Category: World Culture

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The Giant Chinese Paddlefish Is the First Animal to Be Officially Declared Extinct This Decade

This definitely isn’t something an animal would hope for – and it’s a headline I’m sure we all wish would have been delayed at least a little bit later into the new decade – but scientists have now declared the giant Chinese paddlefish to officially be extinct.

The freshwater fish, one of the world’s largest, was last seen in 2003, and it is thought to have effectively ceased to exist between 2005 and 2010. But while it’s been gone for a while, it also takes a while to verify 100% that a species has totally disappeared.

“Based on 210 sightings of Chinese paddlefish during the period 1981-2003, we estimated that the timing of extinction to be by 2005, no later than 2010.”

The fish lived primarily in the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia, where it had swum for millions of years. But dams, overfishing, river ports, and pollution drove it pas the brink. Those same factors have contributed to the extinction of at least three large endemic species, say the authors of a study published in Science of the Total Environment.

“The mega river ecosystem of the Yangtze River was one home to diverse aquatic megafauna but is increasingly affected by various anthropogenic stressors that have result in continuous loss of biodiversity.”

The fish’s lineage stretched back 75 million years, and it was first declared critically endangered by the IUCN in 1996. Though its rarity and struggle earned it the nickname “panda of the Yangtze River,” it wasn’t so simple to bring back from the brink as the panda was. In the end, nothing could save the fish from disappearing.

The paper also noted that the fish had been “functionally extinct,” meaning not enough breeding pairs existed to ensure survival, since way back in 1993, and the last live sighting was in 2003.

The final piece of image evidence of life was captured in 2009.

“We respect the evaluation model and experts from the IUCN,” said co-author Wei Qiwei, “although we accept this result with a heavy heart.”

Many more of the 4,000 species that call the river home are also in trouble, from the finless porpoise to the Chinese sturgeon. Though Beijing has announced a 10-year commercial fishing ban on the Yangtze, experts fear it will be too little too late. Two huge, recently constructed dams may have put the final nails in the endangered species’ coffins already.

“The fishing ban is a key measure to effectively curb the decline of the river’s ecosystem and any further drop in biodiversity,” claimed Yu Zhenkang, vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs.

That may be true, but if the river is dammed all up and down its length, which it is, then these animals won’t have the space they need to survive, fishing or no.

And as with promises from any government these days, when it comes to the environment, I expect it will be the scientists who are, sadly, correct.

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10 Interesting Facts About U.S. Presidents

There have been 45 presidents of the United States of America, each with their own challenges, unique personalities, and backgrounds.

It’s been almost 231 years since George Washington first took office, and since then our country has been through many turbulent times – but there was always a president there, guiding us through it.

For good or ill.

Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about American presidents.

1. A close race.

Photo Credit: did you know?

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2. Whatever works…

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3. Nobody even bothered.

Photo Credit: did you know?

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4. Can’t do two things at once.

Photo Credit: did you know?

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5. What are the odds?

Photo Credit: did you know?

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6. Forgot something on there.

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7. The ladies like whiskers.

Photo Credit: did you know?

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8. That is an amazing coincidence.

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9. Had some free time on his hands.

Photo Credit: did you know?

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10. Put someone else behind the bar.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

Who are some of the presidents that you most admire?

Tell us your opinions in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!

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A Police Department Warned Against Abbreviating ‘2020’ When Signing Important Documents

While you’re focusing on remembering to write “2020” instead of “2019” for the rest of the year, don’t forget to write out all four digits of the year instead of abbreviating it.

Reports warn that if you abbreviate “2020” to “20,” scammers could easily modify it to become any other year by adding two more numbers onto the end.

The East Millinocket Police Department in Maine warned folks about the potential for fraud on their Facebook page.

“When signing and dating legal documents, do not use 20 as the year 2020. March 3rd, 2020 being written as 3/3/20 could be modified to 3/3/2017 or 3/3/2018. Protect yourself. Do not abbreviate 2020,” their post says.

This is sound advice and should be considered when signing any legal or professional document. It could potentially save you some trouble down the road.Meme credited to George E. Moore Law Office, LLC.

Posted by East Millinocket Police Department on Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The post went viral, with many people thanking the police department for a simple bit of cautionary advice. It only takes a couple extra seconds to write the full year, after all!

Others were more critical of the post, pointing out that there are many other ways to alter the dates on documents. Some also pointed out that artificially post-dating a check wouldn’t help a scammer very much.

The police department followed up on their post to respond to the critics.

“There seems to be a lot of criticism here for a simple cautionary post. Please understand that we handle scam and fraud calls on a regular basis so we try to provide our small community with tips to avoid potential problems. Of course we understand that all dates can be altered, however I believe that most here would agree that if a document of any kind, either legal or professional, is brought to our attention as being forged or fraudulent, it would likely raise far more red flags, depending on the circumstances, if it had a date of 1999 as opposed to 2019 or 2021.”

Photo Credit: iStock

They added: “Again, we shared this meme with a simple cautionary post, giving the citizens of our small community information to consider. Criminals are always looking for ways to take advantage of people.”

Very true.

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The First All-Female Indigenous Fire Crew in Australia Is Fighting 24/7 Fires to Protect Their Sacred Land

By now, you’ve heard about the awful and massive fires burning their way through huge swaths of Australia. On top of the terrible damage to the land, it’s estimated that 1 BILLION animals have died in the blazes. People from all over Australia and the world are pitching in to help in any way they can – including some that are pretty unorthodox. In one small Aboriginal community, a group all-female, all-indigenous firefighters are leading the charge to protect their town and their sacred lands.

The town is Lake Tyers in eastern Victoria, home to about 200 indigenous Australians. The town lies on a small, isolated peninsula and has just one access road in and out. The Lake Tyers Fire Brigade is led by Charmaine Sellings and the group is fighting hard against the blazes. Sellings said, “Just one crack of lightning on a stormy day could be disastrous. Things are pretty desperate. We are in extreme conditions, our dams are empty and it’s not a good situation. The crew will work around the clock. We hope for a quiet summer but we fear the worst.”

The fire brigade led by Sellings is the first of its kind in Australia and is made up of mothers and grandmothers in Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, a self-governing community. The remote town is surrounding by thick bush on one side and a system of lakes on the other side.

Sellings said, “We are the lifeline if anything goes wrong, so we have an important role to play, and I think people are generally very grateful for what we do. There was a sense of helplessness before we came along but we feel empowered that we can look after ourselves and our people whatever the situation. The community is proud of us and they value us.”

About 20 years ago, a series of arson fires threatened the land of Lake Tyers and the nearest fire brigade was 45 minutes away. In response, Charmaine Sellings and her friends Rhonda Thorpe and Marjorie Proctor decided to form their own firefighting squad with other local women.

The women are not only saving lives and structures but also “scatters,” or clusters of historical artifacts that are scattered throughout the bush around Lake Tyers. Today, the fire crew consists of four women, with a few other volunteers who pitch in when they can.

Keep up the great work!

The post The First All-Female Indigenous Fire Crew in Australia Is Fighting 24/7 Fires to Protect Their Sacred Land appeared first on UberFacts.

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The First All-Female Indigenous Fire Crew in Australia Is Fighting 24/7 Fires to Protect Their Sacred Land

By now, you’ve heard about the awful and massive fires burning their way through huge swaths of Australia. On top of the terrible damage to the land, it’s estimated that 1 BILLION animals have died in the blazes. People from all over Australia and the world are pitching in to help in any way they can – including some that are pretty unorthodox. In one small Aboriginal community, a group all-female, all-indigenous firefighters are leading the charge to protect their town and their sacred lands.

The town is Lake Tyers in eastern Victoria, home to about 200 indigenous Australians. The town lies on a small, isolated peninsula and has just one access road in and out. The Lake Tyers Fire Brigade is led by Charmaine Sellings and the group is fighting hard against the blazes. Sellings said, “Just one crack of lightning on a stormy day could be disastrous. Things are pretty desperate. We are in extreme conditions, our dams are empty and it’s not a good situation. The crew will work around the clock. We hope for a quiet summer but we fear the worst.”

The fire brigade led by Sellings is the first of its kind in Australia and is made up of mothers and grandmothers in Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, a self-governing community. The remote town is surrounding by thick bush on one side and a system of lakes on the other side.

Sellings said, “We are the lifeline if anything goes wrong, so we have an important role to play, and I think people are generally very grateful for what we do. There was a sense of helplessness before we came along but we feel empowered that we can look after ourselves and our people whatever the situation. The community is proud of us and they value us.”

About 20 years ago, a series of arson fires threatened the land of Lake Tyers and the nearest fire brigade was 45 minutes away. In response, Charmaine Sellings and her friends Rhonda Thorpe and Marjorie Proctor decided to form their own firefighting squad with other local women.

The women are not only saving lives and structures but also “scatters,” or clusters of historical artifacts that are scattered throughout the bush around Lake Tyers. Today, the fire crew consists of four women, with a few other volunteers who pitch in when they can.

Keep up the great work!

The post The First All-Female Indigenous Fire Crew in Australia Is Fighting 24/7 Fires to Protect Their Sacred Land appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Who Were Obsessed With a City or Country Share How They Felt About It After Moving There

Have you ever been totally obsessed with a place, but you had never been there? Like you had some totally romantic and idealized version of what it would be like even though you’d never been there?

I felt this way about New York City when I was growing up. I finally went for the first time when I was 21, and I did – and still do – love it, so no big letdown there for me.

But for some folks, the places they’ve fetishized in their minds don’t turn out to be so wonderful.

In this AskReddit thread, people discuss how they feel about the places they were obsessed with that they actually moved to. If you’ve ever done this, tell us about your experience in the comments.

1. At least the summer is nice.

“Into the Wild was my introduction to Alaska. I’m from the tropics.

Met an Alaskan man.

Visited in the summer. Loved it!

Married the Alaskan man.

Moved in the summer after.

Finally found out what an interior Alaskan winter was like.

Hated it, but husband will not move.

Became a reverse Persephone, my cold-weathered husband sends me back to the land of hot weather for a month of the year.

Still completely in love with the Alaskan summer.”

2. A mixed bag.

“Paris, France. I studied French for a long time and eventually moved here to do my master’s degree. I do love the city itself – always something to do, amazing museums/art/culture/architecture – and even though like all cities it can be crowded/dirty sometimes, I still enjoy it. The thing that gets me is how hard it is to get to know and become friends with the French (Parisians in particular).

They are perfectly polite but if I didn’t have a strong foreign student friend community here it would be much more difficult. There are always exceptions of course – I have a handful of good French friends – but a big factor in why I don’t think I can stay in Paris in the long term to settle down (maybe somewhere else in France would be better) is that the coldness can really wear you down. That, and also the bureaucracy. It’s unreal.”

3. Living the dream.

“I dreamed of living in NYC as a teen. I was drawn to the theater, the fashion, the excitement. Now I’ve been living in NYC for about 13 years, basically my entire adult life, and I still love it but my appreciation has changed. A lot of the things that initially attracted me require lots of money, but I’ve discovered so many new things and met so many wonderful people that I don’t miss the loss of that fantasy. I still feel a thrill when I go running over one of the bridges and see the skyline.

I love not driving, and being able to find practically any food or specialty shop I want. I am very plugged into the arts here and love to go to live music, readings, lectures, art shows, and performances, so many of which can be enjoyed for little or no money!

I definitely see how city life doesn’t appeal to many people but whenever I think of leaving I can’t imagine anywhere I might like better.”

4. The good and the bad.

“I’m a small town Midwesterner who really romanticized California (particularly coastal California.) I had the opportunity to move there right after college and it was probably one of the best decisions I’d ever made.

Things I liked: the weather was always perfect (even on rainy days, the temperature was still mild.) There was always something to do. There were so many different beaches and I never got tired of seeing the ocean. I did more hiking in the first year I lived there than I’d ever done in my home state. Lots of good shows and music around the Santa Cruz and SF area. SO MANY GOOD RESTAURANTS. Plus, it felt good to go back to my tiny ass town and tell people I moved to California.

Things I disliked: It’s expensive. The traffic is as bad as they say. There also seems to be an air of ignorance with (not all, but some) people native to the area. For instance, when I told people I was from Iowa, someone asked if we had electricity and running water, another person chimed in that they had a cousin who lived in Montana (which is no where even close to Iowa,) and most people had no idea where to even find Iowa on a map. When you’re from a fly over state, you automatically learn which are the “superior” states because they get a lot of coverage in media and entertainment.”

5. Won’t live there again.

“I’m an American, was a serious Irish dancer my whole childhood. I also play music. I wanted to move to Ireland and go to university there — and I did. Overall, it was a great experience especially in terms of local music / dancing and opportunities to learn more. But also I hated my degree program and ended up studying abroad and then transferring to a school in Canada, where I’m much better settled. I still pinch my pennies to go back to Ireland and visit my friends and stuff, but I’d never ever live there long term again.

Also, I hate cold rainy weather and have asthmatic reactions to mold, so Ireland’s climate was actively trying to kill me the entire time I was there. Good times. No regrets, but also wouldn’t repeat.”

6. The Big Easy.

“New Orleans is deeper and broader than I imagined. 20 years later I have no regrets, only memories that I reflect upon and smile. When I tell stories I have to leave things out, because the reality is unbelievable.”

7. Not in love with London.

“Moved to London with stars in my eyes. A year later, all I think now is how is no one speaks to each other and there’s pigeons everywhere.”

8. Seoul.

“Seoul, South Korea!

It’s my first experience in a big city, and I’m not disappointed! Public transportation is great, food is amazing… i eat a lot of Japanese food here tbh. Depending on where you are in the city, night life is crazy. And i find the older parts of the city to be absolutely beautiful. I know for those born and raised in the system it’s a whole different story, but for a 20 year old foreign student, i can say it’s not half bad.

As far as the negatives go however, the lack of nature can be hugely depressing, i pay $400 a month for a 50 sq ft room, dining alone can be difficult, and there’s always trash everywhere in the streets. Honestly though I think i had a decent grip on reality before coming here. People expect these places to be like an instagram-esque dream world. But at the end of the day, it’s just another place you wake up, do your groceries and pay your bills in. All that fun real life stuff.”

9. Finland = Paradise.

“It was Finland for me. Rather weird country to obsess about, but I started learning the language in high school and fell in love with the culture. Went there for an exchange and was shocked at how close to paradise it was! Beautiful nature, friendly and helpful people, good-quality food and more humane pace of life. It helped that I lived with a wonderful host family in a small town – the people you meet are a huge part of your experience in a place. Best part was getting to learn more Finnish!”

10. Spoiled it…

“Hawai’i. It is absolutely gorgeous. Had land there and spent time there during the downturn.

The tourist thing wears off though, and although it is still an absolutely gorgeous place, the cost of living, the corruption in government, and seemingly like every contractor is trying to rip you off spoiled it for me as a long term relocation.”

11. The old country.

“Not as popular but Greece. My maternal grandparents are Greek. It’s a big loud friendly group and had been my entire life. I had a several month long gap before grad school and a great aunt willing to house me so I moved to Patras. The first few weeks were wonderful I did all the tourist things then I realized how forced all of it was. You can’t just ever have a friend over it has to be a major production.

The food was wonderful but every contractor or small business I interacted with took it at a point of pride to tack on added fees or try to scam me. I was stolen from multiple times. The older people particularly the men had no personal boundaries at all and their wives would hand wave off anything. Everything public that wasn’t intended for tourists was falling to pieces. It was just very sad considering how proud I had been of my Greek roots until then.”

12. Everything they wanted it to be.

“Seattle WA. Spent my first 30 years living up and down the eastern seaboard from PA to GA. I was in grad school in SC and inexplicably Seattle just popped in my head one day – no trigger or anything. For the last 6 months of school (2003) it just consumed me – sight unseen I needed to be there. So that’s what I did. Got my degree, packed up my car with no job, place to live or contacts and drove to Seattle.

It could very well be a self-fulfilling prophecy but it was everything I wanted it to be. The city has changed quite a bit with the Amazon explosion but I’m glad I got to live some “old Seattle”. There’s still plenty of treasure to be mined. Sure the luster is gone but I have a family now and still love to explore the city with my daughter. All my old haunts are gone but the fun now is finding new haunts! It’s what we make of it.”

13. Chicago is a great city!

“Probably not a city that people dream about moving to but for me, Chicago. I loved Chicago from age 6 (saw Ferris Bueller), visited a couple times, loved it even more and then moved here three years ago. It feels like home, I absolutely love it here. Sure the winters can suck but I appreciate the nicer days so much more.”

14. New Zealand is A-OK!

“I wanted to go to New Zealand since I was ten and my best friend moved there, I finally went when I was 25 and got a 1-year working visa. It was awesome, I met my husband there, and saw my old friend again.

It’s still great, I would live there if they’d have me!”

15. Doh!

“Tampa, FL. I’m from the Midwest and we ALWAYS associate Florida with spring break and the beach and happy fun times…

Turns out I live an hour from the beach, traffic is the WORST (largest US city without a commuter rail), and the humidity is always 110% and about to kill me. You can’t really be outside and it sucks.

Edit: because first of all I came back after work to a billion notifications, who knew Tampa would get this much conversation started?

AND SECOND OF ALL because someone remind me about THE DRIVING and I just have to add that to this comment that the driving is the wwwwoooorrrrssttt maybe even worse than humidity, read my comment below for passionate rage about pulling over for emergency vehicles (or the lack thereof I suppose).”

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Some Guys Asked Their Neighbor If They Could Walk Her Dog…They Got a Letter Back From the Dog…

If you’ve had a dog before and got used to all of the ways they bring joy and meaning to your daily life, living without one can be hard. Like REALY hard.

But if you find yourself living somewhere pets are not allowed, what can you really do?

Well, these four young engineers decided to take action, as desperate as it may sound. They reached out to their neighbor – a perfect stranger up til now – to offer their petting/playing/walking skills to their neighbor’s dog, who they’d seen through a window.

They sent this message to their neighbor, which was very polite and also showcased how very much they would enjoy spending time with the pooch.

Image Credit: Twitter

Dear Neighbour,

We are four engineers that have recently moved into the area in the past 3-4 months. Our house is comprised of an Englishman, two Scotts, and a Welshman. Diversity.

The other day we noticed a four-legged friend looking at us out the window when we arrived home from work. He or She looked like the good-est boy/girl there is. If you ever need someone to walk him/her, we will gladly do so. If you ever get bored (we know you never will, but we can dream), we are more than happy to look after him/her. If you want to come over and bring him/her to brighten up our day, you are more than welcome. If you want to walk past our balcony windows so we can see him/her, please do.

We hope this doesn’t come on too strong, but our landlord won’t allow pets, and we’ve all grown up with animals. The adult life is a struggle without one.

We look forward to hearing from you. Or not.

Yours Sincerely, 

The Boys from number 23.

xx

They waited and waited, until finally they received a response.

But it was from the dog herself!

Image Credit: Twitter

Once they saw the pawprint on the back, they suspected that good news was enclosed – and it was!

Image Credit: Twitter

Stevie Ticks and “the boys” have now met up twice, once for an introduction and once to play at the local park. Since they all got on well, more outings are definitely in the future!

Image Credit: Twitter

Her owners say she’s a 2.5-year-old sheprador (a lab/german shepherd mix) originally from Cyprus, but rescued from a local shelter. She loves playing tug-of-war, chasing birds, and licking feet.

She’s obviously the good-est girl, and now she has four more friends.

Everyone’s life is better, so this is just a happy ending all the way around.

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These Tragic Photos Show the Apocalyptic Devastation of the Australian Bushfires

I visited Australia in 2001, and it truly is a remarkable country. It’s a beautiful place filled with friendly, hard-working, generous people, and weird animals that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

The devastating wildfires taking place in Australia are so enormous and have killed so many animals – scientists estimate nearly half a billion – that it is almost incomprehensible. Here are 15 moving photos to show you the hell on Earth that is occurring right now Down Under.

https://twitter.com/Sci_Phile/status/1213703245794693120/photo/1

Be sure to look through all the photos and scroll to the end of the article to find out how you can help!

1. Watching it burn.

2. Heroes.

This fire fighter (and all FF’s) saving the people, animals, and homes in Australia. from HumansBeingBros

3. All those poor animals.

4. Unbelievable.

5. These guys need a rest.

Exhausted firefighters in Australia from pics

6. World on fire.

Balmattum Hill is really glowing tonight, however not as much as all of our incredible & selfless emergency services. Thank you ?

Posted by Melissa Ericksen on Saturday, January 4, 2020

7. The numbers are staggering.

8. The eyes say a lot.

My uncle at the end of a 13 hour shift volunteering with NSW RFS from australia

9. The smoke is moving.

Caught the smoke as it was spreading over our suburb in Australia from pics

10. Hell opens up.

Hell opens up in Australia. Thoughts go out to our brave fire fighters. from pics

11. Scorched earth.

In Australia after a fire. from pics

12. All red.

No filters. Australia is red from wildfires. from pics

13. Raging inferno.

A picture one of the local postmen took from his front yard. This was in Forster. from australia

14. Looks like the Apocalypse.

This is a pyrocumulus cloud produced by smoke from the Australian bushfires. It’s 12km high. It produces its own thunderstorms, fire tornadoes and 100km/h winds. from WTF

15. No filter.

No filter. A motel in NSW Australia in middle of the day. from WTF

Click HERE to learn about how you can help out and organizations you can donate to help out during this terrible tragedy

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People Share Their Most Wholesome Secrets

People assume secrets are hidden because they’re bad – maybe a shameful event in your past, or a thought you’d never want to share with anyone.

But secrets can also be wholesome, like if you made a large donation to a non-profit, anonymously. Or if you sent a package of goodies to a friend without them knowing.

Who knows why some people decide to keep the good they do secret, but it happens. Here are 10 heart-bursting secrets that will leave you smiling.

10. Bank error in his favor

“My best friend’s mom passed away from cancer four years ago on Easter Sunday. She was like a second mom to me. She was very religious and always dreamed of going to Jerusalem.

When she passed away, my best friend became reckless and would try to drown his feelings and cover up the darkness inside him with the bright lights of clubs and women. This went on for a couple years.

Eventually, my best friend hit beyond rock bottom to where he was living in his car with only a backpack of clothes and his mom’s ashes.

I let him stay with me and he turned his life around. He stopped going to bars. He started caring again. He started saving money. He decided he would spread his mom’s ashes in Jerusalem.

Well, he got into a car accident last month and totaled his car. Not his fault. Someone plowed through a red light. Medical bills and attorneys fees drained his savings. But it’s okay. He told me how there was a bank error and someone deposited $3,000 into his bank account.

He’s all set to be in Jerusalem around Easter and my Hawaii trip was postponed.”

9. Here kitty kitty

“I’ve had my cat for 18 years. I’ve had my husband for three years. He always wanted a cat and never had one.

Their love is strong and true, but obviously, the cat is slightly more attached to/familiar with me.

My husband loves that cat so much and gets a little bit of a thrill out of the idea that the cat loves us equally even though I had a 15-year head start.

What my husband doesn’t know is that I sometimes intentionally annoy the cat so that he will go snuggle with my husband instead, because it is so dang cute how giddy my husband gets about it.”

8. Best decision ever

“My daughter isn’t biologically mine. My ex became pregnant via an affair. One of many, I came to find. After the paternity test confirmed it, I almost left, but I had a thought.

This baby girl did not ask for this situation. She is innocent in all this and down a father since the dude split and disappeared. I knew her mother was not able to cope with motherhood, as she was only barely coping with childless adulthood some of the time.

I stepped in. I’ve always wanted to be a father and I’m all about helping children at a disadvantage because of my own crappy childhood. If I can spare any child from that, I would, so I did.

She carries my name. Looks like me oddly enough (her bio dad looks like a younger me), and is now 3 with a 1st-grade education. She speaks very well. She has a very good imagination. She is as happy as a clam and unabused.

I teach her mother how to actually be a mother, and I take my daughter for extra time, all the time.

It’s the best, most fulfilling decision I have ever made. I may not be her father, but I’m darn sure her daddy.”

7. Angels from above

“When I was 17 years old, my BFF and I decided to take the snowmobiles out for a ride in the blizzard. We thought it would be amazing to hit some fresh forming powder and drifts. The visibility was low so we stuck to the main roads.

We ended up on a desolate road with two homes and acres and acres of farmland. As we got close to the homes we noticed some lights and went over to see what was going on.

It turned out that the old couple living there had ventured out to the store to get food in case they got snowed in. They made the long drive and everything went fine (they had to have hit several drifts that were 1-4 feet tall). Things only went wrong when they slowed down to turn into the drive. They didn’t dare leave their car out because they feared a snow plow would hit it. My friend and I in full snow gear, helmets and face masks dug the car out and shoveled the driveway and made sure they got the car in the garage.

I thought that was the end of the story.

I didn’t even mention anything to my parents. Lo and behold, the next day at church this couple was there. Our church gives time for the congregation to get up and talk about their beliefs/faith-building stories. Sure enough, the old man gets up and starts telling about their trip to the store last night. He talked about getting stuck and worrying he would never get his car unstuck and that it would be destroyed by a snow plow.

He then said two angels appeared, barely spoke, unstuck his car and disappeared as quickly as they arrived. He said that he had been pleading with the Lord for some help but figured it would never arrive because no one ever travels the road. My mom looked at me and knew it was me. She didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything.”

6. A Christmas Miracle

“My little sister was extremely sick with pneumonia in the ICU one Christmas when she was 6. This happened often around this time of year for her because of her asthma, but this time it was worse. She was so sick and tired, she lost track of the days in the hospital even though Christmas was approaching fast. People dressed as elves would come in and bring gifts and my sister would say, ‘Am I going to make it back in time for Christmas?’

She was so worried and already so upset after being poked and prodded by doctors, draining fluid from her lungs and trying to get her better. Christmas came and we decided not to tell her she missed it. We promised her. We weren’t going to ruin her Christmas!
On the 27th, while my dad worked and mom was at the hospital, I got a list from my mom and went to the store to get her gifts. I spent all night wrapping them.

The next day, they released my sister from the hospital and we told her it was Christmas Eve! I even promised her she could sleep in my bed that night, under all the Christmas lights I hung up, so she could wake me up as soon as it was Christmas morning.
I can’t even tell you how happy she was to wake up the next day and she couldn’t stop saying how much of a Christmas miracle it was! She’s 13 and still remarks how amazing it was she made it back before Christmas, after being so horribly sick and stuck in ICU.”

5. Random treats for lucky kids

“When I was a kid, I used to always twist the quarter machines on the way into stores just in case. Got lucky a couple of times and got a few free toys. Now that I’m grown, if I’m leaving a store with them, I like to drop change into them if I have it and leave them half twisted.”

4. Helping the family

“My Aunt was gonna be short for her rent. I paid the landlord and told him to say that she paid it earlier in the month. She was so happy about it. I made steaks for supper and paid extra on other bills so she’d be ahead of them.”

3. Helping out the homeless

“I used to have to regularly travel abroad for work to this one specific town. I would stay near the main square so it got to be I would recognize the homeless people around my area.

It was a difficult time in my life, so I was drinking a little more than was healthy (nothing during the daytime or that would interfere with work, just at night to go to bed), so most nights I would go out to pick something up.

Some homeless people asked for money, some were straight up and asked for a can or two. I always felt bad doing the whole ‘pat my pockets and shrug’ routine to them as I exited the shop, knowing I was just blowing my money away on drinks for myself. In that moment, was I so different than these guys?
I finally got up the courage to acknowledge/talk to one of them, he asked for a can or two of drinks, and I asked what kind he wanted (high percentage, of course).

In the store, I bought stuff for me, and I also bought this guy two cans, but there was a catch. In the bag were a few other things I bought him, a few sandwiches, some milk, and some sports drink.
So that was my routine. For over a year, I would be in this town once a month or so, and I would go around and get this man a few cans and also made sure he had something to eat. I learned that he had a shelter he could sleep in at night, I learned his name, I would shake his hand every time I saw him, chat for a bit, and wish him well.

A few times, he had some sores on his foot so I bought bandages, antiseptic cream, stuff like that.

It’s not a big deal, but I always kept it a secret. Even when my girlfriend came with me on one of my trips, I just told her I was going to go for a walk at night to clear my head, and I went and visited this man and bought him a few drinks and some food, never told her about it. I’ve never told anyone – I think that would ruin it for me – it’s not about me or getting a slap on the back, it was just about treating this guy like a fellow man, even for a few minutes.

Maybe I was doing something wrong, maybe that’s not the right way to help someone, I don’t know. All I figured was this guy had more reason to drink than I did, his life looked rough. If he wanted to get messed up, he was going to find a way to get messed up anyway, and this way I figured at least he’d get some nutrition, and someone who would shake his hand, call him by name and chat and look him in the eye. I haven’t been back to that town for years. I don’t know if he remembers me. I think of him often. I hope he’s doing ok.”

2. Everyone is loved on Valentine’s day

“Back in college, I liked to do special things for my friends in my dorm for Valentine’s Day. One year, I taped chocolate boxes to their doors, and the next year I taped bags of heart-shaped cookies. My friends would find out that it was me one way or another, but it was still nice to do something nice for the people I care about. The next year, after the majority of my dorm friends, had graduated, I still wanted to do something nice for the people in my dorm.

I created about 150 little paper envelopes, to cover everyone that would be getting a special surprise. At around 2 a.m. I set out to taping these envelopes to all the doors on my floor (2 people per room) as well as all the RA’s on all the other floors. I then filled every tiny envelope with a few heart-shaped Reese’s and Snickers candies. It probably took about 2 hours to completely finish. I know a few chocolates really aren’t that big of a gift, but I wanted everybody to feel some love on Valentine’s Day.

The next day, some of the RA’s posted about it on Facebook. They were saying that we had the best residents. It made me feel really warm and fuzzy inside, but I never let any of them know that I was the one that did it.”

1. A trip of a lifetime

“Without revealing too much information, my previous job had a major perk: a lottery system in which the winners got to accompany a group to various locations in the world for a hybrid vacation/work trip. I won the lottery one year and was selected to go to Istanbul. I heard a coworker talking to her spouse on the phone about how bummed she was she did not get it (she was selected as my backup, but did not know who she was backing up).

She had hoped to visit a long-lost family member. She is a quiet, sweet, helpful person. She’s very behind the scenes and rather underappreciated.
I gave up my spot due to a ‘prior commitment.’ She got to go instead. I had a great time looking at her pictures.”

No matter the situation, giving up or granting something to people can make you feel good. Kindness is not a word, it’s an act. Keep paying it forward you wholesome secret keepers!

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A Dog Owner Built a “Stick Library” for the Pups at the Local Park

You’ve probably seen “Little Free Libraries” that are popping up in towns all over the world. You just need a box sturdy enough to protect books from the elements, a sign, a collection cup for donations, and of course, some books.

People are free to check them out, return them, donate their own, etc. It’s an awesome idea to bring books into the world.

Now one dog owner has taken that concept and applied it to man’s best friend, in the form of a stick library at the local dog park.

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Allie loved the stick library at Kaiapoi dog park #sticklibrary

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Why sticks? Well, they make dogs happy, of course – big dogs, little dogs, in-between dogs, they all love to carry, chase, and chew on a bit of wood when they get the chance.

59-year-old dog owner Andrew Taylor got the idea for a stick library because his dog, Bella, really loves sticks. Plus, they’re great toys for her because she always ripped anything less sturdy to shreds.

The New Zealander took sticks he’d amassed while trimming trees at home, sanded them until they were smooth and clean (saving the dogs’ teeth and gums!) and then crafted a wooden box to store the sticks in at the park.

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This morning as I took Danu for a big yomp to the ocean. Look what we found!!! . . Some gorgeous, creative, quirky person had made a fabulous “stick library” for the doggos and left it on the side of the trail. . . Creativity comes in many forms and I love it when people share what they create. After all in my neighbourhood there are lots of little “Take a book, leave a book” library’s. So now there’s “Take a stick, leave a stick” library for doggos! And the dogs knew exactly what to do! Thank you to this creative being. . . Love it! . . . #creativity #creativityfound #showupandshine #sticklibrary #dallasroadbeach #dogsofinstagram #mademesmile #mademesmiletoday #createyourlife #shareyourlight #shareyourgifts #happydogs #islanddogs #thankyou #quirkyart #quirky #sticks

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On the top he engraved “Stick Library” and a few words encouraging people to return the sticks once their dogs were finished.

Taylor’s daughter invited a bunch of dog owners to the park to give the new box a try, and around 50 people and their pooches showed up to play.

Everyone loved the box and couldn’t believe no one had ever considered the simple idea before then – after all, we’ve all going looking for that “good stick” to toss to our dog, only to come up empty.

I think this could definitely catch on at dog parks around the world, don’t you?

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