How one #Hashtag created a movement to stamp out hunger

(NBC News) Hashtag Lunchbag, a nonprofit that began with a few brown-bag lunches for the homeless on Skid Row, has spread to 100 cities and five continents.

Why the TransPacific Partnership is a "pending disaster" for America and the world

By Joseph Brenner

(Daily Kos) There's been very little mention of what Obama's State of the Union speech has to say about the Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty proposal.

As Robert Reich [Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies, was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century] has commented:

"If you haven’t heard much about the TPP, that’s part of the problem right there. It would be the largest trade deal in history — involving countries stretching from Chile to Japan, representing 792 million people and accounting for 40 percent of the world economy – yet it’s been devised in secret."

Reich calls the TPP a "pending disaster".  So what does Obama have to say? ...

Luci inflatable solar lantern: eco-friendly, zero emissions and affordable—what more can you ask for?

(The Grommet) Luci is an inflatable, affordable, solar lantern that generates continuous light with zero emissions anywhere on earth independent of the grid; it can be charged under direct sunlight or cloudy skies (as well as incandescent light).

As easy to use as it is to deflate and stow, Luci’s durable, waterproof design makes it ideal for everything from boating and camping to outdoor entertaining, and power outages. In fact, lack of electricity was the inspiration for the idea. MPOWERD was co-founded by Jacques-Philippe Piverger, John Salzinger and Jason Alan Snyder. Principal inventor Jason Alan Snyder worked hand in hand with John Salzinger to develop the Luci lantern after an earthquake in 2010 left thousands without power in Haiti. Now, MPOWERD is on a mission to illuminate the lives of people who live in energy poverty all over the world.