Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
With 2018 coming to a close, in lieu of this week’s positive news stories we wanted to shine a light on 2018 with this wonderful video featuring 100 positive news stories in Science from 2018.
“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” Elbert Hubbard
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
A man in Wisconsin has turned to snooze into a charitable act.
Terry Lauerman, 75, goes to his local animal shelter in Green Bay every day and takes naps with its cats.
Though, that’s not quite his intention.
According to Elizabeth Feldhausen, the founder of Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary, Lauerman strolled into the shelter about six months ago with a simple dream and a cat brush in tow.
“He just walked in and started brushing,” Feldhausen told HuffPost on Thursday, noting that he never asked to be a volunteer. “So eventually we told him he was an official volunteer and had him fill out our volunteer form.”
Feldhausen said Lauerman visits the cage-free sanctuary — which rescues disabled cats that would be at risk of euthanasia at other facilities — daily and stays for about three hours.
After he grooms a cat for a bit, he typically dozes off.
“[He sleeps for] about an hour, then he’ll wake up and switch cats,” said Feldhausen.
Apparently, Lauerman really enjoys the unpaid gig a lot — especially the sprucing aspect of it.
“He said, [the brushing is] as great of an experience for him, as it is for them,” Feldhausen said.
Naturally, the volunteer with a habit of accidentally passing out charmed the staff at Safe Haven, and the group decided to dedicate a Facebook post to him on Tuesday.
“We are so lucky to have a human like Terry,” the shelter wrote, alongside a few photos of Lauerman cat napping with felines. “Terry just came along one day and introduced himself. He said he’d like to brush cats. Eventually, it became everyday. He brushes all of the cats, and can tell you about all of their likes and dislikes. He also accidentally falls asleep most days. We don’t mind – Cats need this! Terry is a wonderful volunteer.”
Ends up the staff at the shelter weren’t the only ones smitten by Lauerman. As of Thursday afternoon, the post has received over 1.6 million on Facebook. It also made its way over to Reddit, where it has received hundreds of comments.
And although Lauerman hopes his 15 minutes of fame leads to more donations to Safe Haven, he also wants to remind people that he’s not the only person dedicating his time to shelter.
Feldhausen said that Lauerman specifically praised another volunteer named Paula.
“Who is what he considers the cat grandma,” Feldhausen said. “He wants to make sure the people who do what he does every day get credit too.”
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World
This is the inspiring story of a 96 year old man who began painting and eventually saved his village with colour and tourism.
In its hay-day, the Nantun District village was made up of about 1,200 homes. Most of the residents were former soldiers, who were given temporary housing by the government.
As time went on many of the soldiers moved away and various developers eagerly started buying up the land. Eventually, the village was home to only eleven houses.
Huang Yung-Fu
Living in one of them was Huang Yung-Fu, a 96-year-old former soldier who had lived been living there for over 37 years.
Although he loved his tiny village, there was little to do, and so he Huang Yung-Fu decided to teach himself to paint.
The first thing Huang painted was a bird on his wall. He found joy in painting as did others who saw his new works.
His village became a blank canvas, he painted the walls with colorful figures and creatures.
Huang’s unique create work quickly received a lot of attention, putting his tiny village on the map and becoming one of the most visited touristic attractions in Taichung.
The booming tourism made the government halt their plans to demolish the remaining houses in the village.
The painter is affectionately named the ‘Rainbow Grandpa’, and continues to paint. He admits it is hard work but he will continue to paint until even when he is 100.
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“The brave man is not the one who has no fears, he is the one who triumphs over his fears.”
– Nelson Mandela
In this inspiring video, give brave and inspiring blind veterans kayak 226 miles down the Grand Canyon – including class 5 whitewater under the leadership of blind veteran Lonnie Bedwell.
This amazing feat was In honor of Veteran’s Day and all of those who have given so much. Google partnered with the non-profit Team River Runner, an organization dedicated to providing all veterans and their families an opportunity to find health, healing, and community purpose.
Together they set out on making this wild dream come true to “to invigorating and inspiring others to get out and do whatever they seek to achieve.”
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By now most of us have seen someone bust out the hilarious dance move “The floss” that went so viral it even became a dance move in Fortnite, one of the most popular video games.
Meet the creative 15-year-old boy who invented The Floss in this short interview with Inside Edition he did after Katie Perry invited him to showcase his moves during one of her concerts.
This video was created by Inside Edition.
“Inside Edition is television’s longest-running, top-rated, and most-honored syndicated newsmagazine. #1 in News and Politics on YouTube”
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Anthony Mancinelli who turned 107 years old this year takes pride and joy in being the world’s oldest barber.
Born in 1911 near Naples, Italy, and eight years later sailed to the United States with his family, arriving in New York on September 11, 1919 and began cutting hair at just ten years old in 1921. He remembers it well, recalling how a haircut only cost you 25 cents.
He has now worked at that barbershop for an incredible 97 years! When asked about retirement, he replied, “Why would I?”
He’s considered one of the most reliable employees at the salon, cutting hair five days a week for 8 hours a day.
“He never calls in sick,” Fantastic Cuts owner Jane Dinezza said. “I have young people with knee and back problems, but he just keeps going. He can do more haircuts than a 20-year-old kid. They’re sitting there looking at their phones, texting or whatever, and he’s working.”
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Curious Youth Discovers Efficient Solar Technology
In good news for our planet, Georgia Hutchinson, an innovative 13-year-old girl just created a genius way to allow solar panels that are able to generate more electricity by following the location of the sun from dawn until dusk.
Traditional solar panels are not only expensive, but they are also set up to point in only one direction. They are equipped with trackers but they can only follow the sun by moving along two different axis.
Curious about what a solar panels capabilities would be if it were able to follow the sun at all times, she borrowed an equation that was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to find out. She discovered that a data-driven dual-axis solar trackers could reduce the payback period of investing in solar by up to 40% in some areas of the world using this equation.
This discovery just won her a $25,000 top prize in the National Broadcom MASTERS Competition, one of the most prestigious science and engineering competitions for middle schoolers in America. Over 2,500 young teenage scientists are considered for their experiments in STEM-related fields.
Paula Golden, President of the Broadcom said this about the contest, “ The Broadcom Foundation is honored to champion young scientists, engineers, and innovators and spur them on to greatness. These kids are exemplars of the quality work being done by middles schoolers with their teachers, mentors, and families throughout the US. The finalists are representative of special young people who are preparing themselves to solve the grand challenges we face through the world.”
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The sweet video of Ovechkin surprising a young fan and his happy reaction o is sure to warm your heart and put a smile on your face too!
. He is clearly overwhelmed with joy, shock, and pure excitement. He is wearing his Alexander Ovechkin jersey while attending a Washington Capitals hockey game in Calgary.
This video was created & shared by NHL. Check them out for more hockey smiles!
“Time moves forward, and time moves quick. So you just have to enjoy every second, every moment.” – Alexander Ovechkin
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Bubbles are one of the world’s most magical things that have remained loved by generations. If anything, bubbles are sparking the minds of both creative and scientific folks and are even more popular today!
On 23 September 2018, the award-winning bubble-toy company Dr. Zigs Extraordinary Bubbles organized two outdoor Guinness World Records attempts – for the most people making giant bubbles using tri-string wands and then the most people making bubbles with garland wands.
For these attempts, Dr. Zigs used 300 liters of their “Dragon-Juice” bubble mix and handed out 400 of their giant wands and 400 of their multi-wands. More than 300 people – including 80 of the world’s most celebrated “bubbleologists” from countries as far away as Argentina, New Zealand, Malaysia and Israel – descended on the iconic Caernarfon Castle in Gwynedd, Wales, UK to support the event, and filled the bailey of the medieval fortress with thousands of bubbles.
The magical and memorable record attempts, hosted by Dr. Zigs as part of the Bubble Daze conference, were just two of the many events organized for the World Bubble Festival 2018. Most of the bubble wands that were used in this video will now be heading out to children in need as part of the Dr. Zigs Bubbles Not Bombs project.
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
An incredible and innovative company called Sky Source was just awarded a $1.75 million prize for their “biomass-powered freshwater system” that mimics the way clouds are formed to create water. The water is clean giving it the ability to provide clean drinking water to millions of people around the world
Appropriately named “Sky Water” SkySource reportedly plans to use the prize money to manufacture and distribute the water systems to water-scarce regions of the world in partnership with international relief efforts.
The prize awarded by Water Abundance had three requirements: any technology entered into the competition had to run on 100% clean energy; it had to extract at least 2,000 litres of water from the atmosphere every day, and that water had to cost less than 2 cents per litre.
From the outside the largest SkyWater device looks like an ordinary shipping container but inside of the box, are atmospheric water generators that condense moisture in the atmosphere and filters it, making fresh drinking water. The resulting water droplets are then collected into a water tank that can be dispensed through a tap.
“To illustrate the idea and history of water as a source of community, we worked with a local artist to paint a mural to highlight the bottle filling station. The bottle filling station is open to the public, and since it’s an installation in 2016, it has served hundreds of thirsty locals and visitors.” SkySource
In order to generate the amount of electricity necessary for the system, technology can be powered by biomass such as twigs, branches, or dead trees. Since some disaster-stricken areas may not have access to biomass, the Skywater device can also be adapted to solar power and wind energy power systems as well.
The smaller Skywater model available for purchase produces enough fresh water from air for household use or emergency relief efforts, and it does it more efficiently than any other method of moisture extraction or filtration. Skywater machines are ranging from Skywater 30 (up to 30 gallons of water each day) to Skywater 300 (up to 300 gallons of water a day).” SkySource
David Hertz harvesting water in Big Sur, California. Skywater 150 produces up to 150 gallons a day, and the water can be stored in water collection tanks for future use.
“There are about 37 million billion gallons of water in the atmosphere at any given time, that’s more fresh water than all the rivers on the planet. Water is continuously evaporating from the oceans adding humidity to the atmosphere. Since nature abhors a vacuum, the natural humidity in the environment is immediately replaced with additional moisture from the ocean.”
Check out this neat video on them below!
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Chow Yun-Fat, a self-professed Buddhist and beloved and notoriously humble movie star and from Hong Kong recently announced that he will be donating his entire fortune over $714 million to various charities.
PHOTO CREDIT E.T. CANADA
The mega movie star accumulated his grand fortune from starring in over 90 films over 40 years of famous box office hits such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, A Better Tomorrow, and The Replacement Killers, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
He has won three Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor and two Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor. The Los Angeles Times once called him “the coolest actor in the world”.
“The money doesn’t really belong to me, I am only in charge of it temporarily,” he told reporters when he first revealed the plans for his fortune.
PHOTO CREDIT PETER MOUNTAIN
According to Chinese news outlet ET Today, Yun-Fat despite his wealth and stardom he has always lived a humble life spending only about $100 ( USD) per month ($800 HKD). He takes public transit whenever he can, buys his clothes at second-hand stores he and his wife prefer to eat at food stalls over fancy restaurants. He only recently bought a smartphone after the Nokia flip phone he owned for 17 years finally broke.
When asked why he likes to shop at discount shops despite his tremendous net worth, Chow replied “I don’t wear clothes for other people. I just wear whatever I find comfortable.”
He and his wife say that they plan on giving the fortune away to a number of charities, in addition to their own foundation, which they Chow and his wife, Jasmine Tan, have set up their own foundation years ago, according to an earlier interview with Apple Daily hive.
“My dream is to be a happy and normal person,” Yun-Fat told ET. “The hardest thing in life is not about how much money you earn, but how to keep a peaceful mindset and live the rest of your life in a simple and carefree manner.”
PHOTO CREDIT CHOW YUN-FAT
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
From a small gathering of 13 balloons in 1972, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has grown to become the largest balloon event in the world. Held each year during the first week in October, the Balloon Fiesta now attracts almost 600 balloons and 1000 pilots.
Bob Romaneschi
Each year the event spectators grow remarkably, attracting hundreds of thousands of guests each year along with more media coverage and viewers from home. From its humble beginnings in a mall parking lot, it now has a permanent site that is over 350 acres.
It is estimated that more than 25 million still photographs are taken of the Balloon Fiesta, repeatedly earning it the title “the world’s most photographed event.”
Jeff Haliczer
The Balloon Fiesta has not only grown in the number of balloons and guests but in the number of unique events as well. In addition to the spectacular Mass Ascensions, the Balloon Fiesta has added an annual Balloon Glow, Night Magic Glow, and the very popular Special Shape Rodeo
The “Special Shape Rodeo” is such a hit with onlookers they have four events dedicated strictly to special shapes. This includes the “Special Shape Glowdeo” where the balloons are lit up with lights in the evening.
Gary Moore
This year’s shapes including everything from Van Gogh, to Yoda, hugging bears and astronauts! Take a look at some of the imaginative and incredible participants from 2018 in the carousel below, watch an amazing time-lapse of the live action from 2013 in the video below!
INFORMATION SOURCE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA
“Balloon Fiesta is very proud of our 2018 field of Special Shape balloons and we wanted to share it with everyone, enjoy!”
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
After fulfilling his dream of becoming a pilot, Vikas Jyani took all of the elderly residents of his village on their first flight.
According to the Times of India, Jyani, of the Sarangpur village, had made a promise to the elderly that he would become a pilot and take them all on a flight.
“Many people make promises to the elderly, but he kept his word,” said Bimla, a 90-year-old woman who said she had never even dreamt of such a thing.
Two 78-year-old passengers said the air travel was “the best movement of their lives.”
In total, 22 residents flew to Amritsar to visit the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, and Wagah Border.
The pilot’s father Mahendra Jayani, senior manager at a bank said that Vikas always respect elders and this was his dream.
“He fulfilled his dream and that’s the most important thing for me. All youth should follow Vikas’ example and we should all respect our elders,” he added.
Credit for the reporting on this story goes to Times Of India
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
Musical savant Kodi Lee, born blind and diagnosed with autism at age four, received the coveted golden buzz on America’s Got Talent.
This video of that moment is truly one of the most heartwarming and inspiring moments in the show’s entire history.
Kodi is a musical prodigious savant. Only 25 people in the world are thought to share his incredible gift of an audio-photographic memory. He can play Bach, Chopin, and Mozart seamlessly. He also plays six different instruments and has perfect pitch.
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
Learn about the amazing boy who invented the incredible machine that helps clean our oceans in this inspiring story!
As a teen, Boyan Slat was scuba diving in Greece and was shocked to see more plastic than fish floating around in the ocean. Amazed that no one made an attempt to fight pollution, he founded ‘The Ocean Cleanup’
Six years ago, the technology was only an idea presented at a TEDx talk. Boyan Slat, the 18-year-old presenter, had learned that cleaning up the tiny particles of plastic in the ocean could take nearly 80,000 years.
Because of the volume of plastic spread through the water, and because it is constantly moving with currents, trying to chase it with nets would be a losing proposition.
Slat instead proposed using that movement as an advantage: With a barrier in the water, he argued, the swirling plastic could be collected much more quickly. Then it could be pulled out of the water and recycled.
In 2013, Slat founded the non-profit entity The Ocean Cleanup, of which he is now the CEO. The Ocean Cleanup’s mission is to develop advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. After the foundation, The Ocean Cleanup managed to raise $2.2 million through a crowdfunding campaign with the help of 38,000 donors from 160 countries.
Since The Ocean Cleanup started, the organization has raised $31.5 million USD in donations from entrepreneurs in Europe and in Silicon Valley, including Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.
“By developing new designs, Boyan Slat estimates that half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will be gone within 5 years, at minimal costs. The project will start with one system in mid-2018 and progressively make use of additional systems until it achieves full-scale deployment by 2020.” – Wikipedia
Watch the incredible ocean-cleaning machine in action in this neat video!
Enchanted Little Worldis a daily blog highlighting good news, funny videos, happy people and inspiring stories from around the world. Give each day a “high-five of happiness” with Enchanted Little World.
“To illustrate the idea and history of water as a source of community, we worked with a local artist to paint a mural to highlight the bottle filling station. The bottle filling station is open to the public, and since it’s an installation in 2016, it has served hundreds of thirsty locals and visitors.” SkySource
David Hertz harvesting water in Big Sur, California. Skywater 150 produces up to 150 gallons a day, and the water can be stored in water collection tanks for future use.
PHOTO CREDIT E.T. CANADA
PHOTO CREDIT PETER MOUNTAIN
PHOTO CREDIT CHOW YUN-FAT
Bob Romaneschi
Jeff Haliczer
Gary Moore
