upworthy

Jacalyn Wetzel

A sweet story of the cat distribution system at work.

Tiny houses are still a popular choice for people trying to downsize but tiny houses for cats are springing up in one man's backyard.

Back in 2024, Barna thought he was doing a good deed for a stray cat that decided that he kinda liked hanging out in this human's backyard. At first, the cat would show up but wouldn't eat the food set out for him. That didn't stop Barna.

The man continued to set food out for the cat. Taking note of the changing weather, Barna decided to take one of his hobbies and build the cat, now named Domino a cozy little house. Building things is a hobby for him, so he made sure to equip Domino's tiny abode with a heating pad, light and camera.

Before too long the situation turned into a version of the famous children's book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Another cat showed up (because of course Domino had a bestie) but it didn't stop there.

Barna built a tiny two story condo for the two cats to hang out in while still keeping Domino's original tiny house. The backyard looks like it was made to host furry tenants in a makeshift cat community because more cats indeed showed up. Soon the tuxedo cat had several neighbors to hang out with and thanks to Barna, none of the cats looked like they were missing any meals.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

"We have about four or five cats who will go in and sleep in the houses," Barna told The Dodo. "One night one of the biggest storms of the year hit, I saw that two kittens actually took shelter in the house. That was one of the sweetest things ever."

Barna had cameras set up inside and outside of the itty bitty kitty community so he can keep an eye on his feline neighbors. The cats' landlord expressed that he feels gratification seeing his little houses be used by furry tenants. Having a group of cats around probably isn't too terrible for keeping pests away either, so it's a win for all involved.

Down in the comments, people applauded Barna for taking such good care of his feline friends.

"If you build it, they will come. what a kind and thoughtful gentleman to take care of these babies during the hard weather."

"This man has such a good heart."

"How a man treats animals reveals who the man is. This is a good man."

"Just imagine how good the inside of those little houses feel to a kitty after he or she has been outdoors in all kinds of weather for who knows how long. They would finally be able to relax and get a good sleep. Kudos for being so kind and handy."

"There is most definitely a special place in heaven for the animal rescuers. I love you."

"This world NEEDS more people like this gentleman.""Indeed, the world could definitely use a few more Barnas. Best of luck to him and his kitty companions.

This article originally appeared last year.

Maikon Alves | Instagram

Some people have such amazing control of their bodies

Meet Maikon Alves, a dancer from Brazil turns heads on social media with moves so fluid and robotic that people around question if he's human.

In one particularly viral video, Alves dances to "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas—to say his moves are impressive would be an understatement. Alves pops his chest to the beat while slowly stepping in place making it look like he's gliding from move to move. Some movements are crisp and sharp like a robot while others are so fluid it's nearly unbelievable that it could be coming from a human.

While the man's moves do look slightly out of this world, he is indeed a real person, or at least he appears to be in other videos on his page.

Comments ranged between being in awe of his abilities and questioning if he was human.

"Loved. I like how everything is in sync - from the music to the moves to face expressions. 👏👏👏 and your cool personal style," one person writes.

"Doesn’t even look real it’s that good..!! Love this," someone says.

"You will be the dance instructor for the children of our AI overlords someday," a commenter thinks.

"Nah, this is God-level pop-locking," someone compliments.

Even Nicole Scherzinger, actress, singer and former member of the pop group and dance ensemble, Pussycat Dolls gave Alves praise saying, "you are a legend!"

Alves' uncanny robot dance even made its way to season 19 of America's Got Talent. His audition routine included pretending to play the Violin and a fun moonwalk to robotic themed music.

Gotta hand it to folks like Alves, who remind us all what amazing feats the human body is capable of, and how dance can instantly spark joy. Whether you're the one performing the moves or not.

To catch even more of his nifty routines, follow Alves on Instagram.

This article originally appeared last year.

Humor

People share the 'fully unhinged' things they've used ChatGPT for and the results are wild

"These comments made me realize I’m not using chatgpt to its full potential."

People share 'fully unhinged' things they've used ChatGPT for

ChatGPT and other AI search engines can be a game changer for some people by doing time consuming menial tasks in a matter of seconds. Need meal prep ideas on a budget, all you have to do is tell ChatGPT how much money you want to spend and foods to avoid and it'll write out meals you can prepare for the whole week. Want to see what your cat would look like as a person, run it through AI, but apparently some people aren't just using ChatGPT for silly pictures or grocery lists.

People have started using ChatGPT for things that seem well beyond the intended purpose of the AI program. Clare Watson recently asked, "tell me the most insane thing you've used ChatGPT for. I'm not talking about 'write my resume' or 'dinner ideas' I'm talking fully unhinged." Well, she asked, people answered and I don't think anyone was prepared for some of the responses she received. Maybe we've all been using ChatGPT wrong.

ChatGPT; Gemini AI; AI programs; is AI safe; using AI; AI questionsA group of people sitting around a laptop computer Photo by Mushvig Niftaliyev on Unsplash

There are things ranging from getting someone out of jail to leaving an abusive relationship. One person was able to have ChatGPT connect her symptoms which led to an accurate diagnosis. But one that was amusingly shocking was this professor that says, "I got sick of my college students using ChatGPT to write their essays, so I used ChatGPT to grade them."

Another person reveals they used the program against itself, "I forgot to unsub yearly ChatGPT plus. ChatGPT wrote a letter to ChatGPT for a Refund. I got it back haha."

ChatGPT; Gemini AI; AI programs; is AI safe; using AI; AI questionsCustomer Service Manager GIF by Ryn DeanGiphy

The AI program once helped upgrade a crush to a relationship, "Told it every single detail of every interaction i had with my crush so we could analyze if he liked me or not. When we started dating chatgpt was so excited for me."

Playing with new technology can be fun but humans will always push the limits to see what it can do. Sometimes the limit pushing is for something noble and other times it's to try to get away with doing as little work as possible, like this student, "I got in trouble for using ChatGPT on my essay, and my teacher made me re do it. I asked ChatGPT to write me an essay with 0 ai detection. I got 97% on my “new” essay. teacher never knew."

ChatGPT; Gemini AI; AI programs; is AI safe; using AI; AI questionsF Failing GIF by FX NetworksGiphy

You know, maybe bringing back those blue writing books with #2 pencils isn't a bad idea. Think of all of the improved handwriting and comfort in knowing your students really did absorb the information you spent weeks teaching. On the flip side of using ChatGPT to write an essay for you, someone made it write an essay against itself, "Asked chatgpt to write an essay on 'How gpt ruins education and why it should be banned.'"

Some things ChatGPT helped with are much more serious than others showing the versatility of the AI program with one person writing, "Chat GPT helped me leave an abusive marriage. Crafted a safety plan. Helped me come up with a budget. Encouraged and motivated me. Answered every what if I had," though seeking support from a domestic violence shelter in situations of abuse is still advised.

@clareewatson I need to know the fully unhinged chat moments #storytime #chat #chatgpt #fyp #story #unhinged ♬ original sound - NYES | Fashion

One person shares, "I let chat gpt destroy all my legal arguments by asking him/her/it to be opposing counsel 😂 That way I’m prepared and able to strengthen my arguments in advance."

Another admits, "My brother had to go to jail. Chat gpt found a loop Hole in the law… my brother is Free now," while another got a suggestion to answer her medical mystery. "All the doctors told me there was nothing wrong with me. Wrote down my symptoms and Chatgpt told me it could be MCAS. Found a doctor specialized in that disease. Chatgpt was right," the woman writes.

While some admit they find themselves relying on ChatGPT too much, others simply find it as a source of entertainment and treat it as such. One person used it to create a drama filled Love Island episode using her favorite cast members from different seasons. In the end, ChatGPT has the last word, "Did a rap battle with ChatGPT. I criticized it's ability to draw hands and said I might as well use Google. It reminded me it'll be around way longer than me."

Learning

How sign language was once banned in America thanks to Alexander Graham Bell

The inventor thought sign language kept people from integrating into society.

Alexander Graham Bell once had sign language banned in America.

American Sign Language, known widely as ASL is something that people are used to seeing. Though everyone doesn't speak the language, we as a society understand the important role it plays in the lives of those who are or know someone who is deaf or hard of hearing. Classes are offered online, at local libraries, and even at universities because ASL is a full language on its own with its own set of rules. Given the wide acceptance and understanding of the need for ASL, it's hard to believe that it was once banned in America.

Yes, banned. In the early years of ASL, it was a developing tool for deaf people to communicate with each other and those around them. The language was developed using the natural human inclination to use hand gestures to communicate. It quickly caught on and became a cohesive language which resulted in it being taught to deaf children in schools. "There are more than 150 different sign languages used around the world that are distinct from each other and the spoken languages in the same places," Erica Brozovsky, Ph.D. says on an episode of PBS' Otherwords, of which is she is the host and writer.

ASL; sign language; american sign language; mental health; inclusion; disability awarenessMan and child signing on floor.Photo credit: Canva

A school for the deaf was established in 1816 after French educators and American advocates opened The American School for the Deaf. This school allowed deaf students from different parts of America to receive an education in a place where the kids could learn using signs and gestures instead of speech. The French educators brought French sign language which American students combined with the gestures they used at home to communicate with their family. It helped deaf Americans build community and solidify ASL as a standard language for deaf people in the United States.

Unfortunately, this level of representation and inclusive education for deaf students wasn't something supported by everyone. Alexander Graham Bell, who was married to a deaf woman and had a deaf mother, was one of the staunchest critics of the groundbreaking language. He believed that deaf people should try to "integrate into mainstream speaking culture." Kind of rude but, okay. He is a famous inventor, so maybe there was a secret invention he was working on that would help solve the obvious problem that had...already been solved? Wishful thinking.

ASL; sign language; american sign language; mental health; inclusion; disability awarenessAsl Lips GIFGiphy

In 1880, Bell and nearly 200 other educators convened in Milan and decided that ASL just wouldn't do. In their minds, only "oralism" would be an acceptable way for deaf people to learn to speak, oralism being a system the educators who attended the conference made up as opposed to "manualism" or sign language.

"They believed that sign language was a lesser imitation of spoken language and that deaf kids shouldn't be taught to sign in schools. Instead they created a system called Oralism, where deaf children were expected to hear by lip reading and speak by imitating the mouth shapes of hearing people," Brozovsky reveals.

ASL; sign language; american sign language; mental health; inclusion; disability awarenessAsl Seriously GIFGiphy

The educators who created this system were all hearing except for one, which seems to have created the perfect climate for powerful people to make decisions about another group of people they did not belong to. Schools swiftly switched to Oralism instead of sign language and the results were devastating for deaf students. Sign language was not reintroduced to deaf students in schools until the 1960s. After nearly 100 years of sign language being banned in school, adults who missed the valuable education and community building were angry.

1n 1994, historian of Deaf Culture, Jack Gannon, told PBS, "Lots of those angry adults feel they've been cheated. They've been cheated out of a good education. They've been cheated out of good relationships with their own families. They feel they've been cheated out of so many things because they were restricted only to one method, Oralism. Now they're angry about that. And to be honest with you, I think they have a right to be angry."

According to Roberta Cordano, President of Gallaudet University, the deaf community didn't receive an apology for the removal of sign language from schools until 2013. She recalls to Otherwords that her mother was still alive to receive the apology for the harm caused.

"And it was only in 2013 that there was an apology issued to the deaf community for the Milan conference that declaration that spoke to banning sign language back in the 1880s. That apology to the deaf community that came in 2013 was one my mother was still alive to see, and my mother suffered because of that decree during that period of time. And my mother said, 'you know, I finally have lived to see this apology. That happened in her lifetime and it meant a lot to her" Cordano says.

ASL; sign language; american sign language; mental health; inclusion; disability awarenessWoman smiling using ASLPhoto credit: Canva

But what educators didn't know in the 1880s is that learning language early in life is crucial for development no matter if it's spoken or signed. Another benefit according to the video is that kids who learn to sign from infancy, whether they're hearing or not, have increased brain development. Though sign language is widely more acceptable as a form of language now, Cordano points out that there are still gaps in teaching it to deaf and hard of hearing children. Cochlear implants and hearing aids aren't always enough to have a deaf child hear like their peers, so sometimes key pieces of language are missing which can impact learning.

Cordano wants people to understand that while there are devices that can help people hear, there doesn't have to be a choice between using one of those devices and learning ASL. She believes it's most beneficial for kids to be exposed to both so they can decide what suits them.

ASL; sign language; american sign language; mental health; inclusion; disability awarenessThree women conversing in ASLPhoto credit: Canva

The university president closes by saying, "So what I recognize is that we have been so busy trying to fix deaf babies or deaf and hard of hearing babies by putting technologies on them or trying to fix them so that they'll be hearing and be able to access spoken language that we've completely missed out on what those deaf babies have to offer the entire world. A lifetime experience of hearing loss and I think we really got it wrong, the babies are our teachers in this process, they are teaching us how to live with a beauty of a visual language. How to live in a world full of visual images and visual communication. It's just a way of being that is so beneficial to everyone if you learn sign language and use sign language."