Sydney's Sunday Reads: #26
Sydney's Sunday Reads is a weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet.
Our dog Skipper. - Doctors call her a miracle. In this article, meet Skipper, the adorable border collie and Australian shepherd mix born on February 16th with some special additions: two extra legs, and an extra tail, to be exact. She was delivered naturally at home during a big snowstorm in Oklahoma along with her eight brothers and sister, and, once the weather was clear, taken straight to the vets by her owners for a check-up. With the help of some pretty extensive imaging, it was discovered that not only does Skipper have some extra appendages, she also has two pelvic regions, two urinary tracts, and two reproductive regions. This could be the result of a twin that did not fully split while the puppies were in utero. Though Skipper will likely have some challenges as she grows, it’s been over a week and the little gal is doing nothing but thriving. (CNN)
Just torch it. - If you’ve ever wondered how the maintenance team keeps Paris’s Eiffel Tower in tip-top shape during the winter months (haven’t we all??), wonder no more! Instead of using salt on the sheets of ice that form on every level, which would be extremely corrosive to the massive metal structure, workers use blowtorches! Listen, I’m not saying that I’m about to run to Home Depot and grab a couple of torches for the next big snowstorm here, but I am saying that snow removal would be a lot more fun (and probably way faster!) with a blowtorch involved. (Travel and Leisure)
Well, it’s happening. - In case you missed it, three weeks ago it was announced that the folks over at Paramount were in talks to revive the hit ‘90s show Frasier with Kelsey Grammer reprising his role as the lovable but pretentious Dr. Frasier Crane, a talk radio show host based in Seattle, WA. And now, it’s official: a brand new season of Frasier is headed to Paramount’s new streaming platform Paramount+, with an as-yet-to-be-determined release date. It’s still early days, so we don’t yet know what new adventures Dr. Crane will get into, or if any other living member of the original cast will return. As a giant fan of this show, I’m not at all excited about this reboot, but will keep an open mind. If writers can figure out a way to successfully update a sitcom that’s been off the air since 2004 while maintaining the original formula, then I’m all for it. Judging by all the reboots that have gone before it in the last couple of years, I don’t have high hopes. (Vanity Fair)
A steak and a wax? - Have you ever wished you could break bread with your favorite celebrity? Well, now you can (sort of.) You may have heard that indoor dining in New York has returned, albeit at 35% capacity. Though I haven’t ventured inside a restaurant to eat in almost a year, I’d imagine it can feel pretty empty with so many open seats. Fortunately, for Brooklyn, New York’s famous steakhouse, Peter Luger, a quick call to Madame Tussauds, the global wax museum chain, solved that problem. Through March 1st, diners will get the opportunity to sit face-to-face with some pretty big icons like Audrey Hepburn dressed as her character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Jon Hamm as Don Draper from Mad Men, and others. For me, I think the novelty of the wax figure would wear off pretty fast, and sitting so close to something with dead eyes staring back at me while I ate would be pretty unnerving, but hey, whatever brings in the customers! (Grub Street)
A charming prince. - This week, CBS late-night talk show host James Corden became the envy of all his peers when he scored the interview of a lifetime with new California resident and sixth-in-line to the British throne, Prince Harry! In the video (down below!) the pair do a bit of sightseeing on a double-decker bus, have high tea on the highway, complete a pretty intense obstacle course, and more. This is one of the most authentic-seeming interviews with a British royal (though he and his wife Meghan Markle have officially stepped down from their active royal duties) that I’ve ever seen. Harry comes off as warm, funny, and very, very honest. This is definitely worth a watch. (The Late Late Show with James Corden via Youtube)