Ok - the new baby isn't MINE, but it's exiciting and wonderful nonetheless.
My boss of four years, Neal, and his beautiful wife, Angela, had their first child today. Although we were all at work, we got to "witness" the event via a play-by-play blog provided by a friend of theirs, Heidi (http://www.heidichronicles.com). She jokingly said she could start a new business as a birth-blogger; I think the idea has merit. She was really detailed and good at it!
Angela was strong and beautiful - completely natural birth in about twelve hours. Neal seemed to be in awe of her throughout the whole process - as well he should be!
Little Olivia is absolutely adorable, in the way only new babies can be. She looks a lot like Neal - coloring and face shape. Enjoy the other blog for awhile - it's worth a good read-through!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Some Respect, Please, for the Afternoon Nap
KINDERGARTNERS fight against naptime because they want to be just like the grown-ups. But those grown-ups would give anything for a chance to close their eyes during the endless time between lunch and dinner.
Now, out of Greece, comes permission to do exactly that. A study of more than 23,000 adults shows that those who napped for about 30 minutes each week had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from a heart attack than those who did not.
So this should mean that all working Americans will receive permission from their bosses to close their eyes every afternoon at about 4 p.m., right?
Don’t bet your blankie on it.
This is hardly the first study showing that sleep is more than simply time when we really should be at work. Other studies, though few as extensive as the Greek research, show that short periods of sleep during the day increase productivity and creativity while reducing stress. And even without surveys, we know this from experience.
When you need a nap, you need a nap. Nothing — not caffeine, not a chocolate bar, not a pill — recharges the battery in the same way.
...
Sleep as strategy. As secret weapon. As business plan. Call it what you must. And then get some rest.
Read the article...
Now, out of Greece, comes permission to do exactly that. A study of more than 23,000 adults shows that those who napped for about 30 minutes each week had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from a heart attack than those who did not.
So this should mean that all working Americans will receive permission from their bosses to close their eyes every afternoon at about 4 p.m., right?
Don’t bet your blankie on it.
This is hardly the first study showing that sleep is more than simply time when we really should be at work. Other studies, though few as extensive as the Greek research, show that short periods of sleep during the day increase productivity and creativity while reducing stress. And even without surveys, we know this from experience.
When you need a nap, you need a nap. Nothing — not caffeine, not a chocolate bar, not a pill — recharges the battery in the same way.
...
Sleep as strategy. As secret weapon. As business plan. Call it what you must. And then get some rest.
Read the article...
"I've been touting this at work for years and now I have vindication! Maybe when the boss has his first child, he'll understand the desire for the downtime. "
Memphis miracle changes single mom's life
SPECIAL REPORT -- Can a single action by one person change a life or perhaps touch others who don't even know you? It did for a Memphis woman who was out of job and a home. Yet she still made a small church offering that resonated with others in a way no one could have expected.
"I explain it as God's goodness. I don't know what they explain it as. I believe he does supernatural wonders cause I'm one of those supernatural wonders," says Porche Ward.
Porsche Ward, 33, is a single Memphis mom who knows the power of prayer can mean miracles even during the darkest of days.
"My son has asthma and there was just so many things, one after another -- bills, him being sick and me being sick and I just couldn't hold a job. I never wanted a job. I wanted a career and it got to the point when I thought maybe my kids should go live with their father," says Ward.
Times were tough for Porsche -- no job, a sick child, a lot of bills and she'd lost her apartment. But she never lost her faith and her commitment to do her individual part in making a 'small' offering at Cummings Street Missionary Baptist Church.
That offering, unknown to her, would forever change her life in a 'big' way.
Read the article...
"I explain it as God's goodness. I don't know what they explain it as. I believe he does supernatural wonders cause I'm one of those supernatural wonders," says Porche Ward.
Porsche Ward, 33, is a single Memphis mom who knows the power of prayer can mean miracles even during the darkest of days.
"My son has asthma and there was just so many things, one after another -- bills, him being sick and me being sick and I just couldn't hold a job. I never wanted a job. I wanted a career and it got to the point when I thought maybe my kids should go live with their father," says Ward.
Times were tough for Porsche -- no job, a sick child, a lot of bills and she'd lost her apartment. But she never lost her faith and her commitment to do her individual part in making a 'small' offering at Cummings Street Missionary Baptist Church.
That offering, unknown to her, would forever change her life in a 'big' way.
Read the article...
Old Computers Rescued, and Donated to the Poor
A computer geek named Oso came up with an elegant solution to the problems of too many old computers piling up -- and where do you put them -- and, low-income families being left behind in the digital age. It is a brilliant concept: Oso and his cool-geeky friends in Portland collect the old ones, refurbish them and give them to those who need them, even offering training for building computers. The idea has spread to other cities, too.
Here's the best part, when a component is too old, they recycle the dangerous toxic parts right here in the US. Free Geek. It's worth being nerdy, so you can help the needy! Watch their cool new 5-minute video, and check out freegeek.org to donate, volunteer or just ogle.
Read the article...
Here's the best part, when a component is too old, they recycle the dangerous toxic parts right here in the US. Free Geek. It's worth being nerdy, so you can help the needy! Watch their cool new 5-minute video, and check out freegeek.org to donate, volunteer or just ogle.
Read the article...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Mom Donates Laptops to Wounded Soldiers
Laura Brown, a mother with a son who fought in the Iraq war, is trying to improve conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center - one laptop computer at a time.
The 50-year-old from Cody, Wyo., was chatting on the Internet with the mother of a wounded soldier two years ago when the mother mentioned she had to print out her son's e-mails and take them to him at Walter Reed because there weren't enough laptop computers to go around.
Brown, whose own son had recently returned safely from the war, thought the solution to that problem seemed incredibly easy.
''It just kind of hit me,'' she said. ''If one person needed one, then there's others. ... I mean, my son had e-mail in Iraq. I was really stunned.''
So Brown formed a group, Laptops for the Wounded, to raise money for the cause.
Since its fundraising effort began in November 2005, Brown's organization has donated 27 computers to military hospitals around the country _ 24 of them to Walter Reed.
Ramdass said the laptops are used for more than e-mail. One soldier who worked with a donated laptop couldn't speak, and was able to communicate with his family and his doctors by typing on the computer. Others who have eye injuries use the laptops to watch movies or television up close.
To donate or learn about this cause, visit the website.
Read the article...
The 50-year-old from Cody, Wyo., was chatting on the Internet with the mother of a wounded soldier two years ago when the mother mentioned she had to print out her son's e-mails and take them to him at Walter Reed because there weren't enough laptop computers to go around.
Brown, whose own son had recently returned safely from the war, thought the solution to that problem seemed incredibly easy.
''It just kind of hit me,'' she said. ''If one person needed one, then there's others. ... I mean, my son had e-mail in Iraq. I was really stunned.''
So Brown formed a group, Laptops for the Wounded, to raise money for the cause.
Since its fundraising effort began in November 2005, Brown's organization has donated 27 computers to military hospitals around the country _ 24 of them to Walter Reed.
Ramdass said the laptops are used for more than e-mail. One soldier who worked with a donated laptop couldn't speak, and was able to communicate with his family and his doctors by typing on the computer. Others who have eye injuries use the laptops to watch movies or television up close.
To donate or learn about this cause, visit the website.
Read the article...
Big Eating: Amish Seek Buffet Record
According to record keepers, the world's biggest buffet happened in Las Vegas. The record may not stay there, though.
Restaurants, bakeries and family cooks in the Amish region of northeastern Ohio are uniting Saturday to challenge the mark of 510 buffet dishes served last year at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Organizers plan three two-hour sittings for 1,000 people each at $11 apiece at the Amish Flea Market. Proceeds will help feed the needy.
The nearly 600 promised dishes include Hungarian sauerkraut soup, corn casserole, garlic mashed potatoes and sweet potato souffle.
''We might not have glitz and glamour, but we know how to cook,'' said Kurt Kleidon, who is helping organize the event.
Photos of the spread and witness statements will be sent to Guinness World Records officials to seek the record, Kleidon said.
Read the article...
Restaurants, bakeries and family cooks in the Amish region of northeastern Ohio are uniting Saturday to challenge the mark of 510 buffet dishes served last year at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Organizers plan three two-hour sittings for 1,000 people each at $11 apiece at the Amish Flea Market. Proceeds will help feed the needy.
The nearly 600 promised dishes include Hungarian sauerkraut soup, corn casserole, garlic mashed potatoes and sweet potato souffle.
''We might not have glitz and glamour, but we know how to cook,'' said Kurt Kleidon, who is helping organize the event.
Photos of the spread and witness statements will be sent to Guinness World Records officials to seek the record, Kleidon said.
Read the article...
Zoo Pays Feng Shui Expert to Aid Monkeys
The Los Angeles Zoo paid $4,500 to an expert in the ancient Chinese art of feng shui to ensure three endangered golden monkeys on loan from China can have a strong life force.
Consulting the feng shui expert was part of the cost for a $7.4 million enclosure for the golden monkeys debuting at the zoo later his year. Feng shui focuses on balance in design to promote health and happiness.
Feng shui is in demand among high-end architects and interior designers, but Beverly Hills-based feng shui expert Simona Mainini said the Los Angeles Zoo's effort may be a first in animal enclosure design.
''It's very experimental,'' Mainini said. ''We don't have any books on feng shui for monkeys. We just have to assume that Darwin is correct and that there is a connection and what is good for humans is good for monkeys.''
Read the Article...
Consulting the feng shui expert was part of the cost for a $7.4 million enclosure for the golden monkeys debuting at the zoo later his year. Feng shui focuses on balance in design to promote health and happiness.
Feng shui is in demand among high-end architects and interior designers, but Beverly Hills-based feng shui expert Simona Mainini said the Los Angeles Zoo's effort may be a first in animal enclosure design.
''It's very experimental,'' Mainini said. ''We don't have any books on feng shui for monkeys. We just have to assume that Darwin is correct and that there is a connection and what is good for humans is good for monkeys.''
Read the Article...
"I'm not sure if feng shui really works and I definitely don't agree with Darwin's views on evolution, but I like how this zoo is trying to treat their animals!"
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Why I Started This Blog
Maybe I'm just trying to redeem myself for the many times I've laughed at the bad things in people's lives that I've seen on other blogs. Maybe I've decided to turn over a new leaf. Maybe if I try to bring to the public eye those happy things we usually miss, I'll stop focusing on the bad. And maybe, just maybe, we can ALL find the brighter side of life.
So, feel free to write me - send me HAPPY news from around the globe, happy stories in YOUR life, or joyous pictures. I can't guarantee I'll post everything - or that I'll even post regularly - but I'll do what I can to make this a brighter world from now on.
So, feel free to write me - send me HAPPY news from around the globe, happy stories in YOUR life, or joyous pictures. I can't guarantee I'll post everything - or that I'll even post regularly - but I'll do what I can to make this a brighter world from now on.
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