Where one monumental Buddha statue once stood, another has been recreated with the help of a 3D laser light projection.
A wealthy Chinese couple made it their mission to restore the image of one of the two sacred Buddhas of Bamiyan, statues that towered over central Afghanistan for 1,500 years.
Fans of both ancient history and advanced technology, the couple developed a special projector to recreate the taller, 175-foot statue in the valley’s cliff where it stood before the Taliban destroyed it in 2001.
The statue (left) was hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs in around 507AD – until the Taliban destroyed it (right).
About 150 people came out to witness the temporary display in the empty cliffside of the Bamyan Valley, which is now a UN World Heritage Site.
The couple has also reportedly donated the projector to a local conservation group that will recreate the 3D image every year.
(READ more from the Shanghaiist) – Photos: YouTube
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Four-year-old Andersen decided that in addition to being the flower girl at her mother’s wedding, she was also going to be the bride.
It was a title she expected everyone to take seriously during the Knoxville, Tennessee nuptials on Saturday, June 13th.
Therefore, it logically followed that when photographer Leah Bullard told the bride and groom to kiss, Andersen would grab the ring bearer and plant one on him, right on the lips.
What resulted was a scene-stealing shot that has gone positively viral over the past week.
Feel free to start sending thank-you letters to Jessica Gall Myrick, an assistant professor at Indiana University Bloomington who has officially confirmed that watching cat videos helps you feel more energetic and less stressed out.
Translation: watching Grumpy Cat is actually good for you.
The study revealed that in addition to decreasing negative feelings and increasing positive ones, most people who view these videos do so while they’re at work – the purrfect place to receive that extra boost of endorphins!
“We all have watched a cat video online, but there is really little empirical work done on why so many of us do this, or what effects it might have on us,” Myrick said. “Even if they are watching cat videos on YouTube to procrastinate or while they should be working, the emotional payoff may actually help people take on tough tasks afterward.”
Over 2 million cat videos were uploaded to YouTube in 2014 alone, wrangling up 26 billion views. The feline fodder fills the most popular category on YouTube.
Based on her report, Myrick believes that online cat videos could eventually become a form of low-cost pet therapy.
For your viewing pleasure, and for the sake of your health, check out these Office Cats below…
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When parents deem it safe for their children to walk to the park alone, that’s good enough for the state of Maryland.
This week – for the second time – Child Protective Services cleared Danielle and Sasha Meitiv of wrongdoing for allowing their two young children, ages 6 and 10, to walk around their Silver Spring neighborhood alone.
The couple’s “free-range” parenting style sparked a national conversation when they were investigated in April after police picked up the kids about a mile from their home. The Meitivs have always encouraged their children to become independent through exploring on their own – like most kids did just a generation ago.
A few weeks ago, the Maryland Department of Human Resources clarified its statewide policy, saying children walking or playing outside alone does not constitute neglect.
Danielle Meitiv said the family is relieved and happy, but looks forward to working in the future to make sure parents’ choices for raising their children continue to be respected.
When Denise Altheide says goodbye to her mother and heads off to college, she’ll literally leave a piece of herself behind.
Denise’s mother, Faith, was born deaf, and has recently lost her vision – and her husband.
Faith’s social worker wanted to help make the transition easier for mom by surprising her with a 3D printed model of Denise so she can continue to connect with her daughter through touch.
Gratitude is an elixir. It helps us to appreciate what is already good in our life (instead of overlooking it) and help us to get through not-so-great times. It is also linked to so many health and wellbeing benefits.
Practicing gratitude – and it is something you need to do and practice – is great for adults, but it’s also great for kids. It’s something we can teach our kids every day.
It’s not about forcing them with saying things like ‘you should be grateful!’ It’s about guiding them to make the practice of gratitude a normal way they live their life.
Here are some ideas for teaching our kids gratitude:
1. Make a list of the good things
At bedtime or some other quiet time during the day, you can ask your child, ‘What’s something good that happened today?’ Have a chat about it. Recognize it. Appreciate it.
2. Teach thankfulness
As part of family life, we can reinforce the importance of thanking those who help us. Remind your kids to say thanks and congratulate them when they do.
Kids can help out around the house. Because that’s what we do in our family: we help each other. We do things for each other to make this a nice place to live.
4. Notice the little things
Little kids are really good at noticing the little things: the lady bug on a leaf, the dog wagging it’s tail, and the smell of spring. We can notice the little things too and share them with our kids.
5. Give love more than gifts
Kids need our love more than anything. Not endless rooms of stuff. Give them more love and less stuff.
6. Be a good role model
Our kids are watching and learning from us. If we practice gratitude, our kids will learn how to practice gratitude too.
7. Talk about the positive after anger flares
During those tough times. After those meltdowns. Once some sort of calm has returned. Talk about the positives. Find the good. Not in a superficial or ‘let’s-ignore-that-horrible-feeling’ way. But in a gentle and genuine way. As a tonic.
How are you teaching your kids gratitude?
Jodie Benveniste is a psychologist, parenting author, TEDx speaker, and author of four parenting books, including Intuitive Parenting: Unlocking the secrets to raising incredible kids. Visit her online family wellbeing course at Intuitive Parenting Part 02: Your Family Wellbeing.
According to a recent United Nations report, there are 216 million fewer hungry people in the world today than in the 1990’s – and nearly 100 million fewer in just the last three years.
Bangladesh is one country that’s seen a dramatic improvement, having reduced its chronic hunger rate by more than 50 percent since 2000.
The once-impoverished South Asian country is now a self-sufficient rice producer, focused on small-farm mechanization, irrigation, and boosting women’s economic power and girls’ education.
“Bangladesh is one of three success stories of the last 10 to 15 years – Ethiopia and Nepal are the other two – that give us some hope on this goal,” Professor Glenn Denning of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs told the CS Monitor.
Of 129 countries monitored, 72 have cut their undernourishment rates in half, on target with the 2015 Millennium Development Goal set by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
“The near-achievement of the hunger target shows us that we can indeed eliminate the scourge of hunger in our lifetime,” said FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva.
Almost 4 months ago, I lost my sister to stage IV metastasized breast cancer. It was a very hard loss. So when my Mother called to tell me that she had been diagnosed with stage IV metastasized lung cancer just weeks later, my 5-year old daughter, Daelynn, and I were heartbroken. We made a special trip to Wisconsin a week ago to spend time with my Mother and say our goodbyes, which we hope won’t be the last.
A few days ago, Daelynn saw a commercial on television about donating hair to those who have cancer. First, she asked if she could give hers to Grandma. I told her that Grandma probably would rather her donate it to another little girl who might need it more. She asked if I thought her hair was long enough to share with someone who needs it, to which I said yes. I told her it would mean that she would have short hair, and she told me in a very positive voice, “Yes, it’s only hair, it’ll grow back!”
Dear hair, we’ve been together a long time…
Today she decided it was time for the cut and was very excited about sharing her hair. We measured and cut off 9 inches, which she placed in a Ziploc bag.
She then made a speech so sweet, that I got all teared up.
“Dear hair, we’ve been together a long time, but I know you will make any little girl who can’t have her own hair very happy.”
She LOVES her short hair and says that now two people are happy. I told her that more than just two people are happy and that I was so proud of her for choosing to do such a beautiful thing for someone else. She wanted me to make note that she was sending her hair in honor of her Aunt Kelsie and her Grandmother Kay Lee.
There are proud mothers, and then there’s this lady.
Ovella O’Neal of Southern New Jersey decided to shout her son’s praises to the world. As a high school graduation gift for her son, Aljelani “A.J.” Igwe, she rented a large billboard that reads: A Mother Can’t Raise a Man, But I Raised a Gentleman.
The “congratulations” message for her son, posted near A.J.’s school in Camden, New Jersey, is also intended to serve as an inspirational message for other single parents.
A.J. is planning to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering at Rowan University in the fall.
(WATCH the video below for more) – Story tip from Alan Wallace
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A tee ball team of princesses stepped up to the plate this week to prove that girls can be tough AND pretty.
The squad of little girls known as ‘The Freeze’ from Edmond, Oklahoma took their group photo dressed as Elsa from Disney’s princess movie Frozen.
Their mothers collectively decided that it would be a good learning experience for the young girls, and hope that the message is clear: whether you prefer sparkles or getting down and dirty, it’s important to be authentically you.
One of the girl’s mothers, the photographer Betsy Gregory, posted the photos on Facebook in the hopes of encouraging girls of all ages to be themselves.
“I think a lot of young women see the picture as empowering — empowering from the sense that you can be cute, sparkly and tough, and that’s okay,” Gregory told Today. “Beauty comes from the inside and that’s what we want to teach these girls. That you can do things and be pretty, but what is inside is what matters most.”
All Photos used with the permission of Betsy Gregory
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Two months ago, Good News Network broke the story about Elvis Summers building a tiny home on wheels for a woman named Smokie who had been sleeping in the dirt near his home. The publicity generated around the world brought in $80,000 for his GoFundMe page, set up so he could build more shelters.
Now that Elvis has had time to get organized, he is calling for volunteers to join him in a marathon shelter-building event in July.
He has officially incorporated and successfully filed for 501(c)3 nonprofit status to launch My Tiny House Project L.A.
“This rocket ship is about to blast off!” he happily told Good News Network.
Men have claimed for years that they’d take a birth control pill if they could.
Looks like it’s finally time to put that offer to the test – except, this is not a pill, it’s far better.
The medical research nonprofit Parsemus Foundation has developed a contraceptive called Vasalgel that is likely to receive the Food and Drug Administration’s seal of approval, if all goes according to plan. Human trials will begin soon, and it could hit the market by 2018-2020.
For these men, it will be easy: one injection would last for years, and there are no hormones involved. Parsemus, which is dedicated to developing low-cost solutions that are neglected by the pharmaceutical industry, says the procedure is similar to a no-scalpel vasectomy and is reversible. It has already been used successfully in India.
Since long-term birth control methods aren’t a big money-maker and pharmaceutical companies would rather sell pills to women every month, the Foundation is relying on donations from the public and other nonprofits to pay for development costs. You can donate on their website.
The only other options of birth control for U.S. men are the condom or a vasectomy. There are other male contraceptives being developed outside of the U.S., in both London and Indonesia. Read more about them here at Telegraph.UK.
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Scientists in Austria are taking their research on prosthetic limbs one step further by restoring the sense of touch to those who wear them.
Professor Hubert Egger from the University of Linz recently unveiled research which enables patients to actually feel the bottom of their artificial feet.
The process begins with surgically re-wiring the nerves at the end of the residual limb so they are better able to receive signals. Then, sensors that measure pressure are placed on the bottom of the prosthetic.
The sensors essentially relay pressure points through a stimulator in the shaft of the prosthetic, which touches the end of the stump. The nerves send signals to the brain, and, miraculously, the prosthetic toes have touch.
Wolfang Ranger, who lost his right leg in 2007, has been testing out the technology at the University of Linz laboratory and at home.
“It feels like I have a foot again. It’s like a second lease of life,” he told BBC News. “I no longer slip on ice and I can tell whether I walk on gravel, concrete, grass or sand. I can even feel small stones.”
Scientists say this is the first time that a leg amputee had been fitted with a sensory-enhanced prosthesis.
For the past 24 years, Annie’s Clark Brunch has been a favorite of folks looking for a $4.75 three-egg omelet.
This year, however, owner Ann Jenkins was given a list of mandatory renovations needed to bring the restaurant up to code – repairs that would cost $50,000.
Fortunately, the family-owned restaurant near Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, is getting a generous helping of support, thanks to its loyal diners.
Local community members started a fundraising page, and donations started pouring in from current and former Clark students – some from as far as India, England and Thailand.
“It’s remarkable, remarkable. I am tearing up,” Jenkins told WBZ TV. “How do you thank people? I say that to them all the time and you know what they say? Get back out front and start cooking.”
So far, the community has raised more than $30,000. And the university, which owns the building, has also offered Jenkins an interest-free loan for the repairs.
(WATCH the video below or READ the report from WBZ-TV) – Photo: WBZ video
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“Who are you?” is a powerful question, and it’s the one photographer Nigel Skeet uses before taking portraits for his new Homeless Rock Star Project.
Many of these subjects have never been asked that question. They haven’t been asked what their favorite movie is, or what kind of music they listen to.
But during what Skeet calls an “INNERview,” the answers to those questions become the basis of professional portraits that bring out the best in Redding, California’s homeless people.
“When we INNERview them, the questions are designed to break down barriers and spark a conversation. The questions and answers may seem boring or ‘normal’ to you and I, but that’s exactly the point,” Skeet told Good News Network. “Most of these people have never been asked these questions before, especially by members of the general public. This is one of the elements that spark that feeling of hope.”
Another Homeless Rock Star photo by Nigel Skeet
Before posing for their pictures, the men and women in these photos all sat down for a hair and makeup session – a first for most of them.
Cheryle (pictured, top left), has a knack for playing the harmonica. She loves the movie Phantom of the Opera, and enjoys eating miniature watermelons with yogurt. Before Skeet invited her into his studio, she hadn’t had the opportunity to tell anyone those things in quite some time.
“I had just become homeless and was alone for the first time, no family, no clothes. Being homeless and alone was all new to me,” she said. “I heard about this and thought to myself, ‘I need this!’ even though I didn’t know what to expect.”
Cheryle was self-conscious because some of her teeth were missing, but makeup artist Bethany made her feel beautiful in no time.
“It made me feel like I could do anything,” Cheryle said.
Cheryle is currently enrolled in college to become a guidance counselor for high-risk teens. She has taken English and Art, and is now taking Interpersonal Communication and Sign Language classes.
Mark is another portrait subject (pictured, top right), a 21-year-old who had been sleeping on the streets for some time. Now, he’s a certified nursing assistant, and finally has his own apartment.
“The photo shoot made me feel like I was worth something,” Mark said. “This project is so good because they talk to you and treat you like you’re human.”
Skeet first began photographing rock bands at age 14 during an AC/DC concert in Amsterdam in 1979. When he moved to L.A. in 1986 and landed in the middle of the hair metal scene, the Sunset Strip became his stomping ground. Later, when he opened his own studio in downtown Redding, people warned him to ‘beware of the homeless problem’ in town.
Nigel Skeet – by Andrew Gant
It was then that Skeet decided to start bringing them into his studio and photographing them, interviewing his subjects just as he would his own friends. He also asks them to sign his studio wall before they leave.
“I wanted to create something specifically to show the community that these people are individuals with the same hopes, dreams and life experiences that we all have,” he said. “I was also shocked at how the entire atmosphere within the studio shifted once we got started.”
On July 1st, he’ll be hosting a Homeless Rock Stars Youth Event in Redding. Homeless youth are encouraged to enroll now, and to keep this in mind: the first step in helping people get out of homelessness is confronting the stigma head-on and making the word ‘homeless’ completely meaningless.
“We know that’s not who you are and we will remind the world of just that,” he said.
Buffalo, New York is becoming a model for the nation, having already reduced its chronically homeless population by a whopping 90 percent in the last three years, and now the city’s police force is offering help.
Officers have been working with homeless advocates to identify anyone on the streets who still needs help. Police Chief Brian Patterson is creating a specially-trained patrol unit to work even more closely with the organizations who provide housing and medical care for the chronically homeless.
“Everyone has feelings – everyone has a story – and it’s important for myself to understand people’s story,” Patterson told WIVB-TV. “The only way to do that is to meet people on their terms and (in) their setting, and have great conversations.”
The city’s Transit Authority Police Department has also been working to assist – not arrest – homeless citizens since January. Officials and advocates hope their new collaboration boosts the rate of those in housing or shelters to 100 percent by the year’s end.
(WATCH the video below or READ the report at WIVB-TV) Photo: WIVB video – Story Tip from Gina Marie Littlebird
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Back in May, 2014, Good News Network shared a story about a cat who saved a little boy by scaring off an attacking dog.
This weekend, that tabby cat, Tara, formerly a stray, was awarded with the Los Angeles SPCA’s National Hero Dog Award, an honor usually reserved for canines.
In the organization’s 33rd year of giving the award, they made an exception for the Bakersfield, California cat, after its heroic actions were documented on the family’s security camera. The rescue has been viewed 24 million times since being uploaded to YouTube on May 13.
“We were so impressed by Tara’s bravery and fast action that the selection committee decided that a cat this spectacular should be the National Hero Dog” said Madeline Bernstein, spcaLA’s president. “A cat who was abused, forgotten, or neglected by her family would not have been as likely to perform selfless, heroic acts to save her companion.”
Tara also bagged herself a year’s supply of free cat food courtesy of PurinaOne.
Photos courtesy of SPCALA
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After Irving Fields finished a tune from Carousel, he grabbed his walker and began shuffling to each of the four occupied tables at the Park Room restaurant at the Park Lane Hotel in New York City, asking people, “What can I play for you?”
We speculated about his age over our appetizers. Could he be 75, maybe 80? When he got to our table, he proudly exclaimed, “I’m going to be 100 years old in August.”
Irving shows Park Room patron and father of the author, Paul Hovitz, the more lively section of his memoir
Amazement ensued.
I followed him back to his piano and found a smattering of photos, handwritten lyrics, and several copies of his memoir, The Melody of my Life.
“The middle of the book gets kind of racy,” he explains. “I was still single then.”
As it turns out, Irving Fields is kind of a big deal. The native New Yorker (born Irving Schwartz) has sold over 2 million copies of his 1957 album Bagels and Bongos. It spawned a series of sequential albums entitled Pizza and Bongos, Bikinis and Bongos,Champagne and Bongos….and so on. He says he’s recorded a total of 100 albums in his lifetime.
“Has he written you a song yet?” the Park Room’s Executive Chef Larry Sloves asked me, after our main course arrived. “If you told him you’d be back next week, he’d have a song written for you, guaranteed… He’s already written one for each of us.”
Fields also penned a “YouTube theme song” in a mere 15 minutes. When it was posted on the video streaming site, it captured the ears and hearts of 800,000 viewers. He’s also written a song for the Statue of Liberty entitled, Here’s to the Lady, which undoubtedly he’ll be performing for the lunch crowd on July 4th.
In a couple of weeks, a documentary about Mr. Fields will begin shooting right here in the Park Room, where he says he’ll be joined by Tony Bennett, Betty White, and others over the age of 90 who have “made a name for themselves and remain successful.”
Will Irving write a theme song for the Good News Network? Stay tuned to find out…
(WATCH him write the YouTube song below – and SHARE the catchy tune with your friends…)
A new study published June 11 by the scientific journal Addiction finds that in England, children’s exposure to second-hand smoke has plummeted by nearly 80% since 1998.
An emerging social norm in England has led to the adoption of smoke-free homes not only when parents are non-smokers but also when they smoke.
The study gathered data from over 35,000 children who participated in the annual Health Survey for England from 1998 to 2012. Children’s exposure to second-hand smoke was measured through the presence of cotinine, a nicotine derivative, in saliva samples. The body converts nicotine that has been absorbed as a result of inhaling tobacco smoke into cotinine which stays in the body much longer than nicotine and so provides an accurate record of the quantity of smoke inhaled in recent days.
In the late 1980s, the concentration of cotinine in the saliva of non-smoking children averaged 0.96 ng/ml. By 1998, that figure had dropped to 0.52 ng/ml, and by 2012 it had dropped further to 0.11 ng/ml. By 2012, over two thirds of all children had undetectable levels of cotinine, an occurrence that was once a rarity.
In 2010 the UK government included in its national tobacco control plan the ambition to see two-thirds of households with smoking parents go smoke-free by 2020. Already well over half of homes containing children with smoking parents have gone smoke-free. If current trends continue, government targets for protecting children from second-hand smoke will be reached ahead of time.
