A Daily Antidote to Everything Else
… Amazon will donate more than 47,000 sq. ft. of space within Amazon’s newest headquarters building as a permanent location for a Mary’s Place Family Shelter.
Source: Amazon to Build a Family Shelter for Mary’s Place Within its Seattle HQ
Amazon has had a pretty amazing impact in and around the downtown Seattle area. It’s nice to see them “give back” in a substantial and tangible way to the community in which they live.
Bryson William Verdun Hayes, decorated for WWII heroism, completes tandem jump with son, grandson and great grandkids
I’m not so sure about jumping out of airplanes, but it’s his attitude I want to have when I grow up. 🙂
SEATTLE – Fundraising efforts in Seattle, Everett, and Marysville have significantly eased school lunch debts for thousands of kids across the region.Last week, Jeffery Lew, a Seattle parent, created a gofundme account with the goal of raising $21,000 to …
Source: Father’s mission to pay off school lunch debt in Seattle inspires kindness from strangers | KOMO
Here’s where the debt comes from (from the GoFundMe page):
Many children depend on a nutritious lunch to help them through their school day. Per the 2015-16 report by Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washington State, 36% of Seattle Public School District students are on free or reduced-price meals (Report). This is based on parents filling out meal applications. If a child is unable to pay for their meal, a debt has started. Families will receive an invoice from the school district to pay the debt.
Seems that by definition the very people in need of this program are those least able to be able to pay off the debt. I love the idea of independently stepping in and helping out…
“Wait…it’s been in there the entire time?”
Source: Woman unknowingly wore her engagement ring hidden in necklace for a year – ABC News
Sometimes, ya just know. Best quote, not in the news article, but in the video: “I COULD HAVE LOST IT YOU F****** IDIOT!” 🙂
Driver Phil Broussard leads a German shepherd onto the Rescue Express bus in San Fernando, Calif. The organization tries to save animals by transporting them to adoption groups in the Pacific Northwest, where euthanasia rates are lower. (Patrick T. Fallon for The Washington Post)
Source: From death row to adoption: Saving animals by car, van, bus and even plane – The Washington Post
The first rule, of course, is to spay or neuter your pets. And that message seems to be getting out there, which is great. Besides transport organizations, there are numerous formal and informal networks of pet owners that will come together to transport pets — sometimes long distances, often via relay — in order to reach their “forever homes”. Truly inspiring.
The Dublin student who mislaid his laptop in a taxi last week has been reunited with it after a viral search campaign headed by JK Rowling.
Quoting the student: “It’s amazing what the internet can do. … I feel so thankful to know that there are such good people in the world.” Indeed. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that perhaps he should have had a backup? 🙂
The bionic hand is fitted with a camera that ‘instantaneously takes a picture of the object in front of it, assesses its shape and size and triggers a series of movements in the hand.’
Source: UK Engineers Develop Prosthetic Hand That Can ‘See’
I think the digitization and miniaturization of cameras and the smarts behind them has to be one of the most enabling developments in recent decades. Everything from large scale — autonomous cars — to small scale — “smart” prosthetics.
One of the limited items Ruwaida carried with her on her journey was a wooden mold that her mother used to teach her to make traditional, Syrian cookies. Ruwaida had no idea as she packed the family heirlooms that the cookie mold would hold the key to her earning a living in the U.S.
Source: Refugee woman supports family with cookie-baking business – TODAY.com
The cookies sound delicious. 🙂
Your morning cup of joe might soon be able to wake up not just you – but your car too.
Source: Morning Cup of Coffee Can Now Easily Create Biofuel – Good News Network
Well, there ya go. I can probably fuel a small fleet all by myself. 🙂
Freddie the tortoise is a great example of how modern technology can help disabled animals and drastically improve their lives.
Source: Tortoise Gets Hand-Painted 3D Printed Shell After Surviving Forest Fire
I think a lot of people sometimes wonder what 3D printing might be truly useful for. Tortoise shells are nice, and this is a great story, but I see this as much a proof of what kinds of things might be possible in the future. Tortoise shells today, tomorrow’s possibilities are endless….