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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

'Even though you're gay, I will always treat you the same way as I do now': Moving letter from nine-year-old to her school teacher after he came out to his class

A heartwarming letter of support written by a nine-year-old to her primary school teacher has swept the internet.

The British student wrote the tearjerker note after the teacher told her class that he was gay.

The man, who has preferred to stay anonymous, told the website PinkNews that he decided to come out to his pupils after learning that all of the class had heard the word 'gay' used as an insult.

The note that a British student wrote to her teacher after he told her class that he was gay. The man came out after learning every pupil had heard 'gay' used as an insult

He was stunned to receive the letter from the child afterwards, which described him as 'fantastic and awesome.'

It read in full: 'Dear Mr R

'Even though you're gay, I will always treat you the same way as I do now.

'I still think about you the same way as I used to.

'You're a great teacher and these are just some of the words that I would describe you as: great, amazing, fantastic, brilliant, awesome and brave.

'The reason why I say brave is because you shared a personal secret which was very brave.

'You don't have to feel scared because I know that everyone in the class feels the same way as I do.

'From A x x

'PS. We are all proud of you'

The teacher then shared the letter on social media.

He told PinkNews: 'As a primary school teacher, I'd always worried about mentioning my sexuality, despite the fact that my colleagues talked about their husbands, wives and significant others all the time.

'Then, as part of anti-bullying week, I'd asked who'd heard 'gay' being used as an insult. Almost every one of my class put their hands up. I was stunned.'

The teacher, who preferred to stay anonymous, said that he welled up after reading the letter (picture posed by models)

He continued: 'Then I asked who thought that people who were gay or lesbian were bad or wrong in some way, again almost every hand went up.

'After speaking to my Head, who was very supportive, we agreed I could tell the class that I'm gay so they at least knew one gay person and hopefully explain that when people use that word they're talking about me.'

Reading it brought tears to my eyes and it took me a little while to compose myself.

'The reaction was fantastic – there were a lot of gasps and shocked looks and some basic questions – do you have a boyfriend, etc – but after a couple of minutes they were over it and we moved on to the rest of the lesson.

'The letter came a couple of days later. The little girl who wrote it gave it to me at the start of the day with all the other slips about dinner money, school trips and doctors appointments.

'Reading it brought tears to my eyes and it took me a little while to compose myself. When I thanked her she just shrugged and repeated something one of the boys in the class had said during the lesson, 'It's just your life'. Then she went back to her maths.

'For my class it was a surprise sure but, to them, it was just something simple and easy to file away as another piece of information. There was no judgement, no follow-up, just acceptance.

'Now, I can mention my fiance as easily as any other teacher and my class know me a little better. I've had a lot of letters and cards over the years, but this one I know I'll keep forever.'

Is this the globe's most eligible woman? Miss World 2014 goes to bilingual medical student from South Africa who wants to prove she's beauty AND brains

She beat 120 international contestants each deemed to be not only the most beautiful in their home countries, but the best example of what it means to be a modern woman.

So, who is Rolene Strauss - aka Miss World 2014 - and is she really one of the world's most eligible women?

This year's crop which made it to the final in London - the city where the competition started 63 years ago - far from being the stereotypical 'dumb beauty queens', were pretty and polished.

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Winning: South African Rolene Strauss, 22, was last night crowned Miss World 2014 in a glittering ceremony in London. So who is Rolene and what was it that ensured she cinched the crown?

The majority hold a university degree, as well as juggling a vast array of interests, hobbies and charity work.

Miss Strauss - whose first runner up was Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, and second runner up was Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit - is the perfect example of that. Miss South Africa, 22-year-old Rolene Strauss, was crowned Miss World 2014 at the contest's glitzy final in London on Sunday, with an estimated billion viewers watching on TV around the globe.

Medical student Strauss clasped her hands together in surprise and was crowned by the outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines, to huge cheers in the ExCeL exhibition centre.

Talented: Medical student Strauss was crowned by the outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines, to huge cheers in the ExCeL exhibition centre

She pipped her fellow contestants to clinch first place in an action-packed three weeks that included a sports, top model and beach fashion competition, a talent contest, Beauty With A Purpose round and a debate at the Oxford Union.

Rolene's principle passion is medicine. The beauty queen is a fourth year medical student and science is clearly in her blood.

Her parents are a doctor and nurse, and in a pre-taped interview for the pageant, Rolene said that becoming Miss South Africa and Miss World and studying medicine were her 'childhood dreams'.

'Everyone in my town called me Little Dr Strauss,' she said. 'Because I was always the little curly-headed girl running around behind my dad in the hospital.

'I'm a test tube baby and I believe my passion for health was born with me,' she added.

As well as being a medical student, Rolene is bilingual and speaks fluent English, as well as Afrikaans.

Celebrations: As well as being a medical student, Rolene is bilingual. She speaks fluent English, as well as Afrikaans and says she has always dreamed of being Miss World and a doctor

Writing on her website, she explains that she's always had 'big dreams'. She said: 'We moved to a small town called Volksrust, in Mpumalanga. Ever since then I was a small town girl with big dreams.

'To be the best me, to follow my destiny and someday be a woman who uses what she was given out of grace; to inspire, to love, to sympathize and to give.'

Obviously religious, she adds: 'The following verse never fails to give me goose bumps: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11. We all have a future of hope, a destiny planned for each as individual. The choices we make are the turns we take on the road to our destinies.'

Paying tribute to her country after being crowned, she said: 'South Africa this is for you. I think I will brace myself for what's about to happen. It's a huge responsibility.'

Rolene is determined to use her new crown for the good of the community. She told AFP she wanted to help spread education in her homeland and thereby help other people realise their dreams.

'I am what I am today because of the opportunities I have received and I would love to give others the same opportunities; educating, the opportunity to be educated, to make healthy choices and also to live their dreams.'

Top three: Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, left, was judged the runner-up and Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, came third in the 64th annual competition, contested by women from 121 countries

And she was already getting used to the glittering crown.

'I'll definitely keep it on as long as I can but my parents are staying around here so they'll be hugging me and I'm afraid that it might fall off,' she said.

There's good news for all the men out there; Miss Strauss is single. In a recent interview with the South African TV Authority, she was asked how many boyfriends she'd ever dumped.

She replied: 'I would say three.' When asked about her relationship status, she said: 'I definitely don't have a public relationship.

'You know, as a Miss South Africa people look up to you and see you as an independent, strong woman. That's the picture I'd like to show people out there and I think it's difficult to be in a relationship because of your busy schedule.'

Tough competition: Sunday's show started with a spectacular choreographed dance routine, with all the beauty queens on stage in costumes inspired by their homelands and they had to compete in several rounds to win the crown

Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was judged the runner-up and Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, came third in the 64th annual competition, contested by women from 121 countries.

This year's event has been rocked by the murder of Miss Honduras, 19-year-old Maria Jose Alvarado, who was shot dead along with her sister last month.

Police in Honduras accuse her sister's boyfriend of shooting them after seeing his partner dancing with another man at a party.

Strauss and other contestants will travel to the crime-plagued central American nation to build a school named in the sisters' honour.

'We hope that it will really start to impress on the people in Honduras that the violence, and hurting people like those two innocent women... maybe they can think again before they take a gun,' Miss World chairwoman Julia Morley told AFP.

Sunday's show started with a spectacular choreographed dance routine, with all the beauty queens on stage in costumes inspired by their homelands - including Miss Bolivia in a colourful feathered headdress.

While beauty remains central to the event, the women taking part are chiefly judged on their talents and involvement in good causes.

Miss World began in 1951, a year before its chief rival Miss Universe.

Strauss is the third South African Miss World, the country having held the title in 1958 and 1974.

Venezuela tops the all-time leader board with six titles, ahead of India and the United Kingdom on five titles each.

Julia Morley, Miss World Chairman, said: 'It was great to bring the 64th Miss World Final back to London and where it all began 63 years ago.

'I’m looking forward to travelling with Rolene, the new Miss World, to visit countries around the globe to support this year’s finalists Beauty with a Purpose fundraising projects.'

Good genes: Her parents are a doctor and nurse and in a pre-taped interview for the pageant, she said that becoming Miss South Africa and Miss World and studying medicine were her 'childhood dreams'

You can literally do this in one second

To learn better, hit control-s and “outsource” your remembering.

In a new study, scientists found that people tackling a mental challenge on a computer did a better job if they saved the previous work they had been doing beforehand.

“Saving one file before studying a new file significantly improved memory for the contents of the new file,” the authors write. “Saving has the potential to significantly influence how people learn and remember.”

In a series of experiments, participants were instructed to study two PDF files and remember words it contained. Subjects did a better job remembering material from the second file if they successfully saved the first file before proceeding onto the second one.

“Saving allows us to maintain access to more data and experiences than would be possible otherwise,” says says Benjamin Strong, assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and lead author of the study. “Memory now works in concert with technology, and by saving information we are able to keep that information from interfering with the learning of something new.”

The act of saving something digitally gives us a sense of reassurance that the information is there when we need it, which psychologically frees up our mind and allows us to focus on the next batch of information we need to learn. Essentially, we’re reallocating our mental resources.

“To maximize memory and productivity we need to be able to set stuff aside and move on to other matters,” Storm says.

In earlier research, he found that thinking of new things makes it harder to remember old thoughts. If you’re worrying if or when you’ll need to refer to earlier information in the future, hitting the “save” button or shortcut is a quick, easy and low-risk way way to virtually hang onto that information without forcing it to occupy the forefront of your mind.

“Saving may protect us from this type of thinking-induced forgetting by allowing us to think of new ideas while keeping our old ideas safely saved and out of the way,” Storm says.

Storm points out that his experiments just looked at what happens when someone saves a file before closing it and starting a new task, but he says it’s not a bad idea to save your work on a regular basis anyway.

When new information crowds out older thoughts, people can even forget their own ideas, Storm says. “Save or write down good ideas as soon as you get them,” he advises. “Even if you think you’re going to remember them, chances are that you won’t, especially if you continue to try to think of new ideas.”

We Are All This Pug Named Doug Whose Only Real Christmas Wish Is Food

<strong>Koda - 20 weeks, Pomeranian</strong>

<strong>Hans - 12 weeks, Boxer Pit Mix</strong>

<strong>Cloud - 8 weeks, Shar Pei</strong>

Watch his very relatable parody of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

I don’t want a lot for Christmas, Mariah Carey coos in her hit song “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” There is, however, just one thing she needs.

That one thing, of course, is you. (Well, not you you, but you get it.) Not everyone can relate to Mariah’s song — but we feel confident that everyone can relate to this new version performed by Doug the Pug. All he wants for Christmas is food. Tacos, pizza, cookies, Chex Mix, doughnuts, Doug wants it all. And that’s all he wants. It’s all he’s ever wanted.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Video shows tortoise turning over another after it got stuck upside-down

Video shows tortoise turning over another after it got stuck upside-down. Credit: YouTube/AUDI YU

A tortoise has been filmed turning over another after it got stuck upside-down.

The tortoise was reportedly from Taipei Zoo, according to a Twitter posting by journalist Simon Ricketts.

The next big thing? Body weight training

Curious about what’s going to be hot in the wellness sphere next year? Well, you’ve come to the right place. We put our sneakers to the ground to find out what fitness trends could be making their way into your gym in 2015. Happy sweating.

According to an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) survey of more than 3,000 fitness professionals worldwide, body weight training is predicted to be the next big thing. “Expect to see it continue to expand in all movement experiences including both group and personal training,” says Carol Espel, Senior Director, Group Fitness and Pilates at Equinox. “Look for the comprehensive incorporation of gymnastics, adult jungle gyms, workout spaces that are uncluttered with weight machines and open for training, greater suspension training options, primal movements, and more programming that is less focused on standard weight lifting protocols.” In other words, those tried and true exercises that don’t require equipment—like lunges, squats, push-ups, and burpees—are here to stay, so embrace them.

HEALTH.COM: 25 Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

OK, HIIT (think P90X) did take a hit over the past year dropping from the number one spot on the 2013 ACSM survey to number two this year. But we assure you that this technique, which alternatesintense bursts of exercise with short, sometimes active, recovery periods, isn’t going anywhere. The reason: It’s super effective. “People are exercising in shorter bursts and they are still seeing results,” notes Donna Cyrus, Senior Vice President of Programming at Crunch. This should be no surprise, though. After all, who wants to slave away at the gym for hours each day when you can blast fat in as little as 20 minutes? Exactly.

HEALTH.COM: 11 Fitness Foods to Help You Get in Shape Faster

Treadmill training

Boutique studios that specialize in one specific fitness genre—be it underwater cycling or trampoline workouts—will continue to rise in popularity. However, within this group fitness sector, indoor group running has been steadily gaining momentum. From big gym chains like Equinox and Crunch to smaller studios like Mile High Run Club, treadmill-based training is poised to become the new “it” workout. Yes, many view this piece of machinery as a torture device (I know I’ve called it a dreadmill on more than one occasion), but these classes are truly beneficial, helping to improve your running through speed, incline, and interval-based drills.

“There is a trend in fitness to return to simplicity, and running is the oldest form of exercise,” explains Andia Winslow, a fitness expert and coach at Mile High Running Club. “With indoor treadmill training, participants are in a controlled and yet challenging environment where they can, regardless of fitness level, keep up with class while running on industry elite commercial equipment. With less strain on bones, joints and tendons, runners can focus instead on form, specialized and programmed intensity and being wholly engaged with their runs.” Even better: You will never have to worry about it being too cold or raining too hard to log those miles.

HEALTH.COM: 18 Moves to Tone Your Butt, Thighs, and Legs

Recovery efforts

Don’t you just love a super intense workout? The way it pushes you to your limits, leaving behind a reminder (read: sore muscles) of all the hard work you put in. Here’s the deal, though, too much intense training can throw your body out of whack, leaving it open for potential injuries, which is why recovery is essential. “A balanced body is key, which means all of your muscles are working correctly, not just some of them,” says David Reavy, PT, owner of React Physical Therapy and creator of the Reavy Method. “Weak muscles will fatigue quickly, and you over train muscles that are already strong. The compensation and overuse of muscles and not the work brings the need for recovery.” This is why “we will continue to see the rapid expansion of group formats that include self-care protocols for self myofascial release (SMR), such as foam rolling and therapy balls, core strengthening and dynamic stretching, full recovery days and clear focus on sleep as an integral part of one’s fitness regimen,” says Espel. “And of course restorative yoga formats will continue to become a much more prevalent part of programming.”

HEALTH.COM: 10 Exercise Cheats That Blow Your Calorie Burn

Digital engagement

In our tech-obsessed world, this one seems like a no-brainer. Just take Nike, for example: I learned at their Women’s Summit last month that 9 million women have downloaded the Nike Running app and 16 million women have downloaded the Nike Training (NTC) app. And that’s just one company—think about all of the other fitness apps and cool trackers out there that put a wealth of health info at our fingertips. The reason we’re still obsessed with these modalities is because “they provide inspiration, guidance and coaching,” explained Stefan Olander, VP of Digital Sport for Nike at the summit. Not to mention the social factor. Adds Espel: “We will continue so see an even greater level of engagement of the use of multiple devices to track and log movement, nutrition, sleep and all aspects of activity,” she says. “The challenge for all will be determining what data is pertinent and then how providers and health care experts take the most relevant information and make it continually meaningful to users.”

That's one way to deal with your demons: 'Possessed' Argentine singer claims she’s mended her ways after undergoing an exorcism

An Latin American singer has claimed that her life is finally back on track after she turned her back on medication and hired a faith healer to exorcise demons.

Sabrina Sabrok, who currently lives in Mexico, said her life was falling apart earlier this year when she had checked in to a clinic in the capital to be treated for depression and panic attacks.

But the 38-year-old felt the medication she was put on while being treated in Mexico City were not really helping, and in desperation she turned to faith healer Zulema.

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Sabrina Sabrok, 38, who currently lives in Mexico, said her life was falling apart earlier this year when she had checked in to a clinic in the capital to be treated for depression and panic attacks

The Argentine blonde, who has appeared on several television shows including the Mexican version of Celebrity Big Brother, said Zulema had told her that she was 'possessed'.

So Sabrina hired the healer and her helpers to help her, and then carried out a dramatic exorcism in a local cemetery, which was captured on film.

The video shows her screaming, swearing and shouting, with many people suggesting the exorcism looked more like a low budget horror movie.

But Sabrina, who has also hosted her own television show on TeleHit, said she doesn't care what her critics think as the faith healer had helped her get her life back on track.

The video of the exorcism shows Sabrina screaming, swearing and shouting, with many people suggesting the exorcism looked more like a low budget horror movie

Sabrina (center) hired a faith healer to help her exorcise her demons and mend her troubled ways

Sabrina (left), who has also hosted her own television show on TeleHit, said she doesn't care what her critics think as the faith healer Zulema (right) had helped her get her life back on track

Zulema said: 'I am really pleased that the exorcism helped and drove the demons out of her.'

Things are now looking up for Sabrina - born as Lorena Fabiana Colotta - as she went on to perform with 37-year-old Mexican singer and actress Ivonne Soto.

Last week, the singer took to the stage in Cancun where she revealed she has a new boyfriend named Edson.

She said: 'You can't imagine how much pleasure he has brought me, my life is now really back on track.'

Sabrina (right) singer took to the stage in Cancun where she revealed she has a new boyfriend Edson (left)

Things are now looking up for Sabrina (left) - born as Lorena Fabiana Colotta - as she went on to perform with 37-year-old Mexican singer and actress Ivonne Soto (far right)