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Over 300,000 people from 192 countries filmed their life on July 25, 2020. The highlight reel is incredible.

"Life in a Day" is like a home movie of humanity that illustrates our diversity, yet also shows how very much alike we are.

Life in a Day documentary

The "Life in a Day'" documentary gives us a glimpse of daily life around the world in the early months of the pandemic.

Despite our tumultuous history of conflict over our differences, there is far more that unites humanity than divides us. We are wholly unique individuals who share various group identities, but at the end of the day, we are all simply human.

Nothing makes that fact clearer than peeking into the daily lives of people all over the world—seeing how we all connect with our families and friends, how we enjoy the outdoors, how we take care of ourselves and others, how we create our livelihoods and more. But few people are able to travel extensively enough to see those things firsthand.

That's where the YouTube Original "Life in a Day" comes in.

The original "Life in a Day" video project was crowdsourced from ordinary people around the world who filmed their lives on July 24, 2010. From the 80,000 clips sent in, a filmmaking team under the direction of Kevin Macdonald, Tegan Bukowski, and Loressa Clisby pieced together an award-winning documentary.

Then, when the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, MacDonald decided to revisit the idea to capture the experience we were sharing as a global community. Only this time, more than 300,000 people from 192 countries sent in their day-in-the-life films from July 25, 2020 to contribute to the project.


The result was not just a time capsule from the early COVID-19 era, but a beautiful representation of how life doesn't stop even when the world seems to.

The film opens with a woman in labor, and we soon see a bunch of babies being born the world over, all on the same day. We see people from various countries and cultures going through their morning routines, doing their work, caring for their families, making food, playing with pets—average daily life stuff. We see defining features of the time, including confusion over pandemic protocols and racial justice protests from around the world in the wake of George Floyd's murder. We also see grief, some from the toll of COVID-19 and some from the expected and unexpected passing of loved ones that happens every day.

We see relationships beginning and ending. We see successes and failures. We see people having a blast and people going through hardship. It's a home movie of humanity that illustrates our diversity, yet also shows how very much alike we are.

Watch here:

It's entirely possible to watch this film and only focus on how we are different. But what "Life in a Day" really shows is that we have the same basic needs and the same spectrum of emotions. We imagine, express, create and innovate. We form bonds with fellow humans. We appreciate delicious food, the beauty of nature, a well-timed joke. We cry in grief and laugh with joy. We build. We play. We love.

That's not to say we don't challenge one another or have difficulties connecting sometimes. That's as true on the individual level as it is on the collective. But so much of how we experience life with our fellow humans is wrapped up in the perspective we choose. When we focus on otherness, that's what we'll see. When we focus on what we have in common, that's what we'll see more of. The difference between those two visions can mean war or peace, conflict or cooperation, the progress of the human race or its downfall, so instead of fixing our gaze on what divides us, let's choose to continually look for what unites us as one people sharing one global home.

Joy

Woman builds an elaborate hotel in her yard for stray cats to stay cozy through the winter

People are calling it "Hotel Catifornia" and "The Fur Seasons."

A woman in China provides a cozy home for stray cats in her neighborhood.

As winter approaches, people may wonder how stray animals stay warm and safe. Stray cats in particular are highly adaptable creatures and their home is the great outdoors, so most of the time there's not much that people need to do to protect them. But when temperatures dip to dangerous levels, caring humans naturally want to make sure strays have a place to go to get out of the harsh elements.

One woman has taken that desire to a whole new level with an elaborate cat apartment she built for the many stray cats in her neighborhood. We're not just talking about a shelter–it's like luxury hotel living for her feline friends. The apartment has multiple rooms, cushy blankets that get taken out and cleaned and even a temperature-controlled water source so they're always able to find drinking water in frigid temps.

Check this out:


The woman who built the apartment actually lives in China and shares videos on TikTok.

Welcome to the Meowtel Catifornia

Of course, the clever hotel jokes and puns started rolling in first thing:

'Welcome to the hotel catifornia."

"Such a lovely place."

"They can check out any time but they won't ever leave ^^"

"I prefer Hotel Calicofornia."

"Meowriott."

"Given my skill, mine would be more like Meowtel 6."

"Pawliday Inn.'

"The Fur Seasons."'

"Meowne Plaza."

People loved seeing the care and ingenuity she put into the "meowtel," as well as how happy the cats seem with the arrangement. In fact, some people were sure their own house cats would move out just to go live in this kind of cat commune.

"My cat just looked at me and sighed…"

"All the neighbours be looking for their cats and they’ve bailed to live at the kitty motel."

"They’d pack their little bags and move in without a second thought."

"They wouldn't even wait to pack their bags."

"Alright Carol it’s been real but we’re gonna head out. Found a great deal on a luxury apartment so yanno… take care."


@5fimnl9m

Create a single apartment on the third floor of a four story winter cat shelter for stray cats#fyp #cat #cute #Straycat#salvation

Cats live where they want when they want

Those people may have been joking, but several people shared that their cats really did ditch them to go live with neighbors who had more desirable living situations.

"I’ve had two cats do this. One was annoyed at our second dog’s puppy energy so she moved in with an older lady a street over. We used to see her all the time until she passed. The other missed our kids being little so she moved next door where there’s a little girl. We talked to both neighbors and said if they get sick of them to let us know and we’ll take them back but both lived the rest of their lives with their new families."

"One of our cats moved next door because he loves children and wanted to be with the little girl next door. Because it’s a very small village, he goes to the school most days to wait for her and they come home together. School is 3 buildings away."

"We had a cat do the same thing about 20 years ago. She hated the barks of our new puppy and would put her paw on his mouth to try and stop it. One day, she slipped outside and I found her a month later, two streets over, hanging with a couple who didn’t have a dog. They said she just showed up at the door and moved in. I gave them all her cat food and hope she had a nice quiet life."


@5fimnl9m

After two months of production and renovation, the basic facilities for wintering stray cats in the courtyard are almost complete#fyp #cat #cute #Straycat #salvation

Is it a bad idea to feed and shelter stray cats?

People have differing opinions about whether it's good to feed stray cats or not, as cats can cause problems for local wildlife and it's not great to encourage an increasing stray cat population. However, there are responsible ways to care for stray cats, which includes spaying and neutering those in your area.

According to the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, here are the best practices for feral and stray cats:

- Spay/neuter to prevent additional litters

- Find homes for friendly cats

- Feed outdoor cats on a schedule

- Remove food & dishes when they are done eating

- Pick up scraps and keep the feeding area tidy

- Provide fresh water

- Provide a warm place for the cats to sleep

So go ahead and care for those kitties and keep them warm through the winter—just make sure they can't make any more kittens.



Lead singer of 'Disturbed' comforts upset child at concert

Most people remember their first concert. Mine was TLC and Boyz 2 Men, and no, I'm not talking about their comeback tour. It was the 90s and I almost broke my leg trying to climb over folding seats in the pouring rain trying to get under the venue's awning. Pretty sure we only had lawn seats and were probably breaking some sort of law climbing to better seats.

Either way, going to a concert can be an exhilarating experience but it can also be a bit overwhelming. Everything's loud. The music. The people. Everything. When you're a child, not yet old enough to head off to a concert with friends, it can be even more overstimulating than it is for adults.

One little girl found herself feeling a bit upset while attending a concert with her parents for the heavy metal band "Disturbed." But it was what happened when the lead singer noticed the frightened girl that's melting hearts across the internet.


The lead singer, David Draiman, could've just continued the show, not giving the upset child a second thought. Instead he went to comfort her across the barricade, speaking directly to her through the microphone he was still holding.

"I'm very proud of you. You're awesome," Draiman says before reassuring the girl. "It's okay, baby, it's ok. I didn't mean to scare you."

With every calm affirming sentence the crowd cheers. Draiman then stands on what appears to be a step on the barricade and addresses the audience.

"I love that Disturbed concerts have become a family affair. I love it," the singer says. "And this little girl has been singing her heart out the entire show. She knows so many of the songs."

Judging by the comments, the band is known for being kind.

"And they're not kidding. Every single disturbed show we've been to made us tear up. They're the best band I've seen live. Love them," one fan writes.

"I was there. It was my first time seeing Disturbed in concert but it was definitely the most accepting and uplifting concert I've ever been to," another person says.

"As a long time Disturbed fan this is unsurprising but wonderful in equal measure. They have always held such wonderful inclusive values," someone writes.

What a beautifully kind moment caught on video showing everyone that kindness goes a long way. Watch the sweet interaction below.

@disturbed

Everyone who comes to a Disturbed concert is welcome and accepted and loved 🖤 #disturbed #takebackyourlifetour #livemusic #familyaffair #inclusive #rock #metal #weareone #united #humanity

This article originally appeared on 8.22.23

@organizedchaos4/TikTok

"It costs you nothing, and it creates this ripple effect of kindness."

The corner of the internet devoted to grime and muck being scrubbed away to oh-so satisfying perfection, otherwise known as #CleanTok, is mostly wholesome, cathartic fun. But every once in a while, controversy comes in.

For a mom named Audrey (who clearly has a passion for cleaning hacks, given her TikTok handle of @organizedchaos4), that moment came after she filmed herself doing a deep clean on her 12-year-old daughter’s room. Several people chimed in to accuse her of spoiling her kid, essentially.

Granted, Audrey admitted that she had posted the video “hoping that the trolls would get those thumbs a-movin’.” So when they did indeed come after her, she was ready.


“I surprised my daughter by cleaning her room for her. She's been getting herself up for 6 a.m. practices, she gets herself to school, she's out of the house before the rest of us have even woken up,” Audrey says in the clip.

“Keep in mind she's 12. In return for all that she's been doing, I thought it would be a nice treat if I just did a quick speed clean of her room. It was no big deal.”

Audrey goes on to say that the point of her follow-up video was to reiterate the importance of “extending grace.”


@organizedchaos4 When we throw empathy out the window, we throw grace out the window. If you saw the video and your first reaction was to say, “why isn’t she doing it herself?” Ask yourself, “have I EVER left a room messy because I was overwhelmed, tired, busy?” If so, then you are in no position to judge a child for the same thing. #grace #kindness #help #parenting #cleaning #kids #mom ♬ original sound - Organized Chaos | Audrey


That's what I did for my daughter. She had fallen behind on her room and I helped her.,” she says. “It costs you nothing, and it creates this ripple effect of kindness. We all have setbacks, we all have failures, we all make mistakes and if you say you don't you're lying. By extending grace we are spreading kindness, we are spreading compassion. If you can't extend grace to your own children then there's no way you're going to extend it to anyone else in the world and that's a scary world to live in.”

Audrey then argues that being kind to others often makes it “easier” to be kind to ourselves, which is “vital for our mental health.”

She then concludes, “so if you watched the video yesterday or you're watching this one today and you're thinking negative thoughts, ask yourself, ‘Am I quick to judge, be resentful, be negative or am I quick to extend grace or ask yourself have I ever stumbled and wish grace had been extended to me?’”

Down in the comments, we see that Audreynis certainly not alone in her thinking.

“Kindness costs nothing and provides everything,” one person wrote.

“This will only inspire your daughter to keep working hard and give back when she has a chance to, and know she can rely on you when she struggles,” added another.

Several other moms even chimed in about doing something similar for their kids.

“Exactly I did the same thing for my 23-year-old daughter who works full-time and is a full-time college student. She’s 100% independent. I just want to take some off stress off her plate,” one mom shared

Another said, “I do this for my daughter still, and it's her house.”

As with all things in parenting, balance is key. Of course we don’t want to instill laziness, but at the same time, kids can’t be expected to overachieve in all areas, at all times. Adults can’t even manage this without a little help. Sounds like this is truly a case of a good kid acting as responsibly as humanly possible, and a mom just wanting to help out where she can, all why'll teaching her the world can be a safe place. Hard to see anything wrong with that.

Led Zeppelin got to see their iconic hit performed for them.

When Billboard and Rolling Stone pull together their "Best Songs of All Time" lists, there are some tunes you know for sure will be included. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" is most definitely one of them.

It has everything—the beauty of a ballad, the grunginess of a rock song, the simple solo voice, and the band in full force. "Stairway to Heaven" takes us on a musical journey, and even people who aren't necessarily giant Led Zeppelin or classic rock fans can't help but nod or sing along to it.

Of course, it's also been so ubiquitous (or overplayed, as some would claim) to become a meme among musicians. Signs saying "No Stairway to Heaven" in guitar stores point to how sick of the song many guitarists get, and when Oregon radio station KBOO told listeners they would never play the song again if someone pledged $10,000, Led Zepelin singer Robert Plant himself called in and gave the donation.


Musicians can often tire of performing their songs over and over again, but it's a different story when someone else puts their spin on it. And at a Led Zeppelin tribute concert at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 2, 2012, rock legends Heart and the son of John Bonham, Led Zeppelin's original drummer who passed away in 1980 at age 32, performed a rendition of "Stairway to Heaven" that brought the surviving members of the band to their feet—and to tears.

It helps that Heart's Ann Wilson had been a huge fan of the song since she was 19 and that her voice has a similar quality to Plant's. But what makes this performance so epic is the contrast between its simple beginnings and huge, full climax with an orchestra and full choir wearing bowler hats (a touching shout out to Bonham, who famously wore one) behind the band.

It's quite a ride to see the audience grow more and more excited as the song builds and to see Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones clearly awed at their own music being performed with such excellence. As one commenter quipped, "I think this is the first time Led Zeppelin was feeling what people felt listening to them all their lives."

It's definitely worth a watch. Enjoy:

This article originally appeared on 2.3.23

Family

Appalachian husband saves cooler of wife's breastmilk by hauling it over raging flood waters

“As someone from Appalachia this is proof to our ingenuity and GRIT,” one viewer wrote.

@supersingleton/TikTok

Talk about resourceful.

Mere days before Florida was hit by Hurricane Milton, Helene, a Category 4 and the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina, raged through other southeast states—hitting North Carolina the hardest.

But one video, shared by Emily Singleton, captures just how resilient and resourceful Appalachian folks are when it comes to protecting their families.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Singleton shared that the day two of her close friends, Josh Johnson and Graham Avery, were trying to save the breastmilk of Graham's wife, Logan Avery.

They needed to get the milk out of the Avery house, which had lost power, and into their in-law's house, which had a generator. With the floods making the bridge out of their house inaccessible and fallen trees everywhere, this would be no easy task.

Still, Johnson and Avery were able to put the breast milk in a cooler, along with some frozen meats to keep the milk. They then used a rope pulley system—Avery on one side, Johnson on the other—to guide the cooler across a raging Roaring Creek.

As Singleton’s caption put it, this was just good old fashioned "Appalachian folks makeshifting ways.”

She also told People that the river was not only a transportation system, the cool waters also helped preserve the milk. that ‘s a little trick that all the “Mamaws and Papaws had to do growing up.”

The video struck a sense of pride for fellow Appalachians.

“As someone from Appalachia this is proof to our ingenuity and GRIT,” one viewer wrote.

Another echoed, “Appalachia was settled off this same grit, determination, and sense of community. Seeing everyone helping, rigging up pulley systems. Makes me even prouder to be from there.”

Another even shared that “we [Appalachians] have been doing this with moonshine for years. People in these mountains will make a way one way or another. Always.”

And those not from Appalachia were moved after seeing the way this community looked out for one another.

“I know mama is so appreciative. The testimonies you all are going to have after this horrible situation is over are going to be so amazing!” share one person.

“This hurts my mama heart, but makes me so proud to be an American. THis is what it’s about,” said another.

Singleton also joked in her caption that this family should be sponsored by Yeti, which sells ultra-durable coolers, drinkware and bags. Seems like they more than earned that.

To learn more about how to help with relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Helene, click here.