Breakthrough in the Science of Clean Water

One atom away from clean water? Read the short article linked below for an explanation about the breakthrough in the science of cleaning up water.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40419

Editor of AGNADL

Solar Power Getting More Affordable

Big drops in the cost of switching to solar energy should boost the number of homes and businesses that switch to using it, but it's still a significant investment. Save money now by reducing your energy consumption.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40402

Editor of AGNADL

What a Fruit!

Some day in the future you might be pulling up to a gas station to fill up on...wait for it...watermelon juice. I kid you not. Check out this article.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40405

Editor of AGNADL

Clear-cutting in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Blocked

The Center for Biological Diversity sued California's largest timber company, Sierra Pacific Industries, over their plan to clear-cut over 1600 acres. The environment group claims that state regulators violated the California Environmental Quality Act by failing to investigate greenhouse gas emissions that result from the practice of clear-cutting.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/center/articles/2009/daily-journal-08-26-2009.html

Editor of AGNADL

Good News for Facebook Users

Anybody who uses the applications and quizzes on Facebook, and has wondered what they are getting from your profile info, will appreciate this article. Bottom line for me has always been that it's not a good idea to share any more information than you're comfortable having other people know. Facebook is not the place for sharing private information, but then I would hope everyone would know that much.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8225338.stm

Editor of AGNADL

Singing Cats

For a good time, play this video. For a really good time, call your cat(s) into the room to listen with you. Mine thought it was very, er, attention-getting.

http://gimundo.com/videos/view/singing-cats/

Editor of AGNADL

Fill'er Up with Hydrogen?

Ever feel like you're running on hydrogen? No? Well, you may feel that way in the near future. Check out this article on England's forthcoming "hydrogen highway."

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40398

Editor of AGNADL

Auction of Rowling Work Nets Nearly $4 M for Charity

A hand-written copy of J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard sold for 1.95 million pounds or nearly $4 million dollars. This broke several auction records, and the best part was that all that lovely money went to The Children's Voice, a charity established by J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series of books for children of all ages.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/27263

Editor of AGNADL

Boy Writer and Animal Rescuer

From Gimundo.com comes this excellent story about a boy and a dog? How about a boy and a lot of rescued animals?

http://gimundo.com/news/article/8-year-old-sells-original-story-to-raise-money-for-animal-rescue-groups/

Editor of AGNADL

England Takes the Ashes from Australia

Now obviously whether this is good news or bad news for you will be determined by whether you were rooting for England or Australia in the Ashes Tournament. Most of you reading this will wonder, as I did, what on earth any of it means. Well, it has to do with a Cricket tournament, and I'm going to refer you to some links for more information.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/8217035.stm

The first link will tell you the basic news, but the following link will explain the meaning of the ashes bit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashes

This time the news is good for the Brits and not so good for the Aussies. Sorry, my Aussie friends. I'm just reporting the news.

Editor of AGNADL

Walking with Jasper in the Neighborhood

I recently spent two weeks in England being as much of a non-tourist as I could possibly be. I have no photos of London. I took no tours except on foot around Norwich. London will be another day and is not my main interest in England anyway. Most of the English literature I read takes place somewhere other than London. These are the places I'm more interested in exploring, though, yes, of course, I'll do a tour of London some time, no doubt.

Bear in mind that not everyone rushes to see Washington, DC on their first trip to the United States. Heck, I live here, and I didn't visit DC until I was in college. I did, however, spend a lot of time growing up in Florida at the local beaches and watering holes. Not grand adventures, but I certainly thought those trips were fun, particularly the times when I'd spend most of the day out on the ocean, floating on a rubber raft. I was oblivious to the fact that nothing separated me from the sharks and other monsters of horrific proportions was air and a bit of rubber (thank you, Jaws, for scaring the holy beejeebers out of me in regards to the ocean).

On those days on total relaxation and floating on the waves, my body would become so attuned to the rhythm of the waves that when we drove back home, I would begin to fall asleep in the backseat of the car. When I closed my eyes, I could still feel my body rocking with the gentle wave motion of the ocean.

Jasper, whom you've met before at this site, was one of my hosts on this trip to England. This first little tour you're going to get is narrated by him. He seems to have taken a liking to sharing his world with the readers of AGNADL.


"Next to my yard is a lovely walking path that is, of course, open to the public. the little fence thing is called a stile. This is where our tour of the neighborhood begins. Follow me, ladies and gents."


"You'll have to walk a bit faster than that if you're going to keep up with me. I have four legs to your two, I realize, but your legs are a bit longer than mine after all. Step lively please."


"I'm not really sure what the big deal is about the red metal box, but my guest seems to be enamored with the oddest things, so we had to pause here while she snapped a photo. I like this woman a lot because she really knows how to give a cat massage, but she is a little odd."


"Now I guess we've stopped here for a photo of a thatched roof, but I'm a little uneasy about the less than friendly dog, so I'm going to move along and hope you'll keep up the pace."


"Yeah, a brick house with a white picket fence and a cool looking door. Be sure to put this one on your must see list when you come to England. Hehe. I told you she was an odd one."


"Finally! Back to my space. We have a great backyard, which you've seen in other tours I've led, but you didn't get to see the little patio space back there. Has a lovely view of all the grass, trees, and flowers back there. Hope you enjoyed the tour. Not much to it really but that's what she did on her first venture out and about.


I'm ready for a nap though. *yawn* See you another time then."

Editor of AGNADL and Jasper

McDonald's Going Green?

Once considered a giant manufacturer of waste, McDonald's is now going green in more ways than one.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40377

Editor of AGNADL

Employment Rates Up in Washington State

I am happy to report that unemployment rates actually decreased in July in Washington. This is the first time since November 2008 that the state of Washington has posted positive numbers in job growth. Although the experts caution against undue optimism, I'd say that it's good to celebrate any good news in the job market.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009685719_unemployment19.html

Editor of AGNADL

From Feral to Family: Molly the Cat

This link takes you to a story about Marvelous Molly the cat. She started out feral but with a lot of love and patience, she eventually became part of this family.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/marvelous-molly.html

Editor of AGNADL

Miracle Baby Celebrates First Birthday

This is an amazing story of a baby that survived against all odds. What a fighting spirit!

http://gimundo.com/news/article/miracle-baby-whose-heart-stopped-18-times-turns-one/

Editor of AGNADL

Summer Garden Photos

From my friend, Eleasa, in Olympia, Washington, we have a couple photos of a healthy summer garden. If you recall, Eleasa was the one who submitted the photo of the hybrid zucchini/squash. I've reprinted it here for continuity. Eleasa is the author of three books: Thank God for Pigs, Mama, I'm coming home (the sequel), and a collection of short stories, Allison's Wedding Dress. Email cbrough2@juno.com for more information.



Editor of AGNADL

An Odd but Awesome Use for Kudzu

When I used to live in the mountains of North Carolina, there was this incredible invasive plant that had taken over nearly every ditch along the side of the road near my house. The viny plant was called "kudzu," and I can't imagine a stranger, yet exceedingly helpful, use for it.

http://gimundo.com/news/article/kudzu-may-curb-alcoholic-cravings/


Editor of AGNADL

True Fuel Efficiency at Last

A car that can go 230 miles on a gallon of gas? Now that's what I call fuel efficient. We're finally starting to get somewhere.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40343

Editor of AGNADL

Strange Bed Fellows

This link sent in by Lee Harris, author of Never Let Your Cat Make Lunch for You, will send your Awwww meter into the red zone.

http://www.peachygreen.com/wildlife/bobcat-and-fawn-find-friendship-after-fire

Editor of AGNADL

Europe Shoots for Neutral Carbon Footprint in Housing

This is really impressive. Rather shows up bigger countries that could be a lot more innovative.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40344

Editor of AGNADL

This Rolling Stone Gathers Kindness Karma

This is one of those stories about random acts of kindness that I really love. Enjoy. I think we should all start global kindness movements.
http://gimundo.com/news/article/sconestone-launches-round-the-world-kindness-movement/

Editor of AGNADL

Lloyds Banking Group (UK) Sees Positive Figures

Lloyds announced an 11% increase despite losses posted earlier this year. Things look good for them as they further scrutinize weaknesses that need to be corrected in order to ensure ongoing stability for investors.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8184781.stm

Editor of AGNADL

Momma Duck Rescues Timid Duckling

This is a sweet tale told in both words and photographs. Enjoy and heed the cuteness label attached to this article. It really is cute. This article link was submitted by Lee Harris, author of Never Let Your Cat Make Lunch for You, a book you owe to yourself to read. It's a children's book, but it is also for every cat lover, no matter what the age.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?CUTE_PICTURE_ALERT:_Hero_mum_rescues_her_stranded_duckling&in_article_id=715667&in_page_id=34

Editor of AGNADL

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Sworn In

Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the 111th Supreme Court Justice. She is the first Hispanic and only the third woman to fill a seat in the highest court in the United States. She was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Sotomayor is the first Supreme Court Justice to be nominated by a Democratic president since 1994.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/us/politics/09sotomayor.html?hp

Editor of AGNADL

U.S. Reporters Imprisoned in N. Korea Pardoned

The two U.S. reporters who were arrested for illegally entering N. Korea have been pardoned and released from prison and are now heading home.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8184698.stm

Editor of AGNADL

Recycling Tips

There is so much we can recycle if we only put our minds to it. Here's a link for some ideas you may not have considered.

http://www.sierraclub.org/tips/recycle.aspx

Editor of AGNADL

Editor on Vacation

I am on vacation in England. Will try to post photos soon. Having a blast. I'm sure not very many tourists get as thrilled as I do over seeing a phone box or thatched cottage, but there it is. Enjoy the cathedrals and lighthouses too.