Pictures of Beauty in Guatemalan Dumps
Young lives transformed, guided by a camera lens. In Gautemala, Evelyn Mansilla joins her mother and dozens of neighbors to scavenge through the municipal dumps for valuables. But now, the 21 year old Evelyn is part of a program, "Out of the Dump," that brings photography skills and confidence to slum children. As they unblinkingly document impoverished slums that have surreal names like Hope o... posted on May 22 2003, 1,415 reads

It doesn't look like much. A drab, gray piece of plastic, about five inches long and three inches wide. Yet this "simputer" may hold the key to bringing information technology to Third World countries. Among other things, the Simputer will translate text into a local dialect so even illiterate rural communities can leverage the power of web!... posted on Apr 23 2003, 964 reads

The 50 Cistercian Sisters of Mount Saint Mary Abbey rise each morning at 3, pray until nearly 8 and then begin their work day making chocolate, the labor they have chosen to support themselves and their life of what they call "beautiful simplicity." Except that now 20% (and increasing) of their orders are coming in online.... posted on Apr 17 2003, 1,027 reads

Michael Moore put 1,000 dollars in a long-term account at North Country Bank in Michigan, they did the background check, and, within an hour, he walked out with his complimentary gift -- a gun! Michael Moore opened his Oscar winning documentary with live scene from this encounter.... posted on Apr 12 2003, 1,073 reads

While the developed nations agonise over their GNP (gross national product) and we fret about the GST, "60 Minutes" reports of a place, perhaps the only place in the world, where the official government policy is GNH - gross national happiness. It's the tiny kingdom of Bhutan, where the government not only legislates for happiness, it also tries to protect its people from encroaching globalisation... posted on Mar 27 2003, 1,373 reads

He signed his name with an "X" for almost a century, as a grandson of a slave. Then, at the age of 98, George Dawson started learning to read and write! So much so that he published a celebrated book -- 'Life Is So Good' -- when he was 101 years old.... posted on Mar 15 2003, 1,885 reads

Sam Hamill, a reclusive former Marine turned Zen Buddhist poet was invited to read his poems at the White House. When Laura Bush caught on that he was going to read poems critical of the war on Iraq, she cancelled the event. In response, Sam has set up a website and asked poets to submit poems against the war and affirming collective humanity. Over 12,000 young and old and everything in between... posted on Mar 12 2003, 1,694 reads

Do you know an everyday hero? Someone who serves the community, bring smiles to others? Volvo is looking to recognize a few of those heroes. The top prize? A car for life!... posted on Feb 20 2003, 1,372 reads

He was the top man in the CIA for his artistic genius -- he used to create disguises for spies. Now, he uses his skills to help people feel better about themselves and more at ease in the world. Prosthetic artist Robert Barron creates new noses, eyes, ears and hands for people who have lost them to disease or injury, or who never had them in the first place. His talent and craftsmanship are stagg... posted on Feb 19 2003, 1,282 reads

About three million Americans have a stuttering problem, and it affects four times as many men as women. In Greenville, North Carolina there's a medical breakthrough that immediately gives clear speech to stutterers. It's based on a simple principle -- fool the brain into thinking someone else is speaking at the same time. After years of being ridiculed and made fun of as a stutterer himself, Dr... posted on Feb 11 2003, 1,124 reads