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, 1,008 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, 1,034 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, 1,304 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, 1,864 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, 1,656 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, 1,317 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, 1,195 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, 1,083 reads

Bedridden from a serious car accident, she couldn't do anything ... let alone win five national track and field titles and hold a World Record! But that's what Marilyn King did. Then she realized the power of her mental rehearsal skills and applied it to peace. She formed the UN sponsored Olympic Peace Team -- a worldwide initiative engaging Olympic champions to teach these skills to young peop... posted on Feb 08 2003, 1,287 reads

Babies' Cries Find Technological Comfort
Why do babies cry? Pedro Monagas claims to have the answer in Castellar del Valles, Spain. What started as a way to understand his son's crying, is now "Why Cry" (selling in Spain for 95 Euros) -- a calculator-size device that has a microprocessor that can decipher the broad meaning of a baby's cry with 87 percent accuracy. The gadget listens to a crying baby, considers and calculates for 20 se... posted on Jan 31 2003, 1,348 reads