Miscellaneous
How to save the monarch butterfly
Every year monarch butterflies take 2 months and travel more than 2,000 miles from parts of Canada and the US to various hibernating locations south of the border, in Michoacán and the State of Mexico. According to a recent World Wildlife Foundation study, last December the number of migrating Read More...
From vandalism to art
Baltimore, MD Backed by the City of Baltimore, street arts project Open Walls Baltimore is unparalleled in terms of size and magnitude. Located in Baltimore’s arts district and curated by Gaia, one of the hottest street artists around, Open Walls Baltimore is comprised of 23 murals created by Read More...
State of the Union Paints Positive Picture for US
President Obama started off his State of the Union address last Tuesday by highlighting some of top milestone accomplished during his tenure: the smallest number of unemployed citizens in 5 years, childhood obesity rates lowest in 30 years, and the US replacing China as the #1 place to visit. Read More...
Smart devices don’t make smart kids. PLUS: 4 ways around this digital dilemma
The proliferation of smart devices, like phones and tablets, have made it easier for children to log-on. Last month Fisher-Price got an earful from consumer advocacy groups over their Apptivity Seat, essentially a baby seat with an iPad holder that dangles the device in front of a newborn’s eyes. Read More...
A lesson from Dr. King
Kirk Boyd is a guest blogger for The Intelligent Optimist and secretary of the International Bill of Rights project. Today I went with a friend to the Martin Luther King Day celebrations at Yerba Buena Park in San Francisco. It was a good event with around 500 people present, including some Read More...
Can the movies show us a way to international equality?
Kirk Boyd is a guest blogger for The Intelligent Optimist and secretary of the International Bill of Rights project. When I started blogging here a few weeks ago I suggested that I would be talking about how to build a bridge from war and want to peace and prosperity. I guess I've decided to build Read More...
How has optimism helped you?
No really — we're asking. Tell us a story. We want to hear about a time in your life that taking an optimistic outlook helped you. Maybe you were in a rough patch, or maybe you were working on something challenging and a shift in perspective brought a new solution to your attention. Send us a Read More...
Renewables come in from the cold
If you're in the U.S. (with the possible exception of California), you probably noticed it's cold this week. But while Americans endure the cold snap—yes, that's an understatement—other parts of the world are undergoing a heat wave. And although The Onion is defeatist, countries around the Read More...
Best. Year. Ever.
They can tell you anything about 2013. That it was a miserable year because of the ongoing crisis, the NSA leaks or the violence in Syria and Egypt. More than 10 million people in the Philippines were victimized by a typhoon. Of course, they’re right: 2013 was horrible. But don’t forget all the Read More...
Why the new year will be even happier
We keep getting healthier The healthy food trends of 2013 will continue in 2014. People take responsibility for their own health. We prepare our own meals, with local products such as vegetables from our own garden. We check the origins of our food and are critical about meat. Fish consumption will Read More...