Bernese Mountain Dog Rescues Two Swimmers Caught in Riptide (Video)

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Mar 24, 2015

Nico the Bernese mountain dog was rescued from a shelter just two months ago. Now he’s done some rescuing of his own — pulling two swimmers to safety after they were caught in dangerous rip currents off the Southern California coast.

Three-year-old Nico sprang into action when he heard a woman on a boogie board calling for help at a beach in Ventura. The current was sweeping her away from shore.

Nico’s owner, Dan Clarke told KTLA-TV, “He went right out to her, right up to the side of the boogie board….I just said, ‘Grab him anywhere you can.”’

The unidentified woman grabbed onto Nico’s neck, and the big dog brought her back to shore.

But Nico wasn’t finished saving the day.

Hero Dog Saves Apartment Full of People, Repays Owner for Rescuing Him (Video)

The woman’s husband had tried to get to his wife, and become trapped in another rip current that was dragging him out to sea.

Nico raced back into the water, swam out 100 yards and brought the husband back to dry land, too.

Bernese mountain dogs aren’t known as great swimmers. But, being bred for farm work in the Swiss mountains, they are a strong breed. And Nico’s efforts against the rip tides shows just how strong they are.

Rip currents are powerful, narrow currents that can move at eight feet per second, faster than an Olympic swimmer. They can sweep people far away from shore and exhaust swimmers who try to fight the current. 100 people die every year in the U.S. after being caught in rip currents, says the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

After Jumping From Golden Gate Bridge Man Says Sea Lion Saved Him

Fortunately for the couple, the Herculean dog acted on pure instinct, having never been trained as a life-saving dog.

Clarke, himself a former lifeguard, was surprised by Nico the most. “First I’ve seen him do anything like this,” he said.

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This Is What It Feels Like To Win The Lottery and Share the News (Video)

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Kristy Cooper

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Mar 23, 2015

Check out these two emotional videos showing lottery winners announcing their good fortune.

In the first video, Chris Shaw, a Missouri store clerk, shows his boss the 258.5 million dollar winning ticket after purchasing it at the very location where he worked.

This was four years ago when Shaw had been trying to make ends meet for his family and was down to $28 in his bank account.

Chris only worked at the Break Time store for three weeks before he won it all in the Power Ball jackpot.

He wasn’t the only happy local winner. The store owner also collected $50,000 for having sold Shaw the winning ticket.

In the second video, from last fall, a mischievous father teases his two sons about quitting his job.

The boys are noticeably troubled before the father admits that he’s won a “little bit of money.”

The build-up to his final announcement that he has actually won $2.7 million makes the father’s plan genius — and this video worth watching.

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Why This Welsh Granny is Pulling 300 Pounds Across America

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Terry Brown

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Mar 23, 2015

At 68, Rosie Swale Pope isn’t slowing down, she’s running straight ahead—from New York to San Francisco—which doesn’t impress her all that much. She once ran around the world.

She has no support crew on her run across America. Her only constant companion is a cart — an aluminum-framed, three-wheeled, Amish-built cart, loaded with 300 pounds of supplies — which she pulls behind her.

Everything she needs for the run is loaded into the cart, which she affectionately calls “Icebird.” She zips herself into the Icebird at night, and prepares meals by cooking on a camp stove. She logs into her computer to keep in touch with family back in the UK and keeps plenty of dog biscuits on hand for the thousands of pups she meets along the way.

“It may looked cramped, but after running 10 to 27 miles a day, Swale Pope told Reuters, she has no trouble going to sleep, “Usually, [I’m] so tired when I stop, I’ll go to sleep, bang-wallop! And I’ll wake up feeling refreshed, full of beans.”

Swale Pope had been a runner most of her life, completing marathons, ultra-marathons and cross country runs (like Nepal to Iceland) up until her mid-50s. But running took on new meaning for her in 2002, when her husband, Clive, died from prostate cancer.

“When Clive died, I could have curled up into a ball,” she told the Baltimore Sun. “I was heartbroken. But if you give up, it never gets any better. I’m a happier person because I’ve gone on, and done challenges.”

She turned those challenges into opportunities to raise cancer awareness, while raising money on her website for groups fighting cancer.

And, like a true companion, Icebird has followed her on every run.

Her most famous was a year after her husband died — a 20,000 mile, five-year, around the world run. She raised $372,000 (£250,000) for Russian orphans and cancer research — and received the Order of the British Empire for her efforts.

The Welsh grandmother figures she’s run 50,000 miles during her lifetime. In addition to that, she sailed around the world with her first husband and their two kids, and became the fourth woman to sail solo across the Atlantic.

Mrs. Swale Pope started her U.S. run from New York in October. She figures it’ll take her nine months to reach San Francisco. You can follow her on Facebook, but don’t expect her to sit still for long — even after she completes her run across America.

As she told the Baltimore Sun, “At my age, you can’t wait for the world to come to you. You have to come to the world.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bal-video-welsh-woman-running-across-america-20150202-premiumvideo.html

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‘The Most Canadian Photo Ever’ Goes Viral

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Mar 23, 2015

A photo posted by an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia has been spread far beyond Canada’s borders.

His post on Twitter, with the words, “We may be Mounties, but we are all still kids at heart,” has been shared by thousands of retweets.

“I had no idea it would hit the internet and just explode,” Cpl. Shaun Begg told the CBC.

He simply took the photo to put on his Christmas cards next year.

We may be Mounties, but we are all still kids at heart with @NHL dreams pic.twitter.com/8dm7sQ9NA6
— bcrcmp (@bcRCMP) March 19, 2015

(READ more at the CBC)

Story tip from John Van Strien

‘Angel’ Policeman Helps Woman Who Lost 200 Pounds Finish a 10K

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Terry Turner

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Mar 23, 2015

Asia Ford finished last in a Louisville, Kentucky 10K run, but photos of a city police officer holding her hand for miles, and helping her cross the finish line, are winning the hearts of people across the world.

More than halfway into the race, Ford had trouble breathing. Paramedics checked her out, but she refused to stop. The mother of three had lost over 200 pounds and trained for months preparing for the race. She wanted to inspire her children, and so insisted on finishing the run.

That’s when Lt. Aubrey Gregory of the Louisville Metro Police Department stepped in and took her hand.

”He was like my angel,” Ford told WAVE-TV. “He came at the moment I really needed him.”

Lt. Gregory stayed with Ford every moment of the last two miles to the finish line. He told WHAS-TV her determination gave him “tingly goosebumps all over.” He said, ”Watching her cross the finish line, I felt it all over. It was a great moment and I’m glad she let me be a part of it.”

“Never Give Up…” Disabled Vet Walks Again, Loses 100 Pounds With Yoga (WATCH)

Within hours, thousands more would experience the triumphant moment—when Ford raised her arms in victory as she, her son and Lt. Gregory crossed the finish line.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted the pictures online. Daniel Carlton, Jr., who snapped the photo above, got tens of thousands of “likes” after he put it on Facebook.

What a compassionate city looks like: Lt. Aubrey Gregory helps Asia Ford cross finish line. Photo: Jonathan Roberts pic.twitter.com/1WL9lxY9Lj
— Mayor Greg Fischer (@louisvillemayor) March 21, 2015

Ford told WHAS-TV she struggled with her weight for years, reaching nearly 500 pounds. Her husband at the time lost a limb to diabetes. She didn’t want her kids to wind up with health problems like theirs. She started working out, losing weight and getting in better shape to inspire them.

Two days after the run, the city of Louisville is honoring Mrs. Ford and Lt. Gregory at city hall for inspiring people around the world.

Ford summed it up with her own words of inspiration in a Facebook post after the race: ”This 6.2 miles meant more to me than any race ever, so my message today is, You don’t have to be 1st, AS LONG AS U DON’T GIVE UP AND U FINISH…YOU ARE A WINNER.”

(WATCH the videos below, or READ the story from WAVE-3 News)

Multiply the Good by Sharing this Inspiring Story (below) / Photo by Daniel Carlton, Jr.

Great-Grandmother Jumps Out of Plane for 100th Birthday (WATCH)

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Good News Network

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Mar 22, 2015

For her 100th birthday, a South African great-grandmother decided to celebrate by jumping out of a plane.

Georgina Harwood skydived for her centennial birthday telling reporters that the tandem jump was “wonderful, it was exhilarating.”

“She planned to continue celebrating on Monday by cage diving with sharks.”

(WATCH the video from CBS News)

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Toddler Revived After 101 Minutes of CPR

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Mar 22, 2015

“In a survival story his doctors call extraordinary, a 22-month-old Pennsylvania boy whose lifeless body was pulled from an icy creek was revived after an hour and 41 minutes of CPR and has suffered virtually no lingering effects,” report the AP.

Knowing that the boy’s body temperature was 77 degrees when he arrived at the emergency room—more than 20 degrees below normal — doctors ordered CPR to continue while the team slowly warmed his body.

Not only did the emergency room team finally detect a pulse, they watched the boy over the next hours to make a full recovery,

(READ the AP story in Yahoo News) – Family photo by Rose Martin

Paralyzed Woman Flies Jet Fighter On-Screen Using Only Her Thoughts

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Kristy Cooper

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Mar 22, 2015

Mind control has long been a favorite subject of science fiction writers. Characters from Professor X, in the Xmen series, to the anti-heroine in the movie Lucy have displayed super powers using only thoughts.

Now, a 55-year-old paralyzed woman can join their ranks after flying a simulated jet using only her mind.

Jan Scheuermann, a quadriplegic since 2003, initially fed herself chocolate by merely thinking about controlling the robotic arm created by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Unable to move her arms and legs due to a neurodegenerative condition, DARPA approached Scheuermann in 2012 about connecting her brain into a robotic arm.

Can Aging Be Stopped by Your Mind-Set? Studies Say Yes

The project, called “Revolutionizing Prosthetics,” is a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Human Engineering Research Laboratories intended to develop advanced artificial limbs to help injured veterans.

“We are thinking about exactly how to restore function after injury, how the brain can be used to actuate devices,” Justin Sanchez, the head of DARPA’s prosthetic research, told Wired.

Scheurmann was fitted with two electrodes in the motor cortex of her brain. She was able to successfully control the robotic arm feeding herself chocolate and even give high fives to researchers.

However, the group took it a step further last year.

Scheuermann’s mind was connected to the flight simulator of a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet. (Watch the video below)

Usually, pilots train with simulators using joysticks, but for Scheuermann all she needed was her imagination.

DARPA maintains that Scheurmann, a mystery writer, is not in line to pilot the next wave of mind control drones. Rather, this research was to demonstrate that neural connections used to control flight are the same as what’s needed to operate a robotic arm.

Testing “mind control” is not brand new. In 2006, scientists at the Washington University in St. Louis built an interface allowing an epileptic teen to control a Space Invaders video game.

DARPA Director Arati Prabhakar discussed the research at a forum last month, “In doing that work, we can now see the future where we can free the brain from the limitations of the human body.”

(WATCH flight simulator video from the University of Pittsburgh)

(WATCH Jan eat a chocolate bar with robotic arm)

Photo Credit – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Some Police Officers Do More Than Just Wear a Badge. My Son is a Good Example.

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carol MacDonald

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Mar 22, 2015

I just wanted to share with you and your readers something that happened last week. My son, Travis, a police officer and canine handler for the Massena Police Department, lost his beloved companion Bella, a beautiful chocolate lab he had raised since she was a puppy, nine years ago. Even in his grief, he went above and beyond his sworn oath, “to protect and serve.”

The heartbreak of losing her goes beyond words……and so many of his family and friends are now sharing his pain.

It was only a day before that he realized something was terribly wrong with her, and he rushed her to the vets hoping that they could find out and help her get better. After blood tests, and x-rays, the doctor told him that she was in early stages of kidney failure and her prognosis wasn’t very good.

“Does she have any hope at all,” he asked, and once he heard the words, “yes, there is always hope” he asked the vet to do all her could to help make her better. I got a call the next morning and he was a little more optimistic. He stopped in to see her, and even in her weakened state, she wagged her tail when she saw him and returned his hugs.

Later that day, he stopped in again to check on her, and Bella still seemed very weak, but he thought maybe it was just the medication, and he still held hopes she would pull through this. Travis kissed her “good-bye” before he left; she responded to him once again by wagging her tail and even though he had to help her raise her head she returned his kiss.

Less than an hour later, he got the call he thought might come, but hoped against all odds, that it wouldn’t…… Bella had passed away. The phone call I received from him was so upsetting to me, after all, he was a police officer, and they are supposed to be so tough, aren’t they?

Well contrary to recent news articles and popular belief, this is so far from the truth. A large majority of our law enforcement actually have hearts larger than so many of us could ever hope to have……..and I am proud to say, my son is one of those men.

“They told me to come and pick Bella up.” Without thinking clearly, I actually thought maybe they were telling him to bring her home where she could continue to heal. “No mom,” he said in a broken voice, “they told me to come and pick her up.”

“Smiley” Dog Born Without Eyes Serves as Beacon for Disabled

My heart dropped. I couldn’t believe what he had just told me…I really believed she would pull through this and be okay again. Travis was asked if he wanted to pick her up and because he had already decided to have her cremated the only question he wanted me to answer was, should he see her one last time, knowing she would no longer be that peppy, happy dog that he had shared his life with for so any years.

I told him it was his choice alone, and it might give him the closure he may need at this time to help accept what had happened to her.

Serving Others Even in His Grief

When he arrived at the crematory, he spoke with the man in charge and they discussed how many people choose this way, so they can always have that memory of their beloved pets that much closer to them.

There was one couple from out of town, he went on to tell him, that wanted to be able to bring their dog home with them….but had little money for the cost of the cremation and couldn’t find anyone from their area that offered extended payment plans. They somehow found out about this one, and the owner agreed to accept their payments, letting them know that after full payment, he would release the dog to them.

Travis had no idea who this family was, and regardless of his own grief and heartache he was feeling at that moment, and the worry about his own expenses with the vet bills and the cremation, he asked the owner to accept payment from him, in full, so this family could bring their beloved dog home with them now, instead of waiting three more months.

Instead Of Arresting a Shoplifter, Officer Buys Single Dad Some Baby Food

When he told me this, I broke down and cried, but not just tears of sadness, but tears of pride that I felt for my son.

This is the kind of man I have been fortunate enough to call my son. He does more than take an oath to serve and protect. I am so proud of him. I love you, Travis.

‘Water Gandhi’ of India Turns Dust Bowls Into Lush Villages Using Ancient Ways

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Good News Network

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Mar 22, 2015

A $150,000 prize has been awarded to the “Water Gandhi of India” for his wildly successful work that turns abandoned, impoverished “dust bowls” into lush villages bustling with life again using an ancient method of rainwater harvesting.

For teaching thousands of villagers in India’s most arid region how to build earthen dams to catch the monsoon rains and revitalize their land, Rajendra Singh was honored with the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize.

30 years ago, Singh went to the poverty-stricken state of Rajasthan with the aim of setting up health clinics. He was told by villagers, however, that their greatest need was not health care, but water. Their wells had dried up. Soon after, crops wilted, rivers and forests disappeared, and many able-bodied villagers left in search for work in the cities. Women, children and the elderly were left behind without hope, as their villages became barren dust bowls.

So, instead of clinics, Singh showed them how to build johads, traditional earthen dams.

In the two decades since he arrived in Rajasthan, 8,600 johads have been built to collect water for 1,000 villages across the state. Nature then took over, replenishing the ground water. Rivers began flowing again and the forest cover increased, bringing back animals, like the antelope and, even, the majestic peacock, once on the verge of extinction in these parts. Women, once burdened with carrying water from miles away, now had time for other things.

“If he hadn’t come into our lives, we wouldn’t be able to do anything,” one resident told CNN in the video below. “He’s like a God here.”

The traditional Indian methods of collecting and storing rainwater date back thousands of years, but fell out of use during British colonial rule.

Thanks to the “Water man of India” and colleagues at his NGO, Tarun Bharat Sangh, some of the poorest communities of India are now prosperous— empowered once again by agricultural livelihoods.

Climate change is changing weather patterns around the world, leading to more frequent and intense droughts and floods. Learning how to harvest rainwater, cutting the peaks of water to fill the troughs, will be a key skill in most parts of the world.

“Due to the harvesting of rain and recharging our groundwater, there is no scope for drought or floods in our area,” says Rajendra Singh, who called his recent Water Prize award encouraging, energizing and inspiring. “This work of ours is a way to solve both floods and droughts globally. Therefore we believe the impact of this work is on the local level, national level, the international level and above all at the village level.

(SEE the dams in this excellent CNN video below) Photo credit: Tarun Bharat Sangh FB Page

No RSVPs For 13-yo Odin But He Gets Birthday Party of A Lifetime

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Good News Network

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Mar 21, 2015

Odin, a 13-year old from Peterborough, Ontario with Aspergers, has trouble making friends.

When no one RSVP-ed to his birthday party, his mom took to social media in an attempt to garner some birthday wishes for her son.

A popular local website, PTBO Canada, picked up the plea and spread the word. What resulted was a huge outpouring, including from celebrities who tweeted photos and greetings.

Carrie Underwood, Molly Ringwald and Elijah Wood sent him shout-outs, while Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, and sports stars from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Blue Jays, were among the well-wishers.

Odin’s mom decided to hold an open party at a bowling alley, and it turned into a huge memorable event.

This, dear PLN, is what Social Media can do. Should do. Must do. #odinbirthday @jedipadmaster http://t.co/0GP64cYoJO pic.twitter.com/QczTvy40xF
— jonathan r. werner (@MaineSchoolTech) March 21, 2015

(READ the story from Global News) – Story tip from Erin Shacklette

World Down Syndrome Day – More Alike Than Different (Video)

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Good News Network

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Mar 21, 2015

Today is World Down Syndrome Day, an annual event that raises awareness and advocates for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome.

World Down Syndrome Day, March 21, was first held in 2006 and was designated an important occasion by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011.

To celebrate and spread the word, Lauren and Paul Costabile, who are the producers and creators of Bailey’s World, a TV show in development featuring a main character with Down Syndrome, produced a little video, “More Alike Than Different.”

Do you want to hear some good news about people with Down Syndrome? Check out our collection here.

The Man Who Single-handedly Carved A Road Through a Mountain to Help His Village

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Good News Network

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Mar 21, 2015

For years, he was called a madman for toiling away on the rocks. But Dashrath Manjhi was not crazy. His quest to break a path through a small mountain to benefit the entire village is now legendary because he carved an entire road with hand tools, working for 22 years.

Manjhi started off his extraordinary task in 1960, after his wife was injured while trekking up the side of one of the rocky footpaths. To reach the nearest hospital, he had to travel around the mountains, some 70 kilometers.

The laborer from Gehlour Hills in Bihar, India wanted his people to have easier access to doctors, schools, and opportunity. Armed with only a sledge hammer, chisel, and crowbar, he single-handedly began carving a road through the 300-foot mountain that isolated his village from the nearest town.

“People told Manjhi that he wouldn’t be able to do it,” said Dahu Manjhi, the man’s nephew, “that he is a poor man who just needs to earn and eat.”

He sold the family’s three goats to buy the hammer and chisels and worked every day on the project to make it successful. After plowing fields for others in the morning, he would work on his road all evening and throughout the night.

He toiled from 1960 to 1982, having developed his own technique. He burned firewood on the rocks, then sprinkled water on the heated surface which cracked the boulders making it possible to reduce them to rubble.

Finally, the road was completed. With sides 25 feet high, the road is 30 feet wide and 360 feet in length. Because of his singular dedication, the distance to public services was reduced from 70km to just one.

It has been over three decades since the “Mountain Man,” as he was called, completed the road. The feat brought the Gehlour man international acclaim. After he died of cancer in 2007, Bihar’s Chief Minister gave him a State funeral. Though many believe he deserved it, he never received the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian honor that recognizes “exceptional service” in the community.

“Now the whole society is worshiping him,” said Dahu, “but only after he died.”

Dashrath Manjhis family-youttube — Dashrath Manjhi’s descendants

Though his descendants now have easier access to hospitals and the outside world, people of his village still live in poverty. Carrying on the Mountain Man’s broader vision for economic progress, Manjhi’s lifelong friend has committed to opening a trade school in the village, setting up the Dashrath Manjhi Welfare Trust to inspire the youth and offer meaningful education to change their lives for the better. You can help.

Milaap.org, the micro-loan organization featured on GNN, with their solar light project, has successfully raised the funds that the 82-year-old social worker, Ram Charit Prasad needed, through contributions in honor of Milaap.

“I did what I could through my limited means,” said Ram Charit, “but only with the support of people like you can we take it forward, and break through the mountain.”

(WATCH the beautiful video below to experience the road leading out of Manjhi’s village)

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Be Inspired—How 5 Everyday People’s Acts of Kindness Changed 100s of Lives

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Good News Network

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Mar 21, 2015

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve,” Martin Luther King, Jr. said. “You don’t have to have a college degree to serve… You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

And, often it’s the simple things that we do in our everyday lives that make the biggest impact on others.

Here are five stories that illustrate how the smallest things can make a world of difference.

A principal, at the school where he worked as a custodian, noticed Gabe Sonnier’s innate intelligence and told him, “You should be grading papers, rather than picking them up,” which changed his life.
A stranger riding in the cab driven by Ricardeau Scutt’s father, offered to introduce the young man to a restaurant owner he knew stepping in to help when hearing of Scutt’s immensely difficult job search. Scutt now runs his own restaurant.
Doctors heard about their young cancer patient’s love of football and came up with a solution, to the family’s delight.
Jim Abbott, the professional baseball player born with only one hand, has a third grade teacher to thank for his inspiration to excel, despite his perceived disability.
A Swedish schoolteacher Hilde Back paid $15 per month to sponsor a young child’s education. That child wound up attending Harvard and creating a nonprofit to pay for the education of other Kenyan children.

(READ the FULL story on Brad Aronson’s Blog) / Photo credit: Dominique Cappronnier (CC)

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

By

Carrie Z

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Mar 20, 2015

The small community of Ferguson, Missouri has been in the headlines worldwide in the past six months. While most of the headlines have depicted scenes of unrest and riots, many positive things have been going on in Ferguson — stories the national headlines missed.

One of those things happened on a sunny, unseasonably warm day last fall, over Thanksgiving weekend, when hundreds of people of all ages and from all walks of life gathered in the Ferguson, Missouri community armed with paint brushes.

A woman who grew up in Ferguson and still lives in the St. Louis area witnessed the art outreach and turned it into a children’s book that inspires hope, healing and unity. What’s even better is that all proceeds from the book will benefit programs for youth in the area, as well as small business recovery in the same affected c0unty.

“They drew pictures of Peace, of Hope and of Light, that show Love’s even stronger, than the darkest of nights” says one of the child-friendly verses written by author Carol Swartout Klein that fill the 48-page book called, “Painting for Peace in Ferguson.”

The vivid images in the book tell the true story of hundreds of artists and residents of all ages who came together and used the simplest of tools — a paintbrush — to decorate the plywood covered broken windows on block after block of boarded up businesses. The dozens of damaged businesses were located across several miles in Ferguson, Dellwood and South Grand in St. Louis city. The book contains 140 images of art and mentions more than 300 artists and volunteers who participated in the Paint for Peace St. Louis effort.

The book, published on February 21 by Layla Dog Press, was produced using all-local suppliers from St. Louis. It will be available at local St. Louis book retailers and online at Amazon.com. The hardback book will retail for $25.95 and paperback editions cost $15.95 through the website.

Klein went back to her childhood neighborhood just days after the destructive fires and riots to see how she could help. She witnessed hundreds of people of all ages and races spontaneously giving up their Thanksgiving weekend to support their community, which was still reeling and in shock. She was so moved by the selfless spirit of the volunteers and the compelling artwork that she wanted to do her part as well. Her idea was to capture the positive moment of hope and community healing by putting pen to paper. Painting for Peace in Ferguson is the result.

“It occurred to me,” said Klein of watching the news of the destruction, “that if adults were having a hard time processing and talking about the events in Ferguson, then how are children coping?”

Remembering the Mr. Rogers quote that reminds children to ’look for the helpers when scary things happen,’ Klein thought a children’s book that told the compelling story of all the neighbors who came together to help each other might give children and their parents a way to begin talking about many of the issues raised by the unrest in Ferguson.

Centered on a child-friendly poem penned by Klein, the book does not go into the specifics of what caused the unrest, but rather focuses on the way the community came together to begin the healing process through the Paint for Peace effort. “Painting for Peace in Ferguson” shares the basic idea that anyone, at any age has a talent that they can contribute to help others, even when things seem to be at their worst.

“We designed this book to be a tool for parents and teachers to begin conversations,” explained Klein. “Over the Thanksgiving weekend, and for weeks afterwards, it was so inspiring to see people young and old, black and white come together to transform boarded up windows from something intimidating to children into something so positive. We did not go into detail because we felt it was important for parents to be able to talk about what happened in Ferguson in a way that was age appropriate for their child and that reflects each family’s perspective.”

The Painting for Peace in Ferguson website also includes additional resources for parents and teachers to help them talk about the issues raised in Ferguson as well as suggestions for ways to volunteer.

“The real essence of the book is empowerment,” noted Klein, “and that if we all do what we can to make our community a better place, amazing things like artwork can spring up in a matter of days, which changed the outlook and spirit of an entire town.”

Funds from the sale of the book will be deposited with the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations made to that fund above and beyond the price of the book are tax-deductible.

SHARE the story (below) / Photos via Painting for Peace Book Facebook Page (bottom artwork by Ryan Archer)

On His First Date, Youth Pulls Man From Explosive Car (Video)

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Mar 20, 2015

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For 30 Years Nanny Had “Thorn” in Her Heart for ‘Lost’ Boy, Facebook Reunites Them

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Good News Network

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Mar 20, 2015

A woman from Logrono, Spain posted an emotional plea online in hopes of locating the now-grown boy she once cared for as a nanny 3o years ago.

“It is a great thorn that I carry in my heart…but still, in spite of the years, I still have the hope of embracing again,” she wrote in Spanish on a Facebook post February 20.

56,000 people shared the heart-wrenching post by 57-year-old Yeny Zaera, who said she was looking for a man named Francisco Javier Gimenez Diaz.

She initially met Diaz when he was two years old, serving as his nanny for four years. Zaera wrote that Diaz and his three siblings were neglected by their parents. They were often malnourished and beaten, so she tried to adopt them. However, authorities said no because she was a single woman in her twenties with only a part-time job. The children were eventually adopted by different families in various regions, but Zaera never forgot about him, and even hired a detective.

14 Yrs After Receiving Shoebox Gift, Filipino Girl Marries Boy Who Sent it

Not even he was able to reunite the pair, but the overwhelming response on Facebook succeeded and led to a reunion with the man known today as Francisco Javier Juarez Martin.

“Thirty years without him and finally I am going to get that hug that I dreamed and dreamed of, that seemed impossible,” she wrote excitedly the day before they were to meet in Aredo, the town where he lived, about an hour from her house.

According to Spanish news reports, Diaz managed to remain in contact with his sister, who reached out to him upon discovering the Facebook post. He immediately contacted Zaera.

Flower Girl and Ring Bearer from Wedding Get Married 20 Years Later

“It’s impossible to say thank you to each and everyone of you, so from here I send my appreciation to all those who commented and who are still sharing,” Zaera posted after the touching reunion.

“The feelings, sometimes you cannot explain and today is one of them. It is impossible to describe the feeling of the embrace of a body, to touch a face, take a hand that you spend so much time dreaming to find,” she posted on Facebook before ending with, “Thank you, thank you, thank you a thousand times.”

Photo Credit: Yeny Zaera – Facebook / Story tip from Tonya Brown Wright

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Legacy of Selfless Chinese Principal Who Helped 10,000 Kids Go to College Comes to an End

By

Kristy Cooper

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Mar 20, 2015

Thousands of grateful admirers showed up—some traveling across oceans—to mourn the passing of a high school principal who helped more than 10,000 underprivileged students escape poverty and attend college.

Funeral wreaths were sold out in the mountainous region of China’s Du’an Guangxi Province, as thousands took to the streets Sunday in remembrance of the educator affectionately known as “Principal Dad.”

For 37 years, Mo Zhengao, 59, relentlessly sought donations from businesses and individuals, collecting more than 30 million yuan (nearly $5 million) to benefit 18,000 students. Last year alone, 200 young adults received up to $64 in monthly donations to pay their college living expenses.

Employees Donate From Paychecks for 6 Months to Help Family They Never Met

The Du’an Senior High School in Hechi is renowned in the region for sending students to elite schools in China, even though 40% of the students are impoverished.

Alumni rushed back from big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai to attend the funeral after Mo died of an illness. College students from universities as far away as Harvard sent their condolences, according to Chinese newspapers.

8-Year-old’s ‘Buddy Bench’ for Lonely Kids in the Schoolyard is Catching On

“Even if the (university) already waives tuition, the textbook expenses, dormitory expenses, as well as monthly living expenses, still add up to approximately 4000 yuan every year,” said the high school’s financial aid director Wei Xifeng. “Many impoverished families are unable to bear such a heavy financial burden.”

Xifeng recalled Mo’s dedication to keeping the young adults in school, “Every time a student drops out of school to return home, the principal would personally or have the teacher go to the student’s home, and bring them back.”

A champion of fighting truancy, Mo was often quoted saying, “No matter what, first come back to school, and I’ll figure a way.”

(READ the full story, w/ photos, from ChinaSmack)

Heroic Dog Buries Her Nine Puppies to Save Them from Fire (WATCH)

By

Terry Turner

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Mar 20, 2015

With no way to outrun a raging wildfire, a dog dug a deep hole to hide her nine puppies from the smoke and flames. Then she buried herself under a metal container to ride out the blaze.

The wildfire near Valparaiso, Chile, had burned for days, driving thousands from their homes. Video shows firefighters battling walls of bright orange and yellow flame sweeping up hills and across a countryside covered in dry brush.

As firefighters brought the flames under control, local residents began telling them about seeing a dog leading a litter of small puppies away from the fire. It set off a frantic search leading to the hole were the puppies, just two weeks old, were buried.

Do Animals Have Compassion? These Five Certainly Do…

Fire workers spent almost an hour retrieving the pups from the deep hole. And in the end, all nine were pulled to safety — healthy and uninjured in the fire.

At the same time, rescuers dug and coaxed the mother out of her shelter to reunite her with her pups.

The story of the heroic dog and her puppies has become a bright spot in Chile’s hot, dry fire season.

The dog has a new name, “Blackey,” and the family of strays now has a long list of people clamoring to give them new homes.

(WATCH the videos below) Photo credit: Chile’s Megavision

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Here Comes The Sun: Skyscrapers Can Erase Their Shadows

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Kristy Cooper

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Mar 19, 2015

Skyscrapers can be impressive feats of architecture, but they often cast gloomy shadows in public spaces. Now, one of the greenest architecture firms in the United States has devised a way to make the darkness go away.

Inspired to rid London of its overshadowing problem, especially when 230 new towers are planned for London in the near future, NBBJ has created the world’s first algorithm to make a building lose it’s shadow.

The “No Shadow Tower” design calls for two high rise buildings working in conjunction to redirect sunlight and reduce shadows at their base. (Watch the animation below)

NBBJ’s mathematical algorithm traces the sun’s angles while the orb moves across the sky. Basically, the sunlight reflected by one tower fills in the shadow of the other, creating a 60% reduction in shade.

“These towers can be developed anywhere in the world: the algorithm can adapt the form to any site,” wrote NBBJ designer Christian Coop on Wednesday. “More importantly, No Shadow Towers would benefit their surrounding communities as much as the people who live and work in them.”

Residents in one town in Norway are basking in the winter sun where, historically, there had been only dim daylight. In a victory over the oppressive mountain shadows, the town installed a giant mirror on the mountaintop to send sunshine beaming into the town square below.

(WATCH the company video below)

Photo Credit: NBBJ Released Image