New Study Reveals Surprising Benefit to Being Overweight

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Apr 10, 2015

Overweight-obese-beach-women-CC-ColinRose — By ColinRose (via CC license)

People struggling with their weight often face frustration, failure and constant reminders they run the risk of heart disease, diabetes and a litany of other health problems.

But they may be doing something right when it comes to fighting dementia.

A new study shows that middle-aged, overweight people have a greatly increased chance of avoiding dementia later in life, a conclusion that has spurred scientists to hunt for clues as to how their approach might somehow help the rest of us avoid the degenerative disease.

Diet May Cut Risk of Alzheimer’s by 50% (Long-term Study of 900 Seniors

“If we can understand why people with a high body mass index have a reduced risk of dementia, it’s possible that further down the line, researchers might be able to use these insights to develop new treatments,” said Stuart Pocock, professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Medicine.

Researchers believe overweight eaters are ingesting extra nutrients along with all those extra calories they eat, so scientists are now looking at the possibility that vitamin D and E may play a major role in helping prevent dementia.

The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Journal, runs counter to previous, smaller studies, and could be a useful tool in addressing rising rates of dementia.

“But if you collect them all together,” Nawab Qizilbash of Oxon Epidemiology, who led the study, said. “Our study overwhelms them in terms of size and precision.”

Researchers studying two million people in the UK found that over the course of the study, 45,507 of the people developed dementia. Overweight participants were 29% less likely to develop dementia than people of normal weight. Underweight people were 34% more likely to develop it.

However, Dr. Qizilbash cautions, “You can’t walk away and think it’s OK to be overweight or obese. Even if there is a protective effect, you may not live long enough to get the benefits.”

SHARE the News (below)… Photo credit: Colin Rose via CC license

Wife Refuses to Pull Plug on Comatose New Husband and He Finally Wakes Up

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Good News Network

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Apr 10, 2015

Just seven months after Matt and Danielle Davis got married, Matt crashed his motorcycle and suffered traumatic brain injury that left him in a coma. Nine days after that, doctors told Danielle there was nothing more they could do for him. There was a 90 percent chance Matt would never wake up.

“They said if it was them, they’d pull the plug,” Danielle said. But it wasn’t what she wanted to do, so she took Matt home and cared for him for weeks.

Then, one day, her hope was rewarded. Matt woke up and uttered these words to his wife, “I’m trying.”

Four years later, he’s still trying. Matt’s speech is slurred, he’s missing three years of memories, but he takes yoga and is regaining motor control of his muscles through occupational therapy.

Matt says the whole experience has taught him to never take anything for granted.

A GoFundme account was set up to help Danielle and Matt pay for a full-time caregiver to come to their home, and it has raised nearly $60,000 in a months, since media reports shared their story.

(WATCH the video below or READ more from WTOC)

NBA All-Star Donates New Car To Single Mom (WATCH)

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 10, 2015

He is known as one of the most intimidating point guards on the basketball court, but off the court, Russell Westbrook is a big softie.

The Oklahoma Thunder player surprised a single mom on Monday with the brand new Kia Sorento that he won after being named the MVP of February’s All-Star game.

The car was donated to 19-year-old Kerstin Gonzales who cried tears of joy, sitting beside her two young boys, after Westbrook handed her the keys.

This Video About Friendship Through Adversity Will Make Your Day

“Are they playing a prank on me or something?” Gonzales said of her initial reaction. “wheelWhen he showed me the keys, I was like ‘this is real’. That’s when I started to cry because it’s been such a hard time.”

His Russell Westbrook WhyNot? Foundation reached out to a local social service agency to help him find someone who could benefit the most from the car. Gonzales, who came highly recommended, plans to finish high school this spring and study forensic science in college.

Westbrook said in a Thunder press release, “When you see somebody working hard towards a goal and finding ways every day to keep everything afloat for her two boys and her family, you can’t do anything, but help them out.”

The NBA star has committed to paying Gonzales’ insurance for the first year, registration and any other fees associated with her reward, saying, “Today was a stepping stone in showing her that everything is going to be alright.”

(WATCH the Video from OKC Thunder)

Great Photo for National Siblings Day Today

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Apr 10, 2015

Today is National Siblings Day, an annual holiday in the United States to honor brothers and sisters.

Governors in 39 states have officially issued proclamations to recognize and honor siblings.

The ‘holiday’ was created in 1998 by Claudia Evart, a paralegal from Manhattan, to honor her late sister, Lisette, who was born on April 10, and also her brother, both of whom died early.

Evart set up the Siblings Day Foundation that pushes for this day to become nationally recognized by the federal government, among other efforts geared toward siblings.

This photo, by Rolands Lakis, was the best we found to symbolize the day.

Today is a perfect day to drop what you’re doing and contact your siblings just to have a laugh or share your gratitude for them.

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It’s Official: NFL Scores Big By Hiring First Female Referee

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 9, 2015

For the first time in the National Football League’s 95-year history, a woman will don the black and white striped uniform as a full-time game official.

Sarah Thomas said she was “speechless” when Dean Biandino, the NFL Vice-President of Officiating, hired her last week. Although honored to be considered a trail blazer for women, she just wants to blend in with the other six referees on field and never make a mistake.

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Plucked as a top candidate from the NFL’s advanced development program for officials, the Brandon, Mississippi native has more than 20 years under her belt. She already broke ground as the first woman ever to officiate in a prestigious college bowl game.

Thomas is not the first female to ever take the field. Shannon Eastin filled in during a 2012 labor dispute between the league and staff officials, but wasn’t officially hired on staff.

All eyes may be on Thomas when the season kicks off in September, but she doesn’t want any special attention. “The guys don’t think of me as a female, they see me as just another official,” she says.

Anonymous and Encouraging Message Posted in University Womens’ Restroom

“It’s meaningful to a lot of people, and I’m honored for that. But that’s not why I set out to do this, to break a gender barrier of any sort. I just did it because I loved officiating,” she said Thursday on Today. “I’m not nervous, really…I’m just making sure that my fellow crew mates know I’m ready, and that the coaches and players know I’m there to do a job as an official.”

(WATCH the video from the NFL)

Hydrogen Fuel Breakthrough Uses Corn Husks in Revolutionary Way

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Apr 9, 2015

Smoke and exhaust fumes pouring from the tailpipes of cars and coal-fired power plants could be a thing of the past if scientists’ dreams for hydrogen cars are realized. Researchers at Virginia Tech Monday announced a breakthrough that could bring hydrogen fueled cars one step closer to reality.

The scientists found a way to use waste materials from corn harvests — stalks, cobs, and husks — to produce hydrogen while significantly lowering costs.

Hydrogen-fueled cars, and their zero emissions are a big step up from even electric cars, because they don’t rely on power plants — often burning coal or gas — for recharging.

”We believe this exciting technology has the potential to enable the widespread use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles around the world and displace fossil fuels,” researcher Joe Rollin said.

Rollin, a former doctoral student at Virginia Tech, was lead author on the team’s paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Cost has always been a major hurdle in producing hydrogen for fuel. The new process could cut costs by as much as two-thirds, while shortening the time it takes to make hydrogen from biomass — or plant sugars. The new process is at least 10 times faster than current methods.

The current, expensive method requires burning natural gas to create a chemical reaction in highly processed plant sugars. The facilities needed to produce hydrogen are massive, meaning they require high start-up and construction costs. Processing the plant sugars before they can be turned into hydrogen adds another layer of expenses. And on top of all that, there’s the cost of transporting the plant materials to the production facilities, then to fuel stations.

The Virginia Tech team found a new process that speeds the reaction time to create hydrogen. The method uses cheap crop-waste instead of expensive processed sugar. This means, the production facilities can be smaller and use less time and energy to make hydrogen. And, because the facilities are smaller, you can build more of them closer to the crops — and closer to customers — cutting the transportation costs.

“This means we have demonstrated the most important step toward a hydrogen economy – producing distributed and affordable green hydrogen from local biomass resources,” Percival Zhang, a professor at Virginia Tech’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering said.

Rollin and Zhang have co-founded Cell-free Bioinnovations to bring their ideas to market. They’ve already received funding toward their next step — scaling up production to a demonstration size.

Scientists familiar with hydrogen fuel research say it’s still difficult to predict actual costs and savings — or even when the process could be marketable. But they are watching closely, and say the Virginia Tech breakthrough is giving their field a whole new way of looking at how to create a hydrogen-fueled economy.

Photo Credit: Virginia Tech (Zhang, pictured)

After Years Apart, Watch This Mother Elephant Reunite With Her Baby

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Apr 9, 2015

A mother and child reunion in Thailand proves nothing can match a mother’s love — and elephants never forget.

Baby MeBai was only three years old when taken from her mother, Mae Yui, and forced to give rides tourists in Thailand as part of the country’s trekking industry. MeBai was too young and small for the job, and steadily lost weight until she could no longer carry passengers.

That’s when Elephant Nature Park stepped in, rescuing MeBai and putting her into their “Pamper a Pachyderm” program. Elephants in the program are freed from lives of work and allowed to do what elephants do — roam freely, bathe in rivers, kick up dust and hang out with other elephants.

But the Park’s officials weren’t done helping the young elephant. They
tracked down mother Mae Yui at another elephant-ride business and talked the owners into retiring the mother elephant to their sanctuary.

Reunited after nearly four years of separation, MeBai and her mother recognized each other right away. They can now be seen nuzzling one another with their trunks and flapping their ears, apparently inseparable, in this video from ENP.

When she first arrived, MeBai was uncertain of her new, unfamiliar surroundings and didn’t trust people, but she’s starting to warm up to the tourists who visit and pet her.

“MeBai was nervous and wary of people when she first arrived at the sanctuary,” says a post on the ENP website. “But she quickly learned that her new caretakers had no intention of abusing her in any way.”

Owners of the elephant ride business are currently helping ENP to rehabilitate both mother and child so they can return to the wild.

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37 years After Graduation, Student Sends High School Teacher $10,000

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Good News Network

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Apr 9, 2015

Kevin Perz took the idea of giving his favorite teacher an apple to another level.

The Kansas businessman stunned the woman who was his beloved home economics teacher from 37 years ago with a surprise telephone call–and later a $10,000 thank-you check.

Perz, who attended Parkway Central High School in Missouri, expressed his gratitude in a letter to Marilyn Mecham using bold letters, “You were the B-E-S-T teacher EVER!”

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After years of working with the alumni association to search for Mrs. Mecham, he finally found her son’s phone number, which led to a January reunion.

The monetary gift included a handwritten note with implicit instructions to spend the money only on herself, noting that he’d be sad otherwise.

Mecham, now 62, was a first-year teacher in 1977 when she taught Perz and his classmates how to cook.

Fifth Grader Donates Entire $300 Savings To Stop Teacher Layoffs

She was overwhelmed by his kindness, and said she would’ve been happy with just the surprise phone call.

Perz’s penchant for mailing money to former teachers began in 1992 when he sent a $5,000 check to his former calculus teacher. Twenty years later he gave his business instructor $10,000, according to ABC News.

Honoring his gift request, Mecham plans to visit her family’s homelands of Norway and Sweden.

Mecham runs a charitable effort now and says the event made her stop and think, ‘who do I want to thank’. Additionally, her post on Facebook about the incident caused many friends and strangers to comment about the teachers in their own lives who made a difference.

MULTIPLY the Good by Sharing (below) / Photo Credits – Marilyn Mecham Twitter

75-Year-Old Jack Nicklaus Sinks Hole-in-One at Augusta (Watch)

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Terry Turner

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Apr 9, 2015

Watch @jacknicklaus makes a hole-in-one on No. 4 during the #par3contest #themasters https://t.co/R6eX1kwQo1
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2015

A winning shot at the buzzer, a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, a walk-off home run — these are the Holy Grails of their sports. But what athlete does something like that after they turn 75?

Jack Nicklaus.

The Golden Bear sank a hole-in-one at Augusta Country Club during a Masters Par-3 tournament.

Earlier in the day, he’d he joked about doing something special for his fans, even calling the shot.

“A hole-in-one?” Nicklaus said on ESPN. “Absolutely. We’ll try to get one for you.”

Nicklaus is considered the greatest golfer in history — 18 championships in 25 years, sports types are now convinced Tiger Woods will never equal him.

But in all his years playing at Augusta, Nicklaus never made a hole-in-one there, other places, but never at Augusta — probably the most prominent course in professional golf. He finally does it at the age of 75, ten years after retiring as a pro.

Teeing off at the 130-yard, fourth hole, Nicklaus drove the ball onto the green, past the flag. The ball took three bounces, then it’s spin carried it straight back into the hole. The crowd burst into applause and golfing greats Ben Crenshaw and Gary Player shared high-fives and fist-bumps with Nicklaus.

The ball and golfing glove Nicklaus used Wednesday are part of sports history now, but they’re staying in the family. The Golden Bear gave them to his grandson, Stevie.

Featured photo credit: pocketwiley, CC

5 Nonprofit Restaurants Join Jon Bon Jovi in Giving Back to Communities

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Apr 8, 2015

GNN fans will already know about Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen, a pay-what-you-want restaurant in Red Bank, NJ. It opened in 2011 with no prices on the menu as a way to provide fresh food to low-income neighbors.

During the recent recession, the “SAME Cafe” in Denver opened, and so did several Panera nonprofit restaurants, none of which needed any cash registers.

Since 2011, more such charitable dining establishments have popped up around America.

From Atlanta to Los Angeles, Chicago to Manhattan, here are four more amazing nonprofit restaurants that lead by example when it comes to the delicious business of giving back.

(SEE the fabulous five in Affect Magazine) – Photo: Inspiration Kitchens, Chicago

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Homebound Elderly Across America Will Get The Gift of Puppy Love

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Apr 8, 2015

Many homebound elderly people are deprived of the simple joys of puppy love, but this heartbreaking fact is about to change for some American seniors.

Lacking the financial means or physical ability to care for a pet meant they had to give up the companionship they enjoyed for so many years. Fortunately, a nonprofit called Caregiver Canines is officially going national, and will be connecting four-legged visitors with seniors in Texas and Pennsylvania beginning this week.

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After a successful six-year run using therapy dogs–many of them, adopted rescue pups–in New Jersey, the group has partnered with the National Volunteer Caregiving Network to launch pilot programs around the country. Caregiver Canines is providing them with all of the guidance and materials they need to kick the program into high gear.

“Elderly who are homebound feel the loss of a dog in their lives very deeply. They generally are life-long dog owners, but sadly, find themselves at a time in their life when their medical or financial situation does not allow them to have a pet,” explains Lynette Whiteman, the Caregiver Canines founder and director.

Whiteman works for Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, a program that assists homebound and disabled elderly with vital tasks so they can remain independent. Many of the seniors are suffering from dementia and various physical ailments, so during home visits Lynette often found it hard to engage them in conversation.

But whenever she asked if they’d had a dog, it completely changed the game.

“They would light up right away, go off to find pictures of dogs they had, and start talking about them,” said Lynette. “I thought, ‘There are therapy dogs brought into nursing homes, so why don’t we bring them into peoples’ homes?'”

One of those dogs is Daisy, a 12-year-old Cocker Spaniel who was rescued from a shelter in South Carolina. She goes with her owner, Barbara, to visit 88-year-old Violet, who is immobile because of bilateral knee replacement surgery and unable to move at home without assistance.

Violet had a Cocker Spaniel when she was a little girl, and Daisy’s visits bring back wonderful memories. Daisy always jumps up on the couch to sit right by Violet, and Violet pets her head, cuddles her, and repeats over and over how beautiful she is.

“I always had dogs, but I can’t take care of them anymore because of my knee. I’m always excited to see Daisy. She’s so sweet, she gives me all these little kisses,” said Violet. “I wish there were more people that were able to do what Barbara’s doing.”

Before leaving, Barbara always puts the date of their next visit on Violet’s calendar so she has something to look forward to.

Grieving Grandpa Surprised With a New Puppy After Wife Dies (WATCH)

“Daisy had a hard life before she was adopted. She and Violet relate to each other. They are both old and have their infirmities, but they make each other happy.”

You can help by spreading the word for the nonprofit group, Friends for Life, in Waco, Texas, which is on the hunt for therapy dogs in their area. The Share Care Faith in Action in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is also looking. These groups will have the right to use the name “Caregiver Canines” if they follow the guidelines CVCJ set up to preserve the integrity of the program and the safety of people visited.

“Many of our clients have had dogs, either growing up or in their younger years, and truly miss having a pet around,” said Lynn Marie Heiney, Executive Director of Share Care Faith In Action. “I believe receiving a visit from a therapy dog will ease people’s depression and isolation and totally brighten their lives.”

The plan is to offer the service to about 130 sites nationwide.

“It’s really exciting,” said Whiteman. “I’m so glad that other lonely people are going to be able to experience this type of joy.”

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11-yo Super Fan with Down Syndrome Becomes EU Football Treasure

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 8, 2015

This 11-year-old sports fan with Down Syndrome has had the “Best Day Ever” over and over again for a year–winning hearts on football pitches from Scotland to Greece.

A home video taken by his family in Northern Ireland (see below) shows the wild moment when his pro football hero, Georgios Samaras, announced live on Sky Sports Network that he won the “Goal of the Month” contest.

Jay Beatty is obsessed with Celtic football and he jumped at the chance in January to run on the pitch at half-time and kick a goal for his green and white “Bhoys”.

His enthusiasm won over the crowd so much that the Scottish Professional Football League entered the video into the Goal of the Month competition on YouTube in February. The lad won a record-breaking 97 percent of the vote.

“Jay doesn’t play with toys, he doesn’t play with anything, all he does is watch Celtic, look at Celtic books, look at Celtic magazines and listen to Celtics songs,” his father, Martin Beatty, told the BBC Radio Scotland.

Other magic football moments for the boy from Lurgan, County Armagh, include giving a pre-game pep talk to his favorite team in the locker room the day of his now-famous kick, and singing songs on the team bus.

Beatty first came to the attention of Glasgow Celtic players and fans when he was plucked out of the crowd by Georgios Samaras to celebrate the club’s Scottish Premiership title win on May 11, 2014. The two became friends and still keep in touch, though the striker has moved on to play for a Saudi team.

Samaras said Jay was a major inspiration to him during the World Cup in Brazil when he played for his national team, Greece. After scoring a last-minute goal to help his team advance, he thanked Jay during the post-match press conference. “I want to thank you for the strength you give me. “Your smile and your support gives strength to everyone. In the end, I want to say that I’m very, very proud that you’re my friend. So I hope to see you soon, buddy.”

Jay was thrilled to be able to see his buddy “Sammy,” not in person, but appearing on the television screen to announce his victory in the Goal of the Month contest in February, “Jay, it’s great to see you scoring goals like me… Well done on such a great job – I miss you and hope to see you soon.”

(WATCH the videos, including his reaction to win, his goal, and his hero carrying him onto the field) – Photo Credit: SPF

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Parkinson’s Pen For Patients Who Want to Keep Writing Christmas Cards

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Apr 8, 2015

One of the most bothersome things about Parkinson’s Disease is when it forces your handwriting to become tiny and unreadable, even when you try your darnedest to make it look larger.

A new vibrating pen helps overcome this disorder, which is called micrographia and is one of the earliest symptoms common to almost all Parkinson’s patients. Called “ARC”, the pen improved writing in 86% of cases.

Created by Dopa Solution, the pen uses high-frequency vibrating motors to stimulate muscles in the hand to address the progressively smaller, more cramped handwriting.

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Keith Welton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010, was one of 14 people with micrographia in the original tests of the ARC prototype.

He noticed a marked difference immediately. Without the pen, he said, no matter how hard he would fight to keep his writing large, “I’d end up with virtually a straight line.” The ARC to him, was like magic.

“I started with very big writing, for some reason that I can’t explain,” he said in the Dopa video, before chuckling at the results. “It just went large.”

”We heard stories of how frustrating it was for people with Parkinson’s who were still working, or who wanted to write a card, sign documents, anything that had to do with writing,” Lucy Jung, one of the ARC designers said. “We went through lots of different possible solutions with the participants and found out that with the right frequency it increased size of the writing.”

The thick, ergonomic design of ARC makes it easy to hold. It also rests in a recharging stand when not in use so users don’t have to struggle with replacing batteries.

And this may be the first in a whole series of tools for people affected by Parkinson’s, designed by this team of mechanical engineering and design students from the Royal College of Art, Imperial College London.

“As our theory of using vibration works for other tools,” Jung told wired.co.uk. “It could be [used in] make-up tools, brushes, computer mice and other tools.”

The pen is still a prototype and the team is looking for funders, manufacturers and distributors for further development.

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Veterans Ensure Safe Passage for Chicago Kids Walking To School

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Good News Network

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Apr 7, 2015

U. S. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are keeping youngsters safe on their walk to and from school in Chicago. The successful program was born out of a most unlikely beginning — college loan debt.

Eli Williamson and Roy Sartin, both veterans and both struggling with student loan payments after leaving the service, created Leave No Veteran Behind looking for a way to help veterans pay off that debt.

“What if we were to raise dollars,” Williamson said, “apply those dollars directly to the veteran’s student loan account, and then require that veteran to give back in community service once that debt has been paid?”

In US first, New Orleans Finds Homes for All its Homeless Vets

And what better community service than posting ex-Marines on the corners of Chicago’s roughest streets before and after the school bell rings each day. The “Safe Passage” program does just that, and since it’s start in 2011 nearly 400 veterans have taken part. On a typical day, as many as 130 vets and community members keep watch over Chicago neighborhoods. (See the video below)

Hakka Gurkan, a Chicago police officer and veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan came up with Safe Passage as his community service project. Gurkan not only envisioned vets keeping an eye on the kids, but also positively interacting with them. Their peacekeeping efforts cut violent crime on the gang-ridden routes by 20% in the first couple of years.

In addition to the student loan relief, the veterans are paid $10 per hour for their several hours of service each day.

“Somebody’s going to think twice because we’re there,” Whittaker said. “And because of that, there’s going to be a child that gets home safe that day.”

(WATCH the video below or READ the story at Nation Swell)

This Is How To Feed A Town With Loose Change

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 7, 2015

A quarter won’t get you very far these days—but an innovative program in Canada, is helping folks put their loose change to good use.

April 7 is World Health Day, and what could be happier than fresh produce. As part of a “Food For Friends” program, grocery stores around Woodstock, Ontario have been inviting shoppers to add 25 cents to their check-out bill to help local families in need. The money, which is collectively transferred onto food cards, allows families the opportunity to shop for their own fresh groceries, and avoid the shame associated with visiting a traditional food bank.

It’s amazing how fast those quarters add up. Now in it’s ninth year, the initiative has raised between $75,000-$90,000 a year for the 275 families enrolled in the program— an amount equivalent to what typically feeds those families through the food bank system.

The cards are not only a more discreet method of distributing food, they’re also more efficient, cutting out the need for food truck deliveries, warehouse storage, and volunteer hours. Not a cent is used for administrative costs, and it’s a great way for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds to help others within their own community.

The program was developed by Stephen Giuliano, the Director of Operation Sharing, a group that assists low-income people in Oxford County. Giuliano hopes to use this approach with other Operation Sharing programs such as the homeless shelter, disability support and children’s services.

Believing the model could be used across Canada as a method for addressing poverty, he told The Star, “I think we can make history here.”

(WATCH the video below from CBC’s The National) – File Photo: by Old Shoe Woman, CC

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Lane Bryant Challenges Victoria’s Secret By Redefining Beauty

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Apr 7, 2015

It’s a great week to be a woman.

Regardless of what size you are, the message of this new full-figured lingerie campaign, and the French legislation passed last Friday, is clear: sexy doesn’t have to be just one size.

Let’s start with the new ad campaign everyone is buzzing about this morning, Lane Bryant’s #ImNoAngel.

The ads are clearly a dig at Victoria’s Secret, which caps its sizes at XL and 40DDD and has promoted their lingerie using super-thin models alongside the caption, “Perfect Body.” The company has caught flack about this for years, and Lane Bryant’s latest splash capitalizes on the public push for a more positive message, much like The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty did in 2004.

“Our ‘I’m No Angel’ campaign is designed to empower ALL women to love every part of herself,” Lane Bryant Chief Executive Officer Linda Heasley said in a statement. “Lane Bryant firmly believes that she is sexy and we want to encourage her to confidently show it, in her own way.”

Backing the campaign, “real” women on Twitter have been celebrating the idea that perfect really isn’t so perfect, and that being happy and healthy in your own skin is more important than anything else.

Trying to be perfect is a waste of time. #ImNoAngel and that's what I love about myself. @lanebryant @Refinery29 pic.twitter.com/4Zi7gshcdq
— Beck (@manfattan) April 7, 2015

The new ads arrive on the heels of last week’s announcement that France is now banning “skinny” models. Expected to be enacted this week, the law passed by the Parliament makes it illegal to send a woman who’s just too darn thin down Paris’s catwalks. To be exact, she must present a medical certificate showing that her BMI (body-mass index) is at least 18, which translates, for example, to 121 pounds for a woman who is 5’7. Any company failing to comply will be fined about $7,500 Euros ($8,100).

Additionally, French magazines will have to disclose when a model’s image has been doctored to make her look skinner—and cough up 30% of their ad revenue if they don’t.

According to NPR, Spain, Israel and Italy have rules against ultra-thin models, but none go as far as the French measure would.

It looks like people are finally waking up to the fact that “plus size” is just as perfect as any other size, as long as you’re healthy. Now that’s something to celebrate.

‘Guitars Over Guns’ Keeps Kids Off Mean Streets With Celebrity Jams

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 7, 2015

Chad Bernstein, a premiere Latin, funk and jazz artist, has played with the likes of Shakira, Pharrell, Jennifer Hudson and Pitbull. But most notably he channels his artistic passion into helping at-risk kids overcome the pull of Miami’s rough streets by training them in the music business. On that sweet note he was named a CNN Hero.

Bernstein’s nonprofit, Guitars Over Guns, puts musical instruments and mixing boards into the hands of middle-school students in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. The group pairs students with professional musicians and since 2008 the program has benefitted more than 225 students with free instrument lessons and mentoring.

Mentors develop a close relationship with the teens and get to know their families. In addition, the kids receive tutoring and social services. By the end of the year, they are performing on stage and recording in Chad’s studio.

During Bernstein’s own childhood he was bullied and suffered from self-esteem issues. Playing the trombone gave him a sense of identity. Bernstein says his group has seen more than a 90 percent increase in academic performance and school attendance by participants.

One of the Guitars Over Guns pupils excitedly announced that he could do anything now, “even become a doctor.” The grateful young man told CNN, “Without this program, I’d be in jail or dead.”

The 30-year-old brass master said there’s an amazing sense of pride when a kid gets a round of applause on stage, after working hard.

Having received his doctorate from the University of Miami, the “Trombone Doctor,” as he is called, has found the cure-all for youth on the street: “Music is the most important tool we have in reaching these kids.”

(WATCH the video below from CNN)

Photo Credit: CNN Heroes Facebook

Acrobatic Rescue of Serbian Pup Leaves Thousands Inspired

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Good News Network

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Apr 7, 2015

During a walk with friends in Niš, Serbia, Zox Pavlovic spotted a dog stranded on an island underneath a bridge.

They tried contacting a few animal shelters, but no one would offer help.

That’s when Sasha Pešić, who takes care of dozens of stray dogs, volunteered to try an acrobatic rescue of the pup.

He nimbly climbs down the bridge piling and his friends join in the rescue.

See more of Sasha’s dog-loving antics on Twitter at #SaveSashasDogs.

Caring is Sharing! (Below)…

Journey Drummer With ‘Open Arms’ Helps Fire-Weary High School Band

By

Terry Turner

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Apr 6, 2015

After he learned that fire shut down an Oregon high school band, destroying classrooms, uniforms, sheet music and instruments, the drummer for legendary rock band, Journey, came to the rescue.

The musician who’s laid down the beat for “Faithfully” more times than he can probably remember is keeping faith with fellow band members in his home state.

“That was the only reason I stayed in school,” Deen Castronovo recalled. “I was terrible in every subject except band.”

He pledged to chip in $10,000 to help restore the program for South Albany High School. And he plans to deliver the money in person when he gets a break from his current tour later this month.

“I would love to talk to the kids, give them some encouragement,” he told the Albany Democrat-Herald. “It’s a disappointing loss and a bummer all around.”

The fire destroyed the school’s cafeteria and choir and cheer equipment, too. Insurance will cover most of the losses, but not all.

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Donations have been pouring in to the Albany School Foundation. Castronovo’s pledge matches the total raised so far, and is an inspiration for students, parents and faculty at the school.

Castronovo, whose earliest gig was playing in the marching band at his high school in Salem, Oregon, has a message for the school, which today reopened after Wednesday’s fire: “Don’t stop believing.”

(WATCH the video below from KPTV) – Photo by John C Piercy, via CC license

MULTIPLY the Good by Sharing the Story (below)…

Police Pull Family of Four From Car, Tuck Them In At a Motel

By

Good News Network

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Apr 6, 2015

Tired from days on the road and trying to save money, Robert Wood’s family prepared for another night of sleeping in their car. But a Eugene, Oregon police lieutenant wouldn’t let them stay in the city park. He paid for a room at a motel instead.

Wood was moving his family back to Oregon from Alaska. It was late when they arrived in Eugene and he, his wife and their two children were already bedding down in their seats, like they’d done on the long drive down the remote Alaska Highway.

When Lt. David Natt spotted the car and began telling Mr. Wood he would have to move, he noticed the two boys, a two and four-year-old, asleep in their laps.

That’s when Lt. Natt insisted that the family follow him to a motel and allow the police department to pre-pay the bill.

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“It’s part of our three-word motto: protect, serve and care,” Lt. Natt said. “And you have to take each one of those, in all circumstances, to heart.”

It turns out, the University Fellowship Church created and endowed a special fund for use by Eugene police officers to help people in need. Lt. Natt dipped into the fund to put the family up in a motel for a couple of nights until they got their bearings.

It was a good deed Lt. Natt probably thought would go unnoticed. But a Facebook post has spread the story of the “Good Samaritan Cop” around the world.

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“I have tears in my eyes,” Wood posted to Facebook on Feb. 25, praising the police officer’s act of kindness. “Holy loving lucky stars. I got tears in my eyes.”

“He made me want to do the same kind of thing for other people,” Wood continued. “It was moving, you know. It just was.”

The Wood family is now staying with friends and looking for a permanent home in Eugene.

(WATCH the video below from KMTR’s Ty Steele)