call a doggie relay.

"When I heard the news I lost it," said dad Jeffrey Kuehn, a security guard from McDonald. "Strangers are doing this and that's what's amazing about it."

The effort is especially important to Joshua, who is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, an autism disorder that limits his communication and social skills.

"They help through the battles and through with making friends and everything," Joshua said. "They're the only ones I can really talk to."

The dogs comfort him, said his mother, Kathleen.

"It was a godsend because I don't think my son would go without them," she sad.

The idea for the dog relay began last week when Jenny Webster, of Du Bois, saw the Kuehn's e-mail seeking an adoptive family for the two dogs on AutismLink.

The family was relocating to Phoenix for better jobs and warmer weather, and couldn't bring the dogs with them. After the airlines turned them down, the family found out that a professional pet transporter would charge them $1,400, an amount they couldn't afford.

"He wasn't going to have his dogs, his best friends," said Webster. "I have an autistic child and I know how attached he can be to things and people and animals. If I were in that situation I would have hoped someone could help me out."

Touched by their story, Webster sprang into action, sending out e-mails asking for volunteer drivers to help the cause.

In a few days, people from across the nation were responding with donations from $5 to $200 and a few offers to drive.

Through the AutsimLink Web site, Webster, a stay-at-home mom, secured two drivers and $800 for gas.

"This has been fast," she said. "But I'm up for it. It's going to be fun."

Two others up for it are Jenn Engle of Albuquerque, N.M., and Swissvale resident Lenore Wossidlo.

The plan, which was ironed out yesterday goes like this:

Wossidlo picks up the dogs in McDonald today and will meet Webster at the intersection of Interstates 79 and 80 in Mercer County.

In the second pass-off, Webster will take the dogs about 1,500 miles to a restaurant in Elk City, Okla., which is about 100 miles west of Oklahoma City.

Engle will then pick up the dogs and head another 550 miles to Albuquerque, where Jeffrey Kuehn will be waiting to take the dogs the rest of the way to Phoenix.

None of the volunteers have met Joshua, but they all say they couldn't let him be separated from his longtime pets.

"This is a boy with autism who is moving across country to a new school, new friends, new neighbors," said Wossidlo, who also has an autistic son.

The disability makes even simple changes like driving a different way to the store confusing and upsetting, said Dr. Nancy Minshew, a psychiatry and neurology professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

"Other kids may be excited about getting a new room, new bedspread and more, but this is the kind of kid who will probably want everything to be the same," she said.

In Joshua's case, the dogs help calm him when things do change, said his mother, Kathleen.

Trikzy, a black lab, was Joshua's a birthday gift six years ago. Daisy was rescued from an abusive home two years ago. Both dogs are close to him, but 68-pound Daisy is extremely attached, she said.

"The yellow lab sleeps with him and tells him what time to go to bed," she said. "When he goes to school, she cries. Those two are so attached it's unreal."

For Wossidlo, who also is involved in autism awareness efforts, the doggie relay is more than strangers driving two dogs 2,100 miles across the country. It's a show of compassion, she said, for an autistic boy and his dogs.

"And it all started a week and a half ago," she said, "with one e-mail saying, Can you take my dog?"



http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05210/545631.stm

[stewey]

Whats good about the world?

I have a 3 week vacation starting next week :happy_01:

Although I do have to do a 2500 word paper, but I plan to do that this weekend :)

[Imperfectionist]

Special delivery! Kittens survive 2-day shipping
Felines accidently sent from South Carolina to Vermont in returned package

Updated: 12:55 p.m. ET July 29, 2005

VEGENNES, Va. - A worker in the returns department at Country Home Products got a surprise when he opened a brush trimmer sent back from South Carolina.

Inside the box was the trimmer — and five kittens.

The three-week-old kittens survived the two-day trip to Vermont and are doing fine.

The South Carolina customer who returned the trimmer had stored it in a barn, and apparently sealed the box without looking inside.

The kittens were taken to a Humane Society shelter in Middlebury, where they met Hazel, a black cat whose kittens had just been weaned. Hazel is a now a surrogate mother to the kittens.

The shelter says the kittens should be available for adoption in about three weeks.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8755085/

[Strike4ce]

:happy_01: :happy_01: :happy_01: Great thread!

[stewey]

bump

[Bman]

The power of sport to United us!



THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)

August 02, 2005, Tuesday


'Compared to Iraq we're in paradise' Schoolboys leave their strife-torn homeland for the chance of a lifetime

BY ANDREW BAKER

GIVE a group of teenage boys a football and a pitch and you will get enthusiasm. But there was a special delight expressed by the squad training at the Royal Holloway College sports ground near Egham yesterday morning. These boys had never previously kicked a ball outside their homeland, Iraq.

"This is like a dream for these boys," said their chef de mission, Walid Tabra. "Before now they have only played in their own neighbourhoods."

These neighbourhoods include not only Baghdad, but Basra, Najaf, Kirkuk and other cities known in this country only for the worst of reasons.

The boys are here to play in the Arsenal International Soccer Festival. Now in its 15th year, the festival attracts more than 150 teams annually. Teams from the United States, Canada, South Africa, Portugal and Hong Kong are among those competing in the tournament, which started at the weekend. And judging by the way they performed in training yesterday, the Iraqi boys, who play their first match today, will do their beleaguered country proud.

The team are staying at their training base, but between matches will make excursions to the London Eye and Madame Tussauds. Yesterday they seemed happy just to be training on grass, which is in short supply at home.

"We're so happy to be here, in the cradle of football," beamed Tabra.

"Compared with Iraq, we are in paradise."

When the boys were told that they had been selected to represent their country, many at first refused to believe their destination. Their parents travelled from all over Iraq (no easy task) to see them off at the airport.

They are proud ambassadors, not only for their country but for the other gifted young footballers coming through a remarkable coaching scheme established by our own Football Association and funded by the British Foreign Office.

Football United, as the scheme is called, is the brainchild of Hayder al-Fekaiki, who was born in Iraq but came to Britain as a child. After the success of the Iraqi footballers at the Athens Olympics (they finished fourth and made thousands of friends), al-Fekaiki approached the Iraqi FA and suggested a grassroots coaching operation.

Agreement was swift. The Foreign Office came up with the money, the English FA trained the first batch of coaches, and within a year, 1,500 youngsters have become involved.

"In the beginning, we wanted to take more British teams and famous coaches into Iraq," al-Fekaiki explained. "That has not been so easy, so we have brought this team to England instead. This is a testimonial to the work that is going on in Iraq."

Football is an immensely powerful force in Iraq. The senior ranks are in a state of chaos, the victims both of abuse at the hands of Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, and of the conflict that followed the regime's fall.

But the enthusiasm of the nation's youth is unstoppable. "In Iraq, football is the number one," said Tabra. "For many young men, there is nothing to do but play football. That is why they have these skills."

Some skills they are. Training was decorated with the deftest of touches and brave displays of determination and strength. Many of the players, most notably the striker, Kadhum Hussain, would not look out of place in the junior squads of Premiership sides.

The players loved parading in their smart kit and England baseball caps. Despite the language barrier, it was easy to enjoy their company and share their excitement. Ahmed al-Aadin, whose father was an Iraqi international, wants to follow in the paternal bootprints. But he also wants to give a message to his hosts. Calling over an interpreter, he said: "We would like to have good relations with your country. Tell everyone we are very happy to be here."

Then he jogged off for another keepy-uppy session.

[OnePremier]

The world stinks, and I don't like it.

[Ono]

Here's one thing that's good:

http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth

[Bman]

Michael Rota, you are a HERO, and an example to your peers!

17 years of age, and what does he do with his spare time??? Read on




For boy with autism, a coach and a friend
Mother sheds tears as teen volunteer is honored for helping her 11-year-old be a runner

Thursday, November 10, 2005

By KIAWANA RICH

STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE

For Anthony D'Addesa, there can be no better coach than Michael Rota -- or truer friend.

All of 17 years old, Michael is a volunteer running coach for Our Lady Star of the Sea R.C. Church, Huguenot; Anthony is an 11-year-old with autism.

They met when Michael responded to a notice in the church bulletin.


"I was hoping I could help Anthony at practice," said his mother, Laurette D'Addesa, a former runner, "but I had been fighting cancer and the chemo made me too weak. Then comes an angel, Mike Rota. Anthony would not have been able to participate without his help."

Mrs. D'Addesa wept tears of joy yesterday as she told the Staten Island Children's Museum Circle of Friends Awards business luncheon how the bond between Michael and Anthony gives her son the chance to be a normal kid.

Mrs. D'Addesa took to the podium to read her nomination letter for Michael, who received the first-ever Kid of Achievement Award.

She noted that Michael even took heat at first from his own coach, who didn't realize the reason Michael missed a St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School practice was to run a cross-country race with Anthony.

"Mike never told me this; that is when I realized how much volunteering his time to help Anthony was important to Mike, too," she said.

"I had to do the right thing," said Michael afterward. "I knew helping Anthony would be the right thing to do, and it meant so much more to me than running the school track, so I knew right away [that was I what I had to do]."

The luncheon, held in the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield, was co-chaired by Elizabeth Sorkvist and Sam Farag. It honors nonprofit organizations, businesses and individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to the welfare and development of the borough's children.

Also honored yesterday were the Global Medical Relief Fund; the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation; Northfield Savings Bank, and Jerry and Stella DeLuca.

In another emotional moment, Farag found it difficult to hold back tears while presenting the Good Neighbor Award to his longtime friend, DeLuca, and posthumously to DeLuca's wife, Stella, who died on Sept. 21.

For his part, DeLuca said the two were "a community couple," together for 48 years.

"This is the first affair I am going to without her," said DeLuca. "[This morning] I had a king-sized picture of her on my kitchen table and I gave her some words and a kiss and I left. ... I know she's here in spirit."

Elissa Montanti, founder of the Global Medical Relief Fund, said, "I am honored today that I am recognized in my own community. This is special to me."

Kiawana Rich is a news reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at rich@siadvance.com.

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1131632181278790.xml&coll=1

[Imperfectionist]

I figured this article was worth digging up this thread.

Teen saves life of woman who saved him
N.Y. teen performs Heimlich on nurse who gave him CPR years earlier

NBC News
Updated: 4:35 p.m. ET Feb. 5, 2006

Call it a simple twist of fate — times two: A teenager in western New York state has saved the life of the same woman who years ago saved his life.

Seven years ago, Kevin Stephan of Lancaster, N.Y., was a bat boy for his younger brother’s Little League baseball team. A player who was warming up accidentally hit him in the chest with a bat. Kevin’s heart stopped beating.

“All I remember is that I dropped the bat off, and all of a sudden just got hit in the chest with something, and I turned around and passed out,” Stephan said.

Fortunately, a nurse whose son played on that team was able to revive him and save his life.

“I started CPR on him and he came back,” Penny Brown said.

Stephan’s mother said he was extremely fortunate. Brown was supposed to be at work that night, but was given the day off at the last minute.

Now comes the really interesting part.

Last week that same nurse was eating at the Hillview Restaurant in Depew, N.Y., when she began to choke on her food. Witnesses say patrons were screaming for someone to help her.

“The food wasn’t going anywhere and I totally couldn’t breathe,” Penny said. “It was very frightening.”

Restaurant employees yelled for Stephan to come out and help. “They knew I was a volunteer firefighter and they called me over and I did the Heimlich, and I guess you could say I saved Mrs. Brown,” Stephan said.

At the restaurant, they realized the amazing twist of fate they had just witnessed. Seven years ago, Brown had saved Stephan's life. Now at age 17, he had returned the favor.

“It's almost unbelievable,” said Stephan, who is also an Eagle Scout.

“The fact that it has been two individuals, that you know, helped eachother out in a pretty dire situation, it's pretty extraordinary,” Brown said.

On Saturday, the two met again at the Bowmansville, N.Y., Fire Hall where Stephan is a junior firefighter. He presented her with a bouquet of flowers, and his parents were also there to greet Brown.

Officials with the American Red Cross in Buffalo said this story highlights the importance of receiving training in first aid and CPR.

Judith Rucki from the Red Cross’ Buffalo office said, “We always ask people, if someone in the cubicle next to you went into cardiac arrest, do you know what to do?”

The man who trained Stephan at the fire hall, Dan Curtis, said he was trained by the American Red Cross.

“He called to thank me for teaching him what I taught him in order to be able to do what he did at the restaurant,” Curtis said. “It was just incredible. And as an instructor, you can't get a better compliment than that — when somebody in the civilian world takes what they learn in a four-hour CPR class and actually uses it to save someone's life.”

The Red Cross is planning an award presentation for Stephan, and so are the Boy Scouts.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11190559/

[undertaker]

THIS THREAD IS A JEWISH MASONIC ILLUMINATTI CONSPIRACY!

Orson X:mad:

It is unfare to make peeples feeling good!

[undertaker]

Thanks for a great thread, Bman! Somehow it makes us all [or most of us] more human.

Orson

[Bman]

I live in Rochester, NY (Greece-Athena is a suburb of Rochester).. and my 5 year old son (named Jason) is also autistic.... so this one struck me pretty hard!

Great story.. I had to share it

(be sure to click on the video!)

Hoop Hero

2/17/2006 6:00 PM
(Dave Yates, WROC-TV)

Last night, we showed the amazing video of an autistic kid who did the unthinkable at a recent Greece Athena basketball game. He scored 20 points in the last four minutes. Dave Yates sat down with this young star about what seems like a fairy tale dream.

It really doesn't get much better than this, a true example of how sports can create a positive experience. It was the type of story a Hollywood studio would dream up. The team manager comes off the bench and scores in his final home game. But Greece Athena senior Jason McElwain made this dream a reality and then some, scoring 20 points

"My first shot was an airball, by a lot. Then I missed a layup and then as soon as the first shot went in and then the second shot, as soon as that went in I just started to catch fire," says Jason.

Like any good Hollywood story, this one has a twist. Not only had Jason never played in varsity game before, he's also autistic.

"This is the first moment Jason has ever succeeded and proud of himself. I look at autism as the Berlin Wall, he cracked it," says Jason's mom, Debbie McElwain.

"I've had a lot of thrills in coaching and I've coached alot of wonderful kids, but I've never experienced something like this ever in my life, you know other than my own personal family things. My emotions, I couldn't stop crying," says Athena head coach Jim Johnson.

Getting to this point hasn't been easy for Jason. His autism is a condition that has made some people uncomfortable to be around him. Obviously the kids at Athena don't feel that way

"He's a cool kid, you just get to know him. You get used to being around him. A couple weeks ago he missed practice because he was sick and you feel differently when he's not around because he brings humor and life to the team," says Athena basketball player Levar Goff.

Jason's accomplishment on the court was nice, but he's not done yet.

"If Jason gets a high school diploma, that will be my biggest success."

Jason said that when they lifted him up on their shoulders after the game he felt great...kinda like the way he made everyone around him feel. He wants to dedicate that game to all the graduating seniors at Athena.

http://www.wroctv.com/news/story.asp?id=21810&r=l

[Bman]

Daily News (New York)

February 26, 2006 Sunday

BOY WHOSE GAME TOUCHED A NATION. Mike Lupica on autistic teen who got to play - and to star

BY MIKE LUPICA


JASON McELWAIN WAS BACK to being a student manager last night for the Greece (N.Y.) Athena High basketball team when it beat its crosstown rival, Arcadia, in a big tournament game. So Jason, who is a senior at Greece Athena and autistic, was back at the end of the bench. Only it isdifferent down there now because Jason is different, in a way he never could have imagined within the boundaries of his world.

It is different because Jason is the 5-foot-6 student manager, the student manager with autism, who got off that bench and into a game a couple of weeks ago, and in so doing gave himself and his team and his family and his friends and his town a perfect sports moment, as perfect a sports moment as any of them or any of us will ever know about.

For one night, in Greece Athena's game against the Spencerport Rangers, in a game the country has slowly found out about, Jason got out of his white shirt and black tie and into a basketball uniform and once coach Jim Johnson put him into that game against Spencerport, the kid from the end of the bench could not miss.

The coach and his teammates wanted Jason, who had been their manager for two years, who had not missed a practice or a workout in two years, to just make one basket, so he could have a fine basketball memory to carry with him forever, to go along with the memories he had just being a part of something that made him feel like everybody else.

He got out there and fired up an airball from the right corner, then missed a shorter shot from the left side. And if you have not seen what happened next, on the "CBS Evening News" or "Good Morning, America" or CNN or ESPN or on your computer, then you better find a way to.

Because all of a sudden Jason could not miss.

He made six 3-pointers after that and the only reason he did not have seven 3-pointers was because the refs said his foot was on the line for one of his shots. He scored 20 points. The only way to describe it is this way: It was beautiful, as beautiful as any game could ever be. The shots were beautiful, and so was the reaction of his crowd and of his teammates, the ones on the court with him and the ones on the bench, who were the most excited people in the place.

"We called it into the local papers afterwards," Johnson was saying yesterday afternoon on his cell phone, getting ready for his big game last night. "We thought it was a nice little story. Then one of the Rochester TV stations called and asked if they could borrow our coach's tape of the game. We didn't realize that we were sitting on the hottest coach's tape in the whole country."

The story of Jason McElwain started to get out. Johnson, who has coached at Greece Athena for 10 years, said he had seen the movie "Radio," about an intellectually challenged team manager. He had seen "Rudy." But Johnson said he had never seen anything like this.

Slowly, the country began to see that coach's tape. It was like we were all in that high school gym in Greece, N.Y., not getting up all at once every time Jason would make another one from the outside, more like we were getting up one row at a time. Getting up this way for this young man who wasn't able to speak until he was 5 years old.

By the end of this week, on television and on the radio and in the newspaper, not just the papers in western New York State but papers everywhere, Jason had become the most famous basketball player anywhere.

"I wanted to give him this game as a gift," Johnson said yesterday. "And now he's the one who has given me a gift that I will carry with me every day for the rest of my life."

Every basketball coach I have ever known thinks the same way: Someday the door to the gym will open and in will come walking some player who will change his life. It turns out for Johnson that the kid had been in his gym for two years, doing what managers do, keeping stats and getting towels and water bottles and rebounding the ball when some player wanted to stay after practice and shoot. It was just fine with Jason. He was a part of something, you see. One of the guys.

Until the night when he wasn't.

"For the first time in his life," his mother, Debbie McElwain, told Scott Pitoniak of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle the other day, "he got an opportunity to be in the spotlight, and it couldn't have been brighter."

"You try to treat him like everybody else," Johnson said yesterday, saying Jason's appearance in the game was a one-time thing because of league rules. "But at the same time you want him to know you think he's special, and not just because he's different."

For this night, the 15th of February, 2006, Jason McElwain, the autistic kid from the end of the bench, was all that. He was different and he was special, and he could not miss.

mike@lupica.com

[Ono]

Thanks Bman

[pilobolus]

The mood that I am in today makes it difficult to think of anything good in the world.

Well, Beer. Lots and lots of Beer. That is something good in the world.

You think you got it bad...I can't even afford beer this month and it is only day 3. It is my anniversary and we made it until 7:30 AM before fighting.:sad_01:

[Pghredneck]

You think you got it bad...I can't even afford beer this month and it is only day 3. It is my anniversary and we made it until 7:30 AM before fighting.:sad_01:*Redneck fires up his positive-thought emitting device, calibrates it to fire cupid-makeup-sex particles, aims it at the pilobolus household and then crosses his fingers*

[OldGit]

What's good about the world? -- well me for one :D;)

I was just going to say that - about you I mean... We must swap some more recipes....

That's another thing. Old Smaug like one can cook and knows a thing or two about it.

[Spectre]

Here's a link to video footage of the Jason McElwain story including footage from the game. It's really great. Damn near brought a tear to my eye.

Link (http://www.collegehumor.com/movies/1667265/)

[Bman]

Here's a link to video footage of the Jason McElwain story including footage from the game. It's really great. Damn near brought a tear to my eye.

Link (http://www.collegehumor.com/movies/1667265/)


Yeah, that's a real tear jerker!

That kid has been on the news up here for 2 weeks straight

I still can't get over it.

[Bman]

Here's a link to video footage of the Jason McElwain story including footage from the game. It's really great. Damn near brought a tear to my eye.

Link (http://www.collegehumor.com/movies/1667265/)


Be sure to check out my thread in the SPORTS TALK area (if you haven't already)

http://www.wincoast.com/forum/showpost.php?p=565501&postcount=3

there's pictures in there and some other stuff that I gleaned from the local media

I don't think you can be a fan of sports (or of humanity in general) and not get a little teary eyed at that story.. its like a real life "Rudy" , times 10!

[pilobolus]

*Redneck fires up his positive-thought emitting device, calibrates it to fire cupid-makeup-sex particles, aims it at the pilobolus household and then crosses his fingers*

Y'know Phred, you are just a good person. Thanks.

[Coda]

You think you got it bad...I can't even afford beer this month and it is only day 3. It is my anniversary and we made it until 7:30 AM before fighting.:sad_01:

At least you guys still fight, my wife and I just simply stopped acknowledging one another.

[Occupant]

Y'know Phred, you are just a good person. Thanks.
Yeah, he is. It might seem a little more altruistic if he put away the binoculars, though....

[LANMaster]

BMan gets green for tyhe optimistic thread.

[thinkingman]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_428823.html

Hospital honors Monessen's shoe shine man


Photo Gallery

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Jeff Pikulsky/The Valley Independent



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By Jeff Pikulsky
VALLEY INDEPENDENT
Wednesday, March 1, 2006


OAKLAND - Officials from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh honored Monessen's shoe shine man Tuesday for polishing off his goal to raise $100,000 for the hospital.
Since 1982, Albert Lexie has shined shoes to raise money for the hospital's Free Care Fund, which benefits families that cannot afford care for their children.

The 64-year-old has routinely toted his shoe shine cart into Mid-Mon Valley businesses year round, charging $3 per shine.

The tips he receives, he donates to Children's Hospital.





Every Tuesday and Thursday, Lexie wakes up at about 6 a.m. and takes two bus rides to the Oakland Hospital, where he makes his rounds helping anyone who needs a new shine in their step.

Lexie hit the $100,000 mark in donations in January 2005.

He took the day off at the hospital Tuesday, as the customers he calls friends recognized his dedication.

Roger A. Oxendale, Children's Hospital president and chief executive officer, said Lexie has become one of the family at the hospital.

"This happens to me whenever I think about Albert," Oxendale said, fighting back tears. "He's truly an inspiration for me personally and I think for many of the people that are at Children's Hospital."

Oxendale said things have changed since Lexie has visited the hospital.

"There are many meetings that take place in stocking feet around this place because of Albert and the great work he does for the kids," he said.

One of Lexie's long-time customers, Children's Hospital Urologist Dr. Steven G. Docimo, said he admires Lexie's selfless nature.

He put Lexie's contributions into perspective.

"It is a lot of money," he said. "I've been fortunate enough to be involved in the staff development campaign, where we try to get doctors like myself to donate money to the hospital. And we are very happy when a physician gives a generous donation of $1,000 to the hospital."

Docimo said the relationships Lexie has formed in his travels are priceless.

"I would argue that Albert is a wealthy man today," Docimo said. "They say that you can't take wealth with you, but I think the wealth that Albert has accumulated he can take with him forever."

The doctor apologized for showing up in scrubs because of an unexpected medical procedure.

"I feel a little self-conscious about my appearance but I do feel confident about one thing, and that is my shoes are looking good," Docimo said, smiling at Lexie.

The timid Lexie took the podium and thanked his friends.

"I appreciate all you good doctors' work ... and all of my good customers," he said. "I appreciate all of you and I love you all."

Lexie explained that it was the late KDKA anchorwoman Patty Burns who inspired him to give to the hospital.

He said he has most enjoyed visiting the patients he affectionately calls "my kids."

"I figure it this way; Jerry has his kids. Why can't I have my kids?" he said.

Oxendale presented Lexie with a plaque from the hospital.

After a standing ovation, Lexie was mobbed with hugs, kisses and handshakes from hospital staff and some Mon Valley residents who made the trip in his honor.

"He's a personal friend of my family for a long time. He's quite a story," Ringgold School District Superintendent Ed Repka said.

Monessen Chamber of Commerce President Chuck Assenat said Lexie is one of a kind.

"You don't see this kind of stuff happening at all," he said.

Joe Kirk, executive director of the Mon Valley Progress Council, put it simply.

"He's my hero, absolutely," Kirk said. "He's done something that is remarkable for anyone."

Lexie has gained celebrity status locally for his generosity.

The awards committee of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Executives presented him with its 2001 Outstanding Philanthropist Award.

His story aired on the Oprah Winfrey Show and an article about his story appeared in the National Enquirer.

Tuesday wasn't the first time Children's Hospital gave back to Lexie.

For his birthday in August, 2003, the hospital gave him a metal cart designed to help him carry the 30-pound shoe shine box he made as a teenager in shop class at Monessen High School.

Looking back on his shoe-shining career, Lexie said he does not plan to slow down.

"I feel pretty good. I want to keep on going," he said.

[Bman]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_428823.html

Hospital honors Monessen's shoe shine man


Photo Gallery

click to enlarge


Jeff Pikulsky/The Valley Independent



Tools Print this article
E-mail this article
Subscribe to this paper
Larger / Smaller Text


By Jeff Pikulsky
VALLEY INDEPENDENT
Wednesday, March 1, 2006


OAKLAND - Officials from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh honored Monessen's shoe shine man Tuesday for polishing off his goal to raise $100,000 for the hospital.
Since 1982, Albert Lexie has shined shoes to raise money for the hospital's Free Care Fund, which benefits families that cannot afford care for their children.

The 64-year-old has routinely toted his shoe shine cart into Mid-Mon Valley businesses year round, charging $3 per shine.

The tips he receives, he donates to Children's Hospital.





Every Tuesday and Thursday, Lexie wakes up at about 6 a.m. and takes two bus rides to the Oakland Hospital, where he makes his rounds helping anyone who needs a new shine in their step.

Lexie hit the $100,000 mark in donations in January 2005.

.

DAMN!


Now that's a hero..

Wow.. thanks for the story...

That's a great one.

[OldGit]

I saw a kingfisher this morning - it wizzed along a stream in the sunshine, just above the water and disappeared under a bridge.

Beautiful.

Then I heard a woodpecker.

[Imperfectionist]

OAKLAND - Officials from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh honored Monessen's shoe shine man Tuesday for polishing off his goal to raise $100,000 for the hospital.
Since 1982, Albert Lexie has shined shoes to raise money for the hospital's Free Care Fund, which benefits families that cannot afford care for their children.

The 64-year-old has routinely toted his shoe shine cart into Mid-Mon Valley businesses year round, charging $3 per shine.

The tips he receives, he donates to Children's Hospital.
Wow... took him 23 years to do it, but he got it done. That is what I call patience and persistence.

[Bman]

Here's a link to video footage of the Jason McElwain story including footage from the game. It's really great. Damn near brought a tear to my eye.

Link (http://www.collegehumor.com/movies/1667265/)


UPDATE

http://www.rnews.com/images_story/jmactitle.jpg
J-Mac weeps after Saturday's game

Athena Raises Trophy & J-Mac

by Greg Johnston
Photo by Pat Campbell
Published Mar 05, 2006

The J-Mac story keeps getting better. Saturday night, Jason McElwain or J-Mac as he’s known to the world and his Greece Athena Trojans capped off what was an already unbelievable story.

The Trojans lifted the Class AA Section V trophy for the first time since 1992. They also lifted J-Mac – literally.

The team hoisted Jason in the air chanting ‘J-Mac, J-Mac.’ The Greece Athena Senior has been at the center of a media frenzy following last month’s miraculous performance where he made six three-point shots in just four minutes. He scored 20 for the game, an amazing feat from a young man with autism.

Before Saturday’s game, Magic Johnson called J-Mac to wish his team luck.

Magic’s magic apparently worked as the team fought from behind topping top seeded Irondequoit 54 – 51.

Steve Kerr lit up the nets with 19-points for Athena. Rashaad Stokelin led the Eagles with 17.

Ricky Wallace earned MVP honors for the Trojans. Ricky’s older brother John Wallace did the same back in ‘92.

Sunday, J-Mac will patrol the sidelines of the Blue Cross Arena once again. He will serve as honorary team manager for Rochester’s RazorSharks.

[Aziraphael]

Whats good in the world...... hhmmm.....

AUSTRALIA

[pixikill]

Sydney cat found in Melbourne



March 4, 2006 - 12:04PM




It could be a plot from a Lassie movie - only this one involves a cat and a microchip.
"DC" vanished last month from his home at seaside Bondi, in Sydney, only to turn up 850km away on Melbourne's St Kilda beach a fortnight later.
His owner Niki Chapman had given him up for dead, thinking he'd been run over by a car, and was astounded to get a call from the Victorian capital.
"It's absolutely amazing, I can't believe he was found in Melbourne," a relieved Ms Chapman said.
"I was completely surprised. I actually thought it was a joke."
At eight months old, DC is barely more than a kitten.
Ms Chapman said she'd given up hope of finding him alive after he vanished on February 19. A cat matching his description had been run over in Bondi.
"I was convinced he was gone and I literally came home and got rid of the cat food and the cat toys," she said.
"And then I got a call from someone saying they'd found him, and gave me a number for a veterinary clinic for me to call.
"The number wasn't working so I rang the people back and they asked if I was remembering to put the `03' in front of the number.
"I nearly fell off my chair laughing."
DC, who was found by a passer-by at St Kilda, was fitted with a microchip which enabled his owner to be traced.
Ms Chapman praised the technology which led to her happy reunion with a hungry and thirsty DC a fortnight after he disappeared.
"There's no way they would ever have traced him back to me if he wasn't microchipped," she said.
But she's still trying to figure out why DC chose the highway over her way.
"Maybe he escaped from here," she said.
"He's a house cat so he doesn't have a collar, so perhaps someone thought he wasn't owned and took him along for a ride."
On hearing Ms Chapman's story, NSW Local Government Minister Kerry Hickey urged people to microchip their pets.
"Microchipping and registration offers lifetime protection for your pet," he said.
© 2006

[undertaker]

Why, a pussy story from Pix.

Orson

[Terdarmo]

FOURTEEN DAYS! Amazing!

[thinkingman]

Wow... took him 23 years to do it, but he got it done. That is what I call patience and persistence.


Exactly. My guess is if this guy makes you a promise you can believe its going to happen.

[Bman]

Exactly. My guess is if this guy makes you a promise you can believe its going to happen.


That guy and that basketball team with the autistic kid have literally renewed my faith in man.

[Bman]

Detective Sergeant Spence Ogilvie,

YOU SIR, ARE A HERO!

for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.

I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, saying,'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?

When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?

When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'

"The King will answer them,'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' - MATTHEW 24:34-40




All Rights Reserved
UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London

June 15, 2006 Thursday

Donation leaves family stunned

Streatham Guardian


A family moved closer to their dream of treating their autistic son in America after a kind-hearted bobby read about their plight and donated valuable football shirts for them to raffle.

Simone Taylor appeared in this newspaper with husband Mark two weeks ago telling of their efforts to raise £10,000 in order to send their autistic son Thiago to a pioneering course which could cure his autism.

Detective Sergeant Spence Ogilvie, a father of three, was so affected by the story he decided to donate his valuable signed Brazilian football shirts which he originally brought to raise money for his local football teams.

He said: "I can get equipment for my teams at any time and I just weighed up the situation; equipment for myself or, if I donate money to this kid, it could change his life. As a parent myself the story also struck me."

An emotional Simone said she was very "shocked but happy". She added: "It is amazing how someone I have never seen in my life could have done this. It is so kind and I am so grateful."

Spence has handed over two Brazilian shirts. One is signed by Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Robinho, and the other is signed by Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. They are framed and come with certificates of authenticity.

He also has a Barcelona shirt, which has been signed by the squad, and a Champions League final programme.

For information on how to bid, call Simone on 020 8768 5712 or Spence on 020 8721 2906.

Siobhan Lismore

slismore@london.newsquest.co.uk

[Bitch]

I don't tihnk I've seen this thread before. Thanks for bumping it. It is nice to see the positive out there as well.

[Bman]

I don't tihnk I've seen this thread before. Thanks for bumping it. It is nice to see the positive out there as well.


You're a youngin'

;)

[Bitch]

You're a youngin'

;)
Yeah I know. But I make up for it by being just as big of a pain in the ass as some of the 'oldies' ;)

[Bman]

:happy_01: :happy_01: :happy_01:



The Associated Press State & Local Wire

July 20, 2006 Thursday 4:01 AM GMT


Soldier helps distribute stuffed animals in Iraq

By AMY ROBINSON


PUEBLO Colo.


Although it takes a brave man to carry a gun and lead soldiers on missions in war, it takes a brave soul with a big heart to reach out to the children caught in the middle of the conflict.

Army Staff Sgt. John "Chris" Calhoun, 41, is a 21-year veteran serving with the 4th Infantry Calvary based in Fort Hood, Texas.

Since joining the Army, Calhoun has been deployed to Iraq three times: the first in 1991, again in 2003 and another time in 2005.

During his latest deployment to Iraq, Calhoun teamed with his aunt, Miriam Gillespie of Pueblo, to create a "Critter Patrol."

"My granddaughter, Morgan, had all of these stuffed animals she didn't have any use for. I wanted to find a place to give them away to," Gillespie said recently.

Gillespie had heard about a program in which soccer balls were being distributed to young boys in Iraq, so she decided there needed to be a similar program for girls.

In addition to her granddaughter's toys, Gillespie began collecting stuffed animals, Beanie Babies and other small furry creatures for shipment as often as possible to her nephew's base at Fort Hood.

Calhoun does his part by distributing the animals in Iraq or giving them to other soldiers who will be deployed.

"The children love them. We escort them back home after giving them a stuffed animal," Calhoun said during a recent visit to Pueblo, while on leave from Iraq.

Calhoun remembered one girl, in particular.

"She wore a green dress. While the other kids would run up and mob the vehicle, she was quiet and shy. She would wave and smile and wait for us to acknowledge her. She was just a cute, nice girl," he said.

Calhoun said outreach programs like the "Critter Patrol" are important for the children.

"As long as violence is at the center (of the war), it will keep happening. But if we can start teaching Iraqi children respect and that we do good, then we will raise a generation who can learn to trust Americans and be better off in the long run," he said.

Calhoun said he was stationed in a place nicknamed "Concho City." He said that while the conditions in Iraq vary, he and his soldiers have helped make improvements.

"We got a city street paved and received lots of smiles and waves from the people. Before, the street was muddy with open sewage and ditches. It's rewarding to see a project get completed," Calhoun said.

He said that little things like paving streets or opening schools sometimes go unnoticed, but they make life better for the Iraqi people.

"I'd like to see an Iraq that I could visit one day for its history. We can continue to try to help Iraq. With a form of sovereign government, we can act as a natural guide, but we are no longer in a position to tell them what to do," he said.

Calhoun says he'll retire in June 2007 before his 42nd birthday. Before that day arrives, however, he plans to continue the "Critter Patrol" with the help of other soldiers in the infantry.

Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com

[Bitch]

Israeli couple exchange vows despite rocket-attack threat

Friday, July 21, 2006

By GABE ROSS
ASSOCIATED PRESS



KIRYAT SHEMONA, Israel -- The guest list was slashed and the venue hastily changed, but Shlomi Boskila and Maya Lugasi got married anyway, defying the threat of rocket attacks Thursday with a wedding in an underground bomb shelter.


Nine days of attacks by Hezbollah guerrillas have forced many in northern Israel to spend their days in reinforced bunkers.

"This shows Hezbollah and [its leader Hassan] Nasrallah that not even 20,000 missiles can destroy the happiness of the bride and groom," said Boskila, the 29-year-old new husband.

Almost 75 people, at least half of them reporters, packed the 15-square-yard shelter. Most of the guests stood up because of the lack of space for seats.

"For 25 years I have married people, but this is the first time in a shelter," said Rabbi Nissim Malka.

When Boskila broke a glass at the end of the ceremony, part of a Jewish tradition that recalls the destruction of the Second Temple, the crowd broke into dance. A disc jockey played traditional Israeli songs and dance music.

"At the beginning [of the wedding] it was strange, but now that we're married it doesn't mean anything," said Lugasi, 22.

Lugasi, in a long strapless dress, and Boskila, in jeans and a white shirt, served their guests chicken, salad, wine and beer, using plastic cups and plates

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyNCZmZ2Jl bDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Njk2NDA0NyZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRU V5eTI=

[pambo]

Ask people about Ben Underwood and you'll hear dozens of stories like this – about the amazing boy who doesn't seem to know he's blind. There's Ben zooming around on his skateboard outside his home in Sacramento; there he is playing kickball with his buddies. To see him speed down hallways and make sharp turns around corners is to observe a typical teen – except, that is, for the clicking. Completely blind since the age of 3, after retinal cancer claimed both his eyes (he now wears two prostheses), Ben has learned to perceive and locate objects by making a steady stream of sounds with his tongue, then listening for the echoes as they bounce off the surfaces around him. About as loud as the snapping of fingers, Ben's clicks tell him what's ahead: the echoes they produce can be soft (indicating metals), dense (wood) or sharp (glass). Judging by how loud or faint they are, Ben has learned to gauge distances.


http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1212568,00.html

[Imperfectionist]

Homeless man finds best reward is honesty
Community rallies around man, gives him $4,000 for returning $21,000 bond

Updated: 9:45 a.m. ET July 25, 2006

DETROIT - A homeless man who returned $21,000 worth of saving bonds he found in a trash bin is finding out how much honesty can pay off.

Charles Moore, 59, had been searching for returnable bottles last week when he came across the 31 U.S. savings bonds. He turned them in to a homeless shelter, where a staff member tracked down the family of the man who had owned them.

For his good deed, the bond owner’s son gave Moore $100, but residents around Michigan and in other states decided his action merited a more generous reward.

So far, Moore has received over $4,000.

One man sent him eight trash bags full of returnable bottles and a bowl of coins. Three others gave a combined $2,500, and two businessmen from Troy donated $1,200, a shopping spree and a lead on a job.

“I was thankful for it,” said Moore, who had lost his roofing job in Ohio and moved back to Michigan but couldn’t find work.

Moore said he plans to use the money to find an apartment.

David C. Smith, of Albuquerque, N.M., gave Moore $1,000. Smith said he and his fiancée wouldn’t have thought twice about what to do if the bonds had belonged to them.

“We would have given him the whole amount, period,” Smith said. “No questions asked.”

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14024565/?GT1=8307

[Bman]

Ask people about Ben Underwood and you'll hear dozens of stories like this – about the amazing boy who doesn't seem to know he's blind. There's Ben zooming around on his skateboard outside his home in Sacramento; there he is playing kickball with his buddies. To see him speed down hallways and make sharp turns around corners is to observe a typical teen – except, that is, for the clicking. Completely blind since the age of 3, after retinal cancer claimed both his eyes (he now wears two prostheses), Ben has learned to perceive and locate objects by making a steady stream of sounds with his tongue, then listening for the echoes as they bounce off the surfaces around him. About as loud as the snapping of fingers, Ben's clicks tell him what's ahead: the echoes they produce can be soft (indicating metals), dense (wood) or sharp (glass). Judging by how loud or faint they are, Ben has learned to gauge distances.


http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1212568,00.html




Fantastic! kids like this are my heros..

[Bman]

East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

December 7, 2006 Thursday


Cub Scouts earn big heart badge for helping others: Giving holiday cheer to less fortunate kids is Scout thing to do

Christian Richardson, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.



Dec. 7--Circulating around a trio of Christmas trees at an east Mesa mall, Cub Scouts dressed in neat blue uniforms searched name tags bearing the identities of boys and girls they've never met.

Twelve third-graders from the Bears Den 1 in Pack 282 spent six weeks collecting 112 pounds of aluminum cans so they could buy Christmas presents for children who might be less fortunate.

"Overall what it is, is basically kids helping kids," said Mesa police detective David Griebeler, who is known among the boys as den leader. "It's their way of going out and raising a little bit of money around the holidays and helping the kids out that need the help so that they can have a good Christmas."

The children, grouped in pairs Tuesday night, carefully looked over The Salvation Army Christmas Angel trees stationed in front of Macy's at Superstition Springs Center, contemplating how to spend their $20 portion of the money raised.

"What did you find? What did you find?" Pack 282 Cubmaster David Jones asked as he wandered among the trees. "David, that's a good name," Jones said, referring to one child. "Are you looking for a girl or a boy?"

Nine-year-old Garrett Monfre of Gilbert said he sought a child with similar interests to his and settled on a boy named Manuel, who wants Legos and a scooter.

Garrett collected cans from a recycling bin at his father's workplace. "We got a lot of cans," he said enthusiastically.

Nine-year-old Jarrett Griebeler of Gilbert found friends and family members to be a good source for cans.

Jarrett, the den leader's son, shopped for Raul, a boy who wants Spider-Man and Power Rangers merchandise.

Griebeler, who introduced the concept of collecting cans to buy Christmas presents, said that due to the success with Den 1, he's suggesting that all of Pack 282 join in the collecting next year.

While the cans were turned in for money, the boys donated more than 1,000 can pull tabs to the Ronald McDonald House.

Pull tabs given to the Ronald McDonald House are sold to recyclers. That money then goes into a fund for families who can't afford to pay for their stay while their children are in hospitals, said Chris Perez, house manager for the Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix.

[Bman]

You just can't stop Christmas.. No matter how dark your heart may be!!!

:happy_01: :happy_01:


Gifts put a happy ending on autistic kids' 'Grinch story'


12:00 AM CST on Thursday, January 4, 2007
By KARIN SHAW ANDERSON / The Dallas Morning News

Eulah "Tuffy" Williams had to go to work on her day off – while sick – but she's not complaining.

She and other staff members of the Autism Treatment Center in far northeast Dallas have spent days sorting through the donations of food, electronics, clothing, toys and money that have flooded their offices since a story in Sunday's Dallas Morning News told of a burglary at one of the center's 13 group homes in Dallas, Garland and Richardson.


"It's like the worst Grinch story ever," said Sandy Clark, a Plano mother who organized one donation effort with her children and three other families. "I can't imagine that someone thought so little of these children to take everything they had."

That sentiment was shared by hundreds of readers who have called the center on Metric Drive or dropped off donations.

David Timothy, executive director of the SoupMobile, a nonprofit soup kitchen, stuffed his 15-passenger van full of canned food, pizzas, hams and bottled water and drove to the center Sunday.

"I was just stunned by the inhumanity" of the crime, he said. "We've been really blessed in the month of December, so we had a lot of extra food. I'm not one for hoarding stuff. If we have it to give, we're going to give it."

By Tuesday, a room at the Autism Treatment Center had been emptied of a cache of donated items – only to be refilled as more good Samaritans stopped by. Some gave new televisions and DVD players. Others dropped off pots and pans or bed linens. One man gave $10,000. Another donated his Christmas bonus.

"We don't have a great deal to give, as the bulk of our income goes to support our own daughter's special needs," the mother of a 9-year-old autistic girl wrote in an e-mail. "Microwaves and TVs are a bit much for me to take on; however, clothing, hangers, DVDs, a special stuffed animal ... would give me and my family great pleasure to give.

"I know what it means to these children to have familiar items to cling to," the mother wrote. "I just can't imagine the anxiety a 'trauma' like this brings on to a group home."

The six children from House 12, which was targeted by burglars five days before Christmas, have all been removed from their families because of neglect or abuse. (The location of the Dallas home is being withheld to protect the children's privacy.)

They range in age from 7 to 16 and can't comprehend what happened at their home while they were at classes at the center's main campus, their caregivers said.

But they did feel joy, Ms. Williams said, as they watched the gifts from strangers accumulate at the center Sunday.

"They thought it was Christmas all over again," she said.

As people brought in movies and books, the children took a break from trying on clothes to pick out what they wanted for themselves.

With donations still coming in, center officials hadn't tallied a total value of the gifts. But they said that response from readers had more than replaced the items stolen from the children and had supplemented what the center's insurance would cover.

Stacks of goods remained after the children took all they could, so extra donations are being shared with residents of the other group homes.

"We're putting this money in a separate account," Anna Hundley, the center's executive director, said of cash contributions that have been sent in. None will go toward administrative costs, she said.

The children in House 12 "need a new sofa, so we're going to get a new sofa," Ms. Williams said.

Center director Carolyn Garver said the financial gifts have been a special blessing, because there is rarely extra money to go around.

"We're a private nonprofit," Dr. Garver said. "We have to pretty much beg for everything we get."

One man gave a stack of $50 gift cards, one for each of the 65 residents of the center's group homes.

After Ms. Clark, the Plano woman organizing a donation drive, told her three sons what had happened at the group home, the boys headed for their bedrooms and returned with arms full of toys they had received for Christmas. Some of the gifts were still in the store packaging.

"They just wanted to help these little boys who are about their own ages," she said.

Readers from as far away as Arizona, Ohio and New Jersey – and one U.S. soldier serving on the Kuwait-Iraq border – offered help, and others said they wanted to see the criminals brought to justice.

Ms. Williams said watching the children receive the donations has healed her hurt.

"To watch them and see their response to stuff ... was priceless," she said. "You couldn't ask for anything better.

"Those people that took from them, they'll have their day."

E-mail ksanderson@dallasnews.com

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-autisticfolo_04met.ART.West.Edition1.3d4b3cc.html#

[undertaker]

Even if a man be dying, yet he be happy, then he has everything.

Happy New Year!

Orson

Sometimes the world isn't so bad after all.
Of course the Cub Scouts must be disbanded. They mention God, you know.

[Bman]

Even if a man be dying, yet he be happy, then he has everything.

That's more or less my philosophy of life... seriously!


Happy New Year! May this one be the best of all

[Atlas]

I spent a little time babysitting my buddy's four year old today.

It was good for my soul

[Lo Bastido]

I've been accused, perhaps legitimately, of focusing too much on what is going on WRONG in the world... so I'm starting this thread to say what's going on RIGHT in the world.. both in the US and Abroad

I think this is a noble story to start the thread...


Copyright 2005 Associated Press

April 11, 2005, Monday, BC cycle

Community and national groups providing homes for disabled Iraq vets

By BILL KACZOR, Associated Press Writer

PENSACOLA, Fla.

Army Sgt. Jamvis Armour lost his right arm and sight in one eye, broke a leg and suffered burns over 40 percent of his body while in Iraq. And it got worse: Unable to serve, he no longer had military-provided housing for himself and his family.

In contrast with the scorn sometimes heaped on veterans returning from the Vietnam War, Armour and other former soldiers forced to retire on medical disability are finding local and national groups willing to provide housing.

Armour, 25, returned home in November. He spent more than year recovering from wounds suffered in a May 2003 grenade attack on his truck in Iraq.

The military had provided housing for his family while he was a soldier. But now he was on his own and partially disabled. Adding to the problems was a housing crunch created by Hurricane Ivan.

"We knew nothing was guaranteed," said Armour's wife, Kiersten. "We knew after the hurricane how hard it was to find a place."

Local veterans groups and community leaders stepped in, putting the Armours up at a hotel at one of Pensacola's Navy bases, and launching a campaign to obtain a house for the desperate family.

Armour, his wife and their children - Alexis, 5, Gabrielle, 4, and Elijah, 2 - moved into a nearly new 2,500-square foot house three days before Christmas. It was theirs free and clear - thanks to an assist from the Housing and Urban Development Department.

HUD sold a repossessed house to Escambia County for $1 and it then was passed on to the Armours through the group Veterans in Need.

"It's surprising that people get together and do something like this," Jamvis Armour said. "Words can't even describe it."

The effort was patterned after a similar one in neighboring Santa Rosa County and now at least two national groups have been formed to provide more houses for disabled Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

"It's sort of catching on," said John Gonsalves, founder of Homes for Our Troops in Taunton, Mass. "People are now, throughout the country, starting to look at this and see that there is a need."

Last year, Roger Chapin created the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes in McLean, Va. Since then, the group is planning to build its first five homes in Ohio, Georgia, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Texas.

More than 11,600 U.S. troops have been wounded in Iraq including about 6,000 unable to return to duty within 72 hours, according to Pentagon data. The latter figure includes troops, such as Armour, who were disabled by their injuries.

The personal support that veterans from the recent conflicts are receiving at home has stirred up memories of the Vietnam War for some involved.

"The main thing to me was honoring and helping the troops of today because of the way we were treated back then," said Navy veteran Terry Sanders, president of the Escambia County Veterans Roundtable.

Armour's injuries sidetracked his plans for a civilian career in music. He was wounded the same day he was supposed to be discharged before his enlistment was involuntarily extended.

In Pensacola, his aunt, Alma Strong, learned of a handicapped-accessible house built for a National Guardsman who had lost both legs in Iraq. She decided to seek similar help for her nephew from U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller.

Miller's office eventually contacted the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and the Veterans Roundtable, which formed a fund-raising committee to help Armour and possibly other local casualties.

The right-handed Armour is learning to use his left. He still has difficulty walking and seeing, but hopes to fully regain the sight in his right eye after a few more operations.

Now he can do so in a spacious brick house - repainted, repaired and furnished by Veterans in Need.

"We knew he had no home to come to," said retired Navy Lt. Barbara Turner, the chamber's military program manager. "All of this effort was nothing but the community doing its part for a local hero."
So what's good about the world is welfare? I'm not surprised.

[Bman]

So what's good about the world is welfare? I'm not surprised.

Welfare is good, IH's "ignore" feature, even better!

[Lo Bastido]

Welfare is good, IH's "ignore" feature, even better!

Ah, you're letting me get the last word in from now on? How gracious. :)

[Bman]

Ok.. this one is personal :)

My grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday today.

For her birthday, her four children, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren and their families went together to buy her something she badly needed..

a NEW JOHN DEERE RIDING LAWNMOWER..

You see, grandma, at a young 90 years old still lives alone in the house where she raised her children with my grandfather, who died in 1981 in a tragic tractor accident. Grandma still drives, plays the piano at church on Sunday mornings (as she's done for over 50 years), washes laundry for herself and my aunt's family (who lives next door)... and YES...

MOWS HER OWN LAWN

Here's to GRANDMA, and to that NEXT MOWER we'll buy for her 10 years from now, when this one wears out!

You rock, Grandma!

[pilobolus]

Geez Bman; congratulations on the good genes...most folks her age are wearing out their first power chair by then.

[Bman]

Geez Bman; congratulations on the good genes...most folks her age are wearing out their first power chair by then.

I know.. It amazing. My mother (her daughter) isn't as fit as my grandmother, in many ways. Part of it is genes, part of it is attitude and a part of it is "clean living". She lives a pretty healthy (and simple) lifestyle

[Fat Tone]

Ok.. this one is personal :)

My grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday today.

For her birthday, her four children, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren and their families went together to buy her something she badly needed..

a NEW JOHN DEERE RIDING LAWNMOWER..

You see, grandma, at a young 90 years old still lives alone in the house where she raised her children with my grandfather, who died in 1981 in a tragic tractor accident. Grandma still drives, plays the piano at church on Sunday mornings (as she's done for over 50 years), washes laundry for herself and my aunt's family (who lives next door)... and YES...

MOWS HER OWN LAWN

Here's to GRANDMA, and to that NEXT MOWER we'll buy for her 10 years from now, when this one wears out!

You rock, Grandma!


That's prety cool Bman.

[Bman]

That's prety cool Bman.

I thought so too.. I talked to her on the phone last night and I put my kids on there (they're 4 and 6), and she really liked that. My son with the disability is finally getting to the point where you can understand him on the phone, so I think she really got a thrill out of it when he said, "Happy Birthday Grandma L*****... Can we come to your house today? " We were down to visit her at Christmas and the kids had a good time at her place, playing with some of the same toys that my brother and I used to play with there, when we were kids.