Weekly News Recap: August 23, 2024

Weekly News Recap: August 23, 2024

Morgan Kitchen was remembered by family and friends at a memorial service as courageous, charismatic, intelligent and passionate. (mycschurch/YouTube)

Firemen never die, they just burn forever in the hearts of the people whose lives they saved. –-Susan Diane Murphree.

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SOME GOOD NEWS

  • In southern Turkey, a surf school helps earthquake survivors process trauma and loss (The World) "In the dark blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, about a dozen kids perch on their boards just off the coast of Samandağ, in Turkey’s Hatay province [...]. This seaside community was devastated by earthquakes in Turkey just a year and a half ago. But this summer, a nonprofit has created a unique approach to helping kids process their trauma: teaching them how to surf."

  • VIDEO: Hopefulness Is the Warrior Emotion (Kottke.org) Nick Cave is a great human and his letter is beautiful. "The musician Nick Cave was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert [...] and he read a letter from his Red Hand Files, an AMA project where fans write in with questions and he answers them. The question was: Following the last few years I’m feeling empty and more cynical than ever. I’m losing faith in other people, and I’m scared to pass these feelings to my little son. Do you still believe in Us (human beings)?"

  • Heman Bekele Is TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year (Time) Quite the kid. "[The] 3M company and Discovery Education selected Heman, a rising 10th-grader at Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the winner of its Young Scientist Challenge. His prize: $25,000. His accomplishment: inventing a soap that could one day treat and even prevent multiple forms of skin cancer."

  • London street cleaner wins dream vacation in a contest made just for him (MSN) #Innovation "When word got around that Paul Spiers, a street sweeper in the leafy South London suburb of Beckenham, was having trouble saving for a dream vacation to Portugal, the town’s residents rallied in a show of appreciation for their well-liked custodian and raised around $4,000 for his trip. But Spiers’s bosses wouldn’t let him take the money."

  • [This B.C. woman is photographing her grandma's 1,200 salt and pepper shakers](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/chelsea-watt-salt-pepper-shakers-1.7293958?cmp=rss (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #WhatPeopleCollect "Old salt and pepper shakers are arguably the epitome of kitsch, with many of us having older relatives who have collected some oddly-shaped souvenir shakers over the years. But Chelsea Watt's grandmother, Flo, took that collection to a whole new level — boasting over 1,200 shakers that she started picking up over 60 years ago, in the mid-1960s."

  • VIDEO: After 7 years and almost $100K, Canadian woman born without arms and short legs can now drive (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #Grit "It took Talli Osborne seven years to get a vehicle she could drive and the licence to drive it. Osborne, who was born without arms and shortened legs, got her licence three weeks ago and is now able to drive her dream car, a modified fuchsia Mini Cooper."

  • This new public art project lets you phone Calgary's Bow River (CBC) CALGARY STORY "It's actually quite soothing. 'Thank you so much for calling. Please wait a moment while we connect the Bow River to you.' It's the first thing you'll hear when you dial the toll-free number 1-855-BOW-LSTN (1-855-269-5786). After that, the Bow River's 'rushing, gurgling and babbling voice' is heard, says Calgary Arts Development. "

  • VIDEO: Captured First World War pilot's note reunited with family in Ottawa (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #WhatAJourney "'In the First World War, there was a much more genteel custom whereby if an aircraft was shot down, the pilot, if he survived the shooting down, was allowed to write a note and send it across to his squadron commander,' said Anthony Inglis Howard-Williams, the grandson of Mactavish's commander. One hundred and seven years later, Inglis Howard-Williams still has Mactavish's note. He recently brought it across the ocean from London to Ottawa to recreate a tradition tying together two families."

  • Girl, 12, wins Maryland's top fishing prize — to the chagrin of some 'older male anglers' (CBC) #GoLucy "When Lucy Moore, 12, was asked who is better at fishing — her or her dad — she did not hesitate to claim her crown. 'Me,' Lucy replied immediately during an interview with As It Happens guest host Catherine Cullen. Her father, Nick Perez, paused for a moment when asked the same question, but ultimately conceded that his daughter had long surpassed him in fishing prowess."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. New study confirms Tsleil-Waututh Nation's rich pre-colonial diet (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "New research between the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) and the University of British Columbia shows how the nation's diet was varied and rich in nutrition and came from abundant food sources in what is now southwestern B.C. While the nation's diet spanned all manner of mammals, marine life and fowl, the research — which used archeological records and Indigenous oral histories to piece together what was on the menu between AD 1000 and European contact in the late 18th century — found its four main pillars were salmon, forage fish, shellfish and marine birds."

  2. 'Give back to the fans': Estate of singer-songwriter Ian Tyson auctions his personal belongings (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "From neckerchiefs to Navajo rugs, the Estate of Ian Tyson is auctioning off some of the legendary Alberta country artist's personal items."

  3. Meet the Granfluencers (The Walrus) This is wonderful. Thanks to recap reader and friend Tamara McCarron for sharing this story. " 'Play this video at my funeral,' says the ninety-four-year-old Lillian Droniak while enthusiastically addressing her some 14 million TikTok followers, who know her simply as Grandma Droniak. What comes next isn’t sappy or sentimental but outright hysterical. 'Don’t be sad,' she continues. 'I slayed every day, and now I’m going to lay every day. I hope you slay while I decay.' "

  4. VIDEO: Morgan Kitchen, firefighter who died battling Jasper wildfire, laid to rest in Calgary (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Mr. Kitchen was a hero. Our condolences to his friends and family. "A celebration of life for Morgan Kitchen, a wildland firefighter who died battling wildfire near Jasper, Alta.[...] was held in Calgary [...]. Kitchen was struck by a falling tree near the municipality [...] just over a week after his 24th birthday."

  5. The threat of climate change demands something more than thoughts, prayers and excuses (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Thanks to recap editor, Katia, for sharing this. "As another Canadian summer brings another round of natural disasters — wildfires in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland, flooding in Toronto, Quebec and Nova Scotia — there is a risk of the political responses to these calamities becoming rote. Thoughts and prayers are offered. An official response is mounted. Support for reconstruction is promised. And then the political discussion moves on."

  6. How arts organizations are working to attract younger audiences (Taproot Edmonton) EDMONTON STORY #MorePlease "The Edmonton Opera is joining several other cultural organizations across the city in an attempt to grow its audience by offering free shows to youth, and the results suggest it’s popular. Last year, 2,000 people made use of the Youth 4 Free program, which lets people younger than 21 attend opera shows without cost."

  7. Eyes that would 'melt your soul': Hawk, the trailblazing Calgary police trauma dog, dies at 14 (CBC) CALGARY STORY They now allow these dogs into the courts as supports for those testifying about trauma. "Ten years after he became the first dog in Canada to support a victim during their testimony in court, Calgary Police Service's Hawk has died. Hawk, a 14-year-old Labrador retriever, passed away peacefully [...]."

  8. VIDEO: B.C. photographer films grizzly bears facing off with elk (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #Wow "Until she spotted a mother and cubs on north Vancouver Island [...] wildlife photographer Catherine Babault had never seen a grizzly bear on the island. While grizzlies often swim over from the mainland in the spring and summer, Babault said she hadn't encountered them in her years of documenting elk in the area."

  9. No Joke: The Onion Thinks Print Is the Future of Media (New York Times) I will buy the print copy. I hope others will as well. "The satirical site is hoping a newspaper with fake stories and fake ads will lead to real money."

  10. Oh Dear God,We Forgot to Let P!nk Down (McSweeneys) This story is likely not actually true but it is fun. "Managing a massive concert tour requires keeping a lot of balls in the air, but as we were pulling into our next stop for P!nk’s world tour, I couldn’t help but feel like I was forgetting something. As we were preparing to rock Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena for a record-setting two straight nights, it suddenly hit me. Where was P!nk? 'Has anybody here seen P!nk?'"

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. Why 3 Sets of 12 Is Killing Your Gym Progress. (Chris Craves) Slow and steady folks.”

  2. As an AI Expert, Here Are My Thoughts on Kamala Harris’ Photos (The Generator) This is an excellent primer on how to spot AI fakes.

  3. (Don’t) Run Dry — How Dehydration Robs Our Performance (Runner's Life) As someone who definitely does not drink enough water, this article spoke to me.

  4. How 15 Minutes of Breathwork Can Supercharge Your Day (In Fitness And In Health) Very cool descriptions of the actual techniques.

  5. 5 Mistakes I Made With Bodyweight Training To Help You Avoid Wasting Time and Energy (In Fitness And In Health) Yep, bridges, hanging, and slow deliberate reps matter.

  6. How often you should wash your jeans, according to denim expert – but not everyone agrees (Daily Record) What is your view (I am in the middle, I wash mine every 5 - 10 wears).

  7. No one cares about your company’s mission statement. Leaders, focus on this instead (Fast Company) Turns out, your origin story is way more interesting. #ITendToAgree

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Arts Umbrella names new Lindsay Mearns School of Dance following $2 million donation (Stir) VANCOUVER STORY "ARTS UMBRELLA HAS acknowledged a $2 million donation with the naming of the new Lindsay Mearns School of Dance. Mearns is a Vancouver-based artist and philanthropist whose gift will be permanently endowed in the Arts Umbrella Foundation."

  2. Rock River Thresheree gets $3 million donation of massive power plant engines, new building to house them (WCLO) "The exhibit won’t be ready by this fall’s Rock River Thresheree at Edgerton’s Thresherman’s Park. But by next year, the Thresheree will have a huge upgrade in antique engine power added to its living-history park. In what is a $3 million gift to Thresherman’s Park, United Alloy founders Tom and Michele Baer are donating a set of massive, electric-generating engines built more than 100 years ago by Beloit’s Fairbanks Morse."

  3. Penn receives $10 million donation to fund Climate Sustainability Initiative (The Daily Pennsylvanian) "Penn recently received a $10 million donation from 1995 Wharton and Engineering graduate Alp Ercil to support the development of the Penn Climate Sustainability Initiative."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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