A colorful village, fish that can drive and Lego art
 
January 15, 2022 Steel yourselves -- we're almost to Blue Monday, the infamous date thought to be the most depressing day of the year. Back in 2005, someone made a list of all of the factors that could make for a really bad day and decided that the third Monday in January was when they all converged. Start with the fact it's a Monday, then factor in some winter gloom, a post-holiday slump (and possible holiday bills) and abandoned New Year's resolutions and yes, you've got the perfect equation for a day spent in bed with your head under the covers.
Here's the thing: Blue Monday isn't real at all! The whole concept was a marketing tactic by a travel company to approximate when people would be most likely to daydream about booking a vacation! I say we reclaim this fake sad day. However you're feeling, let's all agree to do something this Monday to keep our spirits high and our hearts hopeful. Call it an Un-Blue Monday. If there's something you'd like to see here, shoot us an email. Know someone who could use a little Good Stuff? Send them a copy! We hope you love it as much as we do. Our favorites this week Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week  Image credit: Reuters Out for a spin  Image credit: Getty Images/AP Pinch hitters
 Dancing through life Sponsor Content by Thrive Causemetics  Why This Mascara Has Over 15,000 Five-Star Reviews For a fraction of the cost of salon lash extensions, this award-winning mascara beautifully lengthens lashes to mimic the look of extensions. CNN readers get 15% off their first order.  A bright idea  Can you spot what's special about this illustration? It's one of many images created by Nigeran medical student Chidiebere Ibe to bring more representation into medical literature. Ibe, 25, is the creative director at the Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, and first gained widespread attention for his illustration of a Black pregnant mother and her fetus. Now, he's been invited to have some of his illustrations published in the second edition of a handbook designed to show how different conditions appear on dark skin. That's one of the myriad reasons this kind of representation is important: Doctors who have praised Ibe's work say conditions sometimes present differently on dark skin, and having a clear depiction could save lives.  You gotta see this  Image credit: Sam Engelking This intricate sculpture looks like it's carved out of onyx or fine ebony wood. But it's actually Legos! Ghanaian Canadian artist Ekow Nimako has been creating high-art pieces out of all-black Legos since 2012. The result is a stunning array of figures: a mythical owl, a griffin-like cat, and a futuristic reimagining of the medieval kingdom of Ghana that took 100,000 pieces to complete. Nimako's art has become so popular and culturally significant, Lego is even releasing a documentary about his work in February. Wanna get away?  Image credit: Theerasak Saksritawee/www.popumon.com Taiwan's Rainbow Village, an art park in Taichung, has a history almost as colorful as the murals that adorn its every surface. It was originally built as a settlement for retired Chinese soldiers after World War II. In 2007, veteran Huang Yong-fu, then 84 years old, learned that the settlement, which had been his home or decades, was going to be demolished so the land could be sold to developers. To say goodbye, he picked up a brush and began to paint. He painted his furniture, his walls -- then the walls of his neighbors. Students from nearby universities began noticing the kaleidoscope of colorful figures and shared them online. They became so popular, a petition was started to preserve the buildings. The Taichung City government agreed and turned the site into a public park in 2014. Huang Yong-fu still lives there to this day, painting and greeting visitors who know him by his well-earned nickname, Grandpa Rainbow.  Hear, hear! Hopefully the recognition that this beautiful film is receiving can serve as a reminder of just how funny, complex, and powerful Deaf voices can be, and that stories with actors who happen to be Deaf can be mainstream stories.  Who knew?  Image credit: Enikő Kubinyi/Eötvös Loránd University Dogs can actually distinguish between different languages! Neuroethologist Laura Cuaya tested the neural reactions of 18 different dogs as they listened to a language they were familiar with, a language they weren't, and some non-linguistic nonsense. Sure enough, the dogs' brain scans showed different activity patterns in the primary auditory cortex when listening to nonsense words. Unique areas of the brain also lit up when an unknown language was spoken, versus when familiar speech was heard. Nice try, polyglots, but it looks like the dogs are on to you. To your health  Here's some great health news: US cancer deaths are continuing their nearly two-decade decline, and lung cancer deaths, in particular, are seeing an encouraging drop thanks to what doctors are calling "major progress" in early detection and treatment. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, but those deaths have declined at a greater rate than other cancers -- about 5% each year between 2015 and 2019. There are several reasons for the decline, including new technologies and procedures, and more robust screening processes. Rec of the week
Brought to you by CNN Underscored  17 cozy sweaters you won't want to stop wearing this winter Real talk: There's nothing worse than a comfy but super-itchy sweater. We rounded up the softest and coziest sweaters on the market that we promise won't itch or cause irritation, because we tried them ourselves. Shameless animal video
There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now. Is this little otter exercising? Scratching an itch? Rehearsing for Cirque du Soleil? Whatever it's doing, it's doing a great job. (Click here to view)  A newsletter for the good in life
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