“On Second Thought” App Lets You Take Back What You Text

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Aug 31, 2015

If you’ve ever wanted a “do over” when it comes to texting, an innovative app may be your new best friend.

“On Second Thought” is a chance to avoid texting pitfalls — a digital grace period to take back rash replies, less than sober thoughts and embarrassing auto-corrects.

The app allows users to recall messages up to one minute after sending them— before they reach the recipient. It imports all of your contacts and text messages, and works even if the other person doesn’t have the app.

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There’s also a curfew option that automatically sends your text messages to a draft folder at a certain time of night.

“It’s for those nights on the town when you know you might have a bit too much to drink,” Maci Peterson, the app’s creator, told BlackEnterprise.com. “Just go to your ‘On Second Thought’ settings, determine the time you’d like your ‘curfew’ to start, and all messages you try to send after that time will be held until the next morning.”

Held–and chances are–deleted in the cold light of day.

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Peterson says the current Android version of the app is performing well and she has plans to launch the iPhone version by the end of the year. She hopes eventually the technology will be snapped up and that the ability to have good judgement at your fingertips will become standard with all phone messaging services.

(READ more at ChicagoInno) Photo: Mariah Dietzler, CC

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Strangers Show Up on Elderly Man’s Roof, Restore More Than Just Shingles

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Good News Network

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Aug 31, 2015

As he watched his frail 75-year-old neighbor painstakingly laying down shingle by individual shingle, David Perez knew he wanted to do something to help, but he didn’t know a single thing about roofing.

So, the California man snapped a picture of the white-haired neighbor working on the roof (right) and reached out to his Facebook friends, asking if anyone knew a roofer who might be willing to donate time and labor to help.

His post was shared more than a thousand times, and he hoped that roofers would came out of the woodwork.

Saturday morning, Perez didn’t know if anyone would show up at 9, the agreed upon time…but when he awoke at 7, people were already up on Mr. Dubiel’s house, working.

Roofing trucks clogged the cul-de-sac in front their Fremont homes, as volunteers laid out donated food for the workers to eat when they were done. The whole roof was finished by noon.

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They asked Dubeil to come up on the roof one last time, and ceremoniously handed him a nail gun to attach the final shingle himself.

He said the strangers coming out to fix his roof also repaired his faith in humanity.

“I’m just in awe,” Dubiel told KNTV news.

(WATCH the KNTV News video) — Photos: David Perez, Facebook — Story tip: Jim Kelly

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“Look At The Stars, Man”…The Encounter That Inspired An Iconic Song

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Good News Network

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Aug 31, 2015

My boyfriend and I were in Long Branch, New Jersey for a wedding a couple of weeks ago. The morning after the celebration, we headed down to breakfast at the inn, and fortunately, the only two seats left were next to a man reading a newspaper who invited us to join him.

I commented on the headlines of his newspaper, then told him I worked for Good News Network– all good, all the time.

“It’s all about perspective,” said the man, whose name I later learned was Vinnie. “Which reminds me of a story from years ago.”

It was the early 1960’s, and Vinnie, a retired salesman who now takes people out on boat rides near Atlanta, Georgia, had ridden his motorcycle, decked out in leather, to visit a girl in Cape Cod.

Surrounded by preppy guys in arrowhead shirts and khakis, he noticed the only other guy wearing leather—a guy named Bob—grabbed a bottle of rum from behind the bar, and headed for the beach.

That night, there seemed to be billions of stars in the sky, and they all looked like diamonds.

Bob was laying next to him, talking about the poor and downtrodden of the world, how they’ll never get a chance in life.

“Bob, you’ve got it all wrong. Look up at the sky, man. It’s beautiful. It’s all about perspective,” Vinnie said.

The two continued to talk, and to drink, and eventually they danced, arms above their heads, taking turns holding and swigging the rum, until the wee morning hours.

SEE More Inspiring Stories About Rock and Roll at Good News Network

Years later, an iconic song was released into the lexicon that was the 60’s, and the lyrics were:

The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

There’s no real way of knowing if Bob Dylan was, in fact, talking about a night with Vinnie, in Tambourine Man.

What you choose to believe all depends on your perspective.

Share This Perspective (below)… Photo by Vjeran Pavic, CC

“The Aussies Are Coming!” Overseas Firefighters Arrive in WA

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Good News Network

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Aug 30, 2015

Seventy Australian and New Zealand firefighters arrived in the United States last week, ready to go wherever wildfires were burning, reports the Associated Press.

Grateful Firefighters in Washington state welcomed the reinforcements from Down Under, as they battled the largest wildfire in the state’s history.

“‘The Aussies are coming!” said Rick Isaacson, a spokesman for the Okanogan wildfires.

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The Canadian neighbor to the north sent more than 30 BC firefighters last week to join the efforts on the front lines.

Meanwhile, about a dozen American Samoa crew members were flown in to battle the Horse Fire burning in Northern California since mid-August.

Idaho, West Virginia and other states have also sent devoted fire crews to help out.

Fifth Train Attack Hero Speaks Out For the First Time

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Good News Network

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Aug 30, 2015

The French hero just released from a hospital after he was shot trying to subdue a gunman on a train, talked to Le Figaro about the experience and the American who helped save his life.

Mark Moogalian was the first to become suspicious of the gunman August 21 on a train from Amsterdam to Paris. He spotted a rifle carried by them man emerging from the restroom. After he grabbed the gun and ran, he was shot by an additional handgun carried by the attacker.

That’s when the three Americans and British passenger charged at the man, disarmed him and knocked him unconscious. The four were later awarded the Legion of Honor for their actions.

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Moogalian, a 51-year-old French-American professor, living in Paris, recalled the man who saved his life: USAF Airman First Class Spencer Stone.

The 23-year-old California native trained in emergency rescue, placed his hands on the man’s neck wound that was spilling blood.

People magazine translated a bit of the interview from Le Figaro:

“He kept talking to me to keep me conscious. He said ‘So, you’re from Virginia? I’m from California! Look, man, you’re a hero.’”

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“You’ve saved lots of lives. When all this is over, we’ll go have a beer together.”

Moogalian also will be awarded France’s highest honor for his bravery.

Dentist Gives Full, New Smile to Man Who Helps the Homeless

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Good News Network

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Aug 30, 2015

Harvor Davis, who drives a food ambulance around town to feed the homeless, now has a reason to break out his smile, rather than hiding it.

The Plano, Texas man knows their struggle because he, himself, was homeless five years ago.

Years of dental neglect, though, kept the man from sharing any grins with those whom he uplifted every day.

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Earlier this month, a kind dentist, Dr. Lee Fitzgerald, changed Davis’s outlook and countenance, by giving him a new smile.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story from WFAA) Story tip from Renee Morin

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Girl With One Leg Breaks Swim Records

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Good News Network

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Aug 30, 2015

Swimming is a hard sport but Christina Lang makes it look easy–even with one leg.

Set to start her senior year at Dunedin high school in Florida, she competed in YMCA national meets over the summer and either broke or set records in four different events.

“In each race, spectators are in awe at what the 17-year-old can do,” reports WTSP news.

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She’s done a lot of things, like rock climbing, that even able-bodied people would find difficult, since losing her leg as a toddler to disease.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story from WTSP) – Story tip from Rae Hunt

Middle-Agers Are Fending Off Dementia With Healthy Living: Study

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Sonja Schulken

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Aug 30, 2015

If you needed one more reason to give up the fried food, put out your cigarette, and go for a walk, look no further than a new study showing the rates of dementia in some populations may be actually decreasing.

It suggests that middle aged people in Europe are lowering their risk of developing dementia later in life by keeping their blood pressure and cholesterol low, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and not smoking, or drinking to excess.

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Alzheimer’s disease accounts for most cases of dementia, which is an overall term that describes symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.

Despite predictions that the incidence of dementia would rise, a Cambridge University study shows the proportion of people over 65 with the condition has fallen.

Researchers looked at dementia occurrence in five studies–in the UK, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands between 2007 and 2013–and found none that showed the dramatic increases in dementia that were predicted in the 1990s. Rather, they report stable or reduced prevalence over the past few decades.

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The UK data from 1991 suggested that by 2011, 8.3 percent of British people over 65 would have dementia. The rate turned out to be just 6.5 percent. Nearly a quarter less than expected, and almost the same as in 1991, despite more elderly people over 65 in the population.

The study from Spain also showed a drop, but only in men aged 65 and older, for which the prevalence went down by about 43% between 1987 and 1996.

The old studies that support the idea of a ‘dementia epidemic,’ are out of date, due to improvements in “life expectancy, living conditions, and improvements in health care and lifestyle,” says the study’s lead author Carol Brayne.

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How to reconcile this relatively optimistic picture with shocking figures that have been published pointing to dramatic increases in dementia prevalence? One reason, say the researchers, is the failure to recognize the complexity of diagnosing dementia. More people are now diagnosed with very early dementia, for example, even though it may or may not progress into more severe forms.

With more people in the world reaching age 85 today, the overall numbers will continue to rise. While there is still no way to absolutely prevent dementia, the findings suggest it may be possible to stave off the condition–and enjoy a fuller life, longer. That’s why the researchers want to encourage health officials to spend more money encouraging lifestyle changes, rather than only looking for new drugs to fight the condition once it develops.

The study was published in The Lancet. (Photo by Robert Agthe, CC)

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Dutch Duck Posing in Photo Shoots is Instagram Hit

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McKinley Corbley

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Aug 29, 2015

There is a duck named Guus who’s taking Instagram by storm.

Guus the duck, named after Donald Duck’s cousin in Holland, has been dressing up in a different costume every week to the delight of over 2,500 Instagram fans from around the world.

His caretaker, Sam Pronk, uses her knack for arts and crafts to give the fashionista his stunning props, starting in the beginning with a tiny Donald Duck costume.

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“I am really creative and love to make things out of nothing. On holidays, I decided to make Guus hats and take special pictures,” Sam told the Good News Network. “On Kingsday in Holland, everyone wears an orange outfit, so I made Guus an orange shirt. I quite liked it, and Guus did too. He didn’t want to take the shirt of all day.”

Then came the Donald Duck costume. “After that one, it got a bit out of hand!”

Because Sam uses a mannequin with his measurements to make the outfits, Guus only has to shake his tail feathers in front of the camera for two minutes before he’s rewarded with mealworms and corn.

As fate would have it, this dynamic duo came together because of a bet that Sam won between her and her friend.

“I said if I win, you have to buy me a duckling! Which he agreed to because he was sure I wouldn’t win. The next day I went to pick him up from the train station and he was carrying a small box. He handed me the box and the cutest little ball of yellow fur with blue eyes was looking up at me!”

Guus is now one year old and constantly spoiled by his adopted human mother. He lives out his days sharing a garden and private kiddy pool with Sam’s three chickens, three bunnies, and two dogs. Check out more fun photos:

Follow Guus on Instagram.

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When Couple’s Proposal Goes Awry, Strangers Jump in (the Water) to Help

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Good News Network

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Aug 29, 2015

As he was attempting to propose to his girlfriend while on vacation at the beach, Matthew Picca made one miscalculation–and it turned into a memory to last a lifetime.

He was down on one leg on the dock of the Old American Fish restaurant asking Kayla Harrity to marry him and the ring slipped out of box, through the crack in the boardwalk, and into the sea water.

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After the initial shock, people watching from the patio in the Southport, North Carolina bar came down and jumped into the water fully clothed to help fish the ring out of the Intracoastal Waterway.

A local ran home to get some goggles and several flashlights were donated to the search crew.

“After one-and-a-half hours of searching in the water…the ring was found!” Kayla said.

Everyone at the bar cheered, and began chanting ‘Propose again!’

So he did.

(READ the story from WECT news) Photo credit: Kayla Harrity

Connecticut Becomes 1st State to End Chronic Homelessness Among Vets

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Good News Network

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Aug 29, 2015

Connecticut officials announced Thursday they had become the first state in the nation to provide housing for every one of its chronically homeless veterans.

The achievement marks a major milestone for national and state officials who set a goal to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.

Key to the state’s coordinated effort are the Connecticut Department of Housing and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH)– along with other nonprofits and volunteers who hit the streets to identify homeless vets.

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“This means that all known chronically homeless veterans are housed or are on the immediate path to housing and any veteran who newly enters homelessness will be rapidly put on the path to permanent housing,” said Lisa Tepper Bates, executive director of CCEH.

Through Connecticut’s efforts, nearly 300 veterans previously experiencing chronic homelessness have been permanently housed. Chronically homeless individuals are defined as those with a disabling condition who have been continuously homeless for a year or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.

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On the federal level, significant increases in funding for permanent housing vouchers and additional funding targeted to provide rapid rehousing to veterans, have provided the critical resources to assist Connecticut in realizing this goal. The state’s Department of Housing has also invested at least $3 million in rental subsidies and special services for Connecticut’s homeless veterans– a key distinction hailed by the U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary, who attended Thursday’s celebration and called on other states to invest.

Gov. Dannel Malloy has also set a goal to provide housing and support services for all homeless people in the state by the end of 2016.

If you know of a homeless veteran in the state, contact CCEH or call 1-877-4AID VET (1-877-424-3838.)

(WATCH a video below or READ more from the Hartford Courant) Photo: WTNH video

Mini-Taj Mahal is a Retiree’s Monument to Love of his Late Wife

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Terry Turner

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Aug 29, 2015

A retired postmaster is keeping a promise to his late wife, spending his old age, and all the money he has, to build her a shrine — a replica of the Taj Mahal — so she will never be forgotten.

80-year-old Faizul Hassan Qadri has been working on the monument since his wife, Tajammuli, passed away in 2011. People come from miles around to see the “mini-Taj Mahal in his village in India. She’s laid to rest inside the shrine, and Qadri has made plans to be interred next to her when he passes on.

The original Taj Mahal was built by a Mughal emperor as a mausoleum for his wife, an empress in the 17th century. Qadri doesn’t have the resources of an emperor, having to pause construction each time he runs out of money until he can sell land or his wife’s jewelry to continue building. He’s spent about $17,000 on the project so far.

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Qadri has turned down donations, even an offer of help from the chief minister of his district, saying he wants to finish the 27-foot tall monument on his own as a labor of love for his wife of 58 years.

They never had children and she often worried the two would have no one to remember them when they were gone. He promised that people would remember, and is making certain they will.

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(WATCH the video below from Press TV or READ more at the Washington Post) Photos: Press TV video

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CEO Helps 3 Moms See Hero Sons Honored in Paris, Lends His Jet

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Terry Turner

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Aug 28, 2015

Three American heroes were scheduled to receive the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award, last Monday. Their moms were invited to the ceremony, but had no way to get to Paris on time.

When a corporate pilot heard about the women’s plight, he called his boss and asked to borrow the company plane.

The heroes, Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler, along with two other men, took down a heavily armed gunman on a high-speed train in France on August 21.

Pilot Doug Perrill called Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportswear, to see if they could give the mothers a lift.

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“These guys who were so brave as to do what they did, I just felt they deserved to have their moms present,” Boyle told the Oregonian.

The favors didn’t stop there; Perrill contacted the State Department and got expedited passports for two of the women who didn’t have any, and cleared a complicated international flight plan.

Boyle and his wife also showed up at the airport to see the women off as they boarded the 11-passenger private jet. Sadler, a college student going to school in Portland near the Columbia Sportswear headquarters, returned with the women aboard the private jet on Tuesday. The other two young men are serving in the military and National Guard overseas.

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CEO Tim Boyle grew up with a lot of respect for mothers. His own mom, Gert Boyle, took over Columbia Sportswear when her husband died in 1970. She’s still the company chairman at 91 and has been featured in Columbia’s “One Tough Mother” advertising campaign. In the ads, Gert often uses her CEO son as a test test dummy to show how tough their clothing line is.

(READ more in The Oregonian) — Photo: skinnylawyer, CC

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NFL Players Twice as Likely to be Law Abiding as Other Men

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Terry Turner

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Aug 28, 2015

Think the NFL stands for “National Felon League?” Well, walk that thought back for a penalty.

Researchers have found the general population is twice as likely to commit a crime as is a player in the National Football League.

The scholars compared the arrest rates of 1,952 NFL players with the overall arrest rates for men in the same age range — from 20 to 39 years old.

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After crunching the numbers at the University of Texas at Dallas and Florida State University in Tallahassee, they found that in most years, the arrest rate for the general population was one to two times higher than for pro-football players.

“This study was surprising because of the narrative that exists out there that the NFL has a crime problem,” Alex Piquero, a University of Texas at Dallas criminology professor and co-author of the study, told Reuters. “But the majority of NFL players don’t commit crimes. People lose sight of that.”

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The study — “The National Felon League?: A comparison of NFL arrests to general population arrests” — was published online in the Journal of Criminal Justice and will appear in the October issue.

(READ more from Reuters) — Photo: Keith Allison, CC

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There’s Such a Thing As Too Much Fruit: How to Measure the Good Foods

By

Allison Stowell

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Aug 28, 2015

When it comes to measuring time, you know when something is too long; with money you know when it’s too expensive.

But when it comes to “good for you” foods, do you know when you’ve reached the point of too much “goodness”?

Salad dressing for your colorful salad, nuts for a snack, agave in your coffee, and peanut butter for your sandwich are all good foods, but they happen to pack a lot of calories.

In order to ensure that these good-for-you foods don’t become not good-for-you, take the extra step to measure them and enjoy just the right amount.

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The best way to do this is to use measuring spoons and cups whenever you can. Soon you’ll know by eye (and taste!) when you have gotten it just right. A tablespoon measure for your salad dressing or shredded cheese, a quarter cup measure for your nuts, a cup of fruit, a teaspoon of agave, and more.

When available, closely read the nutrition facts panel for all of the foods that you may overeat and be sure to eat the suggested serving size. You may be surprised by how easy it is to add calories and fat to the foods you are eating until salad is no longer a lean choice, nuts are more than just a snack, and the agave isn’t a “better” sweetener.

Use this quick guide to help you stay on track:

Shredded Cheese: When cooking with cheese, use a ¼ cup measure to define how much you are using; for a garnish, use a tablespoon to control how much you have.

Maple/Agave Syrup: Serve these sweeteners using a tablespoon and aim to limit at 2 tablespoons.

Fruit: Yup, it is possible to overeat your fruit! Aim for small to medium size whole fruit or about 1 cup of diced fruit per serving.

Potatoes: Potatoes are full of nutrition and a great choice when you know how much to have. Aim for a serving size that is about the size of a computer mouse.

Salad Dressing: Too much salad dressing can turn a low calorie, healthful option into just the opposite. Control how much dressing you use by measuring it with a tablespoon and limiting to that amount for a smaller salad.

Olive Oil: Serve with a teaspoon to have about 5 grams fat/45 calories per serving.

Sliced Nuts: Use a tablespoon to scoop out sliced nuts to control how much you have.

Grains, including whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa and more: Serve wholesome grains with a ½ cup measure to control how many portions you have

Natural Peanut Butter or other nut butter: Use your knife to fill a tablespoon to have about 8 grams fat and around 100 calories (depending on how you are using the nut butter you may be able to double the portion).

With these serving sizes as a guide, you will be able to enjoy a variety of foods without overdoing it. Before long, you won’t even need to use the measuring tools!

Photos: DeusXFlorida, travel oriented, Alexi Ueltzen, Brian Child– CC

Allison Stowell is a Registered Dietician at Guiding Stars.

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Church Installs 6 Colorful Micro Homes in First Nashville Village for Homeless

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Terry Turner

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Aug 28, 2015

Six brightly painted “micro houses” now populate the first Micro-home Village in Nashville, thanks to a church community’s relentless leader.

The shelters are only 60 square feet, but they are warm, wired for electricity, and a big step up from the tents where these Tennessee homeless folks lived.

Reverend Jeff Carr moved into the first micro home and vowed to stay there until they raised $50,000 for the project. He was there for 45 days.

The idea was born while Rev. Carr and one his college fraternity brothers were doing missionary work in Haiti. Dwayne Jones, who owns a construction company, was building houses and schools on the mission trips and wanted to be of service back home.

The money raised paid for the first six houses, and an electrical generator to power heating and cooling units, mini-fridges, and microwave ovens. They were set up August 21, on a lot owned by the Green Street Church of Christ, where homeless folks had been allowed to camp.

MORE Progress: Old City Buses Get New Life as Homeless Shelters in Hawaii

During the dedication ceremony, Roger McGue, one of the homes’ new residents, literally jumped for joy at his new digs.

Pointing first at the tents in the field, he said, “People are living in them… and now they get to stay in those.”

Carr, who leads the Infinity Fellowship in Nashville, wants to build more of the micro houses in Nashville, and Jones has started a GoFundMe page to begin a similar project in Memphis. He’s hoping to raise $75,000 for even larger micro houses there.

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“Each unit will have energy efficient windows, laminate flooring, bed, mini fridge, microwave, range, toilet, kitchen sink, and access to electricity,” he wrote on the new crowdfunding page.

(WATCH the video below and READ more at The Tennessean) — Photo: Dwayne Jones, Facebook

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‘Dancing Doctor’ in Boston Busks a Move to Raise Tips for Charity (WATCH)

By

Sheila Key

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Aug 28, 2015

Doctor, Doctor, give me the news!
Why are you dancing on the streets in your surgical blues?

The “Dancing Doctor” keeps a collection box front and center, just like any other street performer, but it’s not because his residency pay is so bad that he has to busk for his dinner.

Adnan Khera collects donations—about $6,000 so far—to give to charity, through his organization, DoctorBeDancing.

Since May, the anesthesiology resident from Tufts Medical Center, in Boston, has been popping up all over the city, cranking up the tunes on his beatbox, and getting down with his bad self.

Plenty of folks ask him why he does it.

“One of the missions of this project is to show the value of individuality inside of medicine,” Khera told TODAY. “What I do on the streets allows me to communicate with the population at large, whereas I feel like normally in medicine, we have trouble communicating with patients.”

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Another reason: Khera misses show business. Several years ago, he performed as a stand-up comedian and public speaker.

In his new life of service, he came up with a way to combine both worlds and hopes to top $10,000 in donations by October.

(READ more at TODAY and WATCH video below)

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Homeless Man Turns Life Around, Gives Book Reviews Instead of Begging

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 28, 2015

Called the “Pavement Bookworm”, he may look like a roadside panhandler, but this once homeless man is actually running a reading foundation that has now been recognized by South Africa’s president.

Philani Dladla credits his love of books, specifically motivational ones, with breaking his drug habit.

Now that he’s clean, he has dedicated his life to being of service to others.

Today, he can be found selling used books to passing motorists—but only after he’s read them first. That way, he can give passersby a book review and set the price accordingly; from a dollar for books he doesn’t like, to six dollars for real page-turners.

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While still homeless himself, Dladla began using the money to buy other homeless people soup and bread every day.

“Seeing their smiles motivated me to keep using the little I had to spread happiness,” Dladla said. “From that point on, I knew I never wanted to go back to being a drug addict.”

No longer homeless, he still feeds those on the streets, and even started a “Pavement Bookworm” Book Readers’ Club in a local park where kids can hang out and read until their parents come home from work.

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He has also set up a website where people in Johannesburg, South Africa can donate books or support a child in the reading club.

(WATCH the CCTV News video) — Photo: CCTV video — Story tip from Joel Arellano

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Study Shines New Light on Preventing Multiple Sclerosis

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 28, 2015

A ray of hope in preventing multiple sclerosis (MS) may come in the form of actual rays of sunshine.

Canadian researchers have found that a lack of vitamin D may be a direct cause for the disease — and most vitamin D comes from a chemical reaction caused when sunlight falls on the skin.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, studied DNA samples of 33,996 people, and found those with MS showed common characteristics of vitamin D deficiency.

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The scientists said their study showed “strong evidence in support of a causal role of vitamin D in MS susceptibility.”

MS is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulation around nerves. The nervous system breaks down, sometimes quite quickly, leading to paralysis.

People with MS routinely show a vitamin D deficiency, but this study is the first to show that there is evidence it is the cause of the disease and not a side effect.

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The researchers point out that the rates of MS increase in the higher latitudes which get less sunlight and where more people have a vitamin D deficiency as a result. They recommend people check with their doctor about taking proper levels of vitamin D supplements if there is a family history of MS.

“This is a common sense precaution, given that vitamin D supplementation is generally safe and inexpensive.” Dr. Brent Richards, who led the research at McGill University.

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The study doesn’t suggest vitamin D can reverse MS, but opens the door into more research about the link between the two and a possible way to prevent people from developing the disease. It was published in the online journal Public Library of Science Medicine.

(READ more at the Guardian) — Photo: Kamil Porembiński , CC

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Proof That Good Deeds CAN Lead: Good News Network Turns 18

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Good News Network

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Aug 28, 2015

Who says no news is good news?

There’s plenty of good news in the world—and yes, it “sells.”

I knew that long before other news media outlets had a clue, and created a positive news website, before even the first blog was invented in 1997.

It all started with a single nagging thought I kept hearing in my head while working in TV news in Washington, DC in 1982, two months out of college.

“Where is all the good news?”

Journalism colleagues at companies like CNN kept telling me, “Good news doesn’t sell,” but I refused to believe it. I often cited successful media personalities or properties that made a name for themselves with an optimistic slant: Oprah’s Angel Network, Charles Kuralt, Readers Digest and Parade magazine.

Maybe because of their goading, I eventually made it my #1 goal to PROVE that good news sells.

After I left the media business to raise a family, the idea gnawed at me for years, like sand in an oyster. I remember the moment when our 5-year-old son was sitting in the kitchen while a gruesome Bosnia War expose started running on NPR radio. It was like a light switch flipped on for me.

It was early 1997 and the Internet was blossoming. I thought, ‘I can make a good news program on the Web,’ so I taught myself to code with html and launched a simple yellow website (photo here) on August 31. Good News Network was born.

During the sad days of 9/11, the scary Wall Street Crash of ’08, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our traffic skyrocketed. People were looking for hope, for good in the world, and I was at home in Virginia delivering it to them.

This week, Good News Network celebrates its 18th anniversary– and the pioneering site for “good news” media aggregation has definitely come of age. In 2015, with hundreds of original stories being filed each month and the means to hire a staff for the first time, we have hit our stride.

Traffic has grown organically, with friends telling friends, and we are now serving more than 2.4 million pages of good news every month.

Although our website is completely free, our loyal and appreciative fans have been contributing financially as Members – some even giving voluntary pledges up to $500, when they get nothing more than a few small gifts in return. This is the Public Broadcasting model at work, which shows, above all else, the brand loyalty of an engaged readership that values our Daily Dose of News to Enthuse.

It is the proof that good news sells.

I feel so much satisfaction when I read the testimonial emails describing how my newsfeed has changed people’s lives, eased depression, and provided hope to the near-hopeless.

With more than 16,000 good news stories cataloged so far, we are branching out to podcasting and radio soon, with video on the horizon.

We are always looking for success stories and sweet tales of humanity—so go on, tell us something good!

Good News Network

Fleet of ‘Flying Ferries’ Will Provide Zero-Emission, Silent EV Boats for Commuters and Tourists Along Norway’s Coast

After 5 Years, Missing Cat Finally Reunited With Owner Thanks to Old Facebook Post from When He was Stolen

Loyal Pet Lovebird Won’t Leave the Side of Her Parrot Companion After He Dies (Video)

Urine From Music Festival Toilets is Fertilizing a New Biodiverse Forest With Odor-Free Nutrients

All Your Nutrition in a Daily Drink That Also Feeds Hungry Kids

GNN Paperback Book: “And Now, The Good News”

Holistic Patches Relieve Anxiety, Cramps, or Nausea – Without Drugs

The Heartwarming Feel-Good Book We All Need

A Daily Dose of Positive Affirmations–Right on Your Toes

Native Americans Were Making Dice and Gaming Thousands of Years Before Anyone Else

Why You Feel Rejected When Someone Doesn’t Text You Back: Your Brain is Trying to Protect You

The Science of How Your Brain Forms Habits (and How to Take Control)

How To Love Yourself: 5 Ways to Let Go of the River Bank and Go With the Flow

“On Second Thought” App Lets You Take Back What You Text

Strangers Show Up on Elderly Man’s Roof, Restore More Than Just Shingles

“Look At The Stars, Man”…The Encounter That Inspired An Iconic Song

“The Aussies Are Coming!” Overseas Firefighters Arrive in WA

Fifth Train Attack Hero Speaks Out For the First Time

Dentist Gives Full, New Smile to Man Who Helps the Homeless

Girl With One Leg Breaks Swim Records

Middle-Agers Are Fending Off Dementia With Healthy Living: Study

Dutch Duck Posing in Photo Shoots is Instagram Hit

When Couple’s Proposal Goes Awry, Strangers Jump in (the Water) to Help

Connecticut Becomes 1st State to End Chronic Homelessness Among Vets

Mini-Taj Mahal is a Retiree’s Monument to Love of his Late Wife

CEO Helps 3 Moms See Hero Sons Honored in Paris, Lends His Jet

NFL Players Twice as Likely to be Law Abiding as Other Men

There’s Such a Thing As Too Much Fruit: How to Measure the Good Foods

Church Installs 6 Colorful Micro Homes in First Nashville Village for Homeless

‘Dancing Doctor’ in Boston Busks a Move to Raise Tips for Charity (WATCH)

Homeless Man Turns Life Around, Gives Book Reviews Instead of Begging

Study Shines New Light on Preventing Multiple Sclerosis

Proof That Good Deeds CAN Lead: Good News Network Turns 18