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4,000-Year-Old Pyramid Rises From the Soil of Kazakhstan–First of its Kind Ever Found on the Eurasian Steppes

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
credit – L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University

A large hexagonal step pyramid has been discovered in the most unlikely place: the grassy steppes of Kazakhstan.

While typical of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Mesoamerican, Nubian, and some South and East Asian cultures, the nomadic horse tribes of the steppe are not known for monumental stone pyramidal architecture.

Nevertheless, dating back 4,000 years ago to the Bronze Age, the step pyramid (or is it a steppe pyramid) is 500 square meters in area, and is described by a national team of archaeologists as a “sophisticated and complex structure.”

Located in a place called Kyrkungir near Toktamys village in the Abai region of Kazakhstan’s far east, interest in the site arose in 2014 when funerary mounds were discovered there containing burial goods of ceramic vessels, food offerings, bronze beads, and other jewelry.

Announced recently by the Archaeology and Ethnology Department of the Eurasian National University, the pyramid has been under excavation for some time, and is the first to ever be found on the Eurasian steppes.

READ ALSO: Historians Stunned: Uzbekistan Nomads Supplied a Third of the Bronze Used Across Ancient Mediterranean

“The steppe pyramid is built with great precision, it is hexagonal. There are thirteen meters and eight rows of stones between each face,” said Ulan Umitkaliyev, head of the department, in a statement.

A much larger black stone with a flat top was arranged in the corner of each face.

credit – L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University

“It is a very sophisticated complex structure with several circles in the middle. The exterior walls of the structure of this complex are dominated by images of various animals, especially horses.”

These decorations have led the team to believe that the pyramid may have been a worship center for a horse cult. Thought to have occurred sometime between 1,000 and 200 years before the construction of the pyramid, the domestication of the horse changed the lives of steppe peoples, from the ancient Saka and Butai cultures to the Mongols of the Middle Ages, forever.

MORE ARCHAEOLOGY: Pre-Incan ‘Floor of Thunder’ Found Where Ritual Dances Atop Stone Platform Made Booming Footsteps Like Thunder

With six sides, each measuring 13.8 meters in length, the total footprint of the structure would span around 500 square meters, or around 5,300 square feet—the same as a luxurious American home with a 3-car garage. It’s unclear how high the pyramid would have been.

Long appreciated in the historical record for their roles as conquerors, warriors, and traders, it seems there is still more to be learned of the people of the steppe.

SHARE This Groundbreaking New Discovery With Your Friends…

“There is no limit to the power of loving.” – John Morton

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “There is no limit to the power of loving.” – John Morton

Photo by: Alok Verma

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Dozens of Messages in Bottles Tossed by a Nantucket Fisherman are Found Around the World

By
Andy Corbley
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Cassidy Beach holds bottle she found on South Caicos island that Pennel Ames tossed
Cassidy Beach holds bottle she found on South Caicos Island that Pennel Ames tossed

Ms. Cassidy Beach was recently the latest in a long chain of people to be walking along a beach or a harbor and see a dark green bottle with a letter in it.

This one she found on a beach in the archipelago of the Turks and South Caicos Islands, in the Caribbean north of Haiti. Dated September 20th, 2004, it was cast adrift by Mr. Pennel Ames, a commercial fisherman from Nantucket.

Between 2000 and 2006, Ames threw hundreds of these bottles off his boat into the Great South Channel. They have washed up and been found in Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland, Great Britain, Florida, all over the Caribbean, and the Canary Islands.

80 people have taken the time to remove the artificial corks, read the letter inside, and write back.

Together with his wife Sharon and their two daughters, Pennel Ames perfected the techniques for preserving penned paper inside glass, and have every once in awhile enjoyed pulling a strange letter out of the mail and reading where their bottles have arrived.

“You get your mail and you kind of know your bills and the familiar people who send stuff to you,” Mrs. Ames told The World. “But then, all of a sudden, you get an envelope and you go, ‘Oh, wow, I don’t know that person. That’s a bottle letter.’”

Letters from people who found bottles thrown by Pennel Ames – Courtesy of his wife, Sharon Ames

Sometimes they’re in English, but often they’re in Spanish, owing to the Canary Current bringing their bottles down to countries like Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

The currents of the Atlantic Ocean keep all the bottles north of the Equator, moving in a big ocean “gyre” in a clockwise motion around the North Atlantic.

OTHER SIMILAR STORIES: Family is Reunited by Message in Bottle Written By Their Late Son Decades Ago

Still living in Nantucket, they have scrapbooks of all the letters and envelopes, photographs, postcards, news articles, and printed emails from everyone who has found a bottle and written back. They have a whole book for France alone, a nation special to the Ameses because of an incident where a Frenchmen found one, and then his son also found one years later.

Ms. Beach was working for the NOAA on acoustic data from harbor porpoises and dolphins and wrote to the Ameses that this would bring her to Massachusetts, not far from their house.

MORE CUTE PROJECTS LIKE THIS: The Inspiring and Playful Hidden Message in the Mars Perseverance Rover’s Parachute

The World reported that she stopped in to deliver their letter, and her reply, personally.

“As soon as I walked in the cottage, they had a whole dining room table full of letters and books,” Beach said. “They had one book dedicated to France alone. And it was just really cool.”

SHARE This Cool Intergenerational Story Of Connection With Your Friends… 

A New Study Finds that Performing Acts of Kindness Improves Mental Health Symptoms

By
Andy Corbley
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A jar for paying forward coffee in Italy – credit Devid Rotasperti

Humans are hardwired to feel good when performing acts of kindness towards others, an imperative trait in any animal that evolves to live and hunt in social groups.

This is such a truism that performing random acts of kindness for other people was more effective in reducing symptoms of depression than specifically planning activities for the sake of enjoyment, a new study found.

The study sought to test methods of cognitive behavioral therapy, a non-pharmaceutical treatment for depression and anxiety that’s proven to work through confronting patterns of thought and behavior that lead to depressive or anxious thoughts, and consciously moving away from them by retraining one’s brain.

The methods included random acts of kindness, such as buying a stranger’s coffee at Starbucks or baking cookies for the mailman, as well as planning fun activities twice a week and “cognitive reappraisal,” which coaches people with depression or anxiety to record triggering thoughts, and actively contemplate what would make the resulting stress diminish.

The participants would record a variety of feelings as measurements before the study, during the study, and five weeks after its conclusion. These included feelings of social isolation, self-consciousness in public, or life satisfaction.

“We did think that, if there was going to be an advantage of one group over another, it might be the thoughts record group, since that’s such a tried-and-true way of addressing depressive [and anxiety] symptoms,” coauthor Jennifer Cheavens of Ohio State University, told the Greater Good Magazine.

“But the kindness group did as well or better, and that group also had increases in social connection that didn’t happen in the other two groups.”

Indeed, all three groups experienced improvements in the measurements. The random acts of kindness group had a much bigger impact on positive cognition and emotions early on which tapered off as the study period advanced. The thoughts records, or cognitive reappraisal group had the opposite effect, where it started off negative, but became stronger and stronger over time.

MORE HOLISTIC HUMAN HEALTH: A New Holistic Patch Is Cutting Anxiety Successfully – Without Drugs

Another surprise was just how easy it was for the random acts of kindness group to perform the kind acts.

“I was surprised it was not a particularly hard sell,” Cheavens continued. “The people in the acts of kindness group had better uptake in some ways than the people in other groups.”

MORE NEWS LIKE THIS: Kava Plant Used for Centuries in Traditional Medicine Now Studied for PTSD Treatment

The kindness acts is a particularly important finding because it necessitates a connection with other people. Social isolation is a high-risk factor for survival; the same as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. 

Cheavens felt that as well as being a powerful therapeutic strategy, random acts of kindness can be “add-on therapy” to pretty much most mental health disorders, reasoning that anytime we can get out of our own heads, it seems to be of benefit to our well-being.

ACT On This Finding And Perform A Random Act Of Kindness Towards Others…

Lawyer Helps Woman Who Stole Pencil Box; Gets Surprise from Her Son 25 Years Later

By
Andy Corbley
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The year was 1998, and Malaysian lawyer Ahmad Zaharil was a bit confused when he saw a distressed Indian-Malaysian woman in her 50s being brought into a courtroom to be charged with shoplifting.

Zaharil felt compelled, he explained in a TikTok video, to ask her what her case about, to which she replied that it was because she stole a pencil box worth 18 Malaysian ringgit, or just over 5 American dollars, from a supermarket.

She had promised, she told Zaharil, that she would give her son a pencil box if he finished first in his classroom exams. He was in fourth grade and passed his exams with flying colors.

The lawyer and father of five asked for the case to be postponed while he went to gather evidence of the case, reasoning that if she were to be jailed, no one would be at home to care for her son. The teacher confirmed that indeed her son was the top student, but upon offering double the value of the pencil box to the owner of the supermarket in exchange for the case to be dropped, the man declined.

Zaharil took up the case for free and managed to get jail time and fines waived in exchange for a 1-year good behavior promise.

“Before she left, we passed the hat around and collected a couple of hundred ringgit contributed by court staff, policemen, and me. We handed over the money to the woman,” Zaharil, 57, told The Star. “She left after expressing her gratitude and I never saw her again.”

In 2018, 20 years later, a young lawyer approached Zaharil one day in court.

“Hello, Sir. You may not know me,” he began, “but I am the son of the cleaner you helped 20 years ago. Remember the pencil box case?”

Ahmad Zaharil, who said it was because Malaysians are “one big family” that he chose to help the woman – Facebook

“I almost fainted when he told me who he was,” said Zaharil. “It was heart-warming and one of the happiest moments in my life.”

Malaysia is a fascinating country, with several major ethnic groups living under a parallel legal system of civil law for non-Muslims, and Sharia court for cases in which all parties are Muslims.

Zaharil, a Malay, said that it was this spirit of national unity and brotherhood that led him to help the woman, an Indian by origin, get out of a jam. He maintains contact with the family and visits them for the Hindu festivals Diwali, and Hari Raya.

SHARE This Generous Lawyer’s Story Of Kindness With Your Friends…

Scientists Find A Whole New Ecosystem Hiding Beneath Earth’s Seafloor

By
Andy Corbley
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Eelpout swims by a tower of tubeworms. (ROV SuBastianSchmidt Ocean InstituteCC BY-NC-SA)
Eelpout swims by a tower of tubeworms. (ROV SuBastianSchmidt Ocean InstituteCC BY-NC-SA)

Exploration and mapping of deep-sea life has come on in leaps and bounds over the last two decades, and the discoveries have been worth their weight in gold—like this new finding from the Schmidt Ocean Institute of life beneath undersea volcanic vents.

At a well-studied undersea volcano on the East Pacific Rise off Central America, an international team of marine biologists and oceanographers have discovered ecosystems of worms, snails, and bacteria living underground, under the seafloor.

Using an underwater robot, the science team overturned chunks of volcanic crust and discovered these narrow cave systems. Animals enter and exit them freely, adding a new dimension to hydrothermal vents, showing that their habitats exist both above and below the seafloor.

“On land we have long known of animals living in cavities underground, and in the ocean of animals living in sand and mud, but for the first time, scientists have looked for animals beneath hydrothermal vents,” says the institute’s executive director, Jyotika Virmani.

“This truly remarkable discovery of a new ecosystem, hidden beneath another ecosystem, provides fresh evidence that life exists in incredible places.”

Hydrothermal vents are fascinating underwater hotspots of life. As corals are the foundational creature of reefs, tube worms are a foundational species on the vents. However, their young have never been seen on the vents themselves, leading some scientists to hypothesize that they travel beneath them to reproduce.

To determine if the worms or other animals travel through vent fluids, the science team used Schmidt Ocean Institute’s underwater robot, ROV SuBastian, to conduct experiments by gluing mesh boxes over cracks in the earth’s crust. A non-toxic red pigment was released into the mesh box that colored all the animals inside.

The mesh box experiment. (ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute/CC BY-NC-SA)

When the boxes were removed after several days along with the crust they saw that animals living below the surface in hydrothermal cavities emerged and could be seen uncolored.

The discovery is reminiscent of other surveys of life in the deep places of the sea to which few people travel.

Undersea volcanoes off of Australia’s Cocos Keeling Islands were recently surveyed for life, and all manner of wild and wonderful species were discovered there.

Deep sea coral reefs are not well understood, and one was recently found 2,000 feet down in the Galapagos Islands marine protected area that was teeming with life. 

In 2020, the British Antarctic Survey sent a submersible down beneath the Antarctic shelf and instantly counted 36 species new to science living on a single boulder. 

“The discoveries made on each Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition reinforce the urgency of fully exploring our ocean so we know what exists in the deep sea,” said Wendy Schmidt, president and co-founder of Schmidt Ocean Institute. “The discovery of new creatures, landscapes, and now, an entirely new ecosystem underscores just how much we have yet to discover about our Ocean–and how important it is to protect what we don’t yet know or understand.”

WATCH the great video footage from the survey below…

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“Marriages, like careers, need constant nurturing—the secret of having it all is loving it all.” – Joyce Brothers

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Good News Network
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Morgan Rovang

Quote of the Day: “Marriages, like careers, need constant nurturing—the secret of having it all is loving it all.” – Joyce Brothers

Photo by: Morgan Rovang

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

How Lizards Regenerate their Tails Could Lead to Arthritis Treatments: Key Cartilage Cells Identified

By
Andy Corbley
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A green anole, which can regenerate its tail - Gary Youst, unsplash
A green anole, which can regenerate its tail – Gary Youst, unsplash

Lizards have the ability to shed their tails to escape predators, after which they will regrow in around 60 days’ time.

Although it looks like a normal tail, the original bone is actually replaced by softer cartilage.

Now researchers at the Keck School of Medicine in the University of Southern California have identified key cells that facilitate that cartilage regeneration.

They believe their discovery could unlock ways to rebuild cartilage damaged by osteoarthritis, a crippling degenerative disease for which at present there is no cure, and which affects 10% of all Americans.

Lizards are among the only higher vertebrates capable of regenerating cartilage that does not harden and are the closest relatives to mammals that can regenerate.

The team has published in the journal Nature Communications the first detailed description of the interplay between the two cell types that allow lizards to regenerate their tails.

“Lizards are kind of magical in their ability to regenerate cartilage because they can regenerate large amounts of cartilage and it doesn’t transition to bone,” said corresponding author Thomas Lozito, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“The dream is to find a way to translate that process in humans because they cannot repair cartilage. This represents an important step because we need to understand the process in great detail before we can try to recreate it in mammals.”

Fibroblasts are the critical cell type that builds cartilage, and their research found that changes in gene activity that took place among certain fibroblast cells enabled de novo cartilage building.

They also discovered that a type of immune cell called a septoclast plays an important role in inhibiting fibrosis, or scarring, allowing the process of regeneration to take place.

MORE HUMAN REGENERATION: Regenerative Medicine Breakthrough: Cellular ‘Glue’ Heals Wounds, Potentially Regrows Nerves and Tissue

“Those two cell types working together laid the foundation for the beginning of the regenerative process,” explained Dr. Lozito. “A major difference between humans and lizards is that human tissue tends to scar and that scarring prevents tissue regeneration.”

Remarkably, the researchers were able to induce cartilage regeneration in the limbs of lizards, which do not regrow like their tails.

They now hope to test whether they can induce cartilage building in mammals, beginning with mice, using the techniques they employed in their experiments on lizard limbs.

MORE HUMAN REGENERATION: World’s First ‘Tooth Regrowth’ Medicine Moves Toward Clinical Trials in Japan

It opens an interesting avenue of imagination—of regenerating joints of all sorts in a non-invasive procedure. It’s the kind of thing a football coach dreams about.

SHARE This Inspiring First Step With Your Friends… 

Editor’s note: This story has had its image changed to reflect the correct reptile species.

Apple Committed $2.5 Billion to Build Affordable Housing and Thousands of Units Have Already been Built

By
Andy Corbley
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Page Street Studios - San Jose.gov
Page Street Studios – San Jose.gov

Citing a profound civic responsibility in the tech-heavy city of San Jose, CEO of Apple Inc. Tim Cook created a corporate fund to advance affordable housing projects in the city four years ago.

Now, $1.5 billion has already been spent, and it’s resulted in the creation of thousands of housing units across the city and county, and more.

As one might expect from the world’s largest company by market cap and revenue, the funding has been targeted, strategic, and effective, thanks to a plan to plug critical gaps in existing housing projects or innovate when necessary.

“We really look for projects and programs where not only do we have a deep impact, but we actually see the impact fairly quickly,” Kristina Raspe, Apple’s vice president of worldwide real estate and facilities, told Fast Company.

“That’s why we’ve chosen to focus on funding projects that need that last tranche of funding in order to be built, as opposed to projects that are still in the conceptual phase.”

Raspe and Apple have achieved that by relying on affordable housing non-profit partners like Housing Trust Silicon Valley, which provides Apple with lists of apartment and housing units that already went through planning and approval, but which hit last-minute snags.

MORE FORTUNE 500 FUNDING: IKEA Buys 11,000 Acres of U.S. Forest to Keep It From Being Developed

For example, Apple’s housing fund was able to get a 94-unit apartment building called the Villas at 4th Street in San Jose’s Japantown unstuck and open for chronically-unhoused senior citizens. Housing Trust Silicon Valley has also managed to secure the completion of another 82-unit building in San Jose on 333 Page Street, and a 30-unit building in the nearby city of Pittsburgh.

MORE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Airbnb Will Chip In for Its Hosts’ Green Upgrades

In the Bay Area, Destination: Home, another of Apple’s partners, have been able to secure some of the fund’s money to build thousands of “extremely-affordable” homes in the county, as well as provide limited financial support to 24,000 people at the highest risk of losing their homes.

Apple has also traded 5 acres of land in Cupertino, where the company is headquartered, with the county to facilitate the construction of affordable housing for teachers near the schools where they work. The county will give Apple a smaller parcel of land elsewhere.

SHARE This Demonstration Of Corporate Responsibility With Your Friends…

Police Officer Jumps Fence to Save Chained Dog from Fire, Not Giving Up Even When Heat Turned Severe

By
Andy Corbley
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credit Arvin Police Department
credit Arvin Police Department

With a heart of gold and nerves of steel, an officer in Arvin, California vaulted over a fence and worked amid blazing heat to save a chained dog from a raging fire.

Chained just outside a burning mobile home, Officer Calderon comforted the dog with kind words before eventually using hedge clippers to free the pooch, all the while protecting the dog with his own body.

Hearing about Calderon’s heroics, recorded in a 6-minute section of body cam footage, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) decided to present the man with their Compassionate Action Award.

“His actions were truly heroic. And we want to reward him to recognize that and also because we hope that it will inspire more people to be heroes for animals,” said Ashley Byrne, PETA’s director of outreach communications.

The process of freeing the dog started after Calderon used his strength to clamber over a rickety 6-foot fence. The dog was frightened and ran away from Calderon at first, but he pulled it close to him via the chain while struggling to try and find some way to disconnect it.

At first, he tried to bend a pin holding two sections of chain apart, but it wouldn’t budge. Then, coaxing the dog to hide behind a large horizontal kitchen or bathroom sink in the yard, he breached the friendship barrier and was able to scratch the pit bull or bull terrier behind the ears.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Stranded Dog Wags His Tail With Joy as Fire Crews Rescue Him From Sheer Cliff Face–WATCH

Calderon pushed the sink closer to the wooden fence behind it, creating a shield to protect the dog from the heat of the fire while trying to break through the fence and allow the dog to go into the adjacent property.

The smart pooch understood what was happening, and when a passageway had been made it went through. In the neighbor’s yard, Calderon found a pair of hedge clippers which allowed him to finally free the dog from its bonds.

MORE ANIMAL RESCUES: A Dog Rescued From a Ledge 50 Feet Above a Colorado Creek Had Been Missing for Weeks

“My back was already on fire. Whenever I was able to shelter the dog, my back was burning, and at one point I thought I was going to have to give up,” Calderon said in an interview with Eyewitness News.

“A wall of fire and scorching heat didn’t stop Officer Calderon from fighting to save this terrified, trapped dog, and we salute him,” said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.

WATCH the raw footage below BUT beware of profanity… 

India Succeeds in Reducing Emissions Rate by 33% Over 14 Years, on Track to Meet all Targets

By
Andy Corbley
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A coal power plant in India - credit Rawpixel
A coal power plant in India – credit Rawpixel

According to officials speaking with Reuters, India has reduced her greenhouse gas emissions by one-third since 2009.

The climate triumph was achieved by increased renewable energy production and increased forest cover, leaving the world’s-most populous country on track to meet all her current emissions targets.

The measurement of emissions in the report is referred to as “emissions intensity” which describes a measure of greenhouse gases emitted against a ratio of GDP.

According to the report, which is the third official report submitted to the UN’s Convention on Climate Change, India has increased her annual reductions of emissions to 3% annually in the period 2016-2019, from just about 1.5% in the preceding period of 2014 to 2016.

Forest cover and tree cover in India, according to the nation’s 2019 State of the Forest report, increased by 2,000 square miles, between 2017 and 2019. This is credited with increasing the total carbon stored in the soils of India by 42.6 million tonnes.

Recent estimates of India’s electricity mix show that renewable energy accounted for 25.3% of India’s total power generation along with nuclear.

MORE EMISSIONS TARGETS MET: EU Smashes 2020 Climate Target, Records 34% Drop in Emissions to Lowest Level Since 1990

India relies heavily on coal for power, and the officials speaking with Reuters said by demonstrating that a mixture of traffic management, renewable energy utilization, and forest management can meet the nation’s emissions targets, the government won’t need to practice widespread decommissioning of coal-fired power plants.

India has already invested heavily in future coal projects. Abandoning them would not only cause massive losses for the state’s coffers, but also a significant loss of confidence in Indian capital markets, and in state governments’ ability to manage taxpayer money.

SHARE This Good Green Indian News With Your Friends… 

“A man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his obligations.” – William Feather

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “A man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his obligations.” – William Feather 

Photo by: Maarten van den Heuvel

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Do You Know Anyone Named Bacon? Four of Them Could Win $10,000

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Good News Network
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Wright Brand

After 100 years of making hand-trimmed wood-smoked bacon, the Wright Brand wants to help fellow Bacons become their best selves through its first-ever Better Bacons Contest.

Wright says it knows a thing or two about making the best bacon. That’s why they’re setting out to help fellow Bacons across America become the best version of themselves.

Whether it’s through a kitchen makeover, a much-needed vacation, or an updated wardrobe, ten grand awaits four different Bacons.

“The Better Bacons contest is about paying it forward and delivering on improving the lives of those who have a special connection to bacon through their name,” said Lindsey Rice, brand manager for Wright Brand.

“Four applicants will receive $10,000 to ultimately help make them a better Bacon.”

To launch the nationwide call, Wright found a Mr. Bacon located near Chicago to help improve his life, giving a taste of what’s to come for four others lucky enough to carry such a delicious surname.

Wright’s first winner in Illinois

To win the contest, Mr. or Ms. Bacon should submit a one-minute video—or a written entry— explaining why they are deserving and what area of their life they’d like to level up.

To submit and view official contest rules, visit betterbacons.com and enter by August 21.

BRILLIANT WIN: 14-yo Crowned ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ for Headphones That Treat Ear Infections With Blue Light

SHARE With ‘Bacons’ Everywhere on Social Media!

Grandma Runs Week-long Summer Camp for 11 Grandchildren–With Daily Menu, Activity Schedule, Homemade Trophies

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Good News Network
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Narnie with some of her grandchildren at her week longlong summer camp - SWNS
Narnie with some of her grandchildren at her week longlong summer camp – SWNS

A dedicated grandma has run a week-long summer camp to bring her 11 grandchildren together for daily meals, and activity schedules, with homemade trophies and gold medals.

Narnie Shyrel Mack has four daughters and takes looking after her grandchildren very seriously.

The kids, aged seven months to 18 years, live hours apart and only see each other during holidays, so she hosts a ‘camp’ at her home to bring them all together.

‘Camp Narnie 2023’ saw them enjoy a busy schedule of outdoor sports, games, crafts, and challenges.

The unmarried 68-year-old even went the extra mile with meal plans, homemade awards and medals for the game winners, at her four-bed home in Kingsland, Georgia.

Daughter Vycki Gaines says her mom has always been good at coming up with fun activities—and would run their local church summer camps when Vycki was young.

“I think she really enjoys it. Not just summer camps, but graduations, birthdays, church camps.”

SWNS

“She runs ideas by us and we have to ask ‘mom, are you sure you want to do all that?’ but she always does it. This year’s was the best one yet—it’s definitely going to be something they’ll never forget.

ABOVE AND BEYOND DAD: New Jersey Dad Drives 1,000 Miles After Wife and Kids Had Flight to Disney Cancelled: ‘He’s Our Rock’

“It’s an amazing feeling knowing whenever they go to stay at Narnie’s I have nothing to worry about – in fact they never want to leave!”

The grandkids stayed for a week in July—with the exception of the baby who only came during the day—and Narnie catered to the cousins’ every need. Its actually not a big house but the kids love to sleep on the floor.

The daughter didn’t know she made personal schedules until she came to pick them up.

“She came up with the trophies on the spot and made homemade labels on the computer.”

After sharing videos of ‘Camp Narnie’ online, people were amazed at Shyrel’s effort.

Narnie (right) takes her family bowling – SWNS

“We always knew she was special, but I didn’t realize how many people go without that until I started reading the comments.

LOOK: Grandson Accompanies His 93-year-old Grandma to Visit All 63 National Parks: ‘Greatest privilege of my life’

“It was heartwarming, because my mom has always been the family’s backbone—she keeps us on our toes and keeps our heads held high.”

WATCH the video from Tiktok…

@vyckigaines So Blessed that mine and my sisters’ children are able to experience this kind of love from our Mom 💙 She kept all of her Grandbabies for the week and called it “Narnie Camp”. She made a full schedule, menu, and awards for everyone. And kids had a blast! #summer #grandmotherslove #summercamp #kidsoftiktok #fyp ♬ Summertime (Instrumental) - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

SHARE THE COOL IDEA With Families on Social Media…

A Third of Americans Claim They’re the Best Bargain Hunter They Know: Here’s a Few of Their Tips

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Good News Network
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CardMapr.nl
CardMapr.nl

Inflation may come and go, but bargain hunters are here to stay, with a third of Americans claiming they’re the best bargain hunter they know (34%), according to a new poll.

The survey of 2,000 Americans’ shopping habits found that 36% of respondents will always look for a deal even when their finances are doing well.

In fact, 87% of these respondents said they’ll carry money-saving habits with them forever.

Conducted by OnePoll for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, the survey found that eight in 10 believe that finding items on sale is important in today’s economy—and 66% are confident they can find a deal on any item.

They shared with pollsters a few of their favorite hacks for saving money:

  • looking for items off-season that are on clearance and saving them until I need them
  • checking multiple stores to find the most ‘bang for my buck’ on items
  • putting “$1.00 in a jar for each hour you watch TV.”
  • avoiding impulse shopping
  • doing lots of research beforehand
  • searching for coupon codes on the internet for specific stores

Finding bargains can also affect people’s emotional health: 85% of those in this random double-opt-in survey said finding a good deal on something “makes their day”.

What makes a “good deal?” On average, Americans estimate an item needs to be at least 36% off in order to consider it a bargain.

More than half of respondents said that even if they needed an item urgently, they would hold off on purchasing it to see if they could find it discounted first (56%).

“Today’s shopper is more knowledgeable than ever before. They know a good deal when they see one and won’t settle for full retail price,” said John Swygert, president and chief executive officer at Ollie’s. “Contrary to what many may believe, deals do exist on brand name items. It’s important for consumers to explore all of the options available to them to get the most savings on the products they love.”

There are 487 Ollie’s discount stores throughout the East Coast, Midwest, and Texas.

Your Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Our partner Rob Brezsny 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 August 12, 2023
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Now and then, there comes a time when I acquire an uncanny knack for seeing the totality of who you really are. I tune in to everything you do that few others know about or appreciate. I behold the big picture of your best possible future. One of those magic moments has now arrived. And it’s no accident that your energy matches mine. In other words, my power to consecrate you reflects your ability to bless yourself. So give yourself the ultimate gift, please.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In the 17th century, Virgo musician Johann Pachelbel composed a piece of music he called the Canon in D. It soon went out of style and disappeared into obscurity. But over 250 years later, a French chamber orchestra rediscovered it, and by the 1980s, it was everywhere. Ever since, Pachelbel’s Canon has been used in many pop songs and is a common anthem at weddings and funerals. I’m predicting a comparable revival for you, Virgo. An influence, creation, or person that has been gone for a while will re-emerge as a presence in your life. Be decisive in adopting it for your benefit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Author Iain S. Thomas tells us, “There is magic even in gridlock, in loneliness, in too much work, in late nights gone on too long, in shopping carts with broken wheels, in boredom, in tax returns.” He says it’s the same magic that prompted Joan of Arc to believe that God spoke to her and empowered her to lead an army. I wouldn’t agree that it’s the same magic. But I do advise us all to be alert for enchantment and interesting mysteries even in the most mundane affairs. I am a champion of the quest for holiness, delight, and marvels in seemingly unlikely locations. In the coming weeks, Libra, you will have a special talent for finding these revelatory joys.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Poet Rainer Maria Rilke said, “Self-transformation is precisely what life is.” If that’s true, you are in luck. Of all the zodiac signs, you are the most skillful self-transformer. Moreover, you are entering a prolonged phase when your instinct and talent for self-transformation will be even more potent than usual. I plan to observe you closely in the hope of learning your tricks for changing into an ever-better version of yourself. Show us all how it’s done, dear Scorpio!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Born under the sign of Sagittarius, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was one of history’s most influential composers of classical music. His elegant, lyrical works are still widely played today. He was also a revolutionary innovator who expanded the scope of many musical genres. One composition, Piano Sonata No. 32, prefigures elements of ragtime, jazz, and boogie-woogie—70 years before those styles emerged. In this spirit, I invite you to plant a seed for the future. You will soon get glimpses of creative shifts that will someday be possible. And you will have an enhanced ability to instigate the inventive momentum that generates those shifts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Let’s be honest. Most of us—maybe all of us!—fail to grasp the world objectively. Our perceptions get filtered through our opinions and beliefs and habit minds. The events we think we see are shaped by our expectations about them. Our projections often overrule the possibility of unbiased impartiality. We are serial misinterpreters. But there’s no need to be ashamed! It’s a universal human tendency. Having said all that, however, I believe you will have a special knack, in the coming weeks, for observing reality with more clarity and open-mindedness than usual. You will have an unprecedented opportunity to see accurately and gather fresh, raw truths.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Is this a phase of your cycle when you’ll be prone to saying things like “Why do you take me for granted?” and “I’m feeling cranky” and “It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it”? Or are you in a time when the following expressions are more likely to emerge from your mouth: “I have come to understand you in a totally new and interesting way” and “Life has blessed me by removing one of my unnecessary obstacles” and “I would love to learn more about the arts of cooperation and collaboration”? Here’s what I think, Aquarius: Which way you go will depend on how clearly you set your intentions. Life will respond in kind to the moods you cultivate and the specific requests you make.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Our bodies are imperfect. They are often less than 100 percent completely healthy. They don’t always do what we wish they would. Yet even when we feel less than our best, our body continually carries out millions of biochemical marvels, mostly below the level of our conscious awareness. As the creation of an evolutionary process that has unfolded for eons, our precious organism is an amazing work of art that we have every right to regard as miraculous. According to my astrological reckoning, the coming weeks are the best time this year to honor and celebrate your body. What does it need to flourish? Ask your intuition to show you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In Stephen King’s novel It, a character named Beverly is in love with a man who projects a sense of authority but also listens well. He is strong-minded but receptive; confident but willing to be changed; self-possessed but open to influence. That’s an apt description of the allies I wish for you to attract into your life in the coming months. Whether they are lovers or partners, companions or collaborators, friends or colleagues, you need and deserve the high-quality, emotionally intelligent exchanges they offer.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Seventy-year-old Taurus-born Eric Bogosian is a prolific playwright and author renowned for his hard-edged satire. The title of one of his books is Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead. But one critic speculates he may be softening as he ages, noting that he “seems more amused than disgusted by the decaying world around him, as if his anger has been tempered by a touch of hope.” The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to cultivate a comparable reshaping, dear Taurus. Can you tenderize what has been tough? Is it possible to find redemption or entertainment in situations that have been challenging? Are you willing to add more levity and geniality to your perspective?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Decca is a UK-based record label that has produced the work of many major musicians, including Billie Holliday, the Rolling Stones, and Tori Amos. They made a huge mistake in 1962, though. A fledgling group named The Beatles tried to get signed to Decca. An executive at the company declined, saying, “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on their way out.” Oops. The Beatles eventually became the best-selling and most influential band of all time. I don’t think you’re at risk of making as monumental a misstep, Gemini. But please be alert to the possibility of a key opportunity coming into view. Don’t underestimate it, even if it’s different from what you imagine you want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I’m a Cancerian who used to be overly reactive to people’s carelessness. If someone was in a bad mood and flung a rash insult at me, I might take offense too easily. If a friend misunderstood me, even with no malice intended, I may have sulked. Thankfully, over time, I have learned to be more like a honey badger, whose thick skin protects it well against stings and pricks. I bring this up because the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to practice my approach. First step: Understand how people sometimes direct their frustration about life toward undeserving recipients. Second step: Vow to take things less personally. Third step: Give yourself regular compliments. Actually say them aloud.

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)

SHARE The Wisdom With Friends Who Are Stars in Your Life on Social Media…

“I love not man the less, but Nature more.” – Lord Byron

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “I love not man the less, but Nature more.” – Lord Byron

Photo: hummingbird by a.koto (CC license)

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Plastic Waste Can Now be Turned into Soap Thanks to Eureka Moment from Virginia Tech

By
Andy Corbley
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credit Steven Mackay for Virginia Tech.
credit Steven Mackay for Virginia Tech

Polyethylene, one of the most common plastics used today, is actually very similar in chemical structure to the chief fatty acid in soap, and a scientist at Virginia Tech has discovered a long sought-after way to convert one into the other.

The compound, called a surfactant, is now being seen as an effective way to upcycle polyethylene plastics into soap, detergents, and more.

Guoliang Liu, a researcher at VA Tech, felt that there must be some way to divide the long polyethylene chains into shorter, but not too short, fatty acid chains that could be used to make soap.

Liu believed there was the potential for a new upcycling method that could take low-value plastic waste and turn it into a high-value, useful commodity.

Having considered the question for some time, Liu was struck by inspiration while enjoying a winter evening by a fireplace. He watched the smoke rise from the fire and thought about how the smoke was made up of tiny particles produced during the wood’s combustion.

Although plastics should never be burned in a fireplace for safety and environmental reasons, Liu began to wonder what would happen if polyethylene could be burned in a safe laboratory setting. Would the incomplete combustion of polyethylene produce “smoke” just like burning wood does? If someone were to capture that smoke, what would it be made of?

“Firewood is mostly made of polymers such as cellulose. The combustion of firewood breaks these polymers into short chains, and then into small gaseous molecules before full oxidation to carbon dioxide,” said Liu.

MORE CHEMICAL UPCYCLING: Breakthrough: Polyethylene Bags and Jugs Can Finally be Upcycled to Solve Several Problems at Once

“If we similarly break down the synthetic polyethylene molecules but stop the process before they break all the way down to small gaseous molecules, then we should obtain short-chain, polyethylene-like molecules.”

Two Ph.D. chemistry students in Liu’s lab aided the curious researcher in building a laboratory oven for the experiement, where they could heat polyethylene in a process called temperature-gradient thermolysis. At the bottom, the oven is at a high enough temperature to break the polymer chains, and at the top, the oven is cooled to a low enough temperature to stop any further breakdown.

After the thermolysis, they gathered the residue—similar to cleaning soot from a chimney—and found that Liu’s hunch had been right: It was composed of “short-chain polyethylene,” or more precisely, waxes.

MORE CHEMISTRY BREAKTHROUGHS: Life-Saving Breakthrough for Antibiotics Uses Shapeshifting Chemistry that Won 2022 Nobel Prize

This was the first step in developing a method for upcycling plastics into soap, Liu said. Upon adding a few more steps, including saponification, the team made the world’s first soap out of plastics. To continue the process, the team enlisted the help of experts in computational modeling, economic analysis, and more.

“Our research demonstrates a new route for plastic upcycling without using novel catalysts or complex procedures. In this work, we have shown the potential of a tandem strategy for plastic recycling,” said Zhen Xu, lead author on the paper published in Science, and one of the Ph.D. students. “This will enlighten people to develop more creative designs of upcycling procedures in the future.”

SHARE This Awesome Bit Of Chemistry With Your Friends… 

Comedy Pets Photography Awards Celebrates the Crazy Lives of Our Fur Babies– LOOK

By
Andy Corbley
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A Life-Changing Event, Beirut, Lebanon. © Michel Zoghzoghi/Comedy Pet Awards,

Now in its fourth year, the Comedy Pet Awards, a photography contest looking to capture the playful, the bizarre, and the hilarious character we all know resides within our fur babies, just concluded in London.

The winner this year was Michel Zoghzoghi, who travels the world shooting pictures of big and fearsome cats among other wildlife. He took first prize when he captured his playful rescues in action, with the rambunctious Max ambushing the timid Alex.

As the winner of the top prize, Michel received £500 cash, a fantastic camera bag
from ThinkTank, and a beautiful bespoke trophy.

“This is still a very young competition in the whole scheme of things, but within a few short years we are already receiving some of the most uplifting, life-affirming hilarious images of pets in the world!” stated Tom Sullam, Co-founder of the Comedy Pet Awards.

“I couldn’t be more excited to share these with you all. Pets have played a fundamental role during the COVID years, and to be able to laugh out loud with these loveable creatures is the reason this competition exists.”

Barkin! New York City, USA © Chris Porsz/Comedy Pet Awards.

“In March 2019 I was sitting in the Union Square New York dog run when I spotted a lady with a pink bag on her hand (to keep her hand clean) throwing a ball to her dog which was sat down facing her. The dog then launched itself and flipped in mid-air to face me and snap!”

Football free kick, Fukuoka, Japan.© Kenichi Morinaga/Comedy Pet Awards
The Three Greys. Landstuhlh, Germany. © Klaus-Peter Selzer/Comedy Pet Awards.

“Karin and her two dogs, don’t they look the same?

Zorro Reborn. Fahrdorf, Germany. © Karl Goldhamer/Comedy Pet Awards

“The avenger of the poor is back, but this time as a dog and not on a horse, but in a car! The obligatory black mask is a must, of course.”

Uplift Anyone’s Day With These Cute And Hilarious Photographs… 

Miami Police Officer Honored After Saving Boy With Autism from Drowning

By
Andy Corbley
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Ofiicer Ernesto Fernandez (center) honored at the Friendship Circle organization - Miami Police Department retrieved from Facebook
Officer Ernesto Fernandez (center) honored at the Friendship Circle organization – Miami Police Department retrieved from Facebook

Officer Ernesto Fernandez knew only that he had to save a life and worry about the rest later as he jumped into a Miami river to save a drowning child.

The ‘rest’ in this case was the 10-year-old boy’s Autism condition, and how it would affect the rescue attempt.

It wasn’t much of a concern to Fernandez, whose own son is on the Autism spectrum. To the contrary, the devoted husband and father was all the more committed to ensuring the accident didn’t end in tragedy.

Bodycam footage captured of the July rescue shows a fellow officer arriving in time to help Fernandez safely get the child into the car seat of the police cruiser, while the man’s black uniform was soaked through from his heroics.

On August 2nd, Officer Fernandez was honored in a ceremony held by the Friendship Circle Miami, an organization that provides friendship and acceptance to individuals with special needs.

“I know you jumped out of your car because you knew what that child really is,” said Rabbi Yossi Harling of Friendship Circle Miami, in a speech.

MORE NEWS LIKE THIS: Caught on Camera: Teen Hero Dives Into Bay to Save Drowning Woman From Sinking Car

“One of the greatest fears that parents have raising a child on the spectrum—and if you’re raising a child you know exactly what I’m talking about—is your child will be somewhere, and the person won’t understand their action,” said Harling.

“You look at an incidence [sic] like this, and the power that it has not only to those who are involved, but to the community at large, it is an incredible, incredible touching moment,” said Chief of Police Manuel Morales.

WATCH the full bodycam footage below from the Miami Herald…

DIVE Into Social Media Below With This Rescue Of A Drowning Child… 

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