Luo Gang has has been reunited with his biological family after more than 23 years, and he says it’s all thank to the Google MAPS service.

Gang was born in a small town in the Sichuan province of China but was abducted when he was only five and grew up 3,000 miles way in the Fujian province. He was able to find himself home after all that time thanks to Google Maps, which gave him directions back to his birthplace. Even though the family that took him treated him with love, he still wanted to go back to his real parents.

‘Everyday before I went to bed, I forced myself to re-live the life spent in my old home. So I wouldn’t forget,’ he said in a report in the South China Morning Post. Fed up, Gang decided to find his way back back home by sketching a very rough map of the place and posting it on a Chinese website set up to find missing children.

He was contacted by a user who told him about a couple from a small town in Guangan city, Sichuan province, who had lost a son at the exact time Luo was abducted. The area this user pointed out looked familiar to Gang who looked at the pictures online, and his suspicions were confirmed when he searched it on Google Maps.

After an emotional reunion, his biological mother said: ‘In the past years, I couldn’t help crying each time I thought about my son.’

I.M.

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Deborah Turness, the editor at ITV, has been tapped to become the next president of NBC news. Josh Halliday of The Guardian was the first person to break the news when he tweeted that info out, and NBC News later confirmed Turness’ new position.

Turness made history in 2004 when she became the UK’s first female editor of a news division after taking a position at ITV, while also being the youngest editor in ITV News’ history. NBC News had been searching for a president for quite some time ever since Steve Capus stepped down from the position in Feburary, before finally deciding on Turness. She also made history, once again, for becoming the first female president of a U.S. news network.

Michael Jermey, ITV’s director of news and current affairs, said of Turness, “Deborah has made an enormous contribution to ITV News over many years and we wish her all the very best in her new role. She leaves ITV News in great shape.”

Turness released a statement as well:

“It is quite simply the greatest imaginable honour to be named as the next President of NBC News. I am hugely excited by the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to working with the talented journalists and technicians who make it one of the great global news operations.”

Turness will be based at NBC News headquarters in New York City and begin her new role on August 5.

I.M.

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If you thought your finals week was difficult, wait until you hear Navy lieutenant Thomas Saenz’s story. The Navy pilot had to get to his exam site, in Kabul, Afghanistan with the aid of armed guards and an armored car. A bomb attack also caused him to miss school but he stuck to it and was able to earn a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Southern California. With his class graduating last week, Saenz now joins a growing number of  active duty servicemen and servicewomen to earn degrees while deployed in a combat zone.

“Not only was he out there living on the edge, but he had to get his homework done,” USC professor Frank Alvidrez said.

The Obama administration has been pushing universities to find new and different ways to help service members earn their degrees as it tracks how successful its post 9/11 GI Bill is, which was designed to be the most comprehensive education benefit for veterans since World War II. Enrollments for the new GI Bill number more than 480,000, according to the Veteran’s Administration, which has now officially started to track the number of graduates. Saenz, a 33-year-old father of two, used his GI Bill to enroll at USC but half-way through his studies, the Navy pilot was called to be deployed to Afghanistan.

“I told my class if Thomas can get his homework done on time then I don’t think there are any excuses for the rest of you all,” Alvidrez said. “And he pulled an `A.’ He was one of the top 10 percent.”

I.M.

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University of West Georgia student Aimee Copeland went through a terrible ordeal last year when a zip line accident exposed her to a vicious flesh eating virus, which caused her to lose both her hands, both her feet, and a leg. Copeland was on vacation with some friends when she fell while zip lining and suffered a cut in her leg. While she was at the hospital receiving stitches for her injury, the doctor noticed necrotizing fasciitis in the wound.

According to the Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation, NF is a bacterial infection that “gets into the body, quickly reproduces, and gives off toxins and enzymes that destroy the soft tissue and fascia, which quickly becomes gangrenous (dead).” In order to save someone that has NF, the “gangrenous tissue must be surgically removed.” Copeland had to spend five grueling months in the hospital for rehabilitation before finally going home in October of 2012. She been’s hard at work trying to regain the freedom and mobility she once had.

Copeland’s father, Andy Copeland, told ABC station KAIT 8 that her new hands will help her while she tries to regain said mobility. ”She’ll be able to utilize a lot of different functions, such as holding a glass. She’ll have nine different grasping motions with these hands,” he said. “It’s going to be wonderful to see her be able to reserve as much normalcy with her life as possible.”I

I.M.

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After a weekend filled with rumors, Yahoo officially issued a press release on Monday announcing that it will acquire Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash. It’s previous acquisitions, like Flickr and GeoCities, were not handled very well by the tech giant, but the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company promised “not to screw it up.” Fans of Tumblr are nervous that Yahoo will come in and change everything they love about the social network, but the press eased their fears by stating that Tumblr will be “independently operated as a separate business,” with 26-year-old David Karp retaining his CEO position.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer wrote a post on the Yahoo’s Tumblr page (titled: “Tumblr. + Yahoo! = !!”) to help ease fears even more, stating:

“I’m delighted to announce that we’ve reached an agreement to acquire Tumblr! 

We promise not to screw it up.  Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going.  We will operate Tumblr independently.  David Karp will remain CEO.  The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve.  Yahoo! will help Tumblr get even better, faster.

Tumblr has built an amazing place to follow the world’s creators. From art to architecture, fashion to food, Tumblr hosts 105 million different blogs.  With more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day, Tumblr is one of the fastest-growing media networks in the world.  Tumblr sees 900 posts per second (!) and 24 billion minutes spent onsite each month.  On mobile, more than half of Tumblr’s users are using the mobile app, and those users do an average of 7 sessions per day.  Tumblr’s tremendous popularity and engagement among creators, curators and audiences of all ages brings a significant new community of users to the Yahoo! network.  The combination of Tumblr+Yahoo! could grow Yahoo!’s audience by 50% to more than a billion monthly visitors, and could grow traffic by approximately 20%.

In terms of working together, Tumblr can deploy Yahoo!’s personalization technology and search infrastructure to help its users discover creators, bloggers, and content they’ll love.  In turn, Tumblr brings 50 billion blog posts (and 75 million more arriving each day) to Yahoo!’s media network and search experiences.  The two companies will also work together to create advertising opportunities that are seamless and enhance user experience.

As I’ve said before, companies are all about people.  Getting to know the Tumblr team has been really amazing.  I’ve long held the view that in all things art and design, you can feel the spirit and demeanor of those who create them.  That’s why it was no surprise to me that David Karp is one of the nicest, most empathetic people I’ve ever met.  He’s also one of the most perceptive, capable entrepreneurs I’ve worked with.  His respect for Tumblr’s community of creators is awesome, and I’m absolutely delighted to have him and his entire team join Yahoo!.   

Both Tumblr and Yahoo! share a vision to make the Internet the ultimate creative canvas by focusing on users, design — and building experiences that delight and inspire the world every day.

— Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!”

Tumblr founder and CEO David Karp also made a post on his personal Tumblr page celebrating the sale, while also explaining to Tumblr users that nothing will be changed on the site. “Before touching on how awesome this is, let me try to allay any concerns: We’re not turning purple. Our headquarters isn’t moving. Our team isn’t changing. Our roadmap isn’t changing. And our mission – to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve – certainly isn’t changing,” said Karp.

I.M.

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Intel ISEF Is Creating Science Rock stars

No matter where you are in the world, if you are creating a cool new technology or making a science innovation you may want to consider applying for Intel’s ISEF program. The only catch is that you need to be in high school to be one of the actual participants. Fear not! If you were not a science genius before the age of 18 you can still attend this event and see all of the great inventions. 

We were able to meet science rockstars that were making self driving cars, invisibility materials, and even a ternary system ( rather than binary which is what processors like Intel uses… 0′s and 1′s ). These students came from over 70 countries including Romania and the United Kingdom. Over 1600 students were a part of this event and the energy could be felt from far away. Even just arriving the night before we got to attend you could see the ISEF students walking around the downtown Phoenix area with their badges on having fun and talking about the day they just had. In fact, the night we got into town a lot of them were at an ISEF dance party mixer that actually looked like a lot of fun from the photos that we were shown.

One student we met was creating a form of glasses for the deaf, and a representative from Google gave him his business card! These ISEF stars are already making moves in the commercial world and they can’t even rent a car yet when traveling all of these places, it is truly insane. This truly was a Global Good event with many of these students inventing new ways to change the world and make existing products more efficient. There was one project where the all star had created something that only costed around $100 to make where as in the commercial world it costs over $1000, even though I do not remember the exact invention it just goes to show you that they are creating efficient products that are several orders of magnitude better than what is already out there.

The event was thrown by the Society for the Science and Public which also throws the STS ( Science and Technology Search ). Events such as these have been going on for over 50 years and are truly making our world a more innovative place that inspires people to go out there and be great at what they do. Two girls we met at the event live in South Dakota and like to ride horses and drive tractors on there farm, just to show you that even science rock stars have fun it doesn’t mean they are any different than you and I other than being way smarter in a good way!

We would like to publicly thank Intel for including Global Good Networks in this event and flying us out to Arizona to cover this after we had covered the STS event. Our goal is to spread great ideas and technologies and this even was amazing!

Signed, Josh Bois – Co-Founder of Global Good Networks

Read More About Intel Here: www.intel.com

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As a platform, most businesses owners see social sites only as a marketing channel in which they promote their latest products or services.  That’s a very limited use of new media.

A company conveying an average or mediocre product to the marketplace can expect lukewarm responses at best.  Social media enables anyone – business owner, amateur singer, professional poker player – to be an online publisher to a targeted audience that shares their passion.

Moreover, social networking sites are a tool for connecting and engaging at a human level.  It’s not meant to be an automated posting process where message blasts result in large quantities of orders.

This is where businesses can inspire and move people.  This is where they can make their noble mission statements shine.  This is where they can show how their products or services are making a lasting difference in the world.  Communication over social media doesn’t have to be formal.  That’s for press releases and (sometimes) official blogs.

A giant technology company can convey to its fans photo slideshows of its employees having a Christmas party.  Thus, the business can show its customers that employees who create their products and take orders on the phone are also humans who share similar aspirations at a fundamental level.

Since its founding in 2003, One Source Talent (OST) has grown into one of the most popular talent agencies in the United States.  OST, which is based in Detroit, operates in major markets including Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Washington D.C., Detroit (headquarters), Los Angeles, and New York.

Over the past decade, the company has leveraged technology and social media to provide talent and advisory services in the fashion and acting communities. One Source Talent maintains an interactive database of models, actors and clients looking to fulfill creative requests and needs.

Its Facebook page has over 112,000 fans which create a positive snowball effect for any aspiring actor or actress trying to land a shot in Hollywood.  Internet marketers call this phenomenon “social proof”.  One prospect sees a company’s popularity with a similar audience and decides to join the bandwagon.

Afterall, 112,000 individuals can’t be wrong.

According to a recent study, 34 percent of business owners say they have no desire to use social media in the future.  However, they’re missing an important opportunity to connect with people and tell them what makes their businesses unique, differentiated, and special.

Through social sites, businesses can let prospects know why they care about their customers.

Social media is probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to a talent or sports agency. It enables these firms to convey to aspiring amateurs (such as football players and singers) how they can help them realize their lifelong dreams.

And that’s what social media is about: fun, informal, and aspirational.

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This week, MRI Performance and Prolab are celebrating National Women’s Health Week, which runs from May 12 – 18.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is conducting a weeklong observance to promote women’s health.

Women around the country are being encouraged to:

1. Receive regular checkups and preventive screenings

2. Get active

3. Eat healthy

4. Get enough sleep and manage stress

5. Avoid unhealthy behaviors

On May 10, the White House issued a proclamation to celebrate National Women’s Health Week:  “Since our Nation’s founding, women have given their all to expanding opportunity for their families and for future generations. Decade after decade, that fierce dedication has been rewarded with remarkable progress in nearly every part of society . . . . This week, as we reflect on how far we have come in the fight to provide Americans with the care they deserve, let us renew our commitment to empowering all women with the chance to live strong, healthy lives.”

Credit: MRI / Prolab women athletes Rachelle Jorgensen (top), Jessica Clay (left), Emily Nicholson (right)

Prolab provides sports nutrition products to professional bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts.  One of the company’s sponsored athletes is crossfit competitor Jessica Clay of Ohio, who has been a bodybuilder for the past 12 years.

“Last year I decided to devote my attention to crossfit rather than trying to do pro bikini at the same time,” said Clay, who runs a marketing agency when she’s not at the gym.  This week, Clay is competing to qualify for the 2013 CrossFit Games in California later this year.

To help prepare for the regional competition, she favors a combination of Prolab’s Cuts II Gold, Pure Whey Protein, Beta Alanine, and Quick Fire.

Asked what keeps her motivated, Clay says “I know no other way . . . motivation I suppose just comes natural.”  Many women, including working professionals, struggle to find the time to remain active and improve their fitness.  Clay provides an inspiring quote from basketball legend Michael Jordan:  “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

MRI’s Emily Nicholson is another sponsored athlete who has competed in the figure and fitness scene since 2005.  The Chicago native turned IFBB pro in 2009 and is pursuing her goal of making it to the Olympia stage.

The 38-year-old isn’t your typical bodybuilder.  In addition to being a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist, Nicholson has both a law and master’s degree in taxation.

Rachelle Jorgensen exemplifies a woman’s potential to juggle work responsibilities with health and fitness.  The 41-year-old is a wife, mother of three kids, and a grandmother of one.  On top of that Jorgensen owns an interior design company.

In 2009, Jorgensen competed in her first Ironman competition and won.  What keeps her going despite all her responsibilities?  Jorgensen prefers Prolab’s Whey Isolate to push her through lengthy and difficult workouts.

The supplement is designed to be an “ultra pure, rapidly absorbed premium grade protein to support lean muscle growth and help improve recovery time from intense training”.  As communities across the country celebrate Women’s Health Week, inspiring athletes remind the rest of us that a fitness lifestyle helps us to be physically active, eat healthy, manage stress, and avoid unhealthy behaviors.

MRI and Prolab are part of the Natrol family of brands, providing nutrition and supplement products for women of all shapes, sizes, lifestyles and ages.  Some of the company’s products include B-12, Melatonin, 5-HTP, Biotin, Carb Intercept Phase 2, Laci Le Beau Super Dieter’s Tea, and NuHair FOAM.

For more information, visit www.natrol.com

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Yoga for Hope

On May 18^th, 2013 the annual San Diego Yoga for Hope will bring together local yogis for an exceptional cause; to raise vital funds to aid the City of Hope doctors and researchers so that they may continue touching the lives of people who have cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases.

After only two years now, the Yoga for Hope has grown and become a San Diego event favorite while raising more than $100,000 for the City of Hope! This year they have teamed up with the San Diego Padres and will hold the growing event at Petco Park in the grass at Centerfield. The City of Hope is one of few National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and is also an independent biomedical research, treatment and education institution, working to conquer things from cancer to diabetes. The City of Hope has been recognized worldwide for their medical research and for their patient care practices. City of Hope has been working on cures for diseases and has made a difference in the lives of many for over 100 years.

City of Hope’s patient campus.

Their mission has always been to heal the whole person, treating their patients with respect by nurturing the emotional and physical well-being of each patient. The City of Hope is located just northeast of LA and welcome anyone looking for hope to visit their relaxing park-like campus.

City of Hope Mission Statement:

“City of Hope is transforming the future of health. Every day we turn science into practical benefit. We turn hope into reality. We accomplish this through exquisite care, innovative research and vital education focused on eliminating cancer and diabetes.”

Can’t make it to San Diego? You can donate online at: https://secure3.convio.net/coh/site/Donation2?df_id=1800&1800.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=097p3oij06.app305b

Yoga for Hope in Action

For event information, view below!

The San Diego Yoga for Hope will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Participants need to check in at 7-8:30 a.m. Yoga class will begin at 9a.m. at Centerfield of Petco Park. All registered parties will receive tickets for the San Diego Padres baseball game on Sunday, May 19, 2013 in the exclusive seating for the Yoga for Hope in the Toyota Terrace Pavilion.

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Police officers often get a bad rep when it comes to patrolling their communities and how they deal with the residents of their respective cities, but not all cops deserve to be painted with such a broad brushstroke.

Phoenix police officer Sgt. Natalie Simonick is one of these good cops and what she did for a local teen in her community will leave you in tears. Sgt. Simonick was out patrolling the streets on the night of March 6th like she usually does when she saw 18-year-old Christian Felix walking home from a friend’s house in a desolate area of the city, KNXV reports.

According to the City of Phoenix Police Department, which told the story in a FB post that went viral, Simonick offered the teen a ride home, and that’s when he told her about his sad situation at home.

Felix broke down and told Sgt. Simonick about how he has to walk 6 miles just to get to work and back from his job at a fast food resturant, and when she inquired if he had a bike, he replied that he doesn’t have a bike and has never ridden one. “He never had a father in his life, so he had no one to teach him,” Simonick told ABC.

After discussing the teen’s situation with her husband, Simonick decided to donate a mountain bike to Felix so he could get around the neighborhood. She even arranged for squad members to teach him to ride the bike over the following weeks.

“It’s really something when someone comes up on the street and offers to do a kindness for you,” Felix told KNXV. “These days you don’t see anything like that.”

I.M.

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