Deputies said things could have been much worse for a missing autistic child if their K9 hadn’t been able to track him down.
Maverick led them to the missing child who was knee-deep in freezing cold Ward Creek surrounded by thick bushes and downed trees.
(WATCH the video below, or READ the article from KPTV)
In return for a $5 Starbucks gift card, commuters in a Chicago area train station were asked to participate in an experiment. Instead of remaining isolated, like most commuters do, they agreed to talk to the stranger next to them.
The behavioral scientists, Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder, report that by the end of the train ride, commuters who talked to a person nearby reported having a more positive experience than those who had sat in solitude.
The New York Times reported, “Most people imagined it would be difficult to start a conversation. They estimated that fewer than half of their fellow commuters would want to talk to them. But in fact, not a single person reported having been snubbed. And the conversations were consistently pleasant.”
“People enjoy connecting with others,” wrote the researchers in the Chicago Tribune. “The pleasure of conversation was not just restricted to friendly people; we found the same results among introverts and extroverts.”
“If connecting with others is more pleasant than sitting alone,” ask the authors, “why the strong preference for quiet cars, silent cabs and empty rows on airplanes?”
Psychologist Jeremy McCarthy, author of The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing: A Guide to the Science of Holistic Healing
In a University of California study, commuting is associated with fewer positive emotions than any other common daily activity. If we learn from psychologists and their many studies, which say that connecting with others is the most important determinant of happiness, maybe we will start more conversations in subway cars.
(READ the article in the New York Times)
Benjamin Olewine is a regular at the Peachtree restaurant where Melissa Mainier of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania worked for years as a waitress. Melissa knew she wanted to be a nurse and was wracking up a lot of debt to put herself through school.
Mr. Olewine is also Chairman Emeritus at a food distribution company where he made millions over the years and now, at 92, is busy giving away much of it.
One day he told Melissa that he wanted to pay her tuition. After much protesting by Melissa, he did end up paying her tuition bill — and every one afterward for years .
(WATCH the video below, or you can READ the story at CBS – *WARNING: The video starts playing out loud after a few seconds.)
Born with only one leg, Nico Calabria didn’t let his disability keep him from any sport he was passionate about, especially soccer (football). Now Powerade is making him the face of their advertisements during the world cup games in Brazil. The touching and powerful ad shows a little boy growing through every stage of life with a disability but his championship spirit keeps shining through.
Whether skating, swimming, or playing basketball, Nico excelled in athletics as a boy and he continues to astound teammates, competitors, and fans with his talent today.
WBZ-TV in Boston interviewed the 19-year-old high school graduate.
Calabria told them. “It really is all about attitude and the way that you approach your problems.”
Powerade said they reached out to clubs and schools looking for players who were making an impact through soccer. Nico, an inspiring choice for company spokesperson, will be flown to the Brazil in June to catch some games.
(WATCH the WBZ story below or READ it here)
As her sight was dimming, Texas high school pole vaulter Charlotte Brown’s determination grew. Despite being blind, she has qualified for the state championship.
“There are a lot of things to admire about Charlotte,” Lester said, “but the most important thing is her teammates love her. Yeah, she has had a lot to overcome and a lot of obstacles, but she puts her teammates above herself, and that’s the stuff I’m very impressed with.”
(WATCH the video or READ the story at ESPN)
A good guy biker in Vancouver sees a blind man in the road and does a U-Turn on a beautiful day so he can go help him.
“We need to fix this now don’t we,”said Motorcycles Vancouver on YouTube.
I often drive to the ocean (which surrounds Brooklyn) to sit and meditate, to brood, to seek inspiration or healing. Everyone has their individual place that is that kind of source for them. For some people it’s the mountains and for others it’s the forests, but for me it has always been the ocean where I’ve found my spirits restored.
On this particular day, I came to brood. I had just asked my husband for a small sum of money to go food shopping, and he shrugged and told me there was none. I had just given him the small advance I had gotten for “Small Miracles From Beyond” and was shocked to learn that it was already gone. My husband has been unemployed for some time, and while my heart almost always goes out to him, sometimes I get mad that he isn’t trying. This was one of those days.
So I was sitting on a bench, brooding about life’s unfairness, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a homeless man with a long, scraggly white beard scavenging through the garbage cans scattered throughout the plaza that abuts the sea. There was still nip in the air and everyone else was tightly bundled up in jackets and scarves, but he wore only an undershirt and shorts several sizes too large engulfing his emaciated frame. A battered suitcase–which probably held all his earthly possessions–stood nearby. I felt pained by his plight and watched as he pulled out a large bag of potato chips from one of the trash bins, and ate hungrily. He seemed ravished.
Then I watched, astonished, as he stopped eating, considered the flocks of pigeons, birds and sea gulls assembled on the plaza, walked to where they were clustered, and scattered the rest of the potato chips on the sidewalk in front of them. I could not believe what I had seen. The crumbs glinted on the sidewalk like shards of light.
“Sharing is heaven,” he proclaimed with a luminous grin that revealed all his missing teeth. “Not sharing is hell.”
I stared at him, stunned. “May God bless you,” I said effusively.”God bless you.”
“Oh, He has, Ma’am,” he said with fervor and a vigorous shake of his head for emphasis. “He has.”
Then he picked up the handle of his battered suitcase, and started walking rapidly, zig-zagging across the walkway as he checked out each trash can and then continued on.
I felt the fifteen dollars I had found in my jacket burn a hole in my pocket. That morning, I had been bitter that things were so tight in my home, but that man had nothing.
So I tried to race after his retreating figure, but he was surprisingly swift and was already several hundred yards away from where he had originally stood. I continued streaking after him, and people must have thought it strange to see an overweight, middle-aged woman frantically pursuing a member of the “underclass.”
“Sir! Sir!” I yelled when I was finally a few feet away. I pulled out my fifteen dollars. “Can I treat you to your next meal?”
His eyes glowed. “Yes, you can!” he smiled beatifically. “Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.”
And then, he picked up the handle of his suitcase again and continued his rapid pace to no-where and no-one, a tiny speck quickly receding into the distance, a man who had just illumined my consciousness for a brief moment in eternity.
That night, a man called my husband to tell him that he had owed him a fairly large sum of money for many years, and was planning to return it this week. Somehow I felt the intersection of these two events was not an accident, but my husband says I am merely being fanciful.
But if you ask me, I think I met a saint that day wearing the disguise of a homeless man, and because I was blessed to see beneath his tatters, I received a life-lesson that will remain with me forever. I also believe that when I gave him all the money I had, the Gates of Heaven were pried open …by this man’s sledgehammer, not mine.
Luke Jerram, the English artist who inspired public installations of street pianos in London and New York City has created a day of unforgettable fun for the city of Bristol — and you don’t have to play piano to participate.
On Sunday a massive slip and slide was installed for people to ride and splash down the middle of a closed road, using 300 feet of hillside (95m) on Park Street.
Like many of Jerram’s projects, people on the street become the performers.
“Nobody is going to be able to drive down Park Street again without thinking that this is a place you can enjoy yourself,” said a friend of the artist.
Participants, ages 5 to 73 years old, raced down the wet slide into a series of hay bails. The city deemed the activity safe after a detailed look at the process.
Luke has no plans to tour the project. But to enable anyone around the world to create their own ‘urban slide’, instructions — including documents describing the permissions process — will be released to those who leave their email on LukeJerram.com. Lots of photos on that link too.
(WATCH the video)
A group of 13 university students with their counterparts across the sometimes hostile border will cycle in celebration of the Indian and Pakistani Independence Days. They will ride all the way to Lahore University and Qaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad.
The student activists from neighboring countries want to promote peace and unity in South Asia and urge the two governments to come together to form an organization for economic cooperation. The bicycle rally will start from New Delhi on August 1.
(READ the story from Times of India)
(File photo)
Have you heard of patients who recovered from seemingly “incurable” illness, or overcame a catastrophic diagnosis?
Kelly Turner, an oncology researcher, wondered why some patients experienced a “Radical Remission” and others didn’t. Because no one had ever studied the question, she began reviewing more than 1,000 cases of such remissions, which are already published in medical journals, and interviewed more than 100 survivors to find the answer.
She traveled to 10 countries to interview 50 alternative healers about their healing techniques. She wanted to learn if there were commonalities behind these cases, and discovered that there in fact were.
Dr. Turner presents her experience and evidence in a new book, Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds.
Turner, who has a Ph.D. in cancer research from the University of California, Berkeley, is not asking that anyone abandon conventional therapy. She does, however, give instructions on how to add healing factors to the mix that are often overlooked.
“If we want to win the war on cancer,” says Turner, “we should learn from those who have already won.”
The research initially identified more than 75 different factors that may play a role in radical remission. After tabulating the frequency of each factor, she cites the nine most prevalent factors involved in documented cases of radical remission, which are:
Radical remissions have been featured on the Good News Network over the years, including the story of a woman who overcame a deadly brain tumor by radically changing her diet and using supplements, in addition to radiation treatments and cultivating a positive attitude: Healing on Her Mind; Surviving a Brain Tumor. In another story, a doctor developed a particular form of citrus pectin that is easily absorbed by the body to help stage 4 cancer patients recover their health: “Nutraceutical” Citrus Formula Helps Beat Incurable Cancers.
Watch the video below to see photos of some of the radical healers. The Radical Remission Project website is dedicated to collecting new cases of survival for research purposes, and to connect survivors with current cancer patients. Get the book, Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds
Another form of “radical remission” is taking place in major research hospitals through the use of gene therapy: Another Child in Leukemia Trials Ecstatic Over “Total Remission”
With the number of over-65s set to double and childcare more expensive than ever, Mehrgenerationenhaus may be the answer.
South of Hanover, senior residents play cards while squeals of delight come through the door emanating from the nursery on the next floor.
Pensioners volunteer to read books to the children once a week and run a “rent-a-granny” service to relieve exhausted parents. In return, teenagers offer to show elderly people how to use computers and mobile phones.
(READ the story in the Guardian)
A victim of a hate crime who got nine of his teeth knocked out is receiving thousands of dollars in free dental work, along with his faith in mankind restored.
18 months ago Andrew Oppelman was randomly attacked in Austin, Texas during Gay Pride Weekend.
Dr. Gary Cash, D.D.S. heard about the incident and wanted to help. The Austin dentist, originally from Michigan and now practicing in an office at 1500 W 38th St, has donated ongoing services to replace the teeth, and still has more to do.
Oppelman is quoted by Buzzfeed as saying, “My spirit has been broken. but because of the support I am on the mend.”
(WATCH the video below or READ the story from KXAN News) Story tip from Sarah Owen
Inspired? Share the Kindness… (below)
From New Hampshire comes the story of an 88-year-old grandma with a bucket list laced with speed and risk.
While some people watch TV or play cards in their senior years, Flo Silva of Londonderry is grabbing all the excitement she can.
As part of her bucket list, Silva has zip-lined, jet skied, flown a helicopter, went on a hot-air balloon ride and has gone ski tubing — and has all the pictures to prove it.
On Saturday she suited up to ride in a race car going 130 miles per hour.
(READ the story or watch the video at WMUR – *NOTE: The video starts playing on its own within a few seconds)
Imagine delving into your family history and discovering you have a twin. That’s what happened to Ann Hunt, a 78-year-old, who had no idea she had a sibling at all until last year. Now she and twin Elizabeth Hamel have met for the first time since they were babies—setting a new world record.
(WATCH their reunion and READ the story in the BBC)
Renewable energy could help underpin the grid now that the world’s biggest concentrated solar storage plant is up and running in Arizona. It’s a zero-carbon power plant that could underpin the energy grid of the future.
In the searing heat south-west of Phoenix, Arizona, 3000 mirrors carpet the desert. Part of a power plant that produces about 900 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to power 70,000 homes.
Six enormous white tanks surround the platform. Filled with molten salt, they can store enough heat to keep those turbines spinning at full capacity for 6 hours.
(READ the story in the New Scientist)
Chuck James and his wife, Elicia, lost their dog Reckless in superstorm Sandy when their fence was destroyed. Just his collar remained, caught in the fence..
After giving up hope of ever finding their friendly terrier-pit bull mix again, they finally decided to adopt. When they arrived at the Monmouth County SPCA, a miracle was waiting.
“Literally when we opened the double doors, the first cage we walk up to I thought ‘that looks like Reckless,’ ” Chuck James said. “He was a little heavier and it’s been a little while, but then my wife saw the scar on his head and immediately we start tearing up and we found our dog.”
(READ the story in the Asbury Park Press)
The story behind this year’s Kentucky Derby Winner is similar, with its shades of a hero story, to the winning saga of Secretariat.
Flash back to 2008: She ran so poorly in her first three races that she was dropped into the lowest rung at Golden Gate Fields, a track outside of San Francisco.
Nonetheless, two owners, who were so clueless about horse racing that they called their partnership “Dumb Ass Partners,” bought the mare for $8,000. What was more unbelievable was their decision to breed the undersized and underperforming horse.
The Dumb Ass partners are celebrating their dumb luck, after hiring a horse jockey from Mexico that learned to ride on donkeys, and using a 77-year-old trainer with a hard luck story of his own, who is now the oldest ever to win the Derby.
(READ the story in the Bleacher Report)
Babies are beacons of hope in small packages. They compel people, even those in the customer service industry, to be more generous, kind, and empathetic.
I’ve never particularly had great faith in the customer service industry; but at this juncture in my life, I’m starting to come around. Overall I’m convinced that people are innately compelled to be more empathetic, and nicer, when there is a baby involved. It makes sense, really. Babies are innocent, adorable, and unadulterated; they are beacons of hope.
My baby and I went out to run errands today, and our first stop was at Old Navy. We went in with a twenty-dollar voucher and a coupon for a free baby bodysuit with any purchase. When we got up to the cashier, my morale sunk as I realized that the coupon I’d been coveting had actually expired in 2012.
I went against my instincts and decided to give it the employee, despite the technicality. She, completely cognizant of this hindering detail, accepted the coupon with a kind heart. Then after she took the twenty dollars off my total bill, she instructed me to swipe my card.
An error came up on the screen, to which she informed me that in order to use the “Old Navy Bucks” I had to pay with my Old Navy Credit Card. I responded with the notorious, deer-in-headlights- “Oh-no!-I-don’t-have-the-right-card-on-me” face. And before I could even try to negotiate with her, she had already hit a few keys on her keyboard letting that infraction slide, too!
In accordance with my frugal agenda, I, defeatedly, told her that we would have to return later with the “right” coupons. Before taking a farewell step, though, the woman expressed to me that she had an extra coupon on file that she could apply towards our bill! I couldn’t contain my excitement as I thanked her, and my precious baby.
I believe if it weren’t for her adorable mug, our highly successful, thrift-riddled shopping excursion would have turned out to be futile at best.
According to a recent UN report, the number of hungry people in the world has now fallen to roughly 1 in 8— 26 million fewer than a year ago—an astounding achievement.
Kasey Rosen wanted to impress on prom night and did she ever. She had her hair and makeup done and took pictures with friends. Destination: Baltimore’s National Aquarium with boyfriend Josh Popkin.
“When I told him I was going to come to the hospital in my dress he said ‘I might actually pass out.’ It was cute,” Rosen said.
But Rosen’s prom night entrance was at D.C.’s Children’s Hospital where Popkin was suffering from a collapsed lung.
(WATCH the video below, or READ the story from CBS News)
Thanks to Katherine for sending the link!
