Let Freedom Ring - Around The World And On Deeply Personal Levels

First of all, let me say it is great to be posting on this blog again. I have had several days of dealing with computer issues but things finally seem to be working right again.  The world is a rapidly changing place and it is always the bad news that gets the most attention, but I think the world is with hope and good news!
Today I am reminded of a song about freedom by second life musician Brendan Shoreland (David Walton) called "Freedom Is Inside My Head".

Political Freedom

Freedom is breaking out like an epidemic and that is a good thing even if it does involve a tough battle of wills. I won't comment much here on this topic as it is so much on the front pages everywhere but I also didn't want to give the impression that I consider the events in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Iran where people are standing up and taking action to gain freedom is anything but .. good news indeed! This is what happens when people become free inside their heads and take action on that fact on the street.

Freedom from Mental Illness

Today I found a wonderful article of hope on another type of freedom. A technology that has been used to help calm the symptoms of Parkinson's disease may have uses in the treatment of mental illness. This devise does not replace standard forms of treatment but gives hope to those for whom those treatments have not worked. Patients with severe forms of Turrets, Depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have received the device with resembles a pacemaker for the brain, delivering tiny electrical jolts to the brain. Much research is needed to determine the best locations in the brain to deliver these jolts, but results have been promising.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41705773/ns/health-mental_health/

Celebrating Freedom for Egypt

I hardly need to say that today's good news is that the peaceful demonstrations by the people of Egypt have prevailed and we have seen history made. My prayers and best wishes are with the Egyptian people as they chart their future. There were moments yesterday of near panic when I thought that perhaps the masses had been pushed past their limit and would resort to violence. I had horrible images of a potential blood bath it the military turned against them. How glad I am that I was selling these people very short to have such fears. They have shown exemplary resolve to protest in a peaceful way for as long as it took. I have been impressed by the tenacity of Al Jazeera to keep getting the news out to the world despite their office begin closed, web site hacking and other forms of disrupting the broadcast, even to their reporters being detained. What a great day this is for Egypt and for the world and what a great opportunity for everyone to put fear and prejudice aside and see .. yes people of different faith, income, background and heritage can all work together.

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2011/02/2011211165022206735.html

Tid Bits

  My fav stories from the front page today

Female coach of boys basket ball team turns this school around

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Boys-hoops-team-s-rise-re-frames-school-thanks-?urn=highschool-317094

3d images of the sun .. how it was done and why it's important

http://news.yahoo.com/video/science-15749654/first-3d-images-of-the-sun-24105295#video=24107878


six earth like planets

http://news.yahoo.com/video/science-15749654/first-3d-images-of-the-sun-24105295#video=24064116

and - business is picking up - high tech trash

http://news.yahoo.com/video/science-15749654/first-3d-images-of-the-sun-24105295#video=24078164

No Yolk Folks, It's A Chicken Hotel

Oh the things people come up with! This is just another case of how the early bird gets the worm! David Roberts of Cornwall, England has answered the question nobody was asking. Who takes care of the chickens when the owners go on holiday? His answer is a Chicken Hotel, which is lending new meaning to the idea of serving chicken for dinner. This whole idea may just crack you up but the fact is his hotel was booked solid over Christmas and none of the guests made any complaints! The next time you need to be away from home you may want to consider The Chicken Hotel as a lay-over spot for your feathered friends.


http://www.good.is/post/in-cornwall-a-hotel-for-chickens/

Father Saves Daughter's Sight By Finding A Cure On The Interenet

Charlotte Durham suffered from severe migraine headaches and was in danger of loosing her sight from a rare brain condition called idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Her family had been told that she would need a series of expensive operations to save her eye sight. Determined that there had to be a better solution, her father, Andy Durham, searched the Internet for an answer. His search led to a medical study done in Greece that showed twenty-four out of twenty-six patients were completely cured of the condition after six months of taking the drug Octreotide.  Charlotte is reported to have seen dramatic improvements almost right away with a reduction in the severity of the headaches and relief from noise in her ears and pressure behind her eyes.  Just six months after starting treatment Charlotte was given the the all clear from her doctors.

Read the whole story here and pass it on!


 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1352510/Charlotte-Durham-beats-rare-brain-condition-father-finds-cure-internet.html

This story reminds me of an earlier post regarding a man who has written an app for navigating the complicated world of cancer treatments.

http://insharpcontrast.blogspot.com/2011/01/cancer-now-there-is-app-for-that.html

Jewish Prayers For Egyptian Uprising

In yesterday's post I spoke of Christians protecting Muslims while they prayed and and earlier story of Muslims standing to protect a Christian service. At the time, what I was thinking was - how wonderful it would be if Jews were part of this circle of acceptance that goes beyond tolerance to protection. However, I was the one behind the times. All this time there has been an outpouring of prayers from many Jewish people who see a parallel to their own history. Once again the people in Egypt are rising up against a dictator crying with one voice for freedom. Please read the whole story at the following link, and as always - pass it on!


http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/2011218490882163.html

Christians and Muslims in Egypt

A friend just passed me a link to photos of Christians standing together to protect a group of Muslims who were praying. This reminded me of an earlier article I had seen that was Muslims protecting a Christian service. I see these images and in my head I hear an old chant - all we are saying - is give peace a chance.  Seeing this level of respect and care for one another gives me hope that indeed, peace does have a chance. Please pass on good news, where every you find it!



Chirsitans protecting Muslims

http://yfrog.com/h02gvclj


Muslims protecting Christians

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/01/08/thousands-muslims-human-shields/

Saving the environment with potty trained pigs - no shit.

If this blog had categories, I wouldn't know if this should go under environment or shits and giggles. Yes friends, they have found out there are many advantages to potty training pigs! It sounds silly, but it makes a lot of cents! There must be thousands of other great ideas about how to save our planet and I would love to hear all about them - just stick them in a comment or share a link about them!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41241248/ns/world_news-world_environment/

Manufacturing UP and adding new JOBS!

WOW! This is great news! Things are getting better every day and it is wonderful to hear about companies not only making a profit instead of shutting down - but adding new jobs! Please, read this article and pass it on!

Companies are exporting more construction and mining equipment, and Americans are buying more cars, appliances and computers.

The Institute for Supply Management, a private trade group, said Tuesday that its index of manufacturing activity rose last month to 60.8. It was the highest reading since May 2004 and the 18th straight month the sector has grown. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Factory-activity-grows-hiring-apf-3467417365.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=

Hope for a bright future in Egypt

You have probably been watching the news in Egypt. I have had trouble taking my eyes from the screen myself. I haven't commented too much about it here but I am thrilled that the people are taking their destiny in hand. No government can stand against people this united! In particular, I wanted to pass on this amazing story of hope. People are beginning to look past the present moment to a better day.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110201/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_hopes_and_dreams

Goats, nibbling away at poverty - no kidding!

I have been saving my virtual money for some time now. At first I thought I would save until I had enough to travel but decided that by the time I saved that much - I would be too old to fly. And I have decided that money goes a lot farther and does much more good in other parts of the world. I had recently contributed a poem to an anthology being sold to raise money to buy goats for impoverished families. This not only provides a source of milk and cheese but the goats rapidly multiply, giving the family an income. I suppose the reason I have been so taken with the idea of buying goats is that I had once considered buying a small piece of land myself -  for growing a garden and raising some animals. After some research, I decided that goats were more practical to raise than cows. That idea never worked out for me, but I can be a part of helping it work out for someone else - and so that is how I spent my virtual money. Instead of buying a goat myself, I have donated it to a fund and now there will be a pair of goats purchased not just one - which leads to more goats. When I get depressed I think about these goats, and it makes me feel very glad indeed. You can find out more about goats and many other needful things - from packets of seeds to trees, from bars of soap to mosquito nets, and school desks to houses, and yes - goats, by clicking on the Oxfam link on this page. If you would like to buy a poetry book, you can get one at this link....

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/The-Best-of-the-Poets-Plunder-gift-Box/1745094


http://www.oxfam.org/