My Z News

There is no debating that grandmas are a gift to us all. They keep us entertained at the dinner table and are always there with helpful advice whenever we need it. For many families, the grandma is the head honcho and whatever she says goes. One little boy tried to put his feelings for his grandma into words, and the result was hilariously adorable. According to him, grandma is, “100 years old, her name is Mamma, and she is king over all of us.”  The precious response came after the child was asked, “Why did God create grandmas?” It was all part of an effort by the television show Good News, who ask little kids the big questions of life. According to this child, God created grandmas “to love and care about you.” It’s a pretty simple response to a big question, but it is nonetheless true. His grandma obviously is a big part of his life and he has a healthy love and affection for her. As he puts it, “If she wouldn’t be in this Earth, I wouldn’t be in this Earth.” If you’re lucky enough to have your grandma be a part of your life, make sure you take a little extra time to tell her how appreciative you are for everything she has done for you. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/why-god-created-grandmas/

Read More...

As anyone who has ever played the game Oregon Trail would know, crossing rivers can be a difficult and very dangerous venture. As it was with the pioneers, so it is with this group of people in Russia. Two giant excavators were needed to move the crowd over a swift river. If you weren’t impressed by four people climbing into the mouth of the machine, then just wait until they have to hop off one and on to another. It’s the perfect combination of awesome and insane. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/crossing-a-river-in-russia/

Read More...

There’s probably no more heart-wrenching experience for a new mother than having her baby taken away from her. Unfortunately, there are plenty of cases where this is a necessity, such as when a baby is born prematurely and needs to be taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Unfortunately, while medical care is a necessity for these sick babies, it deprives them of another thing that is essential to a child’s early development – hugs.  You know how it feels so good when your mom hugs you? Well, it’s not just in your mind. There is plenty of research that shows the power of touch, and how a simple hug can help stabilize a baby’s heart rate, promote weight gain, and encourage overall development. That’s why Huggies came up with the “No Baby Unhugged” initiative, which recruits volunteers (often elderly women) to be volunteer “baby cuddlers” at participating hospitals. In this video, we see the story of Jennifer, whose daughter, Jade, was born prematurely. Jennifer was discharged from the hospital before Jade was. It broke her heart not to be able to comfort her baby, but her other daughters also needed their mom. Thanks to Huggies’ volunteer baby cuddlers, however, Jennifer was able to get some peace of mind knowing that Jade was in good hands. Be sure to SHARE this touching video with your family and friends. H/T: Huggies Canada Read more: http://www.wimp.com/huggies-shows-how-important-hugs-are-to-a-childs-development/

Read More...

The exotic pet trade might look innocent on the outside, but it wreaks havoc on the lives of just about every animal it touches. There are certain animals, like flying squirrels, tigers, and otters, that are just not meant to be kept as pets. Unfortunately, poachers can make a lot of money by kidnapping them at a young age and selling them on the black market. The process of getting stolen and sold at a young age is shocking to baby animals, often causing them to die before they even make it to the buyer. Thankfully, there are brave and loving individuals around the world who dedicate their lives to protecting defenseless animals. Frank Cuesta, the man featured in this video, is a successful television personality in Thailand who has a heart for animals. Many have compared Cuesta’s program to the one that Steve Irwin used to host, and, when you see him in action, it’s no wonder why. He rescues and cares for every type of animal, no matter how big or small. Whether it’s a venomous snake or a majestic owl, Cuesta will be there to help. Take, for example, these two otters. They were kidnapped from their mother when they were just babies to be sold on the black market. Cuesta was tipped off to their location, however, and rescued them before it was too late. Watch as he provides them with their first meal after being rescued. While his job must be difficult, even dangerous, at times, it’s moments like this that remind Cuesta that it’s all worth it. Don’t forget to SHARE these happy animals with your friends and family! H/T: FRANK CUESTA – CANAL YOUTUBE Read more: http://www.wimp.com/rescued-baby-otters-receive-their-first-meal/

Read More...

When you were a kid, what did you do with your toys if they broke? Did you toss them in the trash? Try to sell them at a yard sale or donate them to Goodwill? Maybe your parents were handy and could fix them up so they were as good as new. If you have kids of your own today, you know how many toys a youngster can go through over the course of a few years. Whether the toys break or they grow out of playing with them, I don’t know one parent whose children don’t have at least a few toys in their closet that aren’t getting played with. Recently, an organization in Japan has come up with a way to give old toys a new life, but, believe it or not, it has very little to do with toys. Second Life Toys‘ idea is simple. They accept donations of old stuffed animals in good condition that are no longer played with. Then, when someone’s stuffed animal breaks, they can mail it in and receive a transplant from one of the many donations. Finally, the stuffed animal is sent back to its owner, all fixed up and ready to be played with again. This would be a clever idea on its own, but Second Life Toys is trying to do something even more important with their work. You see, Japan is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to organ transplants. Because of old, restrictive practices, many patients aren’t able to receive the life-saving transplants they need. While some legislation has been updated to help this issue, Second Life Toys is hoping to change the conversation about transplants and show children of a young age the power of organ donation in action. Keep scrolling to learn more about Second Life Toys and get a first-hand look at what a “stuffed animal transplant” looks like. This stuffed giraffe used to have a ripped leg, but, thanks to Second Life Toys, it’s all fixed up. Second Life Toys pairs broken toys with unused toys, providing transplants that give each stuffed animal a second chance at life. Not only is this a great way to upcycle old toys, but it also teaches children an important lesson about organ transplants. Second Life Toys was founded in Japan, a country that, up until recently, was providing a mere 10 transplants a year to patients in need. To put that in perspective, the United States completes around 60 each day. (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); So, why is Japan struggling to provide transplants to patients, and what can we do to help? One of the biggest things that kept patients from donating and receiving organs was the 1997 Organ Transplant Law. It made it so that children under the age of 15 weren’t allowed to consent to transplants, while adult transplants were only legal under ultra-specific circumstances. Thankfully, new legislation, as well as adding donor consent forms to driver’s licenses and […]

Read More...

When you need to pull down a tree you have a couple of options, but few of them are as cool as using a truck. Today we bring you the story of a modern hero, a very silly man doing a very silly thing with his truck. Will he succeed? We won’t tell you. Will you laugh? We think yes. We salute you truck man. Maybe this will be the start of a new business for you.  Read more: http://www.wimp.com/man-attempts-to-pull-a-tree-out-of-the-ground/

Read More...

Here’s a wonderful little adventure provided by two awesome parents to their adventure-seeking daughter. It’s something so many of dream about as children. Finding that long-lost treasure map, and following it to untold fortunes. Maybe with a little mystery and danger along the way. Well, there probably wasn’t too much danger involved for this youngster, but everything else was there. And she got to live out another little fantasy many children have. Finding that secret passageway. Well, I assume that’s something many children dreamed about. I grew up in a town that was built during the Prohibition and finding secret passages, hidden rooms or just a secret safe or storage space was surprisingly common. I never did myself but was always so jealous to hear the stories of other kids’ homes and the things they found. I never found a treasure map, either. I wasn’t so jealous of that because there weren’t many pirates in my area, so treasure maps weren’t really a thing. Plus, pirate treasure always seemed like it was more trouble than it was worth. Booby traps and rival treasure seekers always seemed to show up to turn any treasure hunt into a fight for your very life! Even though there were no threats from men with eye patches in this particular treasure hunt, the results are pretty exciting all the same for a seven-year-old girl and her family, who planned this years in advance and were still able to share in her excitement as she discovered a secret in her very own bedroom. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/secret-room-treasure-hunt/

Read More...

The ocean is a terrifying place. There, I said it. I mean, beaches are pretty nice, as long as you don’t get too close to the water. And, sure, it’s filled with all kinds of beautiful creatures, like dolphins and sea turtles, but it’s also filled with tons of terrifying ones like these guys. Did you know that as of 2012, roughly 95% of earth’s oceans were still unexplored? And nearly two-thirds of ocean life has yet to be discovered? Who knows what kind of unseen terrors are lurking beneath the surface? Needless to say, you couldn’t pay me enough sand dollars to spend five seconds alone in the middle of the deep blue sea. But, even someone as afraid of the ocean as I am can admit how cool marine iguanas are. I always thought of iguanas as land reptiles, but it turns out marine iguanas, which can only be found in the Galápagos Islands, are capable of diving as deep as 30 feet! This is a pretty rare trait among modern day lizards, and marine iguanas put it to good use.  Instead of preying on fish or other creatures, these iguanas munch on algae that grow on rocks at the bottom of the sea. Suddenly, these scary looking reptiles don’t seem so menacing. In fact, “going for a swim and then eating some vegetables” sounds like a great way to spend a summer day. It turns out I have more in common with the marine iguana than I originally thought! I think this might be the start of a more positive relationship between me and marine life, but don’t expect me to adopt a pet angler fish anytime soon … Did you enjoy this fascinating look at life under the sea? Don’t forget to SHARE with your friends on Facebook! H/T: Steve Winkworth Read more: http://www.wimp.com/divers-swim-with-marine-iguana-in-the-galapagos-islands/

Read More...

Advertisement The Street View feature of Google Maps has been an incredibly useful and interesting innovation. While actual traveling and experience is best, it’s not always possible to go everywhere you’d like to see; money, time and other practical concerns often get in the way. Now, with Street View, we all have the ability to explore far-flung locales from our own homes. We can virtually stroll down the broad Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, see the sights of the Las Vegas Strip or scope out the spot where the Beatles famously stood on London’s Abbey Road. But that’s not all … now we can scale down with Google Map’s first ever #MiniView. Welcome to Miniatur Wunderland, an extensive model train and city system and Hamburg’s most popular tourist attraction. The site houses the world’s longest toy train system, including over eight miles of track, a thousand trains, 335,000 lights and 200,000 figures, taking up about 14,000 square feet. The miniature model world includes recreations of many famous cities, drawing inspiration from other parts of Germany, the United States of America, Scandinavia and more. Advertisement Although the attraction is home to the world’s longest toy train track, it also includes cars, scooters and bikes on the tiny roads, which are lined by impressively detailed buildings and lifelike scenes. The specially-designed Google Maps mobile cameras have cruised along every street in the whole setup, capturing images just like it would on streets in any city. Miniatur Wunderland even boasts a fully-functioning airport … and it looks like traffic is just as bad as at a full-size airport! Hopefully, the model citizens all make it through security and to their gates in time for their flights. Advertisement Such a miniature project for a miniature wonderland meant the development of special equipment, built just for this special Street View. To make the perfect camera, Google Maps worked with Ubilabs, a company that creates interactive map apps and has an office in Hamburg, as well as the popular tech city of San Francisco. The purpose-built cameras have rolled down the rail tracks and been affixed to cars, traveling down the roads to capture all the nooks and crannies of Miniatur Wunderland. Advertisement In honor of the historic collaboration between Google Maps and Miniatur Wunderland, a new permanent and stationary car can now be seen in the mix. A replica of the more traditional method used to capture Street View images has made its home in the model world. Here’s the tiny photographic model capturing a traditionally rowdy Oktoberfest celebration, complete with a parade of musicians and revelers through the streets of an idyllically tiny Bavarian village. Take a closer look at the whole project in action in the video below, which details the epic project. All in all, the undertaking went on for about two months and took 600 hours of work to complete. When you see all that went into it and the sheer magnitude of the setup, it’s easy to understand why it was such a time-consuming project.  Click here to explore Miniatur Wunderland for yourself […]

Read More...