Weekend Edition: Heartwarmers of 2024

Hello again, my unstoppable explorers!

With a cozy drink in hand, are you ready to dive into our weekend scoop? Offbeat, thought-provoking, and (sometimes) downright delightful stories gathered for you. Let's settle in and take on the day together, shall we?

• First-time reader? Join our community of curious readers here.

• Don't keep us a secret: Tell your friends (copy URL here)

• I always welcome your feedback at [email protected] or just hit reply.

Wrapping Up 2024 Right:

Are you feeling a bit worn out by the daily grind? Sit back and recharge with a lineup of 2024's most feel-good hits. We're talking baby penguins who went viral (thanks, Pesto!), a man sporting 350 Yorkshire puddings (why not?), and a bold soul who tried a 22-year-old mince pie—just to say he did.

Stories like these remind us that laughter and joy are sweet in any season. Don't forget to celebrate the bright spots: Santas taller than rooftops, chance run-ins with Northern Lights (or maybe a tomato factory glare), and every silly or heartfelt win. In the end, life's best moments usually make us smile, pause, and immediately share with someone.

So here’s to finishing the year in good spirits—sip this cheery brew, read these inspiring snippets, and share them widely with everyone you know right now.

Up in the Air

Amazon's drones just took off in Arizona, promising toothpaste deliveries within 30 minutes. Dropping one item at a time from an 80-pound whirring contraption overhead—what could possibly go wrong? Meanwhile, folks in New Jersey were spooked by their mysterious drones. Amazon swears “not us,” but hey, it's tough to tell who's invading your airspace these days.

At ten bucks a pop for Prime members (assuming you live in the drone zone), some might wonder if this is a worthwhile investment or a novelty. What's the real test: Does your family cheer when a mini helicopter brings floss, or do they call the police to report a UFO? Let's see if airborne delivery becomes standard or disappears faster than us driving to the store.

Flush With Cash

Remember the days when plumbing involved calloused hands and long hours? In fact, new millionaires might fix your sink or install your air conditioner. Private equity is building regional powerhouses from small home-service businesses like plumbing, HVAC, and electrical. Thanks to big buyouts, they oversee entire fleets, revamp apprenticeship programs, and snag shiny new vans.

Think of it as a mini Silicon Valley in work boots: You don't need a fancy app or VC pitch. Your next-door plumber can build a solid local business and cash in for seven—or even eight—figures. Sure, it's still sweaty, late at night, and dirty under the sink. Today, payoffs go beyond paychecks. Your local tradesperson lives the American dream in private equity style.

Popcorn, Please

Tired of sequels? Well, buckle up because the next 12 months will bring mega-follow-ups (hello, 28 Years Later, and Avatar 3) and original gems. The arthouse crowd will enjoy new work from Paul Thomas Anderson, Celine Song, and Bong Joon Ho—yes, all in one year. 2025's cinematic buffet should satisfy every taste, whether it's MI’s "final reckoning" or a wily werewolf remake.

This year's slate promises more variety than the world's strangest potluck. There will be big swings at the box office (Wicked: For Good? We're in!) and quiet revelations (count on A24 to surprise us). We learned from the pandemic to cherish the simple joy of sitting in a dark theater, phone silent. 2025 looks like one heck of a reason to stay put—popcorn in hand, hype in your heart.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Here's a look inside the $1M Golden Globes gift bags.

🧮 Core Count: 18

House cats' claw count.

🗓️ Flashback:

1898 - Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium.

1968 - Apollo 8 launched the first manned Moon mission with Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders.

1988 - Lockerbie disaster: A terrorist bomb destroys Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, killing all 259 on board and 11 on the ground.

1991 - Soviet Union dissolved after 11 of its 12 republics signed a treaty creating the Commonwealth of Independent States.

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran