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Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Is Skyrocketing Among Young Adults

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Leading doctors are sounding the alarm about a growing medical menace among young people. It’s common, its devastating, and it’s totally preventable. It’s alcohol-related liver disease, and it’s killing America’s young people.

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

Reputation and Reality

Serious, alcohol-related liver diseases used to strike older people, but now, they’re happening among younger people.

Young people have a reputation for partying and hard drinking. Recently, that reputation has become reality. Experts think a rise in so-called binge drinking has fueled the rise in deaths from liver disease.

Death Rates From Cirrhosis Have Doubled

On a recent, eye-opening discussion on the Mayo Clinic Radio Show, doctors discussed various studies which find that deaths from alcohol-related diseases have doubled among people aged 25 to 40.

Doug Simonetto, a Mayo Clinic hepatologist or liver specialist, said it doesn’t even take that much alcohol to damage the liver. He said the big danger to young people is their tendency to binge drink.

What’s In a Binge?

Health professionals define binge drinking as having more than four drinks in two hours for women, and more than five drinks in two hours for men.

Hepatologist Joseph Galati, known as “Dr. Joe,” is also sounding the alarm. In a YouTube presentation, the popular doctor said cirrhosis rates are up 65% among young adults. Rates of liver cancer, which is linked to excessive drinking, have doubled.

We Need to Wake Up

“These are our children,” Galati says. “This is unbelievable and unacceptable. It’s alarming, and we all need to wake up to what is happening.”

Teddy Bear Sunflowers Produce Beautiful, Fluffy Golden-Orange Blooms

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If you’re starting to plan ahead for spring planting, make room in your beds for gorgeous, endearing Dwarf Teddy Bear Sunflowers. They’ll add charm and color to any garden.

Teddy Bear Sunflowers

You’ll Want to Hug These Fuzzy Teddy Bears

If you think of sunflowers as 15-foot-tall flowers with huge blossoms, get ready to get surprised by this version. Dwarf Teddy Bear Sunflowers are not as tall as regular sunflowers, and they develop softer, fluffier blooms that only get bigger and fluffier the more they grow.

The name “Teddy Bear” refers to these cuddly, furry blossoms. They come in gorgeous shades of yellow that will brighten your day. Their fuzzy leaves, bright color and nice height make them perfect for borders, containers and fences.

Growing Your Own

Like all sunflowers, Dwarf Teddy Bear Sunflowers are low-maintenance and easy to grow. Follow these tips for loads of stunning blossoms:

  • Plant the seeds in full sunlight after all danger of frost has passed.
  • Seeds germinate in 7 to 10 days.
  • Sunflowers need well-drained soil.
  • Sunflowers don’t generally need fertilizer, but if your soil is poor, prepare it with compost or organic fertilizer before planting.
  • Water your sunflowers regularly, but don’t let the soil get waterlogged.
  • Dwarf Teddy Bear Sunflowers grow about 3 feet tall.

Teddy Bear Sunflowers

Will They Produce Seeds?

Just like classic sunflowers, the Teddy Bear version will start producing seeds about three months after you plant them. Your sunflowers will attract many colorful songbirds during this time.

You’ll need to wait for just the right time to harvest those seeds for yourself.

Where Can You Buy Teddy Bear Sunflowers?

Are you excited about planting fuzzy, cuddly and gorgeous Dwarf Teddy Bear Sunflowers in your favorite spot of sun?

If you want strong, healthy plants that will bloom quickly and consistently, buy them from a trusted seed supplier. These seed sellers on Etsy are good sources of fresh seed that’s certain to germinate and produce beautiful plants.

Teddy Bear Sunflowers Produce Beautiful, Fluffy Golden-Orange Blooms

Crazy Horse Memorial: The World’s Largest Mountain Carving

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We all know about Mt. Rushmore and the US presidents featured there, but few of us know about the epic struggle to build a similar monument to Crazy Horse.

Crazy Horse Memorial

CBS This Morning

History In the Hills

Crazy Horse is revered as a great warrior among the Lakota Sioux. In 1876, he defeated the US Army in a two-day fight that is now known as Custer’s Last Stand. It was one of the greatest victories among Native Americans at the time.

Crazy Horse Memorial

neftali / Shutterstock.com

How Crazy Horse Memorial Began

The great Native American leader Chief Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota Sioux and cousin of Crazy Horse, watched the building of Mt. Rushmore and decided to create a similar memorial to his great relative.

He contacted Korczak Ziolkowski, a well-known sculptor who had worked on Mount Rushmore.

Ziolkowski began working on the memorial in 1948. He quickly became obsessed with his mission to create the memorial.

Crazy Horse Memorial

CBS This Morning

Moving Mountains

He was still working on it in his late 60s when 60 Minutes did a news report about his efforts.

“It’s a big mountain,” says Monique Ziolkowski, Korczak’s daughter. Monique has kept the dream alive by continuing to oversee teams that blast, carve and sculpt the mountain.

Crazy Horse Memorial

CBS This Morning / 60 Minutes

The Dream Is Alive

Today, three of his children and four grandchildren are still working on the project. They use admission fees and donations to fund the multimillion-dollar project.

Monique says her father would be proud of their efforts.

“By carving Crazy Horse, if I can give back to the Indian some of his pride and create a means to keep alive his culture and heritage,” he said once, “my life will have been worthwhile.”

Crazy Horse Memorial is located 9 miles south of Hill City, South Dakota, which is 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.  It is open year-round.

More Seniors are Downsizing into Tiny Homes at Retirement

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All over the country, seniors are declaring their independence by moving into tiny homes that give them personal and financial freedom.

In one hilarious promo, Uber and Johnsonville are celebrating this trend by highlighting the feisty “Sausage Nonnas,” three Italian grandmothers who cook, travel and socialize in their tiny homes.

Music and Meaning

Adele Smith is a retired music teacher who moved from a 1,300 square foot house in Tennessee to a farm in Oregon. Her sister owns the farm, and she invited Adele to build her dream tiny house on it. Doing so allows Adele to live comfortably on her retirement income.

Her tiny house is charming and cozy, but the best feature is its back deck with a large, comfortable hot tub.

“It feels like a little piece of heaven to me,” she says.

A Whole New Plan

Michelle Boyle married twice, divorced twice and then realized she had no house, no retirement income and no plan for the future. In a sharp-witted and inspiring interview, she talks about first building a tiny house to live in and later building additional tiny houses to rent out.

Her tiny house features a large, airy kitchen with genuine vintage appliances and lots of clothing storage.

“A lot of people sacrifice their kitchens and clothes in a tiny home,” she says, “but I wanted to show that you can go into a tiny home and still be stylish.”

Living Large In a Tiny Home

These ladies are living life to the fullest in their tiny homes. Have you ever thought about downsizing to a tiny house?

Spring Tulip Wreaths To Brighten Up Your Front Door

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Do you love decorating your doors for the holidays? Don’t let winter have all the fun. Send out a signal welcoming the season of new beginnings when you hang one of these spectacular Spring Tulip Wreaths on your door.

Spring Tulip Wreaths

Blooming Buds and Bright Beauty

These wreaths invoke the spirit of spring.

A miniature rose wreath features delicate white lily of the valley, the first delicate flower to appear in the spring, along with miniature pink roses. These exquisite flowers are held together in a band of burlap and natural bark.

Another stunning wreath uses tulips, one of the world’s favorite spring flowers. Dozens of pink, white, red, yellow and white tulips curve around a wreath wrapped in a shimmering, dotted bow.

Celebrate All the Spring Holidays

There’s a wreath with shamrocks, green ornaments and green plaid ribbons just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day.

You can personalize each wreath to have different colors of flowers, ribbons and other elements. Enjoy them year after year.

Where Can I Find Spring Tulip Wreaths?

The best thing about these wreaths is they’re made from handmade flowers. They look so alive and realistic that you may find this hard to believe, but it’s true. Floral artist Ania Melisa makes the flowers herself and uses them to create these amazing wreaths.

You can buy them all from her Etsy store. These wreaths will make you smile every day.

Do you love decorating your doors for the holidays? Don't let winter have all the fun. Send out a signal welcoming spring when you hang one of these spectacular floral wreaths on your door. Blooming Buds and Bright Beauty These wreaths invoke the spirit of spring. A miniature rose wreath features delicate white lily of the valley, the first delicate flower to appear in the spring, along with miniature pink roses. These exquisite flowers are held together in a band of burlap and natural bark. Another stunning wreath uses tulips, one of the world's favorite spring flowers. Dozens of pink, white, red, yellow and white tulips curve around a wreath wrapped in a shimmering, dotted bow. Celebrate All the Spring Holidays There's a wreath with shamrocks, green ornaments and green plaid ribbons just in time for Saint Patrick's Day. You can personalize each wreath to have different colors of flowers, ribbons and other elements. Enjoy them year after year. Lasting Loveliness The best thing about these wreaths is they're made from handmade flowers. They look so alive and realistic that you may find this hard to believe, but it's true. Floral artist Ania Melisa makes the flowers herself and uses them to create these amazing wreaths. You can buy them all from her Etsy store. These wreaths will make you smile every day.

This Implantable Artificial Kidney Could Eliminate Need For Dialysis

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Dr. William Fissell has created an artificial kidney that uses cellphone technology and lightweight plastic. Fissell, a medical researcher at Vanderbilt University, says the device shows true hope for the many people suffering and dying from kidney disease.

Artificial Kidney

WBIR

Facing Grim Choices

The development could have incredible implications for the more than 700,000 people who suffer from kidney disease.

In most cases, their choices are grim. They can get on a waiting list for a kidney transplant, which can take years, or they can face the pain, inconvenience and expense of dialysis treatments.

Artificial Kidney

WBIR

The Holy Grail of Medical Research

Medical researchers have long tried to develop a usable artificial kidney that would replace both of those options. Developing a kidney transplant that was lightweight, usable and workable was their Holy Grail.

At a 2019 medical conference, researchers from the University of California announced that they had been able to implant an artificial kidney into a pig.

Turning the Corner

The successful transplant was the first time a large mammal successfully used a fake kidney. At the time, they predicted that a true artificial kidney was just around the corner.

Fissell’s prototype is part of his work at Vanderbilt University’s Kidney Project. It will still have to go through clinical trials and human testing.

Eyes On the Future

Fissell’s research team recently won an international prize that gave his research a major financial boost.

“We still have our eyes on the prize,” Fissell said.

Artificial Kidney

Dr. William Fissell / WBIR

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

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Just when you thought there was no new way of looking at your pets, a team of photographers called Underlook has developed a special way of photographing cats, dogs, rabbits and horses from underneath.

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Wait, how does that work?

As you can see in this video, the team at Underlook uses a clear glass table to hold the dogs or cats. Once the pet stands on the glass, photography equipment in the lower level takes the picture.

Catching Totally Natural Poses

Some pets are caught standing still, some are caught squirming around and others are snapped while leaping or running. The unplanned, totally natural poses make the pictures fun and guarantee that no two look the same.

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Success From the Start

The whole thing started when Andrius Burba, a photographer from Lithuania, started taking pictures of cats from underneath. The photos were a hit, and a German publisher issued a collection called Under-Katzen (Under Cats).

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

The Underlook photographs gained almost instant popularity for their unique way of seeing animals in a new light.

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Get Your Own Underlook Art

The team’s photographs have appeared in art exhibitions and won several awards. At the same time, they’re still available to regular people who want their own samples of these unique pieces.

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Since 2017, their team has made it possible for individuals to get their own “underlook” pet photographs. Customers can contact them or attend an Underlook photo shoot.

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Photographer Captures Images Of Cats and Dogs From Underneath

Underlook

Man Plays Classical Piano To Comfort Blind And Elderly Elephants

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Paul Barton is a gifted musician who plays for a highly select audience. He sits at a piano in the middle of an elephant sanctuary and plays classical music to elderly, blind elephants.

Barton has also done special concerts of Christmas music and music for baby elephants, but his special emphasis is on the old, blind and rescued elephants.

Man Plays Classical Piano To Comfort Blind And Elderly Elephants

Here’s How It All Began

Barton is a professional pianist and artist from the UK. In 1996, he traveled to Thailand. He intended to stay only three months, but his plans changed when he met and married his wife Khwan.

Barton’s wife is a noted animal welfare activist in Thailand, and she got him interested in helping Thailand’s elephants. He became enchanted with the elephants at Elephant World, many of whom had formerly been abused or neglected.

Man Plays Classical Piano To Comfort Blind And Elderly Elephants

Inspired to Serenade Elephants

Barton knew that some classical music can be peaceful and comforting, and he also knew that elephants are highly sensitive. He thought it might be worth trying a little musical experiment.

One of his first audience members was Ampan, an 80-year-old elephant who is blind in one eye. Barton says he will never forget her powerful reaction to his performance.

Spreading Love Through His Music

Since then, Barton’s life has totally changed. He has earned some well-deserved fame. He has a YouTube channel where he posts his professional work along with videos of his elephant concerts.

Barton’s decision to share his musical gifts with these abused, gentle and sensitive beasts has earned him a place in millions of hearts. Long may he play piano in the jungle.

 

People Are Turning Broken Flower Pots Into The Cutest Fairy Gardens

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Spring will be here before you know it, and that means planting flowers and making fairy gardens. If you’ve never made a fairy garden, what are you waiting for? If you need a little inspiration, look no further than that old, broken flower pot on your lawn.

 

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Broken Pots Make Gorgeous Gardens

The trend seems to have started on the Emerald Isle.

Rachel and Adrian Allkin are Ireland’s experts in all things fairy-related.

Rachel’s most recent creations include broken planters that she turns into imaginative, illuminated fairy gardens. These colorful, enchanting pieces will transport you far, far away to a magical land.

 

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Now They’re Everywhere

Since then, the idea has been popping up everywhere. Many gardeners are posting their own version of the broken pot fairy garden on Instagram.

 

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Make Your Own Magical Garden

Better Homes and Gardens provides a simple, four-step guide to creating your own magical garden from a broken pot.

 

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Where to Buy Everything Fairy-Related

You can buy Rachel’s creations at the Galway Market in Galway, Ireland, or on the Allkins’ website, Away With the Fairies.

You can also buy everything you need from the website, including fairy figurines, houses, furniture, lighting, animals, doors and landscaping for miniature fairy gardens. You’ll also find helpful tips, how-to videos and tons of inspiration.

Have you been inspired to create your own little garden? If you have, share those pictures far and wide.

 

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People Are Turning Broken Flower Pots Into The Cutest Fairy Gardens

Artist Turns Old CDs Into Amazing Lifelike Animal Sculptures

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We all talk about recycling and repurposing, but one young artist is walking the talk by transforming broken, discarded CDs and DVDs into gorgeous animal sculptures.

Sean Avery is an art teacher in Western Australia who began experimenting with CD and DVD art while he was still at university. He has created dozens of the brightly colored, sparkling sculptures since then.

A Sparkling Collection

They include gorgeously detailed bunnies, bluebirds, hummingbirds. monkeys, raccoons, dogs and snakes.

The pieces are amazingly lifelike and intensely glittery. Some of them veer into the fantastic with their bright, dazzling colors. A platypus with purple scales, a kangaroo with a baby in her pouch, a hedgehog with a brilliant blue coat and a silvery koala are all part of Avery’s menagerie.

Precise Details

Seeing them up close really gives you a sense of the painstaking level of work that goes into each one. Avery says it can take more than a week to create each one.

Avery begins by creating a frame out of chicken wire. He then breaks the CDs and DVDs into dozens of tiny, sharp shards. He glues the shards onto the chicken wire frame. It can take up to 50 CDs to make one animal.

Where to See More Animal Sculptures

You can keep up with Avery’s’s work on his website. Even if you can’t afford to buy one of his magical sculptures, looking at them will bring a smile to your face.

Artist Turns Old CDs Into Amazing Lifelike Animal Sculptures