Today's smorgasbord of tasty good news nuggets to help perk up the day.
Skiing Santas
A crowd of Santa lookalikes took to the ski slopes to spread some seasonal cheer. More than 300 jolly Santas dashed together down a mountain with white beards and traditional red gear at the Sunday River ski resort in Maine. A skiing Grinch and a skiing Christmas tree joined the party - for the annual tradition. Santa Sunday has grown in popularity over more than two decades, raising $7,500 this year for a local charity.
Worth the Wait
Brian Ruberry is finally having his moment. The 66-year-old former PR agent started writing television scripts 40 years ago, and recently sold his first one. After graduating with a degree in English, Ruberry started writing television scripts, but didn't sell any, and the busier he became raising a family and working, the less time he had to write. In 2019, inspired by an article he read, Ruberry decided to write a script "putting the comedy back into romantic comedy," he told The Washington Post. Ruberry's work resonated with UpTV, which purchased his script The Attraction Test, which led to his second script, Single and Ready to Jingle, being picked up by Lifetime. The movie has just premiered. Being rejected "made me more determined to prove everyone wrong," he said, and while it's "been a long time coming for me ... it was worth the wait."
80 Year Old Woman's Face is Now Paying the Bills: Anabel Graetz was always aware that she had an interesting and unusual face. At the ripe old age of 80, it’s now paying the bills.
LA Mansion Tax
Los Angeles voters approved a tax on homes sold at over $5 million to support affordable housing programs. The “mansion tax” is estimated to bring in $1 billion for homelessness prevention, tenant assistance, housing development, and more.
World's Oldest Jeans
Pulled from a sunken trunk at an 1857 shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina, work pants that auction officials describe as the oldest known pair of jeans in the world have sold for $114,000. The (probably) white, heavy-duty miner’s pants with a five-button fly were among numerous Gold Rush-era artefacts that sold earlier this month, says Holabird Western Americana Collections. It's unlikely that the pricey pants have any ties to the father of modern-day blue jeans, Levi Strauss, as they predate by 16 years the first pair officially manufactured by his San Francisco-based company in 1873.
Natural Capital
Climate Asset Management, the specialist 'natural capital' investment manager formed by HSBC Asset Management and climate change advisory firm Pollination Group, said it has raised $650 million for projects which aim to protect the environment, reports Reuters. The capital raised from institutional investors and corporates is one of the larger amounts to be raised in the nascent market which looks to twin improved environmental outcomes with financial or other returns by investing in nature. It comes as delegates at a United Nations conference on biodiversity in Montreal this week turned their attention to how to direct more money to protecting and enhancing the world's natural resources.
UK Single-Use Plastics
Single-use plastic items including cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups “will be banned in England following a government consultation”, according to the Financial Times. Environment Secretary Therese Coffey is expected to unveil plans to phase out the items and replace them with biodegradable alternatives.
"Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated."
Confucius
On this Day
16 December 2009: Avatar, a science-fiction thriller directed by James Cameron, was released internationally; it went on to make more than $2.7 billion worldwide - and is the highest grossing movie of all time.
Energy Boosting Healthy Snacks: Choosing healthy whole foods has positive health benefits and provides all day energy. Read on...
Mood Booster
Up close and personal at the Hippo Spa.