[BigGlen]

This might be the most over-the-top Backyard Skating Rink in Toronto



A backyard rink in the heart of Toronto was a childhood dream for resident David Weiss. The rink is about half the size of a standard NHL rink but built with a refrigerated ice-making system, spectacular lighting and a professional sound system.Weiss told blogTO he started to build the rink in his backyard in Armour Heights about eight years ago.

"It was a childhood dream because I wasn't fortunate to be in any type of organized sports or any type of hockey because my parents didn’t have the means to do it," Weiss said. So he decided when he was older and had children of his own, he would offer them the best he could. His three children, Alex, 21, a hockey player, and twins Ariel and Ashley, 19, have all made use of the rink over the years and particularly this year during the pandemic, Weiss said.

He and his wife Elise also skate around the rink. "We use it for pleasure skating." Weiss also gets a lot of joy seeing kids from the neighborhood and friends and family using the rink. "It is a personal pleasure for me to see other people get enjoyment from something I created," Weiss said. "The best satisfaction I get is when I see my kids out there enjoying it and the second best satisfaction I get is when I see other little children using that rink and going nuts over it." The rink is about half the size of a regulation NHL rink. He has even had little league team members come out and use the rink.

"One of the things to make a successful backyard rink is the ambience, you have got to have that," said Weiss.

Weiss contracted professional hockey rink builders.

"I wanted to mimic the Scotia (arena), I wanted to have that real authentic hockey experience," he said.

After his wife Elise posted a beautiful snowy photo of the rink on Instagram the last month, people started to notice — such as YouTubers NELK and hockey coach Pavel Barber. Barber posted a video on YouTube about his experience on the rink.

"For somebody who loves hockey — to get a phone call from the NHL that they want to feature it — I am freaking out," he said.

The NHL wanted to post a photo of the rink on social media and next week TSN is coming out to film, Weiss said. But Elise said her husband didn't do it for recognition, he simply wanted to bring joy to their children and the other kids they invite to the rink.

"He is so passionate," she said. "This is what a father does for his children."

[Fatima99]

‘Grandfather’ of Homeless Animals Graduates From Veterinary Program to Care for Stray Dogs

The “grandfather” of homeless animals has been awarded for his volunteering efforts looking after stray dogs—graduating from a veterinary medicine program in his seventies, he now travels hundreds of miles a week to care for them.



Retiring from his career as a biology teacher after serving his community of 42 years, Turkey’s Fevzi Uyar has been dedicating his time to animals in need for the past five years.

He has cared for many stray dogs—including building over 80 plywood animal shelters to house them during the winter months. To each one, he adds carpets, rugs, and blankets for insulation and comfort.

Uyar also travels more than 90 miles every two days to provide homeless dogs with food and water. With the help of other animal lovers, he supplies eight to ten tons of dog food and meal to strays each month. Up to 1,000 dogs now recognize his van and follow it along the path of food stops he has established.

Often encountering animals in need of medical attention, Uyar incurred several thousands of dollars in debts to the local veterinarian. To continue providing care, he enrolled in a veterinary medicine program despite being past retirement age. Recently graduating, the 71-year-old now vaccinates, treats, and dresses any wounds.

For his efforts to provide stray animals with a better life, Uyar has been awarded the first Gladiator Award from The Babbitt Family Foundation. They say, “We hope Mr. Uyar’s story will inspire you to discover how ‘a single individual can contribute to changing the world and benefitting all humanity’.”

[PennySerenade]

Mysterious monolith appears seemingly overnight along Toronto's shoreline



TORONTO -- A mysterious monolith similar to others that have popped up and disappeared in various countries around the world has been spotted along Toronto’s shoreline on New Year’s Eve.

The gleaming structure appeared sometime prior to Thursday morning in the city’s Humber Bay Shores neighbourhood. In photos of the area, the tall structure can be seen along the water’s edge, with the CN tower in the distance.

The monolith appears to be made of metal and stands about 12 feet tall. It also seems to be hollow.


It was spotted Thursday by numerous residents in the area, who then posted photographs to social media.

"Humber Bay got its own monolith overnight,” one resident posted in the Humber Bay Shores Facebook group.



Monoliths, most made of metal and at least one made of gingerbread, have been popping up all around the world—some disappearing just as fast as they appeared.

In the Utah desert, hundreds flocked to see the structure amid a global pandemic before it was removed by athletes worried about the damage to the landscape.

No one has yet claimed credit for removing the monolith in Romania, which mysteriously disappeared.

In Canada, structures have been found in Manitoba and British Columbia.

Toronto residents have expressed delight and concern after finding the structure, with some calling it “rogue art” and others wondering if there is a higher purpose to the piece.

Speculation among those that spoke to CTV News Toronto includes the possibility that it was placed at the location by aliens, that it may be a promotion for an upcoming film, or that the city placed it there as a piece of public art.

Regardless of the theory, most residents said they were intrigued by the structure and happy to see it provoking conversation not related to the pandemic.

At the same time, others expressed a little bit of concern that the monolith will bring people from across the city into the neighbourhood at a time where they should be sticking to their own community due to COVID-19.

[johngriffen]

I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
SATURDAY JANUARY 2
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

How do you play?
Just post a story that you have come across that made you smile, laugh, feel good...
BUT NOTHING DEPRESSING

EXAMPLE POST

​Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag

A naked sunbather was seen chasing wild boar through a park after it stole his laptop bag.
Amusing photographs from Germany show the man running after the animal to try and claim the plastic bag back.
But the cheeky boar and its two piglets appear to be too quick for the sunbather, who can't keep up with their speedy little trotters.
As the incident unfolds, groups of friends and family sat on the grass watch on and laugh.
Heads are seen turning in surprise and amusement in the hilarious photographs.
The incident happened at Teufelssee Lake - a bathing spot in the Grunwell Forest in Berlin, Germany.

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You may post One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can enter only once a day
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -6)
3:00 PM GMT (UTC -0)
on those days I space out and forget to post or can't due to Real Life
Stories may be accompanied with images - but No big images, please! 800x800 pixels wide maximum
Videos are allowed, but please keep them to under a minute, and post a short summary for those that don't like to click on videos
No Duplicate stories - Where a post has been edited resulting in duplicates, then the last one in time gets disallowed.
And please limit this to reasonably family friendly stories

Reward:
Each news story posted that I feel is acceptable (must be a real story, too few words or simply a headline are not considered acceptable) will earn you 50 WRZ$
If you post multiple stories on any given day, you will only earn 50 WRZ$ for the first story of the Day
Special Bonus - Each week I will award "The Pulitzer Prize" for the best story of the week
The weekly winner of the "The Pulitzer Prize" will receive a 100 WRZ$ bonus
It's just my personal opinion, so my judgement is final

So help bring GOOD news to the members of mobi, and join our reporting team...

IN OTHER NEWS

[Fatima99]

Young brothers give back amid success of bowtie business

McDonough, Georgia — Anyone looking to start a business could learn a lot from two young brothers in Georgia. They're masters at making money and sharing their wealth with others — and they're doing it all in style.



"I'm the CEO and founder and Noah is the president, newly promoted," Treandos Thornton said.

Treandos Thornton and his younger brother Noah sell bowties.

"My idea was for it to motivate kids to see that style meets purpose," Treandos Thornton said.

The third-grader started his bowtie company when he was five. He's now pushing $50,000 in annual sales and wants to have his own store in the future.

The businessman also runs his own food and toy drive that helps families in need. UPS donated a truckload of supplies to his cause.

He's learned life skills any parent can appreciate.

"Look up! Don't look down all the time," he said. "If someone shakes your hand, shake firmly. Of course, before COVID times."

The boys' parents help, but the kids make final decisions — at least when it comes to the business. Household rules are still made by their mom and dad.

Man files lawsuit over 'Hawaiian rolls' not being made in Hawaii



A New York state man filed a class action lawsuit against the makers of King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, alleging the company misled him into believing the California-manufactured sweet rolls are made in Hawaii.

Robert Galinsky of Yonkers said in his lawsuit against King's Hawaiian that the packaging prominently features "Hilo, Hawaii" on the front, but the back reveals they are actually made in Torrance, Calif.

Galinsky said the packaging misled him into purchasing the product, believing the rolls to be made in Hawaii.

The lawsuit states the company "is the leading seller of Hawaiian Rolls and essentially invented this category of food," and cites incidents of the company taking legal action against other manufacturers for using the phrase "Hawaiian rolls" in marketing.

The King's Hawaiian website states the rolls were created by Robert Taira in the 1950s, when he opened Robert's Bakery in Hilo. The company was renamed to King's Bakery when it later expanded to Honolulu, and the business eventually closed to Torrance.

King's Hawaiian has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/12/31 ... 609440753/

[BigGlen]

This is the longest music video of all time -- and it would take you more than 4,200 hours to watch



Twenty One Pilots has officially set a new record for the longest music video of all time -- clocking in at just over 4,264 hours.

The pop band, known for their hit "Stressed Out," released the song "Level of Concern" in April. Two months later, the duo announced that they were making what they called a "never-ending" music video for the song, using content that fans would upload onto a website.

The final product was a continuous live stream on YouTube. The song would play on a loop, and every time the song began again, new fan videos would appear, creating the intended "never-ending" music video.
But it did, eventually, end. After a whopping 117 days 16 hours 10 minutes and 25 seconds -- beginning on June 21 and ending on December 16 -- the group accidentally pulled the plug, and the Guinness World Records announced their feat.

Previously, the record was held by Pharrell Williams, who created a 24-hour music video for "Happy" back in 2013.

[goldie0608]

Son Finds Original Children’s Book Written by His Dad Returning From WWII PoW Camp, Publishes it 75 Years Later



A children’s book written by a father for his son after he returned from a World War Two prisoner of war camp has finally been published—after 75 years.

‘Now It Can Be Told’ was penned by Arthur Stiby after he was released from a Japanese-run detention center. The Royal Artillery major was captured by Japanese forces after the fall of Singapore in 1942 and endured horrific conditions. To keep his and others’ spirits up, he wrote plays and sketches to be performed as entertainment for fellow PoWs.



Upon his return to Britain, Arthur then wrote the first parts of the children’s book, which features a brave daschund involved in a wartime mission,. A talented writer, he sent his work in easy-to-read weekly installments to his son Robert at boarding school.

Thought to have been lost, the incomplete manuscript was rediscovered while Robert was sorting through old family boxes recently.

Robert said: “My father died long ago, but recently I have had time to sort out a lot of family stuff. There in a dusty old box, I found this tattered, dog-eared copy of the original, but incomplete, manuscript. I was overjoyed. Although I am no longer eight—I am now in my eighties—reading it again was such fun that I decided to publish it.”

He and nephew Jamie Stiby-Harris then set about finishing the book—with Jamie doing the illustrations.

Robert added: “I hope this little book will bring as bring as much enjoyment to others as it did to the grubby little schoolboy for whom it was originally written.”

The book is available for £7 ($9.50), and all proceeds from the sale of the book to go to the Salisbury Hospice.

[Fivetide]

Couples who meet through dating apps are more likely to stay together, study finds

A study of more than 3,000 couples over the age of 18 found that those who met through dating apps were more like to find a lasting relationship compared to those who didn't


The study found people using apps have stronger relationship goals (Image: Getty Images)

Dating apps are often perceived as a platform to find a quick fling, but a study has found they may actually be the best place to find a lasting relationship.

A survey of couples claims those who met online are more likely to stay together than romances which begin in more traditional ways.

So if you've shunned dating apps as the place to find a meaningful connection, psychologists have suggested those using the apps actually have stronger relationship goals and therefore a higher chance of finding that special someone.

A study of 3,235 couples in Switzerland who are over the age of 18 found those who met on dating apps were more motivated to cohabit than those who didn't, as reported by The Sun.


It could be the key to finding long-term love (Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

It found women who used apps such as Tinder and Bumble to find a match had more desire to have children, and both men and women who met on them were just as sexually and socially satisfied as other couples.

The survey also found apps help to cultivate long-distance relationships and more diverse couples, especially highly-educated women and less-educated men going on dates.

Before dating apps really took off, websites were the go-to for finding a partner online and the study found these mainly attracted people over the age of 40 and divorcees.

Dr Gina Potarca, of Geneva University, said: "The internet is transforming the dynamics of how people meet.

"It provides an unprecedented abundance of meeting opportunities, and involves minimal effort."

Of course, once you're on the app you still need to make sure you're giving yourself the best chances, from creating the right profile to nailing the opening line.

To help singletons on their way, Rosette Pambakian, Tinder’s Vice President of Branding and Communications, has revealed her top tips and tricks to make sure your profile gets swiped right. You can see them here.

Skeleton of Robert the Bruce found in Fife may actually be that of King David I


A cast of the skull believed to belong to Robert the Bruce, found in Dunfermline Abbey in 1818.

The tomb of Robert the Bruce discovered at Dunfermline Abbey 200 years ago may actually be that of King David I, according to new research.

A research project has uncovered evidence of the original layout of the choir of Scotland’s historic Dunfermline Abbey – the final resting place of the legendary Scottish ruler.

Led by Stirling University historian Dr Michael Penman, the three-year partnership project with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) used a series of ground-penetrating radar surveys to study the abbey.

The surveys provide evidence of more than 15 potential elite burials focused around the abbey’s 14th Century Lady Chapel and aisle, as well as around the east end pilgrimage shrine erected around 1250 for royal saint Margaret, queen of Malcolm III.



The results allowed the team to create a speculative plan of the lost medieval choir – an area left ruinous following the Protestant Reformation in 1560.

The surveys also found radar and archival evidence for the lost high altar settings of the abbey choir and a formerly unnoticed southern transept chapel and aisle dedicated to St John the Baptist.

Evidence raised questions about The Bruce’s true gravesite
Radar and archival evidence was also uncovered raising questions about the true gravesite of King Robert the Bruce.

Dr Penman said: “In 1818, architect William Burn uncovered a grave and a lead-encased skeleton, which was generally accepted as being Bruce’s remains.

“However, combining our radar evidence with measurements taken by local historian Ebenezer Henderson in 1854, it raises the likelihood that the position of this original grave site was too close to the screened high altar for it to have been the original burial site. In this position, it would have impeded the chancel steps, liturgy of the mass and been obscured to visitors in the aisles.

“One possibility is that this site was a ‘rescue’ burial by monks who reportedly stayed on at Dunfermline until around 1580, in defiance of the Reformation, and who perhaps saved these remains after a box tomb was destroyed.

“That would explain why this skeleton was found covered in a late 16th or 17th Century ‘anthropomorphic’ lead shroud in quite a shallow, crude grave slot.

“Through this study, we also found potential evidence of the existence of double tombs, and it could also have been the case that Bruce was originally buried within the northern central presbytery of the choir, together with his queen, Elizabeth de Burgh.”

Legendary Scottish king died in 1329
Robert the Bruce died aged 54 on June 7 1329, at the Manor of Cardross, near Dumbarton, having fulfilled his goal for the Bruce right to the Scottish crown to be recognised.



His body was embalmed and his heart removed and taken on crusade by Sir James Douglas in a silver casket worn on a chain around his neck. Bruce’s body was carried to Dunfermline Abbey and interred.

Dr Penman said there was only around a 50% chance the skeleton discovered in 1818 was that of Bruce – and it could belong to David I who died in 1153 or even a wealthy Fife merchant from the period after the 1560 Reformation.

He added: “We know so little about the 1560 to early 19th Century period, that you’ve really got to be careful.


Chris Pine stars as Robert the Bruce in Outlaw King.

“It could well be a medieval king. The lead looks 17th Century so it could be that Bruce’s tomb was smashed in the Reformation and the monks rescued the bones. But would they rescue Robert, or would they rescue David, who they regarded as a saint, and the abbey’s founder?

“But Dunfermline is like Westminster – it’s not a single person’s mausoleum but a big complex, changing place over time.”

Dunfermline Abbey was founded by David I
Dunfermline’s Benedictine Abbey, founded by King David I around 1128, is one of Scotland’s most important cultural sites and has received more royal dead than any other place in the kingdom, except Iona.

In 2021, the “new” Abbey Church, which was built atop the medieval choir ruins and opened for public worship in 1821, will celebrate its bicentennial year.

The radar surveys, led by Erica Carrick Utsi, of EMC Radar Consulting, took in a mixture of interior and exterior areas of the abbey church.

Richard Strachan, of Historic Environment Scotland, said: “This project has been very significant in reinforcing the importance of the role of the abbey church as a royal mausoleum.”

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/lo ... g-david-i/

[HogwartsExpress]

Union Bridge animal rescue volunteer adopts double amputee dog, writes children’s book teaching acceptance




Union Bridge resident Jill Trail volunteers for Operation Paws for Homes, an international dog rescue based in various small pockets of the world. Their mission is to rescue animals regardless of circumstances or location.

And that motto directly applied to her after she adopted Pihu, an Indian pariah dog who is a double amputee that uses a wheelchair and is now the star of Trail’s new children’s book, “Pihu Makes a Friend: The Desi Trail.”

After visiting India to volunteer at a partnering animal shelter in December of 2019, Trail had set her sights on adopting Pihu after learning that she had been struck by a vehicle and suffered spinal injuries as a puppy. As a result, Pihu had to have her back right leg cut off.

After becoming a “foster failure,” an affectionate term used to describe when a foster pet parent permanently adopts a dog or cat, Pihu came to the United States just before the outbreak of COVID-19.

Trail then had her back left leg removed and began to teach her how to use her wheelchair.

“She had never used one before. And when I first put it on her, she kept trying to figure out what was attached to her butt,” said Trail. “But after a little coaxing with a treat and teaching, she had this ah-ha moment, and she started going.”

According to Trail, writing her new children’s book was inspired by the ongoing fascination kids have about Pihu and her wheelchair during their outdoor walks in Union Bridge.



“I was out walking with [Pihu] one day, when a boy on a bike stopped to talk me and said, ‘Wow, she has two wheels’,” Trail explained. “And I said to him, ‘yeah, she does –– just like you.”

Trail’s encounter with that young boy this past July, led her to begin writing about Pihu’s spinal injury in way that explained focused on the larger commonalities between people, rather than their differences.

“The purpose of Pihu’s book is to teach acceptance and diversity,” said Trail. “I want kids to learn how to embrace who they are and others around them.”

Trail said that she intended on showing many different faces of kids from different backgrounds so that images are reflective of her message of acceptance.

“I sat down and begin to put this story together in August and I wrote it in a script format. And once I begin to the put the words down, it began to come together,” said Trail. “The hardest part was finding the illustrator, and once that work was completed, it was finally finished.”

“Pihu Makes a Friend: The Desi Trail,” was published and was made available online by Amazon Publishing.



source
https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/c ... story.html

[PennySerenade]

'Beyond our expectations': Newly Opened Toronto Bagel Shop Thriving Despite COVID-19 Lockdown



TORONTO -- A deli in Toronto’s west-end has customers lined up out the door to get their hands on its Montreal-style bagels.

"The demand has been beyond our expectations," says Kettlemans Bagel founder and owner, Craig Buckley. He adds, "We would have had to multiply by four or six times what we expected."

Buckley already has three locations in the Ottawa area. He decided to take the chance and open his first GTA location last month during a pandemic.

“The hospitality industry has been devastated," he said, speaking to CTV News Toronto. While he admits that his decision to open was a risk, he says it was an educated risk.

"Takeout food is doing extremely well. Our food is made for taking out," he said.



When you walk in, Kettleman's Bagel has a very busy feel. Almost everything is made in-house and customers can actually see bakers rolling the dough and cooking the bagels in the oven. While the line keeps customers socially distanced, for it to stretch out the door is common.

"It's crazy busy already," says Melissa Dimech, a customer who came in just because she saw the lineup and wanted to see why so many people were there.

"You can just go in and out right, so I guess you can just call it pandemic proof," says customer Chivas Lumbal.

Some customers say that it is nice to see a business actually open during the pandemic.

"I think it's fantastic. It's something to look forward to and it's a happy place to come to," says Aliki Markakis, who came in for the first time with her two kids.



At a time when many in the service industry are looking for work, the Kettlemans location at Brown’s Line and Evans Avenue in Etobicoke employs over a hundred people. Moreover, Buckley said that the pandemic has actually helped them attract talent.

"We've been able to get some amazing team members, that maybe we wouldn't have been able to get before," he says.

One of those team members is John Mitchell. He is a former executive chef at the Rogers Centre, serving crowds by the tens of thousands. He originally chuckled at the idea of joining a bagel shop, but he says that when he saw the operation, he decided to make the move.

"It just keeps getting busier and busier and that excites me. You just see the growth," he says.


Buckley says that their success during the pandemic has him thinking of even more growth.

"This makes us even more anxious to start opening more stores," he says.

They plan on opening more in the GTA. Not just one or two new stores, Buckley says they are looking at 12 to 15 locations.

[hija]

The surprising benefits of reading



Here’s a simple question—answer it honestly, because your response could boost the amount of pleasure in your daily life, delay dementia, and even help you live longer: How many hours did you spend reading books last week?

This question has arrived in thousands of U.S. homes every other year since 1992 as part of the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS). A minor item on a massive survey of more than 20,000 retirees, it had long gone ignored in the analysis of elder brain health. But in 2016, when researchers at the Yale School of Public Health dug into 12 years of HRS data about the reading habits and health of more than 3,600 men and women over the age of 50, a hopeful pattern emerged: people who read books—fiction or nonfiction, ­poetry or prose—for as little as 30 minutes a day over several years were living an average of two years longer than people who didn’t read anything at all. Odder still, book readers who reported more than three hours of reading each week were 23 per cent less likely to die between 2001 and 2012 than their peers who read only newspapers or magazines. The benefits of reading are so great that they’ll probably convince you to read these famous books everyone has to read before they die.

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to ­assume you don’t need to be sold on the merits of the written word. You may already be familiar with recent findings that suggest children as young as six months who read books with their parents several times a week show stronger literacy skills four years later, score higher on intelligence tests, and land better jobs than non-readers. But recent research argues that reading may be just as important in adulthood. When practiced over a lifetime, reading and language-acquisition skills can support healthy brain functioning in big ways. Simply put: word power increases brain power.

To understand why and what each of us can do to get the most out of our words, start by asking the same question the Yale team did: What is it about reading books in particular that boosts our brain power whereas reading newspapers and magazines doesn’t? For one, the researchers posit, chapter books encourage “deep reading.” Unlike, say, skimming a page of headlines, reading a book (of any genre) forces your brain to think critically and make connections from one chapter to another, and to the outside world. When you make connections, so does your brain, literally forging new pathways between regions in all four lobes and both hemispheres. Over time, these neural networks can promote quicker thinking and may provide a greater defense against the worst effects of cognitive decay.

[krazny9]

5-year-old gives hot cocoa and marshmallows to families in need



One Washington family took their 5-year-old son's advice to collect and donate hot cocoa to families in need.

"We were out for a walk one night and it was starting to get cold -- and whenever Hudson gets cold he says, 'OK I need hot cocoa to warm up,'" Lacey Galligan told "Good Morning America" of how they first thought up the idea.
The mom of three explained to Hudson that "not everybody gets hot cocoa" and he retorted, [size=150]"We need all the kids to have hot cocoa because it can help keep people warm."[/size]
Galligan slept on it and thought about how she could turn her 5-year-old boy's sweet idea into a reality.
"We had done a few small things for Backpack 4 Kids and then I contacted them and they told me how many families they serve -- 530 kids and 200 families per week in the community," she said. of the nonprofit organization that feeds hungry children and families on the Key Peninsula and in Gig Harbor. "So I thought we could do 200 boxes of hot chocolate, because that would give every family hot cocoa. And then my daughter [Giselle, 7] chimed in that we needed to do marshmallows too."

The family helped donate 300 boxes of hot chocolate and 300 bags of marshmallows total, which were distributed the week after Christmas.

"The people there work so hard. It lets these families know that the community cares about them and I want the kids to know that every child and caregiver to know that we care. Any time we can encourage people to look at tiny things that they can do to spread kindness, we're happy to help with spreading kindness," Galligan said.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/story/year-fulfills-holiday-give-hot-cocoa-marshmallows-families-74954580

[johngriffen]

I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
SUNDAY JANUARY 3
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

How do you play?
Just post a story that you have come across that made you smile, laugh, feel good...
BUT NOTHING DEPRESSING

EXAMPLE POST

​Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag

A naked sunbather was seen chasing wild boar through a park after it stole his laptop bag.
Amusing photographs from Germany show the man running after the animal to try and claim the plastic bag back.
But the cheeky boar and its two piglets appear to be too quick for the sunbather, who can't keep up with their speedy little trotters.
As the incident unfolds, groups of friends and family sat on the grass watch on and laugh.
Heads are seen turning in surprise and amusement in the hilarious photographs.
The incident happened at Teufelssee Lake - a bathing spot in the Grunwell Forest in Berlin, Germany.

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You may post One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can enter only once a day
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -6)
3:00 PM GMT (UTC -0)
on those days I space out and forget to post or can't due to Real Life
Stories may be accompanied with images - but No big images, please! 800x800 pixels wide maximum
Videos are allowed, but please keep them to under a minute, and post a short summary for those that don't like to click on videos
No Duplicate stories - Where a post has been edited resulting in duplicates, then the last one in time gets disallowed.
And please limit this to reasonably family friendly stories

Reward:
Each news story posted that I feel is acceptable (must be a real story, too few words or simply a headline are not considered acceptable) will earn you 50 WRZ$
If you post multiple stories on any given day, you will only earn 50 WRZ$ for the first story of the Day
Special Bonus - Each week I will award "The Pulitzer Prize" for the best story of the week
The weekly winner of the "The Pulitzer Prize" will receive a 100 WRZ$ bonus
It's just my personal opinion, so my judgement is final

So help bring GOOD news to the members of mobi, and join our reporting team...

IN OTHER NEWS