Good Morning! 🌞 

I recently learned that sharks have been around longer than trees!

Sharks have existed for more than 400 million years, making them older than most trees. The first trees appeared about 350 million years ago, during the late Devonian period. This means sharks have been swimming in our oceans long before the first forests took root on land.

Economy

Insane 2023 Stock Market Surge!

In 2023, the stock market experienced a remarkable year, with the S&P 500 surging by 24%, marking its best performance since 2020. This success was largely driven by the tech and AI sectors, which saw significant growth and contributed to the overall market's strength.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also had a strong year, gaining 14%, and even setting multiple record highs in the last few trading sessions of the year. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index outperformed both the S&P 500 and Dow, with a remarkable 43% gain in 2023.

Despite a challenging year for some individual stocks, such as Meta, Tesla, and Amazon, these companies still managed to make substantial gains. In fact, the "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks - Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple - all experienced significant growth, with Nvidia leading the pack with a 239% increase!

Meanwhile, the vast majority of the media loved to drive recession fears all year…

Sports

Naomi Osaka Makes Winning Return

Naomi Osaka, former world No. 1, marked a successful return to tennis after a year away prioritizing mental health and becoming a mother.

She defeated Tamara Korpatsch in the Brisbane International's first round. Osaka's last match was at the 2022 Pan Pacific Open, withdrawing due to abdominal pain. Despite being unranked after 15 months without competition, she played impressively, securing a straight-sets victory with a powerful serve. Osaka acknowledged her growth, expressed gratitude for fan support, and looks forward to facing Karolína Plíšková in the second round.

Entertainment

Early Mickey Mouse Haunts Horror Movies!

The earliest iteration of Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain, freed from Disney's copyright as of Monday. The iconic character from "Steamboat Willie" has quickly become the focus of two new horror films, and has been added to multiple small video games. Right after the 1928 short movie entered the public domain on Monday, a trailer for "Mickey's Mouse Trap", one of the upcoming films, was released on YouTube. Another untitled film was announced on Tuesday.

"Steamboat Willie," directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featured early versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Despite being the third cartoon made by the duo, it was the first to be released. In this version, Mickey, more rat-like than mouse, captains a boat and creates musical instruments out of other animals.

The initial projects announced are low-budget and campy slasher movies, a trend not unfamiliar after Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain in 2022. Just a year later, he was featured in the microbudget "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey."

In the trailer for "Mickey's Mouse Trap," directed by Jamie Bailey, a human in a comically small Mickey mask terrorizes a group of young people at an arcade. The text in the trailer reads, "A place for fun. A place for friends. A place for hunting. The mouse is out." Director Jamie Bailey stated, "We just wanted to have fun with it all. I mean, it’s Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse murdering people. It’s ridiculous. We ran with it and had fun doing it, and I think it shows." No release date has been set.

The second movie, directed by Steven LaMorte, known for a horror parody of "The Grinch," revolves around a late-night boat ride turning into a desperate fight for survival in New York City when a mischievous mouse becomes a monstrous reality. LaMorte emphasized, "Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror." The movie has yet to begin production.

With the expiration of the 95-year copyright, the public is limited to using only the initial versions of Mickey and Minnie, not the more familiar character designs. Disney stated, "We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright."

LaMorte assured that his film's producers are working with a legal team to avoid issues with Disney, opting to call their raging rodent Steamboat Willie instead of Mickey Mouse. "We are doing our due diligence to make sure there’s no question or confusion of what we’re up to," he said.

World News

2024: The Year of the Wood Dragon

While our calendar New Year has passed, another New Year is still yet to come. On February 10th, the Lunar New Year will mark the transition from the Year of the Water Rabbit to the Year of the Wood Dragon.

A little clarification if you are confused: Chinese zodiac system, is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year being represented by an animal sign and an element. The 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. There are five elements in Chinese philosophy: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

Back to this coming year.

The dragon holds significant symbolism in Chinese mythology and astrology, representing natural perfection. This year is particularly auspicious, as it concludes a 60-year cycle for the wood element, combining the dragon's confidence with wood's growth and flexibility.

For most, especially visionaries and risk-takers, this is supposed to be a perfect time for long-term growth in creativity, honor, and intelligence. The astrological outlook favors those who embrace innovation and problem-solving.

Water-associated signs like monkey and rat will have particularly auspicious years, while pigs and roosters will also benefit. Those in relationships with dragons are advised to be cautious due to potential short-temper, but nurturing qualities of wood can be beneficial.

Prominent wood dragons include Rihanna, MLK Jr., and Adele. The suggested lucky number is 6, and auspicious directions are West and East, according to various horoscope sources.

Regardless of how you feel about astrology, if you happen to live in an area with a Kung Fu school, check and see if they will be any Lion or Dragon dance performances around the Lunar New Year. They are extremely fascinating and entertaining.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

What meanders through cities, fields and mountains but never moves?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
Summary! 😆 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.