A lot of things happened last week. It was Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Lent began on Wednesday and for the first time since 1945, it fell on the same day as Valentine’s Day. Logan Paul got caught up in being problematic (again) after letting a fish die on camera as a joke and then tasing a dead mouse. Mitt Romney announced his intention to run for the Utah Senate. Kanye West finally made an appearance on Instagram after going on a hiatus to post over the span of seven hours photos of famous “couple goals.” The pictures featured celebrity couples that have broken up. West proceeded to delete his account the very next day. If there’s one thing the Kardashian-Wests do well, it’s being extra. And then, of course, we end with the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that took the lives of 17 innocent people. It’s been rough. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that there are still good things happening and that the world isn’t just fixed solely between superficial celeb controversy and politics.
Despite it all, there are still good things happening in the world. Here’s a list of a few of them:
1. Alzheimer’s Disease Reversed in Mice
Courtesy: What Doctor’s Don’t Tell You
Over 5.3 million people are affected by Alzheimer’s, a degenerative brain disease in which brain cell connections and brain cells destroy themselves until the person affected loses their memory and other important mental functions. At the moment, no cure exists. However, on Feb. 14, researchers at Cleveland Clinic published a study saying that they were able to do a complete reversal on the effects of Alzheimer’s from five mice subjects by removing a BACE1 enzyme. This offers much hope for removing the disease in humans in the future.
2. Chinese New Year
Courtesy: Reuters
Chinese New Year begins Feb. 16 and is expected to last for 15 days. This year, it’s the Year of the Dog. Dogs are the eleventh sign of the zodiac and are seen as independent, sincere, loyal and decisive. They aren’t afraid of the difficulties in life. That means that this year is the year you should challenge yourself. Be brave and be assertive and go after the things you want.
Courtesy: Tenor
3. Los Angeles ‘Parking Meters’ Collecting Change for the Homeless
Courtesy: KPCC
As a result of the Real Change Movement, which aims to bring awareness and solutions to the issue of homelessness, Los Angeles County introduced six colorful “parking meters” that collect coin donations. These donations are then sent to C3, a nonprofit dedicated to pairing homeless residents with housing.
4. Afghan Providence Declared Land-Mine Free After 10-Year Clearance Drive
Courtesy: Gov.uk
Heart, a province located in the west of Afghanistan, was at one time considered the deadliest providence in the country. But, after a decade-long clearance drive pushed forward by the de-mining organization known as HALO, over 600 mines were removed and more than15.5 square miles of farmland have re-opened. Prior to the start of the clearance in 2008, an average of 125 people were killed or injured by mines in Heart. Thanks to HALO, the province, which used to house 60,000 people before it was deemed too dangerous, can start housing residents again.
5. Dog Saves Neighbor Suffering From Stroke
And finally, no good news thread can finish without the mention of a dog. It’s been asked before but for good reason: what did we do to deserve dogs? Mack, a black lab, rightly earned the title of hero after his nonstop frantic barking helped save Marcia Allen. When Mack first began barking, his owner Dave Scott didn’t think much of it, but when he wouldn’t stop barking, David sent his daughter to see what was wrong and that’s when they discovered Marcia slumped over experiencing a stroke. She has fortunately made a full recovery. Watch the video here. What a good boy Mack is!