5 Things Guaranteed to Make You Smile
If you’re feeling stressed about the state of the universe, you’re not alone. But I promise you, doom scrolling isn’t going to help! Close your browser tabs, take a deep breath, and take in some good news. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll crack a smile. A little fun never hurt anyone…
The Geographic Database of Bigfoot / Sasquatch Sightings & Reports
If you are bored and feeling down, I implore you to visit the Geographic Database of Bigfoot / Sasquatch Sightings & Reports. The database, which is maintained by volunteer Sasquatch investigators, contains hundreds of reports from across the United States, Canada, and abroad, including Pre-Columbia and Early American Reports & Legends. Check out their website and I guarantee you will find a sighting near you. Stay safe out there!!
Moo Deng Has an Official Song
That’s right, the internet’s favorite pygmy hippo officially has a theme song! Thai composer Mueanphet dropped the smash single “Moodeng Moodeng,” recorded in Thai, English, Chinese, and Japanese. It’s the latest development in the star turn of Moo Deng, who has drawn thousands of visitors a day to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo since “dropping” (read: being born) this July. Check out the English version here but beware: Once you hear it, you will NOT be able to get it out of your head. To quote the song: “Are you reading? Hip hip hooray!”
The Catching of a Cheddar Cheese Caper!
Who cut the cheese? Well, for starters, this guy. Authorities in London have captured the great cheese caper of 2024, a man responsible for the theft of over $350,000 worth of clothbound Cheddar cheese from artisan cheesemakers in the U.K. In case you were wondering, that is 950 wheels of cheese. That is 22 metric tons of cheese. That is a LOT of cheese. And funny as it is that someone cut away with the cheese, it was not fun for the makers of said cheese. Learn more about the heist, and how you can support the affected cheesemakers, here.
Laid to Rest… in the Eye of a Hurricane!?
Last year marked the passing of Peter Dodge (1950 - 2023), an American meteorologist and Florida resident who hunted hundreds of hurricanes in his decades-long career with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Peter took his last flight this October, during which crew members scattered his ashes in the eye of Hurricane Milton. Read more about the mission and Dodge’s long career here.
Go, Goldfish, Go!
Earlier this month, a veterinarian in Dublin heeded the call to save an underwater damsel in distress. By which I mean a brave veterinarian rescued 17-year-old goldfish named Merlin from what would by all reasonable standards be considered an inoperable tumor. Vet Emer O’Reilly proved the world wrong by anesthetizing Merlin and surgically removing the tumor. Already, Merlin is back to his old tricks, “listening to the radio and eating probably too much.”