91 years ago today, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared in their first production together when Flying Down to Rio debuted in theaters in New York City. The famous dancing pair would make 9 further film appearances on the silver screen side by side, totaling 33 different dancing numbers. In Flying Down to Rio, they danced to the Oscar-nominated Carioca, a mixture of samba, rhumba, and foxtrot that became a Latin jazz standard. READ more… (1933)
Owl Flies Down Chimney And Perches on Top of Family’s Christmas Tree (WATCH)
Twas the week before Christmas, and perched on the tree was an magical visitor as wise as can be…
It came down the chimney, but wasn’t named Santa, a majestic barred owl dropped in unexpected.
Savannah Burgoyne was at home with her young children in Arlington, Virginia, when she first saw the bird fly through her living room and land atop the tree—and a finer tree topper you’ll never find.
She called the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, and Spencer Murray was dispatched on the jolly house call.
His strategy was to let the bird tire itself out flying from the tree to the kitchen cabinets, with a large net ready to scoop the predator out the double french doors, and back into the suburban skies.
Murray took to social media to post photos and remind everyone to keep their chimneys capped with wire to prevent curious critters from coming inside.
Savannah joked that she was disappointed there was no letter from Hogwarts that came with the owl.
Choosing that local Welfare League, which shelters homeless animals and facilitates adoptions, probably was not the correct call to make, nor would a local animal control agency.
Instead, in a situation like this, homeowners should call a local wildlife rescuer, which is better prepared to respond, although Murray reported the owl was safely captured and led outside. (See for yourself in the video below.)
On the bright side, the group did send the family a surprise holiday gift: an owl tree-topper to remember their encounter forever, and to replace the star that collapsed under the weight of the beefy holiday visitor.
ALSO ADORABLE: Australian Woman Finds Koala Hanging Out in Her Christmas Tree – And the Photos are Adorable
We like to think the Burgoyne family also has a stellar Christmas card idea for next year.
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Insurer Denies Prosthetic So Family Crowdfunds $30k–But Angel Steps In and Girl Gives Money to Boy Who Needs One
The family of a 9-year-old who was born without a left hand raised the $24,000 needed for a new prosthetic arm, after the cost was denied by their insurance company—but now the girl is paying it forward to another child, after a Good Samaritan stepped in to cover the full cost of hers.
Remi Bateman, who outgrew her conventional prosthetic, got the chance to try out a robotic ‘Hero Arm’ made by Open Bionics—and she loved it.
But the family in Utah was left devastated when insurer Select Health deemed the prosthetic “not medically necessary”, which was surprising, since they’d approved three prosthetics before in her lifetime. Even after two different appeals, the company said the high-tech device was for “cosmetic use only”, which left Remi in tears.
So the family launched a GoFundMe campaign and was able to quickly raise the $24,000 to buy the Hero Arm outright—but then a company called CrowdHealth stepped in to pay for her arm in full.
Andy Schoonover, the CEO of the insurance alternative that helps people negotiate lower costs for medical bills, was looking for a way to give back over the holidays. He called the family on Dec. 16 after seeing the story about their fundraiser on social media.
He encouraged Remi to use the GoFundMe donations however she wished, and the little girl knew immediately what she wanted to do—she wanted to help another child buy a Hero Arm.
The Batemans found the fundraising page for Taj Johnson Jr. from Virginia, also born without a left arm, who was raising money for a bionic limb.
She gave the 9-year-old the money so now both kids will get to do what their peers can do, like tying a shoe or hanging on the monkey bars on a playground—thanks to the device controlled via sensors atop their forearm muscles.
“I’m so excited to get my Hero Arm, I could jump to the moon,” said Remi, who ordered her multi-grip bionic hand in the color pink.
“Being able to help Taj means a lot to me.”
Taj’s mom was shocked and ecstatic.
“We are just so grateful to Remi and her family,” said Kaitlin Skinner, who had only managed to raise $1,500 on their GoFundMe page. “This is a blessing.”
Remi’s mom, Jami, especially enjoyed telling Taj’s family. “They were so surprised and grateful to receive the help.
“Remi absolutely needs this device to aid her in two-handed tasks and activities. It is going to support her spinal and shoulder health as she grows too.”
ALSO CHECK OUT: Three Children Receive ‘the Best Christmas Present Ever’ – Bionic Arms
“We are thrilled that CrowdHealth stepped forward to pay for Remi’s arm, enabling us to use the donations to help another limb-different family in need.”
Remi’s quality of life is about to change for the better, as Open Bionics, based in the UK, says they should be ready to fit her pink arm in January.
AMAZING: The Humble Shoe Shiner Who Used All $200,000 of His Tips to Help Uninsured Children
The family, having tasted the sweetness of philanthropy, decided to keep their GoFundMe page open to collect more funds, working towards the goal to help another child named Faith to get a Hero Arm.
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Englishwoman Wakes Up From Stroke Speaking Italian With an Accent–And She’s Never Even Been to the Country
A stroke has left a British woman with an Italian accent and an ability to speak the language, despite never having visited the country.
Althia Bryden’s husband found her unresponsive one evening this summer and unable to talk, so immediately called an ambulance. The 58-year-old stayed in the hospital for nine days after doctors discovered she had suffered a stroke caused by a carotid web, which can interrupt the blood flow to the brain.
After a surgery to remove it—and after three months of being unable to talk—she woke up with an Italian accent and the ability to use rudimentary words in the language.
“I spent three months after my stroke thinking I’d never be able to talk again,” the grandmother from North London told SWNS news. “I felt like a shell of the person I once was.”
“After my carotid web surgery, a nurse came to my hospital bed to do a routine check, and completely out of the blue, I just started speaking. She looked as shocked as I did.
“I remember thinking ‘who is that talking?’.
“Firstly, I couldn’t believe it was me talking, but I also didn’t recognize the sound of my voice.”
Doctors began gathering around Althia’s bedside to hear her talk.
“The more I spoke, the more confused we all became.
“It was clear that I did have a strong Italian accent, and I had no control over the sound I was making when talking.”
To her amazement, she was also able to speak Italian—a language she says she never learned or spoke before.
“Without realizing, I will say an Italian word mid-conversation, which is the Italian word for what I’m trying to say in English. I have no idea I’m about to do it, my brain just converts the English word into Italian.”
Doctors diagnosed Althia with ‘Foreign Accent Syndrome’, a rare medical condition that causes a person’s speech to sound like they have a foreign accent, even though they haven’t acquired it.
The term was first coined in 1982 by H.A. Whitaker, who explained that the condition is “clearly related to central nervous system damage”. While rare, well over 100 cases have been reported in the medical literature.
Given the rare nature of the disorder, Althia has struggled because there is nobody she can relate to.
“Doctors and nurses see me as a bit of a medical marvel; none of the therapists or medical staff has dealt with Foreign Accent Syndrome (also known as FAS) in their whole careers.
“I’m so grateful to be alive after my stroke, and to be able to communicate after living with no speech for three months, but living with FAS is really hard.”
INTERESTING WORDS: 30-50% of Twins Develop a Language Exclusive to Them During Childhood
“I wake up most mornings hoping that my old voice will be back again. I don’t feel like me with this foreign accent. I can even hear the accent in my head when I’m thinking. It’s such a very strange feeling.
“I try my hardest to stay positive and upbeat (and) I remind myself that I’m still here today, and have my husband, two sons, and their beautiful families with me.”
FUN FOR FANS: Duolingo Has Created a Course for “High Valyrian” the Dragon Language From Game of Thrones
With the support from the Stroke Association and their support groups, she has met many other stroke survivors locally.
“It’s so helpful to share our lived experiences. As much as every stroke is different, there is always something that two stroke survivors can bond over.
But she has yet to meet anyone who has Foreign Accent Syndrome—and she wishes she could bid ‘Arrivederci’ to the accent.
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Your New Horoscope For 2025 – ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny
Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)
Here is your weekly horoscope…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of December 28, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Since 1985, musician David Gilmour has led Pink Floyd. The band has sold over 250 million records. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in both the UK and the US. But my favorite thing about Gilmour is that he’s a passionate activist who has crusaded for environmentalism, poverty, and human (and animal) rights. A few years ago, he auctioned off 120 of his guitars, raising over $21 million for an environmentalist charity. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose we make him one of your inspirational role models in 2025, Capricorn. May he mobilize you to use your stature and clout to perform an array of good works that are of service to your world.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Aquarian author Virginia Woolf extolled the virtues of cultivating a supple soul that thrives on change. She pledged to be relentless in her commitment to be authentically herself and not succumb to groupthink. I recommend you make these two of your featured themes in 2025. To inspire your efforts, I will quote her radical perspective at length: “Movement and change are the essence of our being; rigidity is death; conformity is death: let us say what comes into our heads, repeat ourselves, contradict ourselves, fling out the wildest nonsense, and follow the most fantastic fancies without caring what the world does or thinks or says.”
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In 1992, two friends promised each other that if either of them ever won the lottery, they would share it with the other. 28 years later, that’s exactly what happened. In 2020, Thomas Cook bought a ticket that turned out to be the winner of the Powerhouse jackpot in Wisconsin. He called Joseph Feeney with the good news. After paying taxes, both men were $5.7 million richer. I am not predicting the exact same sequence for your future, Pisces. But like Cook and Feeney, I expect you will glean pleasing rewards generated from seeds planted in the past.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In 2025, I would love for you to specialize in making new connections and deepening your existing connections. I hope you will summon extra creativity and panache as you regularly blend your beautiful energies with others’ beautiful energies. I predict you will thrive on linking elements that should be linked but have never been before. What do you think, Aries? Does it sound fun to become a playful master of mixing and combining? Would you enjoy generating splashy unifications that serve your dreams?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“Confidence is 10 percent hard work and 90 percent delusion,” declared Taurus comedian Tina Fey. But I believe you will disprove that assessment in the coming months. The work you do will be unusually replete with grace and dynamism. It will be focused and diligent work, yes, but more importantly, it will be smart work that’s largely free of delusion. That’s why I’m inclined to revise Fey’s formula for your sake. In 2025, your brimming levels of confidence will be primarily due to your fine, conscientious, effective work.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In the 1960s, a Swedish journalist tried an experiment. He wanted to see if art critics could distinguish between abstract paintings made by skilled artists and those created by a four-year-old chimpanzee whose pseudonym was Pierre Brassau. Surprise! Many of the critics treated all the paintings with equal respect. One even gave special praise to Pierre Brassau, describing his strokes of color as having “the delicacy of a ballet dancer.” I’m authorizing you to unleash your inner Pierre Brassau in the coming months, Gemini. Be an innocent rookie, a newcomer with great instincts, an exuberant amateur who specializes in fun experiments. Do you know what beginner’s mind is? You approach every experience with zero assumptions or expectations, as if you were seeing everything for the first time.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Ohio’s Cuyahoga River used to catch on fire regularly. The cause was pollution. For a hundred years, industries had poured their wastes into the waterway. The surface was often dotted with oil slicks. But after a notorious river fire in 1969, the locals decided to remedy the situation, aided by the newly established Environmental Protection Agency. Today, the Cuyahoga still isn’t 100% clean, but it’s far better. It hosts kayaking, fishing, and paddle boarding. I propose we use its rehabilitation as a symbol for you in 2025. You will have welcome opportunities to clean up messes that have lingered for far too long. Please take full advantage of these cosmic invitations to sweep karmic debris out of your life.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Steve Jobs, founder of Apple computers, said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” I propose that you make this one of your mottoes in 2025. More than ever before, you will have exceptional power to transform the environments you share with others. You will have an enhanced ability to revise and reinvigorate the systems and the rules you use. Don’t underestimate your influence during the coming months, Leo. Assume that people will be listening especially closely to your ideas and extra receptive to be affected by you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I will give you four related terms to describe your key motif in 2025: 1. Your Soul’s Code. 2. Your Master Plan. 3. Your Destiny’s Blueprint. 4. Your Mission Statement. All four are rooted in this epic question: What is your overarching purpose here on earth, and how are you fulfilling it? The coming months will be a time when you can make dramatic progress in formulating vivid, detailed visions of the life you want to live. You can also undertake robust action steps to make those visions more of a practical reality. I encourage you to write your big-picture, long-range dreams in a special notebook or a file on your tech device. Keep adding to the text throughout the coming months.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
People in India were the first to discover diamonds buried in the earth. Most historians believe it happened in the 4th century BCE. For the next two millennia, India remained the only source of diamonds. Finally, new stashes were found in Brazil in 1725 and in South Africa in the 1870s. Let’s use this 2,000-year gap as a metaphor for your life. I suspect that far too many months have passed since you have located a fresh source of a certain treasure or bounty you crave. That will change in 2025. Here come long-delayed blessings!
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
In my vision of your life in 2025, you will dramatically enhance how togetherness works for you. Below are four questions to help guide your explorations and breakthroughs. 1. Is it feasible to change yourself in ways that enable you to have a more satisfying relationship with romantic love? 2. Will you include your intimate relationships as an essential part of your spiritual path—and vice versa? 3. What work on yourself can you do to heal your old wounds and thereby make yourself a better partner and collaborator? 4. Can you help your best allies to heal their wounds and thereby become better partners and collaborators?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
In Japanese, the word for “frog” sounds similar to the word meaning “to return.” That’s one reason frogs have been lucky in some circles of Japanese culture. They symbolize the blessing that occurs when travelers return home safely, or when health is restored, or when spent money is replenished. I bring this to your attention, Sagittarius, because I suspect 2025 will be a time when satisfying and enjoyable returns will be a key theme. Consider keeping the likeness of a lovable frog in your living space.
WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com
(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)
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“Movement and change are the essence of our being; rigidity is like death.” – Virginia Woolf
Quote of the Day: “Movement and change are the essence of our being; rigidity is death.” – Virginia Woolf
Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Cotton and Squid-Bone Sponge Can Soak Up 99.9% of Microplastics, Scientists Say
A matrix of squid bone and cotton cellulose offers a low-cost, scalable solution to global microplastic poisoning according to a new study from China.
Attempting to find a material that would address all common concerns with microplastic filtration, the scientists’ cotton-squid sponge displayed 99.9% efficacy and a “remarkable reusability.”
Tested in water found in a lake, a scummy pond, the sea, and an irrigation ditch, the 99.9% removal rate fell only a few percentage points after several decontamination cycles, the authors report in Science Advances.
It is becoming increasingly clear that microplastic contamination has the potential to surpass all other health and environmental concerns as more discoveries about the adverse effects of common microplastics are made.
Consequences like increased cancer risk, hormonal dysregulation, and developmental delays are better understood, but recent research has also linked it to a two-fold increase in the risk of heart attack or stroke if the particles are embedded in heart tissue.
Along with their ubiquity (microplastics have been found in every environment on Earth, from the jetstream to the depths of the ocean) the term “microplastics” can refer to as many as 16,000 different chemicals, of which some may be more toxic than others, or be harder to remove from the body.
This is especially true for a class of chemicals known as PFAS—polyfluoroalkyl substances—often called “forever chemicals” for their durability in the natural environment compared to other plastics. That durability is replicated inside the human organism, with natural detox systems like urination and perspiration unable to completely cleanse the tissues from PFAS once ingested.
OTHER SOLUTIONS TO MICROPLASTICS:
- Plant-Based Filter Removes Up to 99.9% of Microplastics from Water
- Teens Invent Device that Removes Microplastics with Ultrasound Waves, Winning $50k
- There’s a Surprisingly Easy Way to Remove Microplastics From Drinking Water: Boil it
The sponge is made from cotton and chitin found in the bone tissues of a squid. It was manufactured with existing machines like mechanical stirrers and freeze dryers to ensure it would be as cheap and scalable as possible.
The authors from the University of Wuhan in China note that many microplastic filters and sponges have achieved between 95 and 99% purities in experimental settings, but haven’t been used in the real world because the materials and manufacturing methods are too expensive, too complex, or produce too little filtration material.
From the offset by contrast, the team from Wuhan tried to make it from materials that could be acquired all around the world for pennies, and with machines that would be available to any manufacturer, even those in developing nations.
With proper testing at a commercial or industrial scale, they estimate the sponges could become household and municipal products within a couple of years.
Saying ‘if there’s a will there’s a way’ to solve the microplastic pollution pandemic isn’t quite accurate because there are already several ways. It remains only to separate out the great ways from the good ways and implement them as fast as possible.
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Special Holiday Delivery From the Middle East—The Stray Cat who Stole a Sergeant’s Heart is Now Rescued
A deployed US airwoman had her Christmas wish fulfilled thanks to a nonprofit that undertook a special holiday delivery—rescuing the stray cat who stole her heart.
US Air Force Technical Sergeant Tracy was stationed in the Middle East when she found a kitten on her base and named it Walter.
The orange tabby offered comfort to the woman so far from home, but as the end of her deployment neared, she couldn’t bear to leave him behind knowing he risked starvation or euthanasia.
So she turned to the veteran-led, New York-based Paws of War to help. They focus on entering countries where US soldiers are deployed and rescuing animals they may have formed bonds with.
The CBS News station in New York reported that it can cost as much as $10,000 to perform these extractions, as they require plane tickets, various medical procedures, and paperwork filings with governments at home and abroad.
But Walter was rescued in time for Christmas, when, after arriving first in New York, Paws of War volunteer and US Army veteran Dereck Cartwright drove the orange tabby to the waiting arms of Sgt. Tracey’s husband all the way in New Hampshire.
SIMILAR STORIES LIKE THIS:
- Lion Rescued in Ukraine from a Tiny Cage Tentatively Walks on Grass for First Time–WATCH
- ARK Becomes ‘Life Raft’ Saving Over 15,000 Animals from Ukraine With Rescue Partners in Germany
- Bear Rescued from Abandoned Zoo in Ukraine Finds New Home in UK
- Dog of War Finds Loving New Home After Cheating Death Twice in Ukraine Devastation, Thanks to British Charity
“[It’s] the least we can do for these service members who are sacrificing so much, not only their safety—they are going to be away from their families this holiday, they are in a faraway place, a dangerous place,” said Robert Misseri from Paws of War.
WATCH the story below from CBS 2 New York…
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Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy Channels Thousands in Donations to Save Baltimore Pizzeria
Down on Light St. in Baltimore, a little pizzeria set to shutter by Christmas has received a huge helping hand—a Christmas miracle, one might say.
Each box of pie came with a note saying that unless Little Brick Over Pizzeria received a serious amount of business or donations, it would close on December 25th.
Enter Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy for one of his famous One Bite pizza reviews.
Giving it a “solid 7.9” and describing it as a kind of “thin New York style” his review and publicity means that now, the oven at Tiny Brick Oven is overflowing with pies to satisfy a line out of the door.
Owner Will Fagg, described by one part-time employee as her “guardian angel,” was a big fan and follower of Portnoy, who had followed his work during the COVID-19 lockdowns helping small hospitality businesses stay open.
When Portnoy asked how things were going at Little Brick Oven, he was shocked to hear the prognosis was grim. Owner Will would later tell WJZ 13 News that the problem is the money it costs to get a liquor license, something which the new market across the street has, and which is driving him out of business.
Getting his pie, Portnoy, who had by then heard the whole predicament, insisted on paying for it, joking “you can’t tell me you’ve got no money and then not ask me to pay for it.”
After his first bites, Portnoy shows the camera the appeal for financial assistance from Fagg, who’s also a veteran, on the box and says succinctly “there’s no way this place should be goin’ out of business.”
OTHER CROWNFUNDING KINGS: YouTuber ‘MrBeast’ Just Removed 17,000 Tons of Ocean Trash by Harnessing Social Media Influencers and Fans
Calling Fagg the nicest guy you could hope to meet, Portnoy goes back in to ask how much money Fagg would need to keep the place open for a year, to which the owner replies $60,000 for costs and the liquor license.
“Done” replies Portnoy.
The review went viral, wracking up 14 million views on X alone; and on Christmas Eve, Tiny Brick Oven had a line out the door and phones ringing non-stop.
“We’ve never had a line like this. We’ve never had a line like this,” Fagg told the KXII news cameras from behind his counter, where he stood in his red chef’s coat and hat rolling dough and splattering sauce.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: United Pilot Orders 30 Pizzas to Feed Passengers After Emergency Landing for Medical Care
The donations poured as Christmas Eve became Christmas Day.
“It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve always had a lot of community support. It’s overwhelming, and I really thank everybody so much,” Fagg said.
WATCH the story below from WJZ 13 News…
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From 150,000 Pups to None At All, Fur Seals Return to California Islands After 150 Years
A historic breeding colony of fur seals has produced record numbers of pups which can be seen splashing and tumbling about in the waters off the Farallon Islands.
The latest population count provides a sight unseen for 150 years when these islands off San Francisco were once home to 150,000 elephant and fur seals, and welcome evidence of the long-term benefits of marine mammal conservation.
The Farallon Islands witnessed overhunting of the seal rookery during a market boom for their blubber and pelts in the late 19th-early 20th century. A conservation treaty signed by the US, Canada, and Russia banned their hunting in 1915, and a second piece of legislation designating the Farallon Islands as a wilderness was passed in 1972.
Over time, these measures ensured that neighboring seals could re-establish their lost colony, which has now grown into the thousands.
2,133 fur seals were recently counted during a population survey by Point Blue Conservation Science, a number that included 1,276 pups, the highest ever.
“I was amazed to see them all piled in there, getting tossed around like they were in a washing machine,” Gerry McChesney, manager of the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, told SFGATE in an email. “They looked pretty content and like they were having a good ol’ time.”
MORE LONG-AWAITED RECOVERIES: Ocean Lover Saves 1,000 Seals off Britain–and Even Built Them a Hospital
The pups can be seen bobbing up and down in the rough waters of coves, inlets, and rocky shallows where the area’s apex predator, the great white shark, can’t reach them. They remain in a big float waiting for their mothers to return from the sea where they can spend several days in a row feeding to bolster their milk supplies.
Returning, the mothers will find their pups using a special call unique to them and identifiable over the din of waves and barking of other pups.
PROTECTING MARINE MAMMALS: After 9 Years of Work, Chumash Tribe Finally Seals Protection of CA Marine Reserve Bigger Than Yosemite
McChesney added that the terrain and various sheltered coves make it difficult to perform a complete estimate of the number of seal pups, “this was a minimal count and there were certainly many more,” he noted.
“It was so much fun to watch,” McChesney said. “And knowing that the sight represents such an amazing comeback for their population made the sight mean so much more.”
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“Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard, or too sad when you’ve got a Christmas tree in the living room.” – Nora Roberts
Quote of the Day: “Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard, or too sad when you’ve got a Christmas tree in the living room.” – Nora Roberts
Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
‘Solar Eclipses On Demand’ Mark New Era for Scientists Studying the Physics of Our Sun
Using a pair of satellites, the European Space Agency is set to be able to create artificial solar eclipses on-demand to study one of the most important features of our Sun.
Lost in the sheer brightness of the star, the corona, or crown of the Sun, is hotter and larger than the Sun itself. Its effects, as well as being more consequential for our society, are extremely difficult to understand due to outstanding problems in imaging the Sun from our planet.
Proba-3, designed across 14 member states, built in Spain, and launched into space by India on December 5th, should allow astrophysicists to gain unparalleled visual insights into the corona by using solar eclipses as inspiration.
Spaced about one and a half football fields apart, Proba-3 orbits the Earth like our Moon and consists of two different satellites called the Occulter and the Coronagraph.
The Occulter, as its name suggests, is the satellite closer to the Sun, and during a six-hour window will perfectly obscure the light of the Sun’s disk. Closer to the Earthling as he views it, the Coronograph then images the corona for 6 full hours, as no Earth-bound telescope can do.
However, Proba-3 mission manager Damien Galano outlines the difficulty in accomplishing this artificial eclipse.
“Now the hard work really begins, because to achieve Proba-3’s mission goals, the two satellites need to achieve positioning accuracy down to the thickness of the average fingernail while positioned one and a half football pitches apart,” said Gelano, who didn’t mention the satellites are flying through space hundreds of miles per hour.
The corona is like a bubble of gas, heat, and radiation. It’s responsible for the famous ‘solar wind’ from which spacecraft and astronauts need to protect themselves with radiation shields, and also for huge explosions known as coronal mass ejections which can damage or disrupt electronics on Earth.
OTHER ESA CONTRIBUTIONS: Mysterious Rainbow-like ‘Glory Lights’ Observed on Planet Outside Our Solar System for First Time Ever
Andrei Zhukov of the Royal Observatory of Belgium and Principal Investigator for the Proba-3 Coronograph unit, explained in a statement released on the December 5th launch just why this ability to cast eclipses on-demand is so valuable to astronomers.
“At the moment we can image the Sun in extreme ultraviolet to image the solar disc and the low corona, while using Earth and space-based coronagraphs to monitor the high corona,” he said.
MORE SUN-SOAKED SCIENCE: Spacecraft ‘Hack’ Results in Never-Before-Seen Views of Our Sun – LOOK
“That leaves a significant observing gap, from about three solar radii down to 1.1 solar radii, that Proba-3 will be able to fill. Despite its faintness, the solar corona is an important element of our Solar System, larger in expanse than the Sun itself, and the source of space weather and the solar wind.”
WATCH an explainer video below…
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Fisherman Hooks Woman Caught in a Riptide for a Once-in-a-Lifetime Rescue
An imperiled swimmer in South Africa recently caught a lifeline when the hook of a nearby cod fisherman snagged on her jeans.
Armed with only a fishing rod and the skill imparted from untold casts into the rich coastal waters of Mossel Bay, the man was able to save the 31-year-old woman when no other help was forthcoming.
Diaz Beach in Cape Town, South Africa, is one beach that is not recommended to swim in due to strong currents that can carry swimmers out to sea—although the scenic coastline is known as a great surfing spot.
At an hour past midnight last Wednesday, a cod (kabeljou) fisherman noticed a woman in the water who seemed to be caught in a strong current that risked carrying her out to sea.
Running into the shallow water, he repeatedly cast his line towards her until the large codfish hook attached to her jeans, local news reports.
“Fishermen, angling from the shoreline, witnessed the lady in the water and a local fisherman cast his fishing rod in her direction, with the fishing line attached to a Kabeljou fishhook,” said National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesman Craig Lambinon.
OCEAN RESCUES FROM AROUND THE WORLD:
- 17-Year-old Rescued After 12 Hours Lost in Rough Seas Clinging to a Capsized Kayak
- Fishermen Sacrifice Daily Catch to Rescue Huge Whale Shark Found in Their Net (WATCH)
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“The fisherman was able to reel her in towards the beach where once she reached waist-deep water, a local fisherman waded into the water and helped her out the water onto the beach as NSRI and emergency services were arriving on the scene,” he continued. “The local fisherman is commended for his effort that contributed to saving the lady’s life.”
Codfish hooks are about as long as a man’s pinky finger, and it’s no small wonder the fisherman’s cast managed to find her clothes and not her skin.
The fisherman has been hailed as a hero for his skill and quick thinking, local news reported.
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8-year-old Boy Trades His Skateboard for the Feral Kitten Kids Were Picking on
When a young skateboarder saw some kids picking on a feral kitten, he wanted to stop them, although he didn’t stand a chance against so many.
Instead, 8-year-old Zayin Berry used diplomacy—trading his skateboard away for a promise that they would leave the animal alone. It worked, and now the kitten is his “best friend.”
And according to Zayin’s mom, the fortunate feline knew it from the start.
“He just fell in love with it, and you could see it… you could see the cat just loved him,” his mom told CBS 5/AZ Family.
After the Berrys took the cat home they realized he needed urgent medical attention. His breathing came in difficult, congested labors, and he had an eye infection.
Taking him to the Yuma Humane Society, veterinarians told the family that the animal, whom they had called ‘Peaches,’ needed surgery to remove the infected eye. Thankfully, the procedure was a success and Peaches is recovering well.
Lauren Twerdak, speaking for the Humane Society, called Zayin’s compassion and selflessness “outstanding.”
“For Zayin to have that care and that drive at such a young age is honestly outstanding,” Twerdak said.
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According to local news, the manager from the Humane Society, along with the retailer Zumiez which sells skateboards, came together to give Zayin a gift card to buy a new skateboard.
He went down to their brick-and-mortar location and designed it to his specifications, proving that kindness pays in its own roundabout way.
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Through the Humane Society, the Berrys received community donations that ensured Peaches could go home with his new best friend, Zayin.
“We explained to him that he [Peaches] was going to lose his eye, but he said that was ‘fine as long as he can live because that’s my best friend,’” Mrs. Berry.
WATCH the story below from AZFamily CBS 5…
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James Patterson Gives $300,000 in Holiday Bonuses to 600 Bookstore Employees
Believing that books save lives, international best-selling author James Patterson is taking the reins for dozens of American booksellers this year and giving their employees a $500 holiday bonus.
To protect the beloved industry and its bottom line, Patterson’s donations totaled $300,000 this holiday season, and were divided between 600 different bookshop workers.
According to the American Booksellers Association (ABA) workers either submitted an application for the bonus, or were nominated by their colleagues, friends, or perhaps even an author.
“Booksellers save lives. Period,” Patterson said in a statement to ABC News. “I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and all their hard work this holiday season.”
People Magazine reports that Alabama’s Thank You Books, Iowa’s The Nook, and San Francisco’s City Lights Books are just some of the locations that have witnessed Patterson’s gifts.
“We appreciate Mr. Patterson’s financial generosity as well as his generosity of spirit. We all continue to be awed by, and grateful for, Mr. Patterson’s continuing support of independent booksellers,” Allison Hill, CEO of the ABA, also said in a statement.
“It means everything to have him recognize and reward the valuable role booksellers play in the industry.”
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This is just one of many large donations offered by Patterson to bookstores, totaling over $1.5 million of personal wealth over the last 20 years. This included a $500,000 donation during the opening salvos of the COVID-19 pandemic, when enforced lockdowns and business closures threatened small businesses in many states.
“The White House is concerned about saving the airline industry and big businesses — I get that. But I’m concerned about the survival of independent bookstores, which are at the heart of main streets across the country,” Patterson said in a statement at the time.
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“I believe that books are essential. They make us kinder, more empathetic human beings. And they have the power to take us away-even momentarily-from feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and scared.”
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“Christmas is the season for kindling the fires of hospitality.” – Washington Irving
Quote of the Day: “Christmas is the season for kindling the fires of hospitality.” – Washington Irving
Photo by: ©GWC (cropped)
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Kindness Remembered: My Christmas Story That Made it Onto Page One
Don Lambert worked at a small newspaper in Kansas nearly 50 years ago when an example of Christmas Eve kindness made its way onto the front page. He submitted the story to GNN in 2020, saying, “It has a message that is important to us every single day. Kindness is all around us.”
If you have an interesting story of kindness or positivity, be sure and send it to us for review.
Here is Don’s recollection of the events from December 24, 1973.
I was a cub reporter at the time—not yet seasoned enough to have learned that an act of kindness, whether large or small, is sometimes found in the most unlikely of places and at the most needed of times.
On Christmas Eve, ‘The Boss’ had made this deal. If we all got our work done early, he would put the paper “to bed” a few hours early, giving us employees a few extra hours to be with our families.
Since I had the police beat, my main task was to check in at the local police department to learn whether there had been a crime such as a bank robbery or jail break to inform the public about.
“Nope, nothing here,” the police chief said anticipating my first question, adding with a chuckle, “It is too cold for the local criminals.”
As he did every morning, he handed me the police blotter, a hand-written list of the calls made to the police department. With my finger, I went down the list. Mostly piddily, as usual. There was, however, one entry which caught my attention from the North side, the poor part of town. A husband called to report his family’s clothes had been stolen.
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How terrible, I thought, especially on this day. The next day, an entry from the same man, reporting that all of their clothes had been found. I had a hunch there might be a story there. I asked the officer, “You know the scoop?”
“Nope,” he replied. “In that neighborhood, you never know.”
I hopped into my Volkswagen Beetle and made a beeline to the neighborhood in search of the crime scene. With a notepad in one hand and lead pencil in the other, I knocked on the door.
I said I was hoping to write a story about her “incident.” She was holding a baby in her arms, two little boys were hiding behind her skirt.
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She explained that this had not been a good time for her family. Her husband had been ill and lost his job. Preparing for Christmas, she washed all their clothes. The dryer was on the fritz again, the landlord hadn’t gotten around to fixing it. She could have taken the wet clothes to the laundromat on the other side of town. “But,” she whispered, “that costs money.” Instead, she hung them on the clothesline behind the house.
When she checked a short time later, she discovered that all of the clothes were gone. Stolen! That was when she called the police for the first time. A couple of hours later, there was a knock at her door. By the time she got there, no one was there. Instead, there was a large cardboard box at the front door. In it were all the clothes: dried, pressed and folded. And there was a note: “Wish we could do more. Merry Christmas.”
Arriving back at the newspaper office, I hollered out for the first—and only—time in my career, “Hold the presses!”
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“This better be good,” the Boss growled.
“Since your story is late,” the crabby layout person said, “best I can do is try to squeeze it into page 7.”
“Page 7,” I shrieked. “The obituary page? No way!” I insisted, “My Christmas story goes on Page 1—and put it above the fold.”
My late-breaking story had delayed everything about an hour. By the time the press was warming up, the carrier boys were arriving, some with shiny new Schwinn bicycles, others with beat-up hand-me-downs. Each boy would fold about a hundred newspapers and tuck them into a canvas bag over his shoulder, to be tossed onto awaiting front porches.
When the printing began, The Boss and I were the only staff members remaining. He pulled the first one off the press. There it was, My Christmas story on page 1—above the fold.
“Good job,” The Boss said with a rare smile and even rarer pat on the back. “Because of your story the whole town will have a better Christmas—and so will I.”
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Retired Couple Recreates Their Friends’ Christmas Card Photo Every Year – By Posing in Place of Children
(Reposted from original GNN article in 2021)
A retired couple amusingly recreate their friends’ Christmas card photo every year—by posing in place of their young children.
68-year-old Carol and 72-year-old Michael Whalen started the tradition after receiving a greetings card showing their pals’ then one-year-old son in his toy car.
They have been remaking Ryan and Samantha Dominik’s cards ever since, now featuring two adorable tots of five and two.
Michael said, “My wife and I received the original Christmas card, they had taken their son out to get a Christmas tree.
“My wife was looking at it she said you know we ought to replicate it—she has a red car, and I have a knit sweater.
“We just sort of re-enacted the photos and it received such a warm response from our group, next year we just continued the tradition.
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“It was just something that caught our attention because we have three children and were still waiting for a grandchild.
The parents have roped in their eldest son Christopher to take the photos for them.
Writer and filmmaker Christopher said “I love the tradition. I got a real kick out of it when I first saw it.
“We’re essentially family, and it was a real cute rendition for us all.”
Ryan, Christopher, and Christopher’s two siblings all grew up in the same neighbourhood, with the eldest becoming the godfather to Ryan’s son.
33-year-old Samantha said, “Mike and Carol have been like parents to Ryan, and he has lived with them on three different occasions growing up.
“They have always played a huge role in his life, and our kids are lucky to have a third set of grandparents.”
In 2017, the Dominiks sent out an adorable Christmas card featuring their son dragging a tiny Christmas tree and driving his toy car.
One week later, Ryan got a text from Carol telling him to check his emails—and there was the images of Mike posing as his son outside their log cabin in Otis, Massachusetts.
Mike is pictured in a cable knit sweater hauling a full-size Christmas tree, and driving his Ford Escape with the tree on the roof.
Mom-of-two Samantha said, “We all got a huge kick out of it and we called them right away to praise their work and laugh about it.
“The rest is history! Every year we mail our cards around Thanksgiving and we wait to see what they will respond with.
“It has become such a fun tradition to look forward to, and I always have them in my mind when choosing the photo I will take each Christmas.”
Carol and Michael call up the Dominiks every year to check when they will be sending out their cards so they have time to prepare their own.
The Whalen parents have donned full length Christmas PJs, and posed wearing Christmas lights outside in the snow.
Samantha, an office manager, said, “Ryan always jokes with them that things are going to get more complicated this year, making remarks like ‘I hope you have access to a hot air balloon’.
“I almost felt bad for making it a little more elaborate this year, and I even offered to let them borrow the cocoa stand for their recreation, but Carol was very sweetly insulted by my offer.
“They do everything themselves, getting nearly identical pyjamas, props, and so on.
“We were so impressed that they built their own cocoa stand, but not at all surprised.
“Their attention to detail is spot on and they always seem to top themselves every year, it never ceases to amaze us.
“They always send their photos to us with funny captions, such as ‘we stole their Christmas card idea.’
“This year they undercut our cocoa prices and we all got a kick out of that.”
Ryan added, “I don’t think our two-year-old understands as much, but our five-year-old loves it as much as we do!”
Christopher thinks as his parents are retired teachers, they both have a lot of time on their hands for their annual stunt.
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He said, “We’re a family of goofballs, so it’s pretty much par for the course. I think it will go on for as long as they’re alive to be honest.
“Hopefully they’ll have some blood-related grandchildren to do it to as well.
“I can’t say I’m surprised it’s gone on this long, but it’s gotten progressively better with each passing year.”
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“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” – Burton Hills
Quote of the Day: “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” – Burton Hills
Photo by: Kateryna Hliznitsova for Unsplash+
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
India Law Allows Villagers to Claim 2000 Acres of Bamboo Forest to Turn Poverty into Prosperity
From India comes the story of a tribal community who gained ownership of a lush bamboo forest and used it to brighten the futures of the otherwise poverty-stricken inhabitants.
According to a monumental piece of legislation passed in 2006, any indigenous community can apply for ownership of federally-owned land on which they have a traditional claim. Called the Forest Rights Act, its effectiveness has been spotty, since many indigenous forest dwellers are unaware that it exists, and few are willing to litigate on their behalf.
But for the dwellers of Pachgaon in the Indian state of Maharashtra, three years of persistent inquiries and form-filing rewarded them with ownership over a 2,500-acre bamboo forest which they have turned into a community silviculture business that takes care of the whole community.
It also stymied migration to the urban centers of Gujurat and Karnataka, keeping community members in the region of their ancestors, while making a not-insignificant profit of around $41,000 a year for the village.
“The day we got the papers was a festival,” says Vinod Ramswaroop Tekam, a 35-year-old villager. “We were overwhelmed that we had won this right, that our [nonviolent protest] had paid off. We were now 100% assured that the forest was really ours.”
At a depot on the outskirts of Pachgaon, stacks of bamboo lie neatly cut and sorted into various sizes. Across Asia, bamboo is used in construction for scaffolding and aiding the correct setting of concrete. Because of this, hundreds of thousands of long sections are needed every day, and can generate a land owner millions of rupees.
The village’s bamboo business made a profit of 34 million rupees in the last 10 years, or $400,000, according to a special feature in the Guardian.
Not too dissimilar to a Western co-op, a village assembly called a gram sabha runs the bamboo lumber business. There are no foremen or CEOs, just one person designated to handle the paperwork.
The bamboo thrives even throughout the difficult monsoon years, when villagers from Pachgaon would often watch their crops flooded and destroyed in the rains, and, left thusly destitute, migrate to cities to perform odd jobs for low pay.
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The profits made are spread through the gram sabha and address things like higher education for the community’s children, infrastructural improvements, and the acquisition of neighboring land to expand the business.
When the monsoons come and the bamboo cutting ceases, profits are used to pay villagers to perform work like digging drainage ditches and filling potholes.
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“It’s simple,” says Gajanan Themke, 43, a worker-manager at the gram sabha. “If we don’t create jobs, people will migrate. More people in the village means better work and better execution of work.”
The dream of the gram sabha and Pachgaon is simple: keep the next generation here and keep their traditions alive.
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