James Corden may be famous for his carpool karaoke, but he might have to step up his game if he wants to compete with this dynamic duo.
Lola the Shiloh shepherd and Annie Aul were on their way from Montgomery, Alabama to Miami, Florida back in February when the ultimate singalong song came on: Queen’s 1977 hit “We Are The Champions”.
While Annie quietly mouths the words to the first verse by herself, Lola is snoozing in the back seat.
Germany has finally joined the ranks of Western countries that have legalized same-sex marriage.
In an overwhelming vote, German Parliament voted 393 in favor, 226 against, while four lawmakers abstained. The new legislation will also give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, including adoption.
German chancellor Angela Merkel voted against the measure “for personal reasons – however, she sparked controversy amongst conservatives when she announced that her personal stance on same-sex marriage had become less aggressive following a “life-changing event” in which she was openly welcomed to the happy home of a lesbian couple and their eight foster children.
The legislation is expected to take full effect by the end of 2017.
“It was a long, intensive, and for many also emotional discussion, that goes for me personally too, and I’m hopeful not only that there will be respect for either side’s opinions, but that it will also bring about more peace and cohesion in society,” said Merkel.
The vote comes just a week after German Parliament wiped the slate clean for over 50,000 gay men who were imprisoned under Nazi-enforced laws in the last century. They were also offered compensation for every year that they spent in jail.
(WATCH the video below)
Stay Proud: Click To Share With Your Friends (Photo by Tolka Rover, CC)
Rebecca called her son last summer and left a voicemail on his phone explaining that she had been fired from her job. She had been working for many years as a hotel maid in Boston, Massachusetts while raising her kids – up until they gave her the pink slip.
So when she lost her job, she didn’t know what to do with herself – but that’s when Sian Pierre stepped in.
In order to get his mother through her trying time, the young entrepreneur started helping Rebecca complete everything on her bucket list: such as take a hip hop class, milk a cow in Vermont, and walk the Boston Marathon.
The adventure has totally changed the duo’s relationship.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends – Photo by CBS News
Who is Michael Phelps again? We were too busy watching the slick swimming moves of Cooper the corgi.
Cooper, who has become an internet star with his patented “Corgi Flop”, has wracked up over 12 millions views from adoring fans admiring his impeccable diving technique.
While you can tell that Cooper takes his athletics very seriously, it’s impossible not to giggle when watching him prep for his signature move.
Aspen Dental, photographed on Saturday, June 24, 2017, in New Braunfels, Texas. (Darren Abate/AP Images for Aspen Dental)
The dental care that some middle class Americans take for granted was certainly not lost on the grateful veterans who received free treatment last Saturday.
Over 450 Aspen Dental offices across 36 states opened their doors to the nation’s heroes this weekend, giving 4,600 veterans free dental treatment.
This is the fourth time that Aspen Dental has hosted a “Day of Service” event for veterans, resulting in over $10.3 million in donated dentistry.
“Like millions of Americans, veterans often do not get the dental care they need due to barriers like cost, fear, access and lack of insurance. Of the 21 million veterans across the U.S., fewer than 10 million are enrolled for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health benefits, and more than 1.2 million lack health insurance altogether,” said Dr. Adam Mileski of Aspen Dental.
Aspen Dental, June 24, 2017, New Braunfels, Texas (Darren Abate/AP Images for Aspen Dental)
“The disparity is even more pronounced when it comes to dental care because the VA only provides dental benefits to veterans who are classified as 100% disabled, have been a prisoner of war, or have a service-connected dental condition or disability,” he added.
While basic cleanings were also provided to the patients, the dental team were sure to address the more pressing services, such as fillings, extractions, and repairs, in order to relieve oral pain.
Aspen Dental, June 24, 2017, New Braunfels, Texas (Darren Abate/AP Images for Aspen Dental)
“My income didn’t allow me to afford dental insurance,” said Air Force veteran Nadine Nowlin. “So without any coverage, it’s the last thing that gets taken care of. To honor our veterans specifically on that day, is a gift from Aspen Dental.”
“Before seeing Dr. Thompson, I couldn’t even smile without severe pain and discomfort,” said Stephen Leon, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient who received free care from Dr. Thompson. “I can’t even put into words how thankful I am for Dr. Thompson. The treatment she provided changed my life – I don’t know how I can ever repay her.”
In addition to their Day of Service events, Aspen Dental’s Healthy Mouth Movement includes the “Mouth Mobile”: a 42-foot bus that travels around the nation offering free dental care to veterans. The Mouth Mobile has already traveled to over 100 communities, giving away thousands of dollars worth of free oral treatment.
Help Your Friends Smile: Click To Share – (Photos by Darren Abate/AP Images)
This little boy couldn’t bear to part with a toy panda that he saw in a store – but thanks to the kindhearted employees, they weren’t separated for very long.
10-year-old Leon Ashworth and his mother Debbie were browsing the shelves of the Asda supermarket in Liverpool when Leon first spotted “Pandy”: a fuzzy little stuffed panda bear that cost less than $10.
Debbie, who works as an intensive care nurse, reluctantly told Leon that she couldn’t afford to buy him the panda until she received her paycheck the next week.
“I’m always in the store and a week ago I came in to pick up some essentials. Leon spotted this panda – he just seemed drawn to it and said ‘mummy can I please have this panda?’” said Debbie. “I explained to him that I didn’t have enough money – it was just before payday, you know what it’s like. So I told him we would come back next week after I’d been paid and get it as long as he was a good boy.”
Heartbroken, Leon then placed Pandy in a cardboard box and scribbled a note on the front in pencil.
“He then put the panda in the box and put it back on the shelf,” explained the mother. “I didn’t actually see what he’d written at that time. I didn’t think much more about it and I just thought someone would take it out of the box and put it back on sale.”
The note read: “My mum didn’t have enough money to buy me Pandy so she’s buying me Pandy on 15th June so please don’t buy him as it will make me cry. Thank you so much from Hopeful Future Owner.”
Later that day, the store’s section leader David Bateman saw the note – and he was moved to take action, along with the rest of the employees.
The staff all chipped in to buy Pandy and take him off of the shelf. Then, they published a post on Facebook asking if anyone knew the identity of the youngster responsible for the note.
The post spread on social media until it was picked up by local news platform the Liverpool Echo.
“A few days later I was flicking through Facebook and I saw the Echo’s post about it. I hadn’t realized until then what Leon had written – he’d really poured his heart and soul into his message! He’s like that – he wears his heart on his sleeve,” said Debbie.
The mother then reached out to the store and explained that her son was the mystery author of the note. The next day, Leon and Debbie went back to Asda where the boy and his toy were joyfully reunited.
The results were magical.
After the happy event, Debbie said: “I was getting all emotional seeing Leon with Pandy, and Leon was welling up too. It’s so lovely that they took the time and cared so much to make sure Leon got Pandy.”
Customer service representative Kelly McEvatt told Asda: “Debbie said ’I’ve come in to pick up my son’s panda!‘. The moment I handed the panda over was brilliant – to see Leon’s face was just wonderful. It’s the best moment I’ve had working here.”
“When we spotted the panda and the message on the box in the toy aisle all of the colleagues just fell in love with the whole idea of it,” said David. “We’re all absolutely made up about it – Debbie has been messaging me to express how grateful she is.”
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share This Unbearably Cute Story With Your Friends (Photo by Asda)
Though there may be miles of separation between this little English village and the bustling city of Dubai, they may be closer in spirit than originally thought.
The village of Godolphin Cross in Cornwall has been raising money to buy their local methodist church so they can convert the building into a full-fledged community center. The villagers has been desperate to save the facility, as its already the closest thing to a community center that they have.
However, the whopping real estate sum of $115,000 was too much for the little community to afford on their own. Despite managing to raise a third of the finances through multiple fundraising efforts, Godolphin Cross still came up short.
Then, back in November, the villagers made one last appeal to one of their very distant acquaintances: the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai.
The connection between the Emir and Godolphin Cross goes back to the 18th century. As well as being the Prime Minister, the sheikh also happens to be the head of a horse racing empire. The Godolphin Arabian was a racing horse that was bred in the tiny English village of Godolphin Cross in 1724. All of the sheikh’s racing horses are considered direct products and descendants of that first breed, according to Cornwall Live.
So when they reached out to Sheikh Mohammed in November, they were overwhelmed when he agreed to cover their financial shortfall.
“We can’t thank Sheikh Mohammed enough and we’d love to see him in this neck of the woods any time. He would be assured of a very warm welcome,” association chairman Richard McKie told Cornwall Live.
“I think this shows that he’s interested in the history and values this Cornish link. He has put his money to help a community staring down the barrel of having nowhere to go for community events. We are thinking of using part of the chapel to explain about the link.”
In celebration of Canada’s 150th Birthday next week, over 200 Canadian and International youths came together to create a message of peace and diversity by painting the flags of the world on their faces.
Using makeup as their medium, these creative young people are aiming to inspire mutual understanding and love worldwide. The result is an awe-inspiring 60-second film called the Peace Flag project.
Over the span of a year, and with the help of the faculty and staff at CMU College of Makeup Art & Design, the Peace Flag project came to life.
Pamela Earle, the CMU College President who spearheaded the project, said: “This video was originally inspired out of sympathy, in solidarity with the victims of tragic worldwide events, but it quickly morphed into a message of hope. We can’t think of a better way to mark Canada’s 150th birthday than to share this powerful message and project created by CMU students with the world.”
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share With Your Own Friends Around The World
This scruffy pup made headlines last year after she followed a runner through a 7-day race across rigorous Chinese terrain.
By the end of the race, Gobi wasn’t just rewarded with the runner’s adoption – she now has her own biography, as well as a movie deal with 21st Century Fox.
Dion met Gobi the dog on the second day of the 2016 Gobi March 4 Deserts in China. Gobi had been keeping up with the other 101 competitors the day before, but eventually decided to stick with Dion.
“She would run ahead of me and wait for me 20 or 30 meters down the road and then I’d have to catch up with her,” Dion told Good Morning Scotland. “She’s such a small dog but has a massive heart.”
Even though the competition was grueling, Gobi matched Dion step-for-step, leading to the two becoming fast friends.
No one can really figure out why Gobi picked Dion as her human, but once the race was finished, he was determined to take her home with him to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Since the dynamic duo arrived in the UK, they have been nearly inseparable. The two have embarked on a book tour for Dion’s memoir “Finding Gobi”, published in hardcover, paperback, and picture book format.
As for the rest of the funds on Dion’s crowdfunding page that were used to pay for Gobi’s quarantine and transportation from Asia, the runner paid it all forward to a Chinese animal rescue organization.
That way, he can help take care of the next pooch who needs a home like Gobi.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Omni Cal)
The SUV owner called 911 and asked them what do to do about the poor feline. The operator suggested she take the car to a dealership and see if the mechanics could retrieve the kitten.
Sure enough, Puegh took her car to the Preferred Chevrolet dealership. In a matter of minutes, the mechanics were able to safely dislodge the kitten from the wheel well. Though it seemed a little startled, the cat was declared unharmed.
Additionally, the adventurous little feline was adopted by Sara Weeber, the employee who filmed the event.
And what is the pawesome name they chose for the stowaway? Sara decided to name him Encore after the model of the SUV he was rescued from.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends – Photo by Sara Weeber
These wild horses have been bred in captivity since they were driven to extinction in their homeland – but now, roughly 50 years later, they’re running across the Mongolian plains once more.
The Przewalski’s horse is the only equine species that has never been domesticated. It’s extinction from the Mongolian wild is credited largely to harsh winters, human interference, and military activity from WWII.
One determined group of conservationists, however, kept the species alive through several breeding programs in the Czech Republic, and other European countries. The first Przewalski’s horses to be released back into the desert were four mares airlifted to the Gobi desert in the 1990s, according to Reuter’s.
The Prague Zoo has reportedly released 27 horses from their breeding program. A 2011 survey from the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimated the equine population to be about 300, changing the status of the species from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered”. It was originally listed as “extinct in the wild” in 1966.
“It is clear to me that society now has the capability to reverse species declines,” says Prof Jonathan Baillie, Director of Conservation Programs at Zoological Society of London. “Fundamentally, it is our values that need to change if we are to avert the looming extinction crisis.”
The “success story” of the Przewalski’s horse will be continued as the population steadily rises. The more recently released horses will be monitored by conservationists to ensure that they properly adjust to their surroundings before being given total freedom over the desert.
Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag This Story Away: Click To Share (Photo by Claudia Feh, CC)
Smart phones may be heavily criticized for their distracting qualities, but this maternity app just saved the life of a woman’s unborn child.
Emily Eekhoff first downloaded the “Count the Kicks” app when she was 28 weeks pregnant.
The app is designed to monitor the health of unborn children by recording the frequency of a baby’s kicks. A healthy baby is supposed to be kicking a fair amount every hour – but then, when Eekhoff became 33 weeks pregnant, the constant kicking stopped.
Concerned over the lack of movement, the 26-year-old mother went to the Mercy Medical Center, in Des Moines, Iowa to get checked out.
It’s good that she did, too – doctors found that the baby had a heartbeat, but no fetal movement. They immediately performed an emergency cesarean section. When Eekhoff’s daughter was delivered, it had the umbilical cord wrapped three times around its neck.
If Eekhoff hadn’t recognized the danger, the baby could have been stillborn.
But after receiving oxygen post-delivery, however, Ruby weighs in at 4 pounds and 3 ounces – and she is doing wonderfully.
The Count the Kicks app was designed by four women who all lost unborn children to similar situations. Eekhoff has thanked the creators profusely, saying that if it weren’t for their innovation, she would be mourning the death of her infant, rather than celebrating.
(WATCH the video below)
Kick This Story Over To Your Friends: Click To Share (Photo by Emily Eekhoff)
This police officer must have impeccable timing – because he managed to jump on the back of a horse-drawn carriage going 25 miles an hour, thus saving the day.
Sgt. C. Otis Smith and other members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol were called out to Route 250 on Sunday morning for a peculiar reason: a horse-drawn Amish buggy was barreling down the wrong lane without a driver.
As the horse continued dashing down the westbound road, officers feared that the horse would run into the busier highways and cause serious damage – or worse.
The team then got out of their parked squad cars and started waving their hands at the horse, saying “woah!” in hopes of stopping the horse. When they saw that it wasn’t slowing down, however, Smith knew he had to act fast.
With only a second to act, Smith waited until the carriage passed him so he could jump onto the buggy as it barreled past. Smith then used the reins to ease the horse into stopping.
Though the horse immediately collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, it was later taken to a veterinarian and declared unharmed – it was just tired.
The owner later stated that the horse had run away from its home in Apple Creek, Ohio, galloping almost 10 miles down the highway before being reined in by Officer Smith.
Smith said he had never considered the consequences of how he could have made the wrong move – his only concern was making sure that everyone was safe.
(WATCH the video below)
Quit Horsin’ Around: Click To Share (Photo by Wooster Police Department)
Earlier last week, a police hunt for a missing boy ended in an amusing way when a television station helicopter spotted the 11-year-old napping on the roof of his house.
Parents of the boy had reportedly called the Miami, Florida police department when they believed their son to be missing.
After a two-hour hunt, however, a helicopter for WSVN-TV was shocked to see the youngster snoozing on a tarp on the roof.
When the boy was awoke by police officers, he was surprised to see the ruckus his disappearance had caused.
But, the boy was very apologetic, saying that he didn’t mean to cause such a stir. He had apparently only went for a stress nap on the roof because he didn’t want to go to summer camp.
Alleged theft is no laughing matter – but it is made slightly more lighthearted when the arresting officer happens to be dressed as Batman.
Damon Cole, a Fort Worth, Texas police officer who dresses as superheroes for charity, was participating in a child safety event as the caped crusader at a local Walmart when a man walking out the door set off the security alarms.
When the man kept walking across the parking lot, Batman was in hot pursuit.
Cole stopped the man at his car and identified himself as a police officer, asking about the alarm.
The man initially insisted that he wasn’t hiding anything, but he eventually admitted that he had been stealing four DVDs – including The LEGO Batman Movie – for his son’s birthday.
The suspect then apparently asked if he could take a selfie with Cole because: “It’s not every day that you’re arrested by Batman.” Cole was more than happy to oblige.
The incident was just another day on the job for Officer Cole. When he isn’t working as a full-time police officer, he dresses up as Superman, the Hulk, Iron Man, and Batman so he can travel across the country and visit children with cancer. He has paid out of pocket for all of his costumes and hospital trips, resulting in a hefty $8,000 price tag.
Cole has since started a nonprofit called Heroes and Cops to better finance his trips and secure corporate donations.
(WATCH the video below)
Holy Social Media, Batman! Click To Share With Your Friends (Photos by Damon Cole)
Now THIS is the kind of election that we can get behind.
A 3-year-old pit bull named Brynneth Pawltro has just been elected as the new mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky in a landslide election of 3,300 votes.
Brynn reportedly managed to best several other candidates, including a donkey, a cat, and a chicken. Since this is the fourth dog in a row that Rabbit Hash has elected as mayor, she will be succeeding a border collie named Lucy Lou.
The town’s tradition for furry mayors first came about in the 90s when the residents agreed that they had no need for a mayor.
Instead, they decided to start electing animals in a truly representational democratic fashion.
Everyone in the town spends $1 to vote for the pawesome new mayor. Once the election is concluded, all of the money goes right back into the community.
This year in particular, the election funds will go towards rebuilding the town General Store, which burned down in an electrical fire.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends — OR, (Photo by Brynneth Pawltro)
If you’ve ever sat with a laptop on your legs for a long period of time, then you must know how warm computers can get.
Tech companies have spent millions of dollars trying to find innovative ways to keep data servers cool – but this is the first time that an organization has attempted to harness the heat instead.
Dutch startup company Nerdalize is planning on warming dozens of their country’s showers with computer servers starting in August.
Nerdalize has created a specially designed server that doubles as a hot water heater. Dutch families who purchase the server from Nerdalize are estimated to save over $330 in annual gas bills, while simultaneously saving over 3 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Since the cost of one of the servers is only about $300, it basically pays for itself within a year.
Tech companies will also save millions of dollars in expensive cooling apparatus and data centers that are bad for the environment – which is ideal, considering that data servers are estimated to have become as bad for the environment as airlines, thus making up about 2% of the world’s carbon emissions.
By distributing computer servers across Dutch households, tech companies are expected to save as much as 50% in infrastructure costs.
As Nerdalize so aptly says, “it’s a win-win-win situation”.
Several Dutch households have reportedly already hosted the servers for nine months without incident. Nerdalize’s crowdfunding campaign, which has already raised $750,000 (two and a half times its original goal), will help roll out the servers across the Netherlands in the coming years.
After a precious painting was stolen straight out of their home 10 years ago, this Irish family has finally been reunited with their heirloom, thanks to the FBI and other specialists.
In 1949, Irish couple Dr. Frank and Turid Malpress purchased one of the warmly-colored oil paintings of William Conor, a celebrated Belfast artist famed for his work depicting the Irish working class.
For 50 years, the painting “Bringing in the Turf” hung in the family’s home. More recently, the painting was estimated to be worth roughly $40,000.
Knowing the value of the paintings, the Malpress family at one point replaced the hanging masterpiece with a replica at the suggestion of the Police Service of Northern Ireland – but they quickly changed their minds, preferring to hang the original instead.
Then, in 2008, the Conor painting – along with a Daniel O’Neil painting titled “The Prodigal Son” – were stolen from the Malpress home.
The Conor painting then resurfaced at an art auction in the Republic of Ireland in 2013.
The family contacted their insurance company who then contacted Christopher Marinello: lawyer and art recovery expert with Art Recovery International.
Marinello and FBI Special Agent Luigi Mondini spent four years negotiating the return of “Bringing in the Turf” from the painting’s buyer in Chicago.
Though the details of the case are vague, the masterpiece has finally been returned to the Malpress household this week.
According to the Independent, the Malpresses are “absolutely delighted to have it back in our family” and they are grateful for Marinello and Mondini’s help when “all seemed lost”.
Though the Daniel O’Neil painting is still at large, the successful return of the Conor painting is just one of the completed investigations conducted by Marinello and Art Recovery International.
It has been 20 years since Muggles were blessed with the first installment of the Harry Potter book series – and Facebook has added a small Easter egg for the fans.
In celebration of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone publication in the UK on June 26th, 1997, the social media giant made the words “Harry Potter”, “Gryffindor”, “Hufflepuff”, “Slytherin”, and “Ravenclaw” appear in their respective colors in Facebook posts.
If a user clicks on the words, they get a magical little surprise.
Additionally, Twitter has added to the anniversary by giving users the chance to tweet a little Harry Potter themed emoji by using the hashtag #HappyPotter20.
The American version of the magical first installment was released one year after the UK version on September 1st, 1998 under the revised name of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Since its publication, the Harry Potter series has sold over 400 million copies, making J.K. Rowling the first author become a billionaire through her works.
And the world has been spellbound by the enchanting universe ever since.
Join In The Magic: Click To Share With Your Muggle Friends
While Pakistan might be a notorious region for female abuse, the country is taking steps towards better gender equality by opening up 36 different Violence Against Women Centers nationwide.
The first of the centers was opened in Multan of the Punjab region. The entirely female-run shelter offers first aid, forensics, medical examination, rehabilitation, post-trauma, counseling, and mental health services, as well as legal assistance.
The installation of the institutions is a part of the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence (PPWAV) Act passed by Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif in 2016. The legislation is expected to take a dramatic stance against domestic abuse and violence against women nationwide.
“Now the situation has changed compared to the past when women go to the police station they are told to go back to their home and accept the violence in the absence of laws on violence against women,” said Shaista Bokhari, Executive Director of the Women’s Rights Association.
The center’s workforce is comprised of 8 female police officers, including 2 inspectors, 2 assistant sub-inspectors, 3 head constables, and 21 female constables.
