Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest park ranger in America, retires at 100 years old

By
Monica Pop
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“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” the great Confucius once said. I truly believe that loving what you do makes life way easier and more enjoyable.

Betty Reid Soskin is one of those people who never get tired of their job. If you wonder why, you may find it incredible that she is the oldest park ranger in America who retired last September upon turning 100 years old. Yes, you’ve heard that right.

During the last 15 years or so, Betty has been sharing her life stories, including those from World War II, at Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond.

Speaking of her passion for the job, many of her coworkers agree that Betty has had a huge influence for the park to be what it is today.

A public celebration honoring Betty’s retirement and her milestone birthday will be held on April 16, 2022.

“To be a part of helping to mark the place where that dramatic trajectory of my own life, combined with others of my generation, will influence the future by the footprints we’ve left behind has been incredible,” Betty wrote in a statement.

During her young years, Betty worked as a file clerk in a segregated Union hall. Later, she and her husband ran a record store, Reid’s Records, which closed in 2019.

After working at the park for some time, Betty got permanently hired as part of the National Park Service at the age of 89. She led public programs.

“Being a primary source in the sharing of that history – my history – and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling,” this incredible woman said. “It has proven to bring meaning to my final years.”

Chuck Sams, the National Park Service Director, said: “Betty has made a profound impact on the National Park Service and the way we carry out our mission. Her efforts remind us that we must seek out and give space for all perspectives so that we can tell a more full and inclusive history of our nation.”

Betty, who has also been a social activist her entire life, will be honored in a beautiful way, with a school named after her. Lovely gift, indeed.

Happy retirement and happy birthday, Betty.

McKayla Maroney reveals the truth about the ‘not impressed’ face at 2012 Olympics

By
Monica Pop
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Competing at the Olympic Games is a dream of many professional athletes, but getting there is pretty hard because among the rest, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and not giving up.

McKayla Maroney took the world by storm when she won gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She was only 16 years old when she left judges and millions of people in awe with her flawless Amanar performance. Of course, it took long years of practice for her to make a name for herself in the world of gymnastics, but she loved every second of it.

Besides her huge success, Maroney became knows worldwide because of the facial expression she made when she received silver for ending up second after the women’s vault competition. Her “not impressed” face became a viral meme and was all over the Internet.

Shutterstock/Ga Fullner

So how did everything start for Maroney who’s no longer competing professionally?

Born on December 9, 1995, in Aliso Viejo, California, to parents who were heavily involved in sports their entire life, it didn’t come as a surprise that young Maroney showed interest in sports early in life.

Being an energetic child, Maroney’s parents believed she needed to be involved in some sort of activity.

“My mom put me in gymnastics because I had so much energy, and I was always running around, so she thought gymnastics might take away some of the insane amounts of energy,” Maroney wrote on her profile on U.S. Gymnastics.

At the age of eight, Maroney practiced up to eight hours a day. Even then, she somehow knew, or at least wished, to be in the Olympics.

“She was happiest in the gym,” Maroney’s mother Erin told OCRegister. “When she walks in the gym, there’s a feeling that comes over. It completes her.”

“I just loved doing stuff that most people can’t do with their body,” Maroney added. “I can flip in the air and just fly on certain things. And I just love that feeling of working so hard on something that you really, really want and reaching that goal. It’s the best feeling.”

Her love for gymnastics, along with her dedication, took Maroney to the U.S. National Championship where she won bronze in the Vault Junior Division. At the time, she was only 14.

Her incredible talent was noticed by many, and it was very obvious she was meant for great things.

In 2011, Maroney competed at the World Championship where she won the National Championships in the Vault Junior Division. A year later, the entire world would learn of her. At the Olympics, she was a member of the American women’s gymnastics team dubbed the Fierce Five. The best thing of all was that her childhood friend she shared her dreams with was part of that team as well.

“When I think about it, it makes me want to cry almost. To have that childhood friend, to have somebody you’ve worked so hard with, we went through so many things together, to have two girls from the same place like Aliso Viejo to make it to the Olympics would just be awesome,” Maroney said of her friend Kyla Ross.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Maroney won gold in team competition and even though everyone was convinced she would get one in the individual vault competition too, that didn’t happen. As she was on the podium, Maroney made her now famous face expression which made her an internet sensation. At that moment, she had no idea her photo had gone viral. She only learnt of that once she returned to the Athletes’ Olympic Village and saw a message of her father which said to check the Internet. Maroney even tried doing the same expression together with former President Obama.

She spoke of the famous photo of her and told Inside Gymnastics in 2014 that she literally did the face for two second.

“Like, if you watch the video, it’s two seconds. And I remember thinking, did I just make a face? Because it’s natural. I do it all the time, I have pictures of me when I’m little doing it. I have it on my Mac computer when I’m like 13,” she said.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

In 2013, Maroney won another gold at the World’s Championship and focused all her time and energy on competing at the Rio Olympic Games but was prevented to attend it because of health issues. Today, even though she’s no longer competing professionally, she hates it when magazines say that she retired.

“I don’t want anybody to ever think that McKayla is retiring. I don’t even want people to use that word,” she said in 2016. “The only difference is I’m not competing anymore.”

“You have to be so passionate and so in love with gymnastics to be able to get to the Olympics,” she said recently. “When you start losing even just an ounce of that, I was just like, I’m not going to make it.”

Maroney was brave enough to speak about former U.S. gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar who worked at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University for years. He was accused by a number of gymnasts that he was abusive, which he later admitted.

Maroney opened up about her experience with the infamous doctor and took to Twitter to speak of the importance of not staying silent.

In 2018, shortly after she was witness in the case of Nassar, she developed an eating disorder. She struggled for a year before she enrolled in an online course for people with eating disorders. Currently, she could be seen in a commercial for Geico, where she uses her incredible gymnastic skills.

She’s interested in health and wellness and is running an Instagram account related to it. She’s also writing a book in which she speaks of her professional life, as well as her personal struggles.

“I want to be looked at as someone who just keeps going because that’s what we have to do in this life,” McKayla Maroney told Elle.

“For so long, I was surviving. Now I feel I’m actually living.”

Bruce Willis was experiencing issues on his movie sets before his family stepped in to help, source reveals

By
Monica Pop
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Ever since the news of Bruce Willis’ retirement from acting spread like a wildfire, millions of fans were left in disbelief. Now that the world learned the Pulp Fiction star has been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition which affects one’s ability to communicate, people close to Willis opened up about the problems he was facing during the filming of his recent movies and how they all knew something wasn’t right with his health.

A source was reported to have told Page Six: “He was having cognitive problems, they all knew Bruce was having problems.”

The source further revealed, “Everybody knew, the cast and crew. His family has stepped in, they moved in to take care of him.”

Apparently, many of the people who worked alongside him noticed he was struggling with his lines and was using “earpieces, hearing things, for them to feed him the lines.” As it turned out, this made it difficult for them to have him on set.

For some of the films released last year, as well as this year, such as Survive the Game, Cosmic Sin and Hard Kill, the production team was forced to use doubles due to Willis’ apparent problems no one spoke about publicly until his family decided to step in for him.

“It became very apparent that he was having problems,” the source said. “So they’d use body doubles, not just for action [sequences], but for maximizing his screen time.”

Willis didn’t film more than three days in a row and needed time off very often. He asked to be allowed to shoot the movies close to home. “It was becoming super obvious he was having trouble … he could not act anymore,” the source told Page Six.

The Die Hard star starred in a number of movies during the last two years, most of which were low-budget projects. While some suspected he was facing health issues, others were convinced he was aiming to easy paychecks. One thing was certain, there were speculations about him until his family revealed the truth.

In a statement, they wrote: “To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” adding that he’ll be “stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”

Getty Images

The statement further read: “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.

“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”

Beyond the statement, no other representative of Willis or the family commented on the actor’s health.

We hope things would get better for Bruce Willis and he would receive the treatment and the time he needs to live a normal life.

Adorable 5-year-old girl walks up to the stage to perform rendition of ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra for the judges

By
Monica Pop
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Young Sophie Fatu is a musical prodigy who is stealing hearts with her out-of-this-word singing abilities. America first learned of this beautiful girl when she took the stage of the famous show America’s Got Talent. Of, course, seeing how young she was, the judges didn’t really believe that such a powerful voice could get out of such a tiny human.

Simon Cowell, who is known as the toughest judge of all, started laughing as he saw Sophie entering. But just moments later, she left him in complete disbelief.

Although she was just 5 years old at the time, Sophie chose a demanding song, Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Not only she sang it to perfection and didn’t miss a note or skipped a word, but she also used gestures and rose her hands whenever she was getting to the high tones.

Needless to say, this cutie got four yeses from the four judges who were mesmerized by her talent. Simon told her, “Sophie, you are hilarious, I want you date my son,” and as the audience burst out laughing, he added, “He’s just split with his girlfriend so I’m going to have to make an introduction because he’s gonna love you.”

Sophie on the other hand was listening very carefully and was left in disbelief by her favorite judge’s words.

Everyone agreed that Sophie was the cutest 5-year-old that has ever walked that stage and we can’t agree more.

For her stunning performance go to the video below and if you want to hear more about her and her equally talented mother go here.

In the years that followed this audition, Sophie became one of the youngest jazz recording artists in history.

Toddler found dead after he disappeared while playing in the backyard, lawyer says it was a preventable tragedy

By
Monica Pop
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Putnam County Sheriff’s Office issued a missing child alert after 1-year-old Jose Lara was reported missing by his family. The mother explained that the boy and his sister were playing in the backyard when she briefly took the girl inside the house to clean her up. When the two got outside shortly after, Jose wasn’t there. His toy track was at the backyard but the child was nowhere to be seen.

The search was extensive and tireless, employing drones, night-vision tools, bloodhounds, and helicopters. Eventually, the boy’s dead body was found inside the septic tank. As the opening of the septic tank was covered in dirt, plywood, and weeds, it took some time for the boy to be discovered.

“It’s not an uncommon practice in a situation like this when there’s a child missing to search the septic tank as well,” Sheriff Gator DeLoach said during a press conference, as reported by News4Jax.com. “Actually one of our leadership team members made the call to drain the septic tank. At that point, it was unfortunately when we discovered the child’s body,” the Sheriff added.

Authorities do not suspect any foul play as they believe the boy fell after failing to see the opening because of the weeds. However, they add that despite that, the investigation is still open.

Pastor Albert Gutierrez of Iglesia Internacional JesuCristo Es El Senor said the entire community gathered together to pray for Jose. “Church was praying, hoping everything was okay but they thought maybe it was a kidnapping, but it didn’t happen.” He explained that Jose’s mother moved to the States from Honduras a little over a year when she was still pregnant with Jose.

In the meantime, Attorney Kay Harper Williams, who represented a family whose child died in a similar manner around 3 years ago, said that “this is another completely preventable tragedy.”

“If it is true that the septic tank opening was covered with plywood, that would not meet any standards and it should have minimally had a high-density plastic cover and those covers are less than 50 bucks,” she noted. 

Rest in peace, Jose. Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family.

Man Demands Wife Bury Him With All His Money – Her Genius ‘Solution’ Has Him Turning In Grave

By
Alexander Bored
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A Wife Finds A Loophole For Her Husband’s Greedy Dying Wish Maya Angelou once poignantly said: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Many of us strive for this. We do good, moral, and upright things because we want to leave a positive legacy in our wake. Unfortunately, not all of us feel this way. Some people give in to their more selfish emotions, wanting to enjoy their lives on their own terms regardless of how it affects others, and one of the most common ways people do this is by succumbing to greed. One widow, in a story that has haunted me for years, was nothing like her late spouse. Her husband was a man who worked very hard for his money and felt that because he did, he deserved to keep it all to himself. Guided by this kind of moral compass, he also expected his honorable wife put her morals on the line to grant him a dying wish. At the funeral of her husband, however, she figured out a way of keeping her integrity while granting his wish, and the idea is nothing short of brilliant… money “There was a man who had worked all of his life and has saved all of his money. He was a real cheapskate when it came to his money. He loved money more than just about anything, and just before he died, he said to his wife, ‘Now listen, when I die I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me. Because I want to take all my money to the after life.’ So he got his wife to promise him with all her heart that when he died she would put all the money in the casket with him. When one day he died.” 1154105952_0240436bd9_o-600x450 “He was stretched out in the casket, the wife was sitting there in black next to their best friend. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said, ‘Wait a minute!’ She had a shoebox with her, she came over with the box and placed it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket and rolled it away.”
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“Her friend said, ‘I hope you weren’t crazy enough to put all that money in there with that stingy old man.’ She said, ‘Yes, I promised. I’m a good Christian, I can’t lie. I promised him that I was to put that money in that casket with him.’ smiling-old-lady-600x421 You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in the casket with him?’ ‘I sure did,’ said the wife. ‘I got it all together, put it into my account and I wrote him a check.’ ” Please SHARE if you love this story! Peace and Love Bored Daddy

Helpless dog tied to a pole reaches out his paw to the officer who came to save him

By
Monica Pop
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It is hard to understand the reason why some people abandon the pets they once took care of. What is even more devastating than leaving a poor animal behind is letting them die without even giving them a second chance in life.

Shelters, no matter how crowded they are, would always offer help if someone decides they no longer want their pet, but despite that, many leave the poor animals at dumping grounds or on the streets.

Recently, police officer Angela Laurella from Florida came across a devastating sight. While on the job, she noticed a dog tied to a pole. The moment she approached closer, the sweet Pit Bull reached out his paw towards her as though he knew she was there to save him.

The dog, who was named Liam, was in a terrible condition. The leash he was tied with was way too short and he was unable to move despite the temperatures reaching almost 100 Fahrenheit the day he was found. Liam was emaciated and dehydrated, with every bone and rib protruding.

Source: YouTube

Laurella was awre she needed to act fast, so she contacted 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida. Although the shelter was over capacity, the founder, Amy Roman, couldn’t say no to welcoming Liam in.

Liam weighted 17 pounds only, and it was very obvious he had a hard life, but despite that, he never stopped smiling and loving everyone around. The staff at the shelter were amazed by his positive spirit and they knew he would start gaining weight, which is exactly what happened.

The road to a complete recovery won’t be an easy one for Liam. He’s still getting treatments and visits the vet very often, but Roman says he is thriving.

Once this loving dog gets better, he would be given up for adoption. One thing is certain, after everything he’s gone through, Liam deserves a forever home.

For more on his incredible life story go to the video below.

28-year-old has only 10 minutes to decide if he wants to adopt his week-old nephew or let the newborn go into a foster home

By
Monica Pop
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If you are a fan of talent shows, chances are you’ll recognize this guy. He was part of American Idol and made it to the Hollywood round but left the show after the group performance.

But 28-year-old Marcio isn’t a guy who quits easily, and this year, he came back even more determined than before to show the world his talent.

However, it wasn’t just his singing that stole the hearts of many Americans. His life story touched many as well.
Marcio Donaldson
“Growing up in the inner city, it was hard,” he said. “It was tough, and a lot of people succumb to the circumstances. So I wanted to be a light for those who don’t believe in dreams or don’t see them being possible or obtainable, you know what I’m saying?” When they were very little, both Marcio and his sister ended up in foster care. They didn’t have it easy, but that never discouraged him to change his life for the better. So, he found comfort in the music and decided to compete in the show. However, soon after that happened, he learned his sister was expecting a baby. “You know how they say the cycle repeats. It started off with my mother in the system. Then me in the system. And then my sister had a child.”

His sister struggled with drug addiction and wasn’t allowed to keep her son. Sadly, that meant the little one would end up in foster care just like his mom and uncle once did.

Marcio Donaldson
But as the baby turned a week old, police and social workers paid Marcio a visit. “The police and the social worker came to my home, they brought him and here was this week-old baby,” he said. “They said, ‘You have 10 minutes to decide if you will keep this child or he goes in the system.’” Marcio knew that raising a baby would be a hard job, but he didn’t want his nephew to share his fate so he decided to take him in. “I had no idea what I was doing. But he’s actually a real gift. I know it was the right decision. And he’s changed my life.” Singing on the show is now something this incredible man does both for him and the little boy in his life. “I want to show him what a man can really do when you step up to the plate. I want to give him a better life.” The audition warmed our hearts and we can’t wait to hear what Marcio has to offer in the future.
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