Female strength
Mala Yousufzai, form Pakistan, may not be someone on your facebook, or twittersphere, but she is a powerful young lady who is currently in the headlines as she has been actively standing up against the Taliban since 2009. She has been threatened several times, believed to have a 'Western thinking' and recently was shot in the head. Last night she had the operation to take the bullet out and we all pray this wonderful, strong teenager will survive and fight on with her belief of having her home town being free of Taliban rule.
Beauty in grace.
This picture was posted by a student in Ohio State University stating 'I am not sure what to conclude from this'. After a series of rounds of negativity, Balpreet Kaur was informed and took to the social media outlets and gracefully educated the ignorant judgemental masses. As a Sikh, she is forbidden to altering her body - cutting hair, shaving etc. Her facial hair was a result of teenage hormones, but she never tried to hide it, as she said My attitude and thoughts and actions have more value in them than my body".
A woman standing up against what society tells us to do, instead of going with our emotions and feelings.
We all stand up and applaud your infinite beauty.
A woman standing up against what society tells us to do, instead of going with our emotions and feelings.
We all stand up and applaud your infinite beauty.
What a sight!
Designer eye wear, but with a difference. For every pair sold on the website, the company also provide a pair to someone in need. They partner with non-profits who train low income entrepreneurs to sell affordable glasses. Buy what you need and help make a difference to someone else in the world.
Every child's is special in the Magic Kingdom
When your daughter gets excited getting dressed up as a princess knowing she is going to the Magic Kingdom, one Security officer makes it just that little bit more special. They carry around an autograph book so they can ask for their signature, as every princess is famous here!
How sweet!!
How sweet!!
Purrfect match
Four year old Fraser was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 18months, and grew up with therapy sessions trying to help with this condition. When they decided to get a cat from the local shelter, Billy the cat, went straight to Fraser and played with him. Fraser declared that was their new cat and brought him home. Ever since, the duo have been best buds, with Billy's watchful eye on Frasers' condition that when he starts to act up, Billy goes to him and offers a cuddle.
Animals can sense a lot of things, and are a peaceful influence on most people.
Animals can sense a lot of things, and are a peaceful influence on most people.
Bald and Beautiful
A campaign called 'The bald and the beautiful' was started on Facebook at the beginning of this year, by two mothers whose daughters lost their hair due to cancer treatment. The idea was to create awareness and reduce the stigma attached for the children suffering from a variety of hair loss reasons.
Mattel, the makers of Barbie, have listen and will be starting to produce the Bald Barbie, along with accessorises, but they will not be sold in stores. Instead, all will be donated to hospitals and the US National Alopecia Areata Foundation. The company said in a statement: "Through a thoughtful approach, we made the decision not to sell these dolls at retail stores, but rather get the dolls directly into the hands of children who can most benefit from the unique play experience."
Mattel, the makers of Barbie, have listen and will be starting to produce the Bald Barbie, along with accessorises, but they will not be sold in stores. Instead, all will be donated to hospitals and the US National Alopecia Areata Foundation. The company said in a statement: "Through a thoughtful approach, we made the decision not to sell these dolls at retail stores, but rather get the dolls directly into the hands of children who can most benefit from the unique play experience."
What you see is not necessarily all shown.
Doctors Without Borders goes across lines to help out the wounded, sick and helpless, but it is face to face with the problems. Now Advertisers Without Boarders is bringing messages home to all of us with these imaginative, clever designs to get us thinking. Run by volunteers, designers can submit their campaigns to the website to raise awareness of what they might be passionate for.
Such a clever idea, inspiring, and hopefully something for the younger generations to get involved in.
Such a clever idea, inspiring, and hopefully something for the younger generations to get involved in.
Urban Gardening.
Berlin is known for its creativeness, its cosmopolitan culture and now with thanks to Prinzessinnengarten, they are turning some of the most over grown, unused, and industrial areas into havens. They have also recently won a prize for this project, with their commitment and drive which delivered the project. It is not something easily done, and takes a lot of passion and enthusiasm, so hats off to them.
There is so much unused, desolate land in the world, wouldn't it be nice if we could dedicate 1 hr together to make the world safer, more beautiful and community aware.
BE INSPIRED!
There is so much unused, desolate land in the world, wouldn't it be nice if we could dedicate 1 hr together to make the world safer, more beautiful and community aware.
BE INSPIRED!
Grandson's Valentine's Day gift.
Noah Lamaide had planned a wonderful Valentines day gift for his grandmother, which arrived a little early, much to his delight. Using a website he set up himself, he went online and explained the terrible story of how his grandmother had fallen behind on her mortgage payments and the bank were going to foreclose on her house on Feb 15th. Taking only 4 weeks, he reached his goal, with thanks to generous donors, one even sending $2k to help it along. His grandmother gets to stay in her home where Noah's mother was raised, and is very thankful for the kindness of her grandson, and of those who donated. Check out the ingenious website Noah's Dream Catcher Network he set up to help out his community. A true inspiration.
Passion is their middle name.
Feyenoord team, from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, are known for their intense rivalry with with other teams in the Netherlands, so much, that there is a 5 year ban on Ajax, Amsterdam, supporters going to the Feyenoord grounds to support their team when they play away. But through the bad, comes the good. Feyenoord team will never have a 12th number on the back of a shirt for a player, as that number is classed as the supporters number. Supporters love and support their team through life, until death, and when a supporter dies, the supporters use the 12th minute of the game to raise their scarves, and sing united with the song 'You'll never walk alone' in memory of them.
Something unique in the sport, that proves passion for each other united under one team.
Something unique in the sport, that proves passion for each other united under one team.
Supporting PETA loud and proud!
Morrissey has been named PETA's Person of the Year 2011.During his European tour, Morrissey had information tables with animal rights literature manned by friendly PETA volunteers who chatted with concertgoers and distributed thousands of vegetarian/vegan starter kits. He and his band wore shirts with animal rights messages on stage and played PETA US’ “Meet Your Meat” video during the shows to educate the audiences about the reality of life for animals on factory farms. He even convinced a huge Belgian music festival to gomeat-free on the day of his performance!
Never one to hold back, Morrissey has fearlessly mouthed off about the meat trade and helped promote kindness to animals worldwide in bold ways, including being immortalised in PETA US’ “Vegetarian Icon” postage stamp series – with more than 20,000 stamps selling out in less than two weeks!
Never one to hold back, Morrissey has fearlessly mouthed off about the meat trade and helped promote kindness to animals worldwide in bold ways, including being immortalised in PETA US’ “Vegetarian Icon” postage stamp series – with more than 20,000 stamps selling out in less than two weeks!
The beauty that comes from sadness
Kristian Anderson is just like any other man suffering from bowel cancer for 2 years, but as a video editor, he used his skill for the last time to present something for his wife's birthday that has since been watched over 500,000 on different social media. Opening the video with the New Zealand Prime Minister wishing her a happy birthday, and also declaring how much her husband loved her, it was bound to be a tear jerker. It shows Hugh Jackman declaring the love of her husband for her, and then shows Kristian holding up the placards for "Marry Me" a song by Train.
Oprah Winfrey had seen the video before her last Australian Shows and invited the couple on, and presented the with a $250,000 check to help them pay for his medical expenses.
Knowing that Christmas 2011 was going to be his last, he was quoted as saying "I'm not afraid of dying but I am afraid of leaving them behind" in relation to his wife and their sons Cody and Jakob. He passed away on January 2nd 2011.
Bowel cancer kills 4,000 Australians a year, and 50,000 in the US. This kind of beauty should open our eyes to acknowledging and becoming more aware for the disease that kills so many of our loved ones each year.
Oprah Winfrey had seen the video before her last Australian Shows and invited the couple on, and presented the with a $250,000 check to help them pay for his medical expenses.
Knowing that Christmas 2011 was going to be his last, he was quoted as saying "I'm not afraid of dying but I am afraid of leaving them behind" in relation to his wife and their sons Cody and Jakob. He passed away on January 2nd 2011.
Bowel cancer kills 4,000 Australians a year, and 50,000 in the US. This kind of beauty should open our eyes to acknowledging and becoming more aware for the disease that kills so many of our loved ones each year.
Cancer patient's missed opportunity ends on happy note with private concert
WHEN CANCER patient Hanitra (Hani) Plunkett was unable to attend a recent concert of violinist Vladimir Jablokov, little did she expect the music to come to her.
Yesterday the young Slovakian violinist was a surprise visitor to her room and the strains of The Godfather theme echoed down the corridor of the cancer ward at Dublin’s Mater Private hospital in Dublin.
“I’m over the moon,” Ms Plunkett said with a large smile after her surprise concert yesterday.
Ms Plunkett has been receiving cancer treatment for the past five years. She is in her 50s and is originally from Madagascar but has lived in Dublin for many years.
She is married to an Irishman and has two grown-up children. “This is something I didn’t expect – a concert for me alone,” she said.
Her friend Kathyann Purcell approached Jablokov at the end of his performance at the National Concert Hall last month and asked him to play. “She is the best friend in the world,” Ms Plunkett said yesterday.
The pair had been to see the violinist play before but Ms Plunkett has not been able to attend many concerts lately. Her treatment usually takes place during the day a few times a week, but a recent complication means she is an inpatient at the hospital.
“I was more than happy [to do it], it brings me pleasure,” said Mr” said Jablokov, who had never done anything like this previously. “She was really surprised – but who would expect to get a violin player she likes ?
“I like to make people happy – that’s why I play music. People often talk about money and recession but they should enjoy what they do and try to make people happy,” he said.
Jablokov had a discerning audience yesterday as Ms Plunkett studied violin for five years in Madagascar before moving to Europe. In Madagascar Ms Plunkett used the solfège system (doh-ray-me) but in Europe notes were used.
“This made it difficult to read music,” she said yesterday, explaining why she stopped playing.
Jablokov’s music usually involves a rework of classics and rock-pop songs. Yesterday he played music from Dr Zhivago, Fiddler on the Roof, The Godfather and – at the request of the patient – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
He had been afraid to “disturb other patients” but those passing by and in nearby rooms were clearly delighted by the distraction.
-Irish Times Nov 11, 2011
Yesterday the young Slovakian violinist was a surprise visitor to her room and the strains of The Godfather theme echoed down the corridor of the cancer ward at Dublin’s Mater Private hospital in Dublin.
“I’m over the moon,” Ms Plunkett said with a large smile after her surprise concert yesterday.
Ms Plunkett has been receiving cancer treatment for the past five years. She is in her 50s and is originally from Madagascar but has lived in Dublin for many years.
She is married to an Irishman and has two grown-up children. “This is something I didn’t expect – a concert for me alone,” she said.
Her friend Kathyann Purcell approached Jablokov at the end of his performance at the National Concert Hall last month and asked him to play. “She is the best friend in the world,” Ms Plunkett said yesterday.
The pair had been to see the violinist play before but Ms Plunkett has not been able to attend many concerts lately. Her treatment usually takes place during the day a few times a week, but a recent complication means she is an inpatient at the hospital.
“I was more than happy [to do it], it brings me pleasure,” said Mr” said Jablokov, who had never done anything like this previously. “She was really surprised – but who would expect to get a violin player she likes ?
“I like to make people happy – that’s why I play music. People often talk about money and recession but they should enjoy what they do and try to make people happy,” he said.
Jablokov had a discerning audience yesterday as Ms Plunkett studied violin for five years in Madagascar before moving to Europe. In Madagascar Ms Plunkett used the solfège system (doh-ray-me) but in Europe notes were used.
“This made it difficult to read music,” she said yesterday, explaining why she stopped playing.
Jablokov’s music usually involves a rework of classics and rock-pop songs. Yesterday he played music from Dr Zhivago, Fiddler on the Roof, The Godfather and – at the request of the patient – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
He had been afraid to “disturb other patients” but those passing by and in nearby rooms were clearly delighted by the distraction.
-Irish Times Nov 11, 2011
Through unity, we find strength.
Team Hoyt, are father, Dick, and son, Rick, Hoyt who compete together in marathons and triathlons across the United States. Having competed over 240 triathlons and 68 marathons, the fastest just 30 minutes off the world record. 'He inspires and motivates me' Dick has said, as he talks about his son Rick who is a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. How do they do it together? Dick pulls, pedals and pushes Rick throughout each event. Together, they are Team Hoyt, a unified father and son team who like to win and push all boundaries to the extreme. 'I have shown to disabled people, that they don't have to sit back and watch the world go by' Rick has said. At the age of 15 he expressed his interested in participating in a 5 mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Dick, agreed to push the wheel chair for the 5 mile run, and they came in second to last. That night, Rick told his father, 'Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped'. And so embarked the most amazing story of father and son who push each other to the limits, that most people can barely carry themselves.
Team Hoyt have created their own non-profit organisation where you can donate money towards their many activities Team Hoyt and the Hoyt Foundation participate in to keep the education going.
Team Hoyt have created their own non-profit organisation where you can donate money towards their many activities Team Hoyt and the Hoyt Foundation participate in to keep the education going.