Autumn isn’t just adored by the masses because it brings pumpkin spice lattés and Halloween decorations – the season also brings dazzling colors to forests around the world, the most beautiful of which is in Tennesse.
According to the National Park Service, the Great Smoky Mountain range in Tennesse is the most visited national park in America. When October and November roll around, the mountain ranges transform into a breathtaking collage of red, orange, and yellow colors.
The organization published an emotional video of the “colorblind-less” viewers in action last week, and the reactions of some of the participants are extremely moving.
“It’s how I imagine the difference is between here and heaven,” said one of the visitors. “I feel like now I know why people come from miles and states around just to see this.”
Thousands of tons of baby clothes end up in landfills every year as children get older and outgrow their former outfits – but this new material, which has been nominated as a Dyson Awards finalist, could change that.
The Petit Pli is a kind of pleated children’s clothing that is being hailed for its groundbreaking design that grows with the wearer. The outfits are made out of synthetic, waterproof material that can stretch to fit youngsters from 6 to 36 months old.
The apparel won’t just save discarded baby clothes from landfills – they could also save parents hundreds of dollars in children’s clothing.
The mastermind behind the ethical clothing design, Royal College of Arts student Ryan Mario Yasin, created the Petit Pli as part of his masters program in Innovation Design Engineering.
“Children outgrow their clothes in a matter of a few months, yet we clothe them in miniaturized adult clothing, as opposed to designing them from the ground up,” he told Dezeen. “With 11 million children in the UK, I thought it was time we redesigned children’s garments.”
With a patent pending on the Petit Pli, he says that he is currently raising investments and looking for manufacturing opportunities.
Yasin is already off to a good start, too – his design was picked out of 2,000 entries as a finalist for the 2017 James Dyson Awards. While Yasin and other national winners of the award are given $2,500 in recognition of their innovation, the international winner of the competition is given a whopping $40,000.
Other designs that have been nominated for the award include a diffuser for wildlife repellant that could be installed along major highways in order to prevent roadkill. Another is Onky: a stuffed toy that moderates children’s vitals so they don’t have to use anxiety-inducing sensors or medical devices.
Last year’s winner of the Dyson Award was the Ecohelment: a recyclable paper bicycle helmet that boasts the same amount of protection as traditional styrofoam and polystyrene bicycle helmets – except it’s more portable and environmentally friendly.
(WATCH the video below)
Help This Story Grow: Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Petit Pli)
We’re all familiar with the messages used by internet scammers to get money from unsuspecting people thousands of miles away. So, when Ben Taylor struck up a bargain with a man from Liberia, it could have ended badly—but no one could have guessed how wonderfully the bet would pay off.
Joel first sent a message to Taylor on Facebook asking the YouTube personality to send him expensive electronic devices so he could sell them on the Liberian market and support his family. Additionally, he said that he would split the profits with Taylor 50/50.
33-year-old Taylor was about to delete the online plea as spam – but something kept him from writing off the inquiry. He figured that if he continued correspondence with Joel, it would at least use up some of the man’s time keeping him occupied, rather than scamming those who would be more gullible.
So he responded to Joel saying he ran a business that paid people to take photographs of where they lived. If Joel complied, Taylor could hire him as a kind of freelance photographer.
To his surprise, Joel sent Taylor a few photos of his home in Monrovia, Liberia. Though they were blurry and badly-lit, the YouTuber was impressed that the guy even put in any effort at all.
It may have seemed counterintuitive, but Taylor decided to take a chance on Joel. He sent him a $30 camera and asked him to try taking some better photos of his village. He also gave the Liberian some pointers on how to hold the camera still and allow for as much light on the subject as possible.
The photos became clearer and better lit until, eventually, Joel was sending quite poignant pics of life in West Africa.
Taylor then created a photo book of Joel’s pictures called “By D Grace of God” – appropriately named after a line from one of Joel’s emails – and he then started an Indiegogo page asking for donations to help Joel’s family. The book sold over 1,000 copies in 40 countries.
True to their original bargain, Taylor split the profits with Joel 50/50. The YouTuber wanted to give his half to charity, so he asked the Liberian whether there were any charities that could benefit his home country. Joel replied that local children did not have the money for school supplies because they were so poor—money for notebooks, backpacks, and pencils was scarce.
Taylor thought about wiring $500 directly to Joel in Liberia so he could buy the needed supplies. (But wouldn’t he just spend the money on himself and disappear?) To Taylor’s astonishment, the villager kept his promise. He loaded up a taxi filled with newly-purchased school supplies and distributed them among all the local schools—naturally, shooting plenty of pictures to show the kids’ excited reactions.
Ben says that in light of the success from Indiegogo, he created a website, “By D Grace of God,” so people could continue to support Joel and his family by buying the photo book and additional merchandise.
The 33-year-old also says that he still can’t believe his YouTube career has turned into such a life-changing experience.
“I’m just a regular guy!” Taylor told Good News Network. “I go to work and hang out with my wife and baby. YouTube is just a fun side hobby.”
“[But] the response has been crazy,” he added. “People have reached out to me asking how they can help.”
‘If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that you shouldn’t judge people right off the bat.’
This is not the only incident where a possible internet scam has had a happy ending, either. After a Swedish woman was scammed by a Nigerian college student, they ended up striking up a friendship and she offered to pay for the rest of his school so he could give up scamming. The two now reportedly call each other on the phone once a week to chat about college life and work.
Another heartwarming example of a negative online experience turned positive is when a woman was cat-fished by an older man on a dating site after using photos of a Turkish model to make her think he was younger and more handsome. When she discovered the truth, she reached out to the model and told him someone was using his photos for online scams. The two then began chatting online until they started dating. They now live together in London.
Taylor’s story may not have ended in romance, but it definitely teaches a valuable lesson on judgment.
“I really thought I was going to make a YouTube series about messing with a scammer,” he told Good News Network. “This story turned into something completely different. If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that you shouldn’t judge people… When we actually take time to understand and get to know each other, we might be pleasantly surprised.”
In early October, 3-year-old Cohen Chastain honored a fallen officer from his hometown by standing up and saluting during her funeral procession — for two straight hours.
The tot’s actions moved not only his family but also the entire Floyd County Sheriff’s Office in Rockmart, Georgia, and later that month the officers thanked Cohen by making him an honorary police officer during one special day.
But, like any officer, Cohen needed his very own squad car, so everyone in the police department chipped in to buy the boy his own pint-sized squad car, as well as other goodies.
“Many of you might recall this amazing three-year-old,” the Floyd County Sheriff’s office said on Facebook. “Cohen stood for more than two hours during the processional honoring our sister, Det. Kristen Hearne. We wanted to bless Cohen for his selfless act of support and love.”
CLICK to SEE all the adorable photos from the special day when he was presented with his very own police car.
Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends – Photo by Floyd County Sheriff’s Department
Reprinted with permission from Peace News Written by Mohammed Ibrahim Published on October 31st, 2017
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with 185 million people. Its two leading religions are Christianity and Islam, and good relations between followers of these two religions are critical for peace in Nigeria.
Communities in Kaduna State, Nigeria, however, have witnessed ethno-religious conflict in recent years, with Muslim-Christian relations severely damaged as a result. But one group is working to mend these divisions.
The Peaceful Revival Foundation of Nigeria has made strides in southern Kaduna, bringing different religious and ethnic factions together.
“Peace Revival, for the past 5 years – 6 years now, has been going to southern Kaduna, trying to talk to people, meeting with traditional rulers, meeting with community leaders, and meeting with ethnic groups and other NGOs, talking to them, trying to source our problem,” said Pastor Yohanna Buru, founder of the Peaceful Revival Foundation.
“The cause of [conflict] is that some feel they are marginalized in southern Kaduna,” Pastor Buru said. “Mainly most of the Christians there, or the traditionalists there, or the people who claim to be the indigenes of that land.
“And possibly there’s no proper communication – or relationship – between the powerful in Kaduna and the government of today, or the people of northern Kaduna, so these are the contributing factors.”
Justice is a huge concern in the region, and acts of retaliation have sparked conflict.
“Between the government, society, Muslim or Christian – whatever – there is injustice there,” said Mohammed Abdullahi Gambo, a Fulani Muslim from the region. “When we have justice there’s no more conflict.”
Pastor Buru and his team encourage resolutions using dialogue and peaceful negotiation.
“We have been able to reach out to some of the traditional rulers in southern Kaduna, and discuss a lot with them, and try to negotiate for a better solution on how to be in peaceful co-existence with each other,” said Maryam Abubakar, a Fulani Muslim working with the foundation.
“To Muslim and Christians, they should sit down and talk, and they should bring in the traditionalists,” Pastor Buru said. “The moment you sit with the communities there, it has helped in peace-building – they open up, they tell you their problems, and maybe they themselves proffer a solution.”
Participant Aliyu Mohammed said the Muslim community hold Pastor Yohanna Buru in high esteem because of his peace-building work in the area.
“We believe there is the need for other interfaith groups to emulate him in promoting peaceful co-existence in the area,” said Mohammed. “He actually understood the terrain very well because he is also from the area and that has helped him in bringing all aggrieved parties on same table to dialogue.”
“Without peace in [this] environment, we can’t go forward, we can’t forge ahead,” said Pastor Joel Vigo, a Christian leader in the area. “Without peace, you can’t work, or look for something to eat. But when there is peace, life will be ok.”
“Let us understand one another, so that there will be peaceful co-existence between the traditionalists, the Christian, the Muslim, the youths, and the old,” said Reverend Ishaku, a Christian leader.
Click To Share The News With Your Friends –Photo by Peaceful Revival Foundation
One of the largest bell pepper producers of North America almost went out of business last year after it came under fire from a dangerous little pest called the pepper weevil.
The insect, which caused over $75 million in damages to Nature Fresh Farms, could not be seen by humans and it only reproduced faster when exposed to pesticides.
The greenhouse based out of Leamington, Ontario was running out of options for pest control, and staff feared that they would be put out of business. But then, they decided to bring in Chili the 2-year-old Belgian shepherd.
“We were at wits end – we didn’t know what to do,” said Cam Lyons, a pest management scout at Nature Fresh. “And in that desperation, I just got thinking of ‘What can we do that’s different?’ … so the idea of a scent detection dog just came to mind.”
Chili is the world’s first dog certified to sniff out the pesky insect. Since she was hired by Nature Fresh Farms in July, the greenhouse has had little to no interference from the pepper weevil.
The pup is able to sniff out where there is an outbreak of pepper weevils so quarantine specialists can close off the area and eradicate the pest.
“Chili is actually really, really good ” says Chili’s dog handler Tina Heide. “She’ll usually hit on [the smell] right away. It’s actually really cool to watch her, because sometimes as soon as she picks it up … she’ll whip around and head straight for it.”
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Nature Fresh Farms)
While the Houston Astros are being hailed for winning the World Series this week, we’re also taking our hats off to the team of baseball fans who returned a woman’s hat after it fell eight floors down the side of a building.
In a video that has since gone viral on Twitter, the fans can be seen tossing the hat back up floor-by-floor. While one of the participants accidentally dropped the hat down a couple floors, it is quickly snatched back up by another onlooker.
Life is indeed like a box of chocolates because you never know when Tom Hanks is going to help make a surprise marriage proposal to a man’s girlfriend.
The Forrest Gump star was in Houston for the Texas Book Festival talking about his new book “Uncommon Type: Some Stories” when he popped the question to Nikki Young on behalf of Ryan McFarling.
Hanks had reportedly been taking questions from the crowd when he said he wanted to take a break from the inquiries and ask the audience a question of his own.
Saturday was the first good snow of the season in Bigfork, Montana.
Ilene Gembala, who is a 94-year-old resident of the Rising Mountains assisted living center, told her caregiver she loved the snow and wanted to make a snow angel.
“At first we weren’t sure we should accommodate this request because it was pretty cold (30 degrees),” said Amanda Douglas in a message to Good News Network.
She’s in a wheelchair and it might prove difficult for them to get her down to the ground and then back up again.
“Well, we decided she’s a Montana girl that can handle the cold and that we would make it work. So after figuring out the logistics, getting approval from her daughter, and bundling her up, we took Ilene outside.”
She loved it! And the caretakers, who also recorded a video for Facebook, felt very accomplished.
“She had a visitor later that day and was bragging about going outside and doing a snow angel—it was pretty cute!”
Douglas added, “We were so glad that we could make this wish come true for her, because when you’re 94 years old you should be able to do what you want.”
If your cat is too stylish for IKEA, have no fear – there will soon be a new furniture collection designed just for your feline friends.
The kitty decor, which is being made and designed by furniture consortium Okawa Kagu, is actually just smaller versions of the pieces they already manufacture for humans.
While some cat furniture lines may already exist, Okawa Kagu’s line has a startlingly chic design for even the most sophisticated feline.
Currently, the collection consists of a pine sofa by Hiromatsu Furniture, and a darker wooden cat bed by Tateno Mokuzai.
The sofa and bed are both commercially available through the manufacturer’s respective websites, but they can also be seen on display at the Okawa Terrazza – a showroom in Okawa, Japan which highlights the works of local craftsmen.
The furniture is also a part of Okawa Kagu’s “Craftsman MADE” campaign that features quality work of decor artisans.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends(Photo by Okawa City)
A Russian man is being hailed as a hero after he managed to catch a falling cat who had been dangling from a cable strung across a two-story building.
Earlier this month, a woman named Natalia Kompan captured footage of the distressed feline struggling to cling to the wire above their heads. Another man can be seen standing directly under the cat with an open backpack held.
The two can be heard saying coaxing phrases to the cat until finally, the cat loses its grip and plunges to the ground.
But have not fear – the man uses his backpack to make a spectacular catch and safely cushions the feline’s fall.
The cat, who was suspected to have climbed out of a window of the Sochi building, is unharmed after the fall, even though it had reportedly been dangling from the cable for 30 minutes.
(WATCH the great catch in the video below)
Click To Share The Pawesome Rescue With Your Friends
This doctor does not just have the talent to save lives – he also has the ability to lift spirits.
Dr. Elvis Francois, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York, had just finished with a spine trauma surgery when he took a break in the operating room to sing a little song.
The doctor filmed himself crooning a breathtaking rendition of Nina Simone’s “Feelin’ Good”, which he later posted to his Instagram account.
Francois says that he enjoys singing at work – whether it is to the patients or to his fellow staff members – because “music is medicine”.
We understand what he means, too – how can you not feel a little better after listening to Francois’s soothing set of pipes?
“I grew up singing and I have always been interested in music,” Francois told Inside Edition. “Recently I’ve been posting it to social media more. Singing helps keep [people’s] spirits lifted in between cases. I usually sing around the operating staff.”
(WATCH the video below)
Help Your Friends Feel Good: Click To Share The Breathtaking Video
Thousands of firefighters who in late October were still battling 10 wildfires in California have finally achieved near full containment, but as these brave men and women returned to their families, many of them had no homes. The blazes destroyed thousands of structures, including 40 homes that belonged to firefighters on the front lines of the deadliest fires in the state’s history.
We reached out to Luke Schneider, the CEO & Founder of Fire Department Coffee to see how we could help. Besides being a firefighter himself, Luke’s company gives back a portion of all sales to fire department charities.
*Buy a Bag of Coffee in This Exclusive 10% Off Sale— with 10% Going to Cal Firefighters!
“As a firefighter, I used to drink coffee just to stay awake and alert, until my wife got me hooked on drinking good coffee,” Luke told us. “We started roasting beans together, and decided to give a portion of our sales to firehouse charities—and we love that aspect.”
Their experimental blends are a big hit, and the Navy veteran agreed to offer GNN readers an extra 10% off their order and, in an exclusive partnership, will also give 10% of the proceeds to the California firefighters who lost their homes. (Note: Discount is applied on the Check-out page)
100% of the charity funds raised through this delicious coffee sale will go toward Go Fund A Hero, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit managed by International Association of Fire Fighters locals from Marin County and Santa Rosa—two of the hardest hit regions.
Buy Your Beans for Less, and Help Firefighters Rebuild Their Lives
10 percent of each coffee purchased on sale will be distributed equally among the 40 firefighter families who were victims of the North Bay area fires—with 100% of funds raised for charity going directly to the firefighters, because Fire Department Coffee will deliver a check to GoFundaHero, eliminating the credit card fees associated with giving donations online.
By clicking THIS link, your discount is automatically applied to your order at the Check Out page.
Lend a hand and raise a cup for the awesome firefighters that saved the historic town of Sonoma and surrounding areas of Napa Valley: Order a bag right now.
Did you know that before Elon Musk was worth $21 billion, he was a jumpsuit-wearing janitor? Or that Taylor Swift’s former job was keeping Christmas trees free of insects?
It’s hard to think about the world’s most elite celebrities and geniuses flipping burgers at McDonald’s – but everyone has to start somewhere.
While some of the stars, like Richard Branson, have said that being a low-paid employee taught them the value of hard work, others said exactly what countless others before them have said: it sucked.
So, from rags to riches, here are 10 celebrities who worked in very unglamorous jobs before they found their calling and caught wind in their sails:
Click To Share These Surprising Fun Facts With Your Friends – (Featured credits: Branson by Burdett Taylor, CC; and Swift by Dimitrios Kambouris for TAS and Getty)
Supermodel Chris Garafola credits the success of his career to the inspiration he draws from his sister, who has Down syndrome.
Brittany turned 32 years old in July—and because her family always orchestrates something special for her birthday, she excitedly waited to see what they had cooked up next.
It was her 29-year-old brother, this year, who took the lead and spent weeks organizing a lavish photo shoot for his big sister.
Ever since they were kids, Brittany always wanted to do the same things her brother did – including modeling in front of a camera.
So when she was led to a field filled with photo equipment, she was overwhelmed with emotion.
“She started jumping up and down and giving me a hug and crying,” Garafola told PEOPLE. “It was really emotional.”
“She’s been my best friend from the beginning,” Garafola added. “For me, my purpose here is to make sure my sister has a good life, is protected and is healthy. Her happiness is my happiness, and that has held true from when we were kids to today.”
Wild animals will never again be forced to dance or perform in circus shows in India thanks to a new piece of legislation passed earlier this week.
The nation’s Central Zoo Authority (CZA) passed an order stating that circuses would no longer be allowed to use wild animals for exhibition or performance. Additionally, it announced that they would be deregistering several circuses following a year-long investigation into animal rights violations under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act from 1960.
While monkeys, lions, bears, and tigers were all banned from being used for entertainment in 1998, elephants could still technically be utilized in the shows. A recent evaluation that was conducted by the CZA and supported by animal rights organizations found that none of the elephants used in India’s circuses were free from humane violations.
In light of these violations, there are now no circuses that are registered by the body of India.
The court-ordered cancellation notice states that the entertainment groups had been warned of their violations in previous years, and still made no effort to correct them.
All the elephants that were previously used in shows will now be going to wildlife rehabilitation centers, according to India Today.
If laughter is good for you, then this video is definitely a good daily dose of medicine.
YouTube pranksters Alex Stifler and Jad Khawandi of the How About Beirut channel just released a fourth video installment of themselves dressing up as mannequins outside of the Il Sarto clothing store and surprising random pedestrians.
Their first mannequin video installment was so popular on the internet, it wracked up over 2 million views.
The three sequels to the Beirut-based duo’s stunt are all equally as funny. The latest footage was appropriately released on Halloween earlier this week.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Side-Splitting Video With Your Friends
Winning your very first World Series title is a huge moment in any baseball player’s life. But Carlos Correa made the night even more memorable with what he did during his first interview immediately following the game.
The Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on November 1, 2017. A World Series win is a major event for any team in Major League Baseball, but for the Astros, it was particularly significant.
The team hadn’t won a single championship since joining the major leagues back in 1962, according to the New York Times. It was even more impressive given that they won the high-stakes seventh game in the series on the Dodgers’ home turf! The Astros beat the Dodgers with a final score of 5-1 in Game 7, clinching the series by taking their fourth-game win over the Dodgers’ three-game win.
Carlos, the star shortstop for the Astros, was in the middle of a live interview after his team’s historic victory.
“Right now, I’m about to take another big step in my life,” the 23-year-old player told Fox Sports: MLB on Wednesday night. At that point, he turned to his girlfriend, 21-year-old Daniella Rodriguez. Daniella is a beauty queen who has held the titles of Miss Texas USA 2016 and Miss Texas Teen 2013, according to People.
Daniella was visibly floored and completely shocked when her boyfriend turned to her and dropped down on one knee, presenting her with a beautiful diamond ring.
Astros third baseman Alex Bregman told Yahoo Sports that the team knew about Carlos’ proposal plan for a few days ahead of the big moment. Carlos had originally been planning to pop the question after Game 6, but pushed the plans back a day after the Astros lost that game, according to Alex. Daniella told Yahoo Sports that her husband-to-be had asked one of the clubhouse attendants to hang onto the ring and bring it to him if the Astros won the series.
Talk about an incredible live television moment!
Congrats to the Houston Astros on their win — and congrats to Carlos and Daniella on their big step! Click the link below to see the heartwarming proposal on live TV.
Score Big With Your Friends: Click To Share – Photo by WFTS Tampa Bay
Pangolins may not be very good at protecting themselves, but that is why they have a team of men who are dedicated to watching over them.
These members of the Tikki Hywood Trust, also known as the “Pangolin Men” of Zimbabwe, are a group of volunteers who spend their lives rehabilitating pangolins who have been rescued from poachers.
The caretakers ensure that the ant-eating mammals are able to hunt and forage for themselves before they are released back into the wild.
“We walk them, we feed them, we protect them – all like our children,” says one of the volunteers in the video below.
In November 2016, wildlife photographer Adrian Steirn traveled to the organization’s facilities and photographed the Pangolin Men with their scaly friends – and the results were breathtaking.
Steirn says that he wanted to capture the incredible bond of trust exhibited by the critters and their caretakers in hopes that it would raise awareness of pangolin poaching.
Pangolins are considered to be the world’s most trafficked animal due to the high demand for their meat and scales. Hope is on the horizon, however – delegates at a U.N. wildlife convention last year voted to ban the trade of all eight species of Asian and African pangolins.
(WATCH the incredible footage below)
Click To Share The News With Your Friends – Photo by Adrian Steirn
Seeing a school project pinned up on your household’s refrigerator is one thing – it’s another thing entirely when it is complimented by the president of France.
This is what happened to a 13-year-old English schoolgirl named Sophie when she wrote a poem about the Eiffel Tower inspired by her family vacation to Paris in April. The UK teen sent the sonnet, which she called “Center of Attention” to the presidential palace as a tribute to the iconic structure. The poem starts with the following lines:
“She has four beautiful legs, which help her stand proud. She looks over everyone, with her head in the clouds. She is elegant and tall, wears a pretty lace skirt, While staring at her in awe, your eyes will not avert.”
Then, months later, she saw her poem on the Twitter account of the UK French Embassy.
Except it wasn’t just a picture of her poem – it was also coupled with 21 verses that were written by French President Emmanuel Macron for Sophie’s 13th birthday.
“How you flatter me! So few poets these days Ever sing the praises of my Parisian soul, as did Cocteau, Aragon, Cendrars, Trenet and Apollinaire…”
The president’s poem ends with the Eiffel Tower sweetly encouraging Sophie to continue writing poetry by calling himself a fan.
“Take up your pen and write down Why you like me – it would be so nice and fun! ‘You can count on me! There’s so much to say! I’ll write twenty lines… but who will read them?’ Well, I know a man who’ll read your verse. ‘Really? Who?’ The President of France.”
You can also click here to read a copy of Macron’s poem in French.
