Pantone has announced its 2023 Color of the Year, and it's a hot one! Viva Magenta is described as "audacious, witty and inclusive of all." Yes, we now have to prepare for a year's worth of marketing tie-ins and magenta items everywhere, but frankly, "audacious, witty and inclusive of all" is a pretty nice descriptor to aspire to. It's also bold, bright and fun -- all things I wish for us in 2023 and beyond.
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Our favorites this week
Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week
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One small step fore man*
Remember when a guy played golf on the moon? Alan Shepard, part of the crew of Apollo 18 and one of the only people to set foot on extraterrestrial soil, had it all planned out. Before the mission, he sought out a Texas golf pro to build him a modified club head which he took into space. And mind you, it's not like you can take just anything into space! On February 6, 1971, after nine hours of walking around on the moon's surface, Shepard saw his opportunity. He attached the modified club head to a tool designed for scooping lunar rock samples, took a few swings, and popped a shot into a nearby crater. His second and final shot went much further, swallowed up by the blackness of space and out of range of any measurement. I'd say it went to the moon, but it was already there.
*I am truly sorry for this pun and I humbly repent.
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Smells' great adventure
I don't know how I missed this a few weeks ago, but it's really important that you know about Smells the Cat. The poor creature was rescued from a suitcase by TSA staff at JFK airport in New York City earlier in November. (A spokesperson said staffers were understandably "shocked" when they saw the outline of a whole entire cat on the baggage x-ray.) Luckily, Smells survived the ordeal and avoided what would have been quite a treacherous trip to Orlando. Reportedly, Smells snuck into the suitcase and was not placed there by some extremely irresponsible traveler. To assure people of his wellness, TSA shared a photo of Smells enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner at home in Brooklyn.
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Birthday suit up
Yes, everyone in this photo is naked. Yes, it was for a good cause! (Although, imagine the scare you'd get if you were in a boat close to shore when this took place.) Around 2,500 people stripped off for a naked photoshoot on Australia's Bondi Beach to raise awareness for skin cancer. The shoot was organized by photographer Spencer Tunick and Skin Check Champions, a charity that runs free, educational skin check clinics. One participant said she was pretty nervous at first, but the positive vibes of the event put her at ease. Let this be your reminder to get your skin checked, even where the sun don't shine!
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CNN has chosen the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2022! For the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting each of these incredible people who are using their unique skills and experiences to make the world a better place. Read all of their stories here.
Tyrique Glasgow, who's working to end street violence in South Philadelphia. Growing up, Glasgow was shot, lost family to guns, and ended up on the wrong side of the law. Now, his Young Chances Foundation provides camps and after-school activities to show kids a better life. He even opened a community center that supports the whole neighborhood. Read Tyrique's story here.
Aidan Reilly, whose organization curbs food waste and addresses hunger at the same time. Reilly co-founded the Farmlink Project during the pandemic to help struggling families and food banks. Now, the project's young volunteers have rescued nearly 77 million pounds of excess food and deliver it to those in need. Read Aidan's story here.
Daily voting is now open to determine the CNN Hero of the Year, so cast your vote before the big reveal on Sunday, December 11th!
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What's more French than a baguette? The crusty, delicious staple of French life has been awarded special protection status by UNESCO, placing it in league with other iconic foodstuffs from around the world. The "artisanal know-how and culture of the baguette" is now officially recognized on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which means they deem the expertise needed to make a good baguette an integral part of human culture. It joins the processes behind Neapolitan pizza, kimchi, Belgian beer culture, the "Mediterranean diet" and Arabic coffee. In other words, the ultimate bucket list menu.
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Send this article to your favorite metalhead: A new study finds some bats use the same vocal structures as death metal singers to make their unique vocalizations. Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark investigated the noise-making techniques of Daubenton’s bats, specifically their larynx — also known as the voice box. Bats that use echolocation have an impressive, seven-octave vocal range to match their sound needs. For reference, most mammals including humans have a range of three to four octaves (unless you're Mariah Carey). How do they do it? The study found they use a structure called "false vocal folds" to make low-pitched calls. That's the same technique used by metal singers to produce low growls, or in throat singing from vocalists in Mongolia and Siberia. So while some people may be songbirds, others are songbats -- and proud of it!
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Rec of the week
Brought to you by CNN Underscored
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The 41 best holiday gifts our editors have ever given or received
Whether it’s an embroidery hoop, a personalized recipe plate or a pendant necklace, here are the holiday gifts that our editors loved giving and getting.
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Shameless animal video
There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.
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Well, now we're all thinking about bats, so here is a little moment of chirpy, cuddly bat zen. (Click here to view) |
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A newsletter for the good in life |
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