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- đ Vienna still hears Taylor Swift, world's oldest person and wildfire discovery
đ Vienna still hears Taylor Swift, world's oldest person and wildfire discovery
It's Sunday. Here's some good news!
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Good morning!
My high of the week: the sunshine. Everyone I know has been slowly coming out of their winter hibernating shells this week. I made sure I caught the sunset last night - enough said!
My low of the week: Driving to Canberra with Sam to take meetings in Parliament and missing five successive turnoffs for McDonaldâs. A McFlurry with extra Oreos (in Canberra, not on the way to Canberra) made up for it, though.
What about you?
Age old wisdom
For this first story, I wanted to highlight the sage advice we received from the worldâs oldest person, Maria Branyas Morera, who passed away this week at the age of 117. She passed "peacefully and without pain" on Monday, but not before she had the chance to share some wisdom on why she believes she lived so long.
Maria Branyas Morera via X
Morera attributed her long life to "order, tranquillity, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people". I, for one, will endeavour to stay away from toxic people this week (and every week!) as a tribute to Morera. Thatâs not all - she also added: âI think longevity is also about being luckyâŚLuck and good genetics.â
Itâs clear Morera didnât take herself too seriously. In reading about her, I stumbled upon her X account, which includes the bio description: âIâm old, very old, but not an idiot.â What a legend.
Wildfire breakthrough
Weâre never short of good news from the science world, thanks to the incredible discoveries of researchers worldwide. This week, weâre spotlighting Stanford researchers who have developed a sprayable gel that protects buildings from wildfire damage.
Amid a warming climate, the gels can be âsprayed on homes and critical infrastructure to help keep them from burning during wildfiresâ.
The researchers have confirmed the gels arenât bad for âpeople or the environmentâ, which is always a bonus. From here, the team says theyâre still improving the product, but are hopeful that they can test the new discovery soon and ensure critical infrastructure can be better protected next time a wildfire hits.
Silver lining for Swift fans
Earlier this month, Austrian authorities thwarted a planned terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert. It was news that really rocked the world - the pure joy that can be easily identified at any Swift concert was shockingly undercut by those who wanted to harm.
However, this week, Coldplay, one of the biggest bands in the world, made sure Vienna still heard Taylor Swiftâs music, even if her concerts could not go ahead.
To a packed stadium of adoring fans, lead singer Chris Martin performed âLove Storyâ, one of Swiftâs biggest songs.
Preparing the audience, he said: âWe sing this song with so much love for Taylor, with so much love for SwiftiesâŚ.This is only love for all people.â
In the face of such darkness, the light of music and of the industry coming together to support one another was a beautiful moment.
Message from our friends at Intrepid Travel
Have you heard of conscious travelling?
Travelling can have a big impact on our planet, but our friends at Intrepid are committed to exploring the world while minimising our impact on wildlife and our environment. Hereâs how they're making a difference:
Informed Choices: They've added carbon labels to more than 500 of their trips, so you can see how your travel choices affect the environment and make decisions that align with your values.
Sustainable Travel: They've replaced short-haul flights with scenic bus and train rides on their top 50 itineraries. Itâs a greener way to travel and allows you to enjoy the journey even more.
Protect wildlife: Some of their trips offer once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see animals living wildly in their natural habitats. They were the first to ban elephant rides in 2014 and continue to support animal welfare efforts like the Gorilla Doctors.
They are committed to being the best travel company not just in the world but for the world.
Good trips only. Discover your next adventure with Intrepid.
Community Good News: Netball for good
For this weekâs community good news, weâre back in Victoria, where Iâve just learned that the first Netball Marathon will be hosted. The event will see 24 determined players compete in a single, non-stop 84-hour match (ouch!). If that athleticism isnât enough, the group will raise money for four prominent Australian charities: Beyond Blue, Disability Sports Australia, Foodbank Victoria, and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation.
According to event director Ben Sabic, the event "embodies the true spirit of sportâpushing boundaries while giving back to the communityâŚWe look forward to showcasing the incredible dedication of our players while supporting causes that make a real difference in people's lives."
The event will be held later this year at Beaconhills College. We canât wait to hear all about it - an amazing demonstration of athletic and charitable spirits coming together!
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Something that made me happy this week!
Anyone who knows me knows how important music is to me. Thatâs why the thing that brought me joy this week (and many other weeks!) was the account @trackstarshow on TikTok and Instagram.
The show's host, Jack Coyne, interviews random people on the street and asks them to name the song heâs playing them. Recently, his show has become littered with celebrities and powerful people (youâll see Kamala Harris and Julia Louis Dreyfus in the last few) but mostly itâs just average people talking about the joys of music.
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