Condensed Soup

DO NOT ATTEMPT what Tim Friede has accomplished: making himself immune to snake venom. Plus, a home for seniors (and seniors). 

Scientists research the blood of a Wisconsin man bitten by snakes hundreds of times (AP)

How to Survive a Snakebite in the Wilderness (Asclepius Snakebite Foundation)

Dutch nursing home offers rent-free housing to students  (PBS News)

College Students are Living Rent-Free in a Cleveland Retirement Home by Heather Hansman (Smithsonian Magazine)

Judson Senior Living Student Residents (official page)

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It's a small world after all -- especially if you've summitted all the mountains and can afford a visa in the States.

Disney, Miral announce plans for new theme park in Abu Dhabi by Dawn Chmielewski (Reuters)

Everest to no longer be anybody’s climb by Sangam Prasain (The Kathmandu Post)

Trump Card Visa: Elon Musks’ DOGE Quietly Launches Golden Immigration Program for Ultra-Wealthy Foreigners by Joen Coronel (The Latin Times)

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You've seen it on your phone -- an A-list celebrity hawking a free game app. Wondering how they afford these expensive endorsements? You may not like the answer (or how much those in-app purchases are costing you). Plus, is it weird to keep your friends around on Find My Friends? 

This week, Condensed Soup is supporting Lighthouse Charities in Las Vegas, which welcomes, assists, and empowers the vulnerable and displaced, transforming their lives and equipping them to be integral members of society. 

Royal Match Revenue and Usage Statistics (2025) by Louise Wylie (Business of Apps)

User spending in Royal Match has exceeded $5 billion by WN Games Industry Ecosystem

Find Our Friends: How location sharing became a hobby by Grace Tatter, Emily Jankowski, Amory Sivertson, and Ben Brock Johnson (Endless Thread)

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It takes a village! LEGO comes through for kids with donated MRI playsets and a minidoll that has an ostomy bag. Plus, a Staten Island bodega inspiring kids to work harder in school.

The LEGO Foundation to donate LEGO MRI Scanners to hospitals globally (LEGO official)

Medical Representation in the World of LEGO Friends by Henry Licklider (BrickNerd)

Bodega manager gives kids free food in exchange for great report cards by Sydney Page (Washington Post)

Inspire Academic Excellence with Islandok (GoFundMe page)

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It's the end of an era, and I give you a review of Postcard from Earth at the Sphere in Las Vegas. (Not mentioned: the yummy waffle fries.)

Skype is shutting down. If you still use it, like I do, here are some alternatives by Michael Grothaus (Fast Company)

Postcard from Earth (Wikipedia)

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Getting ready for your summer beach read? Then you definitely need Libby and Bookshop.org -- including audiobooks! And I dig into this idea that some of you can smell ants (I still don't buy it). 

Libby app (official)

Bookshop.org (official)

What do ants smell like? Science has several (very strange) answers by Helen Pilcher (BBC Science Focus)

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We can make train stations overnight, but the real magic still lies in things like a journal passed around on a plane. I compare it with a striking moment in the off-Broadway play In and Of Itself -- it's a lot of faith and trust, with a lot of reward. 

This 3D-printed train station in Japan took less than 6 hours to build by Hunter Schwarz (Fast Company)

With his communal journal, Southwest employee invites passengers to let their feelings fly by Jesse Kirsch (NBC News)

'In & Of Itself' Review: Derek DelGaudio Uses Your Illusions by David Fear (Rolling Stone)

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A disgruntled ex-employee makes a terrible (and dangerous) choice, and a baby vulture gets fed by a hand puppet. 

This week, Condensed Soup is supporting a GoFundMe for one of the victims of the tragedy at Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu Festival (Canada). Please join me to help Roland Nulada and his family cover expenses while he heals. 

Former Disney worker sentenced to 3 years for hacking into park menus, changing allergen information by David K. Li and Austin Mullen (NBC News)

What is Lapu-Lapu Day? Festival in Vancouver, Canada links to Filipinos in Cebu by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo (Philstar.com)

Support for Roland Nulada and his family (GoFundMe)

Why a New York zoo is feeding a baby vulture with a hand puppet (AP)

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Lost your dog? Don't do your laundry. Plus, Big Chicken is in the fryer, and the cutest story about a creative solution for a turtle's problem. 

Dog found using owner’s t-shirt after 529 days in Australian wilderness by Brandon Drenon (BBC News)

Popular chicken distributors to pay class action lawsuit settlement by Dominique Jack (PIX11)

Museum builds Lego mobility aid for turtle with missing foot by Ben Hooper (UPI)

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A story about a cheerleading squad with a purpose, and your guide to getting rescued on a mountain — if you’re going to need an airlift, at least save money. 

Man looking for his phone airlifted from Japan’s Mt. Fuji twice in 1 week by Katie Scott (Global News)

Rise of the Rah Rah seniors: S’pore’s elderly cheerleaders show off their moves by Shermaine Ang and Jason Quah (Straits Times)

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