Decent News, April 2002

Some of the more decent news in the world: hopeful, courageous, funny, or just cool. A few are not pleasant, but are stories I think need to be heard. The following are all LINKS to external sites. Some links (e.g., many boston.com) stop working after a few days; some do not. URLs are added when appropriate (not necessarily daily).

  • Scientists turn skin cells into nerves BBC 4/30/02
  • New Hubble sees better ... see the pictures at CNN.com 4/30/02
  • Cinderella Project helps girls afford prom night AP at Boston.com 4/28/02
  • Children of Sept. 11 victims conquering grief with help of bereavement camps AP at Boston.com 4/28/02
  • New substance could be shape of things to come Boston Globe 4/26/02
  • High honors for an unlikely teacher: President hails a late-comer as America's best AP at the Boston Globe 4/25/02
  • Teamwork taken to heart: MGH doctors use new technique on tumor Boston Globe 4/25/02
  • A supporting cast: Elderly childless adults rely on extended family - as baby boomers will in years to come Boston Globe 4/24/02 ... light on news, heavy on interesting human relationships
  • A new lease on life: Pine Street Inn provides low-cost apartments for homeless Boston Globe 4/24/02
  • Inventor of wrinkle-free cotton a hero to cotton farmers honored with MIT award AP at Boston.com 4/25/02 "...[Ruth Rogan Benerito's] mother, an artist and early feminist, encouraged her to become anything she wanted." Soft tech: MIT fetes cotton innovator at CNN.com 4/25/02
  • Some New England fishermen are pinning their hopes on more efficient nets AP at Boston.com 4/25/02 "Yearlong tests on the net with four fishing trawlers show up to a 70 percent reduction in bycatch"
  • Retired Army colonel named Teacher of Year at CNN.com 4/24/02
  • World record blood donor keeps on giving CNN.com 4/23/02 "...topping his 28th gallon, which the American Red Cross estimates has saved two to three dozen lives"
  • Ozawa ends his Symphony Hall run on a perfect note at the Boston Globe, 4/22/02
  • Lovelace -- porn star who later fought porn -- dies at 53 CNN.com 4/23/02 "I look in the mirror and I know that I've survived."
  • Inventor of `Ginger' scooter garners coveted Lemelson-MIT prize for inventors AP at Boston.com 4/23/02
  • Internet unites Kosovo foes bbc.co.uk 4/22/02
  • Experiment confirms Sun theories BBC.co.uk 4/22/02 and the older Ghostly particle mystery 'solved' BBC.co.uk (old, from 6/18/2001), which has some very nice photos
  • Afghan refugees going back home by the thousands at the Boston Globe 4/18/02
  • Oldest bird clocks 5 million miles CNN.com 4/18/02
  • The VW Vortex: 100km/1 liter (239 miles/gallon) on the VW vortex site, 4/16/02
  • Officials see urgency in eradicating polio Boston Globe 4/17/02
  • Child inspires through poems CNN.com 4/16/02
  • NASA's educator-astronaut says she'll carry on Christa McAuliffe's dream AP at Boston.com 4/16/02
  • Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise Against Brain Tumor news.yahoo.com 4/16/02
  • From a couple months back: Children's battles inspire marathon bid Boston Globe, 3/10/02; Runner determined to fight liver disease 2/24/02; Faces in the pack 4/12/02 ... and speaking of the marathon, here's a page on the early days of women and the Marathon ... well well well it's sad how ... sad ... things were just a few decades ago.
  • Learning with Seiji Boston Globe 4/14/02 and In his own words: The maestro reflects
  • Honey of a hobby Boston Globe, 4/14/02 ... "He leaves his engine running to keep the car cool, secure in the knowledge that bees provide superior theft protection"
  • Where learning sprouts amid weeds Boston Globe, 4/14/02
  • News from the town of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a village in Israel established jointly by Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship.
  • Pakistanis push for education reform back home Boston Globe, 4/12/02
  • Cow that escaped meatpacking plant finds sanctuary AP at Boston.com, 4/11/02 The cow was being trucked in by Dennis Dowers, a farmer who helped capture her. ''When he was taking care of her, he was becoming quite attached to Cinci,'' Bauston said. ''He mentioned to me, 'Boy, what a spirit she has.' It's great when people do see cows as individual animals. It's at least a good first step toward treating them humanely.''
  • Six pups of endangered red wolf species born at North Carolina museum AP at Boston.com 4/11/02
  • The mothers and fathers of invention at the Boston Globe 4/10/02
  • Orbiting telescope finds two stars that defy current theories of matter and stellar evolution AP at Boston.com 4/10/02 also at Strange stars suggest new kind of matter at CNN.com, 4/10/02
  • High school graduates join in college to donate supplies to Mexican children AP at Boston.com 4/7/02
  • Descendants of the fearsome Vikings are now `raiders for peace' AP at Boston.com 4/6/02
  • Colombia uses `tree art' to raise money for war widows and orphans AP at Boston.com 4/7/02
  • Crossing Guard Named Kind Kansas Citian url off dailynews.yahoo.com 4/3/02
  • Parents' joy as therapy saves 'bubble boy' icwales.co.uk 4/3/02
  • Current Decent News
  • Decent News for March 2002
  • Decent News for February 2002
  • Decent News for January 2002
  • Decent News for December 2001
  • Decent News for November 2001
  • Decent News for October 2001
  • Decent News for September 2001
  • Decent News for August 2001
    Some spiritual up-links