OGN Wednesday
- 4 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Midweek collection of positive news stories from around the world.
Vinyl Passes $1 Billion
The U.S. recorded-music industry reached a record high of $11.5 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s year-end revenue report, with premium paid streaming subscription revenues growing 6.8 percent to $5.88 billion and vinyl sales growing for a 19th consecutive year, passing $1 billion in sales for the first time since 1983. Vinyl sales climbed 7.9 percent, to 46.8 million from 43.4 million in 2024, with revenue climbing to $1,042.9 billion from $954.4 million, according to the RIAA’s report. This is due in no small part to Taylor Swift’s ongoing emphasis on vinyl sales - her 2025 album Life of a Showgirl sold around 1.6 million units on vinyl alone.
Remarkable Artistry
Marble is known for its sturdy qualities. But in the right artist’s hands, it can look as light as a feather. One marble sculpture exemplifies this unique characteristic, capturing attention for its startling realism. At first glance, a sheer veil appears to rest lightly over a young woman’s face. The folds are soft, and light gathers along the edges and fades gently into shadow. Nothing about it suggests weight or density. Yet every delicate crease is carved from solid stone. The work is by Giovanni Battista Lombardi, a 19th-century Italian sculptor known for his refined funerary monuments - pushing marble beyond its limits, shaping it into forms that seem to breathe. In this piece, the woman’s head tilts slightly downward, her gaze calm and inward. The veil clings closely to her features, softening the contours while revealing the structure beneath with remarkable clarity.
Strange But True
A wild boar is rarely considered as an appropriate urban pet. And yet, that’s exactly what happened in South Korea. According to a report by the Korean Broadcasting System (accompanied by a video), a 70-year-old man called Busan purchased a boar with the purpose of cooking it. However, after realizing the animal could understand him, the pair developed a unique bond. And so, what was bound to become a meal became a beloved and unexpected pet. The animal, named Kkulkkuli, turned heads when he was out and about in the city with his human. Although they mostly walked around side by side, the man often rode on the wild boar’s back - likely a welcome aid given his advanced age.
Legs And Arms
Cycling is a great form of exercise for the legs and core, but the arms? Not so much. The VeloGym recumbent trike is out to change that, as it gets your upper body in on the act. The trike can be propelled by either leg power, arm power, or a combination of both. It's being developed by a team of entrepreneurs from Germany's Technical University of Munich. One big thing that sets the VeloGym apart is its unique arm-rowing system, in which two steel levers to either side of the rider are pushed and pulled in unison to deliver arm/upper body muscle power to the 28-inch rear wheel.
Ossivorous Comeback
In "one of the most successful wildlife comeback stories," bearded vultures have now returned to the French Alps after a decades-long conservation effort that involved releasing a total of over 260 bearded vultures back into the wild. Now, the species has soared back from local extinction. Bearded vultures are believed to be the only animal that is ossivorous - they feed mainly on bones, scavenging them from carcasses and dropping them onto rocks to smash them into smaller pieces.
UK Emissions
A new analysis found that in 2025, greenhouse gas emissions in the U.K. fell to the lowest since 1872. Coal use in the country was cut in half, dropping to levels last seen in 1600; and gas use fell to the lowest level since 1992. Notably, oil use also fell by 0.9 percent, thanks to more than 700,000 new electric vehicles, electric vans, and plug-in hybrids. Emissions in the U.K. are now 54 percent below 1990 levels.
"A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have." Irish Proverb
On This Day
18 March 1662: The first public bus service, "Carosses à cinq sols" (five-sol coaches), began operating in Paris, promoted by philosopher Blaise Pascal. Authorized by Louis XIV, these horse-drawn carriages carried eight passengers and operated on fixed routes, lasting until 1675, serving as the world's first modern public transport.
Today's Articles
For Sale: One of London's oldest houses. It's been here longer than St Paul’s Cathedral or the Houses of Parliament.
New Discovery: 2,200-year-old bone could be the first direct evidence of Hannibal’s legendary war elephants.
Upside-Down Lightning: 'Gigantic Jets' are 50 times more powerful than typical lightning bolts and blast upwards into space.
Mood Boosting Video
Teaser Trailer: Dune: Part 3 delivers the epic conclusion to the blockbuster trilogy.
