Northwestern guard James Montgomery’s reward for making a good impression on his new head coach was more than he ever expected.
Coach Chris Collins announced to the team before practice on Thursday that he was awarding the 6-foot-4 player with a scholarship.
(WATCH the spontaneous video or READ the story from Yahoo Sports)
Current wireless networks have a problem: The more popular they become, the slower they are. Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai have just become the latest to demonstrate a technology that transmits data as light instead of radio waves, which gets around the congestion issue and could be ten times faster than traditional Wi-Fi.
Using Li-Fi, a standard proposed just two years ago, LED bulbs can be altered to transmit data around ten times as fast the fastest Wi-Fi networks.
(READ the full story at Quartz)
Wind power generation has exploded in Ohio with the capacity increasing from 7.4 megawatts in 2008 to 428 megawatts in 2012. With utility companies erecting 423 turbines, the output grew from enough to power 1,300 homes to more than 100,000 homes.
For the 3,000 people living homeless on the streets around San Francisco, there are only a total of 16 public shower stalls.
To remedy the problem, a consortium of non-profit groups has transformed a decommissioned city bus into a mobile bathroom to offer toilets and 10-minute showers to those in need.
The project, called Lava Mae, will hook into fire hydrants — and the city is on board with the plan. San Francisco Municipal Transit (MUNI) has already donated one bus for the pilot project, which has been retrofitted to contain three showers. Each shower has a toilet and a private area to dress.
Delivering dignity one shower at a time, Lava Mae is being funded by donations on its website and through an Indiegogo campaign that just ended, in which it raised just over $58,000 of the $75,000 it will need to open.
Help out if you can by donating here. The annual budget to run each bus still needs to be met.
(WATCH the video from May 2013 or READ the current story in TriplePundit)
Generous patrons at coffee, bagel shops and fast food drive-throughs have been spreading a little kindness to fellow restaurant-goers by becoming the anonymous benefactors of other people’s meals, paying their orders before they even get to the window.
WATCH the video below from NBC’s Making a Difference…
Many of us go through life carrying a grudge, anger, hurt, or disappointment about things that happened during our childhood or at some point in our adult lives. They are equally painful and can often remain buried in our heart, possibly the cause of disease, for years. As much as we would like to forgive, we sometimes can’t conceive of forgiveness because we think it means condoning the wrong that we believe was done to us.
About four years ago while immersed in study, I learned a different method of forgiveness–a method I refer to as “energetic forgiveness.” It was an amazing concept to me and helped me unload a long-held resentment I held for my father, who left our family when I was a mere 11 years old. I welcomed the open-minded viewpoint and accepting principles that surround this very powerful concept. It was liberating.
Every one of the more than 45,000 runners expected to finish the 2013 ING New York City Marathon on November 3 brings to the race their own motivation and reason for running. Some race the 26.2 mile, five-borough course to break records and make history, and others for the sense of personal accomplishment following a long road of training. Bill Reilly is running in his 30th marathon to demonstrate the great strides people living with cerebral palsy can make when offered access to the right services.
A veteran of more than 20 NYC Marathons, the 61-year-old from Queens is known as “Backwards Bill” because, lacking the ability to use his arms, he navigates by pushing his specially built wheelchair backwards with one leg.
Born with cerebral palsy, he always dreamed of taking part in the sports other children participated in. Now, with every race, he inspires not only families impacted by CP but the greater running community.
The White House is lit up in pink tonight, October 24th, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and remembrance of the millions of families who have battled the disease.
Please, women, prioritize your health by exercising regularly, eating well and getting your regular checkups. In America, preventive care, such as mammograms, are now free for women, with no out-of-pocket costs.
U.S. Insurance companies are also now restricted from charging women higher costs simply because they are women, or because of any pre-existing conditions, including breast cancer.
A Marine family was set to book tickets on a cross-country flight for their move to North Carolina when, at the last minute, their dogs were denied passage because they were too large.
But luck and good karma was on their side. When an heiress to the Wrigley Gum fortune read on Facebook that the dogs were rescued from abuse in Afghanistan but not allowed to fly commercially, she ordered her private jet from Jettly to take the veteran’s whole family from San Diego to their new home as a gesture of gratitude for his service and kindness.
“He’s fought for our freedom and he’s a hero because he rescued two dogs,” said Helen A. Rosburg.
While deployed in 2011, Andrew Morales rescued the two anatolia shepherd dogs – brothers from the same litter – after their tails and ears had been cut off to prepare them for fighting.
(WATCH the video below or READ the story from ABC)
“Whenever we can help a sick kid, we’re going to do everything we can,” said one Orange City firefighter Tuesday as he and his colleagues shaved their heads to show support for patients at the children’s hospital.
Between 40 and 50 firefighters visited patients at the hospital in a fun hair-shaving ceremony of solidarity.
The fire department was inspired by Orange City firefighter John Voris’ 15-year-old daughter Saylor, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia and is scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant.
Some firefighters also donated blood and/or platelets while others passed out honorary badges and hats to children batting cancer and other illnesses and injuries.
(READ the story from CBS Los Angeles)
A purring monkey and a vegetarian piranha are among the new species of animals discovered during scientific expeditions in the Amazon rainforest.
Discovered by researchers between 2010 and 2013 and compiled for the first time by WWF, the new species add up to at an astounding 258 plants, 84 fish, 58 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 18 birds and the “purring” Caqueta titi monkey.
Callicebus caquetensis (pictured here), of the Colombian Amazon, endeared itself to the scientists because, “All of the babies purr like cats.”
As part of its Sky Rainforest Rescue, WWF is helping to save one billion trees in the Brazilian state of Acre. “Working together with local people and the state government, we’re finding alternatives to deforestation that can make the trees worth more standing than cut down,” says WWF in a press release. To date, over 5,000 people have committed to keeping the rainforest standing on their land.
(READ the story with more photos at the WWF)
It is generally accepted that volunteering is a good thing to do for others. But is it true volunteering also benefits the volunteer? UnitedHealth Group wanted to look into this phenomenon further so they decided to conduct a comprehensive survey and analysis on the positive effects employees and employers receive from volunteering.
The 2013 Health and Volunteering Study used a nationwide sample of 3,351 volunteers and non-volunteers. Through this survey they found evidence to support the idea that when employees volunteered they felt less stressed and an overall increase in their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
A police officer in south Florida was faced Monday with the prospect of arresting a single mother who was caught shoplifting groceries to feed her family. Vicki Thomas was so moved by the plight of the struggling mom of three children that she decided to buy her $100 worth of groceries.
“Arresting her wasn’t going to solve the problem,” said officer Thomas, who also charged her with a misdemeanor.
Since the story went public Monday, the public has also stepped up to help Jessica Robles. She was taken to Walmart to buy $500 in groceries donated from Restoration 1 of Miami and was given another $200 from Good Samaritan, Mayra Lapierre.
Not only that, the owner of PhoneDoctor.com interviewed Robles on Tuesday for a customer service job and hired her on the spot.
“There’s no words,” said Jessica who believes her children will never go hungry again thanks to the kindness of strangers.
(WATCH the video or READ the story from CNN)
The British father who had an emotional reaction to his son’s passing grade in math is not surprised that spontaneous joy between a father and son has resonated with so many people. (Watch the video from yesterday that has logged 2 million views.)
“I’m overwhelmed by the generosity and the kindness of everyone who has communicated with us,’’ Farnoosh Shahrokhshahi told TODAY in an interview with his son on Wednesday. “It’s absolutely wonderful, absolutely moving. I have to say that at one point I did not find it surprising at all because the vast majority of people are lovely. They appreciate love wherever they see it.’’
The United States cut its energy-related carbon dioxide pollution by 3.8 percent last year, the second biggest drop since 1990, the Department of Energy said Monday.
The only recent year with a bigger percentage drop was in 2009, when America was in a large recession. It is the lowest level for U.S. emissions since 1994. Carbon dioxide, spewed from cars and factories, is the chief man-made global warming gas.
(READ the AP story from ABC News)
An oil platform planned near the habitat of a critically endangered whale population has been postponed for at least five years. Concerns had been raised over the platform’s potential impact on western north Pacific gray whales, of which only an estimated 150 animals remain.
The successful campaign to stop the platform from being built targeted both the Sakhalin Energy consortium and the banks that were the main investors for the project. As a result, Sakhalin has delayed its decision until 2017.
A hospice nurse recalled last week a sunny day back in August when everything came together to give Jim, a dying cancer patient, a brilliant return to his beloved ocean one last time.
The nurse, Cathy Betham, discovered during Jim Handy’s final days that his wish, as a resident of Cape May, New Jersey, was to once more dip his toes in the ocean, so she set out to try to make it happen.
Even though his mobility was very limited, perhaps people could carry him down to the beach. She had no luck going to the local firehouse. Only two EMTs were there on duty. She went to the police station across the street and found the same situation. A busy summer was tying up these valuable officials. But the officers said they would call her if they could find a solution.
Instead of bundling the patient into a police car, they decided to take Jim for a wheelchair stroll on the sunny afternoon. Big sun hat on his head, Susan rolled her husband up the road to the meeting place. They stopped first to get him a favorite drink, a cherry slurpee.
It turns out two members of the Stone Harbor Beach Patrol were waiting for them with a big beach wheelchair with smooth, wide tires that could be pushed straight into the water. With an air of friendliness, Dennis and Zack hoisted the patient into the chair and the family walked onto the sand.
“They pushed him into the water past his feet and he stayed there for about 30 minutes,” wrote Cathy in the Cape May County Herald. “He (felt) the water splashing on his legs and, of course, kept eating his cherry Slurpee.”
Jim passed away the next morning but his wife Susan said that “dduring the night he was still talking about his trip to the beach ‘to put his toes in the water.'”
Cathy said she won’t ever forget that day when strangers were able to come together and make one man’s last wish come true.
(See more photos from the Cape May County Herald)
A video of a man crying with happiness over his son’s improving report card will leave you cheering for this supportive parent.
The British teen had failed math a year ago, and his father had said, if you just get a “C” you can do anything.
The boy set up a camera in the doorway of the kitchen to record the moment when he unveils his new grade for mathematics.
Disbelief turns to hearty congratulations and joyful hugs.
“Is that real?” his father repeats over and over. “My God” he exclaimed and then bursts into a fit of sobs.
(WATCH the video below – or READ a story at TODAY)
A police officer in south Florida was so moved by the plight of a struggling single mother who was caught shoplifting that she helped her out.
Miami-Dade Police Officer Vicki Thomas purchased $100 in groceries for Jessica Robles, who admitted she made a decision to shoplift groceries out of desperation.
(WATCH the CNN video below, or READ the story from Bay News-9)
Through its Beacon of Light community center, a mosque in southeast Dallas serves more than 15,000 free meals per year, mostly to non-Muslims.
On a weekend in early October, the Masjid al Islam mosque was participating in a national initiative known as the Day of Dignity, an annual event during which mosques feed, clothe, and equip people living in poverty.
(READ the story from the CS Monitor)
