Good News for a Change

[Geee]

Sunny sky

Woman Raises Over $222,000 For 90-Year-Old Veteran Spotted Working On Memorial Day

Today's good news story comes from Metairie, Louisiana.

A community came together to transform the life of a 90-year-old Air Force veteran working at a Metairie, Louisiana grocery store. Karen Swensen, a former news anchor, spotted Dillon McCormick pushing shopping carts in the sweltering 90-degree heat, with the heat index reaching a scorching 103 degrees.

Swensen was struck by the sight of McCormick, who has been working at the Winn Dixie for 23 years, tirelessly pushing shopping carts outside. Driven by curiosity and concern, she approached him to learn more.

"I remember I said it's Memorial Day and you're out here working, and I said may I ask why," Swensen recalled. His heartfelt response was simple and poignant: "To eat."

Living on a meager $1,100 in Social Security each month, McCormick’s monthly bills totaling $2,500 left him no choice but to work to bridge the gap. Touched by his plight, Swensen decided to take immediate action. She recorded their conversation and shared it on social media, launching a GoFundMe campaign to support McCormick.

[Valin]

13 hours ago, Geee said:

Sunny sky

Woman Raises Over $222,000 For 90-Year-Old Veteran Spotted Working On Memorial Day

Living on a meager $1,100 in Social Security each month, McCormick’s monthly bills totaling $2,500 left him no choice but to work to bridge the gap. Touched by his plight, Swensen decided to take immediate action. She recorded their conversation and shared it on social media, launching a GoFundMe campaign to support McCormick.

Good Lord, that's under 1/2 of what I get.

 

[Geee]

Researchers Have Found a Way to Deliver Insulin Through Oral Drops Instead of Injections

Diabetes rates continue to rise, with 11.7 million Canadians living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. At UBC, scientists have created a pain-free drug delivery method to help people with diabetes manage the disease and maintain their health more easily.

Researchers at the Li Lab have developed oral insulin drops that when placed under the tongue are quickly and efficiently absorbed by the body, potentially replacing the need for insulin injections.

The drops contain a mixture of insulin and a unique cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) developed by Dr. Shyh-Dar Li and colleagues.

 

A little help from a peptide guide

"Insulin is a complicated molecule," explains lead researcher Dr. Li, a professor in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences. "In pill form, it's easily destroyed in the stomach. Insulin also needs to be rapidly available in the blood, but as a large molecule, it cannot get through cells easily on its own." The peptide, sourced from fish byproducts, opens a pathway for insulin to cross over.

Pre-clinical tests showed that insulin with the peptide effectively reaches the bloodstream whereas without the peptide, insulin remains stuck in the inside lining of the mouth.

"Think of it as a guide that helps insulin navigate through a maze to reach the bloodstream quickly. This guide finds the best routes, making it easier for insulin to get where it needs to go," said Dr. Jiamin Wu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Li Lab.

 

Two versions of the peptide are described in recent articles in the Journal of Controlled Release (here and here). The UBC team is working to license the technology to a commercial partner.

[Valin]

Good news of the day

Scott Johnson

June 8 2024

Good news — there isn’t much to go around. John wrote here (with video clips) about the presentation of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to a packed house gathered in downtown Minneapolis for the Center of the American Experiment’s annual dinner this past Thursday evening. Bennett’s remarks were outstanding, but I was most struck by the intense support for Israel emanating from the mostly non-Jewish crowd. Bennett commented on it a few times in the course of the evening. And the crowd of 600 inside vastly outnumbered the “Free free Palestine” creeps blaring outside. See Bill Glahn’s report on the event for the Center here.

One other observation. The many Minneapolis police offers who provided security for the event were outstanding. I thanked every one of them I could and found that they knew they were protecting a crowd that supports them as well as Israel. It was good news all the way down.

This is today’s good news. The Times of Israel has a brief story here. I can’t wait to learn more.

(Snip)

 

[Geee]

‘Off the charts’: the key breakthroughs giving new hope in treating cancer

At the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, the world’s largest cancer conference, doctors, scientists and researchers shared new findings on ways to tackle the disease.

The event in Chicago, attended by about 44,000 health professionals, featured more than 200 sessions focused on this year’s theme, The Art and Science of Cancer Care: From Comfort to Cure. Here is a roundup of the key studies.

 

NHS launches world-first cancer vaccine trial scheme

After decades in development, cancer vaccines now show signs of efficacy and potential to help patients fend off the disease for good.

The world’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma halves the risk of patients dying or the disease returning, according to trial results doctors described as “extremely impressive”.

Patients who received the vaccine after having a stage 3 or 4 melanoma removed had a 49% lower risk of dying or the disease recurring after three years, data presented at the conference showed.

‘Extremely impressive’: melanoma jab trial results excite doctors

A second trial found cancer vaccines can significantly improve survival for breast cancer patients after surgery.

Meanwhile, with more vaccine trials launching globally, the NHS announced that thousands of patients in England will be fast-tracked into the studies as part of a world-first “matchmaking” scheme, called the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.

 

Under the scheme, patients will gain immediate access to clinical trials for vaccines that experts say represent a new dawn of treatments for cancer.

Hodgkin lymphoma cured more effectively with treatment mix

Results from a phase 3 trial showed a treatment combination of six therapies, BrECADD, was more effective and caused fewer side effects than the standard chemotherapy regimen, BEACOPP.

After four years, progression-free survival (PFS), the amount of time patients live without the disease growing or spreading, was 94.3% for BrECADD and 90.9% for BEACOPP.

Overall survival, which indicates how many patients are alive after treatment, was 98.5% for BrECADD and 98.2% for BEACOPP. Most significantly, people in the BrECADD group had a 34% lower risk of disease progression than those in the BEACOPP group.

[Valin]

We have 6000+ years of recorded Human History. THIS is The Best Time To Be Alive.

Example: Just got back from The Little Store on the corner. Bought a quart of Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. 200 years ago that was something only the Elite could have access to.

[Geee]

Woman Discovers Her Neighbor's Corgi Was Sneaking Onto Her Property At Night - To Ride Her Pony

Have you ever seen a dog ride a pony? Well, look no further.

This adventurous corgi has been caught sneaking onto his neighbor's property to ride their one-eyed pony named Cricket.

Callie Schenker, the pony's owner, first discovered this unusual friendship one night and could hardly believe her eyes when she saw the corgi perched atop Cricket.

What was even more surprising was that Cricket seemed perfectly content with his unexpected rider!

 

[SDwaters]

22 hours ago, Geee said:

The world’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma halves the risk of patients dying or the disease returning, according to trial results doctors described as “extremely impressive”.

The key word is "personalised".  By targeting for the individual and the individual's cancer cells, it can work very well.

[Valin]

Quote

23 hours ago, Geee said:

The world’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma halves the risk of patients dying or the disease returning, according to trial results doctors described as “extremely impressive”.

 

8 minutes ago, SDwaters said:

The key word is "personalised".  By targeting for the individual and the individual's cancer cells, it can work very well.

 

Mar 20, 2023 #fungalinfection #cdc #CandidaAuris

Learn More: •https://nano-magazine.com/news/2023/2... •http://www.futurity.org/motorized-mol... •https://www.eurekalert.org/news-relea...

Fungi bursting from the bodies of zombies act as puppeteers, positioning them to infect entire communities. This premise, which is the basis of the video game and HBO show, "The Last of Us" seems hard to imagine. Yet, "killer fungi" kill millions every year.

In a new study published in Advanced Science, Rice University chemist James Tour and collaborators have developed molecular machines that are just as good at combating infectious fungi as they are at killing antibiotic-resistant infectious bacteria and cancer cells. Based on the work of Nobel laureate Bernard Feringa, these nanoscale compounds move in a single direction when exposed to visible light, causing a drilling motion that allows them to bore into the surface of cells and kill them.

______________________________________________________________

Remember now Dave Farina Says James Tour Is An Idiot

Warning Clicking of the top videos May cause Extreme Pain.

[Geee]

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[Valin]

@Geee

Why don't we see good news?

 

Something I read awhile ago. We Are Hard Wired for Bad News. Our ancestors needed to know  2 things. 1. Where the bushes with the good berries were, 2 Where The Lions Were. If you could find the bushes were you didn't eat today, but you might find them tomorrow, if you don't know where  the lions are...You Die.

[Geee]

First-Grader's Kind Gesture Makes Recess Accessible For Special Needs Classmate

Every school day, Abel Baxley, a compassionate first-grader at Bulls Gap Elementary and Middle School, performs a heartwarming act of kindness for his friend and classmate, Natalia Petosa.

 

Born with Angelman Syndrome, a condition that affects her ability to walk, Natalia relies on a wheelchair for mobility. To ensure she can navigate safely, Abel voluntarily sweeps the gravel off the sidewalk leading to the playground during recess.

"I do sweep off the gravels and the rocks," Abel proudly told WJHL, demonstrating his commitment to making the playground accessible for Natalia.

 

Natalia's mother, April Catherman, expressed her deep gratitude for Abel's efforts.

"It makes me feel very happy and heartfelt, to know that he does whatever he can in his heart, he is out there and sweeping the rocks up for her," Catherman shared. "To make sure she gets to and from the playground safely."

 

[Valin]

June 12 2024

#louisiana #prageru #school

Dennis Prager and PragerU CEO Marissa Streit sit down with Louisiana Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley to discuss the immediate backlash following the announcement that PragerU is now in Louisiana schools. Despite the efforts of leftist organizations, media outlets, and state representatives to ban our so-called “discriminatory and antisemitic” content from classrooms, they did not succeed. Hear how PragerU's wholesome, patriotic, and age-appropriate educational materials will continue to benefit Louisiana students.

_________________________________________

3:22 Prager U is Antisemitic.

[Geee]

Native Americans see omen in Yellowstone's rare white bison

An incredibly rare white bison calf has been photographed in Yellowstone National Park, exciting Native American tribes who view it as a religious sign heralding major change.

It was spotted in the Lamar Valley area, and is the first white bison to be born in the last wild herd in the US, according to modern records.

Other recent white bison births have happened in captivity and from parents that contained cow DNA. Tribes consider a wild birth more religiously significant.

Montana photographer Erin Braaten took photos of the young buffalo in the Lamar Valley on 4 June while visiting the park with three of her eight children.

Stuck in traffic caused by a slow-moving herd, she noticed the young calf across a river, nearly 100 metres (330ft) away, and initially mistook it for a coyote because of its sandy light colour.

"There were so many different thoughts and emotions," Braaten told the BBC.

"It was so amazing. I thought I'd have a better chance of capturing Bigfoot than a white bison calf."

[Geee]

1 minute ago, Geee said:

Native Americans see omen in Yellowstone's rare white bison

An incredibly rare white bison calf has been photographed in Yellowstone National Park, exciting Native American tribes who view it as a religious sign heralding major change.

It was spotted in the Lamar Valley area, and is the first white bison to be born in the last wild herd in the US, according to modern records.

Other recent white bison births have happened in captivity and from parents that contained cow DNA. Tribes consider a wild birth more religiously significant.

Montana photographer Erin Braaten took photos of the young buffalo in the Lamar Valley on 4 June while visiting the park with three of her eight children.

Stuck in traffic caused by a slow-moving herd, she noticed the young calf across a river, nearly 100 metres (330ft) away, and initially mistook it for a coyote because of its sandy light colour.

"There were so many different thoughts and emotions," Braaten told the BBC.

"It was so amazing. I thought I'd have a better chance of capturing Bigfoot than a white bison calf."

 

[Geee]

8 animal fathers that take care of their eggs

Across all creatures that invest in childcare, it’s much more common for mothers, not fathers, to bear the responsibility of parenthood. But, as is often the case in the animal kingdom, there are exceptions. These animal fathers, who all represent egg-laying species, help out by either incubating, protecting, or otherwise shepherding offspring out of a shell and into the wide-open world. 

 

 

Seahorses

The seahorse might be the classic example of animal fathers that defy conventions. These male fish have skin pouches in their midsections where they fertilize and incubate eggs that are dropped off by the females. When seahorse dads get pregnant, it’s a complex ordeal. As a 2015 study found, the reproductive process involves more than 3,000 genes and found that seahorse fathers provide much more than just a cozy place for eggs to stay. For example, inside that pouch, the developing seahorses receive calcium and other nutrients to build up their skeletons.

Giant water bugs

 

A water bug with cylindrical eggs on his back. Jim Rathert/Missouri Department of Conservation

Giant water bugs, sometimes called “toe-biters” thanks to their painful nips, are predatory insects that grow up to three inches long. Although they have a fearsome appearance—another nickname is “alligator tick”—males prove to be protective fathers. After mating, a female water bug lays 100 or more eggs in a clump on the male’s back. He will guard these for about a week or two until the nymphs, which look like mini adults, hatch.

 

 

Mouthbrooding fish 

For some fishes, the safest place for freshly laid eggs is in dad’s mouth. This behavior, called mouthbrooding, has evolved independently across millenia in at least seven families of fish. Depending on the species, the egg-holder might be mother or father, who will keep fertilized eggs tucked safely behind their jaws. But the strategy can also be exploited. The cuckoo catfish, found in Lake Tanganyika, the world’s longest freshwater lake located in Sub-Saharan Africa, sneaks its own eggs into clutches laid by cichlid fish. When the cichlid parent gathers up all the eggs in its mouth, it might wind up unwillingly protecting catfish children, too.

[Geee]

4-legged lifesavers: Service dogs are working wonders for veterans with PTSD, study shows

TOMS RIVER, New Jersey − Before Anthony Certa began talking about his three deployments in Iraq as a U.S. Marine and military police officer, he gave a gentle command to his service dog.

"Mando, on my lap," the veteran said. Mando, a black 2 1/2-year-old England Labrador, hoisted his massive paws onto Certa's legs, then Certa lifted the dog all the way into his lap and began petting the dog, who remained still and quiet.

It was obvious the effect the dog had on Certa, who recalled his experiences guarding convoys and protecting explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel as they worked. Emotional as he spoke of losing comrades, Certa remained calm and spoke softly, in measured tones.

 

While for years there has been anecdotal evidence of the benefits of emotional support dogs for veterans such as Certa, a new national study offers more definitive proof.

Maggie O'Haire, one of the study's co-authors and a researcher with the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, and her colleagues followed 156 veterans over three months. The study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and released June 4, found veterans with dogs reported decreased severity of PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depression and higher psychosocial functioning. The dogs were provided by a nonprofit, K9s for Warriors.

"We know veterans are struggling," O'Haire said. "They have much higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts (than the general population)."

[Geee]

More good news for coffee drinkers from a study of sitting and sipping

Sedentary coffee drinkers had a 24 percent reduced risk of mortality compared with those who sat for more than six hours and didn’t drink coffee, according to the lead author of a study published recently in the journal BMC Public Health.

The finding, which was not part of the original article, was calculated at The Washington Post’s request and provided by Huimin Zhou, a researcher at the Medical College of Soochow University’s School of Public Health in China and the lead author of the study on coffee and health.

 

In the article, researchers reported that non-coffee drinkers who sat six hours or more per day were 58 percent more likely to die of all causes than coffee drinkers sitting for less than six hours a day, indicating both the risk of sedentary behavior and the benefit of coffee drinking. In his analysis for The Post, Zhou wrote that the comparison was chosen because it involved two “riskiest” behaviors with two least “risky” behaviors.

The study used data from 10,639 subjects, collected from 2007 to 2018 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) by the National Center for Health Statistics. The NHANES survey, used to measure Americans’ health and nutrition status, has been collected every two years since 1999.

The researchers, primarily from the Medical College of Soochow University in Suzhou, China, also found that sitting more than eight hours a day was associated with a 46 percent higher risk of all-cause mortality and 79 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, when compared with those sitting for less than four hours a day.

[Valin]

1 hour ago, Geee said:

More good news for coffee drinkers from a study of sitting and sipping

Sedentary coffee drinkers had a 24 percent reduced risk of mortality compared with those who sat for more than six hours and didn’t drink coffee, according to the lead author of a study published recently in the journal BMC Public Health.

The finding, which was not part of the original article, was calculated at The Washington Post’s request and provided by Huimin Zhou, a researcher at the Medical College of Soochow University’s School of Public Health in China and the lead author of the study on coffee and health.

I'll live to be 100 then!

[Geee]

Mysterious deep-sea 'mother squid' is spotted clutching dozens of giant eggs more than 1,800ft below the Pacific Ocean

An odd deep-sea squid, captured over 1800 feet below sea level by a submersible drone, is now believed to be a new species after nearly a decade of analysis.

Marine biologists first took note of the mother squid — now officially described as part of the family Gonatidae — in the Gulf of California off the Baja coast, where they caught it cradling eggs that were twice as large as any other seen before.

Typically deep-sea squid produce thousands of tiny eggs, as many as 3,000 all at once, but the new species was spotted holding and protecting only about 30 to 40 much larger eggs instead.

[Geee]

NASA predicts 'once-in-a-lifetime event' this summer – 5 things you need to know

An impending nova event will be so bright that people on Earth will be able to see the burst of light with the naked eye, NASA scientists said. 

 

There's an Earth-sized remnant of a dead star with a mass comparable to the sun on a star about 3,000 light years from Earth that's expected to explode at some point this summer, according to NASA.

The exact date when that will happen is unknown, although NASA continues to track it. 

The spectacular explosion is "a once-in-a-lifetime event," NASA's nova expert Rebekah Hounsell said, "that will create a lot of new astronomers out there, giving young people a cosmic event they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions, and collect their own data."

 

Hounsell is an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

She put this summer's event on the "Blaze Star" into historical perspective. 

"There are a few recurrent novae with very short cycles, but typically, we don’t often see a repeated outburst in a human lifetime, and rarely one so relatively close to our own system," she said in a statement. 

 

"It’s incredibly exciting to have this front-row seat."

This is a nova event, which Hounsell explained is different from a supernova, which is a "final, titanic explosion" that destroys dying stars, NASA said in a press release. 

In this particular event, the dwarf star will remain intact, but "accumulated material" will be blasted into the abyss of space in a "blinding flash," according to NASA, which explains that this cycle repeats over time and can carry on for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. 

Here are NASA's three tips for American stargazers

1. The burst of light will be "brief," according to NASA, but it's expected to be visible to the naked eye for a little less than a week. 

[Geee]

Moving Crews Train to Become Heroes in the War on Human Trafficking

“What if it were your child?”

You’ve heard it before. What if it were your kid who got chosen last on the playground or who was bullied? But when asked in the context of human trafficking, this question takes on a far deeper and more harrowing meaning. What if it were your child?

This simple yet poignant question leads to heartbreaking reflection for any parent.

“That’s something I can’t even answer, I can’t imagine,” said Aneudy Vargas.

Aneudy Vargas was one of the Good Greek Moving and Storage team members who participated in an inaugural class aimed at combatting human trafficking. Good Greek, in partnership with the leading anti-trafficking organization Place of Hope, is taking a bold step to address this issue. Good Greek’s over 600 truckers and movers are becoming a force to fight human trafficking by learning how to spot the hidden epidemic that often occurs in plain sight. 

Through their Superhero Movers Academy in West Palm Beach, these movers are learning not just to uphold high standards on the job, but also to become real-life heroes for those in need.

Human trafficking is a national crisis that has been made worse by border issues, and addressing it requires a vigilant “see something, say something” approach.

“One person recognizing something that looks wrong and calling for help can save someone’s life,” said Jamie Bond Ciancio, a human trafficking expert at Place of Hope.

Though human trafficking is an international problem, it hits close to home as well. Florida ranks third in the nation for human trafficking reports, with Palm Beach County ranking third in the state and Miami topping the list. This makes the involvement of a moving company with a widespread reach particularly significant. They have unprecedented access to truckstops and to the families and communities they serve every day.

"Good Greek moving is in and out of people’s homes, we’re traveling through the country we’re at truck stops and rest areas and quite often these are areas where victims can be trafficked,” explains Spero Georgedakis,the Founder and CEO of Good Greek Moving & Storage. “We need to be vigilant and be able to identify these situations where we can call 911 or the authorities.”

As a former police officer, Spero Georgedakis understands the importance of viewing communities through an educated lens. Recognizing signs of trafficking, though challenging, is crucial. According to Place of Hope, education is the most powerful tool in preventing trafficking. Some signs include branding with tattoos, locks on the outside of internal doors, and windowless bedrooms. In hotels, watch for numerous people entering and exiting a single room.

Data shows 56% of trafficked individuals are U.S. citizens. According to a report by the Florida Department of Children and Families, in 2023 1,627 out of nearly 2,100 reported cases involved children. :snip:

[Geee]

Fishing crew rescues 38 dogs treading water in lake

GRENADA, Miss. (WMC/Gray News) - A fishing crew in Mississippi went out to catch fish, but came back with dozens of dogs instead.

Bob Gist, of Arkansas, and his friend Brad Carlisle, of Tennessee, decided to meet up in Memphis and travel down to Grenada Lake for a quick fishing trip.

The two met up with local fishing guide Jordan Chrestman and started what turned out to be a very adventurous day.

Gist said they hadn’t been on the lake very long when they noticed something in the water. It turned out to be dogs, a lot of dogs.

 

As they got closer, Gist said they discovered dozens of hound dogs, all wearing expensive radio collars and white paint, and all treading water.

The dogs were at least a half mile offshore, and Gist said he could tell by the way their heads looked in the water that they couldn’t see the shore and seemed to be lost.

Chrestman pulled the boat up to each dog, and Gist and Carlisle loaded them one at a time into the boat.

Gist said they loaded 27 dogs into the boat for the first load and took them to shore. They then went back and rescued 11 more.

 

A total of 38 dogs were rescued.

Gist found out the dogs were a part of a fox hunt that day in Grenada and had continued to chase a deer that went into the lake.

Gist said he didn’t know any of the dog owners and none of the owners had a boat to rescue their dogs.

According to Gist, the dogs may have all died if he and his friends hadn’t come along. He said he believed the dogs had been treading water for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

 

Gist said the dog owners tried to give the fishing crew money for saving their dogs, but they turned it down.

They said they just happened to be in the right place at the right time and did what they had to do to jump into rescue mode.

[Geee]

[Geee]

MUST HEAR: 18-Year-Old Artist's Pro-Life Hit 'I Was Gonna Be' Soars Into Top 10 on iTunes Country ChartsOne of the joys of my job as a conservative political pundit is finding a story that transcends politics and affects the deepest emotions of the truly moral people across this great country. This is one such story.

 

 

Eighteen-year-old country music artist Rachel Holt's recently-released song "I Was Gonna Be," written from the view of a baby that never got a chance to be born, has rocketed to the top ten country music songs on iTunes.

Nashville hitmaker Chris Wallin, who's been behind country music hits for mega-stars Garth Brooks, Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Trace Adkins, talked about why he wrote the song in a recent interview with Breitbart.

When asked what it felt like for a song like “I Was Gonna Be” to crack the top ten, Wallin said:

I’m just humbled honestly. When I first started writing this song I didn’t think anyone would ever actually sing it. I wrote it because I thought something had to be said.

Wallin said he started writing the song himself, adding: "I didn't think anyone would have the courage to sing this." The mega-hit writer was wrong. Halfway through writing the song, he met an 18-year-old newcomer from Indiana named Rachel Holt. Wallin said he immediately knew he'd found his singer. 

I played her the song and her first words, she goes, "I’m singing that song." She told Wallin, “I think a lot of the songs that girls my age listen to never talk about real life. And that’s what I want to do.”

And what a song it's become.