Indiana Grandpa Loses Glasses, Wins the Lottery

ROANOKE, Ind.

Using his five children's birthdays as his lucky numbers every time, Bobby Guffey had played his fair share of lottery games since it started in 1989. He had won a few times over the years, but this time was different: Bobby had forgotten his bifocals at home and accidentally entered a 48 instead of a 46.

Turns out, his poor vision paid off: his Hoosier Lotto ticket bore the winning numbers for a $3 million jackpot.

Not to say that Bobby's strategy of playing his children's birthdays was bad luck. Upon discovering his error at home, Bobby went back to the Huntington service station and purchased a new lotto ticket with his usual numbers. The second won him a handy bonus prize of $1,000.

Using his 3,001,000 earnings, Bobby and his wife, Janell, plan to pay off their house, take a cruise to Hawaii, and set up a trust fund for their five children and 10 grandchildren.

"Christmas will be a lot nicer," Jannell reports.

Robotic Suit Helps Paraplegics Stand Tall and Proud

HAIFA, Israel

After two decades of having to look up to people around him, Radi Kaiof is now looking them straight in the eyes. He’s also standing, walking, and climbing stairs: no small feat for someone paralyzed from the waist down.

Radi, a former Israeli paratrooper who was paralyzed 20 years ago while serving in the military, has been participating in the trials of a new robotic suit called ReWalk. Motorized leg supports aided by crutches function as a sort of electronic exoskeleton, powering the 41-year-old's legs to move forward in stride. Body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries allow the wearer to chose a setting with a remote control wrist band -- stand, sit, walk, descend or climb.

"I never dreamed I would walk again. After I was wounded, I forgot what it's like," Radi beams.
"Only when standing up can I feel how tall I really am and speak to people eye to eye, not from below."

ReWalk is the invention of Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli technology outfit. Goffer’s inspiration to help others comes in part from that fact that he himself is paralyzed, though he cannot use his own invention because he does not have full function of his arms.

"It raises people out of their wheelchair and lets them stand up straight," Goffer said. "It's not just about health, it's also about dignity."

Kate Parkin, director of physical and occupational therapy at NYU Medical Centre, explains that the benefits to standing and walking are great not just for the body, but also for the mind:

"Physically, the body works differently when upright. You can challenge different muscles and allow full expansion of the lung. Psychologically, it lets people live at the upright level and make eye contact."

After our recent post regarding the new control system for quadriplegics, it's great to see even more good news in the arena of health innovations for those living with paralysis.

http://news.aol.com/health/article/robotic-suit-helps-paraplegics-walk/146700

A Rare Happy Ending

Toronto, Canada

From an alarmingly long list of plane crash stories, the GNG would like to present this one for our favorite reason: It has a happy ending.

Ed Robertson flies his own Cessna 206 floatplane. He's also the lead singer of the Barenaked Ladies. Sunday afternoon, Robertson and three pass angers - reportedly his wife and two friends -took off from Baptiste Lake, Ontario. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft crashed in a wooded area near Bancroft. Ontario Provincial police Sgt. Bruce Quigg reports that none of the plane's occupants were injured.

Robertson's friend Gord Peel has said that the plane stalled, but Robertson was able to set it down gently, netted by trees with its nose resting on the ground. The pilot and passengers, shaken but unhurt, were able to exit through the aircraft's windows.

Barenaked Ladies manager Adam Smith said "Everyone is fine and that is the important thing," . . . That's all the comment we have at this time."


Special thanks to the Gander for this story.

Tongue Technology Gives Paralyzed a Big Hand

ATLANTA, Georgia

Researchers at Georgia Tech are in the process of turning the tongue into a joystick… but not just for video games, but for computers, household appliances, wheelchairs, and more. The new technology turns the inside of a persons mouth into a virtual computer keyboard, allowing those people paralyzed from the neck down to have unprecedented control over their environment. The tongue presents several advantages over the existing systems: the muscle is flexible, sensitive and tireless. It would benefit a large percentage of those disabled from the neck down due to spinal cord injury because it the tongue is controlled by the brain. There are a few versions of tongue controlled systems out there: one uses a nine-button keypad placed on the roof of the mouth to control electronics. Another uses a virtual keyboard manipulated by an extremely tiny magnet placed on the tip of the tongue and inside each cheek. Software picks up on the tongue’s movements translates them into controls for electronics.

"You could have full control over your environment by just being able to move your tongue," said Maysam Ghovanloo, a Georgia Tech assistant professor who leads the team's research.

Mike Jones, a vice president of research and technology at the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta rehabilitation hospital adds that the new tongue tech has advantages over existing imprecise and expensive technologies:

"This could give you an almost infinite number of switches and options for communication… It's easy, and somebody could learn an entirely different language."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/08/25/tongue.computing.ap/index.html

Man Rescued from Silo Recovering Well

Town of Oregon, Wisconsin

Wayne Ace noticed a big problem with the materials stored in one of his farm's silos. Silage, a mix of raw chopped materials like field corn, sorghum, grass, or clover, is put into silos to ferment and eventually be used as winter feed for livestock. Wayne noticed that his silage wasn't level, which would have meant wasted space inside the silo and less feed for his animals. Wanye, an experienced farmer, felt he could handle climbing into the 60 foot storage tower to fix the problem. Due to the tower's height and extremely limited access points, Wanye became stuck about halfway up the cylnder. The fumes and fibers from silage can prove toxic when inhaled over an extended period of time. Luckily, Wayne's family noticed what had happened almost immediately and called rescue workers to the scene. The rescue squad safely rappelled down the inside of the silo, and extracted Wanye through an opening no bigger than a foot and a half. He was taken by ambuleance to a local hospital where he has been recovering well. Wayne credits both the EMS and his family for his rescue, pointing out that it might have been much worse had he been stuck for much longer.

"It's my understanding that family members actually discovered the patient. Had they not been as alert and keeping track of what was going on with him, he could have been there for an extended period of time and could have expired," said Capt. Robin Powers of Oregon Fire and EMS.

Dog and Puppies Care for Abandoned Baby Girl

La Plata, Argentina

Argentinian farmer Fabio Anze awoke to a huge surprise Thursday morning: a baby girl nestled among his dog China's litter. The baby, who was abandoned by her 14 year-old mother, was just hours old when she was found and rushed to the Melchor Romero hospital. Despite having spent the cold winder night outdoors, she was in good condition thanks to the snuggling warmth provided by Anze's dogs. It is unknown whether the baby's mother left her in the dog pen, or if perhaps China discovered the infant in the woods and carried her home to her own puppies. Regardless, she accepted the new addition into her own brood with exceptionally good nature.

To read more, visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080822/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_argentina_dog

From Cold to Closed: Card Decks Allow Inmates to Help Solve Crimes

A group sits together in a tight circle playing a round of gin rummy. One player, examining his hand, notices that one of the face cards looks familiar. And in this deck, they're all face cards. A little girl's picture on the three of diamonds triggers a memory. The card player dials a number and provides a bit of information: a name, a place, a date. Suddenly a kidnapping case left unsolved for years is brought out of the filing cabinets and a family gets the answer they've been searching for for so long. Another crime case goes from cold to closed.

Such is the motivation behind a new program in New York and Florida's county jails which provide inmates with decks of cards featuring information on a murder, a missing person or another unsolved crime. Since inmates, many of whom have spent a good deal of time on the area streets, know information law enforcement agents don't, they can provide helpful new insights. The cards have a hotline listed where anyone with information can call and leave anonymous tips.

The New York program was started by Doug and Mary Lyall, whose daughter Suzanne went missing 10 years ago after getting off her bus at the State University of New York-Albany. Doug and Mary were inspired by a similar program in Florida, where state prisons and county jails are on their third edition of the decks, which have lead to eight arrests and one conviction.
Cindy Bloch, case manager at New York's Criminal Justice Services, was pleased with the results, and optimistic about the future: "Prior to the playing card program being implemented, we had virtually no calls coming from correctional facilities," she said. "We now have 40 or 50 calls per month coming in."

Doug and Mary used funds donated to their foundation, the Center for Hope, to send 7,200 decks of cards to New York's local jails.

"It just started to snowball, and we got momentum, and it took a lot of hard work, lot of phone calls, lot of foot work, but it's been worth it so far because we got it off the ground," Doug recalled.

Even inmates think the cards are a good idea. Patrick Devival, a prisoner in the Rensselaer County Jail, commented that he thinks the program is a very good idea, and he and many his fellow inmates are glad for the chance to try and do some good "even though we're on this side of the fence".

On-the-Job Fatalities at a Historic Low in 2007

Washington DC, USA

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced some good news today: On-the-job fatalities dropped 6% in 2007 from 2006, achieving the lowest rate the bureau has seen since it began collecting data in 1992. The current rate is 3.7 fatal injuries out of every 100,000 workers. Says Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, "This is continued evidence that the initiatives and programs to protect workers' safety and health, designed by and implemented in this administration, are indeed working."

To read more, visit http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2008-08-20-worker-deaths_N.htm

Wisconsin Man Rescued After Treading Water for 12 Hours

Green Bay, WI, USA

Despite being an experienced sailor, 56 year-old James Nelson was caught in a nightmarish situation on Sunday when he was knocked from his 23-foot sailboat into Michigan's Green Bay. A sudden rush of wind knocked the vessel's boom into Nelson's head, sending him flying into the water without his life jacket, which he had laid in the seat next to him. The same wind blew his boat hopelessly out of reach as Nelson drifted far out into the Bay. That night, his wife reported him missing at about the same time the coast guard found his boat, adrift with its motor still running.

For 12 hours, Nelson had been swimming, treading water, and resting frequently in a dead man's float, hoping and praying for rescue. In an interview with Fox, Nelson said that he tried to focus on his family and how he wanted to get home. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard sent seven boats and two helicopters to join a group of recreational boaters in the search for the missing man. At around 3:00 in the morning, one of the helicopters' crew finally spotted Nelson, who was so exhausted that a diver had to be sent to help him hold on as he was lifted out of the water. "When we heard a survivor was spotted in the water, you'd have thought we won the Super Bowl from the cheers," said Chief Mike Weisenbaugh, officer in charge of Coast Guard Station Green Bay.

James Nelson was treated for dehydration at St. Vincent's Hospital, before finally getting home safely.

To read more, visit http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gvu8VYab2kZ8YljiHJcMo8BAX0DwD92LCL9G2

Fay Fades From Florida, Leaves Little Damage, No Casualties

Florida, USA

Florida residents were all breathing a sigh of relief yesterday, when Tropical Storm Fay proved wet and windy, but far less severe than hurricanes of the past. In fact, Fay's milder gusts never even allowed her to achieve official hurricane status, and her tropical storm title was stripped as she continued up the continent.

Police, government, and state agencies had braced for the storm's arrival by imposing a curfew, closing schools, evacuating at-risk residents, and urging businesses to take the proper precautions to safeguard local buildings against damage. Those businesses that braced for the storm, took the opportunity to puff their chests and shake their fists at storms of the past, with plywood window covers painted with taunts such as "Pop Off Charley" and "Oh Wilma!" Other than minor debris and street flooding, however, there were neither casualties nor damages.

Even in Cuba and the Caribbean, where Fay's path had not yet been slowed by the US landmass, there was good news. A bus toppled by the storm where 30 passengers lives were unknown was met by U.N. peacekeepers who confirmed that 41 passengers had made it out safely.
As the 10.8 million people who fell within Fay's path waved her goodbye, life is back to normal. Evacuation orders have been lifted to the north of Tampa Bay, and state and government offices are scheduled to re-open. As Sally Bishop, Pinellas County emergency management director, put it on this August morning, "I think we're going to all enjoy a nice summer day."

Rodeo Fall Survivor Called "Walking Miracle"

Farmington, NM, USA

20 year-old Blake Arp wasn't too concerned when he regained consciousness on the ground on July 26th, after being thrown off a bull in the National High School Finals Rodeo. The cowboy has built his life around the rodeo, and even plans to attend Clarendon College in Clarendon, Texas on a full rodeo scholarship. He's spent enough time in rodeos to know that sometimes, you get thrown. His biggest concern as he came to was over the state of his hat.

But Arp's C1 vertebra, known as the "atlast," had been fractured. If the C1 sounds familiar, you could be remembering actor Christopher Reeves, who broke his in 1995. But while Reeves was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his live, Blake Arp is making a recovery his doctors call miraculous.

As Arp lay on the ground after his fall, he realized that while he could move his legs, he wasn't able to get up. He was transported to the San Juan Regional Medical Center, where his doctors held few hopes for his recovery. According to Arp, “They didn’t know I could walk for a long time. One day, they started to move me from my bed and I saw that they were having trouble and I said ‘I can get up and lay down on the bed.’” He continues, “When I got up and stood up they were like, ‘You can’t walk yet.’ They thought it was a miracle that I was standing up walking.”

Apparently, they thought it was a miracle that he had even survived. Immediately following Blake's accident, “The doctor came in and told me that it was a miracle that I could even breathe,” Arp said. “They said that if I had moved my neck side to side when I was on the ground that it would have cut off my air supply and killed me.”

Instead, Blake will spend the next few months in the euphemistically named “halo” which keeps his head from moving side-to-side, and after that, a neck brace. His full recovering will take about a year. And then, he plans to get right back into the rodeo ring. “Being out a year is worth a lifetime,” Arp said. “I’d rather sacrifice one year than my whole rodeo career.” His scholarship at Clarendon will be waiting for him, when he's ready.

To read more, visit http://www.cedartownstd.com/pages/full_story?article--A-walking-miracle-Arp-recovering-from-rodeo-injury%20=&page_label=home_top_stories_latest&id=182725--A-walking-miracle-Arp-recovering-from-rodeo-injury&widget=push&instance=home_latest_1st_left&open=&

Mom Holds Premie Conjoined Twins for First Time

Arizona, USA

For Arizona mom Ashley Frank, today was a very special day. This morning marked the first time 20 year-old Ashley was able to hold her newborn babies in her arms-- 4 long days after their birthday. The infants were born conjoined (which occurs about once in every 100,000 births) at just 32 weeks and four days, two months less than a full term pregnancy. Although they had been in good health until recently, the last ultrasound revealed that Ashley had lost almost all her amniotic fluids and was suffering from an enlarged bladder. Doctors decided that the twins-- who were old enough to survive outside the womb-- would be safest if an emergency C-section were performed. Happily, the twins and their mom pulled through the surgery just fine and are doing wonderfully under the care of doctors at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The newborns share only a liver-- making the possibility of separation far easier once they are a little older and stronger. For now, Ashley, proud papa Johnny, as well as new big sisters Manuela and Adianna, are just happy to be together.

For the original link: http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=16997

and an interview with the glowing new mother: http://www.wptz.com/video/17221510/index.html

2 Year-Old Boy Survives Massive Tumor Removal

Amman, Jordan

2-year old Safa, an Iraqi boy, suffered from a 12-lb Whilm's tumor in his kidney. The cancerous tumors, if treated early, are rarely life threatening. However in little Safa's advanced case, it was "a miracle he was still alive." Half a world away, in Boston, liquor tycoon Ray Tye heard Safa's story and resolved to help him get treatment.

With Tye footing the bills, Safa's family traveled to a hospital in Jordan for a risky surgery that could easily cost the toddler his life. Dr. Iyad Sultan, after examining Safa, proclaimed "The tumor is massive. The liver, kidney, intestines are all squished to the sides. His lungs are very small. It's hard to believe he is able to breathe." But, after a 5-hour long, miraculously successful surgery, Safa is alive and better than ever.

To find out more (both about Safa and Ray Tye's Medical Aid Foundation) visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/08/13/iraq.baby/index.html

Fritzl Update: A Surprise Thank-You

Austria

The famed victims in Austria's Fritzl family have surprised the officers who protected them from paparazzi and public scrutiny in the first few months following their rescue. Apparently unannounced, Elizabeth Fritzl and all six of her children arrived at the police station last week with a gift basket, complete with bottles of wine and hand-made posters and thank-you cards from the children. One of the cards said "During the initial, most difficult period you gave us a lot of strength and security. We will always fondly remember you and hope that our contact won't stop."

The chief of the police station, Karl Gschoepf, called the visit "[a] really nice gesture," continuing, "we were touched."

Faithful Goose readers know that I can never resist publishing good news about the Fritzls, however trivial, considering their past. This latest bit makes me especially happy, because I imagine that they've cleared a certain hurdle in their healing process to be able to give thanks to those who have helped them so far.

For more information, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/13/fritzl.police.incest.ap/?iref=mpstoryview

Cloaking Device Within Reach

USA

If you've ever seen an episode of Star Trek, or if you payed careful attention to The Coneheads, you'll know what a cloaking device is. However, on the off chance that the Goose has any non-nerd readers, a cloaking device is something like an invisibility cloak - a special material that hides solid objects from view.

In the past, scientist have reportedly been able to hide very thin, almost 2-dimensional objects behind special materials designed to bend light in unusual ways. Today, thanks to the development of metamaterials (man-made combinations of metal and ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite) scientists have demonstrated that they can cloak 3D masses as well.

Unlike stealth technology, which makes it harder for radar to detect aircraft by minimizing cross-section, cloaking devices may one day make such objects completely invisible. Since the human eye recognizes 3D objects by the way they bend and scatter light rays, scientists have been developing metamaterials to "bend light around objects so they don't create reflections or shadows."

Find out more at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,401208,00.html

110 Year Old Cancer Survivor Becomes Daddy to Be!

New Zealand

Move over Viagra... this is what I call getting a significant second wind. For the past forty years, Henry had shown no interest in sexual relations. That is until recently undergoing successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. From the time the tumor was gone, Henry's once lacking libido has done a 180 and he is well on his way to becoming a proud papa. Did we mention that in addition to being a cancer survivor, Henry is over 100 years old? Our re-born Don Juan is a tuatara, an endangered lizard-like creature that descended from dinosaurs found on a few of New Zealand's islands. Henry is the oldest tuatara ever to mate at Southland Museum.

"I had given up on old Henry," said curator Lindsay Hazley. He kept Henry in "solitary confinement" because he would attack females who showed interest in him as a mate. But in the years since veterinarians removed the lump in 2002, his mental health seemed to be improving too: "I say that he had a personality transplant at the same time," Hazley said Thursday. "If I had a tumor underneath my [genitals], when girls were passing by, I'd be a very grumpy boy too."

In March, Henry mated with Mildred, whose age is estimated between 70 and 80, and 11 healthy eggs are developing. Last month, she laid 12 fertile eggs, 11 of which remain healthy. And since tuataras can live well past 200 years old, these two love birds may just be hitting their prime! Hot stuff!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/08/06/lizard.reproduces/index.html?iref=newssearch

Thanks to Garrett for alerting the Goose to this lizard love story!

Couple Gets (Re-)Engaged With Google Street View

The first time Michael asked Leslie to marry him was already a success... she said yes! But his proposal the Google engineer explains 'lacked pizzazz'. The "self-described nerd" he is, Michael Weiss-Malik decided to step up his game. He got the direction he needed using Google's mapping service, specifically the search engine's Street View technology. The feature allows internauts to view street-level panoramas of the areas they search for thanks to vehicle-mounted cameras which rove the covered areas. When Michael found out that the roving cameras were slotted to pass in front of Google's Mountain View headquarters where he works, he saw his chance to ask her before the entire world. Launching a website called MarryMeLeslie.com, Proposal 2.0 was as successful as the beta... and resulted in Acceptance 2.0!

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10112631?source=most_emailed

Gas Prices' Downward Trend: 20 Days and Counting!

According to a survey of gas station credit card swipes across the country, gasoline prices have fallen for the 20th consecutive day, resulting in a national average down by 25 cents! The AAA reports that this is an indicator of drivers turning to more environmentally friendly transportation options as well. In related news, yesterday's Washington Post reported that 10% of the police car fleet in Howard County, Maryland is made up of hybrid vehicles. Good for the environment, good for the pocket.

Gas trend details:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/06/news/economy/fuel/index.htm?cnn=yes

Howard's Hybrid decision well rewarded: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/03/AR2008080301643.html

Random Acts of Kindness in the DMV

Good news turned up in the Washington Post's Metro section today! 'Random Acts' is an occasional column for Washingtonian inhabitants to share stories of kindness done to them, by them, or within their line of sight. Each is quite short, so I'll let their authors tell you the story in their own words:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072902272.html

K-2 Update: Third Climber Survives Unaided Return to Base Camp

The third survivor of the K2 avalanche, Marco Confortola of Italy, was able to make his way down the rest of the mountain and to the relative safety of base camp. Marco, who was injured and severely frostbitten, accomplished the rest of his decent with neither staggered down help nor oxygen. Once he was down, a Pakistani military rescue helicopter was able to transport him to a hospital for treatment.


For the original story... http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/05/asia/k2.php

Harassed Mom Apprehends Assailant

Boulder, CO

23 year-old Danika Bueno was out for a bycicle ride with her 10 month-old baby when she was assaulted by a man who rode up behind her, grabbed her chest, and rode away. Where many might freeze with shock or call for help, Ms. Bueno took off after the pervert, chasing him on her bike for over a mile while she called 911. "I'm pretty comfortable on a bike," she says, "but I was nervous about getting too close to him." Nevertheless, with her help, police were able to arrest the assailant. He is now being charged with unlawful sexual contact and, because Ms. Bueno's child was with her on the bike, child abuse.

Way to go, Danika! Hopefully word will spread amongst potential sexual predators: Beware, women fight back!

Two Dutch Climbers Rescued after K-2 Avalanche

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

A helicopter pilot braved the dangergously thin airspace surrounding the K-2 mountain in Pakistan, and was able to successfully save the lives of two climbers presumed lost after an avalanche Monday. The two frostbitten Dutch climbers were attempting to descend the world’s second-highest mountain along with several other climbers, when the avalanche occurred.
Having spotted Wilco Van Rooijen and Cas Van de Gevel, the helicopter pilot rescued the two climbers and brought them first to K-2’s base camp and then to a military hospital in Skardu, the nearest town. The avalanche struck over 26,250 feet up the mountain, but choppers generally don't fly above 19,700 feet. This risky manueuver was well rewarded with three people safely down from K-2. The search continues for 11 other climbers who were on agruably the world's most dangerous mountain that day.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25995028/

Surfing Now an Unrestricted Olympic Event

Internet access will be completely unrestricted for reporters during the this summers Olympics in Beijing. While the Communist government of China will continue to tightly regulate and block websites for its citizens, they are in the process of de-blocking all websites for reporter's access. BOCOG is the organizational body responsible for directly running the Beijing Games under the oversight of the IOC, which sets general policy. As the world prepares for the opening ceremony on the 8th of August, officials with the International Olympic Committee and the Chinese organizers BOCOG had been arguing over the Internet restrictions for media, with the latter saying blocked sites would remain so.

"The issue has been solved," vice-president Gunilla Lindberg said. "The IOC Coordination Commission and BOCOG met last night and agreed. Internet use will be just like in any Olympics."


http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=14934355

First Double Arm Transplant A Success

The team of doctors and surgeons (of which there were over forty) from the Munich University clinic, as well as a German farmer who had lost both his arms, had great reason to celebrate yesterday. Operating over the course of fifteen hours, the surgeons successfully grafted two new limbs to the man whose arms had been severed just below the shoulder in a farming accident. The doctors are still closely monitoring the patient, but say that his immune system has taken to the transplants 'optimally' and that the entire surgery went 'according to script'. Not only is it very commonplace for the body to reject grafts (which the man's has not), but for the first surgery of its kind to go off without a hitch is particularly laudatory. The team from Munich says that with a nerve rate growth of about a millimeter per day, they hope the patient will be using his new arms on his own in about a year or two.

The original link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/02/germany