In Search of the Human Spirit

I’ll be dog and cat sitting (not sitting on a dog and cat!) for the next 9 days.  My blogging will be slim to nothing.  Enjoy the beginning of Autumn!

Peace to all on International Day of Peace. This day was designated in 1982 to promote peace throughout the world.

According to the website:
“The United Nations’ International Day of Peace - marked every year on September 21 - is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace.”

If you’d like to learn more about the day and the efforts to promote peace, visit their home page

Pingping of China is considered the world’s shortest man.  He is just 2 feet 5 inches tall.  He has a form of dwarfism that lead to his small size.

Svetlana Pankratova of Russia has the record for the longest legs for a woman.  Her legs are almost 4 feet long.

The two met for the first time this week.  They both are in the Guiness Book of World Records and were publicizing the newest edition.  Pingping can be found under “shortest man who is mobile”.  Though Pakratova is not the tallest woman in the world, she has the longest legs (that we know of!)

Watch the video:

Guiness Book of World Records

If you’ve got some time on your hands, join volunteers Saturday September 20th for Caliofnria Coastal Clean Up Day.  The day is designed to get all the garbage dumped by Summer revelers off of California’s shorelines and beaches.  Groups from all over the state are planning clean up operations.

Last year, over 60,000 folks showed up.  The cleaned up beaches, lakes, and rivers.   If you can believe it, they hauled in over 90,000 pounds of trash.  That’s alot of junk people leave behind!

If you’d like to learn more about clean up day, visit the California Coastal Clean Up Day website

September 17, 1787…that was the day that the U.S. Constitution was signed.  39 men took ink to paper on that day.  The foundation of this great nation was set.

Today is the day we celebrate the Constitution, the basis of America and her great principles. How different would this country be without the rights set forth in the Constitution!

I wonder if our Founding Fathers knew how revolutionary their ideals were.  Would they be surprised to find that the Constitution stills endures, though many times people have tried to weaken in?  It still amazes me how they were able to construct a basis for government and rule so different than anything going on in the 1700s.

Spend a little time today pondering the principles and rights set forth in the Constitution.  If you’d like to learn more about Constitution Day, check out this flash presentation put together by the Bill of Rights Institute:

Constitution Day Presentation

The Hayward Public Library in Hayward California has a new exhibit.  All the photographs were taken by teens.

The inspiration for the exhibit is John Stilgoe’s book “Outside Lies Magic.”  Eight teens were given digital cameras and told to explore Hayward.  They roamed the streets and captures their world through the camera’s eye.  The photographs are on display at the Hayward Public Library’s Main Branch until October 6th.

The Daily Review newspaper has a photo gallery of the kids at work:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/portlet/article/html/render_gallery.jsp?articleId=10480456&siteId=181&startImage=1

What do you do after a hurricane has ravaged your community?  Stop in at the local coffee shop to get the support you need.  According to CNN, coffee shops have become the place where weary folks come to chat and lend help to their neighbors.

Here’s the story:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/17/ike.recovery.starbucks/index.html

I would like to send my thoughts and prayers out to the people of Texas who were battered by Hurricane Ike over the weekend.  I hope everyone is safe and sound.