Sliver of Hope

[SubGod22]

Simple yet genius.

Kansas Woman Turns Your Feet Into an Inspiring Billboard For Positive Affirmations - LOOK

The words we tell ourselves matter. Now you can remind yourself—and others—that you are amazing, smart, courageous, or beautiful with Notes To Self socks, because words make all the difference.

In a world where mental health is an increasing concern, a Kansas mom from the heartland of America began weaving inspiring messages—to put on your feet. Laura Schmidt is the visionary behind the unique sock company where positive affirmations become a memorable step in your morning and bedtime routines.

She has always believed in the power of positive thinking, but remembers the moment in 2011 when her feet were propped up on a car dashboard and it dawned on her what an incredible billboard your socks could be for promoting positive thinking.

“My whole life I’ve used positive affirmations to help me with my confidence,” she says.

Schmidt had already succeeded in the corporate world, in direct sales, and as a mother of three in Prairie Village, Kansas, so empowering others to reach their goals was a way of life.

I really do love the positivity and I know there are a lot of people out there that like different/fun/interesting socks.

[SubGod22]

Trees are important to our lives, that of nature, and the well being of the planet for a variety of reasons. The Kenyan government has ambitious goals to do their part in increasing the number of trees in the ground.

Kenyan Holiday Devoted To Planting 100 Million Trees

In a bid to achieve the government's ambitious target of planting 15 billion trees within a decade, Kenyans have been granted a special holiday dedicated to the planting of 100 million trees.

Environment Minister Soipan Tuya stated that the holiday empowers "each and every Kenyan to own the initiative." The objective is for every Kenyan to contribute by planting a minimum of two seedlings, collectively reaching the 100-million tree goal.

These seedlings are provided free of charge at forest agency centers for planting in designated public areas. Additionally, citizens are encouraged to purchase at least two seedlings for planting on their personal land.

They expect 500 million trees to be planted by the end of the year. A truly impressive feat.

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There's something about young people developing things that could be valuable down the road that makes me smile.

12-year-old Develops Fire Detection System That Wins Her $25,000 and Top Junior Scientist Award

A 12-year-old girl from Miller Middle School in San Jose has won $25,000 in a science fair for her invention of a new fire detection system that’s faster, cheaper, and more reliable than smoke detectors.

The Thermo Fischer Junior Innovator’s Challenge claims to be the nation’s premier STEM contest for middle schoolers, and Shanya Gill won over second and third-place inventions of a smartphone app that can detect certain cancers and an experimental method of generating electricity through plant cells.

In the summer of 2022, a fire destroyed a restaurant behind Shanya’s house. That incident inspired her to create a fire-detection system that involved connecting an affordable thermal camera to a compact computer.

It wasn’t that the restaurant didn’t have smoke detectors, but as Shanya explains, that requires there to be a significant amount of smoke first, which can sometimes mean a fire has already started and gotten out of control.

She programmed her system to differentiate between people–which were identified as warm objects moving horizontally–and heat sources, such as an active gas burner, which were identified as hot objects that remained stationary.

The system can send a text message when it detects a heat source but no human presence for a continuous 10-minute period. Shanya’s system accurately detected human presence 98% of the time and heat sources 97% of the time.

And she's already looking to improve it. There's a video at the bottom of the article that's less than 90 seconds with the young lady.

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Boy Invents Smart Spoon for His Uncle's Trembling Hands that Is Affordable in India

A schoolboy in India has invented a mechanical spoon that automatically stabilizes itself to help his uncle eat through his hand tremors caused by Parkinson’s.

It was the sight of the 70-year-old retired government employee trying to eat and splattering his food on his trousers, and a 10-year fascination with mechanics that started when his mother but him a Lego set, that saw Aarrav Anil build the device with motors, sensors, microelectronics, and a 3D printer.

Now undergoing tests at the RV College of Physiotherapy in Bengaluru, Southern India, Anil has taken on plenty of feedback—including from his uncle who was all too happy to give it a whirl.

“I’ve been fine-tuning the design based on the college’s feedback – that it needs to be waterproof so that it can be washed without damaging all the electronics inside; that it must be detachable so it can be cleaned and replaced by a fork; and the spoon needs to be deeper to hold more food,” Aarrav told the Guardian.

It’s not the first mechanically stabilized spoon on the market, GNN has reported on the development of such devices by Google in 2014, and by Liftware in 2016.

But Anil’s costs less than half of what similar spoons go for, making it far more likely that the more than 7 million Indian Parkinson’s patients can afford it.

[SubGod22]

Not sure why it took two years, but some farmers have gone out of their way to rescue this poor sheep.

Stranded Sheep Rescued After Two Years of Loneliness at the Base of a Scottish Cliff

A sheep dubbed “Britain’s loneliest” has finally been rescued by 5 strapping farmhands after being stuck on a beach for two years.

Fiona the sheep was first seen at the base of a cliff by a kayaker in Sutherland, Scotland. Hemmed in by sheer cliffs and the frigid Cromarty Firth, there was enough fodder and water for her to survive to grow a huge fleece.

After several animal rescue organizations determined the rescue was too complicated, a group of local farmers managed to haul the beast up the cliff; and though it went well, there was an unforeseen difficulty—Fiona was very fat.

Whatever else she was doing on the isolated pebble beach, she certainly spent a long time eating, with the farmers describing her as being in “incredible condition.”

“We’ve come up here with some heavy equipment and we’ve got this sheep up an incredibly steep slope,” said rescuer and sheep-shearer Cammy Wilson in a video on Facebook. “She’s in incredible condition—it was some job lifting her up that slope.”

Wilson had seen some media coverage of Fiona’s plight and decided to come and help, saying that now she’s free she “is going to a very special place,” referring to a farm park.

There's a two minute news clip in the link

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I really like this one. Insanely sick girl defies the odds and in the process has been working to help others since she was 12 years old.

Texas Mother-Daughter Duo Receive Prestigious Award from 3 Past Presidents for Easing Pain From Rare Disease

A Texas mother-daughter duo was honored by three former presidents this month, becoming 2023 Points of Light Award honorees for their fierce dedication and advocacy for children with pediatric pancreatitis.

The little-known disease struck Rebecca Taylor when she was just 7-years-old, causing excruciating pain. Now 21, Rebecca was chosen for the award because of the work with her mom, Christyn, on their nonprofit Rebecca’s Wish.

When Rebecca was 12, the Make A Wish Foundation granted her selfless wish to form a group to help other children dealing with pediatric pancreatitis.

Their national organization has raised over $3 million to support families whose children have the disease, to advance cutting-edge medical research, and to fund fellowships that train doctors to treat such patients.

“I wanted to start a pancreatic charity for other children so they don’t suffer like I did,” Rebecca said. “Rebecca’s Wish not only gives me a way to help others; it also helps me focus on something greater than myself and that—surprisingly—has helped my own pain.”

And the young woman has defied all the odds since doctors told the family that she wasn’t expected to live past the age of 12. She’s been hospitalized throughout 150 surgeries, including a life-saving experimental pancreas transplant—and nearly died multiple times.

I think we expect and are okay with kids using their Make-A-Wish a selfish one, and I don't mean that negatively. Just that this girl used it to help start and fund an organization that would aim to help those with the same rare disease she has, but hope to one day cure it.

And now she's a 21 year old BioMed student at aTm continuing to do what she can to combat this illness.

[SubGod22]

Ring Camera Catches Teenage Trick-or-Treaters Refilling Empty Candy Bowl: 'It feels really good' - WATCH

A group of teenagers who came across an empty candy bucket decided to refill it with their own candy in order to ensure little kids could have some too.

Going viral on social media, the act of holiday generosity was filmed from the house owner’s Ring camera and captured the irony of the three young women, dressed as bald businessmen, donating their own candy and inviting other trick-or-treaters to follow suit.

Homeowner Jennifer Wyckoff of Redmond, central Oregon, was excited to watch the Ring camera footage back with her daughter Layla Glover, so as to see all the different costumes that paid them a visit. Their candy bucket had a note pinned to it: “Sorry we missed you, be kind and only take a few pieces.”

What they found was rather shocking, rather than coming up and taking candy, kids were coming up and replenishing Wyckoff’s pumpkin which was at that point empty.

“On our camera, I saw them come up to the house, there was no candy there. They said ‘Oh, let’s donate some to the bowl.’ There was some other kids walking up and they told them ‘Hey, come give some candy to this bowl, there’s none left,’” Glover told the Central Oregon Daily.

Video in the link.

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Even in chaos, good people will rise and risk themselves for others.

KAKE - 'Truly selfless': Man recovering after being shot while attempting to stop Dodge City shooter

A Dodge City man is being hailed as a hero after attempting to stop the suspect who shot and killed two people at a local bar on Sunday.

Jessica Zink, the victim's sister, says her brother Austin was working at Central Station Bar & Grill as a bouncer and tackled the shooter outside of the club, but the suspect wiggled free before shooting Austin three times.

Jessica says, according to the surgeon, Austin is lucky to be alive and narrowly escaped a life-ending injury. He was shot once in the hip, once in the arm and once in the abdomen.


"Austin was truly selfless by saving others with his act," Jessica said in a GoFundMe for her brother.

Austin is currently in a Wichita hospital being treated for his injuries and recovering.

He has three children that Jessica says "are his whole world."

If you are interested in helping with Austin's medical expenses, his GoFundMe can be found by clicking here.

The GoFundMe to help with his expenses are currently a little under $8K.

[SubGod22]

I love seeing people looking out for all of God's creatures. This is truly good work being done that will change the lives of those with two and four legs.

Dog of War Finds Loving New Home After Cheating Death Twice in Ukraine Devastation, Thanks to British Charity

A dog which twice cheated death in Ukraine after being rescued from floods and surviving a Russian bombing has found a new home thanks to a British charity.

Heartbreaking footage captured the mixed breed pup, named Henry, clinging for life in the rubble of a building, after the Kakhovka dam in Kherson was destroyed.

The sound of missiles dropping can be heard in the background as rescuers made their way through flood water to rescue the stricken pooch in June.

To avoid drowning, brave Henry managed to doggy-paddle to the remains of a bombed-out building poking out of the flood waters.

Gregg Tully, Country Director for Save The Dogs, revealed how Henry was originally found “collapsed, exhausted and barely conscious”.

“After the dam in Kherson exploded, Henry was one of the dogs that was pulled out of the flood waters, covered in oil and sludge. There was a lot of toxic material at the bottom of the reservoir that washed out with the flood.”

“We thought this dog was all black, and then he was cleaned up and, actually, he’s more white than black.”

He was taken to a clinic in Odesa, Poland for round the clock treatment because the toxic sludge caused chemical burns to his skin.

But his ordeal didn’t end as shortly after his rescue, the animal clinic caring for him was bombed by the Russians. Despite the bombardment, Henry and the other animals escaped unharmed and he was moved to another clinic where he continued to receive treatment.

Just four months on and he is in a loving new home thanks to Save the Dogs and Other Animals, a charity supported by Blue Cross’s Ukraine Pet Welfare Fund.

“He obviously loves people and is a really happy dog.

There's a pic from when they first found him and he does indeed look to be all black. But Henry does look like a sweet and happy pup despite all he's been through.

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Man's Wedding Ring Lost in Ocean is Found So He Drives 1,600 Miles to Thank Humble Metal Detectorist in Person

A metal detectorist has reunited a man with his diamond wedding ring after uncovering it on a sandy beach.

Stephane Seguin lost the ring while swimming on a trip to St Augustine, Florida.

The 40-year-old saw detectorist Joseph Cook out searching the sands and asked him to keep an eye-out for his ring.

“When I lost the ring in the sea it felt like falling in a dream,” said Mr. Stephane, a tinsmith from Quebec City.

“We spent every day looking and then we eventually saw Joseph on the beach. I said to Marie-Eve ‘I’m not going to tell him where it is as he’ll look for it and keep it!’

“But she went up to him and he told us if he finds it, he’d return it.”

Little did they know, Joseph had returned a diamond ring worth $40,000 last year after posting a video about the find.

Although the couple returned home to Canada the following week and Joseph still hadn’t uncovered the ring, but the determined hero returned to the spot every day for over a month—and eventually found the gold ring.

“I decided to try one more time and I wasn’t there for more than four minutes and ‘beep beep beep’—and I knew it was theirs.”

As soon as he gets a beep, he starts recording video and uploads all his finds to his social media pages. He had told the couple to follow him on his socials, and if he found the keepsake, he’d return it.

There's a video of the find as well as the reunion if you'd like to see it in the link.

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14-year-old Invents Soap for Treating Skin Cancer and Wins Top Honor as America's Top Young Scientist

What if washing your hands to prevent getting a simple flu virus was all that was needed to prevent skin cancer? Bold as that sounds, it wasn’t an Anderson Center laureate who came up with the idea, but a 14-year-old.

Heman Bekele, a 9th grader at W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale, Virginia, was awarded the $25,000 grand prize as the winner of the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge, with a melanoma treatment in the form of a bar of soap.

As the winner of the nation’s premier middle school science contest, now in its 16th year, Bekele has been accorded the prestigious title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.”

He explains that his work was spurred on by discovering the recovery rate of melanoma in the US compared to sub-Saharan Africa (99% to 20%). By combining simple compounds in the soap that kept costs low he also was able to create a product that stimulates the activity of dendritic cells which act as protectors of skin cells.

“The need for scientists and innovators to develop solutions for the world’s biggest challenges has never been greater. This year’s Young Scientist Challenge finalists have demonstrated the skills required to reimagine what’s possible—intelligence, curiosity, collaboration, and resilience,” said John Banovetz, executive vice president and chief technology officer of 3M.

“The magnitude and complexity of the issues these young minds are working to solve is inspiring. Congratulations to this year’s finalists—we can’t wait to see what you do next!”

This could have went in the medical thread, but the fact that we have a brilliant kid coming up with things like this to potentially help make the world a better and safer place for many is inspiring.

[ShockTalk]

Not typical, but perseverance is something to be praised. And these individuals have done just that and are contributing to help others reclaim their lives.

3 Cooks in Prison Honed Creativity with Drab Ingredients - Now Out, Award-Winning Chef and Businessmen



I find this encouraging. But it's also a little sad. Our prisons should have more focus on actual rehabilitation and preparing people for life in society rather than just throwing them in cells and forgetting they exist until they're let out. Despite the lack of any compassion or care for those who will one day reenter society, some are still able to find their way on their own. Sadly, these are the exceptions to the rule.

A link to the full article this story was based on is at the bottom of the above link.

I have no knowledge firsthand, but I think you are making assumptions about the lack of actual rehabilitation efforts. I assume there are a lot of variables, and I am sure the "quality" of prisons varies (possibly widely) from state to state. While I have no doubt the prison systems can be improved, some of the efforts also depend upon the inmates themselves and their efforts to want to "make the best of it".

City jails are probably the toughest situations as they are mostly revolving doors. They most likely have little funds for rehab efforts and the time period many inmates are there is shorter, particularly in some states. This situation of quick release by some states, I feel, can do nothing to rehabilitate and actually encourages "bad" behavior due to the lack of "penalty". By the time some of these people do something more serious and in for real time, the likelihood of them wanting to rehab has now become less likely.

[SubGod22]

Not typical, but perseverance is something to be praised. And these individuals have done just that and are contributing to help others reclaim their lives.

3 Cooks in Prison Honed Creativity with Drab Ingredients - Now Out, Award-Winning Chef and Businessmen

“There are geniuses in there,” said 2-time James Beard Award winner, Keith Corbin, referring to incarcerated men and their ability to cook with the most lifeless, flavorless ingredients imaginable.

Corbin spent 10 years in prison himself, and combined with his career as an award-winning chef at his restaurant Alta Adams, he knows what it takes to make good food out of anything.

Corbin was profiled in a feature piece at the Guardian that twisted together the stories of several entrepreneurs who launched careers in the food industry after more than a decade of smoking sausages in a toilet with toilet paper, or making tamal dough with ground-up Fritos.

Another of the featured ex-cons was Chef Michael Carter, executive at Down North Pizza in Philadelphia where he employs only formerly incarcerated men, or returning citizens as he called them, and offers them half-way or low-income housing with the apartment building located above his pizza shop.

His pies, mostly square ones, have made the New York Times best pizza list, and won the Best of Philly 2021 category for square pie.

I find this encouraging. But it's also a little sad. Our prisons should have more focus on actual rehabilitation and preparing people for life in society rather than just throwing them in cells and forgetting they exist until they're let out. Despite the lack of any compassion or care for those who will one day reenter society, some are still able to find their way on their own. Sadly, these are the exceptions to the rule.

A link to the full article this story was based on is at the bottom of the above link.

[1972Shocker]

Feel-Good Friday (Saturday Edition): Isaac Taylor Bikes to Work, Gifted with an Automobile

https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2023/09/30/feel-good-friday-isaac-taylor-bikes-to-work-gifted-with-an-automobile-n2164491

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Toddler Is Reunited with Brother Who Revived Her After Drowning in Family Pool (Watch)

A tear-jerking moment, captured on film, shows a toddler being reunited with her teenage brother after he saved her from drowning.

The 18-year-old in shot, Eric Johnson, saved his little sister by performing CPR after he found her floating in the family’s swimming pool.

Little Rose was only 2 at the time and was at home with her brother and mom Nina who said that their habit is to always have one person in the room with Rose.

Alert and aware, Eric came into the living room and noticed that the door was open, and neither Nina nor Rose was around. Checking the swimming pool, the big brother found his little sister unconscious in the pool.

He pulled her out immediately and performed CPR. By the time their mom was called 911, Rose was already regaining consciousness.

First responders arrived shortly after and rushed the two-year-old to hospital and put on a ventilator for two days.

“We normally have one person in the room with her but we both went to the restroom. It was only a few minutes,” Nina explained. “Every time I look at him I think about it. I don’t think he realizes that he didn’t just save her life, he saved my life as well, he saved our family’s life.”