One Last Goodbye – In Simple Words Mom, I went out to a party tonight. I remembered what you always told me—not to drink alcohol. So I didn’t. I chose a Sprite instead. I felt proud because I made a smart, healthy choice. You were right. When the party ended, lots of people started driving even though they had been drinking. But I felt safe, Mom, because I hadn’t. I walked to my car, sure I’d make it home just fine. But then something happened that I never saw coming. Now I’m lying here on the road. I hear a police officer say, “The driver who caused the crash was drunk.” Your voice feels so far away, Mom. I’m covered in blood. I’m trying not to cry, but the pain is so bad. I hear the doctors say, “This girl is going to die.” That driver went out to party too, but he made the choice to drink and drive. And now… I have to die. Why do people do this, Mom? Don’t they know it can ruin lives? It feels like my body is being cut by a hundred knives. Please tell my sister not to be scared. Tell Dad to be strong. I love you so much, Mom. I wish I could get one last kiss. Someone should have told that boy how dangerous it is to drink and drive. Maybe if his parents had warned him, I would still be alive. My breathing is getting slower. I’m so scared. These are my last moments, and I feel so alone. I wish you could hug me, Mom, while I lie here dying. I want to tell you I love you… but I can’t feel anything anymore. Mama… I love you. Goodbye… — These were the last words of a young girl in 1997. A journalist from Telecinco was there and heard everything. He started a campaign to stop drunk driving. If you’re reading this, don’t ignore it. Share it. Talk about it. It could save lives—including your own. A small message like this can make a big difference.

Why scary movies may be good for your health. Watching a scary movie can burn as many calories as exercise. We're all familiar with the feelings that come with watching a fright flick — the sense of dread that engulfs us as a character enters a foreboding place, ominous music building, etc. According to a 2012 study commissioned by the video subscription service Lovefilm, these heart-pounding moments can do more than cause a good old-fashioned scare, however. Of the 10 movies tested, half caused participants to burn at least 133 calories, more than the amount used up by a 140-pound adult on a brisk 30-minute walk. Granted, this limited study was hardly robust enough to earn a write-up in a peer-reviewed journal. Yet the science behind the results is essentially valid, thanks to human hard-wiring that traces to when our primitive ancestors had good reason to fear the monsters lurking in the night. When exposed to a harrowing situation, our sympathetic nervous system triggers the "flight or fight" response, which sends adrenaline into the bloodstream, diverts blood and oxygen to muscles, and kicks heart activity into a higher gear. Add in the outwardly physical reactions often prompted by the scariest scenes, such as jumping back in your seat or instinctively reaching for a companion, and it's easy to see how sitting through The Shining (184 calories) or Jaws (161 calories) delivers results akin to sweating through a workout. There are other benefits to putting ourselves through this sort of simulated danger, including the release of endorphins and dopamine, which allows us to feel relaxed and fulfilled after "surviving" the events witnessed on screen. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the frightening imagery in The Exorcist (158 calories) or Alien (152 calories), and researchers caution that stress can outweigh the gains for people who are genuinely repulsed by these movies. If health is your goal and the sight of blood makes you queasy, you're better off rising from the couch and getting your legs moving instead of watching someone else flee the clutches of a zombie. Calories burned during the study's airing of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” 118 Competitive chess players can burn up to 6,000 calories per day during a tournament. If scary movies aren't your cup of tea and you want another creative way to burn calories, then competitive chess may be your ticket. According to Stanford University researcher Robert Sapolsky, a chess player can go through 6,000 calories a day over the course of a tournament, about three times the daily amount expended by the average person. The reasons are largely the same as those previously mentioned — the heightened tension of a high-stakes game forces bodies into a state of energy-consuming overdrive. However, the effects are magnified by the behavior of participants, who often skip meals and endure sleepless nights as they obsess over strategy. As a result, top players have taken to training like professional athletes to prepare for the grueling toll of tournaments. Norway's Magnus Carlsen, for example, partakes in an array of activities that include running, soccer, skiing, and yoga, a regimen that helped him reign supreme as the undisputed world chess champion from 2013 to 2023.

Inspiring Story Leave no trace ​ It’s that time of year when visitors flock to New England to soak in the autumnal sights. There’s a catch, though: With more tourists comes more trash. So after an influx of leaf peepers visited Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire, a group of locals returned with garbage bags to clean up the litter. “Seeing how beautiful it can be without garbage is truly important,” said Siobhan Smith, one of the good Samaritans.