The GOOD NEWS Thread [Archive] - Butch Femme Planet

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Diva

12-05-2009, 07:24 AM

Sometimes, I wonder why I watch the news.....in our sensationalized world, it's a bit overwhelming at times.....

So I thought it might be refreshing to share GOOD NEWS.....these are the stories that warm our hearts....good people doing good deeds....'paying-it-forward' stories....heroes....

ENJOY!
:angel:

Diva

12-05-2009, 07:55 AM

Remember that convenience store owner ~ was it in NY? ~ who stood up to the robber? And when he did, the robber went down to her knees.....and the shop owner gave him a loaf of bread and $40.

WELL.

The robber just wrote the store owner....it seems he got his act together....his wife just had a baby, he got a job and sent the store owner a fifty dollar bill, and thanked him for helping him.

I love that story!

Gemme

12-05-2009, 09:39 AM

What an awesome idea for a thread, Diva! I haven't heard any good news today, but I'll let you know when I do. :)

NotAnAverageGuy

12-05-2009, 11:56 PM

The Longhorns beat the Cornhuskers

Gemme

12-06-2009, 01:20 AM

The Longhorns beat the Cornhuskers

Alabama smashed Florida. I'm a happy girl!

NotAnAverageGuy

12-06-2009, 01:25 AM

Alabama smashed Florida. I'm a happy girl!

I am happy about that too

Diva

12-06-2009, 01:26 AM

Alabama smashed Florida. I'm a happy girl!

Good News for me is when GemmieLicious is happy.....

The world is a better place.
Cold.:cold:
But better.

Here.
Have a chainsaw. :chainsaw:

Gemme

12-06-2009, 01:28 AM

Good News for me is when GemmieLicious is happy.....

The world is a better place.
Cold.:cold:
But better.

Here.
Have a chainsaw. :chainsaw:

In other news, it snowed at Wal-Mart tonight. ONLY Wal-Mart. :deepthoughts:

:bluesbrothers:

:elefant:

If you put a little boogey into it, it doesn't seem so cold. :ballerina:

NotAnAverageGuy

12-06-2009, 01:36 AM

I think we are a happy bunch huh?

Diva

12-06-2009, 02:04 AM

And that in itself makes me happy, too! :clap:

Diva

12-06-2009, 02:06 AM

Today, I got a $5 gift card in the mail from Wal~Mart....just because.....

Nice touch. :eyebat:

Gemme

12-06-2009, 02:08 AM

Today, I got a $5 gift card in the mail from Wal~Mart....just because.....

Nice touch. :eyebat:

OMG, me tooooo! Got a Wal-Mart gift card in the mail today! It even said "Princess" on it. I might have snatched it back from the cashier. :blink:

NotAnAverageGuy

12-06-2009, 02:15 AM

OMG, me tooooo! Got a Wal-Mart gift card in the mail today! It even said "Princess" on it. I might have snatched it back from the cashier. :blink:

OHHHHHHHHHHH and you ladies didn't tell me ya'll liked Wal Mart :redcard:

Gemme

12-06-2009, 09:48 AM

Wal-Mart is the home of Satan and his minions, but it's cheap, and this girl is on a budget.

I imagine the relationship of Wal-Mart to its customers like this ----> :sado:

My good news for today? I don't have to get up before the sun for ONE MONTH, starting tomorrow!!!! Woot! I can sleep in and stay up late (night owl here) and get started on my holiday :loveletter: without falling asleep with the pen in my hand. :1femme:

Oh, and it snowed, but only a little bit and only at Wal-Mart. :furious:

Inuus

12-06-2009, 10:14 AM

I go to this website when I need a "good" news story

http://www.darynkagan.com/index.html

I love the one on the homepage now about the disabled boy and the surfing dog :)

My fav section is the animal stories :)

http://www.darynkagan.com/animals/index.html

Gemme

12-06-2009, 10:20 AM

NotAnAverageGuy

12-06-2009, 05:00 PM

I *heart* Wal Mart, I can pick up everything in one store

And the prices are on my budget so thats my good news for the day!

Diva

12-06-2009, 05:55 PM

Have You heard about Nonja (pronounced: NOHN~ya), the orangutan in the Vienna Zoo, who was given a camera and has been taking some neat pictures of herself and her buddies? She has learned that, when she twists the knob, a raisin pops out.....she gets the raisins....but we get these neat pictures!

> > Nonja's Pictures (http://mashable.com/2009/12/03/orangutan-facebook-page/) < <

firie

12-06-2009, 06:39 PM

NotAnAverageGuy

12-06-2009, 08:27 PM

Diva

12-07-2009, 07:11 AM

The Kennedy Center Awards were last night. The following artists/entertainers were honored:

~Mel Brooks - comedian, writer, actor
~Dave Brubeck - jazz musician (he wrote "Take 5")
~Grace Brumby - opera singer
~Robert DeNiro - actor
~Bruch Springstein - The Boss!!

<<<< LINKY~LOO (http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/) >>>>

Gemme

12-07-2009, 11:27 AM

Diva

12-07-2009, 12:35 PM

I ADORE Mel Brooks!

He is a massive trip! I LOVED "History Of The World-Part II".....he's brilliant!

MsDemeanor

12-07-2009, 12:59 PM

Diva

12-08-2009, 05:29 AM

This is a local story about local farmers selling their produce.....and home delivery! WOW!

>>> Austin~grown produce (http://www.farmhousedelivery.com/about.html) <<<

I love stories like this!

Gemme

12-09-2009, 04:48 AM

I've been disappointed in Tiger Woods and so, I've found this kid. Bonus? He's only 2 years old, so he's got YEARS to go before he thinks girls are not filled with cooties!

:golf:

YouTube- How Hard Can This Game Be?

NJFemmie

12-09-2009, 06:42 AM

I ADORE Mel Brooks!

He is a massive trip! I LOVED "History Of The World-Part II".....he's brilliant!

Mel is THE man! Madeline Khan was the BOMB!
Now I'm in a mood for a Mel Brooks marathon.

YouTube- Mel Brooks - Eunuch Test

Diva

12-09-2009, 10:24 AM

Channelling Madelyn.....and singing:

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no...
YES! Yes, no, no, no, no, no..
YES! No, no, YES!........."

<giggling>
"Will You all walk on the same foot at the same TIME!!! My TITS are falling off!"

I LOVE that movie!! Thanks, NYF!

Here.....have a pig....:flyingpig:

amiyesiam

12-09-2009, 11:18 AM

[QUOTE=Gemme;17142]Wal-Mart is the home of Satan and his minions, but it's cheap, and this girl is on a budget.

My boss says walmart, home depot, and sam's club are the trifecta of hell.
just thought I would share

I imagine the relationship of Wal-Mart to its customers like this ----> :sado:

My good news for today? I don't have to get up before the sun for ONE MONTH, starting tomorrow!!!! Woot! I can sleep in and stay up late (night owl here) and get started on my holiday :loveletter: without falling asleep with the pen in my hand. :1femme:

Oh, and it snowed, but only a little bit and only at Wal-Mart. :furious:

suebee

12-09-2009, 04:28 PM

Anonomous donor feeds more than a thousand. link (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2009/12/09/windsor-salvation-army-anonymous-donor-091209.html)

What impresses me the most is that the donor apparently saved for several years with the express intention of providing this feast! :cheer:

NotAnAverageGuy

12-09-2009, 05:47 PM

I tried mixed greens the other night and they were good

Good news is:

I LOVE WAL MART AND I LOVE THE SADO WAY THEY TREAT ME hahahah *winks*

Diva

12-10-2009, 10:17 PM

This is such a neat site.....I've seen her on The Today Show.....

>>> LINKYLOO (http://www.happiness-project.com/)<<<

Gemme

12-10-2009, 10:27 PM

This is such a neat site.....I've seen her on The Today Show.....

>>> LINKYLOO (http://www.happiness-project.com/)<<<

Is it wrong of me that I went straight for the cookies? :cat:

Diva

12-11-2009, 04:11 AM

Is it wrong of me that I went straight for the cookies? :cat:

I believe with all of my heart that cookies are Good News, TOO! :dance1:

Diva

12-11-2009, 04:48 AM

:heartbeat: ATTENTION:heartbeat:

PEEPS LOVERS
:cheesy:

A Peeps Store has been opened outside of DC.
Yes. It's true.
You can't make this stuff up, folks!

> > > READ ALL ABOUT IT (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2009-12-09-peeps-store_N.htm) < < <

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/puhbear78/peep.jpg

morningstar55

12-11-2009, 06:13 AM

good morning planets folks....... wasnt quite sure where to put this ..
something cute as hell to share. hope you all enjoy it and have a nice friday..
as for me i will be busy driving all day.. work is never done i swear.. ha
:walking-poodle:

YouTube- A doggy Christmas surprise - KarÃ¡csonyi kutyÃ¡s meglepetÃ©s

MsDemeanor

12-11-2009, 08:56 AM

:heartbeat: ATTENTION:heartbeat:

PEEPS LOVERS
:cheesy:

A Peeps Store has been opened outside of DC.
Yes. It's true.
You can't make this stuff up, folks!

Actually, you CAN make this stuff up, but those of us on the sane side of the fence call that sort of stuff "nightmares"

:jester:

Diva

12-11-2009, 12:35 PM

Actually, you CAN make this stuff up, but those of us on the sane side of the fence call that sort of stuff "nightmares"

:jester:

Don't be hatin' the peeps, MsD.....:sparklyheart:

MsDemeanor

12-11-2009, 01:50 PM

I must confess

I am a peep hater

I am a bad bad person

Feel free to hate me

:boink:

Diva

12-11-2009, 02:24 PM

I must confess

I am a peep hater

I am a bad bad person

Feel free to hate me

:boink:

I cannot.
But I can find You a therapist. :bicycle:

What about chocolate? :chocolate:

MsDemeanor

12-11-2009, 03:01 PM

What about chocolate? :chocolate:
Chocolate and coffee my two favorite food groups.

Diva

12-11-2009, 03:07 PM

Chocolate and coffee my two favorite food groups.

Come sit by me. :seesaw: :cookielove:

Gemme

12-11-2009, 10:36 PM

I believe with all of my heart that cookies are Good News, TOO! :dance1:

Me tooo!

:heartbeat: ATTENTION:heartbeat:

PEEPS LOVERS
:cheesy:

A Peeps Store has been opened outside of DC.
Yes. It's true.
You can't make this stuff up, folks!

> > > READ ALL ABOUT IT (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2009-12-09-peeps-store_N.htm) < < <

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/puhbear78/peep.jpg

I am sad to say that my taste buds have turned against me and I no longer crave peeps like I used to. I still think they are divine, though, and really like the little snowmen ones. :cold:

Actually, you CAN make this stuff up, but those of us on the sane side of the fence call that sort of stuff "nightmares"

:jester:

Say it ain't so!

I must confess

I am a peep hater

I am a bad bad person

Feel free to hate me

:boink:

Peep hater. Peep hater. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Chocolate and coffee my two favorite food groups.

How about chocolate peeps? Are you conflicted now?

NotAnAverageGuy

12-11-2009, 11:40 PM

Chocolate where?

Peeps are good, I prefer the bunny ones around easter time

Good news:

I waited every so patiently in line for dinner tonight, normally I do not have the patience to do so but I stuck through it and boy was it worth it.

Do they have a big, juicy burger smiley?

SuperFemme

12-12-2009, 08:28 PM

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091209/capt.1acaf5653e034adfb4a40a2d423ad3aa.pets_two_leg ged_dog_nylsnyls535.jpg?x=270&y=345&q=85&sig=J7cpSyFjzMNwE5GD2cWWCQ--

suebee

12-13-2009, 09:30 AM

Houston elects first openly gay mayor (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121388191&sc=fb&cc=fp). :LGBTQFlag:

Gemme

12-15-2009, 10:30 PM

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091209/capt.1acaf5653e034adfb4a40a2d423ad3aa.pets_two_leg ged_dog_nylsnyls535.jpg?x=270&y=345&q=85&sig=J7cpSyFjzMNwE5GD2cWWCQ--

I remember seeing stories about this dog. She's fabulous!

Houston elects first openly gay mayor (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121388191&sc=fb&cc=fp). :LGBTQFlag:

Good news, indeed!

A couple of days ago, a story broke about a UPS driver that was driving on a freeway somewhere and saw a bank bag lying (laying?) in the road. He stopped, picked it up and found $5200 in cash inside, along with a filled out deposit slip naming the business it came from. He took it to the liquor store it came from and they were, of course, absolutely thrilled the bag was located and returned as found. The last line in the article went something along the lines of this:...the driver was greatly rewarded.

I'm thinking the dude is going to have quite a bit of free liquor coming his way in the not so distant future!

Diva

12-16-2009, 12:40 AM

I wish I was friends with that driver! :awww:

Kimbo

12-16-2009, 01:15 AM

Today the Boeing 787 made it's maiden flight---it is a beautiful thing.

YouTube- Raw Video: Boeing 787 Makes First Flight

Diva

12-16-2009, 09:36 AM

I love watching Ellen and her "12 Days Of Give~aways"..........

But when she pulls someone out of her audience who is $10,000 in debt & whose husband is in Iran under the guise of putting up new lights (because only half of their's work) ~ and she's in tears over THAT! ~ and then hands her a stack of money ($10,000).............well..........THAT'S good news.

I love it when someone like Ellen does something GOOD with their fame/fortune.

:LGBTQFlag:

NotAnAverageGuy

12-16-2009, 11:33 AM

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6772216.html

Thank god he is resigning or else Mayor Parker was gonna boot his ass out and besides he sucked as a Chief anyways.

Gemme

12-17-2009, 05:56 PM

By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 17, 2009

Christopher Astle and Emily Yanich were teenage pals strolling back from a 7-Eleven that afternoon in late summer -- two ordinary kids on an ordinary Wednesday after school -- when they found the abandoned baby.

• A chance rescue 20 years ago, a fortuitous reunion today
• Finding those who found her
• 20 years later, abandoned baby reunited with rescuers

It was Sept. 6, 1989. They discovered the newborn wrapped in towels at the front door of a townhouse in their Fairfax County complex and took the infant to Emily's, where her stepfather called police.

The whole thing was over pretty quickly. The authorities took the baby girl, who was later adopted. Chris and Emily, both 15, went on with their lives, although Emily often cried when she told people the story, and the two called each other every Sept. 6.

Twenty years passed.

Then, on Dec. 2, a college student named Mia Fleming sent them both a message via Facebook: Might they be the same Chris and Emily who had once found a baby left at a stranger's door?

If so, she just wanted to say thanks.

After all these years, the little girl they had found had found them.

The story of Mia, Chris and Emily, recounted by the three over the past few days, is a nativity narrative for modern times. There were no heavenly hosts that warm afternoon in 1989, just the distant ambulance sirens after the call to 911. But the event seemed blessed all the same.

Chris and Emily, both now 35, stayed close friends as they grew up, moved and married, bound by their rescue of the baby.

Mia, once she learned her story, never forgot them, and after numerous tries over several years managed at last, through the power of the Internet, to track them down. "I didn't know how they would feel," she said.

Emily said: "It's like a miracle. . . . My heart is filled now. There was always a little spot missing. "

Chris said, "It's the best Christmas present I have ever gotten."

Andrew, Jr.

12-17-2009, 07:26 PM

Dino Martini let Daddy put on his sweater when we went outside today. It was frigid.

Daddy looked like :cold: and Mr. Martini looked like :dogwalking: esp. when the ladies next door came out...yowza. Yep, Mr. Martini is a new boy around the ladies.

:snowysmiley::schnauzer::smileyXmasTree:

Kimbo

12-17-2009, 11:03 PM

:balloon:

The B-F couple across the street let it slip to me that they are finally prego---

They have been wanting this and trying for years....it has not been easy for them.

I'm very excited for them--It's great news!!

:balloon:

Gemme

12-18-2009, 12:43 AM

Diva

12-18-2009, 10:22 AM

THIS is so adorable and cute and funny and ..........GAY!!!!

> > > YouTube- 12 Gays of Christmas Relient Remix < < <

PinkieLee

12-18-2009, 10:53 AM

Houston elects first openly gay mayor (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121388191&sc=fb&cc=fp). :LGBTQFlag:

WOOOHOOOO!

NotAnAverageGuy

12-18-2009, 04:44 PM

The prospect of moving out of this hell hole at the beginning of the year.

violaine

12-18-2009, 06:38 PM

:cooking:

watching an opossum run [making several trips] for apple slices i left for her.

Gemme

12-18-2009, 06:47 PM

I have the weekend off again!!!

NotAnAverageGuy

12-20-2009, 01:49 PM

The Dallas Cowboys beat the NO Saints last night

suebee

12-21-2009, 12:14 PM

There is a world wide prayer marathon today to mark the winter solstice. Please check it out here (http://www.worldpeace.org/activities_teleconference.php). :praying:

Gemme

12-21-2009, 06:27 PM

Today is one day closer to :stocking::santa1:, one :heartbeat: closer to the next time I see my guy, one more day I got to play with :doghead::doghead: and another day I had the opportunity to :simplelaugh:.

Not bad, huh?

suebee

12-30-2009, 08:25 PM

Transit driver makes unscheduled train stop - to rescue injured great horned owl (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/12/30/calgary-transit-owl-recue.html)! :hospital-snoopy:

Dragonfly

01-01-2010, 03:43 AM

It's a new year even if its just another day. Reminding me that any day can be the day for something new. Today it is the year.And maybe someday maybe I can set up a new attitude day.

Diva

01-02-2010, 09:57 PM

The

GOOD NEWS

as Amelia mentioned.....

It's

2010

Thank GOD
2009

is

OVER!!

:heartbeat:

suebee

01-02-2010, 10:00 PM

The

GOOD NEWS

as Amelia mentioned.....

It's

2010

Thank GOD
2009

is

OVER!!

:heartbeat:

It's 2010 and we're on BFP! :happyjump:

Diva

01-02-2010, 10:09 PM

It's 2010 and we're on BFP! :happyjump:

InDEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup:

Diva

01-07-2010, 10:27 PM

Here in precious Austin~town, it will be in the low 20's in the morning with a wind chill of around 10. I realize that isn't cold for those of You in the northern sector of this hemisphere...but we're not very prepared for it here......much less our homeless.

But there was a news program on this evening about an organization called Loaves and Fishes who goes around town, collecting our homeless folk on evenings like this and get them inside and feed them a good hot meal.

Last year, we had one of our homeless women die of hypothermia because she slept in a doorway of a business downtown, so L&F is bound and determined not to allow that to happen again.

Stars in their crowns for this service. :angel:

Leigh

01-08-2010, 12:08 AM

I got word that I am being bumped back upto full time at My job :thumbsup:

I'mOneToo

01-08-2010, 12:14 AM

always seems to be a fitting tune to accompany any post or topic...

thinking about all the people living out in the brutal cold tonight, and wondering what it would take to open up all of the vacant, foreclosed-on homes nationwide, and allow shelter to anyone in need. no one should die of cold, when there are so many open hearths unoccupied.

i know... i'm a dreamer....

YouTube- Imagine

Diva

03-03-2010, 09:42 PM

There was just now a report on that showed US Airways pilot Sully Sullenberger (sp?) landing his light flight in South Carolina.....he's retiring.

They had the firetrucks there, showering the plane as it taxi'd in to the gate.....I thought that was very cool.

What a hero!

firie

03-03-2010, 10:23 PM

Diva

03-03-2010, 10:42 PM

Here's the website for Loaves and Fishes (http://www.mlfnow.org/site/PageServer)....and they are located in various cities across the country. Not just in Austin.

Diva

03-05-2010, 06:57 AM

This morning is The Cowboy Breakfast.... > > Check it out (http://www.rodeoaustin.com/events_detail.aspx?id=42) < <

I love Austin! Cowboys make The Diva so happy......

Gemme

03-05-2010, 08:16 PM

This morning is The Cowboy Breakfast.... > > Check it out (http://www.rodeoaustin.com/events_detail.aspx?id=42) < <

I love Austin! Cowboys make The Diva so happy......

That looks like it was FUN!

Diva

03-12-2010, 02:15 AM

That looks like it was FUN!

We are SO goin' next year! I mean it! :D

DO THIS::fireman:

Take a break and have some fun!!! Call the Nestle Hot line at 1-800-295-0051 When asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, wait quietly for about 10 seconds and you will smile. Keep going and press 4. Then press 7. If you comment on this, don't give away the surprise.

Princess4u

03-12-2010, 02:30 AM

We are SO goin' next year! I mean it! :D

DO THIS::fireman:

Take a break and have some fun!!! Call the Nestle Hot line at 1-800-295-0051 When asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, wait quietly for about 10 seconds and you will smile. Keep going and press 4. Then press 7. If you comment on this, don't give away the surprise.

OMG....i am dying...that is hysterical....omg Diva i am dying!!! thank you so much its a good thing i live alone...i busted out laughing!!!

Diva

03-12-2010, 02:55 AM

OMG....i am dying...that is hysterical....omg Diva i am dying!!! thank you so much its a good thing i live alone...i busted out laughing!!!

Wasn't that just the BEST!?!?!?! I can't wait for SD to see it.....she needs a good laugh, n'est pas?

:ballerina:

Gemme

03-12-2010, 03:20 AM

We are SO goin' next year! I mean it! :D

DO THIS::fireman:

Take a break and have some fun!!! Call the Nestle Hot line at 1-800-295-0051 When asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, wait quietly for about 10 seconds and you will smile. Keep going and press 4. Then press 7. If you comment on this, don't give away the surprise.

Woot! It's a DATE, beautiful! :cheesy:

I have to say that I called and smiled and laughed and called and smiled and laughed and called.....are you sensing a theme here? :trampoline:

Diva

03-19-2010, 08:26 AM

I'm watching Ellen right now....and she's interviewed Constance....the Mississippi lesbian who was told she could not go to her prom with her girlfriend and has received just SO much flack from her peers and others......

Well......what a fine young woman (with a 3.86 gpa, I might add)....accompanied by her supportive Dad!........was just given a $30,000 scholarship and summer internship with Tonic.com (http://www.tonic.com/) ......

GOOD NEWS!

Leigh

03-19-2010, 08:54 AM

Leave it to Ellen to do something that fantastic ~ she rawks hardcore *just sayin* :thumbsup:

My mouth is finally calming down, those antibiotics are working and the pain isnt as bad as it was even just the other day YAY :clap:

Diva

04-21-2010, 06:14 PM

This is such a lovely story.....this 94~year~old woman's last wish......

She is precious!

http://news.yahoo.com/video/dallascbs11-15750646/local-94-year-old-gets-final-wish-a-waltz-19247565

Leigh

04-21-2010, 07:01 PM

I went to an intake appointment with a doctor last week who runs a trans clinic at a community health center here in My hometown that caters to everyone in the community (including the GLBTQ community). We had our very first session where he asked Me basic questions about Myself like who I am, who I've come out to as being FTM, where I am in My transition etc. We had a good hour long talk, and he has already scheduled Me for a second appointment to get a better idea of My past medical history as well as I'm also getting blood work done so he can check My liver functions, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. He already told Me that by what we've talked about so far he can already see that I'm good for the Gender Identity diagnosis and by My 4th or 5th visit ~ I will officially be on T injections :cheer:

He also told Me that in the future he will help Me with all of the paperwork that helps to get My marker changed on My birth certificate, My named changed with Vital Statistics Canada, as well as get Me in touch with surgeons who can not only give Me the hysterectomy that I want but also My top surgery as well :clap:

Talk about good news huh? :thumbsup:

ruthie14

04-21-2010, 07:59 PM

I leave my old job on friday and start a new one on Monday... hopefully will be a good switch!!! lol

Soft*Silver

10-05-2010, 07:31 PM

I am going to regret this later because I am NOT allowed these foods yet...but tonight I ate a smalll bag of combos ...and a small bag of almonds. OMG...they were so delicious! This was actually my dinner, not a snack. the combos had no nutritional value. But the almonds did.

Soft*Silver

10-05-2010, 07:50 PM

uhmmm..I have no idea how this post got in this thread.I was posting in the snacks thread!

ok...good news? I signed up to be a mentor and advisor for our pride centers youth group tonight. Not one more child....

I am going to regret this later because I am NOT allowed these foods yet...but tonight I ate a smalll bag of combos ...and a small bag of almonds. OMG...they were so delicious! This was actually my dinner, not a snack. the combos had no nutritional value. But the almonds did.

Cin

10-21-2011, 09:39 AM

Anonymous exposes pedophile ring - hacks Lolita City

http://www.examiner.com/anonymous-in-national/anonymous-exposes-pedophile-ring-hacks-lolita-city

Cin

11-17-2011, 05:41 AM

Pizza now joins ketchup and relish as vegetables according to Congress.

How Pizza Became A Vegetable Through The Magic Of Influence-Peddling

On Tuesday, Congress decided that pizza is a vegetable. I have to imagine that this news instilled confusion in many Americans, as many Americans are (a) familiar with pizza, (b) familiar with vegetables and (c) sane.

But, to provide specifics that will in no way dispel your lingering thoughts that we are governed by morons but at least allow you some anthropological insight into how a group of morons who have been given permission to sit in a fancy room in Washington, D.C., and grunt at each other actually think, here is their thinking: Pizza is a vegetable for the purposes of determining what goes into public school lunches by virtue of the fact that pizza traditionally includes a schmear of tomato paste. (Botanically speaking, tomatoes are actually fruit, but we're going to have to just let that slide.)

At any rate, you may still be wondering how it came to pass that Congress arrived at the conclusion that pizza could count as a serving of vegetables. Wonder no more! Congress was guided along this path by lobbyists. And lobbyists can do all sorts of things, by magic! (Except provide nutritious lunches for children.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/pizza-vegetable-school-lunches-lobbyists_n_1098029.html

LeftWriteFemme

12-01-2011, 11:25 AM

Daniel Radcliffe set to portray gay poet Allen Ginsberg in new film

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/01/daniel-radcliffe-set-to-portray-gay-poet-allen-ginsberg-in-new-film/

Daniel Radcliffe has reportedly been cast to portray Allen Ginsberg in a new play about the poet’s life.

Kill Your Darlings will chart the gay poet’s relationships with Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac and Lucien Carr, who was imprisoned for two years for murdering his stalker.

Ginsberg, who died in 1997, was open about his sexuality in the 1940s, and listed his partner Peter Orlovsky as his spouse in a Who’s Who entry.

He has been praised for discussing homosexuality publicly, rather than through metaphor.

Earlier this year, Daniel Radcliffe received the Trevor Project’s ‘Hero’ award for raising awareness of the organisation’s work providing helplines for LGBT youth.

The 22-year-old has also filmed public service announcements for the Trevor Project and given the charity sizable donations.

Radcliffe played down rumours last year about his sexuality after it was suggested he had “a gay face”.

Radcliffe, who has said he is “fortunate” to be able to do something about homophobia, reportedly told French press that he was set to play a gay character on screen next year.

GeorgiaMa'am

12-08-2011, 06:29 PM

. . . she looked in the rearview mirror and inspected her lips, to see if she had imagined the whole encounter. “And sure enough, her lipstick was on my lipstick,” she recalled. “I said, ‘Whoa.’ ”

Fairytale Wedding! I just love it when everyone lives happily ever after.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/fashion/weddings/gail-marquis-and-audrey-smaltz-vows.html?emc=eta1

Cin

12-24-2011, 01:35 PM

The Good Food News of 2011

December 24 by Leland
in

Current News and Opinion

by Twilight Greenaway/Grist

1. Urban farming is flourishing.

While the renewed interest in growing food within city limits is nothing new, 2011 was the year urban farming went legit.

Despite several low points involving criminal charges for gardeners inMichigan and Tennessee (charges were dropped in both cases after word spread around the internet and people from across the country petitioned lawmakers), the year was full of highlights. In San Francisco, Oakland, Chicago, San Diego, andBaltimore, city officials changed local laws to make it easier to farm. Meanwhile, New Yorkers celebrated the first year of legal beekeeping. And creative, scrappy projects like the Boston Tree Party and Detroit's Growing Joy Community Garden flourished.

Meanwhile, corporate interests are also keying into the possibilities of urban agriculture. We heard from a vertical farming expert on the subject.

2. Young farmers make noise.

More and more young Americans are taking to the farm, a trend that's continued to grow this year. They're getting creative -- returning to using draft horses, for example. And they're getting political -- the National Young Farmers' Coalition has put together an agenda for the upcoming 2012 farm bill, pushing for easier to access land and loans. LGBT farmers (young and otherwise) are also changing the face of farming.

3. Local food isn't just delicious and eco-friendly.

2011 presented us with even more evidence that local food systems don't just taste good and feel good; they also build local economies. More farmers markets mean more jobs, overall.

4. Food Day makes a comeback.

Although the organizers called this year's national event the first annual Food Day, there had apparently been another attempt in the 1970s. Let's hope this versions sticks. Check out our slideshow.

5. We don't need industrial ag to feed the world.

Feeding the world doesn't have to depend on genetically modified rice like this.Photo: BASFYes, the world's population is growing rapidly (see Grist's series "What to expect when you're expanding"), and the question of how to feed all 7 billion of us is an important one. Far too often, however, "feeding the world" has become code for farming with as many chemicals and GMO seeds as possible.

This year brought mounting evidence to the contrary, including a study published in Nature and another published in Science that say otherwise. The results of a long-term study by the Rodale Institute also proved that organic farming is just as productive as conventional, and better at building soil (this is key, since "yield" is at the heart of the "feed the world" discussion).

6. Despite the influence of the ultra-consolidated meat industry, the "ag-gag" bills went nowhere.

Early on in 2011, lawmakers in Florida, New York, Iowa, and Minnesota tried to pass so-called "ag-gag" bills that would have made it illegal to produce -- and in Minnesota to possess -- undercover videos of livestock factory farms. The bills were part of a coordinated effort by Big Ag, but the sustainable food movement organized to defeat them, and, in a rare win, succeeded.

7. Eaters are (a little) more aware of the people behind their food.

The situation for workers in the food system isn't exactly good news, but I'm putting it in this category because 2011 saw a number of small but important strides.

Food service provider Bon Appétit Management Company took two big steps: First, it released the first comprehensive report on documented farmworker rights and abuses in years. Then it hosted TEDx Fruitvale: Harvesting Change, an event entirely dedicated to the plight of farmworkers and other food system workers.

Meanwhile, food worker advocates produced aguide to restaurants that treat their employees well. And the Department of Labor proposed new child labor rules for farms, expected to be officially enacted next year.

8. Food access got more attention.

Too many people around the U.S. still lack easy access to good, healthy food. Fortunately, activists and farmers made a lot of creative progress this year in helping to raise awareness and tackle the root problems.

A group of advocates from an Oakland-based organization called Live Realtook to the road for the Food and Freedom Rides.

Tiny groceries made out of shipping containers: one way to increase food access.Fifty young people began working in schools, gardens, and advocacy organizations as part of the first class of Food Corps participants. We spoke with three of them.

Subsidizing farmers markets was shown to be an effective strategy for getting more healthy food into food deserts. And farmers themselves looked for creative ways to address food access, such as this give-a-dozen-buy-a-dozen program modeled after Toms Shoes.

Slow Food USA sought to show that supporting local farmers doesn't require going broke with its $5 Challenge. And a group of grad students tried out a model for small, portable grocery stores built out of shipping containers -- a potential solution for under-resourced areas without traditional grocery stores.

9. More information helps eaters make better choices.

Although food safety continued to be a huge concern (see our "bad news" list in part 2) some food choices were made a little easier in 2011.

For example, organic chicken was proven to carry significantly lower salmonella risk, there's more evidence that organic milk is better for you,

As it turns out that most "use-by" dates are meaningless.

10. The Occupy movement adds fuel to the fire.

Advocates and farmers jointed the Zuccotti Park gathering this fall, and we heard from a variety of folks who were occupying various aspects of the food system -- like one farmer who occupied the pasture.

Just as important as any march or rally, however, the activism taking place over last few months has gotten more eaters to think critically about where their food dollars are going, and to consider investing in local and sustainable food enterprises rather than Wall Street.
Here's the article:http://www.freespeech.org/blog/good-food-news-2011

Diva

12-26-2011, 09:26 PM

We're having a shorter year next year....... :giggle:

LeftWriteFemme

01-09-2012, 08:02 AM

Changing the Game for LGBT Students in School

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-murray/lgbt-students_b_1188229.html?ref=gay-voices

LeftWriteFemme

01-09-2012, 12:40 PM

Older Brother Stands Up To Father

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-wolfe/dear-customer-who-stuck-u_b_1190690.html

LeftWriteFemme

01-11-2012, 09:39 AM

MTV's 'True Life' To Feature Gay Bears And 'Chubby Chasers'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/09/mtv-true-life-gay-bears-chubby-chasers_n_1194101.html?ref=gay-voices

LeftWriteFemme

04-06-2012, 02:47 PM

A Teen’s Brave Response to “I’m Christian, Unless You’re Gay”

There is a link to the original article, please read if you haven't already

http://www.danoah.com/2012/04/a-teens-brave-response-to-im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html

LeftWriteFemme

04-09-2012, 04:26 PM

Chaz is Coming via INTRAA!

https://sites.google.com/a/intraa.org/intraa-indiana-transgender-rights-advocacy-alliance/

Lady_Di

04-09-2012, 05:55 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html?src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

damn the whole piece I just wrote about this just went poof. My fingers sometimes move a bit too fast for this ole keyboard.:fastdraq:

LeftWriteFemme

07-09-2012, 12:59 PM

Texas A&M Students Form Human Wall To Block Westboro Baptist Church Protestors From Soldier Roy Tisdale's Funeral

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/texas-am-students_n_1653002.html#slide=more237102

LeftWriteFemme

08-11-2012, 08:27 PM

A new bill to protect gay teens in California

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chana-wilson/california-gay-therapy-bill_b_1745427.html?utm_hp_ref=san-francisco&ir=San%20Francisco

MsTinkerbelly

08-13-2012, 10:09 AM

Democrats approve marriage equality in party platform
By Jacob Combs

This Saturday, the Democratic Party’s full platform committee, a body of around 120 Democrats, approved draft platform language that includes a full-fledged endorsement of marriage equality. The marriage language was accepted without dissent and with little debate, a sign of just how established the position has become in the party since President Obama announced his personal support of marriage equality in May.

Last Thursday, BuzzFeed’s Chris Geidner exclusively reported on the draft platform language established by the Democratic Platform Drafting Committee, which read:

We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.

We oppose discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect and responsibilities as other married couples. We support the full repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.

Also included in the draft language (and also reported by Geidner) is an endorsement of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit hiring and firing based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and language regarding bullying and support for LGBT youth. The platform’s immigration reform section was amended as well to include new language which reads: “the administration has said that the word ‘family’ in immigration includes LGBT relationships in order to protect binational families threatened with deportation.”

The approved platform will be sent to delegates for a final vote at the Democratic National Convention, which will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina from September 3-6

LeftWriteFemme

08-27-2012, 10:42 AM

A father dressing for his son's success!

http://mrsexsmith.tumblr.com/post/30250284539/swingset-my-ribcage-oneandonlygabriel

LeftWriteFemme

10-19-2012, 04:13 PM

Chris Kluwe and the Greatest Political Statement by Any Athlete Ever
Dave Zirin on September 8, 2012 - 11:51 AM ET
Speaking out always holds the risk of a backlash: especially for pro athletes and especially when standing up for LGBT equality. The Baltimore Ravens’ Brendan Ayanbadejo experienced that reality this week. For years, the 36-year-old Ayanbadejo has been outspoken in support of Marriage Equality and LGBT rights. Now, Ayanbadejo is publicly supporting a November ballot initiative for Maryland to join the states that recognize same-sex marriage. This was too much for Baltimore County state delegate Emmett Burns. Burns, a Democrat, sent a formal letter to Ravens team owner Steve Biscotti writing, among other things, “I find it inconceivable that one of your players, Mr. Brendon Ayanbadejo would publicly endorse same-sex marriage, specifically as a Raven Football player…. I believe Mr. Ayanbadejo should concentrate on football and steer clear of dividing the fan base.” Then Burns went even farther and requested that Biscotti, “take the necessary action, as a National Football League Owner, to inhibit such expressions from your employees and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions. I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing.” Yes, you read that correctly. Burns is calling on Ayanbadejo’s boss to coerce him to shut up.

It’s worth noting that this last statement just isn’t true. Players such as Scott Fujita, NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, the San Francisco 49ers team and even Sports Illustrated NFL preview coverboy Rob Gronkowski have all spoken out for LGBT rights. Ayanbadejo responded to Burns forcefully, defending his own freedom of expression and then saying to USA Today, “It’s an equality issue. I see the big picture. There was a time when women didn’t have rights. Black people didn’t have rights. Right now, gay rights is a big issue and it’s been for a long time. We’re slowly chopping down the barriers to equality.”

But the greatest response to Burns and perhaps to anything in the history of everything was made by Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. Kluwe also happens to believe in LGBT rights as well as the rights of athletes to be able to speak their minds. The punter sat down at his computer and produced the greatest political statement by any athlete ever… or at least since Muhammad Ali told the US government that “the real enemy of my people is here.” Perhaps that’s hyperbole. Certainly it’s arguable. But what’s undeniable is the greatness of Kluwe’s rant. I quote my favorite parts below, but I strongly encourage people to read it in its entirety here at deadspin. Warning that it’s brilliantly profane, or profanely brilliant, so you might not want to print it out at work and leave it lying around. Then again, if you work in a place with NFL fans prone to homophobic slurs, you might want to leave it everywhere.

Kluwe begins by calling out Burns for his “vitriolic hatred and bigotry.” He then schools Burns on the constitution, the First Amendment and the history of racism and segregation in the NFL, But the coup de grâce was his defense of LGBT equality.

Kluwe writes,

I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won’t come into your house and steal your children. They won’t magically turn you into a lustful c—kmonster. They won’t even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population—rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children. You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you? In closing, I would like to say that I hope this letter, in some small way, causes you to reflect upon the magnitude of the colossal foot in mouth clusterf-ck you so brazenly unleashed on a man whose only crime was speaking out for something he believed in. Best of luck in the next election; I’m fairly certain you might need it.

Sincerely,
Chris Kluwe

Kluwe then ends by writing, “P.S. I’ve also been vocal as hell about the issue of gay marriage so you can take your ‘I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing’ and shove it in your close-minded, totally lacking in empathy piehole and choke on it. A—hole.”

For the first time in football history, a punter is truly leading the way. Thank you Chis Kluwe, for the greatest political statement made by any athlete in decades. The fact that it happens to be about LGBT rights only shows how far we’ve traveled, in the streets and in the locker rooms.

LeftWriteFemme

10-22-2012, 04:44 AM

Group seeks to clean up paperwork for outed troops

http://www.stripes.com/group-seeks-to-clean-up-paperwork-for-outed-troops-1.193841

LeftWriteFemme

10-24-2012, 09:07 AM

CNN ANCHOR CAROL COSTELLO IS HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE 'GAY GESTAPO'

http://www.gay.net/news/2012/10/23/cnn-anchor-carol-costello-happy-support-gay-gestapo

LeftWriteFemme

12-31-2012, 08:38 AM

A Factory on Bicycle Wheels, Carrying Hope of a Better Life

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/world/americas/mobile-factory-with-hope-for-a-better-life-mexico-city-journal.html?ref=global-home&_r=1&

LeftWriteFemme

01-29-2013, 11:48 AM

Sewers, Curfews and a Ban on Gay Bias

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/us/vicco-kentucky-passes-ban-on-gay-bias.html?_r=0

BugsAndKisses

01-29-2013, 12:19 PM

REALLY good news thou probably old new because I am always the last to know.....the rights to Twinkies has been purchased and will not be lost and gone forever!

LeftWriteFemme

02-27-2013, 05:32 AM

Boston Fraternity Raises Money for Trans Brother
2.25.2013

BY BENJAMIN LINDSAY

Brothers of Phi Alpha Tau at Emerson College campaign to pay for FTM top surgery
Traditionally, college Greeks are an archetypally masculine institution—about as butch as the Boy Scouts. Pledging a fraternity and being inducted as a brother is often an arduous process, one that is meant to separate the men from the boys. But where does the LGBTQ community fit into this macho niche?

Much like the world of professional sports, the world of campus Greek life is not often heralded as the epitome of acceptance. Locker room antics are an insidious fact of the frat house. No doubt about it.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, which is what makes this story out of Emerson College particularly heartwarming: brothers in Emerson’s Alpha Chapter of Phi Alpha Tau have come together to raise funds for a new brother’s FTM top surgery (full disclosure: I'm a member of the PAT fraternity and currently a junior at Emerson).

Earlier this year, Visual & Media Arts sophomore Donnie Collins pledged as a prospective brother to Phi Alpha Tau, the nation’s oldest professional communicative arts fraternity. An Alexandria, Virginia native, Collins didn’t come out as transgender until age 17 while attending a boarding school in Windsor, Conn. Of his time in an all-girls dorm, he says in a recent interview, “They were really nice, but it was all horrible."

Thus far, Collins has been taking his gender transition one step at a time. Barred from using his mother’s insurance to cover any physical transitions, he has singlehandedly covered the bulk of his hormone therapy since December 2011.

“I’d go to the endocrinologist and pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket, because, of course, I didn’t have insurance of my own,” he explains.

Collins now has a college health insurance policy through Emerson, a policy, like so many others, that is trans-exclusionary. It is common practice for insurance companies to deem female-to-male breast augmentation—or top surgery—as a cosmetic plastic surgery rather than a necessity. So Collins has been raising money for the procedure for months, but it seemed that one door after another would close in his face. His petition for a trans-inclusive policy was recently denied by the college's insurance plan, and his personal Chipin fund will cease when the crowd-funding site shuts down next month.

In a time when his options were running out, Collins’s brothers in Phi Alpha Tau have rallied together to cover some of the surgery’s cost. Find their indiegogo fund here: Brothers of A Boston Fraternity - FTM: Top Surgery. The brothers' fund has already surpassed the $2,000 they initially hoped to donate, but now they’re looking to cover even more of the procedure’s $8,100 cost.

Collins has been completely overwhelmed by the wave of support, admitting to have cried out of gratitude when he heard what his brothers were doing. But the thought that this is a fraternity raising money for him never even crossed his mind.

“I was just like, ‘Oh that’s such a Tau thing to do,’ and I didn’t even think it was that weird,” he says. “But then I started sending [the indiegogo link] out to people, and they were like, ‘Oh my god, that’s amazing! See, Greek Life isn’t bad; it’s amazing.’”

The brothers’ site says that they hope less to raise money with their efforts and more to spread acceptance, brotherhood, and love. “We are here... to tell a story. The story of transformation, the story of self-discovery, and the story of brotherhood.”

It seems that Donnie Collins and his brothers' story is certainly one worth telling. Please consider donating to their cause.

http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2013/02/25/boston-fraternity-raises-money-trans-brother

LeftWriteFemme

02-27-2013, 11:38 AM

Hong Kong gay couple shares "wedding video" with the world - See more at:

http://www.fridae.asia/newsfeatures/2013/02/22/12244.hong-kong-gay-couple-shares-wedding-video-with-the-world#sthash.IyD3mdpw.dpuf

LeftWriteFemme

03-02-2013, 05:15 PM

Amazon Kindle Backs Gay Marriage With New Commercial

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/amazon-kindle-gay-marriage-commercial-_n_2732827.html

LeftWriteFemme

04-08-2013, 11:06 AM

From Shamans to gay bars: Booming Mongolia’s LGBT people

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/shamans-gay-bars-booming-mongolia%E2%80%99s-lgbt-people050413

LeftWriteFemme

04-28-2013, 05:08 PM

Tokyo Rainbow Week and Pride: Apr 27 - May 6

http://www.fridae.asia/newsfeatures/2013/04/26/12311.tokyo-rainbow-week-and-pride-apr-27-may-6

Cin

08-10-2013, 09:52 AM

I'm not sure you would call it good news exactly, but it's definitely falls on the positive side.

Burglars return stolen goods to group that helps sexual assault survivors
The returned loot came with a note saying, "We hope you can continue to make a difference in people's lives"
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/08/burglars_return_stolen_goods_to_group_that_helps_s exual_assault_survivors/

Cin

11-05-2013, 11:04 AM

This bodes well for the future.
One can hope.
Regardless it's pretty cute and fun to watch.

?feature=player_embedded&v=8TJxnYgP6D8#t=0

cinnamongrrl

11-05-2013, 03:02 PM

This bodes well for the future.
One can hope.
Regardless it's pretty cute and fun to watch.

?feature=player_embedded&v=8TJxnYgP6D8#t=0

I admit. I cried...a bunch...that bus top proposal was beyond romantical...I may have swooned...just a little...

:hk19:

Kätzchen

11-10-2013, 06:51 PM

Okay, what a day, what a day I've had today!!! *LOL*

In a world where I've been dealing with nothing but troubles,
today was my day of days of the best news ever!!!

I did the unspeakable thing, earlier this afternoon, after getting home from my amazing interview for a job that is very close to home. After the interview, I spilled part of my drink onto my well-loved Paisley Print jacket (it's a long dress coat) and not realising it, I left my new phone in the pocket of my dress coat. It was in the washeteria, the washer was locked, I was in tears, thinking:
"What in the world is wrong with you, -XXXX-!?!?"

So I go down to get my clothes out of the washer after it unlocks itself, pull out the long dress coat, it's not in the pocket, but after unloading the whole washer, there it was. I layed it down on top of the machine, put the clothes on to dry, picked up the phone and *Wha-laaaaa*, it worked!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, I can hardly believe it! It works!!!!

In other news: I will hear back about my latest interview results on Thursday of this week, about whether I can be hired. During my interview, the woman said that I gave her all the right reasons to hire me and would be calling me back on Thursday.

If I am hired, I will be so deliriously happy!!!!
It's close to home, I can walk to work.

That's my Good News, today!

:)

Okiebug61

11-10-2013, 11:02 PM

Red and I decided we are not watching American Idol this season. We are rather upset that we have supported a show and network that enjoys making fun of people.

GlouriousBastard

11-25-2013, 07:27 PM

Story of the Week, Miracle of a Lifetime

This was featured again on NBC last night. The story of Xena, the miracle dog from here in Atlanta, who helps to reach an autistic boy, and a boy who helps to heal a severely abused dog. What a little lovin' 'll do.:rrose:

AsE8AwyDufU

Jonny Hickey has a great mom!

*Anya*

01-01-2014, 05:09 PM

California has a Democrat governor, every other statewide post and supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature. As of 1/1/14, the following are new laws:

1) New procedures make it easier for transgendered people to amend the gender and name on their birth certificates.

2) Heath insurance companies are required to cover infertility treatments for same sex couples.

3) Students are entitled to compete on gender-specific sports teams and use locker rooms and restrooms based on gender identity, rather than bio sex. (This law could be put on hold if a proposed referendum on it qualifies for statewide ballot).

4) It is a crime for employers to threaten to report immigration status if workers complain about working conditions.

5) Abortions in the first trimester can be performed by nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and PA's, in addition to MD's.

6) People in this country that are undocumented, that pass the bar, may be licensed as attorneys.

These are just some of many new laws that were listed in the LA Times today.

Jet

01-02-2014, 06:07 PM

This was featured on CBS News and deserves a spot in this thread. The owner of The Lift Garage should be lifted to heaven, frankly. Great story! CBS uploads its newscasts, not individual video codes. This will link you directly to the story which aired yesterday...

Low-income Minn. drivers get lift from social worker with flair for repairs - YouTube

Jet

01-21-2014, 12:52 PM

The Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation recognize a real life Mr. Holland with a first-ever Educator Award.
Meet Kent Knappenberger, a passionate teacher who teaches and inspires. An uplifting story worth sharing.

http://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_this_morning/video/RbMXNGIa9CRhKmU9KzCHVHhnSk_juzI1/grammy-awards-to-honor-n-y-music-teacher-with-new-award/

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/GlouriousBastard44/ScreenShot2014-01-21at14057PM_zpsdd742361.png

Jet

03-29-2014, 11:38 AM

Good news stories worth noting:

• Joanne Milne of the UK hears for the first time in her life after cochlear implants. Very uplifting segment.

• Soup Ladies in Washington helping after the mudslide.

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/watch-our-full-broadcast-n686

NBC does not post individual clips; these stories are featured in the link above.
________________________________

Pope Francis confesses openly and breaks protocol. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pope-breaks-protocol-goes-confession-public-n66531

Genesis

05-23-2014, 03:01 PM

http://i0.huffpost.com/gen/1808955/thumbs/n-SIR-NICHOLAS-WINTON-large570.jpg

The story of Sir Nicholas Winton is one of the most profound tales of humanitarianism that you've probably never heard.

After saving 669 children, most of them Jewish, from likely death at Nazi concentration camps at the onset of World War II, it was announced Monday -- on Winton's 105th birthday -- that the heroic Englishman will be awarded the Order of the White Lion, the highest order in the Czech Republic, the Associated Press reported. In the official announcement, Czech President Milos Zeman noted Winton's example of humanity, selflessness, personal bravery and modesty as reasons for the prestigious honor. The award will be given to Winton this October.

In December 1938, Winton gave up a vacation as a London-based stockbroker to travel to politically turbulent Prague, according to the Guardian. He was curious to see firsthand what was happening to refugees in what was then Czechoslovakia. Nazis had recently invaded the country, and Winton sensed the grave danger refugees there were facing.

He wasn't an elected official, a high-ranking member of the British military or even someone with a significant background in charitable work. But starting during his three weeks in Prague, Winton made one of the most impactful, single-handed efforts to save children from mass genocide.

He created advertisements for foster homes. He manipulated paperwork to sidestep government red tape that would have gotten in his way, CBS News reported. He even persuaded Germans to go along with his plan. Continuing his efforts from his home in London for the next nine months, Winton coordinated eight train evacuations of 669 children from Czechoslovakia to Britain, saving them from almost certain death.

For decades, Winton's heroic efforts largely went unnoticed -- until 1988, when a BBC program surprised him by planning an emotional reunion with several of the survivors he saved, the Telegraph reported.

So with all things considered, turning 105 years old on May 19 might have been the least of Winton's achievements.

The hero celebrated his landmark birthday with about 100 guests in attendance, many of whom are offspring of the children who Winton rescued in 1939.

According to the Guardian, there are roughly 6,000 people around the world today that owe Winton their lives.

If you ask him, though, the formula to do good is a pretty simple one.

"I work on the motto that if something's not impossible, there must be a way of doing it," Winton told CBS News last month.

Original article HERE (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/21/sir-nicholas-winton_n_5365539.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063)

6_nFuJAF5F0

LeftWriteFemme

12-23-2015, 12:37 PM

Scientists discover ‘genderfluid’ lioness who looks, acts and roars like a male

http://cdn.pinknews.co.uk/images/2015/12/BuRDiKmIYAE1o2l_640x345_acf_cropped.jpg

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/12/23/scientists-discover-genderfluid-lioness-who-looks-acts-and-roars-like-a-male/?utm_source=MOBFB

*Anya*

04-25-2016, 09:25 PM

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A 9-year-old started his own business in order to make a very special purchase. Tristin Jacobson opened up a lemonade stand to raise money to pay for his very own adoption, according to the Springfield News Leader.

Four years ago, Jacobson's biological mother dumped him on the doorstep of a Missouri shelter on a cold January day.

Donnie Davis got a call about Tristin, and she's been taking care of him ever since.

Jacobson has always wanted Davis to adopt him, but she couldn't afford the legal fees. So this past week he opened up a lemonade stand to raise money.

Tristin’s story went viral, and Springfield News Leader reports that as of this weekend, Jacobson has enough money to pay for his adoption.

Their goal was $5,000 and they raised a total of $14,000.

Tristan’s lemonade stand and a yard sale raised about $7,100, and a fundraiser they started on YouCaring.com called Tristan’s Adoption Fund raised more than $6,900.

Davis says the extra money will go toward Jacobson's college education.

http://wgntv.com/2016/04/25/9-year-old-boy-sells-lemonade-to-pay-for-his-own-adoption/

~ocean

04-25-2016, 09:49 PM

Gemme

04-26-2016, 04:49 AM

*Anya*

09-06-2017, 03:59 PM

Dog makes 911 cell phone call to save owner's life!

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 17-pound beagle named Belle is more than man’s best friend. She’s a lifesaver.

Belle was in Washington, D.C., on Monday to receive an award for biting onto owner Kevin Weaver’s cell phone to call 911 after the diabetic man had a seizure and collapsed.

“There is no doubt in my mind that I’d be dead if I didn’t have Belle,” said Weaver, 34, whose blood sugar had dropped dangerously low. Belle had been trained to summon help in just those circumstances. She had been taught to bite down on the number 9 on his cell phone contacting 911.

Belle was the first canine recipient to win the VITA Wireless Samaritan Award, given to someone who used a cell phone to save a life, prevent a crime or help in an emergency.

Using their keen sense of smell, animals like Belle can detect abnormalities in a person’s blood-sugar levels. The dog periodically licks Weaver’s nose to take her own reading of his blood-sugar level. If something seems off to her, she will paw and whine at him.

“Every time she paws at me like that I grab my meter and test myself,” Weaver said. “She’s never been wrong.”

http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060620/060620_beagle_vmed_11a.grid-4x2.jpg

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/13439261/#.WbBuK9FlCf1

*Anya*

09-08-2017, 11:42 AM

Donated organs of 13-year-old girl help record eight people to live

Parents of Jemima Layzell, who died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm, want other families to consider organ donation

Jemima Layzell had spoken about organ donation with her family a few weeks before she died.

Sarah Boseley Health editor
Friday 8 September 2017 01.00 EDT

A 13-year-old girl who died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm has had her organs transplanted to eight people - the largest number in the history of the organ donation service.

Jemima Layzell was “lovely – clever, funny, compassionate and creative”, said her mother, Sophy Layzell, 43, a drama teacher from Horton in Somerset. Just a couple of weeks before her sudden collapse in March 2012, the family had a conversation about organ donation because a family friend had died in a car crash.

“They were on the register but their organs couldn’t be donated because of the circumstances of their death,” said Sophy. “Jemima had never heard of organ donation before and found it a little bit unsettling, but totally understood the importance of it.”

Her parents found the decision hard, but are glad they made it. Jemima’s heart, small bowel, and pancreas were transplanted into three people. Two people received her kidneys. Her liver was split and transplanted into another two people, while her lungs were transplanted into one patient.

The eight recipients included five children, who came from all over England.

Jemima collapsed during the preparations for her mother’s 38th birthday party and died in hospital four days later. A brain aneurysm, rare in a child, is a swelling in an artery wall and there are no symptoms unless it ruptures. When it bursts, it causes a haemorrhage in the brain which can kill or cause lasting damage.

Her parents set up the Jemima Layzell Trust in her memory to help survivors. “If Jemima had survived, the ruptured aneurysm would have severely affected her communication and the right side of her body,” they say on the trust website.

Her parents went through clothes and possessions, looking for clues as to why she had died so young. They didn’t find them, but they did discover about 20 diaries and notebooks she had been keeping since she was four years old. These they have turned into a book, called The Draft, sales of which will raise funds for the charity.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/08/donated-organs-of-13-year-old-girl-help-record-eight-people-to-live

Kätzchen

01-10-2021, 11:14 AM

I came across a news article about Molly Carmel (author of the book Breaking Up With Sugar; she is also a Eating Disorder Therapist) and thought I would give her book and watch her videos a chance to help me break up with sugar. I've tried and tried to eliminate sugar from my diet by using plant based stevia products, but I am going to break up with sugar this year, permanently. It's my goal this year to not only learn how to live without sugar but to retrain my body and thinking processes, in an endeavor to be as healthy as I can be. I am in my early sixties, so I know it's not too late to correct my situation.

Here is a recent video by Molly Carmel, for those who would like to listen in on how she advocates for a sugar-free dietary lifestyle.

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Kätzchen

01-23-2021, 01:16 PM

Three cheers for President Biden axing the toxic roles of TP-crony's who infiltrated and domineered free-radio and other media networks across the globe.

____________________________

More heads roll at US-funded international broadcasters

by Matthew Lee

WASHINGTON (AP) — The heads of three federally funded international broadcasters were abruptly fired late Friday as the Biden administration completed a house-cleaning of Donald Trump-appointees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

Two officials familiar with the changes said the acting chief of the USAGM summarily dismissed the directors of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks just a month after they had been named to the posts.

The changes came a day after the director of the Voice of America and his deputy were removed and the chief of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting stepped down. The firings follow the forced resignation of former President Donald Trump’s handpicked choice to lead USAGM only two hours after Joe Biden took office on Wednesday.

Trump’s USAGM chief Michael Pack had been accused by Democrats and others of trying to turn VOA and its sister networks into pro-Trump propaganda machines. Pack had appointed all of those who were fired on Thursday and Friday to their posts only in December.

The two officials said the acting CEO of USAGM, Kelu Chao, had fired Middle East Broadcasting Network director Victoria Coates, Radio Free Asia chief Stephen Yates and Radio Free Europe head Ted Lipien in a swift series of moves late Friday. It was not immediately clear if any of those removed would try to contest their dismissals.

The White House appointed Chao, a three-decade VOA veteran journalist, to be the agency’s interim chief executive on Wednesday shortly after demanding Pack’s resignation. Chao did not respond to phone calls seeking comment about her actions. The two officials familiar with the dismissals were not authorized to publicly discuss personnel matters and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Coates, Yates and Lipien, along with former VOA director Robert Reilly and former Cuba broadcasting chief Jeffrey Shapiro were all prominent conservatives chosen by Pack to shake up what Trump and other Republicans believed was biased leadership in taxpayer-funded media outlets.

Reilly and his deputy Elizabeth Robbins were removed just a week after coming under harsh criticism for demoting a VOA White House correspondent who had tried to ask former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a question after a town hall event.

Pack had created a furor when he took over USAGM last year and fired the boards of all the outlets under his control along with the leadership of the individual broadcast networks. The actions were criticized as threatening the broadcasters’ prized editorial independence and raised fears that Pack, a conservative filmmaker and former associate of Trump’s onetime political strategist Steve Bannon, intended to turn venerable U.S. media outlets into pro-Trump propaganda machines.

Biden had been expected to make major changes to the agency’s structure and management, and Pack’s immediate dismissal on inauguration day signaled that those would be coming sooner rather than later. Pack had not been required to submit his resignation as his three-year position was created by Congress and not limited by the length of a particular administration.

VOA was founded during World War II and its congressional charter requires it to present independent news and information to international audiences.

(AP article link) (https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-cuba-media-middle-east-052e16ac28ac264e3ed9b17eb6bf5031)

easygoingfemme

01-24-2021, 09:57 AM

I got my first COVID vaccine shot yesterday!

Had to drive about an hour and a half to get to a place that had supply but Daddy drove and it was pretty. It was at a university and they were very organized with many volunteers and Army there to help guide, inform, and clean. Small 5 minute wait to get to the first screening, two minute wait for the second screening, 1 minute wait to do paperwork, one more screening, then they scheduled my 2nd shot before giving me my vax. I was observed a little extra long just because of the cancer treatments I've gone through and the meds I take now for the cancer but I felt fine. First 24 hours I can say my arm is a little sore and I was wicked tired. I'm low energy today but feel okay. No fever or anything. One down, one to go!

~ocean

01-24-2021, 12:32 PM

GeorgiaMa'am

01-24-2021, 05:02 PM

by Matthew Lee
. . .
VOA was founded during World War II and its congressional charter requires it to present independent news and information to international audiences.

Thanks for this article. I looked for a podcast for VOA, but wasn't able to find an English-language one. However, I discovered that VOA does have streaming apps available in the Google Play store. I assume iPhone has something similar.

GeorgiaMa'am

01-25-2021, 11:28 AM

homoe

01-25-2021, 11:35 AM

Champ and Major, the Biden's German Shepherds, moved into the White House over the weekend. Champ was a gift from Jill Biden to Joe Biden after Mr. Biden won the Vice-Presidency in 2008. Major was adopted in 2018, and is the first shelter dog to live in the White House.

The dogs are already popular. They have had a best-selling book written about them: _Champ and Major: First Dogs_ by Joy McCullough and Sheyda Abvabi Best is the #1 Best Seller in Children's Dog Books on Amazon. They also reportedly have a Twitter account, but a search of Twitter revealed so many possible accounts, it's difficult to tell which is the "official" one.

I can picture Major on the motivational tour circuit...

"Sure you think your life has no meaning, you may have even given up on life and are drinking out of toilet bowls, but you can be anything or go anywhere you want!

Look at me, I started out at a shelter and now I'm a main character in a book, I'm on Twitter, plus I'm prancing about the most famous house in America!

GeorgiaMa'am

01-25-2021, 11:46 AM

Champ and Major, the Biden's German Shepherds, moved into the White House over the weekend. Champ was a gift from Jill Biden to Joe Biden after Mr. Biden won the Vice-Presidency in 2008. Major was adopted in 2018, and is the first shelter dog to live in the White House.

The dogs are already popular. They have had a best-selling book written about them: _Champ and Major: First Dogs_ by Joy McCullough and Sheyda Abvabi Best is the #1 Best Seller in Children's Dog Books on Amazon. They also reportedly have a Twitter account, but a search of Twitter revealed so many possible accounts, it's difficult to tell which is the "official" one.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Gemme

01-25-2021, 09:34 PM

Joe is on a roll. President Biden lifted the ban on transgender troops in the military today! Now our brothers and sisters in arms can serve a POTUS that has their backs.

homoe

05-29-2021, 08:55 AM

Fox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.

“When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years,” Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. “But I decided to return to ABC.”

Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News’ Sunday news show This Week, adding that “all is good” between her and Fox.

The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sunday’s broadcast of This Week.

The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.