The U.S. economy grew sharply in the second quarter as consumers stepped up spending and businesses restocked, putting it on solid footing.
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that gross domestic product expanded at a 4.0 percent annual rate, much stronger than the 3.0 percent economists had expected.
(READ the full story from Reuters News) – Photo by Independent We Stand via CC license
We reported on another dog in April that jumped on her companion while she was choking, creating a Heimlich maneuver-like rescue. Turns out, this type of miracle isn’t so rare.
Within a few weeks, Rachel Hayes was doubled over gasping for breath when her worried springer spaniel hit her on the back and dislodged the strawberry pastille stuck in her throat.
“She came up behind me put her paws on me and bashed on my back with such force the sweet came out,” she told the Mirror.
Ms. Hayes thought she would die right there in her kitchen, and says her beloved dog now has a new name, Hero.
(READ the story in the UK Mirror)
Photo by Anne Hornyakvia CC license on Flickr – Story Tip from Sergio Belli in Italy
People who are blind can now read more than just words, such as graphs and graphics, following the development of an affordable digital reading system by Curtin University researchers in Australia.
Opening up new career paths and educational opportunities for people with vision impairment, the system combines a number of pattern recognition technologies into a single platform and, for the first time, allows mathematics and graphical material to be extracted and described without sighted intervention.
Senior Lecturer Dr Iain Murray and PhD student Azadeh Nazemi of Curtin’s Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering developed the device to handle the extraordinary number of complex issues faced by the vision impaired when needing to read graphics, graphs, bills, bank statements and more.
Dr Murray said the small device, which uses audio format with navigation markup, runs on very inexpensive platforms, with an expected production cost as low as $100 per device, which could make a difference in third world countries.
He said previously there have been many methods to convert graphical material but all are very labour intensive and generally not easily transferable to other users.
“Our system is easily operated by people of all ages and abilities and it is open source, meaning anyone with the skill can use and modify the software to suit their application,” Dr Murray said.
The player has built-in user instructions and a speech engine that converts to more than 120 different languages.
Dr Murray said he was now looking for philanthropic finance to set up production.
(Source: Curtin.edu) – Story Tip from K. Alexander
Today is the sixth annual World Ranger Day, first organized by the International Ranger Federation to honor the work and sacrifice of park and wildlife reserve employees worldwide.
On July 31, we remember the approximately 1,000 rangers killed or injured around the world in the line of duty in the last ten years –103 in 2013, and 56 so far this year. Many in remote areas deal every day with the realities of extreme violence amid their anti-poaching efforts, and live in hard conditions, often earning low wages.
For more info, visit the Thin Green Line Foundation, an Australian group that works to protect rangers, or the excellent website of the International Rangers Federation.
Photo credit: Park Rangers in Alaska by Marina via CC license on Flickr
Portland’s transit company sent a special bus to pick up one of their regular riders, 102 year old Vida Trout.
The distinguished East Portland retiree uses the bus to travel to her many volunteer positions and last Wednesday was surprised when the sign identifying the approaching bus read, “Happy Birthday Vida”.
Inside was a TriMet employee who led the passengers in a birthday song, and passed out cupcakes and a gift for Vida — free rides for the rest of her life. OregonLive.com reports that Vida’s sister lived to be 104, so she might be enjoying her special status on the bus for a long time.
Obviously TriMet deserves one check one box for excellent customer service and another for the appreciation shown its customers — at least on this July 29 run
(WATCH the short video below or READ the story at Oregon Live)
TD bank in Canada turned an ATM into an Automated Thanking Machine and recorded customers’ reactions to receiving personalized gifts dispensed through a small door that opened in front of them.
“Never in all my life have I had such a beautiful surprise,” said one elderly woman.
Watch below, and have tissue ready!
Seniors at this New Zealand retirement home created one of the best dance tributes out there using the Pharrell hit, Happy.
Sixty residents and staff at the Diana Isaac Retirement Village in Christchurch wanted to show their children and grandchildren just what they’re made of.
You will be tickled by their combined spunk and talent, especially with the average age being somewhere around 80.
The dancers, which have also filmed a dance performance to this song in April at a shopping mall, call themselves 80-odd years of happy.
4-year-old old Lilly is on a quest to end Alzheimer’s, a disease that has claimed her great-grandmother’s memory. Although Nanny slip further and further away, her face still lights up with love at the sight of her 21 great-grandchildren. And that connection drives Lilly in her charity work.
She started raising money at the age of three, asking neighbors for donations and eventually becoming one of the top fundraisers on her team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. She would say, “My name is Lilly and I am doing a charity walk for Alzheimer’s would you like to sponsor me?” She raised over $250.
Earlier this year, she worked with her cousins on several lemonade stands that raised more than $1,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association, but her latest goal is to get a donation from each of the 50 states. She has a map ready to mark off the states as the donations come in through her online page.
Pledges have already come in from 31 states and 3 countries. Still needed are: Oregon, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Alabama, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
When asked what the money is for Lilly will tell you that it is for the people who are sick with Alzheimer’s. She will tell you that sometimes Nanny forgets her name but she knows that Nanny never forgets that she loves her.
You can find Lilly’s fundraising page for the September 2014 event at Act.Alz.org.
This video below shows Lily asking for donations…
The Creative Director for Animals Australia made a video montage of beautiful humanitarian rescues that were on YouTube. She added some soaring music and it became a 4-minute antidote to all the depressing news lately.
“Here’s to you — the kind-hearted,” she says at the end.
We also like that she tried to acknowledge the owners of the original footage, which lets us research more information about some of the rescues, if we wish.
Let the cheers begin…
Britain’s economy has reached a record high – surpassing its peak before the financial crisis struck six years ago, according to official figures the Office for National Statistics released Friday.
Strong GDP growth of .8 percent in the second quarter has kept it on track to be the fastest growing industrial country this year.
“Today we reach a major milestone in our long-term economic plan. But there is still a long way to go,” Chancellor George Osborne told ITN News. “The Great Recession was one of the deepest (in history).”
(Check out the charts at the Daily Mail)
Photo credit: Aurelien Guichard via CC license
U.S. consumers are more confident about the economy than they have been in nearly seven years.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its confidence index rose to 90.9 in July from an upwardly revised 86.4 in June. The July reading is the highest since October 2007, two months before the Great Recession officially began.
(READ the full AP story in the Boston Globe)
In this social experiment, comedian Fred Armisen anonymously calls a payphone across the street from the Comedy Cellar in NYC.
Those who were brave enough to answer the call and, after hearing an invitation, walk into the unknown, were rewarded with an amazing experience.
(WATCH the video made by Heineken)
A wild leopard was rescued in July from the bottom of a well in a rural part of India. A group of villagers and forest officials rescued the animal after it found itself trapped at the bottom of a well in a rural area of Panchmahal district in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Local men involved in the effort said they had heard noises from the spot and then discovered it stuck inside.
Without a tranquilizer, the rescuers attempted to ensnare the leopard in a rope, but the animal growled and pounced fiercely when it was being caught. Eventually the lucky leopard was saved without any one getting hurt.
(READ the story from ITN News)
Fighting multiple sclerosis since he was 8 years old, Jahi Gibson was unable to defend himself while growing up in a crime-ridden neighborhood.
Weeks of physical therapy had helped him walk again after MS temporary paralyzed him from the neck down. This was his chance to not only walk better, but to even dance.
Jahi is among 1,000 young teens in nine cities picked for a free summer camp led by the world-famous New York dance company, each teen facing personal challenges that would seem overwhelming to the average adult.
(READ the story from TODAY.com)
Photo credit: Justin Namon / Courtesy of the Adrienne Arsht Center
Four Germans made a music video based on their inspiring experiences with street people, playing instruments and singing meaningful songs while drawing attention to the overlooked humanity on a sidewalk.
The video, made by Be Japy e.v., has attracted 4.3 million views on YouTube since July 1.
What do you think? We found it touching. The music itself is melodic and worth listening to over and over.
(WATCH the video below)
A collection of 40 paintings by an 11-year-old boy has sold for more than a half million dollars (£390,000).
Kieron Williamson, from Norfolk, England saw his watercolors, oils and pastels sell on Friday in just a matter of minutes.
The child prodigy is worth about £2m after selling pieces at auction since the age of seven. His aspiration is to paint in Europe like his favorite French, Italian and Dutch masters.
(READ the story, with photos, at the BBC)
Story tip from Terry Peacock
The antibacterial properties of honey have long been known, both ancient Greek and Egyptian physicians are said to have valued it and it was used in the treatment of wounds right up to World War II.
Honey is now regularly being shown to kill superbugs in the laboratory, as scientists and doctors work together to once again prove honey’s effectiveness in battling life-threatening bacteria.
(READ the story from the BBC)
Photo credit: Flood G. via CC license on Flickr
In Thailand, a herd of elephants get innovative to protect a calf from strong currents in the river.
This YouTube video shows animals in the Elephant Nature Park working together, using their instinctive nature, standing in a tight circle around the calf to protect the baby.
(WATCH the video below)
Like this Cuteness? Share it below…
The US tourist whose phone and wallet were robbed while rescuing a man from the Liffey River in Dublin has said he is overwhelmed by the response he’s had from the Irish public since the incident.
Nebraska man Joe Sheehan said he would like to thank the Irish people, especially passers-by Hugh, Cathal and Katie who came to his aid after he was robbed, treating him to a night out and ensuring he had somewhere to stay.
“The kindness of everyone around me, especially the Dubliners has replaced anything that I could have lost,” the 20-year-old told the Independent.
(READ the story from the Irish Independent)
Photo credit: Liffey River at sunset in Dublin – by Philip Milne via CC license
St. Anthony used to dump 18 water towers’ worth of storm runoff and other water into the Mississippi River each year. Then it turned around and pumped 24 towers’ worth of groundwater to sprinkle the lawns of Central Park and City Hall.
This project, along with 1,600 others have been catalogued for a Minnesota program called GreenStep Cities which aims to provide step-by-step instructions for environmental and cost-effective projects to city and small-town leaders.
The water project in St. Anthony has also improved the quality of life with its three fountains that hide the water reuse tanks and provide a background for local wedding and anniversary photos.
(READ the story from the Star-Tribune)
Photo by Louis du Mont via CC license on Flicr
