Send some good news stories here! (please, pretty please?)

Here's my contribution. I've already sent it to the cat room. It's very amusing & touching.


OFFERS POUR IN TO END CAT'S DETENTION

Groups from as far away as America are offering to help unite a refugee released this week after 18 months' detention on Manus Island with the cat he had befriended there.

A stray cat was Aladdin Sisalem's only companion during the 10 months he was held alone in the detention centre. He called her Honey. When arrangements were made to fly Mr Sisalem to Australia on Monday after he was granted a protection visa, he said he didn't want to leave the cat behind.

There was not enough time to organise the cat's departure, but offers of financial assistance to fly the cat to Australia have poured into the Australian Democrats office since. One person offered to pay the air fare plus a $500 bonus for a person to accompany the cat.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals in America offered its help and the Royal Humane Society in Melbourne offered to desex the cat and check it.

Calls from constituents prompted the Democrats to try to organise the cat's transfer, immigration policy adviser Kate Gauthier said. But they met a stumbling block - the detention centre's management said that Honey could not be found.

Undeterred, Ms Gauthier said enough money has been donated - including a pledge from Sydney radio commentator John Laws - to fly someone to Manus Island to look for the cat and bring it back, she said.

Steve Hamilton, the mission head of the International Organisation For Migration, said the cat was seen yesterday and was being fed by staff.

"Aladdin is not the only one who took care of this cat," he said. "It is an island, the cat can't go far. I'm sure if someone wants to come up here and find the cat and bring it to him they could."

He warned that there could be ownership problems because the cat was not born at the detention centre.

Ms Gauthier said she did not think this would be a problem and hoped to soon reunite Honey with Mr Sisalem, who carried a photo of the cat when he arrived in Melbourne last Monday.

What? Nothing good happening anywhere!
Not even a bit of trivia from your corner of the world?

Hey! A website devoted to good news from around the world....
http://www.goodnewsagency.org/english/indexeng.htm

Focus on Health: The boy who couldn't swallow

09:22 AM CDT on Saturday, May 29, 2004


By Dr. Karen Johnson / 11 News



HOUSTON -- It is a good morning for 6-year-old Esteban Chacon, his father Alberto, and the team that takes care of him. Esteban is getting ready to eat breakfast which is a huge accomplishment because he was born without an esophagus or swallowing tube.


It was far different when Dr. Christopher Moir first saw the young boy.




KHOU-TV
Thanks to Houston surgeons, Esteban Chacon can now eat normally.
As Dr. Moir describes it, "When he came to us he was unable to eat. All his saliva was coming out through an opening in the neck, and he was being fed through a tube in the stomach."


Imagine -- a kid never knowing what it's like to gulp down milk or munch on french fries with his friends.


Four years ago, Dr. Christopher Moir performed the first of two surgeries that made it possible for Eteban to eat normally. To create a new swallowing tube, or esophagus, Dr Moir freed a segment of intestine. Then he ran it from Esteban's stomach to the small portion of esophagus near his neck. Six days after surgery, he ate his first solid food -- pizza.


Then Esteban went home to Costa Rica. He still had a feeding tube hooked to his stomach so his body could gradually make the transition to solid food.

And to make sure he stayed healthy, his doctors made international house calls via the Internet. Now he's back for the final surgery to remove the tube, and the moment of truth. Pancakes!


The boy born without the ability to eat like the rest of us, is now catching popcorn kernels and playing the games of life like any other kid.

Great, littlek! A place to go in those miserable moments!

Aw, that's nice edgar!
Pancakes, pizza & popcrn, even!
Bravo, Dr. Christopher Moir!
Enjoy, Esteban!

I know it's just a happy, shiny veneer, but you could try this for a laugh....
http://www.hallmundur.com/goodle/goodle.htm

That's fun. littlek!
I especially liked this item:

Radiohead to record "happy songs"
Guardian - 11 hours ago
Critically -acclaimed rock miserablists Radiohead are to release an album of covers of happy songs from the Eighties. Songs will include "Happy Talk", "The Birdie Song", and a duet with Cliff Richard on a startling re-interpretation of his 1988 Christmas smash "Mistletoe & Wine"

hahaHA!

It's a small world after all
It's a small world aIt's a small world after all
It's a small world afteIt's a small world after all
It's a small world after aIt's a small world after all
It's a small world after alllIt's a small world after all
It's a small world after alllr allIt's a small world after all
It's a small world after allfter all
It's a small small world

Yes!

Now wouldn't this be great? Another one from littlek's Goodle site:

Reuters
Capitalists realise: "What's the point?"
Reuters - 6 hours ago
LONDON (Reuters) - The Global Capitalist System fades into memory as people all over the world realise it was all a big horrible scam anyway.
Money not needed anymore Financial Times
Joy Index up 500 points Forbes

I liked that one too! And this one:

<chuckle, chuckle, snort>

I adore those related links!

I have yet to check those out, littlek. But I must!

they don't go anywhere. I just like the headers.

Did any of you have any idea that the Oz prime minister is visiting the US? No? There's an election coming up soon & a few photo opportunities might help Mr Howard's Flagging popularity. First stop Arnie!

Gassing with the Terminator
From correspondents in Los Angeles
03jun04

IT was a brief meeting in California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office.

Prime Minister John Howard offered the Terminator a quick lesson in Australian politics and, more importantly, made progress on a multi-billion dollar gas deal.

Mr Schwarzenegger and Mr Howard had a 30-minute private meeting / AFP
The two men also exchanged gifts. Mr Howard handed Mr Schwarzenegger a pair of RM Williams boots, while the governor gave the Australian leader a toy bear.
"A very, very heavy bear," Mr Howard said after the meeting in downtown Los Angeles.
"I don't know if they have been made heavier since he has become governor or not."

Mr Schwarzenegger did not speak to the media and posed for photos with the Prime Minister for less than a minute.

The meeting, lasting a little more than 30 minutes, was behind closed doors.

The main topic of discussion was Australian resources giant BHP Billiton's proposal to supply energy-starved California with liquefied natural gas (LNG). Mr Howard described the talks as "very positive".

BHP Billiton is proposing to ship LNG from Australia to California, a venture expected to generate $15 billion in exports for Australia if approved.

"The Governor himself expressed a keen desire to see that our negotiations were brought to a successful conclusion," Mr Howard said.

The proposal would involve the construction of a massive deepwater terminal to be built 23km off the coast of Los Angeles. The gas would be brought to the terminal by ship from Australia and then be piped from the terminal to the US mainland.

Mr Schwarzenegger will send his top energy official to Australia in July to inspect the gas fields.

Mr Howard said a final decision on the project could be made by Mr Schwarzenegger by the end of 2004.

"I would hope that we could see some kind of final decision towards the end of this year, perhaps slipping in to the early part of next year," he said.

US councils closest to the project, Malibu and Oxnard, have raised concerns about the proposal, fearing environmental problems and the possibility the ships or terminal could be targeted by terrorists.

Mr Howard downplayed both, declaring Australia has a proven track record shipping LNG.

"We of course can boast a great record of safety and reliability over a period of 15 years we've been supplying LNG to Japan," he said.

"No accidents, always delivered on time. Something in the order of 26,000 voyages that can be pointed to without any difficulties."

Mr Howard suggested other sites in the US would be more of a terrorist target than a terminal located off the coast of Los Angeles.

"There's no greater potential threat to an offshore platform than there is to a shore-based installation," Mr Howard said.

"Terrorists are more likely, in theory, to attack something where there is a large population.

Environmental concerns were the major hurdle, Mr Howard said.

"There are environmental issues to be dealt with but we are confident that they can be dealt with," he said.

A 30-year political veteran, Mr Howard also managed to give the newly-elected, former Hollywood action man a few tips on politics.

"We talked a little bit about how challenging it is in your early period and I said from my experience, for a new government the first budget is always the most important budget because that's the one that lays the foundation of the government's future success," Mr Howard said.

After the meeting and press conference, Mr Howard was on his way to Los Angeles international airport for a flight to Washington DC, where he will meet US President George W. Bush.

Duh!