Weekly News Recap: January 5, 2024
Weekly News Recap: January 5, 2024
Wilton Littlechild, left, has been appointed a companion of the Order of Canada. Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti, centre, and Jodi Abbott, right, have been appointed members of the Order of Canada. (CBC / submitted by Louis Hugo Francescutti / submitted by Jodi Abbott)
Within our very cells we carry genetic memories of ancestral incarnations. If we awaken these atavisms to conscious life, we can take on their attributes and qualities. These atavistic powers have been known for millennia as: animal totems, helping spirits, maybe even the Gods and Goddesses themselves! ― Laurence Galian, Beyond Duality: The Art of Transcendence
From all of us at ViTreo, Happy New Year! We wish you, your friends, and your loved ones an amazing 2024. We look forwrd to spending time with as many of you as possible. Collectively, we wish for peace. We wish for kindness. And we wish for love.
SOME GOOD NEWS
VIDEO: Big Brother Has the Sweetest Way of Cheering Up Little Sister With a Freshly Broken Heart (We Have Kids) We could all use a great big bro. "In a video posted [recently], a teen boy's younger sister apparently 'got her heart broke,' so he thought he'd 'treat her right' to make her feel better...and he did just that!"
'They're just stunning': Snowy owls return to Regina area for winter (CBC) REGINA STORY #Gorgeous "The snow seems to be flying in the Regina area after several snowy owls have been spotted in areas around the city. Bird watchers and photographers have spotted the owls resting and flying in areas south of Regina."
VIDEO: Teen teaches horse she rides to paint using its nose and tongue (CBC) BORDEN STORY Love this story (and this horse). "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. But apparently, you can teach it to paint."
VIDEO: Each year I give my mom, who has Alzheimer's, a calendar she can't use (CBC) OTTAWA STORY A wonderful story of purpose and enduring love. "When I visit mom now, I no longer know what to do. What does one do visiting a loved one who is immobile, often asleep, largely unresponsive to words or touch? I realized the calendar gives my visits a sense of purpose. Each month I turn the page and show her the picture, reminding her how much she always loved it and talking about how lovely the scene is."
VIDEO: Why reintroducing bison is revitalizing the Prairies and Indigenous culture, identity (CBC) SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION STORY I love bison. "On the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation west of Brandon, Man., schoolchildren are throwing pumpkins into a bison pen, a ceremony and sign of respect to an animal that has deep spiritual significance for Indigenous culture and identity."
TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK
Wearable tech for cattle? (Canadian Cattlemen) CALGARY STORY Health monitoring for cows. #Amazing "Efficiency is the name of the game in agriculture these days, with a need to find the best ways to increase the capacity of a producer’s operation [...]. At the University of Calgary, multiple research projects are focused on the burgeoning of new technology in the beef sector. Both Drs. Ed Pajor and Jennifer Pearson are working on studies involving new remote technology."
Tim Hortons unveils 3 more retro treats for its 60th anniversary (Kimberley Bulletin) CANADIAN STORY Ah, nostalgia! I can taste it now. "Canadians who have missed being able to buy blueberry fritters, cinnamon sugar twists and walnut crunch doughnuts at Tim Hortons are in luck. The fast-food chain revealed [...] that it is reviving the three retro treats and putting them back on the menu alongside the Dutchie — the square-shaped, raisin speckled baked good that was one of Tims’ first products."
VIDEO: Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary could use some help (CTV) ALBERTA STORY ViTreo is proud to have worked with the Sanctuary. Their campaign runs until January 8th. You can give here. "The Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary has given wolfdogs a safe space for years, but now it needs help."
Harvard president resigns after criticism of testimony on antisemitism, plagiarism allegations (CBC) "Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned [...] amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school's conduct policy. Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony."
VIDEO: See inside the Montreal hospital that doubles as an art gallery (CBC) MONTREAL STORY This is a beautiful story. Well told. The anecdote about the letters from Picasso to Matisse when he had cancer is very poignant. One of Quebec's largest public art collections belongs to the McGill University Health Centre Foundation, and part of it is being used to 'calm or distract' hospital patients at the Glen site."*
Senior military leader: Canadians 'overly comfortable' as global security shifts (CTV) CANADIAN STORY I agree. "Canadians have always felt relatively safe because we are surrounded by three oceans and the United States, Auchterlonie said, but it's his responsibility to be aware of what may be coming and he's not optimistic. 'I'm very happy Canadians feel safe and secure. I also think it's very naive,' he said."
Edmonton ER doctor, First Nations leader among Order of Canada appointments in Alberta (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Congratulations to all with special mention to two great Canadians that I know personally, Dr. Jodi Abbott and Dr. Louis Francescutti. "Several Alberta names are on the list of latest additions to the Order of Canada. Of 78 new appointments announced [...], four in the Edmonton area will receive of one of the country's highest honours."
VIDEO: Governor General delivers new year's message to Canadians (CBC) CANADIAN STORY It is beautiful to watch an addressed focused on kindness from our head of state in three languages. "In her annual new year's address, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon reflects on 2023 and asks Canadians to 'commit ourselves to action and to kindness, no matter how daunting the situation may be' for 2024."
VIDEO: What will it take to end copper theft — and the havoc it wreaks — in B.C.? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY This is happening across Canada and it is a safety and public health issue alongside the commercial losses. "Copper may no longer be used to make Canadian coins, but thieves who target the valuable metal still cost British Columbians a pretty penny. The rose-coloured hardware is found in electrical wiring, transformers and pipes, and can be sold for anywhere from $2 to $4 per pound — making homes, construction sites and public infrastructure a prime target for thieves."
A long-overlooked climate solution, geothermal could be in for its hottest decade yet (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Go deep. Go now. Go geothermal (I am pitching for a marketing gig with the geothermal folks. Do you think I have a chance?)"It's clean, renewable, and right there below our feet, but geothermal energy has largely remained undeveloped in Canada. However, the climate crisis and the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is suddenly driving renewed interest in the high temperatures that occur naturally deep within the earth."
SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS
10 GPTs Built Using GPT Builder That Have Gone Viral (Shushant Lakhyani) I share this mostly as proof of concept. The GIF maker sucks but the listicle is pretty cool as are a few of the others. I predict most of us will have one for our own specific needs within the next two years.
2023 In Eight Points: Meditating On Our Planetary Moment (Field of the Future Blog) Bit of a deep read (13 mins) but it's worth it.
VIDEO: Do you really need a pillow? (CBC) What is your pillow story?
VIDEO: Cold plunges are all the rage. But what does the science say? (CBC) All I can say is Brrrrrrrr!
What’s in My Bag, 2023 (MA.TT Unlucky In Cards) A cool collection of gear (and he has been doing this for a while).
15 Ways To Use Your Journal To Become Absolutely Unstoppable (Benjamin Hardy) I love the write it like you might burn it idea.
The Gift of Animal Totems (Personal Growth) A story of loss and of hope. The recap will be published this week on January 5, my deceased sister's birthday. She would have been 53. I, too, will be looking for a totem as I remember her and all those we have lost.
TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK
$3.5M donated to UH to support ethnomusicology program (Spectrum News) "The Barbara Barnard Smith Foundation fund donated $3.5 million to the University of Hawaii’s music department. The money will go toward creating an endowed chair and two additional faculty positions, according to a news release. It will also support revitalizing UH’s ethnomusicology department. "
From humble beginnings to $5-million gift for the unhoused (Montreal Gazette) MONTREAL STORY A beautiful story of a boy from Verdun whose generosity is making the world a much better place. "The exceptional philanthropy originates with Verdun native Kenneth Reed, who dropped out of high school at age 14 to work a variety of jobs, including as a salesman of industrial products."
Augustana Campus receives $2 million anonymous gift from alumni (The Gateway) CAMROSE STORY Nice gift! "Anonymous alumni have given the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus a $2 million gift."
LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES
VIDEO: UNB curler brings down the hammer with one-of-a-kind prosthetic (CBC)
The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2023 (Smithsonian Magazine)
Best of 2023: Maclean’s top Big Ideas (Maclean's)
BP donates £50bn to British Museum (Yahoo! News)
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