Global round up of positive news nuggets to get the day off to a bright start.
The New van Gogh
A one-eared painter named van Gogh is currently auctioning off his artwork for charity. He isn’t, however, the famous Dutch painter. The artist in question is an 8-year-old rescue dog. The pit bull mix paints canvases with his tongue and paws - with a little help from humans. His artworks currently up for auction are based on famous 19th-century van Gogh masterpieces, like Sunflowers and Almond Blossoms. So far, it seems to be a success. The pet food company Pedigree offered $10,000 for the dog’s take on The Starry Night soon after the auction opened. All proceeds from the sale will go to Happily Furever After Rescue in Connecticut, which helped van Gogh find a home.
Unexpected Discovery
The 2019 fire in Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral destroyed the Gothic structure’s wooden roof and toppled its iconic spire. But the disaster comes with a small silver lining: Due to the fire - and the ongoing restoration process - researchers are getting an unprecedented look at the cathedral’s inner workings. According to a paper published in the journal PLOS One, large iron staples have been found holding together the cathedral’s stone blocks. In light of this unexpected discovery, scientists say that Notre-Dame is the first known Gothic cathedral to make such extensive use of iron as a construction material. Construction of the cathedral began in 1163 and was largely completed by 1260.
Chinese Takeaway
Xi Jinping’s delegation in Moscow were holed up yesterday ordering mass KFC deliveries to their China-themed hotel. The Chinese leader, who is in Moscow for his first visit since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, has shunned the more luxurious hotels near Red Square in favour of a Chinese-owned hotel on the outskirts. Film crews filming just outside the hotel on Tuesday afternoon caught a Moscow delivery man unloading what appears to be dozens of KFC bags that were picked up by Chinese staff at the entrance. KFC is the leading and the largest quick service restaurant brand in China. It opened its first restaurant in Beijing in 1987 and now has over 9,000 KFC restaurants in over 1,800 cities across China.
Longest Serving DJ
She spent part of her childhood in a tent without electricity or running water, started in radio at 12, and once shared a stage with the king of rock’n’roll. Now Guinness World Records has verified 85-year-old Texas native Mary McCoy as the globe’s longest-serving female radio presenter after nearly 72 years on the airwaves. McCoy’s family moved to Texas in the late 1940s and she learned to yodel and sing at talent shows while living in a tent. In 1951, aged 12, she signed up for a talent show at KMCO radio station. She was offered a 15-minute singing show and then became a presenter, or DJ, four months later. She has held that job ever since, even as the radio station became KIKR and now K-Star. She hosts a two-hour show of country music classics six days a week, and has been inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
Granny Wins Grammy: Don’t ever tell Angela Álvarez it’s too late for dreams to come true – the 95-year-old just brought home a Latin Grammy for best new artist, becoming the musical award show’s eldest winner ever. Thus proving, unequivocally, that it's never too late!
Happy Cow
A favorite restaurant resource for plant-based eaters, Happy Cow is the perfect way to find vegan and vegetarian dining options. Whether visiting a new place or looking for options in your own city, Happy Cow connects users with 180,000 restaurants, cafes and grocery stores that cater to healthy, vegetarian and/or vegan eating. Users can report back on the app and let others know what they think of the place. Results can also be filtered by type of establishment (bakery, restaurant, grocery store, etc.), or to show only 100 percent vegan locations.
New Heights
This winter has been a boon for ski resorts in California with plenty of powder to go around, and at one resort, the snow has reached new heights. Over 600 inches (50 feet) of snow has fallen on the slopes of Bear Valley Resort since late 2022, more than double the 300 inches that typically fall at the resort in an entire season. After the most recent atmospheric river, a member of the Bear Valley Ski Patrol was able to touch the top of the chair lift with his skis still planted on the snow-packed slopes!
"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day." W. Earl Hall
On this Day
22 March 1934: The Augusta National Golf Club hosted the first Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
Scientists discover how to suck CO2 from the air and store it in the sea - it's 3 times more efficient than current methods and significantly cheaper. Read on...
You may think that the humble chicken coop is one thing that was never going to receive a high-tech makeover. Think again...
Mood Booster
Piper: Cute Pixar animation.