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She began her ballet career in a Boys and Girls Club, in gym socks. Some said she'd never make it.

Misty Copeland proved them wrong and danced her way to her dreams.

Plenty of people know the Misty Copeland story by now, but in case you don't, here are the highlights:

She started ballet at the age of 13, much later than most career ballerinas.

Even then, she began at a local Boys & Girls Club, in a pair of gym socks. She was living in a motel with her mom and siblings when she and her talent were discovered.


She had a different build than ballet traditionalists were used to. Even though she worked day and night at honing her natural talent, she received an early rejection letter that told her she was all wrong for ballet.

GIF via Under Armour.

GIF via Under Armour.

Even recently, she wasn't certain she'd ever make it this far.

Misty joined American Ballet Theatre, "one of the great dance companies in the world," in 2001. She expressed fears in her 2014 memoir that in spite of her hard work and achievement, the possibility she may never be named a principal dancer left her feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. Misty has been acutely aware of the hope she represents for young dancers everywhere:

"My fears are that it could be another two decades before another black woman is in the position that I hold with an elite ballet company. That if I don't rise to principal, people will feel I have failed them."

But today, ABT announced their new promotions.

And Misty Copeland's name was among them — one of two soloists moved up to the principal position. And it's a day of celebration and happy tears for all of us who've been waiting with bated breath to see her succeed.

Seeing tradition for tradition's sake give way to a world where everyone with merit can succeed is a beautiful thing to behold, and who knew it would be a little girl in socks from the Boys & Girls Club to help make that happen.

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Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

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Mom’s blistering rant on how men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies is on the nose

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Mom has something to say... strongly say.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, are a conservative group who aren't known for being vocal about sex.

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Terrified, emaciated dog comes to life as volunteer sits with him for human connection

He tries making himself so small in the kennel until he realizes he's safe.

Terrified dog transforms after human sits with him.

There's something about dogs that makes people just want to cuddle them. They have some of the sweetest faces with big curious eyes that make them almost look cartoonish at times. But not all dogs get humans that want to snuggle up with them on cold nights; some dogs are neglected or abandoned. That's where animal shelters come in, and they work diligently to take care of any medical needs and find these animals loving homes.

Volunteers are essential to animal shelters running effectively to fill in the gaps employees may not have time for. Rocky Kanaka has been volunteering to sit with dogs to provide comfort. Recently he uploaded a video of an extremely emaciated Vizsla mix that was doing his best to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the kennel.

Kanaka immediately wanted to help him adjust so he would feel comfortable enough to eat and eventually get adopted. The dog appeared scared of his new location and had actually rubbed his nose raw from anxiety, but everything changed when Kanaka came along.

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She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via the CBS/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


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Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Updating the kitchen.


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Voice recordings of people who were enslaved offer incredible first-person accounts of U.S. history

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Library of Congress

When we think about the era of American slavery, many of us tend to think of it as the far distant past. While slavery doesn't exist as a formal institution today, there are people living who knew formerly enslaved black Americans first-hand. In the wide arc of history, the legal enslavement of people on U.S. soil is a recent occurrence—so recent, in fact, that we have voice recordings of interviews with people who lived it.

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