Robert Downey Jr honors New York City teens who volunteered to help Hurricane Sandy ravaged areas

Iron Man proved his mettle.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. played the hero Monday night, making an unannounced cameo at a

special screening of “Iron Man 3,” co-hosted by Disney and the Daily News to honor teens from 

the Police Athletic League who volunteered to clean up Hurricane Sandy-ravaged areas around

the city.

When his name was announced the 39 honored teens - as well as the several hundred fellow 

PAL members and family who thronged the gargantuan theater in Manhattan’s E-walk multiplex

 — the cheers and squeals were defeaning from the shocked crowd.

“I’m from New York and Tony Stark’s from New York, so I guess that means Iron Man’s from

 New York,” the actor, looking like a rock star in a white tuxedo jacket, sunglasses and silver 

sneakers, told the crowd.

Actor Robert Downey, Jr. tells the crowd that they are the future and 'I guarantee if you keep doing the right thing, you’re going to be running the joint.'

“I just want to say thank you to the Daily News and the Police Athletic League and all of you 

folks. I know you’re all here because you’ve been doing somethng special in the five boroughs, 

for this great city.

“You’re the future of the nation. I guarantee if you keep doing the right thing, you’re going to be 

running the joint in a minute,” he said, before posing for pictures with the wide-eyed guests of 

honor.

Downey had wanted to keep the visit a secret — to see the look of surprise on the kids’ faces.

"I'm just out of words," said Corey Fitchett, 18, one of the real-life heroes being honored, after 

the screening. "It definitely shows he cares about volunteers and the community."

“I think that went well,” Downey told a Daily News reporter — but not before pausing to take a 

few photos with the police officers that were stationed outside the theater for security.

This bit of PR clearly meant a little more to Downey.

“Of course,” he said, “it’s my hometown.”

“Everywhere we drive, I have a memory of playing Frisbee in front of that office building or trying 

to sneak into the back door of a ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ midnight showing, because I 

knew someone who was working concessions,” he added.

“Also, coming back here reminds me of my origins, so it’s thematically concurrent with what 

Tony Stark’s doing.”

Source - http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/iron-man-3-downey-surprises-kids-screening-article-1.1330686

Stella winner donates money to other writers

Carrie Tiffany

The inaugural winner of the Stella Prize for Australian women's writing has donated part of her prize money to her fellow finalists.

Melbourne author Carrie Tiffany won the prize for her second novel, Mateship with Birds, which follows the fortunes of a farmer and aged-care nurse in 1950s country Victoria.

The award, named after author Stella Miles Franklin, has been established to promote female writers.

Ms Tiffany donated $10,000 of her $50,000 prize to the other shortlisted authors.

Mateship With Birds

She says they all deserve recognition.

"I read all of the books on the shortlist and a lot of them on the long list and I think they're fantastic and really a gift to our literary culture," she said.

"I think that the Stellas are an opportunity to do things a bit differently and to acknowledge the many, rather than the few.

"It is really difficult to choose a book from a shortlist and I wanted to spread attention across all of those books, rather than just mine."

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-17/tiffany-wins-inaugural-prize-for-women27s-writing/4633958

Gay marriage becomes legal in New Zealand

Gay marriage is legal in New Zealand.

The 77-44 vote in parliament on Wednesday night was greeted with cheers and applause from packed public galleries and kicked off celebrations around the country.

New Zealand is the 13th country to legalise gay marriage and the first in the Asia-Pacific.

More than 1000 Australian same-sex couples say they will cross the Tasman to tie the knot.

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"Now that marriage equality is only three hours away there will be a flood of couples flying to New Zealand," said Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Rodney Croome.

NZ Labour's gay MP Louisa Wall promoted the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill and it was passed on conscience votes, with no instructions from parties.

Prime Minister John Key was one of those supporting it.

MPs have been under intense pressure from churches and moral conservative lobby groups during the past few weeks but the final vote was almost identical to those cast during the bill's previous three stages.

"Excluding a group in society from marriage is oppressive and unacceptable," Ms Wall said when she launched the third reading debate.

"This is not about church teachings or philosophy, it never was. The principles of justice and equality aren't served if the key institution of marriage is reserved for heterosexuals only."

The Green Party's gay MP Kevin Hague said he had been with his partner for nearly 29 years.

"Until this day a basic human right has been denied us," he said.

"The consequences of this bill will be that same sex couples will marry, transgender people will no longer have to divorce, prejudice and violence will be undermined, the world will be a better place and absolutely no one will be any worse off."

National's Maurice Williamson, a strong supporter, said he had been appalled by some of the lobbying.

"I had a letter saying I was going to burn in the fires of hell, some of the bullying tactics were really evil."

NZ First leader Winston Peters again called for a referendum.

"Some say there is a groundswell for change, but how do we know that?" he said.

"New Zealand is supposed to be a democracy and what we are about to do is circumvent any expression of public opinion."

Mr Peters and his MPs voted against the bill.

Nearly all the MPs who spoke in the debate supported the bill.

One who didn't was National's Jonathan Young.

"History has invested significant tradition in marriage and I believe we should maintain that tradition," he said.

"This issue isn't as clear as some people think, many are struggling with it and the community is more divided than this parliament."

Although Wednesday night's vote put the bill into law, gay couples who want to marry will have to wait a while.

The Department of Internal Affairs which handles births, deaths and marriages has been given four months to get its act together and prepare the procedures and licence forms.

Ms Wall expects there will be a rush.

"The first week of August could work for a lot of people," she told NZ Newswire.

Source - http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/gay-marriage-becomes-legal-in-new-zealand-20130417-2i0ku.html

                                                       

One man making Sydney smile

Have you seen this man around Sydney?

In the past month he has been spotted at Circular Quay, The Easter Show and the semifinal of the A League soccer just to name a few places.

He is not a busker, he will not ask you for money. This man asks for something way more important than that. He asks Sydneysiders to smile.

I first came across him at Circular Quay, holding a sign saying smile for peace. As we walked past him and smiled he gave us a big grin, a thank you and two thumbs up.



He will pose for photos, give you a hug and asks nothing in return except for a smile.

Seems he is a Western Sydney Wanderers fan also. He was spotted at the game on Friday night encouraging fans to smile.

It has been proven that the simple act of smiling improves happiness and even has health benefits.




There is an interesting TED Talk here by Ron Gutman: The hidden power of smiling. 

"We are actually born smiling" - Rod Gutman 




I was going to look into who this wonderful smiley man was and what his motivation behind it was, but I decided it was not important. The important thing is in this busy life in this busy town we often forget the simple things in life, the simple things that can change life, such as a smile.

So smiley man, whoever you are, you are fantastic, here is a big smile for you. :)

Written by Samara Jenkins @theyellowsnail

Beastie Boy Mike D Serves Up Meals From Food Truck To Hurricane Sandy Victims

Seeing the damage to Rockaway Beach, he launched the Rockaway Plate Lunchtruck with restauranteur and friend Robert McKinley.

The Beastie Boys' Mike D is fighting for more than the right to party -- he's been helping serve Hurricane Sandy victims warm meals from a food truck.

The musician, whose full name is Michael Diamond, spoke to GOOD Magazine on Tuesday about the project. Since the storm, more than 19,000 free meals have been served.

The cooking expertise come from Sam Talbot of 'Top Chef' fame, who is working with teams at New York's Spotted Pig and Fat Radish restaurants, to serve up rice, beans, chicken and vegetables.

In the Vimeo video above, Mike D explains that a food truck allowed easy navigationthrough the changing post-Sandy landscape. The team feeds anywhere from 200 to 500 people daily.

"The willingness to get involved has been amazing," McKinley says in the video. "There's been no egos and everyone is working really hard."

Five months after the storm, Mike D wants to transition the project to a full-time restaurant staffed by residents.

"There’s still the need for warm food out there, but our real goal for this summer is to help revitalize the local economy," he told GOOD magazine.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/05/beastie-boy-food-truck_n_3024894.html

The kind words of a stranger...

To the woman in the milk and cheese aisle last night, I want to say – THANK YOU. Your random act of parental support saved my sanity. It turned my horrendous day around, and all because you took twenty seconds out of your day to support me – a total stranger.

I was having one of those moments every parent has been through, and everyone else has witnessed – the very public meltdown. Not by me – well, my meltdown was internal – but by my two children, in the middle of a busy Sydney supermarket, at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Both contained within the trolley (thank god), I’m sure their screaming could be heard all the way to the toilet paper aisle.

Overtired, hungry, and pushed too far by a busy Mum, they’d had enough. And so had I.

But just as I felt my own tears of exhaustion and embarrassment begin to well up, one understanding and empathic women pushed her way through the judgemental shoppers and whispered to me “You’re doing a great job.”

Wow. What powerful words. And what a rare thing to witness nowadays.

Is it just me, or is support from strangers becoming more and more uncommon? I certainly think so.

[…]The thing is, we never really know what’s going on in someone’s life. Perhaps that woman who cut you off at the traffic lights is in a rush to pick up her sick kid from school. Or perhaps that man pushing past you at the train station has been up all night worried about losing his job. Or perhaps […] that woman in the carpark has just packed up her life and moved to a new city where she feels totally alone.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we gave everyone the benefit of the doubt? Rather than react with anger or judgement, wouldn’t it be fantastic if everyone was like that amazing woman in the supermarket and assumed they just need a little understanding Try it. One day, it might just be you rushing the wrong way down a one-way street, after losing your job, and with a screaming child needing a toilet.

Story written by Amy Taylor-Kabbaz
Source: www.mamamia.com.au

Wildlife rescuers stick their necks out to save hundreds of turtles stuck in mud

HUNDREDS of turtles have been saved from death at Lisarow thanks to the efforts of a group of dedicated volunteers.

The alarm was raised late Monday afternoon after two large ponds were drained at a former factory site, leaving hundreds of the small creatures stuck in the mud and fighting for their lives.

Wildlife ARC volunteers worked through the night and all day Tuesday trying to save as many of the eastern long-necked and short-necked Macquarie turtles as possible.

Often wading in mud up to their waists, volunteers managed to rescue about 700 turtles.

Gosford Council and the new owners of the site worked together with Wildlife ARC to allow volunteers to rescue as many of the turtles as possible.

Wildlife ARC vice chairwoman Jessi Grace said the turtles were lucky volunteers arrived when they did otherwise hundreds would have died.

"When we arrived the water had been drained and the majority of the turtles were exhausted as they had been struggling in the mud for some time," shesaid.

"But luckily we only lost a few."

Hundreds have been released at Narara Creek but volunteers will care for about 150 baby turtles through the winter.

"Because they are so small they wouldn't survive the winter in a new environment," Ms Grace said.

"So we will house them with volunteers throughout the colder months before releasing them into the wild in spring."

HOW TO HELP

• The Wildlife ARC organisation is always on the lookout for new members, with volunteers filling a variety of roles from cutting up fruit and answering phones to helping care for animals.
• To find out more about the organisation, join or make a contribution phone 4325th0666 or email arc@wildlife-arc.org.au

Source - http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-coast/wildlife-rescuers-stick-their-necks-out-to-save-hundreds-of-turtles-stuck-in-mud/story-fngr8h0p-1226602212516