28 Feb 2008
This is an old link, but it’s well worth viewing! A woman rescued this lion and nursed it back to health. She then took it to the zoo so it could have a home.
She went back to visit and the lion was overjoyed to see her. Just look at the welcome she got:
http://www.telestereo.com/Archivos/video.html
22 Feb 2008
Ever wonder what you could do with all those old tennis shoes? Nike is one step ahead of you (no pun intended!) They’ve got a program that recycles old tennis shoes. The shoes are ground up into what is appropriately named “Nike Fill”. The fill is used to make a variety of sports courts from tennis courts to playgrounds.
This is a world wide program and Nike takes just about any brand. There are a few restrictions.
So far, Nike Fill has been used in 250 courts.
See the website for details.
18 Feb 2008
Bill Day believes that the most important thing he can do is provide clean needles for drug users in Texas. Since Texas has no needle exchange program, he’s stepped up to fill the void.
Day has been arrested because of it. He now faces one year in jail.
Day is 73. He is HIV+, too. He currently heads the Bexar Area Harm Reduction Coalition. The Coalition goes into the poor areas of San Antonio, Texas and hands out needles. This is an unsanctioned program which is why Day got in trouble.
Ten years ago, the US Surgeon General advocated for needle exchange programs. It’s one way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Although the other 49 states have a program, Texas does not.
10 Feb 2008
Did you happen to see Maria Shriver’s endorsement of Presidential candidate, Barack Obama? I have seent it and it just kind of got to me. Not because she is supporting Obama, but because of the courage it took for her to stand up there and do what she felt she needed to do–especially after she said she would not endorse anyone just last week. She wasn’t even invited to the event. Nor did the organizer know she was coming. She woke up Sunday thinking about it, made her choice after a discussion with her daughter. They went to a horse show and then she felt compelled to be there on stage. She didn’t even change her clothes or put on makeup! That’s how bad she felt the need to be there.
It struck me how women are coming into their own after so many years of struggle. Maybe for the first time the media and others care what women think. Suddenly, their opinion has become very important. We’ve got our first female Speaker of the House, a woman is Secretary of State, the second women sits on the Supreme Court, 73 women in the house and 16 women in the Senate, there are 8 female governors, and a woman is running for President.
It seems like a such a time of empowerment. No longer are women in the shadow of their husbands.They are standing up on their own and people are taking note. I saw that in 2004 only 49% of single women and 61% of married women voted. Let’s hope many more women vote in 2008!
If you haven’t seen it and would like to, here it is: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/03/maria-shriver-in-surprise_n_84648.html
04 Feb 2008
The Presidential primary season is upon us. It’s now your chance to get out and be heard. If you haven’t registered, do it! And, don’t forget to vote!
01 Feb 2008
Shavkat Ali was recruited by the Taliban 17 years old. His village in Pakistan was very poor. The Taliban seemed like a way to get out.
Ali trained in Chechnya. He was fighting in Afghanistan in 2001. Up until 9/11, he believed in the cause. Then the two Towers fell and Ali began to question the policies of the Taliban and their links to terrorism.
Ali came to the conclusion that the Koran did not support those ideals. He left the military battles behind and went into teaching.
He now believes education is the key to alleviating the social ills of this country. He focuses on providing a secular education to girls. He firmly believes that females are the future. According to Ali, “these people who are not going to school that’s the basis of terrorism.” Ali Bee Gees if you’ve educate one female, she will demand an education for her children. He is now part of the solution.
01 Feb 2008
Professors are reaching out to the Internet audience. Video lectures of university level courses are popping up all over the web. UC Berkeley has an agreement with Youtube. The former president of Harvard is an investor in Fora.tv — a site with lectures and debates geared towards the scholar. There is also Big Think with lectures on a variety of topics from educators and prominent individuals.
In the future we may see more universities reaching out to those who might not otherwise benefit from their offerings. In the meantime, check out these web sites:
