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24 Ideas for Raising Kind and Grateful Kids

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Good News Network
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Brad Aronson submitted his boy in spiderman costume

It’s a great time of year to remind ourselves how we can reinforce and encourage kindness and gratitude in our kids. Especially in December, there are so many great opportunities to do this.

Brad Aronson and his wife have often thought about how to make sure their son will turn out to be a grateful, kind and compassionate young man, but parenting is difficult.

“We have no idea what we’re doing, but we wanted to share some ideas and related thoughts.”

From these examples, you will agree the Aronsons DO know what they’re doing:

  • Help develop your child’s identity as a caring person. Rather than telling your child “That was a kind thing to do,” say, “You’re such a kind person.”
  • At dinner we discuss acts of kindness that each of us saw during the day. As we’ve been doing this, I’ve noticed that our son has begun doing many of the things we mention in conversation.
  • Give stuff away. At Halloween our son loved giving out candy. Jack even chased down adults clearly returning from work to give them candy. Even the people who seemed to be in a bad mood smiled. And, Jack learned the joy of giving. Set up a free lemonade stand or find something else to give out. Practice giving.

(READ the full article at Bran Aronson’s blog)

How An Angel Tree Gift Changed One Boy and 1000s of Lives

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Good News Network
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angel-tree-purchased-bradaronson submitted

Jimmy Wayne’s introduction to music came in the form of a guitar he received through the Christmas Angel Tree Program when he was eight-years-old – a random act of kindness from a caring person. The guitar, the first gift he ever received, ignited Wayne’s love of music. That love took Wayne down the path of becoming a musician, and eventually, an award winning country music star.

“None of this would have happened had it not been for a guitar.” said Wayne. “So I’m in debt and making sure that I do my part in raising awareness for a program that helped me out when I had nothing.”

WATCH: Seinfeld Cast Makes Dying Man’s 67th Birthday One To Remember

To “do his part” Wayne wrote a song that tells of the enormous impact Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program has on the kids in need who receive gifts from strangers. Wayne hopes people will hear Paper Angels and be inspired to participate as gift givers in the Angel Tree Program.

The singer wound up doing a lot more than writing a hit song. In the middle of his career, Wayne decided to take a break from music and use his stardom to help nurture foster children in ways that go beyond lyrics.

(READ the full story at Brad Aronson’s blog)

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Canadian Kids Are The Most Welcoming People Ever (WATCH)

By
McKinley Corbley
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Canadian kids sure know how to make people feel special, eh?

A video of Canadian children singing a historical song from the Middle East was published Friday as a welcome gift to the the new refugees flying to safety in North America.

The choir’s performance has not only scored a half million views for its beauty, but also touched the hearts of foreign speakers for a wonderful reason: the kids are singing in Arabic.

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The song’s significance comes from its reputation for having been sung to the Prophet Muhammad when he was looking for solace. For the 163 Syrian refugees who were greeted with residency and warm winter coats by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after landing at the airport, the new video is just one of many gestures by Canadians to make the asylum-seekers feel safe and welcomed.

And speaking of feeling welcomed, the kindness doesn’t stop there.

CHECK Out: Refugee Selling Pens Saw Huge Outpouring, Now Owns Bakery, Hires Refugees

An adorable video produced by World Vision Canada featuring Canadian children joyfully exclaiming “Welcome to Canada!” has gotten 150,000 views since it was posted Wednesday.

Kids of all ages filmed clips of themselves saying “I love you,” “See you in school,” and “I hope we get to be friends” to welcome every refugee to their new home.

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Instead of Giving In to Grief, Musicians Celebrate Christmas With Song

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ericholmesdir
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Nat Zegree and Eric Holmes, both lost parents when they were young, but instead of giving into the hopeless feeling that can accompany loss, especially during the Holidays, they decided to create a song celebrating the memories of holiday’s past.

The gratitude for the time we have with those we love can shine light on our darkest times. The power of music brings us all together, to heal, to laugh, to love.”

Dick Van Dyke Celebrates 90th Birthday With Flash Mob of Chimney Sweeps (WATCH)

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Good News Network
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Dick Van Dyke-90-flashmob-permission-Nicola Buck-social links required

Fans dressed as Cockney chimney sweeps helped Dick Van Dyke celebrate his birthday yesterday with a surprise flash mob at The Grove in Los Angeles, California.

The event was organized to mark his 90th birthday by his wife of 3 years, Arlene Silver-Van Dyke, who he met at the SAG award ceremony in 2006.

The choreographed dancers stepped in time to a medley of memorable songs from the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins– Jolly Holiday, Chim Chim Cher-ee, Step In Time, and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

In a grand finale, Van Dyke himself came down from the balcony where he viewed the performance and led the group in sing-a-long to Let’s Go Fly a Kite.

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Known the world over for his beaming smile, physical dexterity, impeccable comic timing, and unforgettable screen roles, the actor, comedian, writer, singer, dancer, and producer starred in the films Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the TV series The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder. Over his seven-decade career he has won Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards.

WATCH DICK VAN DYKE TALK ABOUT AGING… How He Stays Feeling Young at 90

In his 2012 memoir, My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business. he recalled the remarkable moment when he got his first big break.

In 1960 Van Dyke auditioned for a small part in Bye Bye Birdie. He had no dance experience, so after he sang his audition song he did an impromptu soft-shoe out of sheer nervousness. Gower Champion, the show’s director and choreographer, was watching, and promptly went up on stage to inform Van Dyke he had the lead role of Albert Peterson. An astonished Van Dyke protested that he could not dance, to which Champion replied “We’ll teach you”. That musical won four Tony awards including Best Featured Actor for Van Dyke.

ALSO WATCH: Morality Christmas Ad Will Leave You Feeling All Warm Inside

(Photo by Nicola Buck – Follow her photography on Facebook, and Twitter, and Instagram)

Canada Welcomes Refugees At the Airport With Coats and Healthcare

By
McKinley Corbley
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The 163 refugees that stepped off the airplane into the chilly Toronto air on Friday were given a very warm welcome indeed: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau handed them winter coats with their new citizenship.

The airport terminal was converted into a special processing center that not only conducted the normal customs and immigration screenings, but also greeted the Syrians with completed paperwork for citizenry, along with winter clothing, and toys for the children.

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Sponsors from all over Canada have volunteered to aid the asylum-seekers in finding housing and have already raised $24,000 for each Syrian family to ease their settlement.

“You’re safe at home now,” said the new prime minister to the disembarking displaced persons.

The country expects to welcome 20,000 more refugees by the end of February.

CHECK Out: Veteran Homelessness Has Been Ended in Virginia, First State to Do It

(WATCH the remarkable welcome in the video above)

Animal Funnies: Orangutan Goes Ape Over Magic Trick (WATCH)

By
Terry Turner
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Orangutan Laughs At Magic Trick Screenshot YouTube

This young orangutan at a zoo in Barcelona, Spain bursts out laughing when he sees his first magic trick.

The ape watches intently as Dan Zaleski of Meriden, Connecticut pulls some sleight of hand with an object in his coffee cup.

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A couple of quick shakes and, abracadabra, the cup is empty — and, after a double-take,  the orangutan is rolling on the floor uncontrollably.

(WATCH the video below) — Photo: Dan Zaleski, YouTube

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First Grader Trades His Christmas Presents for Gifts to the Homeless

By
Terry Turner
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boy helps homeless for Christmas screenshot YouTube

All six-year-old Alex Hovater wants for Christmas is a happy holiday for the homeless in his town.

Since making that wish, he’s been handing out care packages filled with jackets and necessities to people living on the streets.

It all began when the little boy worried about a homeless man spending the winter outside and asked about helping.

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His mother, Machelle, thought it would be a good chance to teach her son about empathy and how money works. So she suggested he could chose between aiding the homeless in Bakersfield, California, or receiving Christmas presents for himself.

When he asked why they couldn’t do both, Machelle told him there wasn’t enough money for both. Little Alex didn’t hesitate in his reply.

“OK, we’ll help them out,” she quoted him as saying.

RELATED:  Kids Wrap Lamp Poles With Free Coats to Keep Homeless People Warm

Alex isn’t going through Christmas empty-handed; this has to qualify for Santa’s “nice” list. His mother figures they’ve spent 30% of their Christmas budget on the care packages, and she’s challenging her online friends to try the same with their kids – and moving them to the top of the “nice” list, too.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo: Machelle Hovater, YouTube

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Chinese Billionaire Buys 28K Acres of American Forest to Preserve It

By
Terry Turner
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Brandon Reserve screenshot LandVest Vimeo

The Chinese billionaire behind online shopping giant Alibaba has placed an order for 28,000 acres of pristine, American wilderness. It is a $28 million dollar bid to preserve the wildlife, fish, and forests in these rugged mountains of the Northeastern United States.

Jack Ma, China’s richest man and a noted conservationist, plans to turn the Brandon Reserve in New York’s Adirondack Mountains into a wildlife sanctuary and protect its timber and water from logging and mining operations in the region.

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His first action as owner is to stop the logging operations already going on there.

Ma’s purchase includes land along nine miles of the Saint Regis River, a trout fishery, multiple homes and barns, and even its own maple syrup operation.

(WATCH the video from LandVest below to see the property or READ more at Town and Country) — Photos: LandVest, Vimeo

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Community Rewards Bus Driver Who Stopped To Give Homeless Man Money

By
Terry Turner
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Bus driver reward Facebook Faris Khalifa

A bus driver’s surprising act of kindness on his route is paid back with a “jaw-dropping” reward.

Faris Khalifa was riding a bus in Liverpool, England last week, when the driver made an unscheduled stop.

He pulled a five-pound note from his pocket and asked Khalifa to run it over to a homeless person sitting in the rain.

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Afterward, the more Khalifa thought about the driver’s generosity, the more he wanted to thank him. With the help of the local bus company, he arranged a meeting under the guise of handing driver “Stephen” a thank you card.

In reality, Khalifa had told his story to local businessmen who’d chipped in for a gift basket. It included vouchers for lunch and dinner, a collection of cheeses and bottles of rum and bourbon.

So the most amazing thing has happened. This has totally blown me away.First, I'll explain briefly to those who didn't...

Posted by Faris Khalifa on Thursday, December 3, 2015
 

Before surprising him with the bundle of goodies, the bus driver surprised everyone else– with one more contribution to the trail of kindness. Stephen handed Khalifa his old Army sleeping bag, and asked him to give it to someone who needed it on his way home.

CHECK OUT:  Boston Bus Driver Treats Everyone on Board, Stops at Kids’ Lemonade Stand

“This was the second time he nearly made me cry,” Khalifa wrote on his Facebook page. “This ex-army, married father of one is the embodiment of what this city is. Pure love for all who need it.”

Photo: Faris Khalifa, Facebook

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Clean-Up Superhero Caught on Camera Dancing While Picking Up Litter (WATCH)

By
Terry Turner
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Dancing Litter Guy screenshot Avalon Theater

This guy busts a move while he dusts up his city’s streets.

A security camera caught “Dancing Litter Guy” turning a Milwaukee, Wisconsin street into a dance floor while he picked up trash along the curb outside the Avalon Theater.

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Theater employees mixed in Michael Jackson’s “Ease on Down The Road” from the movie “The Wiz.”

Local paper, the Milwaukee Record gave the unknown do-gooder his nickname and called him “The Hero Milwaukee Needs.”

Here’s hoping he cleans up the town.

(WATCH the video from the Avalon Theater below) — Photo: Avalon Theater

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4 Ways To Manifest Your Soul Mate And Give Up Looking for ‘Perfect’

By
Michelle Ploog
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lego-couple-flowers-CC-Ale-Art

One of the radical truths I’ve learned through my years as a happiness coach, spiritual teacher, and student is that our intimate relationships are often the most challenging to manifest and maintain.

When we’ve either welcomed the wrong relationship into our lives or have run from the right ones, we end up alone and often yearning for the “perfect man”.

Time to face facts: there is no “perfect man”. Fantasies aren’t reality and when we choose to live in a fantasy, we miss out on the greatness of reality.

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So, if you are ready to attract your soul match (not “perfect man”) there are some basic rules for love manifestation:

1. You attract what you are… OR what you believe you deserve.

If you constantly have insecure thoughts about yourself or have a low self-esteem and low self-worth, the men you attract will either capitalize on your insecurities or try to rescue you. Likely, you will only be attracted to the guy that is putting you down or rejecting you because he is reflecting your ego’s belief that you’re not good enough. Our ego wants to be right and will always find the proof it needs to be right.

This lack of self-worth will attract “players”, jerks, control-freaks, and abusers. If you meet a great guy that’s giving you love that you don’t believe you deserve, you’re likely to toss him out. So YOU need to change YOUR mind about YOURSELF. You do deserve to be loved. You are beautiful, talented, smart, and fun. You are enough. Believe that!

2. Ditch the list!

Stop looking at the things you identify as the “perfect man” for you.

“6’5, brown hair, brown eyes, straight teeth, broad shoulders, plays tennis, likes sushi, works in finance, drives a BMW, travels for work, like to play scrabble, blah blah blah…”

Does this sound familiar? Okay, maybe that’s not your list and perhaps you’ve never written it down, BUT you may have a mental checklist of superficial characteristics that he must have. It’s a good idea to have standards on the external – like maybe 3 must haves and those should be simple (job, healthy, car).

MORE: How To Serve The World By Turning Your Boredom Upside Down

I’ve seen it too many times where a woman does find a guy with everything on her list and then (insert suspense music) there is no chemistry whatsoever! Be honest, do you want that perfect picture or do you want to feel loved, appreciated, inspired, and connected?

I chose to go with manifesting from the feelings I wanted a long time ago and found the love of my life. It’s not what I thought it would look like, because it’s so much better! My heart sings when he walks into the room. I can’t wait to hear about his day and then playfully wrestle and laugh every night! I wanted the real thing, not the picture – and I got it!

3. Trust your instincts not your ego.


The ego is deceptive in both the positive and the negative, but both forms the ego takes can prevent you from being your truest self and falling in love with someone else’s truest self. Your ego can also blind you from engaging with an amazing guy and attract you to the worst-for-you guy.

In a relationship, your gut will tell you when it’s right and when it isn’t. There is actually a tiny, brain-like sensory system at your solar plexus that receives and transmits information – this is when you know something at a gut level. Your ego may block you, but your gut knows better. So listen to your instincts and let them guide you toward love.

4. Be open and willing.

First be open and willing to meet someone; and second open and willing to work through the challenges that arise in a relationship. If you learn that the person isn’t the right fit for you, you’ll walk away a better communicator and a wiser woman.

MORE: A Simple Question That Will Change Your Life

It’s not always easy to be open and willing when you’ve been knocked down from past experiences, but if you want someone fabulous – it’s time to heal the wounds and open yourself up for something great to come your way!

Start with these and visit my website if you’re looking for more tools!

Photo by Ale Art, CC

Elderly Woman Shows Muslim Doctor Some Love After Donald Trump News

By
Terry Turner
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Doctor Patient Stuffed Animals Facebook Fahim Rahim

It was a small gesture but a Muslim doctor in Idaho said it brought back “a faith in humanity.”

After a 91-year-old patient heard about a politician wanting to ban Muslims from coming to the United States, she showed her doctor how caring America can be — she stood up for her friend.

She crocheted some stuffed animals for Dr. Fahim Rahim, letting him know a lot of Americans are like her: “(We) can feel your pain and what you’re going through.”

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The kidney patient, unnamed by Dr. Rahim, had been listening to her physician being interviewed on a local radio show in Pocatello, when he was asked about the proposed Muslim ban by presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Dr. Rahim says his patient didn’t know who Trump was, but she didn’t like his idea.

On her next visit to the Idaho Kidney Center, the lady brought along a bag full of stuffed animals she’d crocheted.

So My 91 yrs old patient heard how #Trump has been attacking "me The American Muslim" so here she brings me these little...

Posted by Fahim Rahim on Monday, December 7, 2015

 

As for the presidential candidate, Dr. Rahim sympathizes with people who don’t understand Islam or American Muslims.

RELATED:  Muslims Raise $102,000 to Donate to San Bernardino Families

“I honestly don’t blame him. These kinds of ideas come when you don’t know,” Rahim told KIFI News.

The doctor has publicly offered to let Trump spend a day with him on his rounds so the presidential hopeful can get to know “a real American Muslim.”

(WATCH the video below from KIFI News) — Photo: Fahim Rahim, Facebook

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New Nasal Spray is Simple Treatment for Overdoses, Could Save Thousands

By
Terry Turner
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Narcan overdose treatment released Adapt Pharma

The U.S. government cleared the way last month for a cheap, easy-to-use nasal spray that reverses the effects of a drug overdose — and could save thousands of lives.

Ireland-based Adapt Pharma plans to have the spray, Narcan, available by January.

The simple lifeline is effective on all opioids, including heroin, morphine, and prescription pain killers like Vicodin, OxyContin, and Percocet.

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The number of people dying of opioid overdoses in America has quadrupled since 1999. It’s believed that a more user-friendly version of naloxone in the hands of first responders could save thousands of lives.

Narcan’s key ingredient, naloxone, has been used to treat opioid overdoses for more than 40 years, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had only approved injectable forms until this week.

The nasal spray treatment is packaged in a simple, plastic device that is needle-free and ready to use with a four milligram dose of the remedy.

CHECK Out: 14 Years After Decriminalizing Heroin, Here’s What Portugal Looks Like

A user simply places the nozzle in the overdose patient’s nostril and presses the plunger once. The resulting spray can keep someone who has overdosed alive long enough to get to a hospital for further treatment.

Narcan will be available to police, fire fighters, schools, universities, and other local authorities in mass purchases for a discounted price of just $37.50 per device.

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All 1300 Employees Get $100,000 Holiday Bonus From U.S. Boss

By
Terry Turner
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Money 100 bills CC ree pictures of money

Here’s 100,000 reasons why American company Hilcorp deserved its nomination to Fortune’s list of the Best Companies to Work For three years in a row.

All 1,381 of it’s employees received a $100,000 year-end bonus this year.

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After an obviously good year for the company, CEO Jeff Hilldebrand, and president Greg Lalicker decided to hand out the checks. Employees call them “great motivators.”

Receptionist Amanda Thompson told KRIV News they inspire workers to never give “any less than 100% each day.”

RELATED:  $70K Minimum Wage is Paying Off for CEO Who Took Pay Cut to Lift Workers

Unfortunately, the Houston, Texas-based company is making their money by fracking for natural gas in places like Ohio, where their wells were determined to have caused a rare earthquake there along a geographic fault.

This is the second time Hilcorp has handed out big bonuses, having met their grown goals for the last five years. In 2010, every worker was rewarded with the choice of a $50,000 car or a $35,000 check.

(WATCH the video from USA TODAY below) — Photo: free pictures of money, CC

Pet Me! Therapy Dog Refuses to Give Up on Hospice Patient

By
Terry Turner
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Facebook JJ the Hospice Therapy Dog

After seeing how this dog comforts a dying woman, you’ll understand why her boss says JJ the golden retriever is one of the most intuitive therapy dogs she’s ever worked with.

Nurse Tracy Calhoun says the four-year-old pup began its career of comforting people after the awful mudslides in Oso, Washington last year, and now works three days a week in an Oregon hospice.

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The loving pup won over thousands of fans after the video below showed her insisting that an elderly hospice patient continue petting her head.

“I was very insistent to have her touch me, more so than usual,” Calhoun, writing in JJ’s voice, posted to the dog’s Facebook page. “We fell asleep later with her hand splayed on my head, both of us snoring.”

CHECK OUT: Crazy-Successful Adoption Event Empties Out Entire Animal Shelter

The lady had barely moved for days before JJ came into the room, and she passed away the following day.

It was almost as if the golden pooch was urging her to have one last enjoyable experience.

JJ is a member of Project Canine and HOPE: Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, a pair of groups in the Pacific Northwest that connect service and therapy dogs with people who need them.

(WATCH the touching moment below from JJ the Hospice Therapy Dog Facebook Page) — Photo via Facebook

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The Grateful Dead Was Born On Stage Fifty Years Ago Today (WATCH)

By
Terry Turner
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Fifty years ago today, a California rock band played its first concert under a new name and started a long, strange trip into music history.

Less than a week earlier, the San Francisco-based “Warlocks” had learned there was another group on the U.S. East Coast using the same name. With a series of prominent gigs coming up, they needed a name that would set them apart.

Thumbing through a dictionary, band leader Jerry Garcia happened upon a folk tale listed, and asked, “What about ‘Grateful Dead?’”

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They had been playing at the famous Acid Test house parties thrown by author and playwright Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), where their music became so popular that a stage gig was inevitable. On December 10, 1965 they performed their first official concert as “The Grateful Dead” in San Francisco’s historic Fillmore Auditorium.

There is no recording of that first performance — the set list even disappeared. But less than a month later, again performing at the Fillmore, someone in the audience would tape the first of more than 2,000 fan-recorded concerts of “The Grateful Dead” known to exist.

RELATED:  The Couple From Woodstock LP Cover is Still Married 46 Years After Concert

And those fans have to be grateful they don’t have to call themselves “Warlock Heads.” It just doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as easily as “Dead Heads’.

Oh, and that other band that was called “Warlocks” later changed its name, too. It became known as “The Velvet Underground.”

(WATCH the video set to a 1965 Warlocks recording below)

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Refugee Selling Pens Saw Huge Outpouring, Now Owns Bakery, Hires Refugees

By
Terry Turner
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BuyPens refugee screenshot Business Insider Twitter Gissur Simonarson

A refugee so destitute he was selling pens on the street to support his three children, now runs four businesses that employ 16 others who fled Syria. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, he’s paying it forward.

Just four months ago, a photo of Abdul Halim al-Attar, carrying his sleeping daughter on his shoulder as he offered pens for sale circulated around the world.

 

Norwegian journalist and web developer Gissur Simonarson started a campaign to raise $5,000 for the Syrian refugee who had landed in Lebanon. Before it was over, more than 6,000 people in 100 countries had contributed $191,000 to the #BuyPens campaign.

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“Not only did my life change, but also the lives of my children and the lives of people in Syria whom I helped,” al-Attar told the Associated Press.

He put the money to work for a better life — moving his kids into a two bedroom apartment and starting a business to bring in steady income.

RELATED:  Syrian Refugee Feeds Homeless to Thank Germany for Taking Him In

Opening first a bakery, al-Attar has since added a kebab shop and a small restaurant and has made it a point to help others like himself.

He’s hired 16 workers — all of them refugees.

(WATCH the video from Business Insider below) – Photo: Business Insider video; Gissur Simonarson, Twitter

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Rare Fish Saved From Extinction, Swims Off Endangered Species List

By
Terry Turner
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Modoc Sucker Public Domain US Fish and Wildlife Service

A tiny fish has beaten big odds to swim off the endangered species list.

Only the second fish to make it off the Endangered Species list, thanks to recovery efforts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the Modoc sucker on Tuesday. — The Oregon chub was removed from the endangered list last year.

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At its low point in 1985, the Modoc sucker was found in only seven streams, within just 13 total miles of habitat on the state line between Oregon and California. Today, 2,600 of the fish, which grow to three inches, can be found in 43 miles of streams within its historic habitat.

Conservationists say without the Endangered Species Act, the rare sucker might have gone the way of the dodo, becoming extinct. Putting it on the list led to restoration of its habitat that had been destroyed by soil erosion from cattle grazing along the water–now fenced in. Another remedy was to remove the invasive fish that had been stocked into streams.

(READ more at Scientific American) — Photos: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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Haunted Mansion Turned Into Real Life Gingerbread House

By
Terry Turner
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Gingerbread Top Instagram Christine McConnell

From fearsome to festive, the creepy California monster mansion from Halloween has been given a holiday makeover for Christmas. It’s now a giant gingerbread house.

Artist Christine McConnell doesn’t just add lights to decorate her parents’ home at holiday time, she  fully transforms it into something out of movies and fairy tales.

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You may remember — or even still have nightmares about — her eight-eyed, multi-fanged creation a couple of months ago inspired by the movie “Monster House.”

 

For Christmas, McConnell ditched the usual blinking lights and tacky inflatable Santas, and set out for a one-of-a-kind gingerbread house.

She spent just $700 to turn her childhood home into a huge life-sized version of the traditional tabletop holiday confection.

 

There are peppermints and gingerbread men adorning the facade, icing on the roof, and — because McConnell has a taste for the macabre even at Christmas — she dressed up her niece and nephew as Hansel and Gretel for the photo shoot.

 

Being Christmastime, no children were harmed by witches in the making of the holiday house and there’s a happy holiday ending.

WATCH:  World’s Largest Warhol Painting to Decorate Dome Roof

Her parents love to throw a huge Christmas party every year and their house will no doubt be the easiest for party-goers to find on their street.

 

“My dad, who’s usually a bit of a Grinch, likes it so much he wants to keep it up after Christmas, which is the highest compliment imaginable,” McConnell told TODAY.

Photos: Christine McConnell, Instagram Likes Provided by Buzzoid

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