July 1, 2013

Man with cerebral palsy finishes 5K under his own power

Johnny Agar is an avid runner, a self-proclaimed sports fanatic, and a 19-year old teenager who has cerebral palsy.

His father Jeff has been behind Johnny for a number of races, pushing him from start to finish. Friday, Johnny gave his dad a break, crossing the finish line under his own power and matching his dad step-for-step.

Johnny, 19, has cerebral palsy. It's been a struggle from birth to breathe, talk and especially walk. He and his father have run 5Ks, 10Ks, and marathons. Every time, Jeff has pushed Johnny in his cart as part of My Team Triumph.

Friday, Johnny fulfilled a lifelong dream to finish the race with his own feet. Midway through the 5K race at St. Patrick's Parish in Parnell, Jeff lifted Johnny from his cart to his walker.

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/sports/johnnys-incredible-run-and-finish

Reminds me of the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt.

July 1, 2013

Yo quiero $3,600? Customers at Michigan Taco Bell find money in drive-thru order

Instead of tacos and burritos, customers at a Taco Bell drive-thru in Kentwood got a bag full of money.

The 3 hungry customers didn't realize the store had accidentally given them $3,600 dollars until they had driven miles away. But together Kennidi Rue, Luke Postma and Grant Kruse had to decide what to do. Give it back, or keep it.

The group returned the money, and says the best thing about taking it back, is finally receiving their food.

They say that's all they wanted in the first place.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130630/NEWS06/306300095/taco-bell-order-michigan-money

My hometown!

June 28, 2013

Hearing of Obama's South Africa visit, Mandela "opened his eyes and smiled"

Nelson Mandela "opened his eyes" and smiled after being told of President Barack Obama's imminent visit to South Africa, his daughter said Tuesday, adding to speculation that the two men might meet.

The 94-year-old remains in a critical condition, South Africa’s government said Tuesday as relatives gathered at his home for a family meeting that local media reports described as “urgent.”

The anti-apartheid campaigner and democracy icon has been in hospital with a lung infection since June 8. His condition was downgraded over the weekend from "serious but stable" to “critical."

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/25/19132632-ailing-mandela-opens-eyes-smiles-on-hearing-of-obamas-south-africa-trip?lite



Wow. This is just amazing. Even in his frail health, Mandela was happy to hear that Obama would be coming to South Africa.

June 27, 2013

Obama to nominate Ron Binz to head Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, sources say

Source: Washington Post

President Obama on Thursday will nominate Ron Binz, a strong proponent of renewable energy and former Colorado utility regulator, to head Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to individuals familiar with the decision who asked not to be identified because the announcement has not been made public.

Binz will be appointed as a commissioner and upon appointment, chair.

Binz, who chaired Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission between 2007 and 2011, has served as a principal with Public Policy Consulting since leaving state government. He is also a senior policy adviser with the Colorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy, which is headed by the state’s former governor Bill Ritter (D).

The selection of Binz will please proponents of wind, solar and other renewable technologies, though it could spark opposition from some Republicans and the coal industry.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/06/27/obama-to-nominate-ron-binz-to-head-federal-energy-regulatory-commission-sources-say/

June 27, 2013

Sums it up!

And soon he'll claim to be 52! Tsk, tsk!!

(Source)

June 27, 2013

Wendy Davis. Texts from Hillary.

(Source)

June 26, 2013

Catholic organization welcomes SCOTUS decisions on marriage

The Supreme Court’s decisions today that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and that marriage equality should be revived in California feel like “justice rolling down like a river,” in the words of the prophet Amos. While Catholic bishops will not welcome these decisions, the people in the pews of Catholic parishes across the country are ecstatic that these major injustices against their lesbian and gay friends and family members are now dissolved. We thank the Court for these decisions, and we give thanks to God for answering our many prayers seeking justice.

Catholic lay people across the U.S. and in California have worked hard to support their deeply held Catholic belief that equal treatment by our government’s laws should be extended to lesbian and gay couples who want to marry. Catholics hold this belief because of their faith, not in spite of it. Our Catholic social justice tradition motivates us to work for strong families and expansive social protections, and these can only be achieved when all families are treated fairly and equally under the law.

These Supreme Court decisions are definitely not the final word on marriage equality in our nation. Much work remains to be done. And Catholics will be part of that work in state and national campaigns to facilitate marriage equality and to end other injustices against LGBT people such as discriminatory immigration policies. Catholics will stand with those of other faiths to show that religious people do not support discrimination.

Catholics also have work to do within our own church. We are ashamed and dismayed that our bishops are often the most vocal opponents of marriage equality. Their statements often reveal a stunning ignorance of lesbian and gay lives and a lack of compassion that is unbecoming of faith leaders. Catholics pray that today’s Supreme Court decisions will open our bishops’ eyes so that they will at least meet and dialogue with lesbian and gay Catholics and their families. If the bishops do this, they will witness firsthand how the Gospel of justice and love which they preach is practiced by those they consider the least in their flocks.

http://newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/new-ways-ministry-welcomes-supreme-court-decisions-on-marriage-equality/

June 25, 2013

Who says the free market doesn't work? (humor)

(Source)

June 25, 2013

Bug feces painting among Research as Art award winners

Typically, you have to crack open the candy shell of a Kinder Surprise egg to find out what kind of toy surprise is tucked inside — that is, unless you have an X-ray micro-computed tomography scanner and a 3-D printer.

Using these tools, University of Swansea engineering doctoral student Laura North and her colleagues created a replica of the surprise toy inside the popular European candy without ever cracking the egg. A comic strip of the process won North first place in the 2013 Research as Art competition hosted by the university.

...

Runner-up Miranda Whitten's photograph of a blood-sucking insect (Rhodnius prolixus) amid a splattering of excrement is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, but the consequences of R. prolixus poo are anything but: The excrement contains the parasite that causes deadly Chagas disease, which infects about 11 million people worldwide.

Other notables from the contest include a super-close look at a new material that generates its own electricity when exposed to a temperature gradient; a cartoonish look at early medieval facial wounds; and a tranquil seaside scene highlighting the power of the tides.

http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/24/19117796-bug-poo-painting-among-research-as-art-award-winners

June 24, 2013

A Shocking Number Of Unpaid Internships Could Be Illegal

Legal experts are warning of a wave of unpaid intern lawsuits after a judge found that two Fox Searchlight production interns were not compensated legally.

It turns out it is really hard to meet all of the legal requirements for an unpaid internship.

...

"I highly recommend that students become familiar with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)," says Lauren Berger, founder and CEO of Intern Queen, an online resource for finding internships and author of "All Work, No Pay." "Do your homework. Go to the FLSA website and take the unpaid intern test."

Here are the six criteria from the Department of Labor, all of which an unpaid internship must pass in order to be legal.

http://www.businessinsider.com/is-my-unpaid-internship-illegal-2013-6#ixzz2X9sXYpi4

This is a good reference. Make sure to pass this on to everyone you know who is interning somewhere or who is young.