A violinist who left his 285-year-old Stradivarius in the back of a New York cab has played a concert to thank the driver who returned it to him
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7385174.stm


Barcelona's efforts to encourage people to use a bike have been so successful, that even the royal family has taken to biking. However, they are now in trouble for flouting the strict spanish biking rules.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/05/ethicalliving.cycling


Back in 1936, science magazines were warning people of 'global cooling'. They thought that we might go through another Ice Age.
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/global-cooling-1936the-ice-age-is-coming/1139

A man has built an island using 250,000 plastic bottles.
http://ecoble.com/2007/11/18/250000-bottles-amazing-recycled-mexican-island-paradise/
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http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1203759255976&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
A new book on the shelfs, Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam details explains that Black Metal, theoretically known as having satanic lyrics, being anti-religious and anti-Christian, is popular amongst young people in the Middle as an act of rebellion against oppression, censorship and authoritarianism. Interestingly, conservative Muslims also believe that any music beside spiritual chanting is unIslamic.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=146167&in_page_id=2
A man who has had custom-made beer coffin will love Pabst Blue Ribbon beer eternally.
The 67-year-old says he doesn't plan to be using the coffin in the near future so on Saturday he threw a party for friends and filled his coffin with ice and his favorite brew.

And… is an event listing ok? Here are some that I think are important in terms of social concerns of our time:

http://www.villamanincontemporanea.it/html/eng/exhib.htm
On the 19th of April GOD & GOODS. Spirituality and Mass Confusion, a new large scale group exhibition, will inaugurate the summer season at the Villa Manin Centre for Contemporary Art. It aims to present the idea of the sacred and the spiritual through the interpretation of 28 artists.
The works of artists underline existential questions, play with the senses and perception of reality and challenge in some cases the mechanisms of beliefs.
http://www.46664.com/294/
Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday will be celebrated in Hyde Park, London on 27 June this year for the benefit of raising money for his charitable organisations including the 46664 campaign which raises awareness about HIV and Aids and promotes HIV prevention, especially in Africa.
This will also mark the nobel laureate's last public appearance and is a tribute to him by his friends, President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Will Smith, Ms. Oprah Winfrey, Robert de Niro and Forest Whitaker and musicians, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Leona Lewis, the Sugababes, Dame Shirley Bassey, Razorlight, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Eddy Grant, and Jamelia.
http://www.rfp-europe.eu/index.cfm?id=111688

The Rovereto Inter-Religious Encounter May 22 – 25, 2008
Background
In today's multicultural Europe, the various groups of different cultures and religious traditions
experience a variety of new challenges. These groups are living closely together and in secular states.
The relationship between majority- / minority-populations raises discussions
concerning integration and even assimilation. The expansion of the European
Union has added to this complexity, leading to yet more migration. These
challenges have repeatedly proved the necessity to come together to start – and
maintain – a dialogue across cultural and religious barriers. Vital for this dialog is
the cooperation on our Shared Values. We acknowledge that we are of different
faiths – but must unite for common action.