Thursday, July 28, 2005

Positive News Update 7-27-05

PNN - The Positive News Network
www.positivenews.net

All Positive News, All the Time...
News You Can Really Use!
++++++++++++++++++
Positive News Update
++++++++++++++++++

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Australian Prime Minister praises Iraq


Australia's Prime Minister held talks with Iraq's
government leader Monday during a surprise visit.

'We want Iraq to be free, independent and strong,'
said Prime Minister John Howard on meeting his
counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

'We want Iraqis to run Iraq's affairs and we see our r
ole as assisting the people of Iraq and Iraqi government
toward achieving that goal.'

Israel: Camera in a pill latest development
in miniature medicine

A traditional endoscopy involves fasting, sedation,
forcing a tube down the esophagus, a day of recovery,
and throat pain for a couple of days after that.

Now a patient can just swallow two miniature cameras
mounted in a clear pill the size of a vitamin, and after
waiting 15 minutes to make sure a computer captured
the 2,600 images taken during the 5-minute test, go home.

The pill, developed by Given Imaging of Yokneam,
Israel, passes from the body in 24 to 72 hours.

India : Sensex reaches all-time high

India's Sensitive Index (Sensex) has touched an
all-time high of 7505.60, a jump by 82.32 points
or 1.1 per cent, while Nifty jumped by 26.15 points
to touch 2,291.75.

The Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
has welcomed the bull run in bourses after this
historical high. Experts said that foreign institutional
buying is responsible for this.

Japan plans world's fastest computer

Japan has plans to start building a supercomputer next
year that can operate 73 times faster than the world's
fastest supercomputer, the government said Monday.

The American Blue Gene/L system supercomputer
currently holds the title of the world's fastest, capable
of 136.8 teraflops, or 136.8 trillion calculations per second.

The ministry wants to use the planned supercomputer
for research such as simulating the formation of a galaxy
and the interactions between a medicine and the human
body.

Colombian government offers to buy illegal coca

After a two-year offensive, the Colombian government has
forced rebels to retreat into the jungles. The rebels are major
drug traffickers and the primary buyers of the poor peasants
coca crops - the plant used to make cocaine.

The government has decided to buy the crops from the farmers,
destroy them, and require the farmers to sign a document
promising never to cultivate illegal crops again.

US NEWS

The Longest Soldiers Letter Ever Written!


Carly Goodwin’s ‘“Baby Come Back Home”
Solders’ Scroll’ Breaks 10-Mile Length

Country recording artist Carly Goodwin began a “Soldiers’
Scroll” for fans at the Country Music Association’s Music
Festival (Fan Fair) to write messages of support, love and
appreciation to our Armed Forces overseas.

The goal of “10-miles of messages” was reached on the last
day of Fan Fair, Sunday, June 12th, as of July 5th the scroll
has now passed the 12 mile mark and shows no sign of slowing
down.

From country legends such as The OakRidge Boys, Donna
Fargo and Tanya Tucker, to current country stars including
Brooks and Dunn and members of the Musik Mafia, all were
honored to include their message on the scrolls.

Senate Majority Leader Senator Frisk signed Saturday morning
at the Pancake Pantry. Attending Fan Fair as Carly’s guest on
Saturday, was Sema Olson, the mother of one of our wounded
soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Carly and Sema met when Carly visited Sema’s son, Bobby,
at Walter Reed. Sema choked back tears as she said, “This
really warms my heart. You don’t realize, I walk through
protesters most days to get into the hospital to spend the
day with my son. We never see this kind of support for
what we’re doing. I’m so touched by this outpouring of love.
This will mean so much to our troops.”

The scrolls will be delivered by Carly within the near future.
These words of love and support will decorate many camps
throughout Iraq. Carly has spent the last 18 months touring
our US military bases throughout the US and has entertained
the troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba twice, due to the success
of her single, Baby Come Back Home.

Due to the overwhelming success of this project, Goodwin is
looking to take this project nationwide. For more information
on how you can sign the World’s Longest Letter to the Troops,
or start a “Soldiers’ Scroll” in your area, please contact
www.babycomebackhome.com

Payless Manager Receives Citizen Hero Award

Victims of a Lubbock fire thought they lost everything,
until they met Thomas Gonzales. Tuesday, he received
the Raymond Davis Citizen Hero Award.EMS responded
to a fire in Central Lubbock on January 18th.

The victim escaped with minor burns but his shoes were
destroyed in the fire so EMS went to Payless to buy shoes
for the victim. That's where Gonzales came in. Gonzales is
the store manager at Payless and gave EMS the shoes and
socks at a huge discount.

University Medical Center presented Gonzales with the
award Tuesday morning. It's named in memory of Lubbock
Paramedic Raymond Davis who died in the line of duty,
two years ago.

Late night rescue saves two men after boat sinks

ASTORIA, Ore. - Coast Guard rescue crews pulled two men
from a life raft early Tuesday morning after their 59-foot
fishing boat sank about 85 miles off the Oregon coast.

The two men were in good shape after issuing a distress call
that their boat, Georgine, was taking on water. The cause of
the sinking has not been determined. The boat is registered
out of Seattle.The two men were 68 and 23 years old. They
were taken to a hospital where they were treated and released.

STAY POSITIVE!
Mr. Positive!
Dave Boufford

PNN-Positive News Network
http://www.positivenews.net

Friday, July 22, 2005

Positive News Update 7-20-05

PNN - The Positive News Network www.positivenews.net
All Positive News, All the Time...News You Can Really Use!

++++++++++++++++++
Positive News Update
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

We're NOT Afraid (A Message to Terrorist Everywhere)

UK: We’re not afraid is an outlet for the global community to
speak out against the acts of terror that have struck London,
Madrid, New York, Baghdad, Bazra, Tikkut, Gaza, Tel-Aviv,
Afghanistan, Bali, and against the atrocities occurring in cities
around the world each and every day. It is a worldwide action
for people not willing to be cowed by terrorism and fear mongering.

The historical response to these types of attacks has been a
show of deadly force; we believe that there is a better way.
We refuse to respond to aggression and hatred in kind. Instead,
we who are not afraid will continue to live our lives the best
way we know how.

We will work, we will play, we will laugh, we will live. We will not
waste one moment, nor sacrifice one bit of our freedom, because
of fear. We are not afraid has generated an amazing response and
the photos posted will warm your heart. The site has collected
almost 4,000 images of people showing that they are not afraid
of the terrorist!

For more info http://www.werenotafraid.com/

ED's NOTE: I love this site what a great response, well done!
PS I'm NOT Afraid either!

Iran's leader vows to aid Iraq stability

Iran promised Sunday to help curb raging violence in Iraq,
saying it has been cracking down on al-Qaida militants on
its soil and agreeing on closer security cooperation with
Iraq's visiting Shiite prime minister.

'The security and stability of both countries are interrelated,'
Khatami said in the meeting with al-Jaafari, according to
state-run radio. 'Tehran will do its utmost for the restoration
of stability and security' in Iraq.

New Harry Potter book is a record breaker
on both sides of the Atlantic.

UK: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth
of J.K. Rowling's fantasy series, sold about 9 million copies
in Britain and the United States in its first 24 hours.

The only book in publishing history to open nearly as well
was Rowling's previous book in the series, "Harry Potter
and the Order of the Phoenix."

"Typically, a good book will take about four to six months
to go gold and very few books reach platinum in their first
year of publication. 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'
achieved platinum in less than one day!" said Richard Knight,
the managing director of Nielsen BookScan, which Monday
reported just over 2 million sales in Britain.

In the United States, the new Harry Potter sold 6.9 million
copies in its first day — averaging better than 250,000 sales
per hour and easily outpacing the debut of "Order of the
Phoenix," which came out in 2003 and sold 5 million copies.

ED's note: In an age where there's so many gadgets competing
for childrens attention is nice to know millions are reading books
still. I believe reading is vital to success in life...well done J.K.!

NEW STUDY TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION REDUCES
BLOOD PRESSURE AND LENGTHENS LIFESPAN

On 17 July 2005 ninemsn.com.au reported: In a world where
non-drug mind-body approaches to reducing blood pressure
have not been capable of increasing lifespan, a new study has
stunned the scientific community.

New research published in the American Journal of Cardiology
indicates that Transcendental Meditation may not only reduce
blood pressure, but also lengthen one's life. Transcendental
Meditation is a technique for giving the body deep rest and
creating coherence in brain functioning, allowing individuals
to experience a phenomenon known as 'restful alertness',
which triggers the body's natural healing ability.

The new report is based on a review of data from two studies
on TM and blood pressure. Overall, men and women who
practiced Transcendental Meditation not only had lower
blood pressures than those in the other groups, but were
also 23 per cent less likely to die from any cause.

In particular, they were 30 per cent less likely to die from
cardiovascular disease, and 49 per cent less likely to die
from cancer. Dr Robert Schneider is the director of the
Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, funded
by the National Institutes of Health's National Center
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The 'integrated holistic' Transcendental Meditation technique
does not have any harmful side effects, Schneider said.

US NEWS

VIOLENT CRIME & MURDER RATES DECLINE IN US

Last month, The FBI released to the public, and to all of
the media, their compilations of crime statistics for 2004.

Here are the highlights of that report in case you missed it:

But before you read it, out of 270 Million people in the
United States, how many murders do you think were
committed in 2004?

Murders: The number of murders fell in 2004 for the first
time since 1999. The number of murders fell by 3.6 percent
nationwide, from 2003, with cities under 10,000 having the
largest decrease, 12.2 percent.

Cities with more than 1 million had the next largest decrease,
5.4 percent!

Total murders in the Unites States in 2004 were less than 15,900!

Pretty different perception now that we see the facts presented
as sensationally and prominently as the lone killers and headline
grabbing gang slayings etc. isn’t it?

The FBI also reported a nationwide DECLINE in ALL types
of VIOLENT CRIME.

Reported by America's Good Newsman Bill Bailey
www.drycreekpress.com

Disneyland celebrates 50th anniversary

Anaheim, CA: Disneyland was wildly innovative when it
opened on 17 July 1955. It used robotic figures, holographs
and panoramic movies in circular theatres to spin stories
for children.

With virtually no competition, the park had little trouble
capturing the imagination of the world. Over the years,
it has continued to pioneer new technology on thrilling
rides and now operates 11 theme parks worldwide.

The imagination of one man, Walt Disney has brought
smiles to million worldwide and it all started with his
dream in an old strawberry field.

Renewable energy enters financial mainstream

New York, NY: Six hundred top executives attended
the Renewable Energy Finance Forum - Wall Street
in New York City this past week.

'The high level of attendance from Wall Street and
the key players in this industry make it apparent
that renewable energy has become part of the
mainstream and is now a viable alternative to
conventional energy,' Chairman and CEO Howard
Berke of Konarka Technologies said.

This year's event saw a 50% increase in attendance
over last year, including more than 150 CEOs,
presidents and chairmen, as well as senior management
from over 300 commercial banks, investment banks,
investment funds, law firms, project developers,
equipment manufacturers, and government agencies.

The impressive participation and interest as well as
the broad range of possibilities presented, indicate a
promising future for renewable energy.

Please send us your positive news!
mrp@positivenews.net

STAY POSITIVE!
Mr. Positive!
Dave Boufford

Web Sites

PNN-Positive News Network
http://www.positivenews.net

Mr. Positive! (View the Rules Movie)
http://www.mrpositive.com/rules.html

Dream no small dreams for they
have no power to move men.--Goethe

PNN-Positive News Network
All Positive News, All the Time...
News You Can Really Use!

Copyright 2005 PNN-Positive News Network

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Positive News Update 7-13-05

PNN - The Positive News Network www.positivenews.net
All Positive News, All the Time...News You Can Really Use!

++++++++++++++++++
Positive News Update
++++++++++++++++++

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Positive News from London

First my heartfelt condolences to all of the people
affected by the events in London last week, especially
those who lost a loved one.

Most people would say it's very challenging to
find any Positive News coming out of the terrorist
attacks in London.

I find every tragedy renews my hopes for humanity
below are just a few examples of why.

TRUE ACTION HERO'S

"I looked down at myself and I saw that I was okay -
the next thing was to do something for the injured".

--George Psaradakis, Driver of the Number 30 bus
after a bomb exploded and blew off the top of the bus
he was driving killing 13 people.

"I didn't know if the tracks were still live or
whether another train would come round the corner
and hit us - but I just thought, 'Stuff it, if
I stay here I have no chance'."

--David Jeffery, a passenger on the Piccadilly
Line train from King's Cross who ran back to the
station to summon help

PROFILES OF COURAGE

"People should carry on with their lives, of course
be aware, but we cannot go into hiding, can we?

--Caroline Lake, 21, an Australian pub assistant manager
working in London

DEEPLY GRATEFUL

I would like to express my extreme gratitude to the
London Underground staff, Fire Brigade, ambulance
and hospital staff for their magnificent care and
support for the passengers of the Piccadilly train
disaster.

I was on that King's Cross train and for a moment
I thought my number was up.

However, I was extremely fortunate to only suffer
minor breathing difficulties due to the smoke and
soot inhalation.

The after care at the Royal London Hospital was
fantastic. Also a big thumbs up to the British
public, people came together to help their fellow
man and that really touched me.

My thoughts are with the families who have lost
loved ones and those who were injured in all the
incidents in London.
--STEVE JACKSON


G8 UPDATE

While overshadowed by the events in London the G8
accomplished several notable agreements. In addition
to debt being cancelled $50 Billion in aid was committed.

Extra resources would be provided for Africa's peacekeeping
forces to prevent conflict, he said, with 'enhanced support'
to fight corruption.

Action would also be taken to improve health and education
across the continent, with more help to tackle HIV/AIDS
and stimulate trade and growth.

Progress had also been made on the Middle East peace process.

Mr. Blair stated that the agreements reached during the summit
'would not change the world tomorrow - it is a beginning
not an end.' But he felt 'significant progress' had been
made on the major issues. For more go to http://www.g8.gov.uk

Kofi Annan, called the Gleneagles G8
"the greatest summit for Africa ever"

The Netherlands safer now

According to police reports the Dutch are less often victims
of crime. The Dutch feel more and more safe and secure. This
is not only a feeling, but citizens are actually less often
victims of burglary, car theft, destructive vandalism, bicycle
thefts, and assaults.

Two Koreas agree on cooperation, rice aid

South Korea agreed Tuesday to provide the communist North with
500,000 tons in rice aid as the countries vowed to boost economic
ties after Pyongyang announced it would end its boycott of
international nuclear disarmament talks.

The two Koreas also agreed the South would give the North
raw materials to help its impoverished population.

US NEWS

For Less than the Cost of a Latté a Day: Most of the Nation's
10 Million Young Uninsured Can Buy Individual Health Insurance


For very little cost, many of America's uninsured young adults
could afford individual health insurance in the majority of the
50 largest US cities.

An online insurance resource called eHealthInsurance
released a report entitled 'The Most Affordable Cities for
Individuals to Buy Health Insurance,' which lists the cities
with the most affordable health insurance options.

To find out how your city ranks read the report here
http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/

Tour de Lance (sorry I couldn't help myself)

Lance Armstrong took a giant step toward a seventh consecutive
Tour de France victory with a dominant ride yesterday on the first
Alpine climb of this year's race, retaking the overall lead -- which
he could hold all the way to the finish in Paris on July 24.

Not only is Lance a great athlete but is is an amazing Positive person
who has survived testicular cancer and raised over a $100 million dollars
to help others fighting all forms of this disease.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) believes that in the battle
with cancer, unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything.

Our mission is to inspire and empower people with cancer to live strong.
We serve our mission through education, advocacy, public health
and research programs. For more info http://www.livestrong.org/

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Positive Thoughts for Today
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LOVE/RELATIONSHIPS:

Dare to dream, hope, believe, seek, feel, find, and love.
-Mike Hull

LEADERSHIP/SUCCESS:

IF YOU'RE THINKING AND WORRYING ABOUT SOMETHING
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE - THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE DOING IT!
(from the book - "you can do it" by Paul Hanna)

MOTIVATION/INSPIRATION:

If you find that thing you love, it doesn't necessarily
matter whether you do it well or not- you just need
to do it. -Stanley Tucci


STAY POSITIVE!
Mr. Positive!
Dave Boufford
Email Me Your Comments, Suggestion and Stories.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Positive News Update 7-6-05

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Positive News Update
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I'm very excited by the two largest news events of
the past few days, the Live 8 Concerts which were
held in 10 different countries to raise awareness for
The Make Poverty History campaign and NASA
actually hit a comet with a probe that was launched
from Earth!

If we can pick off a comet from 268 million miles
away surely we can end hunger and extreme poverty!

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Live 8 Concerts a Huge Success

The largest musical event ever produced was held
this weekend in 10 different countries to raise
awareness and support for The Make Poverty
History campaign which was launched around
the G8 summit.

The Make Poverty History campaign has been
endorsed by the Dalai Lama, Pope Benedict XVI
and Nelson Mandela, along with scores of others
around the world.

They have something of an ally in British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, who holds the G-8 presidency
and hosts the three-day summit opening today
at nearby Gleneagles.

"This is not Live Aid 2, said Bob Geldof, the event
organizer. These concerts are the starting point for
The Long Walk To Justice, the one way we can all
make our voices heard in unison.

This is without doubt a moment in history where
ordinary people can grasp the chance to achieve
something truly monumental and demand from
the 8 world leaders at G8 an end to poverty.

The G8 leaders have it within their power to alter
history. They will only have the will to do so if tens
of thousands of people show them that enough is
enough.

By doubling aid, fully canceling debt, and delivering
trade justice for Africa, the G8 could change the
future for millions of men, women and children."

For more information:
http://www.one.org
http://www.live8live.com

G8 Summit Begins in Scotland Today

The G8, or the ‘Group of Eight’ Summit is an annual
gathering of leaders from the world’s eight wealthiest
and most powerful countries (Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the
United States).

These leaders will gather in Scotland to decide the fate
of an entire generation living on less than ONE dollar a day.

On July 6th – 8th, President Bush and other G8 leaders
will discuss the major social, political and economic conditions
that leave nearly ONE billion people living in extreme poverty
– nearly half of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For more info http://www.g8.gov.uk

Head of top Mexican drug cartel arrested

A man believed to be the chief of Mexico's top drug cartel
was arrested in a shopping mall, and police were checking
his DNA and fingerprints to confirm his identity.

If confirmed, the detention of Vicente Carrillo Fuentes
would be a major blow to the Juarez cartel, the only
drug gang that hasn't had a top leader arrested amid
a nationwide crackdown.

India backs strategic Central Asian union

The External Affairs Minister of India, K. Natwar Singh,
called for the bolstering of economic and strategic ties
between India and Central Asian countries.

Natwar Singh expressed his support for a Central Asian
union shorty after arriving at the fifth Summit of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Pipeline opens relations between Greece, Turkey

For the first time in 45 years, a Greek premier has accepted
an intivation to visit Turkey. Prime Minister Costas
Karamanlis accepted the invitation by Turkish leader
Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the inuaguration of a
natural gas pipeline on the border between the two countries.

Both leaders acknowledged that the pipeline had led to
a new level of communications.

US NEWS
Deep Impact Kicks Off Fourth of July With Deep Space Fireworks


After 172 days and 431 million kilometers (268 million miles)
of deep space stalking, Deep Impact successfully reached out
and touched comet Tempel 1.

The collision between the coffee table-sized impactor and
city-sized comet occurred at 1:52 a.m. EDT. "What a way
to kick off America's Independence Day," said Deep Impact
Project Manager Rick Grammier of NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

"The challenges of this mission and teamwork that went
into making it a success, should make all of us very proud."

For more info on this historic mission...http://www.nasa.gov

ZERO DEATHS FROM TORNADOS!

WASHINGTON - For the first time since record-keeping
started in 1950 no one was killed by a tornado in April, May
or June. Normally those are the top months for tornadoes
with an average of 52 fatalities, sometimes many more.

"That is prime tornado time, so it's amazing," said Joe
Schaefer, director of NOAA's Storm Prediction Center
in Norman, Okla.

It was an unusual tornado season, when the storms never
really formed over the major cities in the area known as
Tornado Alley, Schaefer said. Tornado Alley starts in
central and northern Texas and stretches north into
Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Dan McCarthy, a warning meteorologist at the center,
called it "truly a unique situation and one that we are
very happy to report."

On the Net:NOAA Storm Prediction Center:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov
NOAA National Weather Service:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov
NOAA Tornadoes Page:
http://www.noaa.gov/tornadoes.html

US tax rebates approved for organic farms
in one Iowa county

Woodbury County, Iowa has become the first county
to offer farmers tax rebates if they switch from
conventional farming to organic farming.

The Board of Supervisors approved the policy to
encourage farmers to go organic.

Officials said that the incentive—up to 50,000 dollars
in rebates—is designed to 'help build a strong organic
farming industry in the county, create jobs, and grow
the tax base'. The article noted that the new policy has
the support of the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa
Farmers Union.

STAY POSITIVE!
Mr. Positive!
Dave Boufford

Web SitesPNN-Positive News Network
http://www.positivenews.net

Mr. Positive! (View the Rules Movie)
http://www.mrpositive.com/rules.html

Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move men.--Goethe