Quote of the Day: “More than kisses, letters mingle souls.” – John Donne
Photo by: Anne Nygård
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?
An annual fundraiser for charitable organizations and schools Minnesota has broken its record for donations after it received $37 million in just 24 hours.
The donations will be sent to 6,556 charities, non-profit firms, and schools.
GiveMN, the fundraiser’s organizers, launched in 2009 as a collaborative venture led by Minnesota Community Foundation and other associations committed to helping make the state a better place.
They organized something called Give to the Max Day. That spark touched off an outpouring of generosity—$14 million in 24 hours. Since that trial run in 2009, Give to the Max Day has become an annual tradition. Every year thousands of organizations raise money to improve the quality of life in Minnesota and communities around the world.
CBS News, covering the marathon give-away day, spoke with organizers at the Prop Food Shelf, who had a fundraising goal of $125,000 for that period, but were struggling to meet it.
Then, an anonymous check of $50,000 arrived in the mail, and check and check followed during the fundraising period, until a quarter million had come through the door.
GiveMN has said this is a record for donations received, which came in from more than 150,000 people, all 87 counties of MN, all 50 states in the US, and, if it can be believed, 36 different countries around the world.
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“I think what we’re seeing right now in our communities is an interest to try and support one another, have a place where we can come together and give together,” said Jake Blumberg, executive director of GiveMN. “That is a lot of people giving $5, $10, $100 where they can.”
Over the last 16 years, the St. Paul non-profit has channeled $350 million during Give to the Max Days.
WATCH an explanation story below from KTTC…
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In 2022, GNN reported on the return of wildlife seen on Lord Howe Island of Australia following an extermination campaign of rats.
Now, an expedition to the island’s high forests has revealed stunning imagery of a one-of-a-kind ecosystem where 85% of plants are found nowhere else on Earth.
“Ascending into this rare island cloud forest is like stepping into a fairytale—a hushed and secret world, carpeted in a tapestry of rich greens, rare palms, and twisted trees veiled in lichens,” writes ABC News Australia in a special report.
A UNESCO Natural Heritage Site in the East Tasman Sea, the island may have housed mice as early as the mid-1800s, with the rats arriving later in 1918. As is so often the case with biodiversity Down Under, the native animals suffered.
Their absence, which took three years of eradication, is revealing a diverse landscape—with fruiting trees, returning numbers of land invertebrates, and one of Australia’s rarest birds, the flightless woodhen—whose population has doubled to 565 in the past three years.
“What is unfolding is an ecological renaissance, since the rodents have gone, the catchphrase is: ‘I’ve never seen that before’,” Hank Bower from the Lord Howe Island board told the Sydney Morning Herald, in 2022.
The remains of an extinct shield volcano, the two peaks of the island are often shrouded in clouds, shading and moisturizing a forest of mosses, lichens, ferns, palms, and rare flowers.
“There are not many islands in the world with very tall mountains that stick up so high into the atmosphere they create their own cloud, so it is pretty special,” the island’s resident biologist and naturalist, Ian Hutton, said.
Now that renaissance mentioned by Bower has gone into overdrive, with the woodhens reaching 2,000 individuals. Providence petrels, a cliffside nesting seabird, has seen the success rate of its chicks rise from 2% to 50%.
Ian Hutton, an ecological researcher on the island since the 1980s, told ABC News that 30 threatened species of plants found nowhere else on Earth are rapidly redistributing to the slopes of the two mountains.
The Critically Endangered little mountain palm, once reduced to just 4 kilometers of range, is now thriving again.
Invertebrates are also thriving again with no rats to gobble them up. Photographing insects and snails during the nights, Sutton has found a weevil thought to have gone extinct in 1916, and 10 new species of land snail, including another 4 that hadn’t been seen for decades.
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Back in the 1950s, the island government made the decision to cap visitors at any given time to 400 people, a decision that has been retained now that the island’s reputation for unspoiled wilderness has been restored.
Only 25 houses have been approved for construction over the last 10 years, and every person, ship, flight, or animal is prevented from coming ashore until they have been scrutinized by a sniffer dog.
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Visitors to the island, ABC reports, routinely familiarize themselves with local species through de-weeding tours to clear invasive plants from the island’s habitations.
The piece from ABC includes stunning photography from all over the island, documenting the incredible resurgence of life, as well as the pride of the locals who live there.
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In India, a pair of police officers have reunited 104 children and minors with their families in just 9 months, the Times of India reports.
Head constables Seema Devi and Suman Hooda of Delhi Police Outer North District, have been lauded for their accomplishment with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (ATHU).
“We don’t have fixed duty hours. Whenever we receive information about missing kids, we just leave our homes,” Hooda told the Times. “There are days when I don’t see my kids,” she smiled.
Their marathon of cases took them across northern India’s states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, dealing with bad photographs, reticent locals, unfamiliar locations, and language barriers.
Under the banner of Operation Milap, the searches took place between March, when Hooda joined the AHTU, and November.
At times they’ve dealt with cases where the child hasn’t been seen in years, and outdated photographs have been the officers’ only lead, which is when they typically have to conduct door-to-door searches with the help of willing locals—even beggars, in one instance.
At other times they’ve relied on the cyber division to track mobile phone locations, and walked across wide rural distances in completely unknown locales.
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“We have walked for kilometers because of lack of transportation in such areas. Many people are ready to help us, but there are also those who think assisting police can lead to legal trouble,” said Hooda.
During the operation, most of the cases were down to elopement, drug addiction, or insufficient parental care.
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“We are extremely proud of the exceptional work done by Seema and Suman in Operation Milap. Their achievement reinforces our resolve to combat child trafficking and guard our communities,” said the Director General of Delhi Police, Nidhin Valsan.
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“Walk in and give us your BEST dance moves for 5 seconds,” read a sign displayed on the entrance door of a coffee shop in Massachusetts.
In our world, as it exists today, social media virality ensued.
Coffee Milano Cafe in Middleborough got the idea from a pizza shop that pulled off a similar promotion—to help get people through the door and see the lovely, comfortable interior and great coffee.
But they never imagined it would go viral, with 7.6 million views on TikTok alone.
“We just thought it was going to be a small thing for the people that come in every day,” Olivia Svenson, barista and social media director of Coffee Milano Cafe, told ABC News.
“Everybody likes to see people happy,” she continued. “It wasn’t that (the coffee) was free. It is that people were able to express themselves.”
They’re now planning a similar event for Black Friday, brainstorming various ideas, including a “dance with your dog” version.
WATCH the joy and java below…
@coffeemilanocafe Dancing is good for the soul.. and a free coffee! This made our day! Thank you! #dancing #freedrinks #cafe #coffeeshop #event #fyp #restaurantlife #baristalife #barista #coffee #coffeetime #dancechallenge #viral ♬ original sound - Christina Dean
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Quote of the Day: “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle
Photo by: William Felipe Seccon
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?
New insights into the First Nations of British Columbia show how these resourceful people cultivated hazelnuts across hundreds of miles of their forest homes.
The study comes as certain indigenous nations in Canada are attempting to assert land claims by arguing their ancestral use.
Tribes such as the Gitxsan, Ts’msyen, and Nisga’a, have oral histories of cultivating beaked chestnuts in a way that bisects the traditional divide between hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists.
Like many trees west of the Rocky Mountains, beaked chestnuts release their seeds following forest fires, which native cultures once used to exploit this nutritious crop.
Chelsey Geralda Armstrong of Simon Fraser University wanted to see if this interaction with the chestnut trees left a genetic imprint that would be detectable in the plants today.
Armstrong and her colleagues sampled 219 individual hazelnuts representing three distinct regions in and assessed 9,650 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNP is the technical term for all those little genetic differences that make individuals of one species different from another.
In their study, Armstrong et al. found that clusters of shared genetic lineage could be mapped onto a landscape inconsistent with natural processes.
For example, a tree drops its own seed and it germinates, or a bird picks up a seed and stashes it somewhere. By these standard occurrences one would expect trees with shared genetic lineage to appear in groups, and to a degree, that’s what the study authors found.
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However, among 5 different tree groups with shared genetic heritage, individuals were found clustered in various areas across more than 400 miles of terrain.
“These trees fan out around an archaeological site called Temlaxam, where ancestors of some Ts’msyen, Gitanyow, Gitxsan, and Nisga’a people lived for thousands of years, until a series of natural disasters wiped out the city about 3,500 years ago,” writes Sierra Bouchér in Science Magazine.
“Hazelnut pollen found in layers dating to about 7,000 years ago suggests Indigenous peoples had deliberately brought the hazelnuts north from multiple different locations, then tended and cultivated them here.”
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Similar findings have been found regarding the distribution of Brazil nut trees in the Amazon, and Bouchér adds that there is a suggestion that forest cultivation was a widespread practice in North America, even before the domestication of crops like maize.
As regards the First Nations of BC, experts suggest this study could serve as proof of land use claims for a case currently on the docket for the Canadian Supreme Court.
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From New Jersey comes a story you have to hear to believe—a college sports know-it-all who landed a full scholarship in order to join his university broadcast team.
If you saw him behind the broadcast desk and behind his big Ray Charles glasses, you might think the game was passing him by—after all, Allan Wylie is blind.
But you’d be fooled, because he doesn’t miss a play.
“I’m reacting to what I hear,” Wylie told CTV news, which originally covered Wylie’s story when he was just a high school senior, and aspiring commentator.
However this year he was accepted as a freshman into the Rown University sports broadcast program to call the Philidelphia 76ers development league team, the Delaware Bluecoats.
Wylie wasn’t given it outright, he auditioned, got the role through a selection process, and is now one of the four on-air commentators.
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Neil Hartman who runs the broadcast program at Rowan, said Wyle deserved it, and that he has personally never met a commentator like him.
“‘He’s amazing on the radio, how does he do that?!'” Allan’s father Scott said, reading out a comment made by a listener after his son’s first live game.
WATCH the story below…
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Could a multivitamin boost the health and resilience of coral reefs? Preliminary testing says that, like humans, these critical ecosystems rely on nutrients in the environment surrounding them.
Researchers at the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been lab testing nutrient-infused tiles to determine whether they would boost the immune system of corals, helping them withstand stressors like warming ocean temperatures that lead to coral bleaching, and better recover from extreme climate events such as hurricanes.
The team plans to embed these nutrient-infused tiles in the concrete structure of a 20 sq. meter (216 sq. ft.) artificial reef, designed by experts at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI).
“We are studying how corals react when grown on substrates that have been infused with essential metal micronutrients, like manganese, zinc, and iron,” explained Colleen Hansel, a senior scientist and marine chemist at WHOI.
“The rapidly warming waters coupled with an active hurricane season has made it difficult to conduct field trials of our substrates. But preliminary data collected during more than a year of lab experiments shows that corals that had the early benefit of multivitamins were more resistant and resilient to heat stress.”
The structure will provide a solid foundation to plant juvenile corals and for coral larvae to settle on, while the tiles will disperse essential nutrients and vitamins into the surrounding waters for them to absorb, building their resilience toward environmental stressors.
“The artificial reef we’re building is going in next to a natural reef that has been severely impacted by marine heat waves and extreme storm events,” explained Marilyn Brandt a coral disease ecologist at the University of the Virgin Islands. “The artificial reef will protect the shoreline from storm surge and erosion while providing habitat for corals struggling from climate change, as we work toward restoring natural reefs in the area.”
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Field testing is still needed to ensure that additional nutrients in the environment don’t cater to one specific type of coral or promote the growth of undesired or invasive species. Brandt, Hansel, and their colleagues hope utilizing these nutrient tiles, alongside an artificial reef structure, will create a diverse environment for reefs and species that rely on them.
“It is important to create an ecologically sound, diverse coral reef,” Hansel continued. “We need to be sure an artificial reef looks and sounds as similar to a natural reef as possible. That doesn’t consist of just coral, but also sponges, anemones, and other biogeochemical components of the reef ecosystem. These interactions and feedback are necessary to make the whole habitat healthy.”
The WHOI has been behind a number of coral breakthroughs in recent years. This spring, the institute found that broadcasting the sound of a healthy coral reef actively accelerated coral growth in a degraded reef.
“A healthy coral reef is noisy, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp. Scientists believe that coral larvae use this symphony of sounds to help them determine where they should live and grow,” a statement from the institute read at the time.
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Quote of the Day: “Sometimes we are blessed with being able to choose the time, and the arena, and the manner of our revolution, but more usually we must do battle where we are standing.” – Audre Lorde
Photo by: Ave Calvar / Unsplash+ (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?
These cute pictures show a rare giant anteater pup riding on its mother’s back, after being born at a UK wildlife park last week.
Named Antony, it was born to a mating pair of anteaters at Cotswold Wildlife Park in West Oxfordshire, England—and is the third breeding success for the parents since their arrival in 2010.
And the birth surprised caretakers just days before World Anteater Day, November 19.
The park is just one of only two collections in the UK to have bred giant anteaters in the last 12 months.
Senior mammal keeper Jenni Maxwell discovered the new pup during her morning keeper duties.
“Zeta very proudly sat up in her bed at 7am on Sunday morning and lifted her tail to show off her newborn pup.
“She is a brilliant mother, is very patient, and allows the youngster to climb onto her back before making her way out of bed.
“Antony has a bright white stripe down his back and his tail, which is rather unusual for Anteater pups.
“The pup will stay on her back for the first few months of his life, and he will align his stripe markings with hers to provide camouflage.”
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After a gestation period of around 190 days (27 weeks), the female gives birth to a single pup while standing up—and the young anteater which weighs around 2.9 pounds (1.3kg) immediately climbs onto her back.
The pups are born with a full coat of hair and adult-like markings, aligning with their mother’s camouflaging. Its mother will carry the baby on her back for six to nine months, until it’s almost half her size.
The young suckle for two to six months and become independent after roughly two years, or when the mother becomes pregnant again.
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Giant anteaters are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is one of the most threatened mammals of Central America, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Generally solitary animals, except during the mating season, their population in the wild is estimated to be about 5,000 individuals, and is affected by habitat loss, road accidents, hunting, and wildfires.
But with the help of zoos, new babies are being born that boost overall numbers and raise awareness of their plight.
SHARE THIS CUTIE On Social Media for Animal Lovers in Your Life…
Four in 10 Americans are actively doing more good deeds before the end of 2024, says a new survey of 2,000 Americans.
It revealed that 43% are using the end of the year to boost the amount of giving this year, increasing their good deeds, volunteering more, or donating.
Commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted by Talker Research ahead of Giving Tuesday, the poll revealed younger generations reported doing more good throughout the year than older generations reported.
59% of Gen Z and millennial respondents agreed that they are doing more good as we approach 2025, to make up for the rest of the year, compared to 37% of Gen X and baby boomers agreeing.
Of the Gen X and baby boomers surveyed, 47% said they did as much good as they wanted to within their community this year.
Results also revealed that one-fifth (19%) of younger generations gave themselves an “A” for the amount of good they’ve done so far in 2024 — versus 10% of older respondents.
The survey looked at what held people back from doing more and the top answers were: Financial constraints (45%), health issues (34%) and time limitations (25%).
Respondents shared some of the best thing they did in 2024.
“Sometimes, it’s the small stuff, like checking in with a co-worker who seems down or helping someone figure out a solution,” said one. “You might not realize the impact right away, but later, it clicks that maybe that small act brightened their day.”
“Even a small deed can have such an incredible ripple effect,” said Julie Murphy, a director at Avocado Green Mattress. “Sometimes all someone needs is a little reminder that many of us have so much to give.”
From now to the end of the year, on average, respondents plan to spend eight hours a week on pursuits of “good.” And for 44%, that includes participating in Giving Tuesday this year.
When asked what drives them to give back to their community, respondents highlighted the satisfaction of giving (47%), a sense of purpose (43%) and wanting to make the world a better place (40%).
Thirty-eight percent of respondents said it’s easier to do good at the end of the year, with the holidays.
WHAT MOTIVATES RESPONDENTS TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY?
● Satisfaction of giving — 47%
● A sense of purpose — 43%
● Wanting to make the world a better place — 40%
● Emotional well-being — 33%
● Community connection — 23%
● Showing my children how to support their community — 19%
● A concern for responsible, ethical practices in my community — 18%
● Physical health benefits — 12%
● Skill development — 8%
● Networking opportunities — 7%
Hoping the holidays inspire you to be more generous and kind…
A group of fun-loving friends have recreated a photo from their first girls getaway—more than 50 years ago.
The four gal-pals, who are now nearly 70, recalled their week-long stay in a seaside resort so fondly that they vowed to do it again to celebrate their 70th birthdays.
Carol Ansbro, Marion Bamforth, Susan Morris, and Mary Helliwell all went on holiday together in 1972 to the town of Torquay, in Devon, England.
The women from West Yorkshire returned to the town this year to recreate their cherished getaway—and they wore outfits as close to the original as possible.
“Our first holiday in Torquay was truly amazing,“ said grandmother-of-five Susan.
“We were only kids and so excited about staying in a cramped caravan and sharing each other’s clothes.
“It felt really exotic and grown-up being on our own without parents in the English Riviera.”
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“The picture was taken by those photographers who used to roam the promenade preying on unsuspecting tourists like us.”
Mary, a grandmother-of-four, said the pals struggled at first to find the exact location of where the 1972 snapshot was taken.
“Nobody could remember where the photo took place but, luckily, a member of staff at the hotel where we were staying, guided us to the exact spot.
“The white building in the 1972 photograph had been demolished but the same bridge is still in the background.”
The seniors, who’ve been friends since primary school, changed into their 1972-inspired outfits in a public toilet.
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Carol said it was worth it, because “the photo is amazing.”
Marion said taking the second photograph was really emotional for them.
“It truly was an emotional moment. I still can’t believe it actually happened.”
START PLANNING WITH FRIENDS By Sharing This Idea On Social Media…
A man has created the ultimate fantasy treehouse and cottage inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—and it’s just two doors down from where the famous author lived.
The property in Oxford, England, features rooms inspired by the beavers’ den and Mr. Tumnus’s cave from the Narnia books written by C.S. Lewis. And, to engage anyone’s imagination, there is also a ‘magic’ wardrobe that leads to the surrounding countryside.
Some of the lights are switched on by placing the ‘One Ring’ atop the copy of The Lord of the Rings—a whimsical nod to Lewis’ old drinking buddy, the author JRR Tolkien.
There is also a magic mirror people can talk to, built with generative AI that speaks as if it is the White Queen—and only responds in verse. (See the video below…)
Dr. Yaz Romahi created the magical buildings especially for children with life-changing diseases, but recently decided to open them also as short-term rentals—and he loves how people are easily transported back to their childhood.
“The adults feel like they are re-living their childhood and their children are enjoying their space – and that obviously gives us the satisfaction,” said the engineer, who is a big Narnia fan.
The treehouse was created six years ago to hold events and to entertain children as part of the Congenital Anaemia Network, a UK charity focused on children and families with inherited anemias, such as sickle cell anemia.
“It can feel quite lonely,” he said referring to children with diseases. “At these events children can make friends who are going through the same things.
The charity, founded by his partner, Dr. Noémi Roy, a Hematologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, has grown in popularity and hosts patients from all over Britain who come to the events. Seeing potential for charitable revenue, Romahi decided to make the two rental properties available to Narnia fans.
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“C.S Lewis’s old house and garden is actually two doors down, so we share the same woodland.
“I am a member of the Magic Circle and I am an engineer so I built all the magic props. The kids love the fantasy so it was a labor of love.”
Much of the magic on the private 12 acre estate is found in an ‘escape room’ called Beavers Den that Romahi built for his daughter’s birthday party,
For the talking mirror he used his daughter’s face as the white witch. Using generative AI, the mirror will talk back, saying something different every time. Fortunately, he had friends to lend their creative support to the projects.
“I was quite lucky because my friends have very complimentary skill sets. For example one of them is a sculpture artist and very good with his hands building mechanical things.
“I am very good with electronic things and I have a friend who also works on designing sets and the builder we found was also incredibly talented.”
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“Without this team we couldn’t have pulled off what we did.”
The Cedar Hollow Treehouse is 750 sq-ft and sleeps 2 adults and 4 children—or 4 adults—and costs £350 per night. The Faun’s Hideaway, steeped in the Narnia lore of Mr. Tumnus, sleeps 2 and costs £220 per night. Visit their website to learn more…
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Quote of the Day: “Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.” – David Icke
Photo by: Katie Azi (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?
A town council in Scotland has been given the go ahead by a local court to sell a marble bust found propping open a garden shed, and turn the proceeds into a multitude of good for the community.
The bust was purchased by the Invergordon Town Council in 1930 for just $5 and depicts the man after whom the town gets its name—Sir John Gordon.
Sculpted by celebrated French artist Edme Bouchardon in 1728, it was created when its subject, Gordon, was on a Grand Tour in Europe.
It disappeared for decades before it was rediscovered being used as a doorstop in the town of Balintore 26 years ago. But its rediscovery and multi-million dollar value posed issues for the Highland Council.
They wanted to display the historical piece for the public, but a local authority claimed its value made securing insurance and security very difficult.
So it has remained securely locked away from public view for much of the time—although it was exhibited in The Louvre in Paris in 2016 and at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
The town has instead pursued the possibility of selling it, with the money going to the Invergordon Common Good Fund.
A museum-quality replica could be created which could then be displayed for the public going forward.
Members of the area committee voted in May to pursue the sale under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and it was later rubber stamped by the full council after 48 of the 70 public comments—68%—favored the sale. However, vocal critics called for the bust to be loaned to the Inverness Museum or National Galleries of Scotland.
The planned sale will now almost certainly be subject to The Waverley Criteria, used to decide whether an object should be considered a national treasure and thus remain in the UK. To qualify, the object must meet at least one of three criteria: it is closely connected with British history and national life; is of outstanding aesthetic importance, or is of outstanding significance for the study of art, learning or history.
Potential UK buyers or institutions would still be able to make bids on the masterpiece that Sotheby’s appraised at £2.5 million.
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If the sale goes ahead the money generated from the bust could provide a large boost for community projects in Invergordon—as much as £125,000 a year to the common good fund, says Councillor Maxine Smith.
TELL FRIENDS TO CHECK THEIR SHEDS–By Sharing This on Social Media…
High levels of physical fitness are linked to a lower risk of dementia for people with a genetic predisposition for the disease, according to a new study.
Enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness could therefore be a strategy when a patient has a high genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease—and researchers say it may be able to reduce the danger by up to 35%.
High cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF)–the capacity of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to muscles–is linked with better cognitive performance and lower risk of dementia long term, suggested the findings published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Scientists say that CRF declines increasingly every decade as we age and skeletal muscle is lost. The lower the CRF the stronger the predictor of strokes and heart attacks—and an early death from any cause, according to previous research.
Most previous studies that investigated the impact of CRF on cognitive function or dementia risk included only small numbers of participants, but now Swedish scientists have studied a large sample of 61,000 people.
All dementia-free, between the ages of 39 and 70, they were followed for up to 12 years after their enrollment in the UK Biobank study between 2009 and 2010.
A six-minute exercise test on a stationary bike was completed at the outset to estimate CRF, while cognitive function was estimated using neuropsychological tests. Genetic predisposition for dementia was estimated using the polygenic risk score for Alzheimer’s disease.
During the follow-up period of up to 12 years, 553 people (0.9%) were diagnosed with dementia.
For the analysis, participants were divided into three equal-sized groups standardized for age and sex according to their CRF scores, and it showed that people with high CRF had higher cognitive function and a lower risk of dementia.
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“Compared with people with low CRF, the incidence rate ratio of all dementia was 0.6 for people with high CRF—and onset of dementia was delayed by 1.48 years,” said study author Professor Weili Xu, of the Karolinska Institute.
“A high CRF also reduced all dementia risk by 35% among people with a moderate or high polygenic risk score.”
She pointed out that it was an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause and effect.
Further research on the relationship between CRF and brain health, especially in older people—and on the mechanisms by which CRF modifies the relationship between genetic risk and dementia—is needed.
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But Prof. Xu said, “Our study shows that higher CRF is associated with better cognitive function and decreased dementia risk.”
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A 12-year-old schoolgirl who is losing her sight was stunned when her favorite actress Kate Winslet helped her fulfill her “visual bucket list”.
Not only did the Titanic star donate $5,000 so Lily-Rae could see the Northern Lights, she also invited her and her mother to join her for a night at the theater in London.
The girl, who lives in Nottingham, England, was diagnosed with Stargardt disease last December, an inherited condition that causes blurriness in the central part of the eye.
Her mom, Emma, set up a GoFundMe campaign to help her daughter enjoy as many visual experiences before her sight worsens—and the Oscar winning actress was so touched by her brave battle, that she reached out to do something personally.
Lily-Rae and Emma travelled to London to meet Kate before the trio went to the Barbican Theatre to watch the play My Neighbour Totoro.
“It just felt like we’d known each other forever,” said Emma. “Kate was very, very welcoming. It sounds like a funny thing to say, but she was just very normal—very humble.”
Winslet also arranged for the girl to tick off another item on her list: feeding tigers at Knowsley Safari Park in Prescot, England.
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“We are so grateful for her donations and help in raising the profile of Lily’s condition.”
Lily created a thank you card for Kate and her family—and she did it in Braille.
The campaign managed to raise more than £10,000 for the fun activities on her “visual bucket list” so she could enjoy them before her sight deteriorates further.
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Earlier this year Lily-Rae fulfilled her dream of going to South Africa on safari. She also wants to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Tower of Pisa and Pompeii in Italy.
“People have been so generous and they’ve really understood what we are trying to do for Lily-Rae.”
Emma noticed her daughter’s poor eyesight when she was five and struggled to read at school.
Stargardt disease affects one in 10,000 people, according to the Macular Society, and causes blurriness in the central part of the eye—but it is hoped she may at least keep some of her peripheral vision.
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Currently, she can only see from 6-feet away and uses a font size of 64 to read her laptop. Despite her condition, brave Lily-Rae refuses to be downhearted.
“If there’s anything you feel is wrong with you, it’s not a disability and no one should see it as a disability. They should see it as an ability.”
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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 November 23, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The Museum of Broken Relationships is in Zagreb, Croatia. It collects castaway objects left behind after intimate relationships have collapsed. Among its treasures are love letters, wedding rings, jars of bitter tears, stuffed animals, feather-filled quilts, and matching sweaters. Inspired by this sad spectacle, I invite you to create a very different shrine in your home: one that’s dedicated to wonderful memories from times of successful togetherness. Making this ritual gesture of hope and positivity will prepare you well for the potential relationship growth available for you in the coming months.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
It’s the Soul Retrieval phase of your long-term cycle, Capricorn. Have there been people, either alive or dead, who wounded or pirated parts of your treasured essence? Have you experienced painful events that weakened your connection to your inner riches? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to undertake meditations in which you carry out repair and restoration. You will summon curative agents whenever you reclaim lost and missing fragments of your soul. Be aggressive in seeking helpers who can synergize your own efforts.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The Wistaria Vine in Sierra Madre, California is the world’s biggest blooming plant. Spread over an acre, it weighs 250 tons and teems with over 1.5 million blossoms. I propose we regard it as your inspirational symbol for the coming months. Why? I expect you will be more abundantly creative and generative than maybe ever before. Your vitality will overflow. Your vigor will be delightfully lavish and profound. Homework: Start planning how you will wield and manage all that lushness.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Piscean playwright and songwriter Robert Lopez is the only person to have won all four of the following awards more than once: Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and Grammys. He was also the youngest person to have won all four. I propose we make him your inspirational role model in the coming weeks and months. According to my astrological analysis, you are primed to ascend to new levels of accomplishment in your chosen field—and to be acknowledged for your success. Think big! Then think even bigger.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Award-winning Aries filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was born and raised in the US. But he has said, “I don’t make movies for America. I make movies for planet Earth.” I applaud his expansive perspective and recommend you cultivate your own version of it in the coming weeks. You will generate good fortune for yourself as you enlarge your audience, your range of influences, and your sphere of activity. It will be an excellent time to transcend previous notions of who you are and what your life’s assignments are. The frontiers are calling you to open your mind wider than ever, as you leap to the next higher octave of your destiny.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“Earth knows no desolation. She smells regeneration in the moist breath of decay.” Author George Meredith said that, and now I’m conveying it to you. Why? Because you’re entering a phase when you will have maximum power to ensure that decay leads to regeneration. My advice: Instead of trying to repress your awareness of what’s decomposing, tune into it energetically. The sooner you embrace the challenging but interesting work to be done, the faster and more effective the redemption will be. Here’s your battle cry: Turn rot into splendor!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Mercury will be your slippery but sticky companion in the coming weeks, Gemini. Whether or not you believe he is a literal god who abides in the spiritual realm, I trust you will acknowledge that he is a vivid archetype. He symbolizes forces that facilitate communication and promote connection. Since he is constantly traveling and conversing, he also represents boundary-crossing and thresholds. I encourage you to summon his assistance whenever you want to lubricate links and foster combinations. He can help you unify disparate influences and strengthen your network of allies.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Utility poles and telephones poles may seem to be indestructible towers, but they have a limited life span. A prime factor in their gradual demise is woodpeckers. The birds drill holes that over time weaken the wood. Their handiwork allows moisture to seep in, causing rot, and creates access points for small animals to burrow in and cause further disintegration. I bring this to your attention because I want to encourage you to launch a woodpecker-like campaign against any seemingly impregnable structures that oppress and restrict you. It might take a while to undermine their power to interfere with your life, but now is an excellent time to begin.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
As an American, I’m jealous of how many festivals the Japanese people celebrate. By some estimates, there are over 100,000 events every year—an average of 274 per day! They may feature music, theater, dancing, entertainment, karaoke, sumo matches, games, delicious food, colorful costumes, spiritual observances, and parades of floats and shrines. If you are a Japanese Leo, you’re in luck. The astrological indicators suggest that in the coming months, you should take extra advantage of your culture’s revels, parties, and social merriment. If you’re not in Japan, do your best to fulfill your cosmic mandate to frolic and carouse. Start as soon as possible!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The Flintstones was an animated TV comedy show broadcast in the US from 1960 to 1966. It was colossally silly and wildly popular. It portrayed cavemen and cavewomen living suburban lives in the Stone Age with dinosaurs as pets and cars made of wood and rocks. The chirpy theme song for the show was stolen from a piano sonata written by the classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven. In the coming weeks, Virgo, I invite you to steadily carry out the opposite of that conversion. Transform what’s daft or preposterous into what’s elegant and meaningful. Change superficial approaches into righteous devotions. Move away from trifling diversions and toward passionate magnificence.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Even if you’re not a professional writer, I invite you to compose three lyrical messages in the coming days. One will be a psalm of appreciation for a person who enchants your imagination and inspires you to be your best self. Another will be a hymn of praise that you address to yourself—a gorgeous, expansive boast or an outpouring of gratitude for the marvel and mystery of you. The third salutation will be an address to a higher power, whether that’s God, Nature, a Guardian Angel, Higher Self, or Life itself. If you can find it in your brave, wild heart to sing or chant these exaltations, you will place yourself in close alignment with cosmic rhythms. (PS: In general, now is a fantastic time to identify what you love and express your feelings for what you love.)
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The Greek term pharmakon has a complicated set of meanings: scapegoat, poison, remedy, and recipe. According to my astrological analysis, all of these could soon be operative in your life. One surprise is that a metaphoric “poison” you are exposed to may ultimately serve as a remedy. Another curiosity is that a scapegoat may reveal a potent recipe for redemptive transformation. A further possibility: You will discover a new recipe for a very fine remedy. I’m not certain exactly how the whole story will unfold, but I’m betting the net effect will be a lot of healing.
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
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Quote of the Day: “Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.” – Marcus Aurelius
Photo by: Giulia Bertelli (cropped)
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