Quote of the Day: “Even in the darkest time, the sun is not vanquished… Let us all bring more light and compassion into the world.” – Dacha Avelin (on the Winter Solstice)
Photo by: NOAA
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Virtually all new parents quickly discover that a lullaby will in fact help an infant unwind, but they might be surprised to learn that babies aren’t fussy about the language.
Researchers at Harvard’s Music Lab have determined that American infants relaxed when played lullabies that were unfamiliar and in a foreign language.
“Common sense tells us that infants find the lullabies they hear relaxing,” said Samuel Mehr, a Department of Psychology research associate and principal investigator at the Music Lab. “Is this just because they’ve experienced their parents’ singing before and know it means they’re safe and secure? Or is there also something universal about lullabies that produces these effects, independently of experience?”
The new findings, published in Nature Human Behaviour, supported the latter hypothesis.
Infants responded to universal elements of songs, despite the unfamiliarity of their melodies and words, and relaxed. The study was conducted in 2018 and 2019 at the Music Lab, which focuses on the psychology of music from infancy to adulthood.
In the experiment, each infant watched an animated video of two characters singing either a lullaby or a non-lullaby. To measure the infants’ relaxation responses to the recordings, the researchers focused on pupil dilation, heart rate changes, electrodermal activity (a measure of “arousal” or excitement, from electrical resistance of the skin), frequency of blinking, and gaze direction as indicators of relaxation or agitation.
Generally, the infants experienced a decrease in heart rate and pupil dilation, and attenuated electrodermal activity in response to the unfamiliar lullabies.
The researchers had to act quickly because of their subjects’ limited attention spans; most babies could pay attention for about five minutes before getting distracted.
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“In an ideal world, we would play babies a dozen songs that are lullabies and a dozen songs that are not lullabies and gather a lot of data from each infant. But an infant’s attention span is short, so the experiment is short too,” Mila Bertolo, co-first author of the research, told the Harvard Gazette.
The songs were chosen through a previous Music Lab study, in which adults rated how likely a foreign unfamiliar song was to be a lullaby, a dance song, a healing song, or a love song. Using a cross-cultural sample of adult-rated lullabies helped the researchers avoid incorporating their own selection bias, where they might be more inclined to choose songs that most closely resembled a Western lullaby, said Bertolo.
The 16 songs selected for the experiment came from the Natural History of Song Discography, and included lullabies and other songs originally produced to express love, heal the sick, or encourage dancing. Languages like Scottish Gaelic, Hopi, and Western Nahuatl, and regions including Polynesia, Central America, and the Middle East were represented in the songs chosen.
“Melody is one of the things that sticks out for lullabies. In comparison, in a lot of other song types, such as dance songs, you would see rhythm as being more of a driving force,” explained Connie Bainbridge, who co-led the research with Bertolo in the Music Lab, and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in communication at UCLA.
Separately, researchers asked parents to listen to both types of song and choose which they would use to soothe their infant. They almost always chose the lullaby, indicating that they also recognized the universal elements of the lullaby, even subconsciously. “Calming a fussy infant is an urgent matter for parents. Those of us with kids might be particularly sensitive to the acoustic features that appear universally in lullabies, as these may be most likely to calm our infants efficiently,” said Mehr.
The findings are “a testament to how effective music is,” said Bertolo. “This piece of the puzzle helps us make sense of certain kind of downstream effects” like music therapy in clinical settings. “It’s an interesting question to see whether the same thing that drives the relaxation for infants would carry through into adulthood.”
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The researchers predict that the results could be replicated with a different group of subjects from another culture. They also plan to continue investigating questions raised during the experiment, such as which of the specific acoustical elements of a lullaby encourage relaxation, how singing interacts with other activities and environments to induce relaxation, and what inferences infants might make during listening.
The research provides evidence that singing can help infants relax — and in doing so might improve daily life for both child and caregiver.
“While the music in general was relaxing, there was something about the lullabies that was especially relaxing, so in theory there could be ways to optimize the music we provide to infants, to make them more effective,” added Bainbridge. “Additionally, it’s an interesting area to explore as far as the function of music — is it an adaptation that we evolved to have or a byproduct of language or auditory cognition? Our findings do seem to support the idea that there is actually an evolutionary function of music.”
Source: Harvard – See additional stories on music and babies at The Music Lab.
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We’ve partnered with our friend Rob Brezsny to provide his weekly wisdom which can enlighten your thinking and motivate your 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 December 17, 2020
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
According to researcher Nick Watts and his documentary film The Human Footprint, the average person speaks more than 13 million words in a lifetime, or about 4,300 per day. But I suspect and hope that your output will increase in 2021. I think you’ll have more to say than usual—more truths to articulate, more observations to express, more experiences to describe. So please raise your daily quota of self-expression to account for your expanded capacity to share your intelligence with the world.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
“Our thinking should have a vigorous fragrance, like a wheat field on a summer’s night,” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I encourage you to adopt that joyful mandate as your own. It’s a perfect time to throw out stale opinions and moldy ideas as you make room for an aromatic array of fresh, spicy notions. To add to your bliss, get rid of musty old feelings and decaying dreams and stinky judgments. That brave cleansing will make room for the arrival of crisp insights that smell really good.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Have you heard the term “catastrophize”? It refers to when people experience a small setback or minor problem but interpret it as being a major misfortune. It’s very important that you not engage in catastrophizing during the coming weeks. I urge you to prevent your imagination from jumping to awful conclusions that aren’t warranted. Use deep breathing and logical thinking to coax yourself into responding calmly. Bonus tip: In my view, the small “setback” you experience could lead to an unexpected opportunity—especially if you resist the temptation to catastrophize.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
My Buddhist friend Marcia says the ultimate goal of her meditation practice is to know that the material world is an illusion and that there is no such thing “I” or “you,” no past or future. There is only the quality-less ground of being. My Sufi friend Roanne, on the other hand, is a devotee of the poet Rumi. The ultimate goal of her meditation practice is to be in intimate contact, in tender loving communion, with the Divine Friend, the personal face of the Cosmic Intelligence. Given your astrological omens, Pisces, I’d say you’re in a prime position to experience the raw truth of both Marcia’s and Roanne’s ideals. The coming days could bring you amazing spiritual breakthroughs!
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Temporary gods are deities who come alive and become available for particular functions, and are not otherwise necessary or called upon. For instance, in ancient Greece, the god Myiagros showed up when humans made sacrifices to the goddess Athena. His task was to shoo away flies. I encourage you to invent or invoke such a spirit for the work you have ahead of you. And what’s that work? 1. To translate your recent discoveries into practical plans. 2. To channel your new-found freedom into strategies that will ensure freedom will last. 3. To infuse the details of daily life with the big visions you’ve harvested recently. What will you name your temporary god?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Author Virginia Woolf said that we don’t wholly experience the unique feelings that arise in any particular moment. They take a while to completely settle in, unfold, and expand. From her perspective, then, we rarely “have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.” With that as your starting point, Taurus, I invite you to take a journey through the last 11 months and thoroughly evolve all the emotions that weren’t entirely ripe when they originally appeared. Now is an excellent time to deepen your experience of what has already happened; to fully bloom the seeds that have been planted.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
“Wonder is a bulky emotion,” writes author Diane Ackerman. “When you let it fill your heart and mind, there isn’t room for anxiety, distress, or anything else.” I’d love for you to use her observation as a prescription in 2021, Gemini. According to my understanding of the coming year’s astrological portents, you will have more natural access to wonder and amazement and awe than you’ve had in a long time. And it would make me happy to see you rouse those primal emotions with vigor—so much so that you drive away at least some of the flabby emotions like anxiety, which are often more neurotic than real.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I’ll use the words of author Estefanía Mitre to tell you the kind of intimate ally you deserve. If for some inexplicable reason you have not enjoyed a relationship like this before now, I urge you to make 2021 the year that you finally do. And if you HAVE indeed been lucky in this regard, I bet you’ll be even luckier in 2021. Here’s Mitre: “You deserve a lover who wants you disheveled . . . who makes you feel safe . . . who wants to dance with you . . . who never gets tired of studying your expressions . . . who listens when you sing, who supports you when you feel shame and respects your freedom . . . who takes away the lies and brings you hope.”
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In 2019, singer Ariana Grande got Japanese characters tattooed on her palm. She believed them to be a translation of the English phrase “7 Rings,” which was the title of a song she had released. But knowledgeable observers later informed her that the tattoo’s real meaning was “small charcoal grill.” She arranged to have alterations made, but the new version was worse: “Japanese barbecue grill finger.” I offer you this story for two reasons, Leo. First, I applaud the creativity and innovative spirit that have been flowing through you. Second, I want to make sure that you keep them on the right track—that they continue to express what you want them to express. With proper planning and discernment, they will.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
While sleeping, most of us have over a thousand dreams every year. Many are hard to remember and not worth remembering. But a beloved few can be life-changers. They have the potential to trigger epiphanies that transform our destinies for the better. In my astrological opinion, you are now in a phase when such dreams are more likely than usual. That’s why I invite you to keep a recorder or a pen and notebook by your bed so as to capture them. For inspiration, read this testimony from Jasper Johns, whom some call America’s “foremost living artist”: “One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it.” Painting flags ultimately became one of Johns’ specialties.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
I composed a prayer that’s in alignment with your current astrological omens. If it feels right, say it daily for the next ten days. Here it is: “Dear Higher Self, Guardian Angel, and Future Me: Please show me how to find or create the key to the part of my own heart that’s locked up. Reveal the secret to dissolving any inhibitions that interfere with my ability to feel all I need to feel. Make it possible for me to get brilliant insights into truths that will enable me to lift my intimate alliances to the next level.”
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Author Herman Hesse observed, “Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work instead of business, passion instead of foolery, finds no home in this trivial world.” I hope you will prove him wrong in 2021, Scorpio. According to my reading of astrological omens, the rhythms of life will be in alignment with yours if you do indeed make bold attempts to favor music over noise, joy over pleasure, soul over gold, creative work over business, passion over foolery. Moreover, I think this will be your perfect formula for success—a strategy that will guarantee you’ll feel at home in the world more than ever before.
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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When drivers in Charleston, West Virginia heard the sirens of police cars behind them last week, many got a holiday reprieve to brighten their day.
The South Charleston Police Department was giving out gift cards, instead of tickets, to the traffic rule-breakers.
“BIG shout out to SCPD,” wrote Jeanna McCallister Lilly on Facebook. “I ran a red light (accidentally of course) and was, as expected, pulled over. The officer took my ID and car info and when he came back, he surprised me by NOT giving me a ticket, but a gift card for Chik-Fil-A.”
“How wonderful is that??”
The franchise restaurant approached officers at the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge, according to the South Charleston Police Department’s Facebook page, asking if they’d like to hand out the gift cards for the holidays. They acquired $500 worth of cards to distribute.
Officer Robert Yeager told WCHS News that officers were stopping drivers as usual for traffic violations but surprised them with $10 gift cards.
“Usually, people aren’t too happy when you pull them over, but to put a smile on someone’s face like that, it’s a good feeling,” Patrol Officer Justin Morris told the news team.
Watch the TV news video from WCHS, here.
While the world shelters in place to see if a vaccine might end the COVID-19 pandemic, a body of researchers are suggesting that if the scientific community only took studies on certain plant compounds a little farther, widespread effective treatments could be developed that ward off this coronavirus and future ones.
These include resveratrol and flavonoids collectively known as polyphenols, containing impressive flu-fighting elements such as quercetin, luteolin, fisetin, curcumin, and.
Gaining a lot of popularity as an anti-aging supplement, resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that also helps suppress pro-inflammatory compounds like IL-6 and TNF-alpha that are associated with disease, the latter of which involved in every disease known to man.
This was demonstrated in a study, described here, where healthy individuals were given a 6-week course of 40mg of resveratrol derived from the extract of a plant called Japanese knotweed.
Currently, resveratrol, a compound present in most plants which is expressed when they experience stress, is being looked at as a potential ameliorator of viral infections including seasonal influenza and COVID-19.
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One of the principle ways resveratrol influences longevity is by acting as a mimic for the effects of calorie restriction on sirtuin activation.
A study in Nature reports a finding in yeast cells that showed, “resveratrol mimics calorie restriction by stimulating sirtuin-2, increasing DNA stability and extending lifespan by 70%”.
Now being examined as a potential co-factor in a possible COVID-19 treatment, one can see other ways in which resveratrol can help extend lifespan.
Its main antiviral mechanisms inhibit viral protein synthesis, inhibit various transcription and signaling pathways, and inhibit viral related gene expressions—in other words it makes it harder for viral cells to live, being that viruses hijack our own cells’ reproductive and regenerative functions for their own nefarious purposes.
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One exhaustive study looked to pair plant phytochemicals like flavonoids with the now FDA-approved hydroxychloroquine as a way to stop the docking mechanism of COVID-19. Resveratrol was examined as it has been found to inhibit one of COVID’s corona-cousins: MERS.
Resveratrol was also found to ameliorate other virus like pseudorabies and HIV-1.
The study found resveratrol to have moderate success, but with luteolin, kaempferol, and quercetin having the largest success. These are all polyphenols or flavonoids that are found in fruits but mostly vegetables, with quercetin being one of the most commonly-consumed polyphenols in society.
Unfortunately, resveratrol is difficult to consume with only foods. It has poor oral-bioavailability and despite what your bartender tells you about its presence in red wine, you’d die of alcohol poisoning before getting any beneficial amount of resveratrol from drinking.
In reality, a supplement is what’s needed, stored in a cold dark environment, and taken with a meal with a moderate amount of fat. Many studies on the beneficial effects of resveratrol have used resveratrol taken from Japanese knotweed, and those looking to follow the science to the letter would seek a knotweed supplement.
Quercetin, which was shown to disrupt the docking systems of SARS-CoV-1 and 2, is found most richly in capers, but also in a variety of vegetables like the leaves of cilantro, radish, and fennel, and red onions and watercress. Kaempferol, found in arugula and kale, is also available in significant amounts in raw or canned capers. Luteolin, with proven antiviral effects on SARS CoV-1, a pandemic in China back in 2003, and can be found according to one literature review in carrots, peppers, celery, olive oil, peppermint, thyme, rosemary and oregano.
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Edited from an article published on World At Large, a news website of nature, science, health, politics, and travel.
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Quote of the Day: “Don’t think too far into the future. Use what you have right now & see the magic of your being.” – Rajesh Goyal
Photo by: Almos Bechtold
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
GNN is happy to announce that we’ve partnered with FabFitFun to promote their “Winter Box” and GNN users will receive $10 off the box using code ‘GNN10.’ And, perhaps the best part: $10 from each box sold using our code will be donated to support Stand Up To Cancer.
The box—available in the US, UK, and Canada—is valued at over $200 but it costs just $39, when you use the code GNN10.
Every season, FabFitFun members receive a selection of 8-10 products, some of which are curated by their team of experts, while others can be customized based on personal taste and preferences. The FabFitFun Box includes products from both premium and emerging brands.
I got my box and loved the robe, cups, and incredibly cozy thick socks, which are pictured at the top of the page.
FabFitFun will give 100% of all donations made in the Winter Add On Sale and Winter Edit Sale between October 29, 2020 – January 14, 2021, to Stand Up To Cancer, which brings together the best and the brightest in the cancer community, facilitating collaboration to help new therapies move from the laboratory to the patient.
Between October 22, 2020, and January 18, 2021, FabFitFun will donate $10.00 to Stand Up To Cancer for every box sold using the code GNN10.
FabFitFun will guarantee a minimum donation amount of $50,000 USD in connection with these promotions. Your donation may be tax-deductible, but because taxes are dependent on your individual circumstances, you should check with your tax advisor.
Happy Holidays!
50 frontline workers across America are driving home new cars this month, after they were nominated as heroes in the 2020 Mazda Heroes program.
Mazda, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, announced in October it was giving away fifty brand new MX-5 Miata 100th Anniversary Special Edition models, with each car destined for individuals who “tirelessly dedicated themselves to their communities throughout 2020” through “selfless acts, creative thinking and contributions to community.”
After receiving 1,000 inspiring nominations from across the nation which embody the car company’s value of “omotenashi”—putting other’s needs first—they selected 50 heroes, including three from New York City, who recently picked their new cars up at a dealership in Queens. (See video below.)
“This year has been full of challenges and we wanted to lean into our brand’s heritage of finding innovative ways to brighten people’s lives,” Mazda North America President Jeff Guyton said.
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The selected Mazda Heroes selflessly leveraged personal skills and resources to care for those in need, from creating free grocery delivery services, to partnering with local restaurants to provide free meals to healthcare workers, to a musician who created curbside concerts for a senior community that had to remain indoors.
One of the winners, Jason Erdreich, used his skills as a shop teacher in Randoph, New Jersey, and his access to 3-D printers, to print 12,000 pieces of PPE for medical workers who were in dire need of equipment.
Triana Davis, a teacher in Byram, Mississippi created and hand-delivered custom curricula to her students and produced special commemorative t-shirts, goodie bags, and custom-engraved medals, after the pandemic cancelled graduation ceremonies.
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An ICU nurse in The Woodlands, Texas, Christie Purviance worked grueling 15-hour days throughout the pandemic, yet always treating her patients like family. She delivered photos of patients’ family members who couldn’t visit, and helped facilitate video chats with loved ones—all while leaving daily sticky-notes of encouragement.
Another winner, Leandro de Araujo Pessoa of Lansing, Michigan lost his job after the lockdown hit in March, but he ended up using all his extra time to become the leader of a food pantry run by a local church. He devoted his time and a portion of his unemployment checks to the food pantry to keep it stocked with all the items necessary.
Mazda hopes that by acknowledging their achievements, these 50 heroes will feel empowered to continue to giving back to those around them.
WATCH the winners picking up cars in New York…
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Quote of the Day: “To disagree, one does not have to be disagreeable.” – Barry Goldwater (5x Republican U.S. Senator from Arizona)
Photo by: Johannes Plenio
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
As kids, when snow began to fall in earnest, many of us waited with bated breath, fingers crossed, for word of school closings. Snow days were a special treat; an unexpected holiday, a chance to trade in books and blackboards for sleds and snowball fights.
Over the past year, in light of escalating stress over the pandemic and its far-ranging fallout, it was sometimes hard to keep sight of life’s simple joys, but in Jefferson County, West Virginia, school superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson never lost focus on the bigger picture and what truly matters.
When a major snowstorm was forecast for her district, Gibson took the initiative to close the schools, but she also seized the moment to remind her community that nourishing the spirit is sometimes just as important as fueling the intellect.
The carpe diem announcement she posted to Facebook, reminding parents to simply enjoy this time out of time to let their kids just be kids quickly snowballed in popularity, garnering in the neighborhood of 17,000 shares in just a few days:
Now THIS is a snow day. (h/t @vbagate) pic.twitter.com/inkaTyGvdQ
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) December 15, 2020
“For generations, families have greeted the first snow day of the year with joy. It is a time of renewed wonder at all the beautiful things that each season holds. A reminder of how fleeting a childhood can be. An opportunity to make some memories with your family that you hold onto for life.”
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… It has been a year of seemingly endless loss and the stress of trying to make up for that loss. For just a moment, we can all let go of the worry of making up for the many things we missed by making sure this is one thing our kids won’t lose this year.
So please, enjoy a day of sledding and hot chocolate and cozy fires. Take pictures of your kids in snow hats they will outgrow by next year and read books that you have wanted to lose yourself in, but haven’t had the time. We will return to the serious and urgent business of growing up on Thursday, but for tomorrow—go build a snowman.”
Snowstorms come and go, but creating memories with our loved ones can last a lifetime. Now, perhaps more than ever, when we’re blessed with the unexpected opportunity to write a joyful chapter in our family history books, we should welcome it with open hearts.
Think of it as stocking up for the future.
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Cherished remembrances of the simple shared pleasures we forge today may well offer strength and comfort in challenging times, and ultimately, be what sustains us and gives us hope for brighter days ahead.
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18 months into the first serious clinical trials of CRISPR gene therapy for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia—and all patients are free from symptoms and have not needed blood transfusions.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) can cause a variety of health problems including episodes of severe pain, called vaso-occlusive crises, as well as organ damage and strokes.
Patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) are dependent on blood transfusions from early childhood.
The only available cure for both diseases is a bone marrow transplant from a closely related donor, an option that is not available for the vast majority of patients because of difficulty locating matched donors, the cost, and the risk of complications.
In the studies, the researchers’ goal is to functionally cure the blood disorders using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing by increasing the production of fetal hemoglobin, which produces normal, healthy red blood cells as opposed to the misshapen cells produced by faulty hemoglobin in the bodies of individuals with the disorders.
The clinical trials involve collecting stem cells from the patients. Researchers edit the stem cells using CRISPR-Cas9 and infuse the gene-modified cells into the patients. Patients remain in the hospital for approximately one month following the infusion.
Prior to receiving their modified cells, the seven patients with beta thalassemia required blood transfusions approximately every three to four weeks and the three patients with SCD suffered episodes of severe pain roughly every other month.
All the individuals with beta thalassemia have been transfusion independent since receiving the treatment, a period ranging between two and 18 months.
Similarly, none of the individuals with SCD have experienced vaso-occlusive crises since CTX001 infusion. All patients showed a substantial and sustained increase in the production of fetal hemoglobin.
15 months on, and the first patient to receive the treatment for SCD, Victoria Gray, has even been on a plane for the first time.
Before receiving CRISPR gene therapy, Gray worried that the altitude change would cause an excruciating pain attack while flying. Now she no longer worries about such things.
She told NPR of her trip to Washington, D.C: “It was one of those things I was waiting to get a chance to do… It was exciting. I had a window. And I got to look out the window and see the clouds and everything.”
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This December, the New England Journal of Medicine published the first peer-reviewed research paper from the study—it focuses on Gray and the first TDT patient who was treated with an infusion of billions of edited cells into their body.
“There is a great need to find new therapies for beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease,” said Haydar Frangoul, MD, Medical Director of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Centennial Medical Center. “What we have been able to do through this study is a tremendous achievement. By gene editing the patient’s own stem cells we may have the potential to make this therapy an option for many patients facing these blood diseases.”
Because of the precise way CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing works, Dr. Frangoul suggested the technique could potentially cure or ameliorate a variety of diseases that have genetic origins.
As GNN has reported, researchers are already using CRISPR to try and treat cancer, Parkinson’s, heart disease, and HIV, as well.
Source: American Society of Hematology
A green-thumbed Brit has grown the ultimate collection of house plants, including a species worth $15,500 a leaf.
30-year-old Tony Le-Britton turned his lounge into a jungle and transformed his spare room into an incredible greenhouse to nurture his passion.
He has collected some of the world’s rarest plants—including one previously thought to have been extinct.
And Tony, from Gloucestershire, England is now hawking the leaves of another rare species for thousands of dollars per leaf to eager collectors.
He’s not only good at grooming plants, he is a top hair and beauty photographer professionally.
His prized possession? That’d be the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Variegata—the most valuable species in his collection.
“The non-variegated plant is really common—you can pick it up in most supermarkets and garden centers,” Tony said. “But my version, a genetic mutation—it’s completely random, which makes it rare. It’s the only one in the world [with that leaf pattern].”
“I have already taken three pre-orders at £12,000 each, per leaf. There’s a waiting list. I have had so many people contacting me. It’s like growing money on trees!”
Tony is also the proud owner of a Monastera sp Bolivia—which is currently undocumented by science.
“It’s from a botanical collector in Austria. I got it as a very small piece of stem. It’s grown to huge proportions.”
“I put a picture online and a botanist in the field in Bolivia got in touch with me asking for more pictures—he had no record of the plant.”
“The only way to find out what it truly is is to find it in the wild. Using the stem and leaf, we can then identify the family it belongs to.”
A Begonia Chloristica, an exotic plant previously thought to have been lost in the wild, also has a special place in Tony’s greenhouse.
According to Tony, it was thought to be extinct up until a couple of years ago—and he found one from a collector in Europe.
Tony credits his interest in plants to his grandparents, who would take him to their garden when he was a small boy.
He also remembers sitting at his grandmother’s feet and watching the popular BBC television show ‘Gardener’s World’.
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Tony said his grandmother Cora was known in the local area for her plant collection—which he has tried to emulate.
Stunning pictures now show the results of more than two decades of care—with two of his rooms filled with hundreds of plants.
“It just stuck with me—I grew up in the garden. It’s all about the experiences I had when I was younger with my grandparents.”
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“People always admired [Cora’s] garden, and she made me a part of that. It’s in my blood I suppose.
He didn’t study plants formally, but a quarter century of growing teaches you a lot.
“You learn to just let plants get on with it. I think some people can overcare for their plants.
He sets aside maybe three hours every three weeks, cutting off dead leaves, checking the roots, and watering them.
“The greenhouse is temperature, humidity and light controlled, so I can check everything is well on my phone. It really doesn’t take a lot.
“I do go in there every day—but that’s because I enjoy it”.
Tony regularly post pictures to his 29,000 followers on Instagram, where he is the envy of the plant world.
The ‘Gardener’s World’ television show has even been in touch about doing an episode from his house, which he described as life coming “full circle”.
Tony has never worked out the total cost of his collection—but guessed that it be could be significant: “From an insurance point of view, it’s definitely added to the value. It’s probably worth more than some houses!
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“But I have this collection of incredibly rare plants that, from the outside, nobody would ever guess—and I love that.”
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Americans are holding their loved ones tighter as they look to close out 2020 with a sense of optimism, according to a new poll.
A new survey of 2,000 Americans found that nearly 70% say this year has made them appreciative of their family and friends more than ever before.
As a result, two-thirds are adamant about putting more thought into the gifts they give their loved ones this year.
The poll, conducted by Groupon, aimed to discover how 2020 has impacted the holiday shopping habits of Americans and discovered 76% are hoping to get gifts for loved ones that uplift their spirits while a further three in five plan on getting more personalized gifts for others this year.
Besides gifting others with something that brings a smile to their face, 56% are planning to buy gifts that can be used after all the lockdown measures are lifted.
Since we all know the 2020 holiday season is going to look different than any other year, people are still looking forward to certain aspects of the holidays in this unconventional year.
From being home and not having to travel (44%) to watching holiday movies (41%), people are excited about the holidays this year—even if it is slightly different.
This optimism is in line with the essence of the holiday season. But, how are Americans staying so optimistic about the holidays despite the pandemic?
Forty-eight percent say listening to music allows them to maintain their optimism while a further 38% say diving into their favorite book is a great way to keep their spirits up.
Overall, 48% of Americans stay optimistic by spending time with their immediate family and another third of people say they like to spend time outdoors.
As a way to break free from all the stress of 2020, two-thirds of those surveyed are also treating themselves to a gift when shopping for others this year.
RELATED: Americans Say They’re Saving Up to Make the Holidays Extra Special This Year
This trend is unique to 2020, as 43% say they don’t normally get themselves a gift for the holidays. In fact, the average American plans on spending over $100 solely on self-gifting this holiday season.
TOP 5 THINGS AMERICANS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
TOP 5 WAYS PEOPLE STAY OPTIMISTIC
TOP 5 HOLIDAY SELF-GIFTS
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A restaurant owner known for feeding anyone—regardless of whether they can pay for their meal—nearly lost his business because of the pandemic. Then the local community began giving in the most generous way.
Since a family member posted a GoFundMe campaign for his D.C. restaurant, Sakina Halal Grill, Kazi Mannan has received over $331,430 from more than 7,100 people—and the donations keep rolling in.
“I used to preach don’t let anybody fall, and pick them them up,” said to his donors in an interview with NBC Washington. “You picked me up and I am overwhelmed. I have tears in my eyes … tears of joy. Thank you, thank you, America. Thank you, generous people.”
Many of the thousands donating see Mannan as the generous one. Before COVID-19 hit, he was serving up 80 free meals to people in need every day day.
“I used to see people looking for food in trash cans. It would break my heart,” Mannan told NBC.
The streets of downtown D.C. became deserted as people began working from home in the pandemic. Mannan had to let his employees go. He had to close the grill.
At a loss, a family member decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign for the popular restaurant on November 11. Abdul Mannan wrote:
“We are underwater and looking to survive this season so the doors do not close on Sakina Halal Grill… Every cent is equally important in keeping this dream, and important community resource, alive so please do what you can. We appreciate your support and prayers.”
With that campaign still going strong more than a month on, the restaurant that serves anyone—no matter their circumstances—looks set to last through these difficult times.
(WATCH the NBC video below for more on this story of real kindness.)
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Quote of the Day: “All of us every single year, we’re a different person. I don’t think we’re the same person all our lives.” – Steven Spielberg (turns 74 today)
Photo by: Johannes Plenio
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
There are some people born to this earth in whom a particular purpose or pursuit is embodied in such a complete way as to make them seem its avatar. Paul Stamets is such a man—The Crocodile Hunter, but for Mushrooms—a world-leading mycologist who eats, grows, lives, breathes, sells, and even wears, fungi.
Now, the famous mushroom scientist wants to create a research station on a remote island to protect old-growth forests containing a rare type of ancient fungus which he believes could protect people against COVID-19, or even future pandemics.
The coronavirus is a natural fit, as Paul Stamets, an expert in the medicinal-use and history of fungi, explains, because for thousands of years fungus was used to treat respiratory infections.
Some will have heard of Stamets through his TED Talk, 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World, which garnered three million views on YouTube, or from his two appearances on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast when he gave the host one of his hats made from mushrooms.
Others might have read his book: Mycelium Running, or come across numerous journalistic reports on his famous use of mycelium to clean up oil spills, and even nuclear radiation.
Regarding the current pandemic, the agarikon mushroom which Stamets has found in plentiful supply in the old-growth forests of British Columbia’s Cortes Island is just one of several species that he’s working with to cure the ills of the world.
“This rare, old-growth mushroom has a multi-thousand-year history of use in Europe,” Stamets told Rochelle Baker at Canada’s National Observer, while doing research on the island.
Stamets notes that ancient Greek physician Dioscorides actually described agarikon in his works, calling it the elixir of long life—particularly when used to treat tuberculosis.
He has used other species, such as the Garden Giant, and the oyster mushroom, to advance his science called myco-restoration, by proving they can clean up septic runoff and toxic hydrocarbon oil spills both in the ocean and on land respectively.
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Mycorrhizal fungi, he hypothesized in an online manifesto entitled “The Nuclear Forest Recovery Zone,” are able to absorb and remove heavy metals, including actual radioactive isotopes, from the soil.
If you are lacking a knowledge of mycelia, the vegetative part of a fungus, Stamets’ body of work is like walking into the best museums you’ve ever been to, as there are many simple truths about mushrooms that are simply mind-blowing, but not often told.
Long after plants split off from the genetic lineage of animals to form the second kingdom, fungi developed, like us, to 1111breath oxygen and release carbon dioxide. They get their energy from eating other organisms, rather than through photosynthesis.
Their network of roots and filaments, called mycelium, invented the first soil in the dim light of eons past by breaking down the long molecular chains of tough minerals. Under the microscope, mycelium networks appear to transmit copious amounts of information that appears much more like the neural brain-wave oscillations that characterize human neurons firing than the equivalent patterns in plants.
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And, like us, they produce compounds to defend themselves against bacteria and viruses.
There may be something hippie about that claim, but, far from toting the benefits of “essential oils,” fungi have a more impressive medical CV—after all, it spawned a certain important compound known as penicillin, isolated by Alexander Fleming from the penicillium rubens mold in 1929.
Stamets calls the agarikon mushrooms of Cortes Island “too valuable while living” to harvest. They can survive between 75-150 years, but are endangered in Europe and rare in North America. Stamets, who claims Cortes Island should be renamed “Agarikon Island,” is trying to capture as many strains as possible by taking small samples of the fruiting bodies he finds to help the species recover.
READ: Eating Mushrooms a Few Times a Week Could Dramatically Reduce Dementia Risk, Says 6-Year Study
“When we cut down the old-growth forests, we are potentially losing genomic libraries that could have a strain of fungi that could have enormous implications for human biosecurity, and moreover, habitat health,” Stamets told Baker at the National Observer.
He clarifies that old-growth forests, therefore, should be viewed as a defense against future pandemics.
Stamets is researching agarikon and other forgotten or unknown species of mushrooms on his Fungi Perfecti farm, where he grows all types of fungi to sell to health food stores, labs, or those looking to utilize his methods of pollution cleanup. This includes new species of magic mushrooms that he grows following the expert advice provided by online mycologists. These guides include how to properly spawn spores for magic mushrooms inside your home and complete the growing process.
Lacking any academic paper-on-the-wall accreditation or affiliation with any lab or university, Stamets funds all his research from Fungi Perfecti sales.
Although research on mushroom use for just about anything is extremely limited to individuals like Stamets or cutting-edge superfood companies, they have been used as food and medicine for thousands of years, and changing attitudes in thousands of North Americans towards slimy, deep-forest toadstools associated more often with decay and toxicity than nutrition and viral-defense comes down to the work of people like the Crocodile Hunter of Mushrooms.
(Watch as Stamets goes on a walk to find agarikon mushrooms in B.C.)
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While many folks can reel off their names by rote, did you know there’s a pretty good chance that Santa’s entire reindeer posse is female? It’s true.
The names aren’t gender-specific—Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (“Donder” in the original Clement Moore poem), and Blitzen—and we’re guessing savvy St. Nick wisely opted for an all-girl sled-pulling squad on purpose.
You want proof?
Even though they are mythical reindeer we’re talking about, there’s actual evidence to support the femme-centric reindeer theory—and it’s all about the antlers.
It seems that male reindeer shed theirs in early December, just after the mating season, while female reindeer retain their headgear all winter long. In pretty much every depiction of St. Nick making his iconic Christmas Eve run, the team pulling his sleigh are sporting antlers, ergo, said reindeer are female.
Before we rest our case, there’s actually another practical reason for Santa to have hitched his harnesses to an estrogen-powered team: Female reindeer have about a 45% greater fat-to-body-mass ratio than their male counterparts. This extra tissue serves as insulation that keeps them warm in frigid conditions as low as minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 43 degrees Celsius), and baby, it’s cold outside—especially in the upper atmosphere.
In an article for Live Science, Physiologist Perry Barboza of the Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska at Fairbanks, who studies the creatures and their close cousins, the caribou, likens female reindeer to “seals on hooves,” since seals are similarly equipped with toasty internal padding.
Of course, the extra fat layer means extra weight, so how do the female reindeer manage to fly so fast while hauling a prodigiously not-so-slim man and the world’s largest sack of toys?
Magic, of course.
Okay, okay, so maybe the main reindeer squadron is female, but what about Rudolph, you ask?
Well, as it turns out, Rudolph, created in 1939 by department-store copywriter Robert L. May, may in fact be the only male reindeer in the bunch.
Before finding fame in song as well as on film and television, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was the hero of what amounts to an anti-bullying-themed children’s story. In the book’s original cover art, Rudolph’s red nose may be shining beacon-bright—but he’s not sporting antlers, only cute little nubbins.
So, is Rudolph’s antler deficit due to the fact he’s a juvenile reindeer… or is it because he’s a boy? We’ll leave that up to you.
LOOK: He Cajoled 17 Dachshunds into Christmas Sweaters For Best Family Photo Ever
But there’s one thing we’ll say, ere you click off our site, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!”
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In yet another bid to rebrand himself in a more positive light, this week Florida Man made the news as a good Samaritan once again (okay, if you ignore the story about him snatching that stray golf ball off the back of an alligator).
In a true humanitarian gesture, Mike Esmond of Gulf Stream, Florida paid off $7,600-worth of outstanding utility bills for 114 of his neighbors who were facing cut-off deadlines.
It’s not the first time.
Last year, Esmond launched his generous Christmas tradition by doling out $4,600 to ensure community members in need wouldn’t go without basic services during the holiday season.
“This year to me probably is more meaningful than last year with the pandemic and all the people out of work having to stay home,” the 74-year-old said in CNN interview reported by People.
“Hurricane Sally slammed us pretty good and hurt a lot of people. We still have a lot of the blue roofs here, where they’re just covered with tarps.”
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As the owner of Gulf Breeze Pools and Spas, Esmond admits he found himself in a very different financial position at the end of 2020 than those less fortunate. While the COVID-19 lockdown left many people struggling, it also meant they were staying home—which proved to be a boon to his business.
“We’ve had a good year, and that’s why I want to share what I have with the people who need it,” he said. Rather than a shut-off notice, 114 families will instead be receiving a holiday greeting from the city letting them know they’re no longer in the red.
“You can imagine people this time of the year that know they’re behind on their bills, when they get this envelope and when they open it up, it’s a Christmas card from the City of Gulf Breeze telling them that Gulf Breeze Pools has paid their utility bill and that’s one less stressful thing that you have to worry about,” Esmond told CBS.
Since his story made the headlines, Esmond has heard from lots of folks offering to help his cause, but he believes their money would be better spent closer to home. “I’ve had people call me out of California, Chicago, Tampa, saying that they wanted to send some money,” he explained.
MORE: No One Came to Student’s Graduation—So His Teacher Took Him Out to Dinner and Bought Him a Car
“I said, ‘No, take the money, go do what I did. Start this in your own communities.’ It’s something I can see that we could really pass on and make Christmases better for people in the future.”
Way to go, Florida Man, that’s telling ’em.
(WATCH the Christmas 2019 interview with Mike from ABC.)
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Planning a safe wedding for a young mom who’s battling an intense form of cancer would always be tough—but this oncology ward in Arizona did it during a pandemic.
As nurses at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale recently admired 22-year-old cancer patient Samantha Preston’s engagement ring, an incredible idea suddenly grabbed everyone’s attention.
Preston’s medical team saw how much support she received from her fiancée Angel Aguilar during her extensive treatment for late-stage osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. They also knew how much love Preston felt for their toddler son, Odin, and wanted to help the family.
“I said, ‘You’re coming in for a long day of transfusions on Friday. Why don’t you let us throw the wedding here at the clinic?’” said Amy Mabry, nurse practitioner at the pediatric oncology center at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. “She kind of got a sparkle in her eye, and she said, ‘Really?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, we’ll totally figure it out for you.”
Preston’s medical team quickly turned into wedding planners. Social worker Kelley Hunt, child life specialist Courtney Smith and the pediatric oncology team worked together to plan an unforgettable ceremony in just three days.
“After getting her okay, it was time to pedal to the metal,” said Mabry. “We just wanted to make sure that as amazing as Sam is, she got to experience a special day for her, Angel, and their son Odin.”
The team received a lot of help from Smiles for Miles, a nonprofit group that helps children fighting cancer. The organization “was instrumental in helping us to get all the decorations and setting things up,” Mabry said.
An area at the hospital traditionally used as a gathering spot for families was quickly transformed into a beautiful venue for the couple to tie the knot. The team helped Preston get her makeup professionally done, and a local photographer captured every sweet moment between the family.
“They just completely went all out with the decorations, and they had it all planned where they would cover up my (IV) pole, hiding the transfusion going on. It was just so magical!” said Preston. “And I told them if they wouldn’t have done what they did, I would have just gone out for dinner after getting the papers from the courthouse.”
Smith said helping to plan the special day was an honor. “Being a part of Sam’s wedding made history for me and my team, as it’s not very often that pediatric patients—or adult patients under pediatric care, in Sam’s case—get married,” said Smith, whose team has helped to plan proms, quinceñeras, tea parties, and more. “This is a first for a wedding!”
CHECK OUT: Missy Elliott Surprised a Stranger With A Dream Dress After Bride Makes Emotional Post on Twitter
Preston’s cancer treatment began in August 2019 at Banner Children’s at Desert in Mesa, where she spent considerable time receiving chemotherapy to treat her osteosarcoma.
She remains determined to stay upbeat in spite of her health challenges.
MORE: Bride and Groom Didn’t Just Donate Wedding Food To Homeless, They Dished it Up On Their Big Day
“I just always wanted to remember to overcome adversity with a positive attitude, because that’s what’s going to get you through it the easiest,” said Preston.
“You know, everybody has their problems, no matter what it is. Yes, I’m going through cancer, but there are other families now going through COVID. There are families who have been going through cancer or other issues for way longer than I have. And you just need to remember, always stay positive no matter what situation or obstacles you have to go through.”
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Quote of the Day: “Although a person’s life may be a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow.” – Pope Francis
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio 84-years old today in Argentina, he became leader of the Catholic church in 2013, and the first pope to be from the Americas, and first outside Europe since the 8th century.
Photo by: Faris Mohammed
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
