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Good News in History, October 14

Masaoka Shiki - National Diet, Japan

157 years ago today, Masaoka Shiki, considered one of Japan’s four masters of haiku, was born. He wrote more than 20,000 stanzas of this famous Japanese short-form poetry, keeping the traditional ‘season words’ and the 5-7-5 syllable structure, but bringing in a dedication to realism that had seemed in through Western literature. Shiki may be credited with salvaging traditional short-form Japanese poetry and carving out a niche for it in the modern Meiji period. READ some of his verse… (1867)

Sunday Funnies: Cat Teaches New Kitten The House Rules By Dragging Him Off Kitchen Counter (Watch)

Courtesy of Olivia Goodman via SWNS
Courtesy of Olivia Goodman via SWNS

A family’s surveillance video has captured a cat teaching the house rules to the new kitten—picking it up by the scruff of the neck and pulling it off the kitchen counter.

Olivia Goodman was enjoying the night chatting on the phone while her older cat Frank disciplined the new kitty in the other room.

The six-year-old cat has been living with Olivia since he was a kitten so is well aware of the house rules, but five-month-old Whelan is still learning.

The video shows little Whelan standing atop the kitchen counter, when Frank jumps up and proceeds to figure out the best way to safely pull the kitten back down to the floor.

“I thought it was hilarious,” said Olivia, a senior accountant in Austin, Texas.

“He was teaching Whelan a lesson about being on the counter.

LOOK: Hilarious Video Shows Bear Attempting to Get into a Hammock in Colorado

“My vet also noted how rare it is for a male to carry a kitten like that.”

Watch the sweet video below…

DON’T FORGET TO SHARE With the Cat Ladies in Your Life…

After a Shark Attack Doctors Found a Tooth in His Arm–He Now Wears it as an Earring ‘Trophy’

After a shark bite, Angus Kockott used the embedded shark tooth to make an earring - via SWNS
After a shark bite, Angus Kockott used the embedded shark tooth to make an earring – via SWNS

A diver who was attacked by a shark has turned one of its teeth into an earring—and says wearing the ‘trophy’ has given him closure.

Angus Kockott was freediving in the shallow water off a French Polynesian island in May when, out of nowhere, a 7-foot grey reef shark appeared from behind the coral and clamped its jaws on his arm.

The 20-year-old fought off the shark by stabbing it in the gills using a 4-inch knife used for cutting dive lines.

Angus managed to swim back to the boat and tied goggles around his arm to create a makeshift tourniquet.

“If I hadn’t blocked the shark with my arm, it could have gone for my neck,” said the sailor from South Africa. “I would’ve been toast.”

He was rushed by military aircraft to a hospital in Tahiti where, during a six-hour surgery, doctors found a tooth in his arm—and now he wears it with pride.

“It’s been a defining experience in my life,” said the young diver. “And that’s why I got the tooth made into an earring.”

“Wearing it feels like the close of this chapter. I got through it, and I’ve got my trophy hanging on my ear.”

But, he doesn’t blame the animal. “My assumption was it was a territory thing. You can’t blame the animal.”

Angus Kockott with shark tooth earring – via SWNS

After a nerve graft and skin graft to try to repair the damage, and three weeks recovering in Tahiti, he flew home to South Africa, where he is undergoing physical therapy and nerve treatments.

DID YOU KNOW? Woman Who Fell 60-feet Down a Mountain Was Saved by What3words Location App

Due to the nerve damage Angus was left with little movement or feeling in his arm, but hopes with continued treatment and therapy it will improve.

He said the incident hasn’t deterred him—and he’s itching to get back in the ocean.

The earring, which came out much better than expected, is a vivid reminder that he emerged as a survivor from a near-death encounter.

FUNNY VIDEO: Dog Learns the Hard Way Not to Mess With Porcupines–or Disagree With Dad on Car Ride to Vet

“It’s like a souvenir of what I went through—and it’s going to be a life-long conversation starter!”

SEND THE SHARK TALE to Dive-Loving Friends On Social Media–Share It!

Attorney Warns His Voice was Cloned by AI in Phone Scam That Nearly Tricked His Dad Out of $35k

Attorney Jay Shooster with his dad Frank - via SWNS
Attorney Jay Shooster with his dad Frank – via SWNS

An attorney has issued a warning over an elaborate AI voice-cloning scam which nearly fooled his dad into handing over $35,000.

You may have heard about election interference scams that use AI to recreate a candidate’s voice to spread disinformation about voting—but that same artificial intelligence is being used to create panic in family members over the phone.

Scammers impersonating Jay Shooster called his dad Frank, convincing him that his son had been in a serious car accident, was arrested, and needed bail money.

Even though he’s an educated retired attorney, the terrified 70-year-old had no idea it was not his son.

“I got a phone call and it was my son, Jay. He was hysterical, but I knew his voice immediately.

“He said he had been in an accident, broke his nose, had 16 stitches, and was in police custody because he tested positive for alcohol after a breathalyzer, blaming it on the cough syrup he had taken earlier.”

His 34-year-old son, who is campaigning for Congress in Florida’s 91st District in Boca Raton, believes the scammers managed to create the fake voice from his 15-second TV campaign ad.

On September 28, the impersonator pleaded with Frank not to tell anyone about the situation. Moments later, another man identifying himself as attorney ‘Mike Rivers’, said Jay needed a $35,000 cash bond to avoid being held in jail for several days.

The scam escalated when ‘Rivers’ instructed Frank to pay the bond via a cryptocurrency machine—an unconventional request that heightened Frank’s suspicions.

“I became suspicious when he told me to go to a Coinbase machine at Winn-Dixie,” Frank says. “I didn’t understand how that was part of the legal process.”

He eventually realized something was not right after his daughter, who Frank was visiting, told him that AI voice-cloning scams were on the rise—and hung up the phone.

“It’s devastating to get that kind of call,” said Frank. “My son has worked so hard, and I was beside myself, thinking his career and campaign could be in ruins.”

LEARN MORE: Hero Bank Teller Saves Customer From Losing Millions on a Scam–by Asking a Few Simple Questions

Jay, who often goes to court on consumer fraud cases as an attorney, was shocked to find himself a target.

“I’ve been paying attention to AI and its effects on consumers, but nothing prepares you for when it happens to you,” Jay says.

“They did their research. They didn’t use my phone number, which fit the story that I was in jail without access to my phone.”

The scam’s sophistication left Jay stunned, saying, “All it takes is a few seconds of someone’s voice—the technology is so advanced that they could have easily pulled my voice from my 15-second campaign ad.”

Jay is advocating for changes in AI regulation to prevent such scams from harming others.

ANOTHER SCAM REVEALEDHero Post Office Worker Saves Senior From Sending Thousands of Dollars to a Scammer

“There are three key policy solutions we need,” he says. “First, AI companies must be held accountable if their products are misused.

“Second, companies should require authentication before cloning anyone’s voice. And third, AI-generated content should be watermarked, so it’s easily detectable, whether it’s a cloned voice or a fake video.”

If elected to the Florida House of Representatives, Jay plans to take action against the rising misuse of AI technology, including voice-cloning scams.

He aims to introduce legislation that would hold AI companies liable for misuse, ensuring they implement necessary safeguards such as voice authentication and watermarking.

“We need to create clear regulations to stop these types of crimes from happening,” Jay says. “It’s not just about technology — it’s about protecting people from the trauma and financial damage that can result from these scams.

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“I want to push for more stringent requirements for AI developers to ensure their tools are not used maliciously.”

As AI technology rapidly evolves, Jay and Frank hope their story serves as a warning for others to stay vigilant.

“This shows how important it is to stay calm and think things through carefully,” Frank notes. “You have to listen and ask questions if something doesn’t add up. Scams like this are becoming more sophisticated, but we can’t let our guard down.”

PLEASE SHARE WITH FRIENDS And Family So They Can Avoid Getting Scammed…

Mercury Pollution From Human Activities is Declining–With a 10% Drop in Emissions, Say MIT Scientists

Credit: TVA Cumberland Power Plant, CC license
Credit: TVA Cumberland Power Plant, CC license

MIT researchers have some good news for the environment: “Mercury emissions from human activity have been declining over the past two decades, despite global emissions inventories that indicate otherwise.“

The unexpected reduction in human-driven pollution led to a 10 percent decline in mercury concentrations in the air.

For the new study, researchers analyzed measurements from all 51 available monitoring stations in the Northern Hemisphere and found a steep decline between 2005 and 2020.

They used two separate modeling methods to determine what is driving that trend. Both techniques pointed to a decline in mercury emissions from human activity as the most likely cause.

Global inventories, on the other hand, have reported opposite trends. These inventories estimate atmospheric emissions using models that incorporate average emission rates of polluting activities and the scale of these activities worldwide.

“Our work shows that it is very important to learn from actual, on-the-ground data to try and improve our models and these emissions estimates. This is very relevant for policy because, if we are not able to accurately estimate past mercury emissions, how are we going to predict how mercury pollution will evolve in the future?” says Ari Feinberg, a former postdoc in the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) and lead author of the study.

Due to a lack of additional data from global monitoring stations and limitations in our understanding of mercury pollution, the researchers couldn’t pinpoint a definitive reason for the mismatch between the inventories and the recorded measurements.

“Mercury emissions are moving in the right direction, and could continue to do so, which is heartening to see. But this was as far as we could get with mercury. We need to keep measuring and advancing the science,” adds co-author Noelle Selin, an MIT professor.

Feinberg and Selin are joined on the paper by an international team of researchers that contributed mercury measurement data and statistical methods to the study. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Why the Mercury Mismatch?

A global treaty that aimed to cut mercury emissions—a potent neurotoxin that enters the atmosphere from sources like coal-fired power plants and small-scale gold mining—was signed in 2013 and went into force in 2017.

The Minamata Convention calls for an evaluation every five years. The first meeting of its 128 signatories—including the US, EU, China and Russia—coincided with disheartening news reports that said global inventories of mercury emissions had increased, despite international efforts to reduce them.

This was puzzling news for environmental scientists like Selin. Data from monitoring stations showed atmospheric mercury concentrations declining during the same period.

SPONGE WORTHY: Super Sponge Can Cleanse Mercury From Polluted Water Within Seconds

Inventories combine emission factors—such as the amount of mercury that enters the atmosphere when coal mined in a certain region is burned—with estimates of pollution-causing activities, like how much of that coal is burned in power plants.

“The big question we wanted to answer was: What is actually happening to mercury in the atmosphere and what does that say about emissions over time?” Selin says.

Modeling mercury emissions is especially tricky. First, mercury is the only metal that is in liquid form at room temperature, so it has unique properties. Moreover, mercury that has been removed from the atmosphere by sinks—like the ocean or land—can be re-emitted later, making it hard to identify primary emission sources.

At the same time, mercury is more difficult to study in laboratory settings than many other air pollutants, especially due to its toxicity, so scientists have limited understanding of all chemical reactions mercury can undergo. There is also a much smaller network of mercury monitoring stations, compared to other polluting gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

FROM the GNN ARCHIVE: Accidental Discovery: Orange Peels Could Suck Mercury Out of Oceans

“One of the challenges of our study was to come up with statistical methods that can address those data gaps, because available measurements come from different time periods and different measurement networks,” Feinberg says.

The researchers used statistical techniques to aggregate data and combined data from 11 regions, which helped them overcome data gaps and evaluate regional trends.

Then the researchers used two modeling methods — biogeochemical box modeling and chemical transport modeling — to explore possible causes of that decline. Box modeling was used to run hundreds of thousands of simulations to evaluate a wide array of emission scenarios. Chemical transport modeling is more computationally expensive but enables researchers to assess the impacts of meteorology and spatial variations on trends in selected scenarios.

For instance, they tested one hypothesis that there may be an additional environmental sink that is removing more mercury from the atmosphere than previously thought. The models would indicate the feasibility of an unknown sink of that magnitude.

TREES ARE CLIMATE HEROS: Trees Reveal Climate Surprise: Bark Removes Methane from the Atmosphere

“As we went through each hypothesis systematically, we were pretty surprised that we could really point to declines in anthropogenic (human-made) emissions as being the most likely cause,” Selin says.

Their work underscores the importance of long-term mercury monitoring stations, Feinberg adds. Many stations the researchers evaluated are no longer operational because of a lack of funding.

While their analysis couldn’t zero in on exactly why the emissions inventories didn’t match up with actual data, they have a few hypotheses.

One possibility is that global inventories are missing key information from certain countries. For instance, the researchers resolved some discrepancies when they used a more detailed regional inventory from China. But there was still a gap between observations and estimates.

In addition, it’s difficult to determine how long it takes the pollutant to be released into the atmosphere from discarded products like thermometers or scientific equipment.

MORE CLIMATE GOOD NEWS: Five Headlines that Showcase World Progress in the Climate Fight

In the future, researchers from multiple countries, including MIT, will collaborate to study and improve the models they use to estimate and evaluate emissions. This research will be influential in helping that project move the needle on monitoring mercury, Feinberg says.

This research was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

(Source: MIT News)

SHARE THE POSITIVE TREND With Friends and Colleagues On Social Media…

“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.” – Frederick Douglass

Quote of the Day: “The soul that is within me no man can degrade.” – Frederick Douglass

Photo by: Levi Guzman

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, October 13

Nana Mouskouri in 1971 - CC 0.0 Bestanddeelnr

Happy 90th birthday to the incredible Nana Mouskouri. For those unfamiliar with this goddess of Euro songbirds, she released over 200 albums of songs in 12 languages, including Greek, French, English, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Hebrew, Welsh, Mandarin Chinese, and Corsican. The Cretan/Athenian songbird became an iconic figure thanks to her jet-black bob and black-rimmed glasses. According to Universal Music Germany, she has sold 250,000,000 albums. READ more and maybe you’ll want to buy a record too… (1934)

Reformed ‘Hoarder’ Now Earns a Living Helping Others With Mountains of Clutter in Their Homes (Watch)

Former hoarder Lisa Curtis – via SWNS
Former hoarder Lisa Curtis – via SWNS

A former ‘hoarder’ is now spending her days transforming the lives of people living in houses filled with mountainous piles of clutter and filth.

Lisa Curtis grew up with a fondness for ‘collecting’ things, which she later realized most people would describe as ‘hoarding’.

Her journey out of that mess began in 2013 when her 65-year-old father died. She discovered his house was bursting with chaos because he was also a hoarder.

She spent six months of her weekends sifting through his belongings, choosing what to keep, donate, sell, or discard to clear the mess.

“My dad would never let us into his house,” explained the 53-year-old from Newcastle, England. “I walked in and found that time had just stood still—he hadn’t thrown anything away.”

His mother (Lisa’s grandmother) had died back in 2001 and he started hoarding her old possessions to deal with the grief, and had also failed to keep on top of his housework.

Heartbroken, Lisa cleared out his cluttered, dirty home bit-by-bit and later realized that she also shared some of the same ‘collecting’ tendencies.

She then turned her attention to her own 3-bedroom home—stacked full of random collections—and managed to get rid of thousands of items.

She began taking requests for decluttering help from friends and colleagues and in 2017 her side-hustle became a full-time job for which she earns around 50k a year.

Now the mother-of-three spends every day walking into hoarders’ homes to help them tackle their habits—rewarded by the fact that she’s making a real difference in people’s lives (watch the video below).

Former hoarder Lisa Curtis is now helping others with clutter-filled homes – via SWNS

“I can help people because I understand how they feel,” said Lisa, who posts videos on Tiktok at @motherclutteruk. “It’s not just laziness, there’s a story behind every hoarder.”

Some of Lisa’s most difficult projects have included rat-infested chairs and dead animals never taken outdoors.

“I work with quite a lot of older blokes, whose houses are piled full and they have a tiny little corner with a chair where they spend all day.”

She helps women who have shopping addictions, compulsively buying things like homeware and crafting supplies—and some even pay thousands to rent storage because they can’t fit all their stuff.

HOARDING FOR GOOD: Extreme Couponing is How a Texas Mom Can Give Extreme Relief to Hurricane Victims

“I had one lady who had thousands of knitting magazines, all completely unopened.

“I dealt with men who have stored their pee. I asked ‘why?’ and he couldn’t give an answer. He just couldn’t get rid of anything.”

She said being a collector doesn’t necessarily mean a house is unsanitary, but due to the lack of space, it can often lead to that for some people. It “happens slowly” over time, and often results in her getting elbow-deep in mildew, grease, and dust—and even a moldy freezer.

But because Lisa has struggled with hoarding tendencies herself, she can empathize—and, as a result, people are more comfortable letting her into their homes.

GOOD IDEA? This California City is Cleaning Up Their Streets By Paying the Homeless to Pick Up Litter

Some of her clients have included white-collar workers like bank managers and architects—but you’d never know from the outside, because hoarders often feel great shame around their habits.

Lisa now wants to educate others on hoarding and raise awareness, so people don’t have to feel so ashamed.

INSPIRED BY CLEANING: She Just Loves Cleaning and Now Helps Women in Need By Scrubbing Homes for Free While Traveling the World

“Mean comments are what keep people from asking for help, but everyone has a story and if you knew theirs, you’d be less inclined to say horrible things.”

SHARE THE INSPIRATION To Inspire Others On Social Media…

Halloween Ideas From Father-Daughter Duo Who Dress Up Like Famous Disney Characters (LOOK)

Charlie Perez and her dad Eric Mcgough – SWNS
Charlie Perez and her dad Eric Mcgough – SWNS

Just in time for Halloween, meet the dad and daughter who like to dress up together as famous Disney duos on frequent visits to their favorite theme park, called ‘Disneybounding’.

Charlie Perez and her dad Eric Mcgough have now enthusiastically dressed up in eight sets of father-daughter costumes over the last 16 months in an homage to iconic films such as Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, and Up.

The idea came from a follower on Charlie’s Instagram page who pointed out that the 71-year-old looked a lot like Jane’s father from Tarzan, Professor Archimedes Q. Porter.

The 27-year-old told her dad about it and suggested they don matching costumes the next time they head to Disney World, while still being discreet in adherence to theme park rules.

‘Disneybounding’ is a way to dress up as Disney characters while still following the rules of Disney parks, which prohibit costumes and masks for guests 14 and older. Disneybounders use everyday clothing, accessories, and color palettes to resemble their favorite Disney characters.

The pair first got dolled-up as Jane and the Professor May 2023, and have been coming up with new ideas ever since, including Ariel and King Triton from Little Mermaid.

Charlie Perez dressed like ‘Jane’ from Tarzan with dad Eric Mcgough – IG and SWNS
Charlie Perez and Eric Mcgough – SWNS

“When I first asked my Dad about it, I think he was a little bit reluctant in case people thought it was silly, said Charlie, who lives in Orlando, Florida. “But once we found our outfits, he really got into the character.”

“My Dad is my best friend and he’s always there for me.

“I truly think he is the best Dad in the world and I feel so lucky to have him—and to create these amazing memories with him.”

Charlie Perez and her dad Eric Mcgough pay homage to Up! – SWNS

Although her parents still live in Lincolnshire, England, Eric often visits Charlie and they always go to nearby Disney World together.

“We try to do dad–daughter characters, but also anyone that my dad looks like specifically.”

“Most of the time it is just us using regular items of clothing but styling them to look like a specific character.”

DID YOU SEE: Behind-the-Scenes Footage of Keanu Reeves Voicing New Toy Story Character is Bound to Make You Smile

Charlie Perez and her dad Eric Mcgough as Toy Story characters – IG / SWNS
Charlie Perez and her dad Eric Mcgough as Mary Poppins characters – IG / SWNS

LOOK: Seniors Recreate Iconic Movie Posters For Calendar That’s Raising Thousands For Alzheimer’s – And They’re Amazing

“A few of the costumes I ‘made’ myself. I painted my dad’s shirt (to depict Sulley from Monsters Inc), and for Mary Poppins I hand stitched the bows the dress.

“It’s been a wonderful bonding experience.”

GIVE YOUR FRIENDS SOME COSTUME IDEAS By Sharing This on Social Media…

Long Ago The Earth May Have Had a Ring Like Saturn–As Astroids Defied All Odds Hitting Only Around Equator

Artistic impression by Oliver Hull
Artistic impression by Oliver Hull

Researchers have found evidence suggesting that Earth may have had a ring system that formed 466 million years ago, a discovery that challenges the common understanding of our planet’s ancient history.

This surprising hypothesis, published last month in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, points to a period of unusually intense meteorite bombardment known as the Ordovician impact spike.

The research team studied plate tectonic reconstructions for the Ordovician period and noted where 21 asteroids hit on Earth. All these craters are located within 30 degrees of the equator—despite over 70% of Earth’s continental crust being outside these latitudes, an anomaly that conventional theories cannot explain.

They believe this localized impact pattern was produced after a large asteroid had a close encounter with Earth. As the asteroid got close enough (inside a distance called the Roche limit), it broke apart due to tidal forces, forming a debris ring around the planet—similar to the rings seen around Saturn and other gas giants today.

“Over millions of years, material from this ring gradually fell to Earth, creating the spike in meteorite impacts observed in the geological record,” said lead study author Professor Andy Tomkins, from Monash University in Australia. “We also see that layers in sedimentary rocks from this period contain extraordinary amounts of meteorite debris.”

“What makes this finding even more intriguing is the potential climate implications of such a ring system,” he said, speculating that the ring could have cast a shadow on Earth, blocking sunlight and contributing to a significant global cooling event known as the Hirnantian Icehouse.

This period, which occurred near the end of the Ordovician, is recognized as one of the coldest in the last 500 million years of Earth’s history.

“The idea that a ring system could have influenced global temperatures adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of how extra-terrestrial events may have shaped Earth’s climate,” said Prof. Tomkins.

Normally, asteroids impact the Earth at random locations, so we see impact craters distributed evenly over the Moon and Mars, for example. To investigate whether the distribution of Ordovician impact craters is non-random and closer to the equator, the researchers calculated the continental surface area capable of preserving craters from that time.

CHECK OUT: Mercury Could Have A Layer of Diamonds 11 Miles Thick Beneath the Surface

Craters on the moon

They focused on stable, undisturbed interiors of tectonic plates with rocks older than the mid Ordovician period, excluding areas buried under sediments or ice, eroded regions, and those affected by tectonic activity.

Using a GIS approach (Geographic Information System), they identified geologically suitable regions across different continents. Regions like Western Australia, Africa, North America, and small parts of Europe were considered well-suited for preserving such craters. Only 30 percent of the suitable land area was determined to have been close to the equator, yet all the impact craters from this period were found in this region.

The chances of this happening are tiny, because under normal circumstances, asteroids should hit Earth at all latitudes, at random, like we see on the surfaces of the Moon, Mars and Mercury.

“It’s extremely unlikely that all 21 craters from this period would form close to the equator if they were unrelated to one another,” said Tomkins. “We would expect to see many other craters at higher latitudes as well.”

WORTH A LOOK:
The 9 Most Breathtaking Photos of Saturn From the Cassini Voyage
Scientists Puzzling Over Bright White Rock on Mars–The First of its Kind, Never Seen Before

The implications of this discovery extend beyond geology, prompting scientists to reconsider the broader impact of celestial events on Earth’s evolutionary history. It also raises new questions about the potential for other ancient ring systems that could have influenced the development of life on Earth.

Could similar rings have existed at other points in our planet’s history, affecting everything from climate to the distribution of life? This research opens a new frontier in the study of Earth’s past, providing new insights into the dynamic interactions between our planet and the wider cosmos.

INSPIRE A SCHOOL SCIENCE PROJECT By Sharing The Discovery on Social Media…

Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ From Rob Brezsny

Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of October 12, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In 2010, Edurne Pasaban became the first woman to climb the world’s tallest 14 mountains, reaching the top of Shishapangma in China. In 2018, Taylor Demonbreun arrived in Toronto, Canada, completing a quest in which she visited every sovereign nation on the planet in 18 months. In 1924, explorer Alexandra David-Néel pulled off the seemingly impossible feat of visiting Lhasa, Tibet, when that place was still forbidden to foreigners. Be inspired by these heroes as you ruminate about what frontier adventures you will dare to enjoy during the next six months. Design a plan to get all the educational and experimental fun you need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Alnwick Garden is an unusual network of formal gardens in northeast England. Among its many entertaining features is the Poison Garden, which hosts 100 species of toxic and harmful plants like hemlock, strychnine, and deadly nightshade. It’s the most popular feature by far. Visitors enjoy finding out and investigating what’s not good for them. In accordance with astrological omens, Scorpio, I invite you to use this as an inspirational metaphor as you take inventory of influences that are not good for you. Every now and then, it’s healthy to acknowledge what you don’t need and shouldn’t engage with.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Sagittarian Tom Rath is an inspirational author who at age 49 has managed to stay alive even though he has wrangled with a rare disease since he was 16. He writes, “This is what I believe we should all aim for: to make contributions to others’ lives that will grow infinitely in our absence. A great commonality we all share is that we only have today to invest in what could outlive us.” That’s always good advice for everyone, but it’s especially rich counsel for you Sagittarians in the coming months. I believe you will have a special capacity to dispense your best gifts those who need and want them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn writer Susan Sontag was a public intellectual. She was an academic with a scholarly focus and an entertaining commentator on the gritty hubbub of popular culture. One of my favorite quotes by her is this one: “I like to feel dumb. That’s how I know there’s more in the world than me.” In other words, she made sure her curiosity and open-mindedness flourished by always assuming she had much more to learn. I especially recommend this perspective to you in the coming weeks.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Massachusetts from 1692 to 1693. They were ignorant, superstitious prosecutions of people accused of practicing witchcraft. The modern holiday known as Freethought Day happens every October 12, the anniversary of the last witch trial. The purpose of this jubilee is to encourage us to treasure objective facts, to love using logic and reason, and to honor the value of critical thinking. It’s only observed in America now, but I propose we make it a global festival. You Aquarians are my choice to host this year’s revelries in celebration of Freethought Day. You are at the peak of your ability to generate clear, astute, liberating thoughts. Show us what it looks like to be a lucid, unbiased observer of reality.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
A YouTube presenter named Andy George decided to make a chicken sandwich, but he didn’t buy the ingredients in a store. He wanted to make the sandwich from scratch. Over the next six months, he grew wheat, ground it into flour, and used it to bake bread. He milked a cow to make cheese and butter. He grew a garden of lettuce and tomato for toppings. Finally, he went to a farm, bought a chicken, and did all that was necessary to turn the live bird into meat for the sandwich… In describing his process, I’m not suggesting you do something similar. Rather, I’m encouraging you to be thorough as you solidify your foundations in the coming months. Gather resources you will need for long-term projects. Be a connoisseur of the raw materials that will assure future success in whatever way you define success.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In the coming weeks, you may be tempted to spar and argue more than usual. You could get sucked into the fantasy that it would make sense to wrangle, feud, and bicker. But I hope you sublimate those tendencies. The same hot energy that might lead to excessive skirmishing could just as well become a driving force to create robust harmony and resilient unity. If you simply dig further into your psyche’s resourceful depths, you will discover the inspiration to bargain, mediate, and negotiate with élan. Here’s a bold prediction: Healing compromises hammered out now could last a long time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Question #1: “What subjects do you talk about to enchant and uplift a person who’s important to you?” Answer #1: “You talk about the feelings and yearnings of the person you hope to enchant and uplift.” Question #2: “How do you express your love with maximum intelligence?” Answer #2: “Before you ask your allies to alter themselves to enhance your relationship, you ask yourself how you might alter yourself to enhance your relationship.” Question #3: “What skill are you destined to master, even though it’s challenging for you to learn?” Answer #3: “Understanding the difference between supple passion and manic obsession.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In 1819, Gemini entrepreneur Francois-Louis Cailler became the first chocolatier to manufacture chocolate bars. His innovation didn’t save any lives, cure any disease, or fix any injustice. But it was a wonderful addition to humanity’s supply of delights. It enhanced our collective joy and pleasure. In the coming months, dear Gemini, I invite you to seek a comparable addition to your own personal world. What novel blessing might you generate or discover? What splendid resource can you add to your repertoire?

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Ayurnamat is a word used by the Inuit people. It refers to when you long for the relaxed tranquility that comes from not worrying about what can’t be changed. You wish you could accept or even welcome the truth about provocative situations with equanimity. Now here’s some very good news, Cancerian. In the coming weeks, you will not just yearn for this state of calm, but will also have a heightened ability to achieve it. Congratulations! It’s a liberating, saint-like accomplishment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Healing will be more available to you than usual. You’re extra likely to attract the help and insight you need to revive and restore your mind, soul, and body. To get started, identify two wounds or discomforts you would love to alleviate. Then consider the following actions: 1. Ruminate about what helpers and professionals might be best able to assist you. Make appointments with them. 2. Perform a ritual in which you seek blessings from your liveliest spirit guides and sympathetic ancestors. 3. Make a list of three actions you will take to make yourself feel better. 4. Treat this process not a somber struggle, but as a celebration of your mounting vitality.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The Beatles were the best-selling band of all time and among the most influential, too. Their fame and fortune were well-earned. Many of the 186 songs they composed and recorded were beautiful, interesting, and entertaining. Yet none of four members of the band could read music. Their brilliance was intuitive and instinctual. Is there a comparable situation in your life, Virgo? A task or skill that you do well despite not being formally trained? If so, the coming months will be a good time to get better grounded. I invite you to fill in the gaps in your education.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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It’s better that ten suspects should escape, than one innocent person be condemned. – Rev. Increase Mather (Freethought Day today marks end of Salem Witch Trials) 

Quote of the Day: It’s better that ten suspects should escape, than one innocent person be condemned. – Rev. Increase Mather (Today is Freethought Day, marking the end of the Salem Witch Trials)

Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, October 12

Corporal Doss receiving the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman on October 12, 1945

On this day in 1945, Desmond Doss became the only conscientious objector to win the Medal of Honor after saving an estimated 75 men during the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge in the invasion of Okinawa. Doss refused to carry a weapon into combat because of his personal beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist against killing. He consequently became a medic assigned to the 307th infantry in the 77th infantry division. READ about his heroism… (1945)

Medieval Organization for UK Army Veterans Welcomes First Female ‘Brother’ in 450-year History

Alan Gill and Janet Brodie-Murphy move into historic Tudor home for veterans, The Lord Leycester – SWNS
Alan Gill and Janet Brodie-Murphy move into historic Tudor home for veterans, The Lord Leycester – SWNS

An Elizabethan order that has been a home for senior or infirm army veterans since the 1500s just welcomed its first female ‘Brother.’

450 years and 400 male residents have passed through the doors of the Lord Leycester in Warwick. Now though, the organization has selected Janet Brodie-Murphy as its first female Brother at the prestigious site which has remained largely unchanged since it was first built.

The Lord Leycester, in Warwick, was established as a hospital and home for soldiers by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in 1571 during the reign of Elizabeth I, but the buildings themselves date back even further—to the 14th century.

The historic timber-framed buildings enjoy the highest level of government protection and have remained a community for this organization of veterans, known as ‘Brethren,’ ever since.

Janet has moved in with fellow veteran and partner Alan Gill who she met at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea. Alan will also become a member of the Brethren but within the community they will be referred to as “Brother Jan” and “Brother Alan,” just as in Tudor times.

Janet, who served in the Women’s Royal Army Corps, said that being able to call somewhere like the Lord Leycester home “is a huge honor and privilege.”

“I’m keen to help raise the profile of this wonderful place and ensure that everyone knows its quite remarkable history and how significant it is, not just to veterans but to the country as a whole,” she told English media outlet SWNS.

Captain Janet Brodie-Murphy wearing khaki in the back row in 1989 at a training center for the Royal Marines – credit, SWNS

The Lord Leycester is considered one of the most significant medieval sites in Europe and among the finest examples in Britain of medieval courtyard architecture.

“We are an ancient organization founded to take care of wounded veterans in the Tudor age and we haven’t changed much—except now finally we have a female Brother,” said Heidi Meyer, 33rd Master of the Lord Leycester. “I am the first female Master of the Lord Leycester and I am delighted we now have the first female Brother as well.”

A DIFFERENT SORT OF HOME FOR VETERANS: Military Veterans Who Lost Limbs Receive Mortgage-Free Homes to Honor Their Service

“We have a centuries-long history of welcoming war heroes to live as part of our community, and the Brethren play a key role in welcoming visitors to the site.”

The Lord Leycester was built by the powerful Warwick Guilds in the late 1300s and later given to Dudley. In its 450-year history of use by the Brethren, the Lord Leycester has welcomed over 400 men to live in private lodgings on the site.

Alan Gill and Janet Brodie-Murphy will help welcome visitors to The Lord Leycester – SWNS

It remains a home to former servicemen to this day, who have served in the Army, Royal Air Force, and Navy, and the Brethren welcome visitors at the main gates as well as leading guided tours.

The couple will now join five other veterans who call the age-old buildings home.

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The premises have also been used for filming Doctor Who and a TV adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

“We’ve been made so welcome already and are looking forward to getting involved wholeheartedly in life at the Lord Leycester and Warwick,” said Alan, who served as an electrician in the Royal Corps of Engineers.

SHARE This Couple’s Amazing New Digs And The Rich History They’re Now A Part Of… 

Amazing Kid Wows the Internet with His Incredibly Accurate Bird Calls (Watch)

Splitscreen by GNN - Red-tailed hawk, and Samuel Henderson - credit, CC BY-SA, Rhododendrites / Lori Henderson, released.
Splitscreen by GNN – Red-tailed hawk, and Samuel Henderson – credit, CC BY-SA, Rhododendrites / Lori Henderson, released.

Typically, when savants’ incredible natural talents are reported on in the news media, the stories feature musical instrument mastery or mathematical aptitude, but this 10-year-old from OKC has a different skill.

Samuel Henderson can fool professional audio field guides with his incredibly accurate bird calls.

Whether high or low, a trill or a gobble, Samuel seemingly has no limits on his capacity for laryngeal mimicry.

After he posted a video on TikTok of a trio of bird calls he performed in his school auditorium, his account co-managed with his mom Lori went viral, and he soon began posting more and more videos of different bird calls that have to be heard to be believed.

Lori was initially hesitant to allow Samuel to go before his peers and demonstrate such an unorthodox talent; she wasn’t sure how they’d react.

“It took us over 30 minutes to exit the gym due to the high fives and peers trying to get to him and compliment him on his performance,” Lori told the Audubon Society.

The society spoke to Samuel who said that he has mastered 50 bird calls over the past six years, and is always on the lookout for more. In fact, he recently did a fan request video on TikTok with suggestions from his followers.

“Once, I was at the OKC Zoo, and I saw a great-tailed grackle standing on a trash can, and I started copying it,” he says. “That was the first bird I started making a sound of.”

@diabetic4one Requested bird calls with Samuel #kidsoftiktok #autism #birdlovers #fypage #birdsoftiktok ♬ original sound - lori

It’s clear from his performance that Samuel, who has autism, understands the calls of the birds he wants to mimic on a much deeper level than most humans, as his mimicry visually displays contortions of his stomach and face—perhaps the key to arriving at the glass-shattering pitches necessary for the northern cardinal or red-tailed hawk.

BIRDWATCHING STORIES: Black Birder Wrongfully Accused in Central Park Used his Fame to Make Bird Watching Show-Now it Wins Emmy

Audubon reports that Samuel’s bird calls are so accurate, he was able to fool the Merlin Birdsong app—a tool used by birders to help identify species in the field.

Lori says that since he was very young, Samuel often tried to mimic sounds in the world around him. He was always happiest and most serene when listening to birds though.

MORE INCREDIBLY TALENTED KIDS: Teen Started Painting in Lockdown and is So Good She’s Exhibiting in Galleries, and Getting $10,000 For One Canvas

Samuel wants to pursue a career studying birds, and has his sights set on a university degree from the birding capital of science—Cornell University’s lab of ornithology—a place he was invited to visit after taking off as a TikTok sensation.

WATCH the performance below… 

@diabetic4one This is Samuel’s bird call performance at his schools talent show. He loved every minute of this #autism #birder #fypage #talent #agt ♬ original sound - lori

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Good Samaritan Finds $12,000 and Returns it All to the Senior Citizen Who Lost it

Dan Desfosses, right, manager of Market Basket, and the man who found it (left) known only as Skip - credit Truong Huynh, supplied to the media.
Dan Desfosses, right, manager of Market Basket, and the man who found it (left) known only as Skip – credit Truong Huynh, supplied to the media.

A Massachusetts senior lost an envelope containing $12,000 at a supermarket, but just as there seemed to be no hope of finding it, the kindness of a Good Samaritan reunited the woman with her life savings.

Returning home from grocery shopping at the local Market Basket in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 71-year-old Ha’s heart dropped—the envelope of cash was nowhere to be seen. Speaking very little English, Ha called her nephew Truong Huynh for help.

Huynh, 55, took his aunt back to Market Basket to look for the cash, but despite checking everywhere she had gone, their search yielded nothing. Arriving at the help desk, the two got in touch with manager Dan Desfosses, who said he would check the security camera footage to see if they could locate where and when she lost the envelope.

This too, turned up nothing. At no point was she in the shot when the money was lost.

Giving up, they headed back to their car.

Suddenly Desfosses and another man came running out to meet them, with the former explaining that the latter had just brought the envelope with every last dollar accounted for to the management desk.

“We were so happy, we almost cried,” Huynh told the Washington Post, adding that he asked to take a photo of the man with Desfosses. “He showed honor,” Huynh said. “Many people wouldn’t pass that test.”

The ‘he’ in question was a man called Skip, whose girlfriend worked at the Market Basket.

“I don’t know if there’s a lot of people that would do that,” Desfosses added. “It shows you what he’s made of… It shows you there are truly some good people in this world.”

Once home, Ha decided to return to Market Basket the next day and give a cash reward to Mr. Skip. She left $300 with his girlfriend as he wasn’t there at the time.

HONEST PEOPLE EVERYWHERE: Social Media Goes Crazy for Customer Who Went Above and Beyond to Mail $20 Tip

Most people reading will know that seniors have their ways—and tend to be set in them.

That was certainly the case for Ha, who, for fear of misplacing it, carried the envelope with her everywhere she went. Her rationale was that if the money was with her, it couldn’t be taken or moved by anyone else.

There are obvious risks to that strategy. $12,000 cash is heavy, and more than happy in its smooth paper envelope to slip and slide against the fabric lining of a purse and out into the open air.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Woman Discovers Thrift Store Vase She Bought for $4 is Made by Ancient Mayans and Volunteers to Give it Back

Ha had always intended to hand the money over to her children as an inheritance one day, and GNN is assuming she will open a savings account at the nearest bank branch.

In a local Facebook group, Huynh shared the story which eventually made it to the Post.

“It takes a special kind of person to do something so honest and selfless, and Skip, you are a true example of integrity and compassion,” Huynh wrote. “Thank you, Skip — you’ve touched more lives than you know today.”

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Tadpoles Walk Away With Top Prize in the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

"The Swarm of Life" by Shane Gross/Wildlife Photographer of the Year ©
“The Swarm of Life” by Shane Gross/Wildlife Photographer of the Year ©

Marine conservation photojournalist Shane Gross captured this simply unreal image of a swarm of western toad tadpoles in a Canadian lake, and with it won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.

Organized by the London Natural History Museum, the contest is in its 60th year. The judges were not only blown away by the mixtures of color and light but by the fact that no one had ever submitted an image of tadpoles before.

Gross was snorkeling in Cedar Lake, on Vancouver Island, trying as best as he could to avoid disrupting the silt and algae anchoring the roots of plants like lilypads under which he was swimming.

“The jury was captivated by the mix of light, energy, and connectivity between the environment and the tadpoles,” explains Kathy Moran, chair of the judging panel. “We were equally excited by the addition of a new species to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year archive.”

These tadpoles are from a near-threatened species of toad, and in a typical year, 99% will not survive to adulthood.

Gross described himself as “over the moon” to have won the award.

“I hope the attention this image brings our amphibians and wetlands leads to much-needed and urgent protections,” the photographer wrote on his Instagram, which is a worthwhile follow if you love nature. “If you know of an important place in your backyard, let’s rally the community together and fight for its protection.”

The runner-up to first place was by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas from Germany, who used a technique called ‘focus stacking’ to quickly take many images, each with a different focus point, before superimposing them to create the right blend of clarity.

Life Under Dead Wood – Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas/Wildlife Photographer of the Year ©

He had to work fast though, as his target was a springtail insect, which at the time seemed to be carefully observing the fruiting body of a slime mold. Both were fixed to the underside of a dead log in the forest, and when Tinker-Tsavalas turned it over, he had seconds to act as springtails can easily jump away like a flea.

This year’s contestants, of which there was a record number, included the first winner with a smartphone—for the category of natural artistry. Checking trail cameras near his home in Susanville, California, Randy Robbins found a deer that had passed away over the night.

He whipped out his smartphone and took a poignant picture of its peaceful rest, one with the ice and rime on the forest floor.

Final Resting Place – Randy Robbins/Wildlife Photographer of the Year ©

Winning the special commendation for capturing animal behavior, Xingchao Zhu used his Chinese New Year holiday off to stalk a group of Pallas Cats in the mountains of Inner Mongolia.

His winner captured a large, exceptionally fluffy individual that succeeded in its hunt for birds. The full moon—the sign of the new year, illuminated this nocturnal hunter stunningly.

Moonlight Hunter -Xingchao Zhu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year ©

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“To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its own.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh 

Quote of the Day: “To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its own.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, October 11

In this Oct. 11, 1975 photo released by NBC, Chevy Chase performs during a "Weekend Update" sketch on "Saturday Night Live," in New York. The long-running sketch comedy series will celebrate their 40th anniversary with a 3-hour special airing Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. (AP Photo/NBC, Herb Ball)

49 years ago today, Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC with George Carlin as host. The seminal comedy television program in American history, SNL has launched the careers of dozens of talented writers, comics, and actors. Broadcast from Studio 8H at NBC’s headquarters in the Comcast Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, SNL has aired 948 episodes since its debut, making it one of the longest-running network television programs in the United States. READ about its history and watch the first episode monologue… (1975)

Primeval Sturgeon Swim Again in Sweden After Scientists and Anglers Unite to Bring Them Back

credit - courtesy Jon A. Juarez / Rewilding Europe.
credit – Jon A. Juarez / Rewilding Europe.

The mighty sturgeon has been reintroduced in Sweden where it was driven to extinction in the early 20th century.

The Atlantic sturgeon is now back in the River Göta following years of measures to improve the water quality and habitat as well as financial support from a variety of groups and institutions.

The Return of the Sturgeon initiative, managed by the Swedish Anglers Association, was able to fulfill its mission recently of releasing 100 captive-bred juvenile Atlantic sturgeon into the Göta.

The juveniles were reared in a breeding facility in the village of Born auf dem Darß, on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast which was just one of the initiative’s German partners. They were released into the Göta near Bohus Fortress, in the city of Kungälv.

“This is a unique and incredibly exciting event,” says project leader Linnéa Jägrud, who is overseeing the Return of the Sturgeon initiative. “The reintroduction of a regionally extinct species is very uncommon in Sweden. I’m looking forward to the day when we can look at the river and say ‘there are Atlantic sturgeon spawning below the surface here’.”

Much like salmon, sturgeon spawn and grow up in rivers before migrating to saltwater habitat like estuaries and the eventually the sea in adulthood. It’s expected the sturgeon will eventually make for the Göta Estuary, but not before they develop the necessary salt tolerance to survive in ocean water.

credit – courtesy of Jon A. Juarez / Rewilding Europe.

The 100 released fish were fitted with GPS tracking tags so scientists can monitor their movements, including where they go when they make it to the ocean, and where they choose to return in order to spawn.

Rewilding Europe supported the initiative with a generous €42,000 grant.

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The organization wrote that surgeons are both keystone and indicator species that are essential to a river reaching its most robust levels of biodiversity. They use their narrow, tapered heads to forage for insect larvae and crustaceans while naturally disturbing riverbeds, enhancing oxygenation, moving organic matter along waterways, and creating spawning grounds for smaller fish, in the process.

An Atlantic sturgeon – courtesy of Jon A. Juarez / Rewilding Europe

Rewilding Europe also states they act as hosts for species such as lampreys and freshwater pearl mussels, and eat invasive species that would otherwise disrupt natural food webs. They depend on an interlinked network of habitats that provide them with suitable conditions for feeding, migrating, and spawning, and are sensitive to changes in water temperature, oxygen levels, and other environmental factors.

MORE EUROPEAN RIVERS: The Long-Lost ‘Legend’ Leopard Fish Found Again in Turkey’s Rivers Confirming the Stories from Locals

“The sturgeon can become a symbol for the overall health of the Göta River,” Jägrud told the organization. “It will be an ecological ambassador for the river.”

Jägrud added that she would like to see a situation whereby several hundred individuals are released in the Göta every year due to Atlantic sturgeon pups having a high mortality rate in nature.

FISH SPECIES RETURNING: Once Biologically Dead, the River Mersey in England is “Best Environmental Story in Europe”

“The ideal scenario would be to establish a rearing facility here in Sweden. This would increase the chances of the sturgeon returning here to breed. We want them to feel that the Göta is their home,” she said.

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