Category Archives: travel

Paramedic Is Surprised By The Transformation Of A Drug Addict She Helped 14 Years Ago

Sometimes, no matter how desperate things can seem, a small act of kindness can make all the difference. Take this story, originally published by Love What Matters, for example.

Image credits: jeanah.nomelli
One fateful day, 14 years ago, Jeanah Nomelli came across Will Levens scrabbling through a dumpster looking for recyclables. Will was at rock bottom at the time, hopelessly addicted to drugs after the tragic death of his wife, homeless, jobless and destitute.
She helped him out in what little way that she could, and they became friends.

Jeanah could quite easily have ignored Will, seeing him as yet another lost soul who had fallen through the cracks of society. But she saw through his shabby, unkempt exterior and found that he had a heart of gold, and he deserved a second chance at life.

The heartwarming little tale of redemption touched thousands of people, having been shared more than 23K times and starting conversations about kindness, empathy and the humane treatment of people that may be struggling with addiction issues.
Jeanah is a paramedic, and addiction is something that, sadly, she encounters all too often. “Dealing with homelessness and addiction is part of our DAILY routine in Stanislaus County,” she told Bored Panda.
“I have always been an advocate for humanity. I believe we have a unique opportunity to share positivity and love during our trip to the ER- no matter who the patient is. I regularly remind addicts that they have a place in the world and encourage them to see themselves as mentors for those also struggling with addiction.”
“Unfortunately, my family has been plagued with addiction. It’s because of them that I have the gift of seeing the human behind the addiction. My advice is one of hope. Never give up. See yourself through our Creator’s eyes. You are worthy of life- because you are still breathing. Live your purpose- no matter the struggle along the way!”

Image credits: Will Levens
Jeanah and Will plan to keep in touch from now on and renew the friendship they once had. For anyone interested in Will’s full story, there is more on the way. “I am going to help him make a video sharing his personal journey, from dumpster to today,” Jeanah told us. “It’s easier for him to speak his story rather than write it.”
What do you think? Do we show enough empathy and understanding toward homeless people? Do you know anybody struggling with addiction issues? Does the current system of criminalizing addiction and homelessness really work? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Here’s what people had to say about the wholesome story

For The First Time, This Nursing Home Opens Its Doors For Kids To Trick Or Treat And Gets Over 5,000 Visitors

No matter if you’re young or old, most of us love Halloween. What’s not to love? The streets get filled with joyous trick-or-treaters, adults get a chance to play dress-up, and homes are filled with massive quantities of candy. However, a retirement home is not the first place trick-or-treaters think of when they go on their hunt. But as it turns out, the elderly, who live in nursing homes and already feel lonely as it is, can’t wait for the kids to come up to ask for candy. Just recently, one nursing home in Webster, Texas took it to Facebook to ask people to donate candy which they could give out to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Not only did people donate candy, but thousands of them came to celebrate All Hallows Eve together with the elderly, leaving them ecstatic.
More info: Facebook
These retirement home residents were missing the true Halloween spirit so they invited trick-or-treaters to come

Image credits: HeartisCL
“We need trick or treaters! Please bring your children, grandchildren, and their friends to Heartis Clear Lake at 14520 Hwy 3, Webster, TX 77598 on October 31st between 6-8 pm for a night of fun! We will have a moonwalk, hayride, games, food and lots of candy! Come one! Come all!” the Facebook post read.
A few weeks prior, the residents asked for candy donations so they could hand them out to the neighborhood

Image credits: HeartisCL
The staff of the nursing home photographed their residents holding up the signs that said: “We miss giving candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Please help us reach our goal of collecting enough candy to invite the community to our home for a safe and fun place to trick-or-treat. Thank you!”
The elders received tons of it

Image credits: HeartisCL
“Thank you to all of our neighbors for taking a moment to donate candy to our residents! Just look at all of the candy! Our residents are excited and we can’t wait to host a community trick or treat event for our neighborhood kids!” Heartis Senior Living posted on their Facebook page.
And were waiting for Halloween to hand them out

Image credits: HeartisCL
“We are extremely thankful for all the generosity that poured in from around the nation. It was the most unbelievable selfless act of kindness from complete strangers,” a Heartis Senior Living center representative told Bored Panda.
The celebration was a huge success with over 5,000 people visiting the elders

Image credits: HeartisCL
“It was absolutely AMAZING! We had over 5,000 visitors including kids and parents. Our residents were overjoyed!”
Who were overjoyed to spend the holiday together with their community members

Image credits: HeartisCL
“It was the first celebration of its kind in the community,” the staff of the retirement home told Bored Panda. “We are hoping to make this an annual event for our residents and the surrounding community.”
Here’s what people had to say

Here’s How Celebrities Dressed Up For Halloween (50 Pics)

When you’re a celebrity, you can rarely get a moment’s peace. Whenever you walk out of your door, fans can’t help but want to talk to you and share how much they love your work. They want your autograph. They want your attention. They want you to know how much you’ve changed their lives.
After a while, the majority of fans all start sounding much the same and it’s no wonder that stars need a moment to relax and find their bearings again. Halloween is the perfect time for celebrities to hide their real identities while at the same time having loads of fun and eating loads of candy.
In order to give you some great ideas for costumes to wear, Bored Panda compiled this list of celebrities wearing Halloween costumes, so scroll down, upvote your faves, and drop us a line in the comments telling us what you think of them. We know that you love Halloween posts, so check out our last year’s list of celebrities whom we could barely recognize when they put on their costumes. In case you’re in need of a more serious Halloween pick-me-up, take a look at the posts here, here, and here. And be sure to scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with the world’s foremost expert on Halloween, Lesley Bannatyne.#1 Kevin Hart As Dwayne JohnsonImage credits: kevinhart4real#2 Paul Rudd As Weird AlImage credits: cottgustin#3 Neil Patrick Harris As Burtka-Harris Boo-Seum Of ArtImage credits: nphWhen celebrities dress up, Halloween approaches weirdness: these are people whom millions of their fans want to be like, but who choose to be someone else for the holiday. It just goes to show that everyone has someone they look up to, no matter how high and mighty they might appear from the sidelines.Some people love Halloween; some hate it. But most people think of it as a holiday that isn’t very serious and don’t give it much thought. However, Halloween is a deep topic that has been studied by professional academics, the greatest among them being Bannatyne. Bored Panda spoke to her about the holiday’s popularity in the West, especially in the United States, and she gave three main reasons for it.“Halloween’s popularity, especially among adults, began to surge in the 70s and has been growing ever since. Nostalgia is one reason. Kids who grew up in the golden age of trick-or-treating (50s, 60s — before the rumors of razor blades in apples and stranger danger) didn’t want to give it up, and threw Halloween parties where they could still get into costume and go out at night.”#4 The Weeknd As JokerImage credits: theweeknd#5 Jason Momoa As Elvis PresleyImage credits: prideofgypsies#6 Jessica Biel As Justin Timberlake And Justin Timberlake As MicrophoneImage credits: justintimberlakeBannatyne continued: “Halloween’s edginess is another. Wonderfully outrageous parades erupted in gay communities in the late 60s and 70s (San Francisco’s Castro, Greenwich Village, etc.) that painted Halloween as a renegade holiday; it was both inclusive and extreme, a night where, whatever box you were in during the day, you could bust out at night. My gay friends tell me that Halloween is their Christmas — no gifts, no family, no travel, just a great costume.”#7 Heidi Klum As AlienImage credits: heidiklum#8 Ariana Grande As Nurse From “Eye Of The Beholder”Image credits: arianagrande#9 Kim Kardashian West As Elle Woods From Legally BlondImage credits: kimkardashianThe Halloween expert went on to explain what the third reason for the holiday’s popularity in the US was. “A third reason is horror. Up until John Carpenter’s 1978 movie Halloween, the holiday had been eerie, spooky, and creepy, but not necessarily bloody or violent. Hollywood hadn’t figured out that Halloween and horror movies were a winning combination—1973’s The Exorcist, for example, was released at Christmas. But Halloween was set on Halloween, titled Halloween (rather than ‘The Babysitter Murders,’ its original title), and featured Halloween icons—jack-o’-lanterns, masks, etc.—and forever changed the image of Halloween in our imaginations. In the next two decades a flood of horror franchises became associated with Halloween, and Freddys, Jasons, and Michael Meyers masks appeared everywhere. What this did was turn fans of horror, of which there were many, into fans of Halloween, and the celebration grew even more popular.”#10 Lebron James As Edward ScissorhandsImage credits: kingjames#11 G-Eazy As Edward Scissorhands, The Joker And FrankensteinImage credits: g_eazy#12 Gabrielle Union And Daughter Kaavia As “Bring It On” CheerleadersImage credits: gabunion”American markets began to understand that Halloween could be shaped into a retail season to fit between Back-to-School and Christmas. Coors made it a beer holiday in 1986 by launching a highly successful campaign using Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, as a spokesperson. Other manufacturers saw possibility for the same revenue streams as Christmas, and soon Halloween lights, cards, trees (they’re black, natch), and yard decorations were added to costume offerings,” Bannatyne explained.#13 Geri Halliwell As Tommy Shelby From “Peaky Blinders”Image credits: therealgerihalliwell#14 Ashley Graham As Jessica RabbitImage credits: ashleygraham#15 Ciara And Russell Wilson As Beyoncé And Jay-ZImage credits: dangerusswilsonBannatyne is regarded as the foremost authority on Halloween by some and is a true expert about the history of the holiday. She has written many books on the subject, which show that Halloween can be just as serious as it can be fun.One of the many things that Bannatyne found out about the holiday is that the roots of Halloween first formed over 1,000 years ago in the British Isles. Eventually, after passing through various American ethnic groups, the holiday grew into what it is today. If you’re not a fan of the holiday, the next time you see someone dressed in a Halloween costume, don’t be quick to judge; think about the holiday as a living, breathing thing that changes with each generation into something new. And any 1,000-year history is bound to hide some interesting and horrifying-yet-fun insights.#16 Drake As His FatherImage credits: champagnepapi#17 Michelle Visage And Giovanni Perniceas As Morticia And GomezImage credits: michellevisage#18 Bradley Cooper And Lea As Old LadyImage credits: BCooperfanpage#19 Patrick Starrr As ShrekImage credits: patrickstarrr#20 Halsey As Marilyn MansonImage credits: iamhalsey#21 Demi Lovato As Marie Antoinette And “It”Image credits: ddlovato#22 Liza Koshy As Anna WintourImage credits: lizakoshy#23 Gigi Gorgeous And Nats Getty Gorgeous As Jack Skellington And SallyImage credits: gigigorgeous#24 Tallulah Willis As Leeloo From “The Fifth Element”Image credits: buuski#25 Luna Legend As Wonder WomanImage credits: johnlegend#26 Stormi Webster (Kylie Jenner’s Daughter) As Kylie JennerImage credits: kyliejenner#27 Kate Beckinsale As Holly GolightlyImage credits: Kate Beckinsale#28 Chrissy Metz As BeetlejuiceImage credits: chrissymetz#29 Mario LopezImage credits: Mario Lopez#30 Michael Angarano And Maya Erskine As John Lennon And Yoko OnoImage credits: michaelangarano#31 Elvis Duran As Wonder WomanImage credits: elvisduran#32 Kylie Jenner As ArielImage credits: kyliejenner#33 Linda Phan And Drew Scott As Russell And Carl From UpImage credits: imlindork#34 Lily Aldridge As Lydia From BeetlejuiceImage credits: lilyaldridge#35 Rebecca Romijn And Jerry O’Connell As Fire And RainImage credits: rebeccaromijn#36 Abby Champion And Patrick Schwarzenegger As A Fembot And Austin PowersImage credits: patrickschwarzenegger#37 Cindy CrawfordImage credits: cindycrawford#38 Nina Dobrev As Billie EilishImage credits: nina#39 Molly Sims As “I Dream Of Jeannie” And Cindy Crawford As Disco DivaImage credits: mollybsims#40 Nikita Dragun As Totally SpiesImage credits: nikita_dragun#41 Logan Paul As Karate KidImage credits: loganpaul#42 Jay-Z And Lil Nas X As Vincent VegaImage credits: lilnasx#43 Cardi B As A NurseImage credits: iamcardib#44 Black-Ish As TetheredImage credits: blackishabc#45 Jhene Aiko As Ash KetchumImage credits: jheneaiko#46 Vanessa Hudgens As SallyImage credits: vanessahudgens#47 Lisa Rinna As Jennifer LopezImage credits: lisarinna#48 Christina Hendricks As Ginny WeasleyImage credits: actuallychristinahendricks#49 Kelly Osbourne A ClownImage credits: kellyosbourne#50 Maria Menounos As Vintage McDonald’s WorkersImage credits: mariamenounos

Neil Patrick Harris’ Family Reveals Their 2019 Halloween Costumes

Each and every year, legendary actor Neil Patrick Harris reminds us that he loves his family dearly and that he is still a child at heart. And 2019 was no different, with fans eagerly awaiting the reveal of their Halloween costumes.
NPH continued his tradition of dressing up for Halloween with his family, his husband David Burtka and twin children, Gideon and Harper. This year, they uploaded a photo of the ‘Burtka-Harris Boo-seum’ on Instagram and joked that audio guides are available in the gift shop. Scroll down to the bottom and see if you can recognize who’s dressed as who!
We are huge fans of NPH and we hope that you do, too. So after you’re done with this article, check out our previous posts about Neil Patrick Harris and his Halloween antics here, here, and here.
More info: Instagram | Twitter
Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, and twins Gideon and Harper have established themselves as the undisputed champions of the Halloween game

Peter Pan In 2011

The Wizard Of Oz In 2012

Alice In Wonderland In 2013

Frankenstein’s Monster, Wolfman, The Bride of Frankenstein, and Dracula In 2013

Halloween From Gotham City In 2014

Star Wars In 2015

Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean in 2016

Harris Halloween Carnival Of Curiosities, 2017

Hitchhiking Ghosts in 2018

NPH and his family welcomed us to the Burtka-Harris Boo-seum’ in 2019

Image credits: nph
Most of our Panda Readers will have recognized whom NPH and his family have dressed up as. But just in case there’s anyone who’s confused, Neil is Vincent van Gogh, his husband is Salvador Dali, Gideon is Andy Warhol, and Harper is Frida Kahlo. The family photo from the ‘Boo-seum’ got more than 258,000 likes on Instagram in under 11 hours.
Bored Panda talked to Lesley Bannatyne, the world’s foremost Halloween expert, about how the holiday is a modern version of ancient beliefs about how summer ended and the ‘veil between worlds’ was the thinnest for a night.
“Honoring the dead and imagining the afterlife are essential in every culture I know of. Not all may have what we think of as a ‘holiday,’ but I’ve never known of a culture that doesn’t honor their dead in some mythological, spiritual, or folkloric way,” Bannatyne began.
“Modern pagans and people who gravitate toward earth-centered spirituality have reclaimed Samhain (Irish for Summer’s End, or November 1) as a time to honor the ancestors,” she said. “The folklore and sagas of the old world depict Samhain as a potent time of year– monsters emerged from the fairy mounds, great kings were slain, great loves consummated. Many like to say that the ‘veil between worlds is the thinnest’ — the spirit world is awake on that night.”
For Bored Panda’s previous interviews with Bannatyne, read our posts here and here.

80 Kids Who Took Halloween Costumes To Another Level

Did you know that it’s Halloween today? We here at Bored Panda certainly do, we’ve done everything from vintage to couple’s costumes, babies, one-legged guys and pregnant women too.
Of course, there is always room for more so here is a list of some kids dressed up in their coolest costumes. These lucky boys and girls have got some seriously dedicated and creative parents on their side, and were sure to have attracted plenty of candy on their trick or treats! Perhaps you can find some last-minute inspiration here if your young-un still hasn’t made their choice?
What was your favorite costume when you were a kid? Did you make it yourself, or nag the parents to make it for you? Let us know in the comments below!#1 Baby Grandma CostumeImage credits: Michael#2 We’ve Watched Beauty And The Beast Too Many Times To Count. She Is Lucky She Has The Cutest Beast That Puts Up With Her ShenanigansImage credits: Kaylee Slobotski #3 She Couldn’t Decide Between The Two So She’s The Hulk FairyImage credits: rosamor#4 This Is What Halloween Is All AboutImage credits: Bmanroger#5 25 Hot Glue Sticks And A Few Blisters Later, Our Little Snail Is Ready For HalloweenImage credits: jason.smith.39108297#6 My Son Is 4 With Cerebral Palsy. Every Year My Amazing Wife Builds Him A Costume To Go On His WheelchairHe’s been obsessed with Polar Express so this year he went as a train engineer. Woo woo!Image credits: G3g3nsch3in#7 Mini Dustin For HalloweenImage credits: oldskoolgeek#8 Wheelchair Superman CostumeImage credits: kdanson#9 My Nephew Is Being A Very Dedicated Weatherman For Halloween. He’s Pretty AwesomeImage credits: MBGlenn#10 Jellyfish CostumeImage credits: lackingprivacy#11 I Think My Friend’s Kids May Have Won HalloweenImage credits: Muckman68#12 And The Winner Of Best Children’s Costume Goes ToImage credits: jostler57#13 My Nephew Nailed His Ace Ventura CostumeImage credits: fanofmx#14 My Daughter’s Wheelchair Made The Perfect Foundation For Her Halloween CostumeImage credits: FightingForSB#15 A Wild Horseshoe Crab In Its Natural HabitatImage credits: Kelly Matthews#16 This Girl Dressed Up As Billy From Strangers ThingsImage credits: Leah Austin#17 I Told A Kid In My Neighborhood I Loved His Costume. He Replied With Asking Me If I Would “Bite His Shiny Metal Butt”Image credits: Cpwin34#18 These Three Girls Dressed Up As The Women Portrayed In “Hidden Figures” Are WinnersImage credits: zellieimani#19 Toddler Dresses Up As Her Grandma For HalloweenImage credits: failedabortedfetus#20 My Best Friend Handmade A Skunk Costume For My Kid’s First HalloweenImage credits: Thea_From_Juilliard#21 Spent 2 Months Making LEGO Spiderman, My Son Won First Place At His ContestImage credits: fivetreoh#22 5y Girl As PennywiseImage credits: Nynaewe#23 So Last Year My Kid Wanted To Be A Mailbox For Halloween. This Year, He Wanted To Be A Vending Machine. Here Are The ResultsImage credits: MoobyTheGoldenCalf#24 I CannotImage credits: ReddQt703#25 9-Year-Old With Cerebral Palsy Dresses Up As “Beetlejuice” For HalloweenImage credits: tony_aeaata#26 My Daughter, The HobbitImage credits: thegreatjordino#27 Can We Just Take A Minute To Appreciate This?Image credits: sexi_squidward#28 When It’s Halloween And Your Daughter Is Teething, You Play To Her StrengthsImage credits: KingOfTheMtnMtnMtn#29 I Don’t Know If The Town Is Ready For My Trick Or Treaters Or NotImage credits: bannerthesuperdog#30 My Heart Melt When This Popped Up On My FeedImage credits: butterscotcheggs#31 A 90’s Throwback Costume Presented By My KidsImage credits: habsfan101#32 My Kids This Halloween. Yes, PluralImage credits: twistedstarr#33 My 6-Year-Old Sister Wanted To Be Coraline For Halloween And For Me To Accompany Her As The Other Mother. Here Is Our ResultImage credits: douwannaseemyplants#34 My Niece Is All Set For Halloween. While Her Peers Might Be Elsa’ing It Up, She Marches To Her Own BeatImage credits: Stretchedwiener#35 Homemade HalloweenImage credits: Blepp#36 This Girl In My Town Has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, And Her Parents Made Her A Cinderella Carriage Around Her WheelchairImage credits: Unknown#37 The Little Girl That Was Mesmerized By Michelle Obama’s Official Portrait Last March Dressed Up As Her This HalloweenImage credits: Ben Hines#38 This Girl’s “Tired Mom” CostumeImage credits: Lindsay Hartsock#39 My 4-Year-Old Daughter’s Homemade Xenomorph Halloween CostumeImage credits: kkkkeyuh#40 Dressed My Baby As Jon Snow For Halloween And Used My Aunt’s Dog As GhostImage credits: FuckU_Rozz#41 I Figured Out How To Use A Sewing Machine And Made My Son A Jawa CostumeImage credits: 954general#42 The Little EdwardImage credits: Nixon51#43 Little Miss No-FaceImage credits: elmo721007#44 Trick Or Treat! My Kid Is Working On His Sense Of HumorImage credits: incrediblywittyname#45 Daughter Becomes Dad As CostumeImage credits: BloodyPoopBurningAss#46 She Even Giggles When You Poke Her Belly ButtonImage credits: hopem1210#47 My Nephew So Mad He A HamburgerImage credits: TianaaWoah#48 Jet Packin’ AstronautImage credits: NeverNotCarbLoading#49 My Daughter’s Preschool Had A Costume Party Last Halloween. There Were 9 Princesses, 2 Super Heroes, And 1 Garbage Truck. She Was The Garbage TruckImage credits: lilacsinthesummer#50 My Son As Calvin (With Hobbes!) Today For His Preschool Costume ContestImage credits: foxbluesocks#51 Some Girls Want To Be Disney Princesses For Halloween. Others Walk A Different Path. It’s The Expression That Really Sells ItImage credits: daedallydone#52 When Your Daughter Asks To Be Fries For HalloweenImage credits: therowdyredditor#53 This Kid Was A Fart For HalloweenImage credits: ToddMinus#54 My Son Loved His Hobbit CostumeImage credits: larkham#55 I Made All My Kids Led Stick Figures For HalloweenImage credits: dopplerizer#56 I Couldn’t Resist Taking Photos Of My Kid’s Costume This Year At The Local CemeteryImage credits: Timber371#57 My Daughter Wanted To Coordinate Costumes With Me, But I Was Already Set With A Deadpool Costume. As A Result, Here Is Negasonic Six-Year-Old WarheadImage credits: Bobby_Marks2#58 OMG You Guys LookImage credits: jimmySteve1#59 Miss Elton John Is All Y’all Gon’ See Until November 1stImage credits: Destiny Bottiaux#60 Triplet TurtlesImage credits: Unknown#61 Queen PoppyImage credits: abrielle_w#62 My Little Cousin Wanted To Be A Road For Halloween, So My Aunt Made Her This CostumeImage credits: Messyhook#63 I Don’t Care. I Don’t Need To See Another Halloween Costume. This Is The Winner ForeverImage credits: prisonculture#64 She Refused To Smile The Entire Time In CostumeImage credits: skeach101#65 6 Years Of Daughter & Cat Halloween CostumesImage credits: KaleAndKittys#66 Baba-Dook-Dook-Dook! My Daughter’s Babadook Costume. Hope Everyone Had A Great HalloweenImage credits: mara1979#67 I Officially Made My Son A Fez For His 11th Doctor Halloween Costume! He Was Just A Little ExcitedImage credits: Aureliabex#68 DIY Demogorgon MaskImage credits: jadestr21#69 Each Year We Dress Up Our Kids For A Parent Halloween Picture. This Year They Turned Four. I Want To BelieveImage credits: witchweasel#70 My Friend’s 3-Year-Old Son In Preschool TodayImage credits: beastman99#71 My Nephew Had A Six-Hour Heart Surgery The Day Before Halloween. This Is How They Solved His Walking Restriction For Trick Or TreatingImage credits: seanbrockest#72 This Is By Far The Best Costume I Saw Last NightImage credits: Miss_rampage#73 Lunar Module (Charlie) And Astronaut (Ellie) Costume 2019Image credits: brandoj23#74 Niece As A SaladImage credits: anlyin#75 I Crochet Full Body Costumes For My Son. Skeletor For My YoungestImage credits: Crochetverse#76 Joker: The BeginningImage credits: jsmn_r#77 My Son Just Discovered Metallica, He Can’t Wait For HalloweenImage credits: SkipperJen#78 My Daughters As Maria And LuigiaImage credits: XxkimberlyxX441#79 My Son Showing Off His Dustin Costume We Put TogetherImage credits: cherrythief1989#80 I’m Not Fond Of Having The Millenial Stereotype, But I Laughed My Butt Off At ThisImage credits: ZombieDreamcatcher

Man Uses 11 Shipping Containers To Build His 2,500 Square Foot Dream House, And The Inside Looks Amazing

When it comes to building their dream home, people have a lot of different ideas. Some choose comfortable and small bungalows, others opt for luxurious mansions. However, there a handful of those to decide to ditch the traditional architecture and build something completely different, for instance, a container house. That’s exactly what designer Will Breaux did and now he’s a proud owner of a house built solely out of shipping containers.
More info: bionicweapon.wordpress.com

Image credits: Will Breaux
His new home is located on McGowen street in Houston. According to the owner, his 11 container house is the most extensive structure of its kind.

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux
The containers are piled on top of each other to create a three-story house, complete with a rooftop deck.

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux
Breaux wanted to build his own house since the early 2000s, however, for a long time he struggled to find someone who would design the kind of house he wanted, so Breaux decided to do it himself.

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux
“I began looking at projects that were being built that I liked. Ultimately, a designer with a home builder family was hired to design a 3 story townhouse to be built on the lot. After going round and round for months, I eventually had to fire that group because they weren’t willing to give me what I wanted. Thus, the journey to design my own house began around 2011,” the man wrote in his blog.

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux
Breaux got the idea of a container house many years ago before it was even a thing. Why containers? Well, the idea behind it is quite simple.

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux
“Shipping containers are strong, fireproof, long-lasting, hurricane resistant, and have common characteristics,” Breaux explains.

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux
However, the man, who is not a professional builder, had no knowledge of what it would take to build his dream house. But he was determined to do whatever it takes.

Image credits: Will Breaux
The first thing he did was to create a 3D sketch of the house. After long hours spent learning everything about constructing a house out of shipping containers, Breaux is now a proud owner of an impressive 2,500 square foot house. Now the house is almost completely furnished and looks just like Breaux had imagined it.

Image credits: Will Breaux

Image credits: Will Breaux

Fascinating Infographic Shows The Ways That A Cat’s Purr Are Good For You

Do you find the sound of a cat purring oddly soothing? Many people assume the feeling is associated with the perceived contentment and wellbeing of the cat – but there’s actually more to it than that. Scientific evidence suggests that purring can be beneficial to the owner, as well as the kitty.

Image credits: Bill Morrow
How so? Well, it’s all to do with the frequency, which is, coincidentally, in the same range used in vibrational therapies to promote tissue regeneration.
Vibrational therapy helps bones and muscles to strengthen by reinforcing themselves and adding muscle. Theoretically then, the low-frequency vibrations emitted from a cat’s purr can help a person sitting close by to heal. Amazing, isn’t it?
Gemma Busquets, a freelance designer/art director from Barcelona, was so intrigued upon discovering this fact that she decided to use her skills to create a fascinating infographic about it.

Image credits: Gemma Busquets
“I choose this particular project because yes, you guessed it, I love cats,” Gemma told Bored Panda.
“I’ve shared my life with a cat for 9 years. During research about cat facts I found out they create vibrations within a range known to be medically therapeutic and I thought I had to spread the word about such a cool thing. So I visualized the information in a format (an infographic) that I thought more people would get drawn to.”

Image credits: kerry morrison
Gemma, who specializes in digital experiences and infographics, enjoys adding plenty of art and illustrations in her projects is also passionate about typography, so these are two things that feature prominently in her work. “I’m also a teacher and the director of a Master’s Degree in Infographics and Data Visualization at Bau, the coolest design university here in Barcelona,” she told us.
It has long been thought that owning a pet is beneficial to a person’s health, with a more active lifestyle and the relief of stress the most commonly cited positive aspects. But it is only now that more specific areas in the pet/human relationship are beginning to be better understood.
Previously believed to be purely a means of feline communication, recent work by Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, Karen Overall, and others has led to a better understanding of the purpose of the purr.
“It’s likely that purring has communication, appeasement, and healing properties,” Gary Weitzman, veterinarian and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society, said in an article with the BBC.
What do you think? Did you know about the healing properties of the purr? Do you feel soothed and happy around a purring kitty? Let us know in the comments below!

Guy Tries Selling His Grandfather’s Tools To Pay For Mom’s Cancer Treatment, People Don’t Let Him

It’s a sad state of affairs when someone needs to resort to selling precious family heirlooms to fund their parent’s life-saving medical care, and we need to write articles celebrating the kindness of strangers that pitched in to help them.

But that’s where we are in 2019. Sure, people are awesome – the way a community can rally to help out one of its members is wholesome and beautiful and shows the very best of our humanity. We are by nature social, empathetic animals and we will continue to look out for each other in a society that is increasingly individualistic, selfish and competitive.

This story is a timely reminder of this. Redditor u/MrElonMusk420 found himself in a desperate situation, needing to urgently raise funds for his mom’s medicine.
The poor woman has not only had to suffer through the trauma of a cancer diagnosis and months of brutal chemo, but she’s had to drain her life savings to fund her own care. So now she’s broke, too.

Her son is humble and enterprising and is obviously doing his best to help his mom get through this. I’m sure his grandfather would be proud of him!

Although it sucks to have to give up a treasured family memory like this, needs must when the devil drives. Sadly, in America, nobody else is going to help.
No money? No care.
 

In the absence of a humane healthcare system, it is up to small communities like this to look after themselves. The response to this desperate son’s post was wonderfully affirming and left him in floods of gratitude tears.

Beautiful or what? Mr. Elon left an emotional update on the situation later on

The whole story is a bittersweet reminder of the current state of affairs. Humans are intrinsically awesome and we are still more than capable of organizing ourselves as a community to help out those in need. But why does it need to come to this? Crowdfunded life-saving medical care should not become the norm in any developed nation.
Surely the safety net should be much, much higher than a knife swap group on Reddit?
Here’s what people had to say about the heartwarming story

Foster Kitty Gives The Cutest Smile During A Photoshoot And It Takes Over The Internet

Even though she’s just starting her life, Blossom the kitty has endured a lot. However, the cutie hasn’t lost her spirit. Recently, Blossom gave her foster mother, Lauren Boutz, such an adorable thank-you smile, Lauren couldn’t resist photographing it.
After Boutz uploaded the pics online, it turned out that Blossom’s smile was also contagious. The whole internet caught it. Over 72K people liked the pics and over 217K shared them on Facebook, spreading the love even more.
“I foster kittens for the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department,” Lauren wrote. The gals in the photos are her Powerpurr Girls: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. “They’re about 5 weeks old now.”
More info: Facebook | Instagram

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Recharging for another photoshoot

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Powerpurr Girls posing for a Halloween shoot

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People immediately fell in love with the adorable furballs

45 Creative Halloween Decorations That Are So Good, There’s Almost No Competition

Halloween can be expressed as a mathematical equation. Much like the Powerpuff Girls, Halloween is made up of three parts (plus an accidentally-added extra ingredient to the concoction — Chemical X). First, there are the costumes — not much of a holiday without pretending to be courageous heroes and nefarious villains! Next, of course, there’s the candy. Delicious. Sweet. Deliciously sweet. Finally, there are the spooky decorations, without which Halloween would be just another cosplay party where we binge on chocolate.
In the final rush towards Halloween, Bored Panda brings you the most creative, the most original, the very best decorations to show you how some people go all-out for the scariest of nights! Upvote your fave decorations and share the link with your friends and family for some inspiration that doesn’t revolve around carving pumpkins into Jack-o’-lanterns.
Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with the foremost expert on Halloween on Earth, author Lesley Bannatyne. We talked to her about the meaning of Halloween and how it can be as much about silliness and having fun as it is about seriousness and darkness.#1 My Neighbor’s Only Halloween DecorationImage credits: FinishedTitan#2 This Full-Sized Dragon Decoration Someone Put On Their House For HalloweenImage credits: schwandt#3 Great Decoration For Dia De Muertos In MéxicoImage credits: apolion44Successful decorations are those that make you stop in your tracks and do a double take. Whether it’s a giant dragon, a massive guillotine, or a ‘body’ trapped underneath a garage door, we can’t help ourselves being fascinated by what’s gory and unexpected. We just wish we thought of some of these ourselves.Bored Panda talked to Halloween expert Bannatyne about what her interpretation of the holiday is: whether it’s gritty and dark owing to its history, or something else entirely.“Halloween’s never been dark for me. If anything, Halloween has always brought a little light to the darkness,” Bannatyne proclaimed.#4 Part Of The Halloween Display My Wife And Kids Put TogetherImage credits: Dilligaf_Bazinga#5 First Halloween In Our New Home! Sorry, Neighbors, We’re That HouseImage credits: CaseByCase#6 A Restaurant In My Town Dressed Up For Halloween Ghost Busters StyleImage credits: denrae-“We impersonate the things we’re scared of or try to meet them face to face in a haunted attraction or cornfield. I heard Joe Hill once talk about his horror writing, saying: ‘You kick the darkness until it bleeds light.’ That’s how I think of Halloween,” she explained.#7 IT Department’s DecorationImage credits: slibberden#8 Making The Best Out Of A Bad SituationImage credits: Whoshabooboo#9 I Made This For HalloweenImage credits: spongejr12Bannatyne went into detail about the essence of what Halloween is all about: “At its core, Halloween was a warning.“Two thousand years ago, people in northwestern Europe gathered together, brought their animals to shelter, and prepared for the deathly, dangerous season of cold and dark.“Today, in parts of the country [the United States] that have a cold season, Halloween’s the last outdoor hurrah, a big blast of fun, like opening the fireplugs one last time before we go back inside and wait for spring.”#10 DIY Halloween DecorationsImage credits: MapleGlazedMoose#11 Scary Homemade Halloween DecorationsImage credits: Allypent#12 Our Office Party Planning Committee May Have Gone A Bit Overboard This YearImage credits: steelerchief#13 We Decorated The Truck For HalloweenImage credits: dt_jenny#14 Made This For Our YardImage credits: flimflamwhizbang#15 My Neighbor’s Halloween DecorationImage credits: WhatsRightWhatsLeft#16 Simple, But EffectiveImage credits: jbpawlak#17 I Think My Neighbor Won The Halloween Decor Contests Even Though There Wasn’t OneImage credits: mzol14#18 She Wins HalloweenImage credits: djeclipz#19 Our Neighborhood Really Loves HalloweenImage credits: chocolate_babies#20 Homemade Halloween Witch DecorationImage credits: hunterschmidt0455772#21 House Set Up In My NeighborhoodImage credits: chaos_ensued#22 My Friend’s Decorations To Celebrate Halloween And The 50th Anniversary Of The Beatle’s “Abbey Road” AlbumImage credits: JLamb56#23 My Local Bar Dressed Up For HalloweenImage credits: creatureofchaos#24 I Woke Up To An Amazon Package Being Delivered And The Delivery Woman Decided To Have Some Fun With My Halloween Decoration On My Front PorchImage credits: MrBrainwashed#25 Mr. Stark, I Don’t Feel So Good…Image credits: RobertDowneyJr#26 Turned This Free Statue From A Flea Market Into My New Halloween DecorationImage credits: Florixia#27 Woke Up This Morning To 6 Cops, A Fire Truck, And An Ambulance At My Door Because A Passing Car Was Concerned About The One Halloween Decoration I Neglected To Take DownImage credits: MahatmaBlondhi#28 My Wife Decided To Dress Up Her House Plants For Halloween. We Now Have A Haunted Forrest In Our Living Room Image credits: egzo#29 Halloween Decorations On A Building, Sunderland, UKImage credits: totallymintlike#30 Found This House While Driving Around Looking At Halloween DecorationsImage credits: darth_melodious#31 This Halloween Decor At My Wal-MartImage credits: lemmeseeyourkitties#32 City Of Manchester Celebrating Halloween With Large Inflatable Monsters On BuildingsImage credits: fatboyslick#33 Zombie HorseImage credits: Alexahadid#34 Blursed DecorImage credits: intel_core_i5_2400#35 My Neighbor’s Halloween DecorationsImage credits: wallflower_willow#36 Saw This At My Neighbor’s House This MorningImage credits: Dougie Gray#37 This Train My Neighbor Is Building Out Of Used Plastic Bottles For HalloweenImage credits: adrianalemur#38 My Only Halloween Decorations This YearImage credits: Lejundary#39 You Know It’s Halloween In New York When People Cover Their Apartments In Giant SpiderwebsImage credits: amypearson_#40 I Drive Past This EverydayImage credits: too_old_4_this_crap#41 My Mom’s Spooktober Yard DecorImage credits: yyooiinnkk#42 Deadly Halloween Tableau Too Realistic For Some. Neighbours Called 911Image credits: ersal#43 Newest Halloween DecorationImage credits: Blueb3#44 I Don’t Think The Uber Riders Will Find My Halloween Decoration As Funny As I DoImage credits: blahblahblah1992#45 What I Did Today: Tape Ghosts! Not The Best And Still Need To Add Lights But Getting ThereImage credits: PeekaBoo912