Props to our Commenters
December 10, 2011 by admin · View Comments
We receive tons of great feedback about Only Positive News. Its amazing how few sites provide what we do: positive news. Positive news comes in many forms: actual news stories, poems, quotes, life advice, images. Positive news also comes from you, the people who leave generous comments supporting our work.
Here’s one of our recent commenters:
It became clear to Solah at an early age that her work is to inspire others. She lives a happy, fun and deeply fulfilling life by listening to what her heart is calling out for and then acting upon it. Those she encounters are often wondering how she seems to manifest such a majickal life. Her intention through this blog, is to share some of her guiding principles illustrated through her personal adventures.
Solah Nightstar B.Div is a Manifestation Mentor. She’s also a Certified Empowerment Coach and Passion Test Facilitator. She’s here to help you discover what your heart is most calling out for and then to support you in creating your ultimate reality.
Check out her website. Support the positive news we all possess!
Beth
Honey I’m Home! Urban Beehives For Sweet City Living
December 6, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steve in Animals & Habitats & Home & Garden & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
The latest buzz on urban gardening? Urban beehives, of course! These 7 bee-friendly beehives may be designed for city slickers who think Honeycomb comes in a box, but they’re ideal for anyone who wants to invite a little urban wildlife into their nature-challenged neighborhood.
The Beehaus
(images via: Physorg and New York Times)
The Beehaus might look a little like a very large breadbox but it’s really more like a honeypot – just add bees! Designed to suit the needs of both bees and beekeepers, the Beehaus comes with a 10-page instruction manual that covers pretty much any eventuality an urban beekeeper might face.
(images via: Delicious Magazine and The Crossed Cow)
Most images of the Beehaus show it in yellow with gray trim but buyers can actually select from a range of bright, flowery colors. The Beehaus is a thoughtful update on the classic man-made hive, a design that really hasn’t been significantly updated since the 1920s. With that said, the Beehaus isn’t cheap: one UK site has it listed “from £495.00″ but each kit includes everything you need to support a healthy honeybee colony. You can even order a beesuit and bees.
Bikube
(images via: New Tech News and Hot and Cool Stuff)
The Bikube Urban Beehive By Adam Weaver addresses an interesting hypothesis: city bees are doing well compared to their country cousins thanks to urban gardeners, who grow a bewildering variety of flowers yet use less pesticides than most farmers. City beehives are different too, witness the Bikube which is designed to attach to a home or apartment’s exterior wall. The attachment side is actually the Bikube’s only flat side: its other surfaces are curved to direct rainwater off the hive.
D.I.Y. HONEY
(images via: creativeDNAaustria and Philadelphia Weekly)
D.I.Y. HONEY is a design project from Austria’s Lena Goldsteiner. This acorn-shaped bee condo takes its inspiration from Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes. The support mechanism resembles that of a hanging basket, though one wonders how the bees will react to wild weather, winds and storms.
The BeeCrib
(images via: Linda Raharuhi and Re-Nest)
The BeeCrib may not be as stylish as some other urban beehive designs but it makes up for that by being easy to assemble: no tools, no glue, no problem! Designers from the Bachelor of Design Innovation program at New Zealand’s Victoria University Wellington set out to create a top bar style beehive, the parts of which can be easily shipped in flat-pack format.
(images via: Linda Raharuhi)
The ultimate goal of the designers was and is to support urban beekeeping and thus boost the numbers of honeybees. The overall simplicity of the BeeCrib should appeal not only to new hobbyists but also to open source manufacturers who can ensure easy availability and low cost.
Mason Bee House
(images via: CrispGreen and Home Orchard Society)
While harvesting honey from your urban beehive is sweet payback for the work put in making your winged guests comfy & cozy, other types of bees are worth supporting too, honey or not. Take the Mason Bee: slightly smaller than honeybees, non-stinging Mason Bees visit up to 1,000 flowers daily – 20 times as much as the average honeybee! The Mason Bee House is built from biodegradable bamboo and its network of hollow tubes perfectly suits the nesting needs of Mason Bees.
The Warré Beehive
(images via: Bee Happy)
The Warré Beehive, invented by Abbé Émil Warré, is a simple and practical design that seeks to approximate as closely as possible the natural conditions under which bee colonies build hives in the wild. With that said, the design also works well for novice and/or urban beekeepers due to its simplicity and practicality. The so-called “People’s Hive” resembles a stack of boxes – when more space is needed, another box is added to the bottom of the stack.
(images via: The Beekeeper’s Digest)
Some Warré Beehives are constructed with viewing windows at the front that allows beekeepers and their guests) to monitor the progress of honeycomb-building from the outside. The bees don’t seem to mind being watched and will happily build their honeycombs right out to the clear glass pane.
The Urban Beehive by Philips
(images via: Nanaimo Green Developments)
The Urban Beehive from Philips is a two-part affair that “aims to bring fresh honey right to user’s living rooms.” Now don’t panic – although the portion of the Urban Beehive that contains the honey may be in the living room, the bees aren’t thanks to an ingenious mounting system that keeps access to the hive strictly on the outside.
(image via: Treehugger)
The Urban Beehive is as sleek and modern as they come, and that includes the gracefully curved integral flowerpot that provides hard-working bees with a quick sip before landing. The device also features a built-in smoke activator that comes into play when collecting honey from the hive. While only a concept, the warm reception given the Urban Beehive during its debut at Dutch Design Week bodes well for both bees and bee-lovers.
(image via: Serious Eats)
Are you catching a buzz yet? Urban beekeeping can be hugely rewarding, eminently fulfilling and just plain fun but it’s no casual endeavor. Being a bee boss demands time, care and patience – the lack of any of which can turn the sweet taste of success to the bitter sting of defeat… especially if you step on a bee barefoot. Respect the hive and you both may thrive!
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Suburb in the City: Unique Skyscraper Provides Urban Green
Apartment dwellers usually have to live without their very own green spaces.This building would provide personal outdoor yards for every resident.
Click Here to Read More
Goodness in Unemployment?
September 30, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
The real question is, do you have the discipline to put your new found free time to good use? With the time you have on your hands, you can finally start to write that novel, or spend more time with your family and reconnect with the kids. There is time to finally think about what you want out of life and your career. Money can’t buy that kind of personal time away from the pressures and demands of a full-time job.
Even if you are unemployed, you still have a skill set. The key to getting ahead in any economy is to recognize your strengths and use them to your advantage. Use your spare time to understand your strengths better and work on your personal mission statement. Knowing what you bring to the table is going to allow for more confidence and creativity when it comes to looking for work. It will also be a big help in determining what kind of work you go after on the next job search.
An extended unemployment might be exactly what you needed. Your former industry might have been the worst career choice that you ever made. If you were pushed into it strictly because you needed a job, it could have been something you regretted during your entire career. No matter how high up you go in a company, it is going to be tough to get by when you have no passion for your work. This is a chance to level-set and decide where to go from here.
Read more at: The Psychology of Well-Being
Beth
Goodness in Unemployment?
September 30, 2011 by admin · View Comments
The real question is, do you have the discipline to put your new found free time to good use? With the time you have on your hands, you can finally start to write that novel, or spend more time with your family and reconnect with the kids. There is time to finally think about what you want out of life and your career. Money can’t buy that kind of personal time away from the pressures and demands of a full-time job.
Even if you are unemployed, you still have a skill set. The key to getting ahead in any economy is to recognize your strengths and use them to your advantage. Use your spare time to understand your strengths better and work on your personal mission statement. Knowing what you bring to the table is going to allow for more confidence and creativity when it comes to looking for work. It will also be a big help in determining what kind of work you go after on the next job search.
An extended unemployment might be exactly what you needed. Your former industry might have been the worst career choice that you ever made. If you were pushed into it strictly because you needed a job, it could have been something you regretted during your entire career. No matter how high up you go in a company, it is going to be tough to get by when you have no passion for your work. This is a chance to level-set and decide where to go from here.
Read more at: The Psychology of Well-Being
Beth
Goodness in Unemployment?
September 30, 2011 by admin · View Comments
The real question is, do you have the discipline to put your new found free time to good use? With the time you have on your hands, you can finally start to write that novel, or spend more time with your family and reconnect with the kids. There is time to finally think about what you want out of life and your career. Money can’t buy that kind of personal time away from the pressures and demands of a full-time job.
Even if you are unemployed, you still have a skill set. The key to getting ahead in any economy is to recognize your strengths and use them to your advantage. Use your spare time to understand your strengths better and work on your personal mission statement. Knowing what you bring to the table is going to allow for more confidence and creativity when it comes to looking for work. It will also be a big help in determining what kind of work you go after on the next job search.
An extended unemployment might be exactly what you needed. Your former industry might have been the worst career choice that you ever made. If you were pushed into it strictly because you needed a job, it could have been something you regretted during your entire career. No matter how high up you go in a company, it is going to be tough to get by when you have no passion for your work. This is a chance to level-set and decide where to go from here.
Read more at: The Psychology of Well-Being
Beth
Positive Quote Wednesday - on Prosperity
September 21, 2011 by admin · View Comments
He is now rising from affluence to poverty.
Mark TwainPoverty is the worst form of violence.
Mohandas GandhiBeing unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.
Mother Teresa
Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.
Mother TeresaLoneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.
Mother TeresaThe world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty, and all forms of human life.
John F. KennedyWars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.
Muhammad AliComing generations will learn equality from poverty, and love from woes.
Khalil GibranPoverty is a veil that obscures the face of greatness. An appeal is a mask covering the face of tribulation.
Khalil GibranIn poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds.
AristotleSome people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.
Coco ChanelLove conquers all things except poverty and toothache.
Mae WestIn a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.
ConfuciusFocusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
Barack ObamaAs you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.
Henry David ThoreauI worked my way up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty.
Groucho MarxYou can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.
Bill CosbyPoverty is the mother of crime.
Marcus AureliusMoney is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.
Woody Allen
Beth
GLOBAL 3000 | Social Entrepreneur Peru: Albina Ruiz and the Ciudad Saludable
May 12, 2011 by · View Comments
Hardworking Waste Workers — A Peruvian Woman Turns Workers Into Small-Scale Entrepreneurs Pucallpa is a fast-growing city in the Amazon region of Peru. A few years ago, the city was in danger of drowning in garbage because, like many other cities in the world, it had no organized waste disposal system. Thanks to Albina Ruiz, that has changed. She founded the recycling company “Ciudad Saludable”, which means “Healthy City”, and has turned the waste problem into an entrepreneurial success story. The garbage collectors are not employees, but partners in “Ciudad Saludable”. They feel responsible and fulfill an important task for the community. For her work, Albina Ruiz has been honored by the Schwab Foundation. Ciudad Saludable is now so successful that more and more cities in Peru and neighboring countries want to adopt it as a model.
Teeny Tiny Positive News
March 29, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
On a particular trying day, noticing the smallest positive news in your life might be enough to shift your thinking and mood. Here’s an example of my day so far:
1. Coffee came out right this morning. Sometimes I make it a little too weak (I never measure - I just wing it!)
2. Jazz was a perfect accompaniment to the beginning of my work day. College radio is really a wonderful platform of new and unusual music.
3. Stepping outside to grab the mail, I took a deep breath of clean, fresh air. I stood there for a moment, being present in my day instead of darting onward.
4. I bought a fantastic baguette at the bakery. Later today, I will toast it lightly and put fresh butter on it.
5. My friend will call me at some point of the day and tell me of the great date she had this weekend. She’s had a rough year (several deaths and a serious illness herself), so I particularly look forward to her good news.
6. My hair looks nice today.
Nothing groundbreaking there, obviously. But all of these little things remind us of a bigger picture, where good things happen to us every moment of the day, in one form or the other. The only thing missing? Our recognition of our own blessings.
Beth
Teeny Tiny Positive News
March 29, 2011 by admin · View Comments
On a particular trying day, noticing the smallest positive news in your life might be enough to shift your thinking and mood. Here’s an example of my day so far:
1. Coffee came out right this morning. Sometimes I make it a little too weak (I never measure - I just wing it!)
2. Jazz was a perfect accompaniment to the beginning of my work day. College radio is really a wonderful platform of new and unusual music.
3. Stepping outside to grab the mail, I took a deep breath of clean, fresh air. I stood there for a moment, being present in my day instead of darting onward.
4. I bought a fantastic baguette at the bakery. Later today, I will toast it lightly and put fresh butter on it.
5. My friend will call me at some point of the day and tell me of the great date she had this weekend. She’s had a rough year (several deaths and a serious illness herself), so I particularly look forward to her good news.
6. My hair looks nice today.
Nothing groundbreaking there, obviously. But all of these little things remind us of a bigger picture, where good things happen to us every moment of the day, in one form or the other. The only thing missing? Our recognition of our own blessings.
Beth
Role of Minority Micro finance organisations - Dr JAVED iQBAL kHAN
March 18, 2011 by · View Comments
Dr JAVED iQBAL kHAN Representing Educational NGOs praising the work of Muslim Funds at seminar on “Role of MMFOs in Socio-Economic and educational development of society” organised jointly by MUSLIM FUND NAJIBABAD & AMMFO ON 27 TH FEB 2011 AT GHALIB ACADEMY DELHI
