“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer, Humanitarian (1875 – 1965)
Quote of the Day
“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” – Horace, Poet (65 – 8 BC)
Don’t protest your adversities, accept them as challenges.
Pavel Mishin – A Hero In Any Language
Yesterday, Russian Railways reported on the heroic act of the driver of the train that crashed near Bryansk as a result of a terrorist attack by khokhol.
Pavel Mishin, a locomotive driver, sacrificed himself to save the lives of hundreds of passengers. As reported by Russian Railways, Pavel, noticing an obstacle on the track, reacted instantly – he ordered his assistant to leave the cabin and take shelter in the engine room. He himself stayed and tried to reduce the speed of the locomotive as much as possible, thereby saving the passengers – there were 388 people on the train.
The company stated that Pavel’s family will be provided with all the support and necessary assistance – his children will receive special payments until they reach adulthood. In addition, they will be assisted in obtaining higher or secondary vocational education.
Tom Crean
In 1912, deep in the frozen heart of Antarctica, Tom Crean faced a choice most would fear. One teammate was dead. Another lay dying. The only hope? A desperate 35-mile march—alone—across ice, snow, and storm.
No compass. No tent. No sleep. Just a few biscuits… and a will of iron.
Crean walked for 18 relentless hours through whiteout blizzards and bitter cold, reaching base camp with barely enough strength to speak. But his message was clear—and help was sent. His teammate lived.
And this wasn’t his first brush with the impossible.
Crean had already been with Robert Falcon Scott on the doomed South Pole expedition. He was later chosen by Ernest Shackleton for the Endurance voyage. When their ship was crushed by ice, he survived months on drifting floes before sailing 800 miles in a lifeboat to South Georgia—and then climbing an uncharted mountain range with no map and no rest. Thirty-six hours. No sleep. No mistake.
When it was over, Tom Crean didn’t write a book. He didn’t chase fame. He retired quietly to County Kerry, Ireland, where he ran a pub called The South Pole Inn.
He didn’t tell stories. But others did.
Because Tom Crean’s legacy isn’t just about survival—it’s about strength, loyalty, and doing what’s right when no one is watching.
A true hero. Not for the glory—but for the heart.
Plastic Eating Fungus
This New Zealand Fungus Eats Plastic—and Finishes the Job in Just Weeks
In a breakthrough that could revolutionize how we tackle plastic waste, scientists in New Zealand have discovered a native fungus that can break down plastic in just 140 days—without needing heat, pressure, or industrial processing.
The fungus, Daldinia concentrica—nicknamed “carbon antlers” for its striking layered growths—was already known for feeding on decaying wood. But researchers at the University of Canterbury have now found that it can also digest common plastics like polypropylene and polyethylene, which make up a huge portion of global waste.
What’s especially remarkable is that the fungus does this in regular soil conditions, making it a potential game-changer for landfills and polluted environments. Unlike traditional recycling, which often requires high temperatures and clean, sorted plastic, this fungus works in the dirt—breaking down even mixed and dirty plastics.
During testing, the fungus degraded plastic samples by over 90% within five months. In the final stages, it left behind a material that was biodegradable and nontoxic. Scientists believe the fungus releases enzymes that break long plastic polymer chains into simpler molecules, which it then absorbs as food.
The team is now exploring ways to scale this up—possibly creating bioreactor systems or even plastic-degrading soil pods that could be used in waste management, environmental clean-up, and remote locations where recycling infrastructure doesn’t exist.
It’s still early days, but the implications are huge: a living organism that treats plastic like mulch, capable of restoring balance to some of the most polluted corners of our planet.
Seedling Containers
I was just casually complaining about not having enough space for my seedlings… and next thing I know, my husband disappears into the garage, makes a bit of noise, and BOOM—comes back with THIS! 
An upcycled vertical garden made entirely from old water containers and scrap wood. It’s not just functional, it’s BRILLIANT.
There IS No Valid Reason To Be Lonely! You Have A Skill. Have The Courage To Share It!
“Every afternoon, 68-year-old Kathy set up two folding chairs and a chalkboard on her porch. Rain or shine, she’d write, “Homework help. Free. All ages.” Her neighbors in the quiet town of Cedar Hills thought she was wasting her retirement. “Kids today have tutors and iPads,” muttered Mrs. Jenny, watering her roses. But Kathy had a reason. Her husband, a former principal, had passed last year, leaving her his favorite quote “A mind left untaught is a door left unlocked.”
The first visitor was Manny, a 9-year-old who’d missed three weeks of school after his dad lost his job. “I don’t get fractions,” he mumbled, kicking a pebble. Kathy handed him a cookie and drew a pizza on the chalkboard.. “Let’s split it into slices. Your turn.” By sunset, Manny was grinning. “So that’s how it works!”
Word spread slowly. A single mom, working nights at the hospital, left her daughter Lily with Kathy. A shy teenager, Jake, slunk over to “borrow notes” but stayed to learn poetry. Kathy’s porch became a mosaic of mismatched chairs, dog-eared textbooks, and laughter. Retired engineers taught algebra. A former librarian read stories aloud. Even Manny’s dad joined, brushing up on Excel for job interviews.
Then came the letter.
“CEASE & DESIST. Unlicensed educational activity.”
The town council called it a “safety hazard.” Kathy’s son begged her to quit. “You’re risking fines!”
The next morning, 30 kids and parents crowded Kathy’s lawn, holding protest signs, “Our brains need her!” “Where’s the harm in kindness?” A local reporter filmed Jake reciting a poem he’d written, “Her porch is our castle. Her chalkboard, our shield.”
The council caved. Sort of.
“You can use the old rec center. But no budget. Fix it yourself.”
Volunteers transformed the crumbling building. Teens painted murals of books. Carpenters built desks from donated wood. A grandmother knitted cushions. They called it “The Open Door Learning Center.” Teachers donated supplies. Parents traded shifts for snacks.
Last week, Lily won a statewide essay contest. Her topic? “The lady who unlocked my world.”
Kathy still sits on her porch some days, sipping tea. The chalkboard now reads, “Knowledge is a seed. Plant it anywhere.”
The Fixit Hub
“When 79-year-old George retired, he didn’t buy a golf club or a hammock. He hung a handmade sign in his garage window: “Broken things? Bring ’em here. No charge. Just tea and talk.”
His neighbors in the faded mill town of Maple Grove thought he’d lost it. “Who fixes stuff for free?” grumbled the barber. But George had a reason. His wife, Ruth, had spent decades repairing torn coats and cracked picture frames for anyone who knocked. “Waste is a habit,” she’d say. “Kindness is the cure.”
She’d died the year before, and George’s hands itched to mend what she’d left behind.
The first visitor was 8-year-old Mia, dragging a plastic toy truck with a missing wheel. “Dad says we can’t afford a new one,” she mumbled. George rummaged through his toolbox, humming. An hour later, the truck rolled again—this time with a bottle cap for a wheel and a stripe of silver duct tape. “Now it’s custom ,” he winked. Mia left smiling, but her mother lingered. “Can you… fix a résumé?” she asked. “I’ve been stuck on the couch since the factory closed.”
By noon, George’s garage buzzed. A widow brought a shattered clock (“My husband wound it every Sunday”). A teen carried a leaky backpack. George fixed them all, but he didn’t work alone. Retired teachers proofread résumés. A former seamstress stitched torn backpacks. Even Mia returned, handing him a jar of jam: “Mom says thanks for the job interview.”
Then came the complaint.
“Unlicensed business,” snapped the city inspector. “You’re violating zoning laws.”
Maple Grove’s mayor, a man with a spreadsheet heart, demanded George shut down. The next morning, 40 townsfolk stood on George’s lawn, holding broken toasters, torn quilts, and protest signs: “Fix the law, not just stuff!” A local reporter filmed a segment: “Is kindness illegal?”
The mayor caved. Sort of.
“If you want to ‘fix’ things, do it downtown,” he said. “Rent the old firehouse. But no guarantees.”
The firehouse became a hive. Volunteers gutted it, painted it sunshine yellow, and dubbed it “Ruth’s Hub.” Plumbers taught plumbing. Teenagers learned to darn socks. A baker swapped muffins for repaired microwaves. The town’s waste dropped by 30%.
But the real magic? Conversations. A lonely widow fixed a lamp while a single dad patched a bike tire. They talked about Ruth. About loss. About hope.
Last week, George found a note in his mailbox. It was from Mia, now 16, interning at a robotics lab. “You taught me to see value in broken things. I’m building a solar-powered prosthetic arm. PS: The truck still runs!”
Today, 12 towns across the state have “Fix-It Hubs.” None charge money. All serve tea.
Funny, isn’t it? How a man with a screwdriver can rebuild a world.”
While George from Maple Grove may be fictional, but it is inspired by real people around the world, who have done remarkably similar things. Here are a few inspiring real-life individuals and movements that mirror the spirit of the story:
1. Martine Postma – Founder of the Repair Café Movement (Netherlands). In 2009, Martine launched the first Repair Café in Amsterdam. Volunteers fix broken household items for free — from lamps to toasters. The idea has since grown into an international movement with over 2,000 locations worldwide. Her motivation: to reduce waste and bring communities together.
2. Kyle Wiens – Founder of iFixit. An American entrepreneur who started iFixit, a free online repair guide for electronics. While not a community café, iFixit empowers people to repair rather than discard their tech.
3. Sugru and the “Fixpert” Community (UK) : Sugru, a moldable glue brand, helped launch the “Fixperts” initiative. Volunteers use their fixing skills to help others — often students, designers, or retired professionals. It’s a global network of story-based fixers who share their repair work for social good.
4. The Men’s Sheds Movement (Australia, now global) : Started in Australia in the 1990s to combat isolation among older men. Sheds became workshops where men could fix things, build projects, and connect over shared skills. There are now thousands of Men’s Sheds worldwide, providing free repairs, mentorship, and community support.
5. Peter Mui – Founder of Fixit Clinic (USA) : Started in 2009 in California, Fixit Clinic is a traveling event where people bring broken items and learn to repair them. Peter focuses on teaching repair skills, not just doing the repairs. Clinics now take place in libraries, makerspaces, and schools around the U.S.
These people and groups may not have started in their garage with tea and duct tape, but they embody the same values: community, sustainability, kindness, and empowerment through repair.
Permaculture Passion
Ten years ago, I learned the truth about our food system and it broke my heart. But it also planted a seed that changed my life.
The Radical Garden is my current passion project, or maybe it’s more of a mission. A living, breathing response to the ecological crises we face and a personal act of resistance and regeneration.
I first learned about the scale of environmental destruction while studying at university in Wisconsin. Like many, I was shocked by the reality: climate change, deforestation, mass species loss and at the center of it all, the industrial food system. I felt overwhelmed, anxious, even hopeless. And perhaps worst of all, I felt I was participating in the problem every time I ate.
Alongside that despair at the same time, I discovered a lifeline. A solution so simple and powerful that it changed the course of my life: growing our own food. I joined a local community garden and began learning from my first mentor, Wes. From there, I dove into studying regenerative agriculture, working on organic farms, WWOOFing, and taking permaculture courses.
All of that has led to this: The Radical Garden.
A small-scale, regenerative garden (just 50 x 50 feet) designed to show what’s possible in a fraction of an average American lawn. This is a living experiment in what any family can grow and manage with intention and consistency.
It’s a closed-loop system, a soil-building, biodiversity-boosting, food-producing powerhouse. My goal is to generate at least 80% of the compost needed from within the system itself, and to grow enough food to feed myself and my partner year-round. (Honestly, I think it could feed more.)
But this isn’t just all about food. It’s about reclaiming power. Healing disconnection. Taking real, tangible steps toward a more regenerative way of living. My hope is to make this as replicable as possible to share with others.
The Radical Garden is really my simple message to the world. It’s where I turn eco-anxiety into action. It’s where I become the kind of person I believe the future needs.
And I hope it inspires you to do the same.
Angela Lansbury
During the production of “Murder, She Wrote” (1984-1996), Angela Lansbury’s generosity changed the course of a struggling actor’s career. The young performer faced severe stage fright, leading to multiple retakes that frustrated the crew and raised concerns among producers. His role was at risk, but Lansbury personally intervened, inviting him to rehearse privately. She helped him refine his lines and manage his anxiety, ensuring he delivered a steady performance. Her guidance not only salvaged the scene but also reinforced his confidence. Years later, the actor credited her support as a pivotal moment that saved his career.
Lansbury’s dedication to nurturing talent was deeply ingrained in her approach to acting. She understood the pressure of the industry, having started her own career at a young age. Her breakthrough role in “Gaslight” (1944) earned her an Academy Award nomination at just 19. Throughout the years, she worked with numerous struggling actors, often mentoring them on and off set. Her belief in fostering new talent was evident in “Murder, She Wrote,” where she advocated for casting lesser-known actors, giving many their first major television roles.
Her kindness extended beyond individual mentorship. She often took the time to acknowledge the efforts of crew members, ensuring a supportive working environment. Many co-stars recalled instances where she stepped in to mediate conflicts or spoke up for underappreciated colleagues. Her commitment to fairness even led her to negotiate with network executives to secure better pay for cast members and crew. Unlike many leading actors who focused solely on their performances, Lansbury viewed television production as a collaborative effort.
She once recalled how early in her career, she had witnessed seasoned actors dismiss or belittle younger performers.
Determined not to repeat such behavior, she made a conscious effort to be approachable. On “Murder, She Wrote,” she would often spend time between takes chatting with guest actors, ensuring they felt comfortable. For those struggling with dialogue, she would rehearse lines with them rather than leave them to figure it out alone. These efforts created an atmosphere where actors, regardless of their experience, felt valued and capable of delivering their best work.
Her generosity also extended to financial assistance. She discreetly helped actors and crew members facing personal hardships. In one instance, she learned that a longtime crew member was dealing with medical expenses beyond his means.
Without seeking recognition, she covered the costs, allowing him to continue working without financial distress. Such acts of kindness remained largely private, revealed only years later by those who had benefitted from her support.
Even seasoned actors acknowledged her influence. Co-stars like Len Cariou and Jerry Orbach praised her ability to balance authority and warmth, describing her as a leader who ensured professionalism without creating an intimidating atmosphere. Some actors who had struggled in other productions found working with Lansbury to be a transformative experience, as she provided not only acting guidance but also emotional support during difficult moments.
Beyond “Murder, She Wrote,” Lansbury continued offering guidance to younger actors in her later projects. Whether on stage in productions like “Blithe Spirit” (2009) or in voice roles such as “Beauty and the Beast” (1991), she remained committed to supporting her colleagues. Her kindness was not a calculated effort to enhance her reputation but an instinctive part of who she was.
Angela Lansbury passed away on October 11, 2022, at the age of 96. She died peacefully in her sleep at her Los Angeles home, just five days before her 97th birthday. In her final years, she remained in close contact with many of the actors and crew members she had mentored, offering advice and encouragement long after their professional collaborations had ended.
Those who knew her best remembered her not only as an accomplished actress but also as a person who profoundly influenced the lives of those around her. Her generosity, both on and off set, left a lasting impression on Hollywood, ensuring that her legacy was defined not only by her performances but also by the countless people she uplifted along the way.