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The Seattle Seahawks just took a few simple steps to accommodate autistic fans. Great move!

The new plan to make CenturyLink Field more autism-friendly marks an NFL first.

For the past few seasons, the NFL's Seattle Seahawks have been force to be reckoned with.

They've made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (winning one of them) on the strength of players like Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, and Kam Chancellor. They're also known for the devoted fanbase that makes up one of the league's loudest home crowds.

The team also does a lot of cool off-the-field work, including regular trips to Seattle Children's Hospital, and recently announced a brand new initiative to make their stadium more friendly to people with autism.



Russell Wilson (#3) drops back to pass during a game during the 2014 season. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.

In an NFL first, the Seahawks debuted a partnership with the Autism Center of Tulsa's I'm A-OK program.

The Autism Center of Tulsa (ACT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing programs and partnerships geared towards increasing "awareness and understanding, community involvement, and independence for individuals and families affected by autism." ACT was founded by Jennifer Sollars-Miller and Michelle Wilkerson, both mothers of children living with autism.

"Parents work tirelessly to provide appropriate education,. "But we realized many in the community don't understand their unique needs, so they become defeated. Our program is an effort to support their independence and also give businesses the tools to recognize and resources to help their customers who are on the autism spectrum." — ACT co-founder Michelle Wilkerson

As part of their Seahawks partnership, ACT put together a kit for visitors with autism that will improve their game experience.

So what's in the kits?

Kits include noise-cancelling headphones, ear plugs, a detailed game schedule, and sensory toys. Additionally, kits come with an "I'm A-OK" badge, which can help inform stadium crew about one's status so they can accommodate accordingly. These tools were designed with the intent of helping fans take the skills they've learned at home or in therapy and apply them in what can be a challenging and overwhelming environment.

"We realized there were a few simple things we could do that would make a positive impact for Seahawks fans on the [autism] spectrum," vice president of stadium operations David Young said in a press release. "The toolkits are just the first step."

For Seahawks general manager John Schneider and his wife, Traci, this is an issue close to their hearts.

In 2005, the Schneider's 3-year-old son, Ben, was diagnosed with autism. In 2012, the couple launched Ben's Fund, a charity devoted to helping families of children with autism through grants. According to an April post on the Seahawks website, Ben's fund has raised more than $850,000 and awarded more than $400,000 in grants to over 500 families.


In a Seattle Times profile of the couple, they mention that noise in particular is something that Ben, now 13, continues to struggle with. That's why Wilkerson and Sollars-Miller decided to reach out to the Seahawks in the first place.


Schneider addresses the crowd at the Seahawk's Super Bowl XLVIII Victory Parade in 2014. Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images.

So will Seattle's CenturyLink Field remain a raucous obstacle for game-day opponents? Without a doubt.

It's just also going to be a bit more accommodating for fans on the autism spectrum. More fans having more fun makes for a winning combo, right? Totally.

These fans just witnessed the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. I'd be pretty excited, too. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images.

Will other teams adopt ACT's I'm A-OK program? ACT founders sure hope so.

"We're starting here, but we've already started getting calls from all over," Sollars-Miller told Seattle's KING 5 news. The team is the first, but hopefully won't be the last, to make their stadium more accessible to people with autism.

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

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5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


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A student accidentally created a rechargeable battery that could last 400 years

"This thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going." ⚡️⚡️

There's an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

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Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

Every era has its own version of what’s attractive. And very rarely does that aesthetic hold power with the following generation. In fact, it often becomes the opposite of cool.

Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

Which brings us to the 90s. The age of beach blonde surfer boys (real surfing skills not required, but a plus). Of flannel, lots of flannel, and super chiseled bodies. Let’s not forget this was the dawning of the term “metrosexual,” and also the time period that brought us that Calvin Klein ad with Mark Wahlburg.

How exactly would these guys measure up with the Gen Z kids today?

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A Eurasian crow.

A family from Denmark has created a touching video montage documenting their unique friendship with a wild Eurasian crow. This crow, affectionately named Russell, has become an honorary member of their household, forming special bonds with each family member, including the pets.

However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

Russell, the free-spirited crow, ventures away from the family's home from time to time, but never for too long. He always comes back and announces his return by tapping on the door, swooping in to lounge on the sofa, or awaiting Otto's return from school atop their roof.

“When we are inside, he will sit inside the window because he wants Otto to go outside with him,” Laerke said.

The family’s relationship with Russell didn’t come out of nowhere. When Russell was a young bird, he had health problems so the family took him and nursed the bird back to health. Eventually, they witnessed his first attempts to fly.

Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

Even though it’s rare for humans to strike up such a close bond with a crow, according to research, it’s not that surprising. Audubon says that crows are “some of the smartest animals in the world” with an intelligence “on par with chimpanzees.” They are also very social and family-oriented, so no wonder Russell loves Otto and his family.

Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

Dishwashers actually use the dirty water to know how to wash your dishes.

Photos by cottonbro studio and PhotoMIX Ltd. via Canva

Why your detergent shouldn't go in the bottom of the dishwasher

There always seem to be something going on with the pods and powders you're supposed to use in the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Either the pods don't dissolve completely or the powder gets all goopy and hard, never really fully dispensing into the dishwasher.

The inconsistency in product dispensing can leave you wondering if the dishes are even getting cleaned, causing some to toss the detergent pod into the bottom of the dishwasher. It would seem that placing the detergent at the bottom would allow for it to actually reach your dirty dishes. But Melissa Pateras, a domestic expert, explains that doing it that way isn't doing what you think it's doing.

Pateras actually breaks down exactly how dishwashers work to clean your dishes while explaining why putting the detergent on the bottom is ineffective.

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