Today's tasty selection of bite-sized chunks of positive news.
Valentine's Cards
An estimated one per cent of the millions of consumers who buy cards are now doing so for their pets. Valentine’s Day cards have traditionally been for that special person in your life, but that description now includes four legged companions. An estimated one percent of the millions of consumers who buy Valentine’s cards are now doing so for their pets, industry studies have revealed.
Fawlty Sequel
The classic British sitcom Fawlty Towers is generally regarded as one of, if not the greatest British sitcoms of all time. Now more than 40 years after it ended, it’s getting a reboot. The original Fawlty Towers starred one of the original Monty Python members, John Cleese, as Basil Fawlty who operates a hotel in the seaside town of Torquay with his wife Sybll. Together with the Spanish butler Manuel, they try (and mostly fail) to keep the hotel running smoothly while keeping their marriage afloat. Now, John Cleese is teaming up with his daughter, Camilla, for a reboot; but it's rumoured that this time it will be set in a boutique hotel in the Caribbean. What could possibly go wrong?
Cow Hug Day
This year, India’s government is asking citizens to spend Valentine’s Day snuggling up with a cow. The country’s government-run animal welfare department announced that “Cow Hug Day,” a new celebration of India’s traditions, will take place on February 14. “Vedic traditions are almost on the verge of extinction due to the progress of [Western] culture,” the appeal reads. In Hinduism, cows are revered as sacred and sometimes associated with motherhood. Most Indian states, including Delhi, have banned cattle slaughter. The animal welfare department describes cattle as “the backbone of Indian culture” and says that hugging a cow on February 14 will bring “emotional richness and “increase our individual and collective happiness.”
Amazon Good News
Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil fell for the first time this year, according to a report by Reuters. The decrease is attributed to increased enforcement of environmental regulations and increased monitoring of illegal logging activities. The Brazilian government has implemented several measures to reduce deforestation and preserve the Amazon rainforest, which is a critical component of the global ecosystem.
NYC Celebrity
A Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco has been on the loose for a week in New York City after a vandal cut through his mesh enclosure at the Central Park Zoo. Despite efforts to trap him and almost around-the-clock monitoring by zoo staff, the owl has so far evaded capture. His presence has drawn crowds of bird enthusiasts, who spent hours snapping pictures and peering at the majestic creature through binoculars over the weekend. With a wingspan of five to six feet, Eurasian eagle-owls are one of the world’s largest owl species. They have a striking appearance - bright orange eyes, ear tufts and mottled feathers - and are native to Europe, Asia and parts of northern Africa. In the wild, the birds will gobble up anything from small mammals to woodpeckers to fish and amphibians using their excellent eyesight and sharp hearing to silently swoop down on their prey.
Plastic-Free Products
Free The Ocean offers products that are not only good for you, the ocean, and the planet - but every purchase funds the removal of plastic from the ocean and coastlines. Their products are curated from small businesses, sourced with care, and shipped plastic-free and carbon-neutral. Created by a nature lover passionate about the health of our oceans and environment, Free the Ocean brings you products you can use in your everyday life to help save our planet. Essentially, Free The Ocean is a hub for us to find the eco-friendly products we need, while supporting small businesses (and the ocean!)
"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
On this Day
14 February 1849: In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes the first serving US President to have his photograph taken (by Matthew Brady).
Ecuador has recognized a new 3 million acre reserve in the Amazon rainforest in hopes of protecting Indigenous land. Read on...
Love is a universal language that everyone speaks, particularly on Valentine's Day, but how do countries put this feeling into words? Read on...
Ah, love. The elusive and ephemeral chemical experience that all humans want and crave. It's so powerful that it can be hard to describe. So, let's see what others say about it...
Mood Booster
Funniest Super Bowl Ad 2023?