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Lifeboat Volunteers Rushed From Crew Member’s Wedding to Rescue Six People in 7 Minutes

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Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

Lifeboat volunteers in the UK rushed from their crew member’s wedding to rescue six people—and took just seven minutes to get from venue to boat.

The lifesavers were lined up the aisle creating an arch for newlyweds Ashley Witcombe, a shorecrew volunteer, and his wife Cheryl.

Moments later their pagers went off, and they raced to rescue a group stranded on a small beach near Ilfracombe in Devon.

Wedding photographer 39-year-old Becky Payne said, “They’d literally just got married.

“We went outside and just after we took a couple of pictures they had to run. It was pretty exciting.”

Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboatman Leigh Hanks said, “We hope the pagers didn’t disrupt Ashley and Cheryl’s special day too much, although I’m sure it’s something they’re both used to.

“It’s not the first time the pagers have gone off at a crew wedding, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”

MORE: Groom’s Autistic Brother Has Wedding Crowd in ‘Happy Tears’ with Emotional Speech That Went Viral (WATCH)

Leigh added that the conditions for the rescue were “challenging” but the crew rescued all three adults and three children, who got stranded on a paddleboarding trip in the southwest of England.

The group were uninjured and taken back to the shore following the rescue on October 28.

RELATED: He Saved a Stranger From Drowning in India, Now They’re Married in the Netherlands

Later in the afternoon, the lifeboat crew drove past the seaside wedding venue again while on a training exercise—and were pictured giving a wave to the newlywed couple. Here at GNN, we’re so glad the day worked out for everyone.

RESCUE These Volunteers’ Awesome Story—Share This….

Luxembourg Becomes the First European Country to Legalize Growing and Consuming Cannabis

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Andy Corbley
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David Gabric

Joining Canada in North America and Uruguay in South America, Luxembourg became the first European country to legalize the growing of cannabis for recreational use.

Some nations, such as the Netherlands and Portugal, allow medicinal use and other specifics, but this small country has agreed that it’s time to let adults make their own decisions about what substances they want to consume.

Under a new suite of legislation, adults in Luxembourg will be able to cultivate up to four plants for personal use, and carry up to three grams on their person. It is still illegal to consume in public, though fines will be drastically reduced.

Limits on the THC content of the cannabis will be abolished. Sales and distribution will also be unregulated, opening new avenues of taxable income for the government to use on “addiction prevention, education, and health care,” officials said.

“We thought we had to act, we have an issue with drugs, and cannabis is the drug that is most used and is a large part of the illegal market,” said Justice minister Sam Tanson.

RELATED: Trying to Stop the Epidemic of Veteran Suicides, Plant Medicine Company Builds Mental Wellness Value Chain

“We want to start by allowing people to grow it at home. The idea is that a consumer is not in an illegal situation if he consumes cannabis and that we don’t support the whole illegal chain from production to transportation to selling where there is a lot of misery attached. We want to do everything we can to get more and more away from the illegal black market.”

As has been the case with 11 of the 50 U.S. states, each progressive decision to decriminalize and deregulate has made it easier for subsequent legislative bodies to take the plunge. As such, Luxembourg’s neighbor, Germany, who’s welcoming a new government that includes the Green Party, is thought to be a likely follower, as they have supported recreational use of cannabis in the past.

MORE: U.S. DEA is Finally Allowing Companies to Grow Their Own Cannabis for Scientific Research

Now, as DW reports, members of the new coalition the Social Democrats and the Free Democrats, are also favoring legalization.

GROW the News of the New Legislatlon—Share This Stpry

The Best Selling Car in All of Europe is Electric – And Hertz Just Bought 100,000 Teslas For its New Fleet

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Andy Corbley
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Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model 3

This September in Europe, the Tesla Model 3 became not only the best-selling electric car, but the best-selling automobile on the continent.

Extraordinarily, the popular electric 4-seater beat out a true European staple of people-movers, the Renault Clio, by 6,000 sales, and bettered the number-two selling electric car by about 15,000 sales.

Having largely debunked the old claim that the manufacture and electricity consumption of electric cars created as much if not more emissions than internal combustion vehicles, the electric vehicle industry is speeding forward into the wider automotive field.

Last Monday, Hertz, the second-largest rental firm in the U.S, announced that it had placed an order for 100,000 Tesla cars for its fleet, an announcement which caused the Tesla stock to explode in value to levels higher than companies that make and sell thousands more cars per year than Tesla does.

“The new Hertz is going to lead the way as a mobility company,” Hertz’s interim CEO, Mark Fields said in a release, “starting with the largest EV rental fleet in North America and a commitment to grow our EV fleet and provide the best rental and recharging experience for leisure and business customers around the world.”

RELATED: Ford Announces ‘Transformative’ $11.4 Billion Investment in New Electric Vehicle Plants in Tennessee and Kentucky

To this end, they hope to have all 100,000 cars by next December, and to have one-fifth of their fleet electrified by the same date. They have also announced plans to install tens of thousands of charging points—we can assume there will be at least one for every Hertz office—to make it more feasible to rent outside major cities.

It’s a big gamble, as Hertz had to file for bankruptcy during the pandemic, and was only saved by a large investor bailout.

MORE: Full Battery Charge in 15 Minutes: World’s Fastest Electric Car Charger is Launched

With investors coming in from both the tech and growth-oriented buyer class, Tesla has been able to expand at a rapid pace, and their sales are up 77% in Europe in 2021 compared with the same period last year. The American company is currently constructing a Tesla “Gigafactory” in Germany—where they will be able to increase production for the hungry European market.

DRIVE Over These Soaring Sales Numbers to Social Media…

Dramatic Boom in Nesting Sites of Sea Turtles As Conservation in West Africa Pays Off

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Andy Corbley
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Damien du Toit, CC license
Damien du Toit, CC license

The West African nation of Cape Verde has seen a dramatic increase in the number of loggerhead sea turtle nests on its beaches.

Increasing nearly 2,000% from 2015 to 2020, it places the archipelago as the world’s second-most visited nesting spot for the large marine reptiles.

Boots-on-the-ground work and a changing of economic fortunes have allowed the islanders of Cape Verde to see the turtles as a much-needed part of their marine ecosystem, rather than a slow-moving lunch box as had been the case in leaner times.

During the last six years, nest counts on the islands of Sal, Maio, and Boa Vista have risen from 10,725 to nearly 200,000, while poaching has also significantly fallen.

“With environmental education, watching over 180 kilometers of beaches and applying new legislation that criminalizes hunting and consumption of turtles, the catch rate has decreased significantly, from 8.25% in 2015 to 1.54% in 2020,” said Gilberto Silva, Cape Verdean Minister of Agriculture and Environment.

During nesting season, hundreds of members from local NGOs patrol the beach, counting nest sights under the light from the stars, and guarding the turtles from potential poachers. They will also measure them and secure a tracking chip so their nesting patterns and movements can be studied.

RELATED: Rare Turtles Known For Their Permanent Smiles Saved From Extinction in Myanmar

Another feature of the dramatically successful conservation program is the punishment for poachers. The Guardian reports that after new environmental laws passed in 2018, they are often sentenced to long hours of community service during which they have to follow around the NGO workers, and aid in the loggerhead conservation program.

This offers the chance for poachers to see the sea turtles as a natural treasure rather than a profitable one.

MORE: New Technology for Saving Endangered Sea Turtles Uses Decoy GPS Eggs to Catch Poachers – And it Works

Cape Verde, like Thailand and Florida, noticed that COVID-19-related restrictions led to increases in sea turtles from multiple species, however experts believe the rise is more down to conservation work.

“Conservation efforts in Cape Verde began 20 years ago—that’s the time it takes for baby turtles to come back as adults,” Albert Taxonera, founder and co-director of one of the turtle-protecting NGOs, Project Biodiversity, told The Guardian. What is for certain—these new numbers are good news indeed.

SWIM This Hopeful Finding Over to All Your Pals…

“Sometimes, being true to yourself means changing your mind. Self changes, and you follow.” – Vera Nazarian

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Quote of the Day: “Sometimes, being true to yourself means changing your mind. Self changes, and you follow.” – Vera Nazarian

Photo: by Aaron Burden

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?

 

The Many Health Benefits of Eating Mushrooms That Are Wild – And Picking Them Doesn’t Deplete Supply

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Andy Corbley
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Philippe Rouzet, CC license

Reprinted with permission from World At Large, a news website of nature, politics, science, health, and travel.

Philippe Rouzet, CC license

A pair of anthropological forces are driving humans towards the consumption of wild mushrooms, a trend that deserves both examination and celebration as wild mushrooms not only represent a nutrient-dense food source, but also a connection to forests and ancestral traditions.

The first is that regardless of the fact that during the 19th and 20th centuries, 12 crops and 14 animal species came to provide what is today around 98% of the world’s dietary content, reported incidence of wild mushroom foraging has increased globally by about 2100% over the last 56 years.

The second is that forest ecosystems are beginning to be preserved for their roles as centers of production for nutrient dense foods that are often difficult to cultivate, or are at minimum easier to do so in a forest system. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations estimates that a third of the global population rely on forested biomes for their food, fuel, and medicine.

Mushrooms are one of these foods, and the 90 species that are commercially cultivated in a $50 billion-a-year industry, pale in comparison to recent catalogues of edible mushrooms which total 2,000 that can be picked up and eaten—and an additional 200 that are nutritious but which require pretreatment of some kind.

With this wild mushroom harvesting boom comes the advice of every father in America about how “80% of mushrooms are poisonous”. On the bright side, many edible mushrooms have a poisonous doppelganger, and so the differences between them are normally well-documented.

In his book, Wild Edible Fungi author Eric Boa details how the vast majority of recognized edible mushrooms cannot be cultivated, and must therefore be gathered from the woods by hand, making it prized as food and an income source for locals in Northern Italy and the hills of China alike.

Nutrient dense and unique

Furthermore, long-term studies of mushroom picking in the mountains of Switzerland have shown that picking wild mushrooms has no impact on future harvests. That’s partly because mycelial structures are dramatically resilient.

Boletus edulis -Tocekas, CC license

Like a bio-internet, mycelial networks represent the main bulk of the biomass of the fungal kingdom, one of the six kingdoms of life. They weave through the soil and connect trees, soil microbes, and other plants to the animals above through the deployment of the mycelium’s fruiting body, that which we call the mushroom.

This incredible form of life has been shown to transfer information and nutrients between plants, taking payment in the form of carbohydrates from trees in order to protect them from pests and bacteria.

As a food item they are excellent sources of many important micronutrients and phytonutrients such as vitamin B2, 3, and 5, a host of minerals like copper and selenium, and a variety of carotenoids, indoles and polyphenols, which serve as anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agents.

Mushrooms cultivated for the supermarket likely contain negligible amounts of vitamin D, but due to the fungal presence of a substance called ergosterol, a wild mushroom which has exposure to UV light can contain up to 1,500 IUs of vitamin D3 and D2, something which is very rare in most unfortified foods.

Medicinal effects

A study of 663 elderly Chinese found that those who consumed two servings of mushrooms per week had a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment, while two epidemiological studies found a prevention in the growth of amyloid proteins in the brains of older people which cause Alzheimer’s.

That’s only what Harvard decided to note on their website, but the depth of medical studies on mushrooms is breathtaking.

Studies have shown that Reishi mushroom, which is considered a valuable remedy in Chinese medicine, protects the liver, significantly inhibits allergic reactions, and activates immune cells, particularly ones which kill tumor cells.

A South Korean study found that white blood cells treated with the chaga mushroom showed 40% less DNA damage than those which didn’t. Like the scratching of a disk, DNA damage drives many of the chronic diseases in our society.

In the journal Agriculture and Food Chemistry Lion’s Mane mushroom, commonly sold as a supplement in stores, was shown to confer too many protective effects to list, and was described as having exceptional nutritional and health-promoting aspects.

These are just some of the species cultivated for commercial sale and consumption. Like animals, fungi evolved special defense mechanisms against pathogens, like penicillin, and those which live in a wild environment—rather than a controlled one—are likely to be far-richer in these health-promoting compounds.

Gathering mushrooms is a wonderful excuse to go walking in the forest—and joining local community foraging groups to learn first hand from experts about mushroom species is a wonderful way to start foraging, instead of looking at a guidebook.

SHARE This to Organize a Mushroom Hike With Friends and Local Experts…

Poll Ranks ‘Goal-getters’ Top 40 ‘Everyday Goals’ – Including Being More Positive About Life and Cutting Screen Time

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Good News Network
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Do you find yourself complaining too much or spending too much time glued to your devices? If so, you are not alone.

A new survey of 2,000 adults in Britain revealed the top 40 ‘everyday goals’ toward which people are striving.

With Brits often having a reputation for being unfriendly, 23 percent of those polled set themselves the daily goal of being nice to other people, and one in five want to be kinder to their partners.

Not surprisingly though, three of the top five goals are related to health: Drinking more water, eating better, and going for more walks. 19 percent chose cutting down on the weekly booze, as well.

Despite setting such aspirations, only 10 percent achieve the goals on any each day. And, 37 percent acknowledged they gave up on their goals.

The survey by OnePoll, sponsored by protein snack brand Jack Link’s, also found 24 percent intend to follow a healthier diet.

Wellbeing expert and coach, Miriam Akhtar, suggests there are many advantages to setting small targets to aim for every day.

“People set daily tasks in an attempt to make the most out of every day and feel like they’re making progress with their lives.”

RELATED: 8 in 10 Americans Have Taken Steps to Improve Their Health Since the Pandemic Started, Poll Says

“As winter is looming, achieving these tasks can feel more tricky than normal as the urge to hibernate grows, but we need to cut ourselves some slack after the tough year we’ve had and aim for progress rather than perfection.

“You could try “gamifying” the tasks on your list, treating them like a video game, striving for a new high score and achieving a personal best on any given day or week.

“It is important to make sure your tasks are manageable, so that you get a sense of satisfaction from achieving the everyday tasks.”

Other small goals Brits try and tick off on a daily basis include going a whole day without eating cake (15 percent), folding clothes properly instead of shoving them in drawers (21 percent) and going to bed earlier (35 percent).

Many are also setting fitness-related goals such as going to the gym (17 percent), heading outside for a long walk (37 percent), or even trying to take part in a team sport (10 percent).

MORE: People Are Optimistic the End of the Pandemic is Near—And They’ve Laid the Groundwork For a Better Future

Respondents estimated they achieve less than half of their goals each day—and for one-third of these folks, this comes as a result of setting the bar too high—but 83 percent believe it’s still important to set goals on a daily basis.

Six in 10 of those polled use food as a reward if they manage to stay on target.

BRITS’ TOP 40 EVERYDAY GOALS:

1. Drink more water
2. Eat healthier
3. Save money in general
4. Clean the house
5. Go for a long walk
6. Don’t buy unnecessary things you don’t need
7. Be more positive
8. Go to bed early
9. Any form of household chore
10. Be more organised with in general life
11. Cook a healthy meal instead of getting a takeaway
12. Strip the bedding and wash it
13. Wake up earlier
14. Moan less
15. Follow a diet
16. Empty the bin as soon as it’s full instead of cramming more into it
17. Be nicer to people
18. Take the stairs instead of the lift
19. Read a certain amount of a book
20. Fold clothes properly and put them away instead of shoving them in drawers
21. Finish work on time
22. Spend less time on social media
23. Don’t go on your phone as much
24. Be more polite/ nicer to people
25. Be nicer to your other half
26. Don’t get a takeaway
27. Don’t drink alcohol
28. Go for a walk outdoors during work hours
29. Stop scrolling on your phone after a certain time
30. Complete a sudoku / crossword / puzzle of some kind
31. Go for a run
32. Go to the gym
33. Spend more time with the kids/dog/cat
34. Dress a bit smarter (instead of opting for comfort)
35. Drink less coffee
36. Go a whole day without eating some cake
37. Don’t snooze your alarm
38. Take public transport instead of driving
39. Drink more green tea
40. Iron your clothes for work

Jack Link’s are giving Brits a chance to win a month’s supply of beef jerky to help power through their goals, by entering a competition on its Instagram page, @JackLinksUK.

Heroic Dog Gets Award for Saving Over 100 Koalas From Australia’s Bushfires

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Good News Network
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BearTheKoalaDog - Instagram, USC/IFAW

An intrepid 6-year-old dog helped rescue over 100 injured koalas from the Australian bush fires in 2019–2020.

BearTheKoalaDog – Instagram, USC/IFAW

Now, the Australian Koolie named Bear has been named a hero, winning an award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Bear was trained in Australia at the University of the Sunshine Coast, where their Detection Dogs for Conservation team taught the former rescue dog to use his heightened sense of smell to hunt out the injured koalas among the ashes.

Research Fellow Dr Romane Cristescu, who leads the USC team, said Bear received “extra pats and extra play” after he was honored via video during the IFAW Animal Action Awards event in London’s House of Lords.

She said Bear’s sense of smell, along with his enthusiasm for play, made him ideal for research projects such as recognizing the scent of koala fur in the bush.

IFAW, which sponsors Bear, said the dog had been “a ray of hope” as he searched burned habitat to help the USC/IFAW team and their partners to rescue over 100 koalas.

LOOK: Doberman Dog Nurses Tiny Abandoned Kitten Alongside Her Pups – the Adorable Photos Will Melt Your Heart

His heroics earned him worldwide renown via his Instagram page, BearTheKoalaDog.

Previously, he had found himself in an animal shelter after his former owners gave him up due to behavior issues caused by his “boundless energy and obsessive enthusiasm for play.”

Dr Cristescu, an ecologist and former veterinarian, said the USC/IFAW koala detection dog is continuing to contribute to wildlife rescues and research with the team’s other canine colleagues.

RELATED: Italian Dogs Trained as Lifeguards Save 20 Lives Every Year – With New Teams Headed to Germany and US

“Bear and our team are studying the effects of the 2019-20 bushfires on koala health and habitat density in collaboration with IFAW,” she said.

In addition, Bear has an ongoing day job of locating koalas for welfare rescue missions, in collaboration with local rescue groups.

“He is always happy to give a paw to find koalas as part of the Detection Dogs for Conservation’s other research activities.”

Below is a PBS video of Bear at work…

WATCH: Devious Dog Fakes a Coma to Avoid Toilet Duty in the Rain –And it’s So Cute

Introduce Your Friends to Bear, the Fantastic Koala Dog–SHARE on Social Media…

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

Photo: by Timothy Eberly

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?

 

Substantially More Monarch Butterflies Have Arrived in California to Overwinter Bringing Hope For Species

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Good News Network
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Monarchs in Pismo Beach, CA by Steve Corey, CC license

Migratory western monarchs are showing up at their overwintering sites in coastal California in far greater numbers—a sign of hope for the struggling population.

Monarchs in Pismo Beach, CA by Steve Corey, CC license

These reports are particularly welcome after the population reached an all-time low last year.

This year’s official count has not yet begun. That will take place with the help of over 100 community scientists during the 25th annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, beginning on November 13. Yet these early reports signal the possibility of a rebound in numbers.

On October 16th, 2021, over 1,300 monarchs were counted at the Pacific Grove overwintering site; this site did not have a single monarch butterfly during last year’s count.

The same week, Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove and an adjacent site tallied roughly 8,000 monarchs—up from less than 300 butterflies last year.

Additional smaller estimates and observations from volunteers and the public have started to pour in from the Bay Area, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Ventura, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

So far, there appear to be over 10,000 monarchs easily accounted for at the overwintering sites.

The low count of fewer than 2,000 monarchs in 2020 followed two years which produced tallies of under 30,000 butterflies each year.

POPULAR: Listen to Millions of Monarch Butterflies Make One of the Rarest Sounds on Earth: ‘Just like a waterfall’

“We are overjoyed that migratory monarch butterflies have not disappeared from the western U.S.,” said Emma Pelton, a senior conservation biologist and western monarch lead for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “These early counts give us hope that, if we all work together, we can still bring western monarchs back.”

The annual volunteer Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count is coordinated by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and Mia Monroe, founder of the count and longtime volunteer coordinator. It is funded in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It is the primary way that we know the status of the western monarch migratory population.

Why are numbers looking better this year?

Like other insects, populations can fluctuate from year to year, in response to the temperature, rainfall, the availability of food, and other factors.

It is likely a combination of all these factors including favorable conditions at their breeding grounds.

RELATED: Historic Deal to Protect Millions of Monarch Butterfly Habitat Acres is Unprecedented

Western monarchs continue to lack the legal protection that would usher in resources to help recover the population, but there are many things that can be done to improve their chances.

The Xerces Society and partners work to ensure there are plenty of floral resources. They encourage Californians to plant nectar species, especially flowers that bloom in the early spring (February–April) but also in the fall (September–October)—especially native plant species, but particularly native milkweed. Xerces provides more details here.

There are many habitat restoration projects in progress right now to enhance and restore monarch breeding and overwintering habitat in California, but more are needed.

LOOK: Farms in UK Saved This Beautiful Duke of Burgundy Butterfly From Extinction

Legislation proposed in Congress including the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act (now part of the infrastructure bill) and the Monarch Act (which focuses on western monarchs) could provide critical funding for habitat restoration and research, if passed.

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This Week’s Inspiring Horoscopes From Rob Brezsny’s ‘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 beginning October 22, 2021
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Mardi Gras is a boisterous festival that happens every February all over the planet. One hotspot is New Orleans. The streets there are filled with costumed revelers who enjoy acting in ways that diverge from their customary behavior. If you want to ride on a float in the parade that snakes down Royal Street, you must, by law, wear a festive mask. I invite all of you Scorpios to engage in similar festivities for the next three weeks—even if you’re not doing much socializing or partying. It’s a favorable time to experiment with a variety of alternate identities. Would you consider adopting a different persona or two? How could you have fun playing around with your self-image?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Jungian psychotherapist and storyteller Clarissa Pinkola Estés reminds us, “In fairy tales, tears change people, remind them of what is important, and save their very souls.” I hope you’re open to the possibility of crying epic, cathartic, catalytic tears in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. According to my analysis, you have a prime opportunity to benefit from therapeutic weeping. It could chase your fears and cure your angst and revivify your soul. So please take advantage of this gift from life. Be like a superhero whose superpower is to generate healing by crying.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Filmmaker Wim Wenders said, “Any film that supports the idea that things can be changed is a great film in my eyes.” I’ll expand upon that: “Any experience, situation, influence, or person that supports the idea that things can be changed is great.” This is a useful and potentially inspiring theme for you to work with right now, Capricorn. In accordance with astrological rhythms, I hope you will be a connoisseur and instigator of beneficial, beautiful transformations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Fitness buff Jack LaLanne was still doing his daily workout when he was 95. He was also famous for performing arduous feats. At age 65, for example, he swam a mile through Japan’s Lake Ashinoko while towing 65 boats filled with 6,500 pounds of wood pulp. I think you’re currently capable of a metaphorically comparable effort, Aquarius. One way to do it is by mastering a psychological challenge that has previously seemed overwhelming. So meditate on where your extra strength would be best directed, and use it wisely! If you do Halloween, here are costume suggestions: fitness buff, bodybuilder, marathon runner, yoga master.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
When birdwatchers describe a bird, they speak of its “jizz.” This term refers to the distinctive character of its habitual movements, flying style, posture, vocal mannerisms, and coloring. One aficionado defines jizz as the bird’s “indefinable quality,” or the “vibe it gives off.” I’ve got a theory that right now you’re as bird-like as you’ve ever been. You seem lighter and freer than usual, less bound to gravity and solemnity, and more likely to break into song. Your fears are subsiding because you have the confidence to leave any situation that’s weighing you down. If you do Halloween, here’s a costume suggestion: the bird that has your favorite kind of jizz.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Aries philosopher Emil Cioran wrote, “When I meet friends or people I know who are going through a difficult period, I usually have this advice for them: ‘Spend 20 minutes in a cemetery, and you’ll see that, though your worry won’t disappear, you’ll almost forget about it and you’ll feel better.'” I don’t think you’re weathering a terribly difficult phase right now, Aries, but you may be dealing with more riddles and doubts and perplexities than you’re comfortable with. You could be feeling a bit darker and heavier than usual. And I think Cioran’s advice would provide you with the proper stimulation to transform your riddles and doubts and perplexities into clarity and grace and aplomb. If you do Halloween, here’s a costume suggestion: the spirit of a dead ancestor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
According to some spiritual teachers, desire interferes with our quest for illumination. It diverts us from what’s real and important. I know gurus who even go so far as to say that our yearnings deprive us of freedom; they entrap us and diminish us. I strongly disagree with all those ideas. I regard my longing as a primary fuel that energizes my drive to free myself from pain and nonsense. How about you, Taurus? In alignment with astrological omens, I authorize you to deepen and refine and celebrate the yearning in your heart. Your title/nickname could be: 1. Yearning Champion. 2. Desire Virtuoso. 3. Connoisseur of Longing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Author Jessamyn West confessed, “I am always jumping into the sausage grinder and deciding, even before I’m half ground, that I don’t want to be a sausage after all.” I offer her testimony as a cautionary tale, Gemini. There’s no astrological reason, no cosmic necessity, that decrees you must become like a sausage anytime soon. Such a fate can be easily avoided. All you must do is commit yourself to not jumping into the sausage grinder. Also: In every way you can imagine, don’t be like a sausage.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Our fellow Cancerian, author Franz Kafka, told us, “It is often safer to be in chains than to be free.” And yes, some of us Crabs go through phases when we crave safety so much that we tolerate, even welcome, being in chains. But the fact is that you’re far more likely to be safe if you are free, not in chains. And according to my reading of the astrological omens, that’s extra true for you now. If you celebrate Halloween, here are costume suggestions: runaway prisoner, escape artist, freedom fighter.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Some of us yearn for allies who can act like saviors: rescue us from our demons and free us from our burdensome pasts and transform us into the beauties we want to become. On the other hand, some of us do all this hard work by ourselves: rescue ourselves from our demons and free ourselves from our burdensome pasts and transform ourselves into the beauties we want to become. I highly recommend the latter approach for you in the coming weeks, Leo. If you do Halloween, here is a costume suggestion: your own personal savior.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
“One of the reasons people are so unhappy is they don’t talk to themselves,” says author Elizabeth Gilbert. “You have to keep a conversation going with yourself throughout your life,” she continues, “to see how you’re doing, to keep your focus, to remain your own friend.” Now is a favorable time to try such an experiment, Virgo. And if you already have skill in the art of carrying on a vibrant dialog with yourself, now is a perfect moment to upgrade and refine it. Try this experiment: Imagine having a conversation with the Future You.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
“In the absence of willpower, the most complete collection of virtues and talents is worthless.” Libran occultist Aleister Crowley wrote that, and I agree. But let’s phrase his idea more positively: To make full use of your virtues and talents, you must develop a strong willpower. And here’s the good news, Libra: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to cultivate your willpower, along with the assets that bolster it, like discipline, self-control, and concentration. If you do Halloween, here are accessories I recommend for you to carry with you, no matter what your costume is: a wand, a symbolic lightning bolt, an ankh, an arrow, a Shiva lingam stone, or crystal.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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French Farmers Growing Zero-Emission Tropical Produce in France – Producing Heat Without the Smoke

By
Andy Corbley
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Eco-conscious consumers in France may be shocked when they walk into their local grocer and see the words “Made in France” under a pineapple, or guava fruit.

It’s thanks to a growing number of French growers who are cutting back on CO2 emissions from food imports by adapting their cultivation methods to the tropical requirements of fruit that the country would normally ship in from thousands of miles away.

Who doesn’t love a banana? They’re the world’s most eaten fruit; or the mango, also known as “the best fruit.” Is there anything better to compliment a piece of grilled fish or chicken than grilled pineapple? Tropical fruit is hard to beat, but getting it to northern Europe presents a 12,000 pound problem.

Importing two tons of produce can produce 6 tons in carbon-dioxide and its greenhouse gas equivalents. That’s a lot of emissions, for as lovely as France is for growing food, they are net-importers, and in 2019 they brought in 3.4 million metric tons of fruit: the majority of which were bananas.

This has not gone unnoticed by growers like Frederic Morlot, who maintain a greenhouse in the Torreilles in the east Pyrenees under the name Les Arts Verts, The Green Arts. In this windswept mountain range, he grows bananas, turmeric, kaffir limes, passionfruit, “mango ginger” from Madagascar, guava, pineapple, and more exotic species like jamrosat, a kind of rose-scented apple.

LOOK: Towering Over the City, This ‘Farmscraper’ Will Produce 270 tons of Food from Hydroponics on 51-Stories

The trick, Morlot tells France24, is to find the species that, despite growing in the tropics, can handle colder conditions.

“Scientists have discovered that plants can create antifreeze,” says Morlot. “They create a sap that contains this antifreeze and they are able to protect themselves during winter.”

“We are able to collaborate with the greatest French chefs on exotic products, products that won’t travel for months or hours by boat or plane, and this will ultimately result in a zero-carbon impact,” he said.

And he is proud to count a Michelin-starred chef among his buyers.

POPULAR: In World First, Top Beef Supplier Approves Methane-Busting Feed Additive That Reduces Climate Change Gas by 55%

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Yuengling Beer Delivers Truckload of Lager to 106-Year-old Woman Who Drinks a Can Every Day (WATCH)

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Good News Network
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Yuengling
Yuengling

They call themselves the oldest brewery in America after David Yuengling arrived from Germany in 1829 and decided to make beer in the coal-mining town of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

This month, they made a special delivery to a woman who might be the oldest beer-drinker in America.

The brewery drove up with a big truck to Margaret Dilullo’s home in Spring Township to deliver an early birthday gift of 20 cases of her favorite beverage.

Soon, she will turn 107 years old, and the silver haired churchgoer has famously attributed her longevity to drinking a can of Yuengling Lager every day.

Now she has a free stash for the next 480 days.

RELATED: When Toronto Pub Admits it Needs Rent Money, Neighborhood Swoops In to Buy its Entire Stock of Beer

“There’s five generations of her family,” said Debbie Yuengling, who works at her family’s business, D.G. Yuengling & Son—just like six generations of Yuenglings have done.

WATCH the cute local news coverage below…

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“Complain and remain. Praise and be raised.” – Joyce Meyer

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Complain and remain. Praise and be raised.” – Joyce Meyer (Authentically, Uniquely You: Living Free from Comparison and the Need to Please)

Photo: by Jacqueline Munguía

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?

 

Ryan Reynolds and ‘Always Sunny’ Star Go to First Match as New Owners of Football Club – Didn’t Expect to Drink So Much

By
Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have just visited the club’s stadium for the first time.

The pair met fans and posed for photos outside the gate of the 10,000-seater Racecourse Ground, known in Welsh as Y Cae, before walking onto the pitch.

At one point, Reynolds laid down on the turf while McElhenney surveyed the terraces. Both also took selfies with each other.

The actors, who purchased the fifth-tier club in February, got their first taste of live action when they watched Wrexham take on Maidenhead in an away fixture.

But instead of witnessing a triumph, Wrexham was punished with a 3-2 loss, which featured a first-half red card for the losing team.

Reynolds and McElhenney were flanked by a film crew at the game, which is part of an all-access documentary, focusing on their ownership of the club.

So far, they have managed to secure TikTok as a major sponsor, along with Wrexham’s inclusion in FIFA’s most recent football video game release.

McElhenney, in particular, was showing off his support for the team last night by donning a Wrexham United jacket, while Reynolds opted for a dark coat and shirt.

SWNS

“A big priority for us is expanding and growing the club in every way we can,” Reynolds told reporters. “And, hopefully to make sure that Wrexham’s name is a little bit more global than it is.”

“And the fact that the club has been around 160 years… that’s really important to us,” said McElhenney. “We want to win right now while we’re alive, and we also want to set up the structure for the club to win long after we’re dead.”

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, who was appointed in July, said of coaching under the famous duo, “It’s certainly different having Hollywood owners.

RELATED: Shaq Helps Pay For Stranger’s Engagement Ring: ‘I’m just trying to make people smile’

“But taking their status in Hollywood away, it is their genuine determination to make a mark in this football club and the area that really appeals to me.

MORE: Leonardo DiCaprio Announces a $43 Million Pledge to Save the Galápagos Islands

“They are so committed to putting into practice what they have promised. I’m determined to give everything I’ve got to play my part in that.”

After the stars watched their team lose on home turf, they decided to commiserate with the best of them. “I wasn’t expecting to do multiple shots of gin, which is exactly what we did,” said Mcelhenney after meeting with locals at the pub. “They just kept lining them up.”

Reynolds quipped, “Yeah, I’m surprised we didn’t end up out here on the pitch!”

(WATCH the Hollywood stars talk in their first football press conference.)

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They’ve Designed a Livable Pontoon Boat Inspired by a Volkswagen Bus

By
Andy Corbley
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Lazzarini Design
Lazzarini Design

An Italian design studio is making a line of small river and lake boats inspired by some of the best classic cars ever made.

The models are super-accurately rendered from fiberglass, and mounted to a vide variety of pontoon shapes and sizes to go with your local freshwater source—whether a wide choppy lake or a narrow and silent canal.

Floating Motors by Studio Lazzarini has a lineup which appears to feature an old Mini, what could be an E-type Jag, an American muscle car, one of Bond’s Aston Martins (perhaps the DB5), an old Merc, a Lamborghini Countach, and even a great big VW Bus.

Their introductory offering is called La Dolce, and the shape reminds this reporter of a Nissan Figaro that almost ran him over in Galway one time.

They also take custom orders, so if there’s a particular cult classic-car you like, they’ll take care of the rest.

Currently the company is raising capital, and taking investments with big kickbacks if they manage to get enough to launch.

A $1,000 investment will get you a $5,000 discount from your first order, and $50,000 will get you a 1% stake in the company and a founder’s edition La Dolce.

Lazzarini Design

MORE: Wes Anderson Designed a Luxury Train Car – and It Looks Like Something Out of His Movies

“We strictly respect the original car model proportions and sizes, applying the most modern nautical techniques for the floating hull (catamaran, conventional or foil), and delivering exceptional quality concerning construction materials and applied technology, for the longest durability into harsh condition,” the company writes.

Lazzarini Design

“Our products are top-luxury motorboats, shaped like mythical cars.”

Lazzarini Design

There are a lot of firms that will retrofit retro cars with state-of-the art engines, brakes, and suspension. For example, Eagle has modernized all the best-looking Jaguar sports cars from the 1960s.

RELATED: A Floating Flower Garden in Tokyo Immerses Visitors With Orchids That Move as You Approach (WATCH)

Personally, we at GNN like the idea of the VW Bus as a luxury pontoon boat, transforming the van lifestyle into the river van lifestyle—perfect for an ultimate cross country road trip like this one we reported on, done entirely by river and canal.

(WATCH the video rendering of the pontoon boats below.)

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Destroyed by Fire, Drought, and Dust Storms, These Australian Marshes Needed Only Two Years to Completely Recover

By
Andy Corbley
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Cameron Muir, CC license

In 2019, drought choked off the Macquarie River in Australia, and fires swept through the marshes which it fed and left firefighters helpless to intervene.

Unbelievably though, just two years later and the land looks as if nothing happened. Plentiful rains mean the river is back to lazily meandering through the internationally protected Macquarie Marshes, and the reservoir behind the dam is more than 100% full.

A reminder to us all of nature’s resilience, and welcome news for those in the U.S. who hear of the devastating fire seasons in Australia, the recovery of the Macquarie Marshes is important not only for the country, but to the world, as they are listed under the RAMSAR Convention for wetlands of international importance.

An aerial survey following the drought, the fires, and then the dust storms, found two black geese across the nearly 60,000 acre reserve, a mere 12% of the total acreage of the marshes, tens of thousands of which had been completely scorched.

Pillicawarrina Bridge; Macquarie Marshes Environmental Landholders Association/Facebook

It was the first time the Burrendong Dam reservoir had ever run dry since the dam was built on the Macquarie river in the 1960s. Now officials say they have made major infrastructure improvements to ensure this kind of double-whammy can’t paralyze fire response ever again.

Macquarie Marshes Environmental Landholders Association/Facebook

The 2021 waterbird survey by the University of New South Wales in Sydney found that most of the bird life was returning, including magpie geese, green teal, straw-necked ibis, intermediate egret, rufous night heron, royal spoonbill, and other ducks and waterfowl.

“It’s just so great to be able to fly over the marshes because you see this water everywhere and biodiversity and lots of water birds,” Professor Richard Kingsford told ABC News Australia. 

Kingsford, who had been doing the survey for 30 years, said 2019 was the single worst year he can remember.

RELATED: Australia Announces $100 Million Initiative to Protect Our Oceans

Another part of the Macquarie Marshes’ rise from the ashes is the completion of a multi-million dollar boardwalk project that allows visitors to access far more of the wetlands, much of which is set on privately-owned land, which Milton Quigley, the mayor of the nearby town of Warren, says will be a big boost to those coming out of COVID-19 lockdowns.

MORE: Wombats Hailed as Heroes for Digging Down Under, Revealing Water Well During Drought

“It’s so much more accessible to everyone in our community and outside,” he said. “There’s people wanting to come and look from a long way away.”

SHARE the Hope by Sharing This Story From Down Under…

Inaugural Balloon World Cup Pits Athletes Diving in the Living Room to Keep it Aloft

By
Andy Corbley
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YouTube/@araujobrun

We’ve all been there before: There’s a party, balloons are around, one person starts trying to keep the gently falling spheres from hitting the floor—this desire spreads through everyone in the room until moms and dads start trying to break up the fun after a child knocks over a piece of furniture.

Yes, balloon-keepy-upy is a fun past time, but a TikTok video of a brother and sister playing the game during quarantine has spawned an international sporting tournament with a hilarious level of seriousness.

The inaugural Balloon World Cup was won by Peru, who beat Germany 6-2 in the final in front of a sold-out crowd and 8 million twitch streamers tuning in—about 4 million more than watched the Pay Per View mega-boxing event of Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao.

32 nations took part in the game, including Antonio and Diego Arredondo, two brothers from Oregon who, along with their sister Isabel, provided the inspiration for the game with their viral video on social media.

“We played the game as kids, and then, during the start of quarantine for COVID, we wanted to play it again,” Antonio Arredondo told Reuters.

He explained that in order to ensure the siblings knew who allowed the balloon to touch the floor, they began to use slow -motion cameras, making their diving-across-the-sofa saves all the more dramatic.

Among those who enjoyed their video was celebrity Spanish sports streamer Ibai Llanos, and central defender for Barcelona FC and Spain, Gerard Pique—who noted if Llanos’ tweet about how the Arredondo’s balloon game should have its own World Cup got 50k retweets, Pique would organize the tournament himself. It got way more than 50k.

At the highest level

This revolution in sport is played in an 8×8 meter court encased in glass, filled with living room furniture to simulate the real thing. The rules are simple: Athletes strike the balloon in any manner they want, so long as it’s made to travel straight or up (no spiking allowed); then it’s their opposition’s turn to keep it up. If it strikes the floor, a point is earned.

Pique organized it for Tarragona, Peru, and even managed to secure some high-value sponsorship, which became obvious in the later rounds when a Renault hatchback was parked without explanation in the center of the playing field.

Llanos provided the commentary, which if one closes their eyes, is just as adrenaline-filled as soccer commentary. All the matches are neatly and expertly organized on Llanos’ YouTube channel, and the highlights provide wild fun.

Similar to the real World Cup, a German was in the final. But it was to the host nation’s supreme joy that the home town hero, Francesco De La Cruz emerged as the first-ever champion after beating his opponent Jan Spiess.

“I am very, very happy, I thank God that I have been able to achieve this,” said the Peruvian teenager.

Hilariously to those reading who watch soccer, VAR was employed throughout the tournament, and a veteran La Liga referee was called upon to officiate the matches who repeatedly drew a small box in the air to consult the slow-motion replay.

Pique was in the commentary box, offering his opinion as if he were some kind of expert on the nascent sport.

(WATCH the highlights of USA-Cuba.)

(WATCH a short clips of highlights from Sweden-Morocco)

Featured image: YouTube/@araujobrun

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Tap Water Produces a Protective Shield Against Microplastics, Scientists Discover

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Good News Network
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Tap water produces a natural protective shield against harmful microplastics, which can help prevent household products from releasing them.

That’s according to a team of scientists from AMBER, the SFI Centre for Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research, Trinity, and University College Dublin.

The research from Ireland reveals that tap water contains trace elements and minerals, which prevent plastics from degrading in the water and releasing microplastics.

Microplastics can carry a range of contaminants such as trace metals and some potentially harmful organic chemicals.

Previous studies investigating microplastics release have used forms of pure water, which only exist in laboratories and do not specifically take into account the ions and impurities found in tap water.

Professor John J Boland from AMBER, and Trinity’s School of Chemistry, who was a co-leader of the research team, said, “It is well known that plastics can degrade and release microplastics, which can get into the environment and be consumed by humans.”

Boland cites plastic kettles—which are still fairly common in the UK for boiling water in—as an example, saying, “Our research shows that many items such as plastic kettles, which are repeatedly used with tap water, can develop over time a protective skin that prevents the release of microplastics entirely.”

Lisa

“Because tap water is not 100% pure H2O—since it contains trace elements and minerals, what we showed is that if you include these trace elements and minerals the degradation of plastics in tap water is completely different. Rather than the plastics falling apart, the minerals coat the plastic and prevent any kind of degradation and so the product becomes microplastic-free.

RELATED: Company Innovates Microplastics That are Biodegradable or Don’t Break Apart At All

“For example, that dark brown colour in your kettle [for boiling water] is a good thing. It is copper oxide that forms from copper minerals in your tap water, which in turn comes from the copper pipes in your house—all these combine to give a perfect protection to the kettle.”

MORE: 20,000 Pounds of Trash Removed From Pacific Garbage Patch: ‘Holy mother of god. It worked!’

Of the research, published in Chemical Engineering Journal, Boland said, “This discovery is important because we have learned that these types of protective skins can be manufactured in the laboratory and directly applied to the plastic without having to wait for it to build up naturally. This discovery also shows that nature is leading the way, pointing to solutions to what is a very significant problem facing our modern high-tech society.”

Source: Trinity College Dublin

FRESHEN UP Those News Feeds With This Latest Research… 

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” – Pablo Picasso

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” – Pablo Picasso

Photo: by Niket Nigde

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?

 

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