Today China is experiencing piano frenzy with an estimated 40m children now learning to play. The instrument is increasingly in vogue among China’s burgeoning middle classes, who have the money to splurge on steep lessons and expensive fixtures. For many, owning a Steinway is a status symbol.
During the Korean War, hundreds…
During the Korean War, hundreds of American pilots fought and died in a hot aerial war with the Soviet Union, which flew 75% of all fighter missions in support of North Korea. This was kept secret by both countries until the end of the Cold War to avoid pressure for confrontation.
People whose mother language is…
People whose mother language is anumeric (a language that has no way of expressing arbitrary numbers) struggle to compare and remember the exact size of collections of as little as four objects. This suggests that numeric abilities are intrinsically related to linguistic abilities.
André Stander, a South African police officer…
André Stander, a South African police officer, robbed almost 30 banks. Sometimes he’d carry out a crime during his lunch break and then return to the scene as an investigating officer. He was caught but escaped, formed a gang and robbed more banks. He was eventually killed in Florida.
The Grand Canyon Museum had…
The Grand Canyon Museum had three buckets of radioactive uranium ore on display for 18 years, and only found out when a kid was goofing around with a Geiger counter.
A Baby Abandoned in a Dumpster Grew up to Be the Founder of a Multi-Million Dollar Company
This is an amazing success story! “Rags to Riches,” “the American Dream,” “self-made man.” Every single cliché you’ve heard about that classic story, Freddie Figgers is living proof that it is actually possible.
Figgers is only 30 years old, but he’s already a huge success as the CEO and President of Figgers Communication, a telecommunications company that is now valued at a whopping $62 million.
Them: I don’t think it will happen ?Me: There are three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen,…
Posted by Freddie Figgers on Friday, July 5, 2019
But life didn’t start out very well for Figgers. He was abandoned in a dumpster by his mother shortly after she gave birth to him in Quincy, Florida, though luckily he was adopted when he was two days old by a couple named Nathan and Betty Figgers. The Figgers’ gave young Freddie all the love and support he needed, and he grew up to be a curious boy who loved to tinker around with computers.
Figgers got his first job as a computer technician at the age of 12, and at age 15 he started his own cloud computing service. His first job in this field came after he helped a car dealership back up their information on a remote server after they had previously lost all their files in a tornado. Figgers set up the server in his own backyard.
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Posted by Freddie Figgers on Wednesday, June 26, 2019
The young entrepreneur invented his own creations as well, including a GPS tracking device that goes in someone’s shoe to help keep track of them. Figgers created this device specifically for his father, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He sold that idea to a company for $2.2 million and started Figgers Communications, the extremely profitable company that he now runs, with his earnings.
His business is also the only African-American owned company of its kind in the United States.
Bravo, Mr. Figgers!
Let Freddie Figgers’ story remind you that no matter where you come from or where you are at the moment, you can always achieve your dreams if you work hard and aim high.
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10 Facts About Game Show Legend Bob Barker
Bob Barker is 95 years old, and he is still every bit the TV legend he was when he first hosted The Price is Right in 1972.
He actually started hosting his first game show all the way back in 1956, and he only retired from hosting The Price is Right in 2007. That’s 50 years!
And who could forget this classic clip featuring Barker from Happy Gilmore?
Let’s get to know the man behind the legend a little bit better with these 10 facts.
1. Early years.
Barker spent some of his youth on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. He is 1/8 Sioux.
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2. World War II
Barker enlisted in the Navy and served from 1942-1945, but he didn’t see combat. He said, “I was all ready to go, and when the enemy heard that I was headed for the Pacific, they surrendered.”
3. Over the airwaves.
Barker began working on the radio in college on KTTS-FM in Springfield, Missouri.
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4. Badass.
Barker is a black belt in karate, and he trained with none other than Chuck Norris for decades. Oh, and by the way, he did his own fight scene in Happy Gilmore.
5. Hoops.
Barker attended Drury College in Missouri on a basketball scholarship and also joined Navy’s basketball team while he served in the military.
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6. Taking a stand.
Barker hosted the Miss USA/Universe pageants from 1966 to 1988 but stepped down when the people who ran the competitions refused to stop giving out fur coats as prizes.
7. Come on down!
CBS renamed Stage 33 “Bob Barker Studio” after he hosted his 5,000th episode of The Price is Right in 1998.
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8. Big break.
Barker considers the show Truth or Consequences his big break. He hosted the show from 1956 until 1974.
9. Animal lover.
Barker purchased 460 acres of land in California that will be used as a sanctuary for donkeys.
10. Love story.
Barker first went on a date with his wife Dorothy Jo when he was 15 years old. The two attended an Ella Fitzgerald concert (which is awesome). They were married from 1945 until her death in 1981, when she was 57. Bob Barker said he “never had any inclination to remarry.”
What a guy!
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A Kid in the U.S. Got a Response to a Message in a Bottle from Someone in France 9 Years Later
I’ve never thrown a message in a bottle into a body of water, but if I ever did, I would hope the story would end like this one did.
When Max Vredenburgh was 10 years old, he threw a bottle with a message in it into the ocean by Rockport, Massachusetts. This was back in August 2010. The letter read, “Hello my name is Max, whoever is reading this letter, please write back… I”ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’m 1o years old, I like apples, I like the beach, my favorite colors blue, I like animals, I like cars, and I like outer space. Please write back. Sincerely, Max Vredenburgh.”
Fast forward nine years later and the letter was found on a beach in France in October 2019.
On August 21, 2010 I threw a message in a bottle into the ocean from a beach in Rockport, MA. On October 10, 2019 that letter was found on the beach in France. I am mind blown. 9 years. pic.twitter.com/Af2tEwoQtq
— māx (@VredenburghMax) November 8, 2019
The return letter from France reads as follows: “Hello. I found your message in your bottle on October 10, 2019 on a beach in France, between Contis and Mimizan. According to your date, August 21, 2009, It will have taken 9 years to cover the 6000kms that separates us. You had grown a lot during that time: 10 to 19 years old. I put you some maps below to locate you. Respectfully, G. Dubois.”
Vredenburgh shared the story on Twitter and it went viral in a huge way.
thank you and same
— māx (@VredenburghMax) November 10, 2019
and 5) that max still lives in the same place
—
(@danyqira) November 10, 2019
This is the coolest shit I’ve ever seen on Twitter
— Collette
(@IAmColllettte) November 9, 2019
As of today, the post has 140,000 retweets and 535,000 likes. Amazingly, Vredenburgh and his pen pal have now connected on Instagram. Vredenburgh said of G. Dubois, “I want to know about him. I want to know if he likes, what his favorite food is, what his favorite color is. Does he like space?”
What a great story! I wish all social media was this positive and wholesome!
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The Science Doesn’t Lie: You Need to Make Sleep a Priority
We’re all different when it comes to our sleeping patterns, but I’ve never been able to understand how some people can get by on four or five hours of sleep a night. If I don’t get a solid seven or eight hours, I feel like a zombie.
It turns out, maybe I’m the one who’s always been right in this department!
According to sleep scientist Aric Prather, “Sleep is so critical for so many parts of our body and our mind. Sleep is like the dishwasher of the brain.”
I like that, the dishwasher of the brain.
Prather means that sleep strengthens the immune system and can help regulate your metabolism. Sleep also clears out toxins that build up in your brain and can prevent neurodegenerative disorders.
In other words, sleep does a body good. Really good.
Prather also says that all phases of sleep, from light snoozing to deep sleep, are important for helping the brain and body recover from the day. Sleep can also help us learn and remember information more efficiently.
One more thing to keep in mind: abnormal sleep is known to play a role in some diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Disturbed sleep can even be measured to detect the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.
There is still a lot that researchers and scientists don’t know about sleep, but one thing is clear: sleep is very important and is good for your mental and physical health.
You know what you should do right now? Go get some ZZZZZZZZs!
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This Organization Turns Empty Parking Lots into Safe Places Where the Homeless Can Sleep at Night
Homelessness is a problem across the entire world. Walk or drive through any city across the globe, and you’ll see down-on-their-luck men and women sleeping in doorways, on park benches, or anywhere else they can try to find some momentary peace.
An Australian charity organization called Beddown is looking to give that country’s homeless population safe places to sleep by providing pop-up accommodations in parking lots that are vacant overnight.
Posted by Beddown on Monday, September 30, 2019
Beddown partnered with Secure Parking, one of Australia’s largest parking lot operators, to do a two-week trial run for the program in the city of Brisbane.
Norman McGillivray founded Beddown after he got the idea while walking through an empty parking lot one night. He thought that the space could be better used as a makeshift homeless shelter than by just sitting empty night after night.
Thanks to @cossdog16 for capturing our set up. #homelessness #homeless #streetlife #storyofthestreet #beds #globalshift #queensland #brisbane #nsw #sydney #victoria #melbourne #southaustralia #adelaide #westernaustralia #perth #northernterritory #darwin #tasmania #australia #nonprofit #selfesteem #community #usa #uk #quality #endhomelessness #timelapseOn their Instagram page, the founders of Beddown said,
“We will look to get as close as we can to a proper comfortable bed to provide the homeless with a great night’s sleep is our ultimate goal. Sleep deprivation is a massive issue for our homeless, so being in a place that offers shelter and is safe, secure and comfortable we believe will have a big impact on those who use Beddown.”
Posted by Beddown on Monday, September 30, 2019
Beddown also provides other services in the overnight parking lots, including access to doctors, dentists, and hairdressers. Because the two-week trial in Brisbane was a success, Beddown is now looking to expand to other cities in Australia.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this program succeeds in Australia and then spreads to other parts of the globe. It’s a great idea that could definitely help out a lot of people who are struggling.
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