Weekly News Recap: August 9, 2024

The gold-medal wins by Camryn Rogers, left, and Ethan Katzberg show there's a bright future for the sport of hammer throw in B.C., according to coaches. (Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press, Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine. – Kurt Vonnegut.

SOME GOOD NEWS

Man runs into Park Fire evacuation zone to save stranded puppies (SFGate) #Hero "Two adult rottweilers and four puppies were left in a remote area [...] as residents evacuated a region above the town of Cohasset, near Campbellville [...]. One person had to leave their truck with the dogs inside when it broke down. And though the resident gave emergency responders the truck location, it was 'not immediately accessible due to the fire.'"
VIDEO: Metro Transit driver gives passenger shoes off her feet (Fox News) #Kindness "Jayne had opened her door for an unhoused woman who had stepped into the street and held up her arm. 'She actually looked like she walked off a disaster movie,' Jayne said. Sarah noticed the woman didn’t have any shoes and heard the driver talking to her about it. She thought maybe the woman was about to get kicked off the bus, but Jayne had a surprise for her."
A spinal injury killed Adriana Ruano's dream as a gymnast. She just won Guatemala's first Olympic gold medal as a shooter. (CBS) "Ruano was training for the 2011 world championships in gymnastics, a qualifier for the London Olympics the following year, when she felt pain in her back. An MRI showed the then-16-year-old had six damaged vertebrae — a career-ending injury — and Ruano's doctor recommended she take up shooting if she wanted to stay in sports without aggravating her injured back."
China ‘angel’ stops 469 suicidal people jumping off bridge over 21 years (South China Morning Post) #Hero "A suicide prevention volunteer who has stopped 469 people from jumping off a bridge in China over the past 21 years has been dubbed the 'Angel of Nanjing'. Chen Si, 56, patrols the Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province in eastern China. Chen engages in conversations with people lingering or wandering aimlessly on the bridge, to prevent them from jumping."
Calgary artist's tribute to famous white grizzly bear to help support wildlife conservation (CBC) CALGARY STORY #PleaseGive "Nearly two months after the highway death of a white grizzly affectionately known as Nakoda, a Calgary artist is commemorating the iconic bear and seeking to support wildlife conservation efforts in the process. The portrait, entitled Lost, But Not Forgotten, is a tribute to the beloved female grizzly, who died [...] after being struck by a vehicle on the Trans-Canada."
Italian gymnast posing with wheels of cheese is the Olympic hero the internet needed (CBC) This is awesome. "Villa, as social media discovered this week, is sponsored by Parmigiano Reggiano. And some older posts of her cheesy photos with wheels of parmesan have just gone viral."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

Online tribute names 24-year-old man as firefighter who died fighting Jasper wildfire (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY We will remember him. "Online posts have identified the firefighter killed in the Jasper blaze as 24-year-old Morgan Kitchen. Kitchen, a Calgarian, was an Alberta Wildfire crew member who served in the Canadian Armed Forces and the British Royal Marines, according to a social media tribute post."
VIDEO: B.C.'s hammer throw is flying high after 2 Olympic golds: coaches (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY Congrats to all of our athletes. "[This past week], 22-year-old Ethan Katzberg from Nanaimo, B.C., became the first ever Canadian to win the gold medal in hammer throw, and became the event's youngest Olympic gold medallist in the process. Two days later, his gold was matched by 25-year-old Camryn Rogers from Richmond, B.C., in the women's hammer throw."
This Scientist Has a Risky Plan to Cool Earth. There’s Growing Interest. (New York Times) I attended a lecture at the UofC when Dr. Keith was a faculty member. "Today, Dr. Keith cites that event as validation of an idea that has become his life’s work: He believes that by intentionally releasing sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, it would be possible to lower temperatures worldwide, blunting global warming."
Has the Long Friendship of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Reached Its Final Act? (New York Times) "In June, Mr. Buffett told The Wall Street Journal that the Gates Foundation would not receive any more money after his death. Other factors further strained the friendship between Mr. Gates and Mr. Buffett. The Gates Foundation had settled into a groove and even become complacent, Mr. Buffett told staffers, which reduced its appetite for taking the kinds of risks that could lead to more effective philanthropy, and that he had hoped his donations would be used for."
Dubious $237 million donation to FAMU is ‘fraudulent,’ investigation's final report says (Tallahassee Democrat) What! I am so surprised #Not "A scathing, 176-page investigative report into a Texas hemp farmer's dubious $237 million gift to Florida A&M University found the donation to be "fraudulent," confirming months of skepticism. The [...] report chronicles how FAMU "improperly handled" the gift and vetting what was supposed to be the largest donation in HBCU history."
Think book clubs are boring? These modern versions are flipping the script (CBC) #LongLiveBooks "With the rise of celebrity book clubs and the popularity of #BookTok, a hashtag used on TikTok to discuss books, the idea of communal reading is experiencing a renaissance and attracting a younger crowd that's interested in trying out new formats. That's why some book clubs are adding a splash of alcohol, a sprinkle of food or even an 'introvert hour' to stand out from more traditional clubs."
Meet the artist behind the massive pigeon sculpture going up in NYC (CBC) Seems appropriate in New York. "Artist Iván Argote understands that pigeons ruffle many people's feathers. But he's hoping to change how the public views the bird, often referred to as a rat with wings, by putting a massive one on a pedestal in New York City. A nearly five-metre-tall, hand-painted aluminum pigeon sculpture will be installed on Manhattan's High Line in October, over the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street."
Afghan Sisters Escape The Taliban To Achieve Olympic Dreams (Radio Free Europe) I am so inspired by these two. "Sisters Yulduz and Fariba Hashimi are set to become the first female cyclists from Afghanistan to compete in the Olympics. The siblings fled their country after the Taliban seized power in 2021 and cracked down on women's rights, including banning women from participating in sports."
Are we done with senior discounts?: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet (CBC) CANADIAN STORY No way, I am just about to get mine! #Kidding "While seniors enjoy healthy discounts on many events and entertainment tickets, those deals aren't extended to all potential attendees, she said. 'There are people who maybe have a couple of kids and they find that getting a babysitter and paying for that just puts it over the top and out of reach for them.'"
One year after news ban, Canadian journalism is suffering — but Meta isn't budging (CBC) CANADIAN STORY This has only hurt journalism...Meta is doing just fine. "The Online News Act sought to force web giants like Meta to compensate media outlets for the journalism shared on their platforms. The bill was pitched as a way to keep news outlets solvent after advertising moved en masse to digital platforms, virtually wiping out a major revenue stream for journalism. Though Google and the federal government ultimately reached a $100-million deal, Meta has resisted, saying that its platforms don't benefit unfairly from people sharing links to news content."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

You Can Make Perfect Fried Rice (Tastyble) Mmmm, I love fried rice.
The Most Undertrained Muscle In Your Body (Clyde Stanley) That's right, you are sitting on a [fitness] goldmine.
5 Best Productivity Tools of 2024 (Irtiza Hafiz) Love Proton Mail.
What Makes a Password Strong: Why What You’ve Been Told Is Wrong (Codex) Use a password keeper and use it to generate strong passwords. You have heard of data breaches right?
The Best Place to Start (Roger Martin) Are you living your values (your system) or...
Addressing a Huge Misunderstanding About 80/20 Training (Runner's Life) Interesting take.
Why the Heck Do We Fidget? (Wise & Well) I fidget with my legs.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

Colorado to become center for stiff person syndrome treatment with donation from Céline Dion (CPR) "In hopes of helping others with this autoimmune disease, the Celine Dion Foundation has given $2 million to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus."
Historic $12 million donation establishes the Manton Centre for British Art at The Courtauld gallery (Ian Visits) "The Courtauld art gallery in central London has received a huge $12 million (£9.4 million) donation to create the Manton Centre for British Art. The Manton Foundation, founded by British art collectors and philanthropists Sir Edwin Manton and Florence Lady Manton, has made a donation to support the creation of the new art centre and a long-term range of educational services."
ASU's business school to expand with $25 million donation (ABC) "Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business has received a $25 million donation from the W.P. Carey Foundation as part of a partnership to expand the school’s real estate program."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

Welcome to our recap of the week's news, articles, and information of note. ViTreo Group Inc. provides this information for the benefit of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders. The content is collected and curated by ViTreo President & CEO Vincent Duckworth. If you would like to submit a link for consideration, please send an email to info@vitreogroup.ca.

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Vincent DuckworthAugust 9, 2024Comment