Window on the future

Imagine every window in every skyscraper was collecting solar energy. Imagine how quickly that would change the viability of solar power. Well that day may not be far away. Michigan State University has announced highly transparent solar cells that could replace window glass, cell phone screens, headlights.  The product isn't on the market yet -- efficiency needs to be improved -- but it is only a few years away. Go Green!

She leads in lead

Praze for 11-year-old Gitanjali Rao who was recently named America's Top Young Scientist for inventing an inexpensive device to easily test for lead in water. Although she lives in Colorado, Rao had read about lead contamination in Flint, Mi., and was inspired to come up with a way for people to test the safety of their own drinking water. A big thank you to the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn., for sponsoring the Young Scientist Challenge.

Erasing lunch debts

Philando Castile is still helping to feed school kids more than a year after he was killed by a policeman during a routine traffic stop in July 2016. Castile supervised the nutrition program at a Minnesota school. A recent fundraising campaign to honor his memory raised $84,000, enough to wipe out the student lunch debt for every school in the district. Nice way to honor his memory and raise awareness about school lunch debts.

Keep on keepin' on

 Lenora Olson is a human resources director -- even after the hotel where she was employed burned down in the California wildfire. Instead of standing in the unemployment line, she set to work finding jobs for the hotel staff using social media. Thousands of people at various northern California businesses lost their jobs to the fire so Lenora could be busy. Well done, Lenora!

"We were humans!"

You've probably heard the story of the human chain that rescued 9 swimmers last July at Panama City Beach. But I just heard a great interview on NPR about that rescue and it's a real two-hanky tale that will touch your heart and restore your faith in people.  Extra Praze for Derek and Jessica Simmons and all the people who joined that chain.

A million served

Hats off to Chef  Jose Andres. His World Central Kitchen hit the million meal mark Tuesday.  That's the number of meals his relief organization has served in Puerto Rico since Sept. 25, about double the number of meals delivered by the Red Cross. World Central Kitchen receives funding from FEMA and  volunteers make the miracle happen. Good job!

Golden shower

Two stars collided showering the universe with particles of gold and platinum and other heavy metals. Although the event happened 130 million years ago (and 130 million light years away) astronomers on earth were able to hear and see the collision a couple of months ago on Aug. 17, according to reports released Monday. Praze to the glorious universe and a humble bow to the great minds that are able to comprehend anything so vast

Fire friends

Let's hear it for firefighters from 17 states, Canada and Australia who are heading to California to fight a deadly wildfire. Never enough praze for  the men and women who risk their lives for others.

Praze the Energy

The parking lot at my gym is packed.  The senior strength class is overflowing. Every tennis court is taken.The enthusiasm and energy in the air is electric. Thank God for healthy days, for that spark of energy that takes us to gyms and gets us out walking. Let's channel that energy into good works.

Lend a hand

Praise to the 275 union workers who volunteered to go to Puerto Rico and help that hurricane-ravaged island. Pilots, nurses, teamsters...all sorts of workers gave what they know best: their experience, their talents, their time. In the end it's always the workers who get 'er done.

The glorious ping

After being without cell service for weeks some people in Puerto Rico recently heard that welcome ping of text messages coming through after Vanu Inc. installed some emergency cell towers. The New York company partnered with a satellite dish company to set up the connection and voila! Cell phones pinging all around! Praise to great minds willing  to share great work.

Good News from the NFL

Pulling my Praze Craze blog out of mothballs to highlight the good news I find emerging from the bad. Like this video interview with NFL commissioner Roger Goodall. Sounds like the NFL has been doing a lot more than taking a knee. They've been working with players and communities to better understand the problems and solutions to racial injustice and they are on the verge of announcing their next play.