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Sure, magic isn’t real. But have you ever had a pet parrot? These intelligent creatures are so clever, they’ll have you feeling as though you live in a fantasy world. Because, come on, birds that can talk? Honestly, we as a society have gotten past how incredible that is way too quickly. With that in mind, it’s no wonder someone online asked for fellow parrot owners to share their wildest stories that provide “evidence that parrots are intelligent, conspiring individuals.” This parrot owner got the ball rolling by detailing what life is like with Pedro Pascal… the parrot, of course. At one point, Pedro’s bag of food was hidden in another room. The bird never saw the bag inside this room. But once he realized his owner always entered the room without food and left with it, he swooped in and discovered the tasty secret. This is just one example of a parrot being able to put two and two together… TikTok This same commenter later revealed that the song their parrot hates is Jobless Monday by Mitski. If you’re unfamiliar with this song, you might assume there’s a good reason for this… but you’d be wrong! This owner insists, “I have so many other loud and obnoxious songs, but as soon as that one is on I’ve crossed the line apparently.” Who knew parrots could have such distinct musical preferences? Speaking of which, they tend to have quite a few preferences, actually. Unfortunately for their humans, that can include when sleeping is allowed. TikTok Bewildered Parrot Owners Share Some of the Most Unbelievable Stories of Their Pet Being Both Intelligent and Unhinged Getting woken up by a bird is no doubt frustrating. But can you imagine what it’s like to be pranked by one? The woman below doesn’t have to imagine because she’s lived it! TikTok Not every antic that a parrot pulls off is entirely menacing. For example, the parrot in the story below learned how to interact with the dogs based on their humans. TikTok Okay, sure, these dogs might not always get a treat for fulfilling the bird’s commands. But it’s still pretty darn cute that these parrots are learning such a wholesome trick! It goes to show that when you have a parrot, you simply have to embrace the sweet and naughty moments alike. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here! The post Parrot Owners Share The Craziest Stories Of Their Bird’s Intelligence… And Some Will Have You In Stitches! appeared first on InspireMore.

A Dutch architecture and design firm has renovated the infrastructure in a famous geopark, converting the bland and grating modernity into a nature-inspired welcome mat. Jialeshui is a well-known scenic area in the southernmost part of Taiwan, known for its remarkable rock formations shaped by wind and water in Pingtung county. The local government recently […] The post Design Firm Blends New Tourist Infrastructure into the Very Rock of this Famous Taiwan Geopark appeared first on Good News Network.

When I began my first year as a student teacher, I encountered a tough classroom situation. Unsure of what to do, I asked my mentor teacher for advice. His words have stayed with me ever since: “Always do what is in the best interest of the students. Even if it doesn’t work out the way you hope, it is always easier to explain.”  That wisdom gave me a compass. It told me that no matter the pressures from systems, politics or even parents, the test is simple: Is this truly best for the student? Too often, that test is forgotten. In many settings, students are treated like numbers on a spreadsheet or products for the workforce. But children are not products, and teaching is not transactional. At its best, teaching is sacred—a holy calling that shapes lives. Howard Hendricks, author and longtime theology professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, once wrote, “You will never graduate from the school of Christ. You will be a student until the day you die.” If following Jesus means lifelong learning, then education at every level must honor the sacred role of shaping students—not just processing them through a system. Virginia as a Case Study Virginia’s debates reveal this tension. In 2012, the state launched the Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit to help low-income families access scholarships for schools they choose. Later, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears supported efforts to expand choice through the Virginia Education Opportunity Alliance. These efforts promised hope for students in struggling urban schools but failed when rural representatives—whose communities had no alternatives—resisted. The politics are complicated, regardless of which side you support, but the question remains simple: Are we putting students first, or systems first? Both sides should aim for the same goal: acting in the best interest of the students. Schools Are Not Walmart Years ago, I wrote about the temptation to treat churches like Walmart: a place where consumers shop for spiritual goods and services. That same temptation now influences schools. Leaders act like store managers, teachers like cashiers and students like customers. But a school isn’t Walmart. You can’t measure a child’s worth by how much “profit” they generate in test scores or funding formulas. Nor can you treat teachers like transactional employees. True educators are more like shepherds than salespeople. They guide, nurture, and protect. They see each child as created in the image of God, deserving of dignity and care. Consumer mentality is eroding genuine Christianity in our churches, and it can just as easily weaken our schools. Pastor Francis Chan once recalled a churchgoer who said, “I really didn’t like worship today.” His sharp but truthful response: “That’s OK; we weren’t worshiping you.” Schools need the same clarity. They are not designed to cater to every preference but to pursue what is true and what is best for students. If the church is not Walmart, neither are schools. Education is not about retail transactions—it is about human transformation. Leadership: Transactional or Transformational? James MacGregor Burns distinguished two types of leadership. Transactional leadership involves leaders and followers each pursuing their own benefits. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, “causes a metamorphosis … a radical change in outward form or inner character.” Education desperately needs transformational leadership. Prestige and power can orbit education, but they must never become its center of gravity. Students belong there. Barry Leventhal, a longtime professor at both Dallas Theological Seminary and Southern Evangelical Seminary, and the primary mentor for my doctoral work, summed it up perfectly: “The ultimate goal of education is transformation, not information.”  Scripture also reminds us: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The Sacredness of Teaching French philosopher Etienne Gilson once wrote: “The good teacher then loves to teach because he loves to impart to his pupils the very best thing there is in him—intellectual life, knowledge, truth.” Hendricks echoed this, reminding teachers that every lesson should aim not just at the mind but at the heart. Thomas Aquinas added: “The role of the teacher is to lead others to truth.” Norm Geisler, one of my mentors, put it more simply: “Truth is truth no matter where you find it.” Together, these voices remind us that teaching is sacred because it shapes souls, not just minds. It is not solely about transmitting facts. It is about transforming lives. Guides, Not Gods In higher education, I often hear leaders admit that their institutions sometimes drift into a “professor-first” mindset. Faculty prestige or institutional reputation can overshadow the mission. But professors are not gods; they are guides. Even Jesus, when His disciples tried to push children aside, He stopped and welcomed them, saying the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14). If the Savior of the world put children first, surely our schools must do the same. Why This Matters to Me My family’s story underscores why this matters: My father, a superintendent with a Ph.D.; my uncle, a principal with an Ed.D.; my wife, a teacher with an Ed.D.; and my daughter, now in her senior year of college, preparing to become a teacher herself—all remind me that education is more than policy. It is profoundly personal. When I pastored a church with the largest weekday education program in its state, I saw firsthand how putting students first reshapes families, churches, and communities. Education has been the family business. More than that, it has been the family calling. Putting Students First America’s schools face enormous pressures—policy debates, funding issues, and changing cultural trends. But one fact stays consistent: Education is for students. Not for politics. Not for prestige. Not for profit. As both Virginia’s debates and higher education remind us, the true issue is never tax credits, vouchers, geography, prestige or politics—it is whether students come first. Consumer mentalities creep into both church and classroom, reducing disciples and students alike to products. But education is sacred, not transactional. Professors are guides, not gods. Leaders are shepherds, not shopkeepers. Students are not consumers to be pleased, but souls to be shaped. Restoring a student-first focus involves embracing the humility of servant leadership, having the courage to resist consumer-driven models, and embracing the sacred duty to teach for transformation. Both lawmakers and educators should ask the same question my mentor asked me as a young teacher: What is in the best interest of the students? When education loses that focus, it ceases to be sacred and slips back into mere transaction. But when we put students first—always—we rediscover the joy and the power of teaching as God intended it. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Teaching Is Sacred, Not Transactional: Restoring Student-First Status in America’s Schools appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The vault will not be seen again for millennia.

  Brazil triangle UFO reports are surging again after a short video from Parque Barigui in Curitiba went viral for a second time. The clip shows a dark, triangular object high over the city at night. It appears static for several seconds, then drifts before the video cuts. Below we break down what was filmed, why the shape looks triangular, and the strongest explanations so far. What was filmed at Barigui Park? The footage most people are sharing traces back to a sighting at Barigui Park in Curitiba, Paraná. Investigators first flagged it in late 2024, noting the claim that the video was recorded near the park around 8 p.m. local time. The case resurfaced in mid-2025 on Reddit, drawing new attention and fresh attempts to identify the object. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} Why the “triangle” look shows up so often At night, small lights merge and make solid shapes, especially when a camera compresses contrast. A single light can also appear as a pointed silhouette if it’s behind haze. Therefore, many “triangles” are masks our brains create from limited detail. That said, the Brazil triangle UFO video has enough angular shape to warrant a closer look. Leading explanations (from strongest to weakest) 1) Five-point “star” balloon seen edge-on Several analysts argued the object matches a party “star” balloon: the points collapse into a triangular outline when viewed off-axis, and a small tether can keep the object mostly stationary while it turns slowly in light wind. A long community analysis lays out the geometry and wind behavior consistent with this idea. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} 2) LED kite or hobby drone with static lights Curitiba hosts frequent night flying and drone videography. A large kite with rigid spars or a quadcopter running fixed LEDs could produce a dark triangular body with three bright corners. This would also fit the slow drift and steady altitude. Several breakdowns compared the movement to consumer drones and labeled the case “likely identified.” :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} 3) Unknown craft Supporters note that the clip resembles other triangular UAP reports from Brazil, and that the shape looks rigid. However, without multi-angle footage, audio, or radar/ATC correlation, the Brazil triangle UFO remains inconclusive. Press coverage and social posts amplified the mystery, but also recycled the same short clip. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} What we checked (and what you can check next time) Location anchors: The skyline and tree line are consistent with views near Barigui Park; night scenes make precise triangulation hard. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} Wind & weather: Light winds match slow drift claims in December evenings; a balloon or kite would behave similarly. (Local METARs and park conditions referenced in analysts’ threads.) :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} Provenance: The first shares point to Brazilian accounts and a local UAP site that said it received the clip from an anonymous follower; that weakens chain-of-custody confidence. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6} How to verify future “triangle” videos Lock the bearings: Record the compass direction and any fixed landmarks in frame. Film longer than 30 seconds: Let the motion tell its story; pans and zooms hide drift. Grab a daylight photo of the same view: Investigators can then measure angles and heights. Note wind speed/direction: A balloon or kite will drift with wind; a drone often fights it and “holds” position. Provide original files: EXIF and audio help separate real sky objects from edited composites. Bottom line The Brazil triangle UFO over Barigui Park is compelling at first glance, which is why it keeps going viral. But the simplest fits—star balloon or lighted hobby rig—explain the shape, the slow drift, and the lack of radical maneuvers. Until multi-angle footage or primary data surfaces, it sits in that familiar bucket: interesting, teachable, and very probably mundane. Sources: Reddit: Triangle UAP/UFO, Barigui Park, Curitiba. Reddit: UAPs in Curitiba (thread & local linkouts). Reddit video mirror: Barigui Park triangle. Metabunk: Curitiba triangle case notes & sourcing. Decrypt: “Object sighted over Curitiba riles up UFO fans”. Reddit analysis: “A balloon that deceives?” (star-balloon case). Reddit: “Curitiba UFO is a balloon” (debunk claim). Instagram share: Barigui Park triangle clip. YouTube: Viral compilation / Curitiba triangle. The post Brazil Triangle UFO: Curitiba Park Video Explained appeared first on Anomalien.com.

In season 4, episode 21 of "Parks and Recreation," three of the main characters are attempting to secure van rentals to help with their city council campaign. However, the well-funded opposition has offered to pay the owner of the vans, Bill, a massive amount of money to not rent them out. After trying to reason with him, appealing to his sense of honor, and offering to let him in on the ground floor of an alcoholic yogurt investment scheme, the trio return to their car (a Mercedes owned by Donna Meagle) and sit dejectedly in the driveway. Bill attempts to leave in his truck, but they are blocking the driveway. He honks. They do not move. He becomes angry and gently taps his car into their rear bumper. Donna becomes incensed, pulls forward, then puts the car in reverse and stomps on the gas, ramming into Bill’s truck and causing a good amount of damage to both vehicles.Bill is, understandably, rather upset. But Donna informs him that she did not hit his car, he just slammed into the back of her car, and she has witnesses to back it up. Bill realizes they fully intend to back up this fake story. He has no evidence, no way to prove that Donna deliberately backed into him. Instead of getting sued, he agrees to let them use the vans for free.Why did I just recount a scene from a random episode of "Parks and Rec"? Besides being funny (you can check it out here), it’s relevant to real life. Think about it for a second. What if you are behind someone, and they reverse into you? Instead of apologizing, they refuse to admit fault, claiming you rear-ended them. If there are no cameras around, good luck convincing the insurance company. Incidents like this are more common than you might think. There has been an increase in recent years of people staging vehicle accidents to claim insurance. Here is just one example. What saved the person in this video from being framed was the presence of a dashcam. Our society is increasingly low-trust, and we should be prepared for more and more dishonest behavior. The days when we could assume that a random person we encounter probably shares our sense of right and wrong are over. Your innocence is not important unless you can prove it. That’s where dashcams come in.RELATED: Choose wisely to win the radar detector arms race Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan / Contributor via Getty ImagesA dashcam is a fairly simple device. It’s really just a camera that attaches either to your dashboard (hence the name) or to the inside of your windshield. It records what happens while you are out on the road. Simple, right? Well, buckle up.There’s a wide variation in pricing, depending mostly on how good the camera is and how much storage it has, as well as other minor factors. You can have just one camera recording out the front of your car, or two so you can have one in the back. The trend is toward ensuring your camera is recording what happens inside your car (popular with Uber or other rideshare drivers), although coverage outside the vehicle is not just helpful for law enforcement. As for installation, that’s a world of its own. You can plug the cameras into your console charger or wire them into your fuse box. There is an entire niche industry around the wiring, mounting, and general setup of these systems. The cameras themselves come in many different versions. You can pick up the Car and Driver 1080p HD Dash Cam (yes, the Car and Driver magazine makes a dashcam) at Walmart for around $60. You can also pay $338 for the PC Magazine Editors’ Choice Garmin Dash Cam Live if you want features like 180-degree field of vision, 1440p resolution, driver assist features, voice command, and remote viewing. You can go more expensive (the Escort MAXcam 360c will run you about $900, although it’s also a radar detector so it’s actually not that bad of a deal). And of course, you can also find options at the other end of the price point spectrum. The 70mai Smart Dash Cam 1S can be found for $40, and there are lots of even cheaper generics — yes, the quality is certainly more dubious.It all really depends on how thoroughly you want to record your surroundings and what your priorities for the system are. Do you just want a camera in the front to record any potential accidents, or are you one of those people who aspires to become a regular contributor to Dashcam Nation, a YouTube channel where you can watch such masterpieces as Idiots in Cars 327. (Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.) Whatever your budget or specific priorities, having a dashcam is a good idea. Leaving aside deliberate fraud, there are many situations in which having evidence comes in handy. In my state, there are so many uninsured drivers — many of them illegal immigrants — that the state requires me to purchase uninsured motorist protections as a part of my auto insurance plan. If you are in an accident involving one of these uninsured drivers, video evidence is going to make your life a lot easier. In the event of a hit-and-run accident, capturing the license plate of the car at fault means you don’t have to rely on your memory for the police statement. In short: Dashcams can afford you some peace of mind while out on the road, and that’s something we could all use a little more of these days.