Feel Good Friday

Organizers “launched a one-of-a-kind vacation sweepstakes with a price tag suspiciously similar to the forbidden fundraiser — eligible only for a street cleaner in Beckenham named Spiers. Days later, the wily loophole delivered Spiers a voucher for his dream holiday.” WaPo (Gift Article): London street cleaner wins dream vacation in a contest made just for him.

+ Heman Bekele Is TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year. “His accomplishment: inventing a soap that could one day treat and even prevent multiple forms of skin cancer.”

+ “Following the last few years I’m feeling empty and more cynical than ever. I’m losing faith in other people, and I’m scared to pass these feelings to my little son. Do you still believe in Us (human beings)?” Nick Cave’s answer to that question is worth a listen.

+ In southern Turkey, a surf school helps earthquake survivors process trauma and loss.

+ We started with The Onion. Let’s conclude with McSweeney’s: Oh Dear God, We Forgot to Let P!Nk Down. “As we all frantically tried to call her phone to no avail, it began to dawn on me. Oh my god, we forgot P!nk. Not only have we left her behind at our last venue, but we forgot to let the pop star down from her aerial harness.”