An indestructible ball

Imagine this scene in your neighborhood: A group of kids plays a pickup soccer game. They kick around the ball in the street or maybe in someone's backyard. The ball bounces from child to child, off of feet, knees, heads. Now, imagine that same scene in a war zone. In a landscape peppered with barbed wire, broken glass and thorny brush, that same soccer ball has a lifespan of about one hour. It was this realization that led Tim Jahnigen, a former lyricist and chef, to take action. In 2006 while watching a news story on Darfur, Tim noticed children kicking around a ball of trash with a string and recognized a need for a ball that could withstand harsh conditions during play. Tim mentioned his idea to a well-known friend from his time in the music business, Sting, who urged him to pursue the idea and provided initial funding and support. In 2010, Tim and his wife, Lisa Tarver, launched One World Futbol Project, an organization that hopes to foster the healing power of play by producing nearly indestructible soccer balls for disadvantaged communities. Made from a unique plastic that's lighter and more flexible than rubber — a material similar to Crocs shoes — One World Futbol never needs a pump and does not go flat, even when punctured. And trust me, I tried. As Tim and Lisa shared their story with me, I was particularly struck by One World Futbol's potential for healing. Lisa says research continues to show that play is one of the few forms of activity that actually helps people recover from traumatic situations. "So when children are in refugee camps or recovering from natural disasters, the opportunity for play is vital to that community's recovery," she explains. One World Futbol Project operates on the "buy one, give one" model, similar to other mission-driven companies such as Toms shoes and Warby Parker. Buyers can purchase two balls for $39.95, which covers one for themselves and one to be donated to a community in need. To date, the organization has supplied over 850,000 balls, but distribution doesn't come without challenges. Because the balls cannot be deflated, they are significantly more expensive and difficult to ship than traditional soccer balls. And the question still remains of how something that supposedly lasts forever can be commercially viable. There’s little need to ever buy another! Still, there’s so much hope in something as simple as a ball. Regardless of geography, kids are kids, and the enthusiasm over a soccer game played with friends is something that’s universal, from Detroit to Darfur, Miami to Malawi. yahoo.com

Thief Forgets To Log Off Facebook After Burglarizing Home

A Minnesota man is in jail because he logged on to Facebook. Police say 26-year-old Nicholas Wig checked his profile from a home he broke into, and then he didn’t log off. It happened June 19 in South St. Paul. “World’s dumbest criminal,” the homeowner James Wood said. “I don’t know.” Wood had come home to find his house ransacked. His credit cards, cash and watch were all gone. In their place, the thief had left a pair of Nike tennis shoes, jeans and a belt, that were all wet. Wood said it had been raining outside. “I started to panic,” he said. “But then I noticed he had pulled up his Facebook profile.” Wood posted to Facebook using Wig’s profile, saying Wig had burglarized his home. He even shared his phone number to see if someone would call with information. Wig texted him later that day. “I replied you left a few things at my house last night, how can I get them back to you,” Wood said. Wig agreed to meet with Wood later that night. Wood believes Wig was under the impression he would give him back some of his clothes he had left at his home in exchange for a recycled cell phone Wig had stolen. Wood, at his friend’s house, left for home. On his way back to his house he saw and recognized Wig, from his Facebook profile, walking on the street. He immediately called police. “I’ve never seen this before,” Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said. “It’s a pretty unusual case, might even make the late night television shows in terms of not being too bright.” Wig was wearing Wood’s watch when he found him. Police arrested him at the scene. He could face up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines if convicted

Fifa have opened disciplinary proceedings against Mexico over alleged discriminatory chanting by fans at the World Cup.

Fifa have opened disciplinary proceedings against Mexico over alleged discriminatory chanting by fans at the World Cup. The governing body said it had already opened the case against Mexico before the anti-discrimination Fare network made an official complaint about four instances of alleged supporter misconduct. The claims against Mexico centre around the use of the word “puto”, which has been heard in games in Fortaleza and Natal. — Fare (@farenet) June 18, 2014 Fare has brought 4 incidents of racism or homophobia at #WorldCup2014 to the attention of FIFA this morning. Fifa said in a statement: “We can confirm that we have been contacted by Fare. Prior to this, disciplinary proceedings were opened against Mexico for improper conduct of spectators during the match Mexico v Cameroon. As the proceedings are ongoing, we are not in a position to comment further. “Fifa takes a firm, zero-tolerance stance against any form of discrimination and racism and this is enshrined in the Fifa Statutes.” Fifa are understood to have also received complaints about alleged homophobic chanting by Brazil’s supporters, and alleged antisemitic behaviour by fans of Croatia and Russia.