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Joy

Speech pathologist teaches her dog to use a soundboard and now it communicates in sentences

"I just imagine how much deeper the bond will be."

Speech pathologist teaches her dog to use a soundboard and now it communicates in sentences
via Hunger 4 Words / Instagram

Christina Hunger, 26, is a speech-language pathologist in San Diego, California who believes that "everyone deserves a voice."

Hunger works with one- and two-year-old children, many of which use adaptive devices to communicate. So she wondered what would happen if she taught her two-month-old puppy, a Catahoula/Blue Heeler named Stella, to do the same.

"If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn't they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans?" she wondered.


Hunger and her fiancé Jake started simply by creating a button that said "outside" and then pressed it every time they said the word or opened the door. After a few weeks, every time Hunger said "outside," Stella looked at the button.

Soon, Stella began to step on the button every time she wanted to go outside.

They soon added more buttons that say "eat," "water," "play," "walk," "no," "come," "help," "bye," and "love you."

"Every day I spent time using Stella's buttons to talk with her and teach her words just as I would in speech therapy sessions with children," she wrote on her blog.

"Instead of rewarding Stella with a treat for using a button, we responded to her communication by acknowledging her message and responding accordingly. Stella's voice and opinions matter just as our own do," she continued.

If Stella's water bowl is empty, she says "water." If she wants to play tug of war, she says, "play." She even began to tell friends "bye" if they put on their jackets by the door.

Stella soon learned to combine different words to make phrases.

One afternoon, shortly after daylight savings, she began saying "eat" at 3:00 pm. When Hunger didn't respond with food, she said, "love you no" and walked out of the room.

Today, Stella has learned over 29 words and can combine up to five at a time to make a phrase or sentence.

"The way she uses words to communicate and the words she's combining is really similar to a 2-year-old child," Hunger says of her blog.

She believes her work has the potential to transform the bond between humans and dogs.

"I think how important dogs are to their humans," Hunger says. "I just imagine how much deeper the bond will be."

Stella asks to play ball outside.

Stella clearly wants some more breakfast.

After a fun day at the beach, Stella wants to go back.

Stella telling Hunger that she doesn't want her to leave to work.

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Soon, Stella began to step on the button every time she wanted to go outside.

They soon added more buttons that say "eat," "water," "play," "walk," "no," "come," "help," "bye," and "love you."

"Every day I spent time using Stella's buttons to talk with her and teach her words just as I would in speech therapy sessions with children," she wrote on her blog.

"Instead of rewarding Stella with a treat for using a button, we responded to her communication by acknowledging her message and responding accordingly. Stella's voice and opinions matter just as our own do," she continued.

If Stella's water bowl is empty, she says "water." If she wants to play tug of war, she says, "play." She even began to tell friends "bye" if they put on their jackets by the door.



This article originally appeared on 11.08.19

Education

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

A school assignment asked for 3 "good" reasons for slavery.



It's not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids' homework.

Sometimes, it's just been too long since they've done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.

And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.

Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome's homework when her jaw hit the floor.

"Give 3 'good' reasons for slavery and 3 bad reasons," the prompt began.

You read that right. Good reasons ... FOR SLAVERY.

Lest anyone think there's no way a school would actually give an assignment like this, Brown-Berry posted photo proof to Facebook.



In the section reserved for "good reasons," (again, for slavery), Jerome wrote, "I feel there is no good reason for slavery thats why I did not write."

Yep. That about covers it.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.

The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.

His response was pretty much perfect.

We're a country founded on freedom of speech and debating ideas, which often leads us into situations where "both sides" are represented. But it can only go so far.

There's no meaningful dialogue to be had about the perceived merits of stripping human beings of their basic living rights. No one is required to make an effort to "understand the other side," when the other side is bigoted and hateful.

In a follow-up post, Brown-Berry writes that the school has since apologized for the assignment and committed to offering better diversity and sensitivity training for its teachers.

But what's done is done, and the incident illuminates the remarkable racial inequalities that still exist in our country. After all, Brown-Berry told the Chicago Tribune, "You wouldn't ask someone to list three good reasons for rape or three good reasons for the Holocaust."

At the very end of the assignment, Jerome brought it home with a bang: "I am proud to be black because we are strong and brave ... "

Good for Jerome for shutting down the thoughtless assignment with strength and amazing eloquence.


This article originally appeared on 01.12.18

@olliemuhl/TikTok

Stunning in every era.

We’ve had quite a few stories of older women shattering the glass ceiling of beauty standards, showing us that a few wrinkles and gray hairs do not make a woman inherently less attractive or glamorous.

In fact, the opposite is often true. For with these markers of age comes wisdom, sovereignty, and the kind of confidence that can only be granted through experience. All of these are sexy things.

But women have been made to think otherwise for far too long. And let’s be real, just because there has been progress here, it doesn’t mean that the beauty industry (or how we collectively view beauty in general) has quit becoming a young woman’s game.


Older women still rarely find themselves represented as vibrant, sexy, desirable or aspirational as their younger counterparts. Or as compared to older men…which is a whole ‘nother can of worms.

All this to say, anytime there is a story of an older woman challenging societal norms simply by being their fabulous selves, we think it’s a story worth sharing. And this one certainly fits the bill, with its own special flavor of grandma-grandson wholesomeness.

This is Ollie Muhl—a content creator, and objectively good looking dude.

Of course, perhaps Muhl should credit some of his aesthetic to genes provided by his grandmother, whom he recently discovered was an international model back in the day.

In a video posted to his TikTok, Muhl shared that when her grandmother first told him of her former profession, he “didn't believe her.” But grandma had the receipts, aka a stunning modeling portfolio.



That video quickly went viral. People could not stop talking about how gorgeous Muhl’s grandma was. A few even recognized some of her ads.

“OH MY GOD my grandma has a picture of your grandma on the wall of her small hut in the middle of nowhere in Moldova! This brings so [many] memories. The world is a small village, “ one person wote.

Another gushed, “literally one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Wow.”

After his initial video went viral, Muhl was inspired to prove that even after 50 years, his grandma still had the “it factor.” So he surprised her with a professional photoshoot.

In a subsequent TikTok video, we see Muhl’s grandma gasp as she’s greeted by a hair, makeup and wardrobe team, who quickly get to work zhuzhing and spritzing.


@olliemuhl I better be the favorite grandchild after this A huge thanks to everybody that helped to make this happen. Truly a special moment for my grandma.💕
♬ original sound - Ollie



Meanwhile, Muhl’s grandpa is also there, and “in need of air” as he watched his wife get glambotted.

“The way grandpa fell in love all over again,” one viewer wrote.

Finally, we see that Muhl’s grandma truly hasn’t missed a beat as she nails every angle and pose, leaving most passersby breathless.

So many commented to say how this woman should get back into modeling asap.

This is right here exactly what should be on the cover of magazines, graceful aging. And when I want that I mean, letting it do what the world is going to do and letting your personality shine through.”

“Brands! You need to book her now!’

She needs to continue modeling. We need our age represented by your beautiful grandmother. Chanel?”

And because we know you’re dying to see, here’s the final product.

Of course Muhl’s grandmother got many, many more compliments, but what really seemed to affect people was this grandson’s sweet gesture.

“A really touching story, great idea to start a shoot. Your grandmother is really very stylish. Great photos, the outfits look like they were made for you. Excellent!,” one person commented.

Another said, “Absolutely terrific set of shots, Ollie. The full story of what you did for your grandma needs to go into a top fashion magazine…It is such a fantastic story and would make brilliant reading!! ⚡️💥💜👌🥇🏆🥇👌❤️💥⚡️”

Indeed, there’s just so much to love about this. Sweet grandsons, glamorous grandmas, gorgeous photos…and a great reminder that beauty has no expiration date.

A map of the United States post land-ice melt.


Land ice: We got a lot of it.

Considering the two largest ice sheets on earth — the one on Antarctica and the one on Greenland — extend more than 6 million square miles combined ... yeah, we're talkin' a lot of ice.

But what if it was all just ... gone? Not like gone gone, but melted?


If all of earth's land ice melted, it would be nothing short of disastrous.

And that's putting it lightly.

This video by Business Insider Science (seen below) depicts exactly what our coastlines would look like if all the land ice melted. And spoiler alert: It isn't great.

Lots of European cities like, Brussels and Venice, would be basically underwater.

In Africa and the Middle East? Dakar, Accra, Jeddah — gone.

Millions of people in Asia, in cities like Mumbai, Beijing, and Tokyo, would be uprooted and have to move inland.

South America would say goodbye to cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

And in the U.S., we'd watch places like Houston, San Francisco, and New York City — not to mention the entire state of Florida — slowly disappear into the sea.

All GIFs via Business Insider Science/YouTube.

Business Insider based these visuals off National Geographic's estimation that sea levels will rise 216 feet (!) if all of earth's land ice melted into our oceans.

There's even a tool where you can take a detailed look at how your community could be affected by rising seas, for better or worse.

Although ... looking at these maps, it's hard to imagine "for better" is a likely outcome for many of us.

Much of America's most populated regions would be severely affected by rising sea levels, as you'll notice exploring the map, created by Alex Tingle using data provided by NASA.

Take, for instance, the West Coast. (Goodbye, San Fran!)

Or the East Coast. (See ya, Philly!)

And the Gulf Coast. (RIP, Bourbon Street!)

I bring up the topic not just for funsies, of course, but because the maps above are real possibilities.

How? Climate change.

As we continue to burn fossil fuels for energy and emit carbon into our atmosphere, the planet gets warmer and warmer. And that, ladies and gentlemen, means melted ice.

A study published this past September by researchers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany found that if we don't change our ways, there's definitely enough fossil fuel resources available for us to completely melt the Antarctic ice sheet.

Basically, the self-inflicted disaster you see above is certainly within the realm of possibility.

"This would not happen overnight, but the mind-boggling point is that our actions today are changing the face of planet Earth as we know it and will continue to do so for tens of thousands of years to come," said lead author of the study Ricarda Winkelmann, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

If we want to stop this from happening," she says, "we need to keep coal, gas, and oil in the ground."

The good news? Most of our coastlines are still intact! And they can stay that way, too — if we act now.

World leaders are finallystarting to treat climate change like the global crisis that it is — and you can help get the point across to them, too.

Check out Business Insider's video below:

This article originally appeared on 12.08.15

Joy

Gen Zers are surrendering their pets because they can't afford them. It's a wake-up call.

We need to be a lot more up front about how expensive pets actually are.

Many people get a pet without realizing how much it will cost them over time.

Many young adults have a desire to have a cat, dog or other pet when they set out on their own, whether for personal security or cuddly companionship. But unfortunately, many Gen Zers who have gotten a pet have found that the cost of keeping them is simply unsustainable.

In fact, a LendingTree survey of 1,991 U.S. consumers discovered that 25% of Gen Zers said they have given up their pet because they couldn't afford to care for them. They're not alone, though. Across all Americans, 12% have surrendered a pet for the same reason.


Rising costs due to post-pandemic inflation put a strain on many pet owners as pet food and supplies became more expensive over the past few years. But inflation isn't solely to blame for pet unaffordability issues. Having a pet is expensive across the board, and there are often costs that don't get considered when someone decides to bring an animal into their home. We don't talk openly enough about how pricy pets can be, and with around two thirds of U.S. household having pets, young people may believe they're easily affordable.

Why are pets so expensive?

Food and supplies: The most basic ongoing pet expense is the stuff that keeps them alive and safe, such as food, litter, etc. These are the generally predictable costs most people think of when they're planning to get a pet. Sometimes an animal can have problems with certain food ingredients, and specialized food can be exorbitantly expensive, but it's still a steady cost that can be incorporated into a budget. Some pets need specific enclosures and even specific lighting or warmers as well.

Vet bills: Some vet bills are predictable, such as regular checkups and vaccines. But you never know what the vet might find even on a routine checkup, and if anything needs to be done, it can add up quickly.

But there are also health maintenance vet bills that many people aren't aware of. For instance, cats should have their teeth cleaned professionally every year or two, according to many veterinarians. A teeth cleaning might not seem like a big deal, but cats have to be anesthetized to do it, so it costs hundreds of dollars (sometimes over $1,000, depending on the vet).

Grooming: Depending on the pet you choose, you may have to pay for haircuts or other grooming costs. Some dogs have hair instead of fur, which can get overgrown and matted if not properly cared for.

Boarding/pet sitting: Unless you never go anywhere or always take your pets with you (which isn't always feasible), you'll likely have to pay for someone to care for your pets whenever you leave town. That could range from paying a friend in pizza to full-on boarding kennels, which can sometimes cost as much as a hotel room, but it's an expense people often don't think about until a vacation comes along and they have to figure out what to do with their furry friends.

How much does it cost to have a pet?

According to Rover.com the average annual cost of owning a cat is $710-$2,865 a year and for a dog it ranges from $1,000–$5,225. That can be a lot for people who are on a tight budget. And when you start adding multiple furry friends together, it gets even more expensive.

There are other pets people can get besides cats and dogs, of course, and they'll all have their own average costs. But there's no such thing as a free pet, so it's important to be sure you can easily afford them in your budget regardless of what kind of animal you get.

via GIPHY

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How can people more easily afford to have a pet?

1) Look at getting a pet as a major life purchase with ongoing expenses. Just like when you buy a car and know you'll have to pay for gas, oil and air filter changes, new tires and repairs when something starts to not work right, you have to account for all the potential costs of having a pet. Literally plan it into your budget to be sure you can afford it.

2) Crunch the numbers and see if pet insurance might be a good option. According to PawlicyAdvisor.com, the average monthly premium for pet insurance ranges from around $20 to $40 for a cat and $35 to $120 for a dog (depending mostly on breed). Premiums rise with an animal's age and can vary greatly by breed for dogs, but pet insurance could be a good option if budgeting a steady monthly insurance premium is easier for you than being hit with an unexpected vet bill.

3) Look for assistance if you're struggling to afford your pet.Pethelpfinder.org is a great resource that can direct you to programs in your area that provide affordable pet services or help with the cost of food, vet care and even boarding. The Humane Society offers a list of resources for people who are having problems affording their pets as well.

4) Consider fostering instead if adopting a pet really isn't in the budget. There are lots of animals out there who need temporary care while they wait for their forever homes. Fostering gives you the benefit of caring for an animal without the cost, as the expenses are covered by the foster program. It can be hard to let them go when they do get a permanent home, but if you see it as a service for the animal, giving them a loving temporary home, it can be incredibly rewarding.

cat in a blanketCats and dogs can cost more than people expect. Photo by Tatiana Аzatskaya/Pexels

Having a pet is a significant expense and we need to be upfront about that. There are options available if you find yourself struggling to afford pet care, so be sure to exhaust whatever options you have if you want to keep your pet. At the same time, rehoming a pet when finances make it impossible to care for them properly is an act of love in itself. Making sure our animals are thriving is the most important thing, even if that means finding them a home that can provide what they need.

Family

Woman's viral posts about her dad's 'discussion agendas' are hilarious and inspiring

Packers football, family updates, and of course, General Discussion.

Kenzi Enright's dad, Riley, has been getting together with the same group of guys every Friday night for years.

Neither of them ever expected that the meetups, officially known as "Board Meetings," would eventually make them both Internet-famous.

One night in late 2022, Kenzi's dad invited her out with the boys and caught her off guard when he handed her a printed agenda full of discussion topics for the evening.

On deck for the night?

  • Jordan Love
  • World Cup
  • China and Russia
  • After Christmas party with the boys
  • and General Discussion

Kenzi found it so hilarious that she shared the agenda on Twitter, where it instantly went viral.

Some people found the structured approach to hanging out impressive. Others just thought the over-the-top dad vibes were adorable.

Kenzi began sharing the agendas almost every Friday — and has kept the gag going for nearly two years.

The formal discussion topics started as a joke.

Riley and his friends found a coaster at their bar table one night with some hard-to-read writing on it, and one of them joked that it must have been a previous group's agenda.

From there, the group began discussing their own agendas for the evening before meeting up, and soon, Riley was printing them out before each Board Meeting.

Sometimes the guys include little notes like "Please be on time, we have a lot to get through," or "Please take good notes." Sometimes there are guest speakers on the docket, including Kenzi.

After the initial laughs and virality wore off, Kenzi's dad and his friends found they actually liked having an agenda for their meetups. So they decided to keep it rolling.

By now, Kenzi has posted over 60 updates — with an audience of thousands eagerly awaiting each one!

The agendas may have started as a joke, but they serve an important purpose — and hold a valuable lesson.

"We found ourselves going down some rabbit holes. Political things and whatnot would get in the way, and life would get in the way of things," Riley told People.

"We found ourselves getting away from the fun and into kind of depressing things. So we made a vow to each other — no politics, no depressing things. We're just going to get together and have fun."

According to the agendas, The Board discusses a wide range of topics, from sports (the Green Bay Packers make a lot of appearances on the lists), to pop culture, to home repair, family, life updates, and more.

The gang has a lot of fun hamming up the discussion guides, but the fact that the joke has lasted this long is pretty amazing.

It's no secret that there's an epidemic of male loneliness in America. A 2021 survey found that a shocking 15 percent of men reported having no close friends.

The isolation is even more pronounced in younger generations, with a survey from 2023 discovering that a staggering 65% of men ages 18-23 agreed with the statement "No one really knows me well."

The same study found that 40% of all men surveyed showed depressive symptoms.

Guys everywhere can take a lesson from Riley and his friends, and from the commitment they show in getting together every single week and talking openly about real issues — something so many men struggle to do.

Your own Guy's Night Out may never go viral, but it might be a surprisingly important piece of your longterm mental health.