This adorable video of a young martial arts student in Florida has been shared millions of times across the internet – and it’s not hard to see why.
In the video, a little boy named Phoenix Swonger is being asked to kick a wooden board in half.
The test was being held at at Bobby Dixon’s American Martial Arts Academy in Orlando earlier this month. Erik Gianini, who is the manager of the dojo, tries to coach Phoenix through the test – but despite the youngster kicking the board again and again, he can’t seem to break through the plank.
Frustrated by his failed attempts, the discouraged youngster starts to cry – but then, Phoenix’s classmates start to cheer him on.
At first, the other students can only be heard yelling occasional words of encouragement to their classmate. After Phoenix began to cry, however, the other kids start chanting his name.
The chanting gets louder and louder until finally, Phoenix breaks through the board with one swift kick – and the crowd goes wild.
According to his mother Claudia, Phoenix did not have to break the board in order to advance to his next martial arts level – but the incident has now given the boy a whole new level of confidence.
“While it may have been a struggle, with encouragement, instruction, and lots of love, he overcame and advanced,” writes Claudia. “My boy learned one of the most important lessons in his life today! NEVER… EVER GIVE UP!!!”
(WATCH the sweet video below)
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A new facility in Kentucky has become the nation’s first factory to begin cultivating “wood” out of hemp.
In addition to being 20% tougher than oak, “hempwood” grows 100 times faster. It looks and feels like traditional oak materials – but instead of waiting several decades for a tree to fully mature, hemp can be harvested and regrown in just six months.
Additionally, there are about 78 species of oak tree that are now in danger of going extinct as a result of logging and deforestation.
Hempwood, which is made from hemp fibers and soy-based adhesives, has been in development for the past decade. Greg Wilson, who is the mastermind behind the new Fibonacci hempwood factory, created the company back in March 2018 following 13 years of research and development in the wood products industry.
The $6 million Fibonacci factory, which opened in Murray in the spring March, only recently started producing their specialized material with more than 40,000 acres of hemp.
“We look forward to being a productive member of Kentucky’s agricultural and manufacturing communities, and the enormous opportunities of hempwood as a renewable alternative to oak,” said Wilson.
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles said in a press release that this is another step toward the diversification of the state’s burgeoning hemp industry.
“When I became commissioner of agriculture, I said I wanted to make Kentucky the epicenter of the hemp industry in the United States,” Quarles said. “The fact that Greg Wilson and Fibonacci LLC are choosing Kentucky to locate the first HempWood operation in the United States is a testament to the work we’ve done to strategically position Kentucky’s hemp industry.”
Calloway County Judge-Executive Kenneth Imes also praised the impact of the company’s decision to buy products locally.
“As judge-executive, I am always glad to see new jobs in our community but this particular project is especially exciting,” Judge-Executive Imes said. “Not only will Fibonacci create 25 new jobs and invest almost $6 million, but they will also buy from our local farmers.”
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When this 2-year-old pup got herself stranded in the chilly waters of New York’s East River, a heroic man abandoned his own birthday party so he could swim to her rescue.
The incident took place last week in Brooklyn when Harper the dog was out on a stroll with her petsitter.
As they were walking down the street, the petsitter was suddenly hit by a taxi that had run through a stop sign. Though the petsitter only sustained minor injuries, Harper took off in a panic and charged into the river.
Meanwhile, Gabe Castellanos had been celebrating his birthday with some friends on the Brooklyn Barge when they saw the dog in the water. Since it was a warm day, the group assumed that the dog was simply going for a swim while its owner watched from the shore.
As the dog swam farther and farther away from the pier, however, the dogwalker suddenly approached the group and said that Harper had run away.
Castellanos noticed that Harper was quickly losing steam and he knew that he had to do something; luckily, Castellanos is a graduate from the SUNY Maritime College.
Using his maritime experience, Castellanos grabbed a nearby lifejacket, stripped down to his underwear, climbed out to a safe part of the pier, and plunged into the water.
With dozens of pedestrians cheering him on from the shoreline and a police helicopter flying overhead, Castellanos swam out to Harper. She had already been paddling for over ten minutes, and when she caught sight of Castellanos heading towards her, she started to swim even more determinedly.
Castellanos eventually managed to catch up to her and start steering her back towards land – but unfortunately, since Harper was so panicked by the experience, she bit Castellanos on the hand and face, chipping his tooth in the process.
Unfazed by the attack, Castellanos continued guiding her back to the shore until she was finally reunited with her emotional petsitter.
Even though Harper’s attack forced Castellanos to get a temporary fake front tooth, he later expressed his sympathy for the dog and said there were no hard feelings between them.
“I was like, ‘Aw it’s alright, I needed teeth work anyway,’” he told Inside Edition.
Harper’s owner has expressed her bottomless gratitude for Castellanos’s actions and she says she hopes to throw him another birthday party as a thank you for the rescue.
(WATCH the video below)
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An English inventor has designed an ingenious little device that can act as a lifeline for exhausted honeybees – and you can keep it tucked right next to your credit card.
40-year-old Dan Harris designed the Bee Savior Cards in order to ensure that anyone can save hungry honeybees this summer simply by using the contents of their wallet.
The cards hold three different stashes of sugar solution which can be used as a life-saving snack for pollinators.
Since bees have such a speedy metabolism, they will often starve if they are unable to find flowers or nectar within forty minutes of their last meal.
If you have ever seen a bee crawling around on the sidewalk, there is a good chance that it was unsuccessfully searching for food – but now if you happen to be carrying a Bee Savior Card, you can simply peel back the foil on one of the formula stashes and offer it up as a quick energy boost.
That being said, ecologists caution that people should be careful of how they handle exhausted bees. Pedestrians should refrain from feeding stationary honeybees in late summer, as they are usually worker bees that have been banished from their hive, and feeding them may only prolong their struggle.
Additionally, since sugar solutions are devoid of essential proteins, people are encouraged to try and revive hungry pollinators by moving them onto a flower.
The cards, on the other hand, are designed to be used by people in warm urban areas where there may not be as much greenery or foliage. The cards can also be used if the flowers have already been drained by other pollinators.
“When we heard about bees getting so exhausted so quickly, the fact that we can revive them with sugar solution just struck us as a really great opportunity to connect with nature – especially in a city,” Harris told BBC.
Although Harris successfully crowdfunded the production of his cards in just 36 hours, the campaign is now raising additional funds to buy new manufacturing equipment. He hopes to sell the refillable cards online for £4 ($5.15) apiece starting in June.
Shaquille O’Neal has just made a new fan for life in a teenager who has been struggling to find shoes that fit his feet.
Zach Keith may only be 13 years old, but the young basketball player already has size 18 feet.
His mother has been unable to afford new extra-large sneakers for her son – but luckily, O’Neal heard about the family’s dilemma and was inspired to help.
Since O’Neal famously wears a size 23, he could empathize with Zach’s struggle for fitted footwear. The retired NBA legend faced the same predicament when he was just an 18-year-old college student searching for size 18 penny loafers to wear to his high school prom.
Bruce Teilhaber, who is the owner of Friedman’s Shoes in Atlanta, Georgia, gave O’Neal a free pair of shoes for prom – and O’Neal has been shopping at the shoe store ever since.
O’Neal has never forgotten that act of kindness from his childhood; so as a means of paying it forward, he invited Zach and his mother to Friedman’s Shoes and bought the teenager 10 new pairs of different shoes.
“I thought this was a good thing to do,” O’Neal told CBS News. “Kid plays basketball, and Bruce did it for me, and I just want to return the favor.”
(WATCH the video below or our international viewers can watch the footage on the CBS website) – Photo by CBS News
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A star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius - credit NASA.
Quote of the Day: “Remember! The Force will be with you, always.” – Obi Wan in Star Wars (George Luca, 75-years-old today)
Photo: by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, Star Cluster in Milky Way, CC license
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Today is MOTH Monday on Good News Network: In partnership with The Moth, a nonprofit dedicated to the art of storytelling, we bring you the most uplifting speakers from live stages across the world.
When Chris Rasheed first started coaching his high school basketball team, he had no experience with coaching the players – and to put it simply, the team “sucked”.
Every time the team played, they lost by a few dozen points, and the players often expressed their disappointment by bullying their optimistic waterboy.
Despite being bullied, the waterboy never gave up on trying to rally the team’s spirits, so Rasheed recruited the youngster onto the team.
During one particularly bad game, Rasheed’s players were reluctant to even step onto the court – so imagine their surprise when they were saved by none other than their former waterboy.
Listen to his inspiring story below…
The Moth gives people an opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes their stories are chosen to air on the radio show, now celebrating its tenth year, and broadcasting on 485+ public radio stations—and on The Moth podcast, which is downloaded over 52 million times a year.
We are now one step closer to ditching harmful polystyrene products thanks to this new cooler than is made entirely out of biodegradable materials.
Up until now, polystyrene – more commonly known as “styrofoam” – has been a popular material for disposable coolers, but it is quickly being eliminated from product supply chains because of how toxic it is for people and the environment.
That’s why cooler company Igloo has just released the “RECOOL”, a biodegradable container which they are calling the “world’s first eco-sensitive cooler”.
The container, which is made out of paraffin wax and recycled tree pulp, can hold up to 75 pounds of weight and retain ice for 12 hours. Additionally, it can go up to five days without leaking water. After that, it can either be recycled or dried out for reuse.
The RECOOL is currently being sold for $10 a pop on the Igloo and REI websites.
(WATCH the video below)
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The world’s biggest dairy exporter just rearranged their entire district work schedule solely so their biggest fan could get to bed on time.
Andrew Oliver is only one of eight people in the world living with Fryns-Aftimos syndrome. He is also the only person in New Zealand living with the condition.
Though he is 35 years old, the genetic mutation means that Oliver has the mental maturity of a 6-year-old. Additionally, he suffers from five forms of epilepsy and a variety of other symptoms.
Andrew, who lives and works with his parents on a dairy farm in the Te Rapa district of Hamilton, also has to abide by a specific nightly routine. Every evening for the last 15 years, Andrew ate dinner, took a bath, and then waited to greet the milk truck that would drain their milk tanks every night.
Unfortunately, the milk tanker would not arrive until the wee hours of the night, and Andrew could not go to bed until the tanker arrived. Since Andrew’s father Ken has to wake up at sunrise in order to manage the dairy farm, the family struggled to manage their sleep schedule.
When Ken’s wife suffered a stroke, he couldn’t endure the late nights any longer – so he called Fonterra, the dairy company that picks up their milk, and told the customer service representative about his predicament.
“Surviving on three or four hours sleep, I’d just run out. I’d hit the wall and so I phoned the call center and actually started crying on the phone, I was just so shot,” Ken told RNZ. “I just said look, my life has just become impossible and just explained what was going on. I need sleep and I can’t get sleep until this boy’s in bed.”
Upon hearing about the family’s dilemma, the company then rearranged the tanker routes and schedule of the entire district so that the Oliver family was guaranteed pickup between 6:30 and 8PM.
“A big outfit like Fonterra doesn’t have to do that,” Ken added. “They simply could’ve ignored the request but no, they came through. And we’re very grateful.”
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by RNZ
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Though the world has been in mourning for the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, several architects have come forward with designs to breathe new life into the building.
Last month, French legislators announced that they would be holding an international design competition for how the beloved cathedral ought to be reconstructed.
French architectural firm Vincent Callebaut recently released their own ideas for the cathedral’s reconstruction – and news outlets are marveling over the eco-friendly new designs.
The Palingenesis roofing design, which means “rebirth” or “regeneration” in Greek, features a massive stain-glassed spire and greenhouse system which would generate clean energy for the cathedral.
“Through energetic solidarity with the body of the historic monument, the contemporary, three-dimensional Gothic stained glass graft produces all the electricity, heat and passive ventilation that the cathedral might require, by combining passive systems and advanced renewable energies,” the firm said in a press release.
“The new wooden frame is covered with a three-dimensional crystal glass dress subdivided into faceted diamond-shaped elements. These crystals consist of an organic active layer, made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, which absorbs light and transforms it into power. This energy, stored in hydrogen fuel cells, will be directly redistributed throughout the cathedral.”
“To avoid any greenhouse effect, these crystalline scales open at the bottom of the frame along the acroterion of the nave and transept, creating a natural air flow towards the top of the spire which mimics a wind powered chimney.”
Furthermore, the roof could support a new fruit and produce garden which could be managed by cathedral staffers or charity workers.
“Up to 21 tons of fruits and vegetables could be harvested and directly redistributed for free each year,” said the firm. “To that end, a farmers’ market would be held every week on the forecourt of Notre Dame.”
Despite the obvious innovation behind their blueprints, Callebaut is not the only firm which has taken an eco-friendly approach to their designs.
Representatives from Summum Architecture told Fast Company that they hope to reconstruct the roof as a sanctuary for endangered birds and insects which would be closed off from the public. Studio Nab, on the other hand, wants to build a greenhouse that would house beehives as an homage to the 180,000 honeybees that survived the Notre Dame fire. The pollinator sanctuary would also serve as an educational center to the public.
Meanwhile, Dutch architectural firm Studio Drift has proposed to build a spire and rooftop made entirely out of recycled ocean plastic.
Regardless of the competition, Callebaut says that it believes its design is best suited for adapting the ancient building into a more useful city landmark.
“We advocate for an exemplary project in ecological engineering that feels true to its time and avoids a pastiche architecture that turns the city into an open-air museum,” said Callebaut. “Circular economy, renewable energies, inclusive social innovation, urban agriculture, protection of biodiversity, without forgetting beauty and spiritual elevation: our reconstruction project feeds on such values to deliver a deep, conscious meaning.”
Photo by Vincent Callebaut
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Terri Matula has been saving dozens of animals simply by recycling the very same medical devices that are used to save humans.
When Matula and her husband were in college 20 years ago, their beloved cocker spaniel named Gator suffered from an urgent third-degree heart blockage.
The pup was in desperate need of a pacemaker, but since the Matulas were both students at the time, they couldn’t afford the $3,000 device.
Matula has now been working as a cardiovascular nurse at the Navicent Health center in Macon, Georgia for 17 years – and she has been using her experience in the hospital to help sick pets as well.
Back in 2017, Matula’s husband was told that he needed to upgrade his pacemaker. When she remembered what happened to her dog Gator, she asked if she could keep the pacemaker for an animal in need.
“The similarities between how animals and humans are treated for certain diseases are very strong,” says Matula. “When I was studying to become a nurse 20 years ago, I learned that pacemakers for human beings could be utilized in dogs, as well.
“I asked his cardiology team if I could keep the pacemaker after they replaced it and then called the University of Georgia to find out if I could donate the device to the College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Matula.
As a result of her husband’s successfully donated pacemaker benefiting the nearby veterinary school, Matula was inspired to start collecting human pacemakers in order to give them to animals in need.
In February 2018, Matula formed the Pacemaker Donation Program between the university and Navicent Health.
“When a patient’s pacemaker is exchanged, upgraded or replaced, the patient is offered the option of donating their used device to the Pacemaker Donation Program,” said Beth Mann, vice president for cardiovascular services and nursing strategy at Navicent. “Everyone – our staff and our patients – has been excited to save the lives of animals with reusable devices.”
Since launching the program, the university has received 41 pacemakers. According to Navicent, only the pacemakers of living donors are used for the program. Many of the pacemakers have at least five and a half years of battery life remaining, offering aging dogs the opportunity for many more evening walks and games of fetch.
The pacemakers with less battery life are useful as teaching tools in the classroom for UGA’s veterinary students.
“This project demonstrates that with some creativity and a desire to share with others, solutions can be found,” said Gregg Rapaport, a veterinary cardiologist at UGA. “Each donated pacemaker that has benefited a person will now have benefited a dog, as well. The same resource will have positively impacted twice as many lives with no downside to anyone, and we can all feel good about that.”
Patients with pacemakers in need of replacement who wish to donate to a dog in need may talk with their Navicent Health care team about participating in the Pacemaker Donation Program.
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photos by Terri Matula
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Quote of the Day: “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien
Photo: by Alessandro Malatesta, CC license via Flickr
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Great news for anyone in the Los Angeles area—or for anyone willing to drive a few hours to experience a possible life-altering event: We have 10 FREE tickets for a fabulous empowerment conference being held May 17th-19th at the L.A. Convention Center! A special gift for GNN fans who are interested in learning and growing.
“The Powerful U Experience” is bringing together over 30 world-renowned influencers, visionaries, and entrepreneurs for a three-day transformative event to teach personal power through responsibility, controlling perceptions, understanding purpose, and harnessing emotions.
As the founder of GNN, I will be joined by my Good News Gurus radio host, Ellen K for a break-out session Friday at 12:10. We will be talking about how to be Powerful Women, the theme of the conference for Friday. (Together, Ellen and I broadcast the good news story of the week to syndicated radio audiences around the U.S. via KOST 103.5.)
The Powerful U weekend journey will include 45 unique sessions, meet and greets, and community breakouts covering entrepreneurship, health and fitness, diversity, relationships, and education —and a special self-defense workshop.
Keynote speakers include Lilian Garcia, Robin Sharma, Henry Ammar, Trent Shelton, Dean Graziosi, and Glennon Doyle, among many others.
The best thing about this conference is the price for the general public. These types of events always cost a thousand dollars or more, but the ‘Powerful U’ founders made it a point to keep the prices low, so that most people can afford it—and I love that.
Their website says: “General admission ($249), preferred seating ($449) and VIP ($1199). Powerful-U will not refuse entrance to anyone who cannot afford a ticket and believes all people should be able to attend a world-class event, gaining access to life-changing wisdom and experiences.”
I hope to see you there on Friday, where I will be speaking and answering questions at noon in one of the breakout sessions. I will also be around for the rest of the day (and likely on Saturday) signing books and chatting with fans. Visit the website for more info, and to get your tickets.
Courtney Lewis may only be 14 years old, but she is already well on her way to designing gowns for Hollywood starlets.
The teenage fashionista is quickly gathering social media steam after her family posted pictures of the prom dress she created for her 18-year-old sister Mikayla.
When Courtney first insisted on making the dress, her mother was skeptical – but after five months of hard work and some guidance from her fashion mentors at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC, Courtney created a masterpiece.
Courtney’s mother Crystal told Good Morning America: “I’m especially proud of [Courtney] because she was really swamped at school… and instead of resting all weekend, she was working on the dress.”
Since Mikayla posted photos of the dress to Instagram, Courtney has received 50 requests for custom-made dresses.
Though the youngster is “flattered” by the outpouring of admiration and support, she says that she still has to finish school before embarking on her career as a top tier fashion designer.
That being said, Crystal said that she finally allowed Courtney to make an Instagram account for her fashion designs so her new fans could keep up with her work.
(WATCH the quick video below)
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We asked our readers to tell us their favorite quirky “mom-isms” (using the hashtag #MyMomism) and the results were a rollicking romp down “Really?” lane. See if you find these as hilarious as we do…
“One day, I was talking with my mom, and used the expression ‘Don’t get your shorts in a knot.’ She had never heard it before and liked it, but when she tried to use it on a later occasion, she couldn’t remember the phrase, so she said, ‘Don’t get your underwear in an uproar.’ I like her version better, and use it myself.” –Karen Operabuffa
2. “When we would do something a little risky, like swing really high and jump off, she would say, ‘Are you tired of living?’” –Ellen Mocarski Bedford
3. “‘Who did it and ran?’ Her favorite thing to say when something got broken, disappeared, or generally went wrong in the house.” –Li-Anne Fiore
4. “‘Do you live in the Colosseum? Shut the door!’” –Pierina Bevilacqua
5. “‘Girls, I’m cold. Go put your sweaters on!’” –Noreen Noni Heikes
6. “Ha ha. All moms of young children can relate to this one: ‘Go to bed. I’m tired.’” –Li-Anne Fiore
7. “When my mom was really annoyed with us and wanted to get us out of the house she would tell us to ‘go play jacks on Grand River Ave’ in Detroit. LOL!” –Trisha Clow York
8. “‘What are you, helpless or hopeless?’ (As a kid, I’d think real hard and never could figure it out. No matter which one I chose, my Ma would always laugh.) –Sandi IneedCoffee
9. “‘Clear the table! This is why your father and I had kids, so we don’t have to clear the table.’” –Tracy Lynn Grillo
10. “My favorite momism is this random phrase that my mom made up called ‘toot toot shaboogie.’ Even though I have no idea what it means, I still love that little quirk about her.” –Anna Hamilton
11. Whenever I was feeling overwhelmed, mom would say, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’” –Amy Littlefield Svanberg
12. “As a kiddo running out the door, I heard, ‘Put your manners in your pocket!’” –Amy Littlefield Svanberg
13. “When my brother and I would argue and yell for my mom – expecting her to step in and settle the argument – she’d sweetly yell back, ‘Just don’t get blood on the furniture!’ (We realized she had no intention of stepping in, and we learned how to work through our own disagreements.)” –Michele Boyd
14. “In response to our tall tales, mom always replied, ‘And another cow flew by.’” –Mary McNabb
15. “When she’s fed up with something or really tired, Mom always says, ‘I can’t go another further!’ Now it [sometimes] comes out of my mouth … lol.” –Marcia Whyte
16. “We were watching a John Wayne western, as we often did on Sundays, when suddenly my Mom looked at the TV and said: ‘He looks so good. He must have made that (film) before he died.’” –Karen Towey Sulprizio
17. “‘A lack of planning on your part is not an emergency on my part.’” –Maria Koshenina
18. “‘Some day you will understand, but I will be dead by then, so where’s the glory in that.’” –Maddy Brady
19. “Mom would always say that she had ‘champagne taste and beer pockets.’ –Sue Kelly Sunny
20. Mom: How are you feeling?
Me (with a 2 month old first child): I’m ok – just tired.
Mom: You’re gonna be tired for the rest of your life! –Francesca Avelleyra
21. “‘How can one mama take care of five children, but five children can’t take care of one mama?’” –Janelle Westerman Lirette
And that‘s a pretty good summary of motherhood, right there.
Be Sure And Share The Laughs With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by JulienDucenne, CC
Construction workers in Des Moines, Iowa took some time off from their road work to become heroes to this adorable family of ducks.
14 of the babies became trapped beneath a storm drain, separated from their mother on Locust Street in the East Village neighborhood.
WHO-TV News reports that employees of nearby shops got help from the construction workers who got on their bellies and began plucking out the ducklings from the sewer.
Quote of the Day: “When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself.” – Nancy Friday (today is Mothers Day)
Photo: by AmigosPhoto, CC license via Flickr
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
A nonprofit theater organization that pairs the works of Shakespeare with military veterans struggling to find relief, is proud to announce the first-ever National Veterans Theater Festival taking place May 23-26.
Audiences in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will get the chance to see performances by veterans who are using theater to explore the realities of returning home from war. The nonprofit group hosting the event, Feast Of Crispian, was founded in the lakeside city in 2012 to bring together professional actors with post-deployment veterans in order to teach and strengthen emotional resources.
Joining Feast of Crispian to perform at the festival will be veteran theater groups from Austin, Texas; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Miami, Florida; and New York City.
“The festival is an important cause for the health and well-being of our veterans who have put their lives on the line for us,” says Feast of Crispian’s Project Director Nancy Smith-Watson. “And it will also be a powerful showcase for the talent and the stories of these amazing performers.”
The festival was born as a result of Feast of Crispian’s year-long residency at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, one of the largest professional theaters in the country.
“We at Milwaukee Rep are thrilled to provide an artistic home for Feast of Crispian and the National Veterans Theater Festival,” said the artistic director Mark Clements. (Watch the newsvideo below...)
Thursday, May 23 – Feast of Crispian(Milwaukee) kicks off the festival with And Comes Safe Home, which incorporates Shakespearean scenes with original material based on the veteran performers’ own experiences.
Friday, May 24 – Color of Courage(Fayetteville) is a series of scenes, using multi-media, to tell the stories of the 180,000 African-American soldiers who served in the Union Army in the Civil War.
Saturday, May 25 – She Went to War (Austin), by The Telling Project, is an autobiographical performance by four female veterans, all of whom experienced significant combat exposure on the battlefield.
Saturday, May 25 – AMAL (Miami) by Combat Hippies, an ensemble of Puerto Rican Veterans, was developed and directed by award winning theater artist Teo Castellanos and delves into the impact of war on both combatants and noncombatants adjusting to life afterward, using spoken word and hip-hop.
Sunday, May 26 – Military and New York theater veteran Stephan Wolfert wraps up the festival with Cry Havoc, a one-person play he wrote that seamlessly interweaves Shakespeare’s most famous speeches to help audiences understand the problems we face when we fail in reintegrating our veterans. Wolfert is the creator of DE-CRUIT – a program to reintegrate military veterans using Shakespeare, psychology and classical actor training.
All performances are 90 minutes or less and include a ‘Talk Back’ immediately following the performance.
Each of these theater outreach programs helps returning warriors to be heard and seen for their unique thoughts and feelings, which allows them to more easily hear, see and respect the thoughts and feelings of others, and reconnects them with their own sense of self-worth and with their communities.
“It allowed me to express myself better than I ever have with any of my psychologists, or anyone who was trying to help, because it was just pure openness—and yet at the same time we had fun,” said one Milwaukee veteran.
To purchase tickets for individual performances or festival packages, visit the website; call the ticket office at 414-224-9490; or visit in person at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.
Feast of Crispian has served 100-150 veterans annually through three-day acting intensives in Milwaukee, and has delivered workshops and trainings across the country including the International Trauma Conference in Boston, MA; the National Shakespeare in the Prisons Conference at Notre Dame University; the National Symposium on Responsibility, Morality and the Costs of War at Ohio State University; and a Trauma and Synchrony workshop with internationally renowned trauma researcher Dr. Bessel van der Kolk at the Garrison Institute of New York.
They have begun satellite programs in Madison, WI and Seattle, WA; training practitioners to deliver Shakespeare intensives at two Veterans Administration hospitals—the Middleton Memorial VA and American Lake VA. The Seattle team has also ventured for the first time inside a military base, working with active duty service members at Lewis-McChord who may need help in their future transition to civilian life.
Feast of Crispian has performed both Othello and Julius Caesar on stage, and won the Footlights Outstanding Community Outreach Award in 2018.
SHARE With Veterans and Milwaukee Friends on Social Media…
Over 763,000 square miles of ocean are now protected from pollution, seabed mining, and overfishing thanks to one 48-year-old marine conservationist.
Jacqueline Evans is the hero behind the Marae Moana legislation that was passed in the Cooks Islands, protecting the ocean territory rich with stunning array of marine biodiversity—including whales, sea turtles, manta rays, seabirds, several threatened shark species, and migrating humpbacks.
Despite how traditional Polynesian cultures have come to rely on large-scale commercial fishing, Evans spent five years tirelessly persuading, traveling, and advocating for the legislation’s approval.
In July 2017 her conservation goals became enshrined in law, and now Evans is being honored with the 2019 Goldman Prize for Islands and Island Nations.
Two in five Americans dream about the day they can tell their boss they quit, according to a new survey—but it’s not necessarily because they hate their job. Instead, it’s because 67% have dreams of being an entrepreneur.
And, people really do feel their ideas could change the world – results show that, of those who aspire to open a business, 68 percent believe their idea would be revolutionary for the industry.
The international survey of 23,500 respondents – spanning 24 countries and including 2,000 Americans – looked at the entrepreneurship dreams of people around the globe, as well as their motivations and the challenges they face.
Across the globe, the top reason to start a business was found to be following a passion (64%).
For Americans, other reasons included being their own boss (59%), supporting their family (51%), and wanting to solve a problem/improve the world (36%).
Commissioned by Herbalife Nutrition and conducted by OnePoll, the survey found that 52% of aspiring American entrepreneurs have already taken steps to open their business.
But that doesn’t mean there’s any easy road in front of them: With all the barriers business owners face, 81% of Americans interested in starting a business feel overwhelmed by the prospect—and compared to those in other countries, more are anticipating failure before starting. Three-quarters (76%) feel they may never have the opportunity to follow their dream, compared to 69% globally.
The biggest barrier to entrepreneurship across the globe was found to be the initial cost of opening a business (65%). Other barriers to opening a business include fears of profitability (38%) and a lack of financing/marketing knowledge support (38%).
But, 3 in 10 aspiring American entrepreneurs were unsure even of which steps to take in order to start.
Of those who currently own a business, 41% took the leap after having a dream, listening to their gut, or being encouraged by family.
From the initial idea to actually starting the business, it took respondents an average of three years to implement their dream.
BENEFITS OF OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Ability to be my own boss – 66 percent
Flexibility in my work/life schedule – 58 percent
Ability to pursue my passion – 54 percent
Potential to grow my income – 51 percent
Increased job satisfaction – 45 percent
BARRIERS TO OPENING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
The initial cost to open a business – 64 percent
Worried it wouldn’t be profitable – 38 percent
Lack of financing/market knowledge support – 38 percent
Worried it wouldn’t be successful – 36 percent
Unsure what steps to take in order to start – 29 percent
WHAT MADE BUSINESS OWNERS TAKE THE LEAP?
Their dream – 41 percent
Listened to my gut/intuition – 37 percent
Encouragement from family – 37 percent
Encouragement from friends – 31 percent
Income changes (loss or gain) – 29 percent
Poll Your Friends On Social Media, Too – Photo by Virgo Group, CC license
