Star Wars

I'm a huge Star Wars fan and after watching 'The Force Awakens,' I saw a lot of similarities between it and 'A New Hope.'  I loved it.  When there's a successful formula, why break from it?  There's a video that puts it all into perspective.  Similarities can be seen side-by-side.  watch

Unicorns were real

It's not exactly the way we picture them...white horse-like animals with a spiral horn on their heads.  It looked more like a rhino and lived in Kasakhstan.  The very large animal may have lived long enough to meet our early ancestors.  Unicorn

mailing cats

A couple in Britain accidentally sealed their cat, Cupcake, in a box.  They were mailing some DVDs to West Sussex and Cupcake made the 8-day trip along with the DVDs.  She was badly dehydrated when she arrived but a vet said that she should be fine.  Her owners are just grateful that she has been found.  They searched for her after the disappearance but couldn't find her anywhere.  Cats love boxes but I'm guessing Cupcake will stay clear of them for a while.  traveling cat 

Easter Egg Hunt

The Pez Center in Orange, Connecticut has a free Easter Egg Hunt every year.  9,000 eggs are laid out in three age category areas.  The company had to cancel it mid-hunt this year because parents didn't follow the rules.  It was the adults that trampled kids to get to the eggs and even stole baskets. One 4-year old was left bloody and a 2-year old was pushed face first into the mud.  What is wrong with these people?  This is supposed to be fun for kids and the adults are the ones that have to ruin it.  I've seen this on a smaller scale at local egg hunts.  Perhaps the youngest kids who can't walk and get eggs should just be given some.  Kids old enough to do it on their own should be in the area without adults...just my opinion...but maybe if adults are left out of the equation, kids would be safer.  tragic

boy receives medal

Myles Eckert was only 5 weeks old when his father was killed in Iraq.  He carries his father's dog tags and wedding ring with him.  On a trip to a Cracker Barrel in Toledo, Ohio, 11 year old Myles found a $20 bill in the parking lot.  He thought about the things he could buy with that $20 but changed his mind when he saw a soldier walk into the restaurant.  He wrote a touching note to the soldier and wrapped the $20 inside.  He said that his family always pays it forward so that's why he was giving the money away.   He signed the note, "Myles Eckert, a Gold Star kid."  Myles went on to help raise nearly $2 million dollars for Gold Star charities.  For his selfless service to others, Myles has been awarded a medal by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.  After the ceremony, he went to visit his father's grave...alone...to talk.  Myles, a Gold Star kid

higher drinking age

A bar in Minnesota has raised their drinking age to 40.  They say that they had lots of problems with fights and because there were so many police calls, they're paying hefty fines.  Now that they've raised the drinking age to 40, their regular crowd is coming back and the problems are gone.  40 to drink

National news

It seems very strange to see the name of the small town in which I live in the national news.  But there it is trending on facebook: Winona, MN.  A student has gone missing from St. Mary's University.  The police have the license plate of the vehicle, they know what time it happened, and  it's all on video.  With all of that information, why haven't they tracked down the owner of that Cadillac?  What aren't they telling us?  It wasn't even 24 hours after he went missing that the news came out.  Usually the police don't get involved until after the 24 hours has passed.  I hope that he is ok.  missing student ...update

beans

Would you be freaked if you saw bean sprouts growing from the drain in your tub?  It's happening to people who use the Lush Bar.  It has beans in the bar for the massaging effect.  The warm damp conditions of the shower drain are perfect for growing the sprouts.  Not what I want to find in my shower.  bean sprouts

Comedian Eddie Izzard

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.  The challenge for Eddie Izzard was to run 27 marathons in 27 days representing those 27 years of wrongful imprisonment.  He raised over 1 million British pounds so far.  He finished the challenge!  I've seen this man on stage and he looks a bit odd with the cross dressing and makeup.  His comedy is unique and requires a different type of audience than a regular comedian.  At age 54 he proved that he was much more than just a funny man, he's also an athlete and a humanitarian.  Sport Relief will be able to do a lot with the donations that Eddie raised.  Way to go Eddie

dog vs car

It's a scenario that doesn't always end well.  A woman was driving her car when she heard a strange noise so she took it to a local garage to have it checked.  It sat in the parking lot for two hours before techs could get to it.  They heard the sound as well when the car was started so they brought it into the garage and put it on a hoist. What they discovered was a dog stuck under the car.  They feared the worst but were surprised when they found the dog was still alive.  The techs worked immediately to get the dog out.  It was then checked out by a vet and is doing well.  The woman who owned the car has now given the dog a furever home.  happy ending

Anonymous

The hacker group has targeted Donald Trump.  They say that he has shocked the entire planet with his appalling actions and ideas.  A video has been posted on youtube asking all fellow hackers to help shut down all of Trump's websites.  It's not the first time they've gone after Trump.  targeting Trump

awful symbol

A mother in Florida discovered a pedophile symbol on her daughter's toy.  The pink truck was purchased at a Monster Jam event in Tampa.  The company that manufactures the toy has apologized and issued an immediate recall.  The symbol apparently means that a young girl is ready to be trafficked for sex.  It's a positive thing that this mother was quick to point out this problem.  It may save many little girls from a horrific situation.  secret symbol is not so secret anymore

goodbye Bruiser

The chihuahua that played Bruiser in 'Legally Blonde' has passed away.  Moonie was the pooch's real name and he was 18.  Reese Witherspoon posted her tribute to Bruiser on her Instragram account.   RIP Moonie

goat arrested

A pet goat was caught playing ding dong ditch at several residences in Sebastopol California.  Residents had been complaining about someone knocking on their doors and assumed it was kids playing a prank.  Police finally caught the culprit...an escaped pet goat.  The goat was reunited with it's owner.  knocking goat

reunited

Army Veteran Julio Munoz had expected to be reunited with his service dog when he returned from active duty.  The two had formed a bond while protecting each other in a war zone.  But when Munoz returned to the US, he discovered that his dog had wrongfully been sold to someone else.  The group in charge of reuniting soldiers with their dog counterparts has been caught selling these dogs instead of giving them to their rightful owners.  And it seems that the Pentagon is involved...so far not much can be done to get these dogs back where they rightfully belong.  Munoz is one of the lucky ones.  Kim Scarborough has had "Ben" for 3 years and tracked down Munoz so that he could be back with his dog.  Sure hope there are more people like Kim that will help get these dogs to their true owners.  one down, many to go

chimp gets a friend

The loneliest chimp in the world gets a new friend.  Ponso was deserted on an island by the New York Blood Center in the early 1980's along with 19 others.  Ponso is the only surviving chimp after the blood center stopped feeding them.  Ponso's new guardian takes good care of him and has now brought him a stuffed bear to keep him company.  Ponso's plight

tree vs. car

A woman in Illinois hit a tree.  Accidents happen all the time--it's nothing new.  But what she did afterwards is the surprising part.  The 15 foot tree got stuck in her grill and she continued to drive.  It was standing straight up in the air and her air bags even deployed.  She said that she doesn't remember where she hit the tree.  Hey Lady...stop consuming alcohol!!  tree

Goodbye Joey

Joey Feek fought a courageous battle against cancer over the last several months.  It was a public battle with her husband Rory keeping everyone informed about his wife's fight.  Unfortunately Joey passed away on Friday, March 4.  Rory and their daughter have returned to Tennessee.  thoughts for the family

Hank the Dog

The Brewers have taken good care of Hank the Dog.  So much so that he looks like a different dog which gets the conspiracy theorists going.  Some are claiming that Hank has died and the Brewers secretly replaced him with a different dog.  The Brewers find it amusing and have taken Hank to the vet to have his chip verified.  They held a news conference to unveil the news and used the opportunity to work with the Humane Society to share messages about animal care, adoption, and tracking.  Hank

bugs, bugs, and more bugs!

A beetle invasion is happening on the beaches in Argentina.  Some are claiming that it is a sign that the world is about to end.  Others are selling the bugs online saying that the insects can strengthen the body's defenses against cancer, AIDS, asthma, diabetes, and other illnesses.  millions of bugs

baby dragons

A rare birth will soon happen in a cave in Slovenia.  There are 57 eggs ready to hatch.  The "baby dragons" or olms will soon be born.  The olms are blind but have other senses that are heightened.  In earlier times, a mist or fog was seen coming from the caves where they were born which made people think that a dragon lived there.  The olms, however, do not breath fire.  The creatures can live 100 years or more and can go without eating for up to 10 years.  The last time eggs were discovered in this cave was in 2013 but all the eggs were eaten before they could hatch.  This time, workers have removed all the olms that pose a danger to the eggs.  An infrared camera has been placed near the nests so that cave visitors can keep tabs on the babies.  rare birth

ghosts

Sometimes it's interesting what images are caught in photos.  Is it that we're just seeing things because of lighting or positioning of the camera or is there really something there?  If you're freaked out about seeing spooky images, then don't go look at these:  Pictures

lion, tiger, and bear; oh my!

Leo the Lion, Shere Khan the Tiger, and Baloo the Bear are best friends.  The live together in the same enclosure and even eat together.  They love playing with each other.  They've been together for the past 15 years after being rescued from a drug dealer's basement in Atlanta.  best friends