OGN Wednesday

Editor OGN Daily
11 minutes ago
3 min read

Mid-week collection of upbeat news stories to brighten the day.

'Great Houses of Gardening Corners' book sculpture by Brian Dettmer — 'Great Houses of Gardening Corners' | Brian Dettmer

Layers of Information

Artist Brian Dettmer transforms printed texts into intriguing sculptures. Dettmer dives into existing books, often encyclopedias or reference volumes (such as the one pictured), using knives and surgical tools he creatively carves them up. He does not add or rearrange content; instead, he removes material to expose images, diagrams, and fragments of text embedded within the pages. The resulting works resemble topographic reliefs or cross-sections of knowledge, where layers of information are uncovered through precise cuts. His work is on show at Riverside Arts Center’s Freeark Gallery in Illinois. In-Formation offers an original look at how books, once designed to organize knowledge, can be reimagined as objects that question how knowledge is accessed and preserved.

Elk in the snow in Gaylord, Michigan — Elk in Gaylord, Michigan

Wildlife Cam

New year, new wildlife cam. In Gaylord, Michigan, there’s a herd of 60 elk - one of the largest wild herds in the U.S - and now you can watch them going about their days thanks to a 24/7 livestream run by the town’s tourism bureau. Come for the elk, stay for the bucolic Midwestern winter landscape.

New Year Intentions

New Year’s resolutions often come with high hopes and, let’s face it, high failure rates. For many, they’ve become synonymous with frustration and unmet expectations. But what if the problem isn’t you, but the concept itself? According to change coach Niamh Ennis, there’s a better way to approach self-improvement: setting intentions. “An intention is, at its heart, a guiding value for how you want to be and feel,” Ennis explains. Unlike resolutions, which are often rigid and goal-oriented, intentions tap into the deeper essence of what matters most to you. They reflect how you want to show up in the world and align your actions with your values, creating meaningful and lasting change.

Coastline of Kauai county, Hawaii — Kauai county, Hawaii

Aloha State

Hawaii just raised the price of its tourism tax to 11 percent, with each county able to tack on an additional 3 percent. The so-called 'green fee', the first of its kind, aims to raise money for potential changes on the islands caused by climate change. The increased tax is predicted to bring in $100 million, according to Governor Josh Green. “As an island chain, Hawaiʻi cannot wait for the next disaster to hit before taking action. We must build resiliency now, and the Green Fee will provide the necessary financing to ensure resources are available for our future.” Tourism taxes popped up all over the globe throughout 2024 and 2025. Many of the levies, though, are focused on combating over-tourism and keeping visitors away, not on climate change specifically.

The OLED Evo W6 Wallpaper TV — Credit: LG

Ultra-Thin

LG’s ultra-thin TV is back and slimmer than ever. The tech giant previously debuted its insanely slender TV in 2017, but now it has just unveiled the newest iteration at this year’s CES. The OLED Evo W6 Wallpaper TV measures in at just nine mm thick (one third of an inch), and this time around it’s almost completely wireless (there is a small easy-to-conceal cable that connects to power). The new design is also LG’s brightest ever.

Clash of The Titans

BYD and Tesla’s sales reports for 2025 are out. The Chinese carmaker has officially surpassed Tesla to become the world’s best-selling battery electric vehicle maker, selling a total of 2,254,714 all-electric cars in 2025. That is a massive 28 percent year-over-year increase. By contrast, Tesla reported 1,636,129 units sold in 2025, representing a 9 percent decrease from 2024.

“Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.” Rosa Parks

On This Day

14 January 1900: The opera Tosca - a psychological drama of deceit and doubt composed by Giacomo Puccini, one of the greatest exponents of operatic realism - made its world premiere in Rome's Costanzi Theatre. Puccini was the last descendant of a family that for two centuries had provided the musical directors of the Cathedral of San Martino in Lucca.