Right now, you can spend a minute (or a few) in a peaceful, verdant park — and you don’t have to move a muscle to get there. The website One Minute Park is a metaphorical breath of fresh air, transporting visitors to different parks around the globe. Each one-minute stream truly calms the soul, and the relaxing effects are especially strong if the parks in your neck of the woods are currently covered in snow and ice.
Must Reads
Helpful tips to keep tabs on the air quality, no matter where you live
All About the New Zealand “Reality Show” Starring Albatross Soulmates
New Zealand Department of Conservation
You probably don’t need us to remind you that there’s been a lot going on in the world. So for an antidote to the heaviness, we present a cozy “reality show” revolving around a couple awaiting their new addition. Although this show, the Royal Cam, sounds quite conventional on paper, the stars are less so: They are northern royal albatrosses, a graceful New Zealand seabird with a wingspan of over 10 feet. “You see the birds and all their adventures and their lives, struggling to raise their chicks,” France Pillière, a daily viewer based in Montreal, told the Associated Press. Originally established to raise awareness of the vulnerable species, the 24-hour livestream from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation follows the breeding season at Taiaroa Head, the Southern Hemisphere’s only mainland colony of albatrosses — birds that usually mate for lifeand live to be around 40. Viewers get to see everything from mating dances to couple reunions, as the selected birds go through their childrearing journey, from laying an egg to letting the chick spread its wings and take flight. This year, the chosen “royal family” consists of RLK, a 12-year-old male, and GLG, a 14-year-old female. The couple has previously raised two chicks. Now in its 10th season, the Royal Cam (which you can stream here) has fostered a community of bird watchers from around the globe. Pillière said the livestream is “a real soothing place,” adding: “The only thing you see is positive. The chatters will often say it’s their best place to be.”
Together With Frontieras
New Year, New $2.1 Trillion Market Opportunity
The new year brings new opportunities, and this is one you won’t want to miss. People thought coal was dead –– turns out, they’re wrong. Coal is the most abundant energy resource on the planet, and one company’s breakthrough technology just unlocked a roadmap for extracting $2.1 trillion in valuable resources from it. People are calling it the modern “Rockefeller Moment” in the energy space, and early investors are rushing to get a piece. The best part? Their patented technology is clean and environmentally sustainable, and you still have a chance to invest. The company is building an $850 million facility soon, followed by more facilities across North America. Their share price is changing on Jan. 20 –– get in while you still can!
This is a paid advertisement for Frontieras Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.frontieras.com.
Humanity
Kevin Bacon’s Late Mother Inspired His Nonprofit’s Newest Community Initiative
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
When it comes to philanthropy, Kevin Bacon likes to keep things personal. In 2007, he founded SixDegrees.org, a youth-centered social impact organization that takes its title from the popular parlor game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. And now, the nonprofit is launching a new initiative named in honor of the Footloose actor’s late mother. Called Ruth’s Room, the endeavor transforms underutilized spaces into “hubs of connection, dignity, and healing.” It was inspired by the advocacy undertaken by Ruth Bacon, a lifelong educator who designed social programs for children and families, including one at a Pennsylvania prison in 1985 that helped incarcerated men connect meaningfully with their kids. “My mom was so selfless, always thinking about what she could do for others, whether it was us kids or someone else’s children,” Bacon said in a statement. “Ruth’s Room is a beautiful way to honor her heart for justice and community.” Learn how you can get involved.
Culture
How Newspapers Are Helping People Involved in Minor Crimes Get a Fresh Start
Tero Vesalainen/ iStock
We believe in second chances, and this is a story all about them. At some newspapers across the country, efforts are underway to help individuals move forward with their lives by removing names from old articles about minor crimes, or deleting the stories altogether. The initiative aims to reduce the burden of a headline following someone for years, The Guardian reports. “In the old days, you put a story in the newspaper and it quickly, if not immediately, receded into memory,” said Chris Quinn, editor of Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer newspaper, who pioneered a “right-to-be-forgotten” experiment. “But because of our [search engine] power, anything we write now about somebody is always front and center.” Quinn and a newsroom committee made their decisions with certain parameters in mind. They did not erase names in cases of violence, sex offenses, crimes against children, or corruption, and incidents typically had to be at least four years old. He added that the central question to contemplate was: “What’s more valuable: this story remaining available to the public, or this person being able to move on?” This type of thinking has gained momentum over the years, with similar processes initiated at The Boston Globe, Maine’s Bangor Daily News, New Jersey’s NJ.com, and The Oregonian. “These folks are going to be our neighbors, our co-workers, and hopefully contributing members of society someday,” said Oregonian editor Therese Bottomly. “So should we figure out ways to at least not be an unnecessary barrier to re-entry for something truly minor and in the past, and for which somebody has paid their debt?”
In Other News
Shining in plain sight: The brightest comet of the year might peak this week (read more)
A “1 in 10 million” bird was spotted by a couple in their Michigan backyard — see the photos (read more)
Scientistsdrilled nearly 2 miles into Antarctic bedrock to extract one of the oldest ice samples to date (read more)
Jamie Lee Curtis pledged to donate $1 million to Los Angeles’ fire relief efforts (read more)
Bags of 17th-century coins were discovered inside a statue at a historic Gothic church in Germany (read more)
Inspiring Story
Phones down, eyes up
Like many parents, Tori Merrill, a mom of teenagers, worries about young drivers getting distracted on the road. Turning that concern into action, she and her son Logan created “focus bags,” colorful pouches made to tuck phones away. “That way, you have to think twice if you really want to answer that text,” said Merrill, who recently teamed up with a Utah public safety program to distribute over 1,000 bags to young drivers.
Photo of the Day
ESA/BepiColombo/MTM
The latest BepiColombo spacecraft mission, overseen by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, returned some of the best-ever photos of Mercury’s north pole. The ESA said the three close-up images released last week “expose possibly icy craters whose floors are in permanent shadow, and the vast sunlit northern plains.” Check out the other two.
Never Run Out of Ink Again With HP Instant Ink
Say goodbye to last-minute ink cartridge runs — with HP Instant Ink, you’ll never be caught empty-handed again. The company’s smart printers automatically monitor ink levels and send new cartridges directly to your door before you run out. That means more time for creating memories, focusing on work, or unleashing your creative side, and less time searching for ink. Plus, you get a $10 welcome credit on your subscription, which translates to up to six months free.
