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Blue Light Reduces Blood Pressure, Just as Effectively as Medication – UK Study

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Good News Network
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File photo by Aki Sato, CC

An exciting new study says that exposure to blue light is an effective, non-pharmaceutical treatment for high blood pressure, which simultaneously reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

During this study, which was published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, participants were exposed to 30 minutes of whole-body blue light at approximately 450 nanometers – a dose comparable to daily sunlight – followed by exposure to a control light on a different day.

Visible blue light, as opposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, is not carcinogenic. To assess the impact, participants’ blood pressure, stiffness of arteries, blood vessel dilation, and blood plasma levels of nitric oxide stores were measured—before, during, and up to two hours after irradiation with both lights.

The researchers who conducted the study from the University of Surrey and Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf discovered that exposure to whole-body blue light significantly reduced the systolic blood pressure of participants by almost 8 mmHg, compared to the control light which had no impact.

RELATED: When Blueberries and Grapes Are Combined, a Dramatic Decline in Memory Loss and Aging – Study

What’s even more remarkable is that the reduction of blood pressure from blue light is similar to what is seen in clinical trials with blood pressure lowering drugs.

Besides the blood pressure lowering effects, it was also uncovered that exposure to blue light improved other cardiovascular risk markers, including reduction of arterial stiffness and increasing blood vessel relaxation. This further supports the notion that light could aid in preventing cardiovascular disease, which kills over 150,000 people in the UK alone every year.

Researchers also found that exposure to blue light increased levels of nitric oxide which is an important signaling molecule that protects the cardiovascular system. It is believed that blue light releases it from the skin into the blood stream where it relaxes the blood vessels, increasing blood flow and decreasing blood pressure.

MORE: Want to Stop Eating Junk Food? New Research Says You Should Get More Sleep

Christian Heiss, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Surrey and NHS consultant, said: “Exposure to blue light provides an innovative method to precisely control blood pressure without drugs. Wearable blue light sources could make continued exposure to light possible and practical. This would be particularly helpful to those whose blood pressure is not easily controlled by medication, such as older people.”

This is not the first time that blue light has been revealed to have a positive impact on people’s health. Because blue lighting has been linked to improving mood, dozens of Japanese train stations have installed blue lighting as a means of reducing their suicide rates. Over the course of 10 years, the suicide rate at the stations plummeted by 84%.

Shine A Light On This Fascinating Story By Sharing It With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by Aki Sato

Kidnapper Got More Than He Bargained for When He Chased Woman into Karate Dojo

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Good News Network
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A man who apparently was attempting to kidnap a woman off the street made a big mistake when he followed her into a North Carolina karate dojo.

Randall Ephraim, the head instructor of Bushiken Karate Charlotte Dojo, says that he was tidying up the studio earlier this week when the woman ran into the building.

“There were still some kids in the dojo being picked up by parents and a couple of adult students cleaning up when a young lady came through our doors and stated that someone was trying to harm her,” Ephraim told CNN. “Shortly afterward, a big male entered the building. Not knowing what he wanted, I assumed he was inquiring about classes.”

RELATED: Woman Prevents Girl’s Kidnapping by Pretending to be Her Mother

“I asked how I could assist him and he stated that he was there for the lady. She insisted that she did not know him and tried to kidnap her.”

The 47-year-old perpetrator had reportedly tried to force the woman into his car just outside of the facility.

Ephraim simply asked him to leave, but the kidnapper refused and began “aggressively swinging” his way further into the dojo.

MORE: Quick-Thinking Teen ‘Befriends’ Couple to Thwart Kidnapping in Progress

Ephraim then took action and forced the man outside where the perpetrator unwisely attempted to attack the instructor.

According Ephraim, the man was “dealt with accordingly.”

Although the man was later taken into custody, he first had to be wheeled away from the scene on a stretcher before being taken to jail and charged with drug use and kidnapping.

(Photo by Randall Ephraim ,Bushiken Karate, Charlotte Dojo)

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Instead of Running, These Inmates Rush to Aid Their Supervisor Who Collapsed From Stroke Along a Roadside

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Good News Network
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These three inmates could have taken advantage of their security supervisor’s medical emergency earlier this week – but instead, they stayed by his side and ensured that he was taken care of.

The Bladen County inmates from North Carolina were picking up trash on the side of the road as a part of a program that allows them to perform community service in exchange for having their jail time reduced.

Their work was interrupted, however, when their supervisor James Smith started to stumble, which led him to fall into a ditch.

The inmates immediately rushed to his side. When Smith was unable to answer basic questions, the men used his phone to call for an ambulance before stopping traffic and asking drivers for help, according to the sheriff department’s Facebook page.

LOOK: Inmates Write Heartfelt Letter to Police Department Offering Condolences for Slain Officer

Paramedics escorted Smith to the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where doctors were able to diagnosis the episode as a stroke.

While the supervisor has been recovering in the hospital, each of the three men were honored with the sheriff department’s esteemed Life-Saving Award.

The awards can dramatically improve their chances of landing employment once their are released from prison, but the men say that they are simply happy that Smith is okay.

MORE: Organizations Learn Cheap Tattoo Removal to Help Inmates Get Jobs

“At the end of the day, knowing he is OK, that makes you feel better,” one of the inmates told WECT, with another inmate adding: “He’s a good man. He’s more than a police officer. He’s more or less like my friend. He’s just a really good guy all the way around.”

Upon presenting the awards, Sheriff Jim McVicker said: “It goes to show, if you treat people right, they’ll return the favor and treat you right, and that’s exactly what [these men] have done here.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by WECT

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“You will either experience the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The choice is yours.” – Zig Ziglar

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “You will either experience the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The choice is yours.” – Zig Ziglar

Photo: in public domain, on Flickr

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?

Want to Fight Air Pollution? New Study Says Planting Hedges is More Effective Than Planting Trees

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Good News Network
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If you want to protect your lungs from nearby road pollution, new research says you should be planting some hedges as the most effective way to cleanse the air.

In a paper published in Atmospheric Environment, researchers looked at how three types of road-side green infrastructure – trees, hedges, and a combination of trees with hedges and shrubs – affected the concentration levels of air pollution. The study used six roadside locations in Guildford, UK, as test sites where the green infrastructure was between 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) away from the road.

The University of Surrey researchers found that roadsides that only had hedges were the most effective at reducing pollution exposure, cutting the black carbon by up to 63%.

They also observed an appreciable reduction in harmful heavy metals that originated from the traffic.

LOOK: City is Converting Highway Pillars into Vertical Gardens to Clean the Air

Roadsides with only trees showed no positive influence on pollution reduction at breathing height, as the tree canopy was too high to provide a barrier/filtering effect for road-level tailpipe emissions.

MORE: Don’t Rake Those Leaves – Good for Your Yard, and the Planet

“The best way to tackle pollution is to control it at the source,” said Professor Prashant Kumar, the study’s senior author and founding director of the university’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research. “However, reducing exposure to traffic emissions in near-road environments has a big part to play in improving health and well-being for city-dwellers.”

“There are many miles of fences in urban areas that could be readily complemented with hedges to reduce pollution exposure for pedestrians, cyclists and people who live close to roads. Urban vegetation should be about much more than just trees on wide urban roads.”

(Source: University of Surrey)

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Police Are ‘Happily Surprised’ to Report Zero Roadside Busts for Drunk Driving On New Year’s Eve

By
McKinley Corbley
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Contrary to what you might expect, the police officers of this major city were delighted to report that none of the drivers they breathalyzed at road checkpoints were busted for driving while illegally impaired.

Surrey is the second largest city in British Columbia, Canada with a population of roughly half a million. Vancouver holds the title for biggest city with just 100,000 more residents.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police of Surrey had several road stops set up across the city throughout New Year’s Eve and New Year’s – and despite breathalyzing hundreds of drivers, no one had a blood alcohol content over the legal limit.

“We had no criminal impaired investigations or charges this year,” Surrey RCMP spokesperson Chad Grieg told Global News. “Surprised? I am, happily surprised.”

LOOK: Parking Officer Takes Pity on Driver After Finding Note in Windshield

“I think it’s people understanding it’s not just their safety, it’s the safety of other people on the road,” he added.

Additionally, Grief said that drivers were also better behaved in contrast to years past.

The lack of impairment is a prime example of the continuously declining rate of drunk driving across North America. According to the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, their education efforts and outreach programs have been linked to a drop in impaired driving over the course of the last two decades in the United States.

RELATED: Random Company Will Pay Man’s Drunken $1,600 Uber Fare As Thank You For Not Drinking and Driving

“For more than two decades, the foundation has been leading the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking,” reads their website. “During this time, drunk driving fatalities have declined 31% and among those under 21, the number of fatalities has decreased 65%.

“Underage drinking among the nation’s youth has continued to decline with fewer reporting drinking each year – past month consumption decreasing 53% since 1991 – while the number of conversations among parents and kids has increased.”

Be Sure And Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by Tech Sgt. Chad Thompson / U.S. Air Force

Instead of ‘We Are What We Eat,’ the Science of Kindness Says ‘We Are What We See’ in Daily Life

By
David Fryburg, MD, Founder, Envision Kindness
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Reprinted with permission from Envision Kindness

As a doctor who specializes in diseases like diabetes, I know a bit about nutrition and metabolism.

I really believe in the old saying “You are what you eat.” That is, the amounts and types of different foods we eat affects not only our weight, but our general health. Food is a complicated mixture of energy sources (calories), protein (to make new tissues like muscle and skin and heal wounds), and micronutrients like vitamins to support a wide range of biochemical processes.

It is pretty well understood that when our diets are imbalanced, different functions in our bodies may suffer. Taking in too little or too much of something can lead to the development of diseases. There are plenty of examples that have filled medical textbooks: people who are deficient in vitamin D, for example, suffer from bone problems and weakness; too much vitamin D may have high calcium in their blood, kidney stones, and possibly liver problems. The key to a successful diet (and nutritional health) is balance and moderation of good quality food.

Years ago when I realized that I was “ingesting” way too much negative news, I began to think about my “visual diet” and wondered what the research had to say about it. The analytical side of my brain was fascinated to find out that a few short minutes of exposure to negative news can induce anxiety, stress, and symptoms of depression.

WATCH: Heartwarming Data Reveals the Most Popular Google Searches Were About How We Can Be Good

One group of researchers found that a 14-minute video of negative TV news (not even internet-delivered news) can rapidly increase anxiety and sadness. What’s particularly noteworthy is that beyond induction of anxiety and sadness, participants of the study who saw negative news (in contrast to positive or neutral films), expressed greater anxiety related to their own personal issues.

A preliminary report from scientists and collaborators from the Huffington Post suggested that the effects of negative news exposure can last hours into the day for a substantial amount of people.

So depressing and fear-inducing news can make people feel more sad and anxious, which, in turn, can magnify their own problems for quite some time. Wow—a difficult, negative emotional cycle that can be self-reinforcing.

RELATED: 10 Best Stories When Kindness and Heroics Went Viral in 2018

How about “positive” news or stories? The few studies that exist suggest that inspiring, positive media sources have the opposite effects of negative media. These researchers found that viewing a short (4-minute) video of a young man who established a homeless shelter in Philadelphia was specifically able to induce gratitude and love in contrast to videos that were focused on inspiring admiration.

Another group of scientists showed some volunteers a video from the Oprah Winfrey show in which a musician pays tribute to his former music teacher for saving him from a life of gang activity and violence. Seeing that 7-minute video significantly increased the willingness of the participants to volunteer compared to an amusing video. Other studies of this kind showed that viewing uplifting videos may have positive or desirable effects on sexual prejudice as well as stimulating mothers to nurse.

LISTEN: A Happiness Lesson From Waitressing – It’s Not About You

All of this research led me to coining the phrase: “Just as you are what you eat, you are what you see.” In fact, I only recently learned that the word “diet” does not just refer to what food we eat – it comes from the Greek meaning for “way of life” or how one lives his or her life. With that broadened definition, the word “diet” has a greater, more all-encompassing meaning in relation to the things that we absorb–food, stories, images, sounds (music)–and how they impact us.

This does not mean we have to ignore negative news. There are important things that we can learn which can help us understand what other people are going through and how we can help to fix their problems. This all just means that we need a balanced visual diet—one that nourishes the soul and yet motivates us to take action and make things better.

Interested in learning more about the science of kindness and its role in your life? Visit EnvisionKindness.org to learn more.

Cure Your Friends Of Nasty Negativity By Sharing This Article To Social Media – Photo by Sarah Vega via Envision Kindness

Woman Who ‘Hated Muslims’ Now Wants to Share the Understanding and Love She Found in an Afghan Refugee

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Good News Network
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SWNS - Blur is at the request of the subject and was a condition of the pictures on the SWNS newswire.
SWNS – Blur is at the request of the subject and was a condition of the pictures on the SWNS newswire.

An American Christian woman who says she used to “hate Muslims” ended up falling in love with an Afghan refugee – and now she hopes that their romance will inspire and educate others.

30-year-old Krystal Ashley says she and Rayi Khan are similar to a “modern day Romeo and Juliet” after they kindled a relationship in spite of their contrasting backgrounds.

Ashley, who works as a teaching assistant, was raised in a conservative family and admits that she was once very intolerant of Islam following 9/11.

Meanwhile, 31-year-old Khan is a Muslim who fled Kabul for Paris to escape the Taliban.

WATCH: When Filmmaker Sits Down With Neo-Nazis to See if They Would ‘Hate in-Person’, She Had Extraordinary Experience

“Not at all in my wildest dreams did I expect that I was going to fall in love with someone from Afghanistan,” said the English tutor. “I had grown up in a very conservative home, and after 9/11, I jumped on the anti-Muslim bandwagon that was going on in the States.

The pair’s unlikely romance began in July 2016 when they met through friends during a soccer match in Paris, where Ashley was volunteering with a Christian nonprofit.

“It’s a complete 180,” she continued. “My first impression of Rayi was just that he was super soft-spoken and he just seemed super gentle and kind, and I did find that kind of surprising.

SWNS – Blur is at the request of the subject and was a condition of the pictures on the SWNS newswire.

They kept their relationship secret at first and Khan still hasn’t told his family because they are unlikely to accept his new girlfriend – especially since he was forced into an arranged marriage at the age of 16.

Ashley, from King and Queen County in Virginia, said Khan being married was an issue for her at first, but she has come to accept it because the marriage is null in France.

WATCH: Despite Local Racial Tension, Good Samaritan Leaps Into Action to Rescue Cop From Smoking Car

Additionally, she says the relationship has challenged her to become more open-minded.

“I tried to keep [the relationship] a secret from everyone I knew because most of the people I knew were very conservative Christian, so it was quite the scandal. On the other hand, his family basically would never accept me.

SWNS – Blur is at the request of the subject and was a condition of the pictures on the SWNS newswire.

“Also, our nations, America and Afghanistan, have been at war for a long time and his people have a lot of hard feelings against the American government,” says Ashley. “It’s a true, modern, Romeo and Juliet.”

Ashley moved to Paris in 2012 to work as a teaching assistant and began volunteering in the midst of the refugee crisis in December 2015.

WATCH: 5th Graders Hear Senior Couple’s Story of Racial Injustice and Take Action 60 Years Later

Khan fled Afghanistan in 2012 and spent time in Bulgaria before moving to France in 2014 where he was granted refugee status and granted temporary residency.

He said both his parents were murdered by the Taliban and the Islamic fundamentalist group had threatened him because he worked for an American contractor building warehouses.

SWNS – Blur is at the request of the subject and was a condition of the pictures on the SWNS newswire.

“When we talked about it it made me cry. It’s just so hard to fathom that someone can live through so much violence and come out and are still a good person,” says Ashley. “He has got this soft, gentle spirit. It is heartbreaking for me to imagine him going through so much. It made me cry when he told me.”

Khan, who does not wish to include his real name for security reasons, added: “I had a good life in Afghanistan … but I had so many problems with the Taliban and the government, I had to leave everything.”

CHECK OUT: Adorable Preschool “Twins” Take a Stand Against Discrimination

“But the best part about being with Krystal is having someone close to me who I can trust.

“Before, I spent so much time alone, going in the Metro every day. I just listened to music to pass the time. Even when I was with my friends I wasn’t really there, I was feeling unhappy,” says Khan. “Krystal has helped me so much, and she makes me feel full. I know she loves me, for real, not because of obligation or because of money.”

SWNS – Blur is at the request of the subject and was a condition of the pictures on the SWNS newswire.

The loved-up pair admit they have encountered some cultural roadblocks, but Krystal said that since they are both open-minded, they make sure to have plenty of free discussions about their beliefs.

“Culturally we have very different upbringings,” says Ashley. “Sometimes I struggle with it, but the good outweighs the bad.”

LOOK: Aunt Writes Emotional Note to Stranger Who Opened Her Arms to a Boy She’d Never Met

As for the future, the couple aren’t sure whether kids or marriage are on the cards. For now, they are taking each day as it comes.

Ashley concluded her story by saying: “I think people will be surprised by our relationship, but I hope they will read this and rethink things in their mind about their perceptions of people in Afghanistan.”

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11-Year-old Boy Saves Drowning Man Twice His Size When No One Else Could Swim

By
McKinley Corbley
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When no one else was capable of saving a drowning 34-year-old man, a boy weighing only 80 pounds quickly became the victim’s hero.

11-year-old Advaik Nandikotkur was hanging out at the pool of his apartment building with his family when the man sank to the bottom of the deep end, his arms outstretched and his eyes wide from eight feet down in the water.

Surprisingly, the youngster was the only one at the pool who was capable of swimming at the time. Before his family had migrated to St. Paul, Minnesota from India three years ago, his father had never had the ability to take swimming lessons and his mother had not been allowed to take lessons because she was a woman.

Luckily, they had insisted on giving Advaik a few swimming lessons in America – “some survival skills for his own sake,” his father told CNN.

RELATED: Two Hours After Being Trained, Rescuers Save Drowning Skier From Frozen Lake Using Handy Local Invention

When trouble finally struck in the pool, however, Advaik’s father had attempted to help the man from a flotation device, but he couldn’t reach the man’s hand.

Then, at the urging of his mother, Advaik took the plunge.

Despite the man weighing almost 100 pounds heavier than the youngster, Advaik successfully managed to pull him up to the surface and tow him to the edge of the pool. Though Advaik’s uncle had never undergone CPR training, he started performing the procedure based on what he had seen in movies and television.

LOOK: Fearless Uber Driver Stops Mid-Trip to Scoop Up Injured Hawk and Save It From the Highway

A few minutes later, the man started to move his hands. Paramedics then arrived on the scene and escorted the man to the hospital where he has since made a full recovery.

The man stopped by the boy’s house later the very same week to thank him for saving his life and give him some money as a gift.

Advaik, who is very shy in the spotlight, has been reluctant to be the center of attention, but local police officers insist that he is a hero.

MORE: Hiker Was About to Die in a Snowstorm When She Was Saved by a Total Stranger Following Her Intuition

“I’ve never heard of a boy jumping in and saving an adult from a pool,” Eagan, Minnesota Police Officer Aaron Machtemes told CNN. “Officers on the scene commented the man was very lucky to be alive.”

“It’s simply superb,” added Advaik’s uncle. “If he had not been there, I don’t know. I’m sure it would not be a happy ending.”

Advaik’s father also says that he plans on taking swimming lessons alongside his son in the near future.

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Raghu Nandikotkur via CNN

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“He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.” – Michel de Montaigne

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.” – Michel de Montaigne

Photo: by aka Tman, CC license, via Flickr

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?

 

Watch Roger Federer and Serena Williams Positively Geek Over Finally Getting to Play Each Other

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Good News Network
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Though some athletes might jump at the chance to criticize their opponent, these titans of tennis had the most endearing reactions to squaring off on the court.

Serena Williams and Roger Federer played each other for the first time in their careers during a mixed doubles match earlier this week.

With 37-year-old Williams playing alongside Frances Tiafoe and Federer playing with Belinda Bencic, the tennis champs finished up their round-robin tournament with a quick match – and they were delighted by the challenge.

LOOK: When Helicopter Upsets Tennis Player With PTSD, His Teammate Abandons Game to Comfort Him Using a Song

“It was a great experience. I’m kind of sad it’s over — I was just warming up!” Williams said about Federer after the match. “Honestly, it was so fun.

“We grew up together, and so having an opportunity after all of these years to play each other — we’ve actually never done this,” she added. “It’s super cool that we actually get to do this, at this pinnacle of both of our careers.”

When asked specifically why she adored Federer as a player, she simply said: “Well, the guy is great. He’s the greatest of all time, to be honest.”

(WATCH the heartwarming interview below) – Photo by Tennis World

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Listen to Woman’s Incredible Story of How an Accidental Phone Call Pulled Her Out of Drug Addiction

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Good News Network
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You never know who is willing to offer a helping hand – Auburn Sandstrom learned this when she was a young mother neck-deep in the throes of drug addiction.

Yet despite struggling with abuse and poverty, she found help in an unlikely place after she dialed a phone number that was written on a slip of paper – and that phone call ended up becoming a pivotal moment in her life.

Sandstrom first recounted her tale for The Moth, a nonprofit dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Speakers are given the opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes, their stories are then shared on the radio or The Moth podcast.

Since Sandstrom’s performance was broadcasted in 2016, it has been viewed and shared millions of times.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Sean Carter

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For the First Time in 21 Years, Copyrighted Works Enter the Public Domain: ‘The drought is over’

By
McKinley Corbley
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In an unprecedented victory for cultural appreciation, people will now have free access to thousands of beloved published works thanks to a mass copyright expiration.

It has been 21 years since copyrighted works have been added to the public domain. Prior to 1978, copyrighted works were eligible for 75 years of copyright protection. Anything published after that year was protected for the lifetime of the creator plus an additional 50 years.

Then in 1998, several corporate media giants – including Disney – rallied for an extra 20 years of protection.

Since this most recent New Year’s Day marked the expiration of the additional two decades of copyright protection, thousands of books, films, poems, and musical pieces that were published in 1923 have finally entered the public domain.

LOOK: Man Saves Ancient Books From Dumpster Only to Look Inside Months Later and Find Amazing Inscription

The last mass copyright expiration occurred before Google existed – and experts are now saying that this most recent batch of creative works being added to the public domain in the digital age could have an enormous impact on creative and academic expression.

Some of the new works in the public domain include the renowned Robert Frost poem “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”, as well as books by Aldous Huxley, Khalil Gibran, Edith Wharton, Agatha Christie, D. H. Lawrence, and Virginia Woolf.

Over 50,000 films that were published in 1923 have been added to the Hathi Trust website, and local theaters will be able to screen the movies for the community. Theater groups can now perform adaptions of plays, scripts, musicals, and songs. Google Books will now have a treasure trove of books that are available for free.

CHECK OUT: When Tribe Objects to Auction of Sacred Pipe, Anonymous Buyer Pays Double So it Can Be Returned

“We have shortchanged a generation. The 20th century is largely missing from the internet,” Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, told Smithsonian.

“The public domain has been frozen in time for 20 years, and we’re reaching the 20-year thaw,” added Jennifer Jenkins, the director of Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain.

Be Sure And Share This Exciting News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain

Barista’s Simple Question Leads to Her Husband Extending the Life of a Stranger

By
McKinley Corbley
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Nicole McNeil’s simple question to a customer ended up saving the man’s life.

McNeil works as a barista at a Starbucks in DuPont, Washington. Back in January 2017, she noticed that one of her regulars, Vince Villano, had been looking rather depressed every time he came in to order his cold brew.

“He kind of seemed like an Eeyore, just a little bit grouchy, a little bit of a sad sack all the time,” McNeil told KIRO 7.

After several visits, she finally decided to ask: “What’s been going on with you?”

RELATED: Woman Stunned to Find Out That ‘Anonymous’ Kidney Donor is Actually Her Best Friend

She insisted that she was willing to listen to him, so Villano got the courage to sit down with her and explain that he had polycystic kidney disease, an incurable genetic condition that causes cysts to form on his kidneys.

Villano needed a kidney transplant – otherwise, he would be facing a lifetime of dialysis or worse.

McNeil was heartbroken. As the day progressed, she could not stop thinking about Villano’s predicament, so when she finally got home from work, she recounted the story to her husband Justin.

Then without hesitation, Justin said: “I’ve got a kidney, you know, we could do this. I think I’m willing to do that.”

WATCH: In Twist of Fate, NFL Star’s Organs Go to the Ailing Sports Hero Who Inspired Him

After volunteering to get tested, Justin and Villano began spending holidays and weekends together only to find that they had a lot in common – they were both Army veterans, they both liked hiking and camping, and even more excitingly, they were perfect donor matches.

The two men underwent surgery last week, and according to an update from Starbucks, the transplant was a success and they are both in great health.

Furthermore, the McNeils and Villano are now lifelong friends.

“In general, having them as friends, family, I wouldn’t want it to not be this way,” Villano told KIRO. “I can’t imagine not having them in my life.”

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Starbucks

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“Your life is the fruit of your own doing. You have no one to blame but yourself.” – Joseph Campbell

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Your life is the fruit of your own doing. You have no one to blame but yourself.” – Joseph Campbell

Photo: by Nicolas Nova, CC license, via Flickr

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?

 

Watch Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Delight in Surprising His Mom With a ‘Golden Ticket’ for a New Home

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Good News Network
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been known to take special care of fans and strangers, but his most recent labor of love may be the most heartwarming of all.

In an Instagram video that the movie star published earlier this week, the Rock surprised his mother Ata with a brand new home.

According to the caption, the Rock has always done his best to take care of his mother and father. After he and his parents had spent years living on the road, he finally bought them their first house in 1999.

RELATED: ‘Walking Dead’ Star Gives Happy Ending to Emu and Donkey That Refused to Be Separated

“They divorced about 5 years later and as with life, stuff happens and things got a little complicated,” writes the Rock. “Since then, I always made sure my mom and dad have everything they’ll ever need – houses, cars etc.

“But the house this time is a special one and the timing is very meaningful. I told her to treat this card like it’s ‘Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket’ because she gets to choose any home she wants – anywhere she wants.”

MORE: Secret Santa Pays Off $430,000 of Layaway Items at Walmart – Turns Out it Was Tyler Perry

Needless to say, Ata was stunned by the surprise – but her bewilderment quickly turned to tears of love and gratitude.

“I always say, if you got a good mama, then you gotta pretty good shot at becoming a decent human being,” concluded the Rock. “And somehow, somewhere along the line I became one lucky SOB to be able to make stuff like this happen.

“Merry Christmas Ma and WOOOHOOO enjoy your new home!”

(WATCH the video below)

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In Country Plagued By Religious Violence, Mosque Was Built Next Door to a Church – and They Are Thriving

By
Peace News
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Republished with permission from Peace News Network
Written by Mohammed Ibrahim
December 21st, 2018

What would happen if you built a Muslim mosque right next door to a Christian church in a country that is plagued by religious violence?

In Nigeria, where religious violence has intensified over the course of the last year, building two places of worship so close to each other seemed like an impossibility. Residents in the suburb of Kudanden were nervous when construction began on the new mosque, as it was situated next to a Living Faith church. The buildings even shared a fence-line.

But despite clashes between the two religious groups in other parts of the country, worshipers here have been determined to work together.

“The issue of peaceful co-existence, or better still, refer to it as religious co-existence, cannot be over-emphasized,” said Christian resident Isiah Benjamin.

RELATED: Muslims Raise $250,000 for Pittsburgh Synagogue – ‘Whatever you need … let us know, we’ll be there’

“So if the mosque is going to be used to worship and serve god, and the church is going to be used to worship and serve god, there’s no big deal about it, it’s a good one, and it therefore shows that we, as human beings, must learn to live as one.”

The harmony in the community was aided by a memorandum of understanding that was established by leaders in the region. The chief of Kudanden, Gabriel Galadima, said leaders from both parties were brought together to recognize a mutual, peaceful, understanding.

“What I want to [show] the youth of this community – not only this community but the state at large [and all those who] wish not to live in peace with one another—is that yes, relations will come and go, but we will still be together.”

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Muslim resident Tajudeen Ajibade said: “What makes a difference to us is how we are going to move this state forward.”

Another resident named Samuel David Galadima added that “This happened because we want to be together. We should be our brother’s keeper, we should live together.”

“We want other people to emulate the habit of people from Kudanden, to learn from them. To live in peace with one another.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Peace News Network

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Joy, Grief, and a Handwritten Letter Bring Two Families Together After Woman Hears Hospital Music

By
McKinley Corbley
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For every person who passes away, another life takes its place – and two Louisiana families have formed a lasting friendship thanks to that very phenomenon.

Back in January, Connie Despanie and Benjamin Hall were rejoicing in the birth of their newborn son at Lafayette General Medical Center. Though they had agreed on naming him Kingston, they had not yet decided on a middle name.

However, they soon found inspiration in an unlikely place: a handwritten letter that was given to them by hospital workers shortly after their son’s birth.

The letter read: “To my dad’s angel, even though I will never know your name, you are the first child born here after my dad’s passing. When one life is taken, another is given. Please keep my dad in your prayers.”

LOOK: Couple’s Amusing ‘Infertility Announcements’ Help to Find the Humor in Their Past Heartbreak

The letter was written by Jamie Fontenot. Her father James had just passed away in the very same hospital at the age of 86.

As Fontenot was grieving her father, a sweet song started to play on the overhead speakers. When she asked nurses about the song, they said that the hospital played the song whenever a baby was born.

In her time of heartbreak, Fontenot found comfort in the new life that followed her dad’s death, so she penned the letter and asked hospital staffers to give it to the baby whose birth prompted the music.

WATCH: Tears Flow as 88-Year-old Finally Meets Biological Daughter She Thought Died At Birth

Upon reading the note, Connie immediately started to cry. She was so overwhelmed with appreciation for the letter, she and her husband agreed that their son’s middle name should be James.

They weren’t the only ones who were inspired by the letter, either – after delivering the note to the baby’s family, hospital staffers insisted on introducing Fontenot to Connie and her newborn son.

Needless to say, the meeting was an emotional one.

LOOK: Woman Discovers Her Co-worker is the Very Infant She Nursed Back to Health 28 Years Ago

Over the course of the last year, the two families have kept in touch and become fast friends. Fontenot was even present for Kingston’s christening.

When asked about the significance of her new acquaintances, Fontenot simply told CBS News: “Family is everything, and if you don’t have faith you don’t have anything.”

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by CBS News

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Obese Dog Who Weighed Three Times More Than Healthy Pup Has Made a Radical Transformation

By
Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

A morbidly obese pooch whose love of deli meat saw her balloon to three times the size of a normal beagle has shed almost 25 pounds in four months.

8-year-old Snuffy used to be so fat, she could hardly walk because she spent her days gobbling down massive meals and snacking on sliced ham and turkey.

“When I first got her she used to snore like a grown man and she wasn’t even able to scratch her ears because she couldn’t reach,” said Snuffy’s owner Caroline Webster, a 26-year-old veterinary assistant from Herndon, Virginia.

“Now she can lift her head and roll into her back without losing her breath.”

RELATED: Watch Magician Perform Magic Tricks for Bewildered Shelter Dogs in Hopes of Getting Them Adopted

The podgy pup used to live with an elderly couple who meant no harm, but couldn’t resist giving her treats. On top of that, they struggled to give her enough exercise.

Her weight eventually crept up to a staggering 65 pounds, when a healthy beagle is supposed to weigh between 22 to 24 pounds.

But in November 2017, Webster adopted Snuffy after her original owners moved away.

SWNS

“I’ve known Snuffy for years. She belonged to [an older couple from the clinic],” says Webster. “They were really sweet but the vet was always saying that Snuffy needed to cut back.

“Then they called me one day and told me that they were moving. They said that Snuffy and I got along so well, they’d love if I could adopt her.

MORE: Dog Saves Its Owner’s Life When It Sniffs Out Cancer, Not Once, But Three Times

“I always loved Snuffy so I was thrilled, but when I got her, she was huge,” added Webster. “My apartment is on the third floor of our building and at the beginning, I really thought she was going to have a heart attack going up the stairs, she was panting so hard.”

Webster knew she would have to teach an old dog some new tricks in order to save Snuffy’s life and whip the poor pup into shape – so she started by cutting out the deli meat and putting Snuffy on a diet of two small meals a day.

SWNS

Webster also implemented a strict exercise regime of three one-mile walks per day, which included climbing the stairs to her third-floor apartment.

Amazingly, Snuffy lost an incredible 24.5 pounds in just four months and she is now on track to hit her weight goal just in time for the summer.

LOOK: For Years, This IKEA Has Been Quietly Welcoming Stray Dogs Off the Streets So They Can Sleep Inside

Webster said Snuffy is a different dog compared to the one she adopted. The pooch’s health has vastly improved and her loud, disruptive snoring has disappeared. Additionally, Snuffy can now scratch her ears, climb the stairs, and run effortlessly.

“For the first few months I cut out treats completely, but because she’s done so well I give her about five every week now,” says Webster.

SWNS

Webster believes that Snuffy’s weight loss has her feeling like a puppy again and she loves being active for the first time in years.

“She runs after birds and squirrels now and howls like a real beagle. She gets the dog ‘zoomies’ which is like a burst of energy when they run around the room back and forth,” says Webster.

MORE: Man Bought School Bus to Rescue Shelter Pets During Hurricanes –He Just Saved 64 During Florence

“I’ve loved having her around and I want her to be here for so many more years. That’s why I’ve tried so hard to get her weight under control.

“The vet is thrilled with her progress, and hopefully, she will hit her goal weight of 30 pounds by the summer,” she added.

SWNS

Webster has started tracking Snuffy’s weight-loss on Instagram, where she has amassed hundreds of followers.

“She’s been getting a lot of support from her followers on Instagram which has been so funny,” says Webster. “They say things like, ‘I’m amazed by this before pic’ and ‘Great job Snuffy’.”

(WATCH the video below)

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Virtual Reality Therapy Could Be the New Treatment for Your Reoccurring Nightmares

By
McKinley Corbley
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A new pilot study shows that virtual reality might be the answer for your reoccurring nightmares.

Nightmare disorder is a condition in which someone experiences reoccurring nightmares that induce significant levels of anxiety and stress. Even though most people are forced to endure occasional nightmares of some kind, the frequency of bad dreams associated with the disorder can dramatically impact a person’s livelihood, and it can often exacerbate other mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD.

But new research from the Boston University School of Medicine showed that using virtual reality as a therapy tool for nightmares resulted in significantly reduced levels of anxiety, fewer nightmares, and reduced nightmare intensity.

“Current treatments for nightmares required too much time or taking a drug that essentially knocked you out for awhile, so we needed a treatment that was short, non-toxic and effective,” said study author Patrick McNamara of the Boston University School of Medicine.

LOOK: From Terrifying to Terrific – Man Redesigns MRI Machine to Delight Children Instead of Scare Them

The study, which was published in the journal Dreaming,  involved 19 patients who attended eight therapy sessions over the course of four weeks. The patients were given Oculus Rift headsets that allowed them to see imagery associated with their nightmares which they were then able to manipulate and edit so that it was less frightening.

“We designed the treatment so that it can be adjusted and individualized,” McNamara told PsyPost. “For example, some people’s nightmares are characterized by threatening/arousing images while others are characterized by intense controlling images. The VR app we developed allows users to choose to work on whatever imagery type most characterizes their particular nightmare history and thus this ‘individualized medicine’ approach may more effectively help people with chronic nightmares. The next step is to develop a version for kids with chronic nightmares.”

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