Killed in the line of duty while pursuing a double homicide suspect, Las Vegas Metro K9 Nicky was given a hero’s send-off and an emotional ‘bark of honor’ by his canine friends. The eight-year-old Belgian Malinois had worked with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for six years and survived a brutal stabbing just two months earlier before being shot during a deadly standoff with the armed murderer. In a touching tribute to their fallen comrade, a dozen other K9 units barked their goodbyes at the conclusion of Nicky’s funeral service. What a touching tribute to a fallen friend. To see the other K9 teams paired up like that, in honor of Nicky, really tugs at the heartstrings. Thank you for your service, Nicky Watch the rest of Nicky’s emotional memorial service: Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/bark-of-honor/
Once a bustling town in Thessaly, Greece, Ropoto is now a ghost town. What happened to this locale to make it so desolate? Well, in 2012, a landslide caused homes and buildings to cascade down the side of a hill, displacing 300 families in the process. The 12-minute documentary Ropoto: Greece’s Sinking Ghost Town details what happened on the day of the landslide, reveals that the sinking continues to happen, and sheds light on the unwillingness of the Greek government to help its own people. As you walk through Ropoto, you might confuse it with the set of a disaster movie. Indeed, the town is still reeling from the effects of the real-life disaster that changed everything 4 years ago. YouTube / Greek Reporter Due to poor drainage, townspeople always relied on specialized machines to move the water around. But when the machines didn’t do their job in 2011, it led to a massive landslide that occurred on April 12, 2012. YouTube / Greek Reporter When the mountain began forming cracks in the ’60s, scientists warned the Greek government that something like this would happen. Sadly, people continued to build on the dangerous land for profit. YouTube / Greek Reporter var OX_ads = OX_ads || []; OX_ads.push({ slot_id: “537251602_56eb95b8af979”, auid: “537251602” }); Many people are still left without homes, and to this day, the town has no electricity. Many residents stay in barns with their animals. Since the last landslide, the town has slipped between 10 and 15 centimeters down the hillside, and Ropoto continues to sink more every year. YouTube / Greek Reporter Here is the entire documentary. It features one of the village’s former council members, Yorgos Roubies. (via Oddity Central) The Greek government refuses to send aid to Ropoto. Some villagers say that they still receive bills for taxes on properties that were ripped out from under them years ago. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/ropoto/
When we were little, our stuffed animals served as fluffy confidantes. They sat with us at our tea parties, they stayed close at night to fend off bad dreams, and they comforted us when we were sick. What they didn’t typically do, however, is teach us important lessons that would ultimately stick with us for a lifetime. But one Japanese organization aims to change all that. Second Life Toys allows parents to send their kids’ damaged stuffed animals in for “transplants” to teach them about the beauty of organ donation. While thousands of people are registered organ donors in the States, the issue gets little attention in Japan. Second Life Toys There are quite a few reasons why Japanese people have mixed feelings about organ donation. For one, belief systems in Japan dictate that bodies should be whole upon cremation, which understandably discourages them from registering. Second Life Toys Along with that, the 1968 Juro Wada case, which involved harvesting organs from a braindead patient at a point when the determination of brain-based death was still hotly contested, embedded an association between organ donation and unethical activity deeply into the cultural consciousness. Representatives from Second Life Toys believe that they can flip the script on this pressing issue by teaching kids the importance of organ donation at a young age. Second Life Toys Their program walks little ones through the process in a way that they can understand. Here’s how it works. Second Life Toys A parent sends photos of their child’s damaged toy to the company, and upon approval, they mail the stuffed animal in for “surgery.” Using parts from donated toys that look much different than the rest of the recipient, they repair the defect and mail it home. Second Life Toys And the program works the other way, too! Those who choose to donate unused toys receive letters from the company explaining how their toys were used to save stuffed animals in need. Their goal is to help young people develop positive attitudes toward organ donation. Second Life Toys For more information about the initiative, check this out! The best way to make change is to work from the ground up. After all, children are the ones who will build a better future someday. If you want to learn more about this project, be sure to check out the company’s website. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/organ-donor-toys/
Thanksgiving is here and you’re in a hurry to get the house looking spotless before friends and family come over for a hearty turkey feast. But whatever you do, don’t mistake this thing in the middle of the floor for a mop! Just wait until you see what it really is. Too funny! That funny-looking creature is a rare white puli, a breed of Hungarian sheepdog that usually has black fur. These mid-sized canines are very smart and agile, capable of guiding and herding sheep, goats, and even chickens. Oh, and they’re obviously super cute! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/the-mop/
If you tuned into Super Bowl 50 last weekend, chances are that you, like most Americans, were watching partly because of the game, and partly because of the ridiculous commercials. Companies pay extremely large amounts of money to have their ads seen on Super Bowl Sunday, and this year was no exception. But one commercial was much more salient than the rest. Using imagery that we can all understand, the No More campaign raised awareness of something that shatters thousands of lives every year. In a sea of silly, puppy-filled commercials, this ad highlighted the subtle signs of domestic violence and sexual abuse that we all need to watch out for. This ad isn’t just moving. It’s important. This is an issue that we must address before domestic abuse ruins another family and claims another life. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/super-bowl-ad/
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DTBT_ATF’); }); Are you tired of biting into your favorite sandwich, only to realize that something’s missing? You know darn well you put bacon on that sandwich, but why isn’t there bacon-y goodness in every bite? It’s just un-American to have a BLT without bacon. Well, never fear, the perfect bacon sandwich tip is here! We’ve got the key to incorporating your favorite cured meat into every bite. This will change the way you eat sandwiches forever! Here it is broken down — lift up the middle piece and place one piece on top. Rumble / ViralNova googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBM_BTF’); }); Then pull back the other two slices from the opposite end and place another piece of bacon down. Rumble / ViralNova Full instructions: Put tin foil over a baking sheet. Weave the bacon like described above. Place an oven-proof rack over the bacon. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Remove the sheet and brush the bacon with maple syrup. Bake for five more minutes. Top your favorite sandwich and ENJOY! Well I don’t know about you, but I’m off to the grocery store to pick up some bacon so I can start perfecting my weaving skills! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/bacon-weaving/
Around the world, people still do horrible things to animals all in the name of “medicine.” Whether it’s killing rhinos for their horns or using rattlesnakes and their venom, the practices are disturbing, especially when you consider the lack of scientific evidence to support the old-world beliefs. But perhaps one of the meanest and cruelest practices is illegally keeping bears in cages to harvest their bile. Stuck inside cages smaller than your closet for years at a time, the beautiful beasts suffer countless health issues, some that will one day even kill them. That’s why rescue workers search out these bear bile farms year-round in an effort to save the animals’ lives and move them somewhere safe. This is the reality of far too many bears around the world. YouTube / NatGeoWild Animals Asia, in particular, is extremely focused on ending the horrid and inhumane practice. And when they had the chance to rescue one bear named Tuffy recently, they jumped at the opportunity to bring him to a sanctuary after years of torture. This was his reaction on his first day outside… Let’s just hope more bears like him get the chance to celebrate, too! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/rescued-bear-bile-farm/
They call songs oldies but goodies for a reason — they’re classics and will probably never go out of style. But what happens when your vintage records with priceless tunes on them start to show their age? You could bite the bullet and buy digitized versions of your favorite songs…but there’s something off about that. Instead of losing the authenticity, give your records a good cleaning. Leave the professionals out of it — just grab some wood glue! Not only does this get rid of dust and grime, it also vastly improves the sound quality of your records. Who knew that all you needed was some glue?! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/wood-glue-record/
One of my biggest regrets is not taking advantage of the stories my 90-year-old grandmother could have shared with me while she was alive. Like Clara Cannucciari, who has also now passed on, my grandmother lived through the Great Depression and likely could have shared similar recipes with me if I’d given her the chance. Thankfully, Clara’s family had the good sense to capture her warmth, stories, and recipes before it was too late. Each of the delightful videos showcases a meal Clara and her family survived on during one of the bleakest eras in U.S. history. Even while pushing a century on this planet, Clara’s sweet personality shines through the camera while she peels potatoes, sautés onions, and serves up the dishes they were able to piece together on their meager funds. Watching as she blends together the ingredients and listening to her memories of the time will fill your heart with happiness and, if you follow along, your stomach with delicious, budget-friendly food. Here she recreates the typical breakfast they would have each morning. And in this, she treats her grandson and his friends to a favorite: The Poorman’s Meal. I definitely encourage you to check out more of her charming videos over on her YouTube page. And if you’re lucky enough to still have your grandparents or great-grandparents around, give them a visit or a call and just listen to what they have to say. Even if they’ve gotten a tad grouchy with the passing years (they’ve earned the right to be!), you’ll still be so glad you did. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/great-depression-recipes/
Heading out to fish on Woods Lake in Tasmania, Craig Wilson and his stepfather thought it was going to be a nice, relaxing day on the water. That’s when they noticed something in the distance. At first they thought it might be a platypus, a duck-like creature used to swimming. But as they got closer, they realized it was something entirely different…something drowning, and desperately in need of their help. More than 800 feet offshore, the men found a wombat struggling to stay afloat. #ICYMI: Fishermen rescue wombat hundreds of metres offshore in Tasmanian lake https://t.co/RaT1DUerL5 pic.twitter.com/iitqCoP7yG — ABC News (@abcnews) November 30, 2015 “If we weren’t there in the lake he would have drowned for sure, the way the wind was blowing, he would not have been able to make it back to shore,” Mr. Wilson told The Advocate. As the men navigated the boat to fish him out and save his life, the wombat struggled to get free, not knowing his captors meant him no harm. Fishermen save wombat from drowning in Tasmanian lake. https://t.co/TMR9V5Uabh pic.twitter.com/aRUrK2KFyS — smh.com.au (@smh) November 30, 2015 Watch as they rescue the little critter. He apparently calmed down when they got him aboard the ship, probably exhausted from his ordeal. (via The Advocate, The Dodo) When he got back to dry land, the men said “he just went on his merry way.” The startled fishermen believed the little guy was likely feeding near the shore when he was accidentally washed out to deeper waters. This little guy clearly has two guardian angels — how lucky! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/drowning-wombat/
