Good News!

[thatsmell]

It’s from last year but thought this was a cool clip:

[thatsmell]

Man leaves high paying job to build beds for kids in need:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/28/us/cnnhe ... index.html

[youthathletics]

This ought to really piss off everyone who currently thinks the sky is falling because of Trump...

Steven Pinker Thinks the Future Is Looking Bright

The Harvard psychologist says he is no starry-eyed optimist. It’s just that the data don’t lie.

Steven Pinker, a cognitive psychologist at Harvard, has been known to take provocative positions. He has argued that women are intrinsically different from men, that we are more driven by our genes than academics like to acknowledge, and that society is getting less violent over time — despite the mass shootings and other atrocities we hear about daily.

The thesis of his latest book, “Enlightenment Now,” is that life on Earth is improving. By every major measure of human well-being, from personal safety to longevity to economic security to happiness, people everywhere are far better off today than they were before the start of the Enlightenment in the 17th century.

I sat down with Dr. Pinker to talk about how science has made life better, and what humanity needs to do to keep the good times rolling. This is an edited and condensed version of our conversation.

What first gave you the idea that the world was getting better?
I stumbled across data showing that violence had declined over the course of history. The homicide rate in England was 50 times higher in the 14th century than it is today.

It sounds as if there’s a political dimension to what you’re arguing. Are you running for office anytime soon?
No! I was surprised by how much interest there’s been from centrist politicians, who are desperate for a coherent narrative to defend centrist liberalism, cosmopolitanism, open society, from the threats both by populists and by the hard left. I think there is a hunger for a coherent worldview that isn’t just the status quo, the un-Trumpism. We can do better than that. We ought to use reason and science to enhance human well-being.

[Jim Malone]

Excellent feel good real life story! Kudos to USC for giving that young man the opportunity.

Watching him come out of tunnel on Saturday for Senior Day with his dog and pops gave me goosebumps! His pup has to be the friendliest of service dogs I have ever seen. The pooch looked like he wanted to run up to all he passed and lick them or shake hands.

It’s from last year but thought this was a cool clip:

[youthathletics]

Alaska road repair a handful of days later post earthquake....Amazing

[Nigel]

Amazing is right! In NYS the 8-10 men/women 'working' would still be there milling around while the holes filled with snow!

Atta boy Alaska!

[youthathletics]

Quite true.

[Brooklyn]

Henning, Minnesota high school wins Class A small school division basketball championship:


https://kstp.com/sports/henning-beats-n ... 463/?cat=7



They were inspired by and got a little help from the beyond:


https://www.mnbasketballhub.com/news_ar ... r-accident

https://www.facebook.com/CBSMinnesota/v ... 892246261/

[Brooklyn]

We can all make our own good news thru RAOK - random acts of kindness. I may have told this story in the old site about a time over 55 years ago when I was in the NYC subway as a 11 year old when my lunch bag broke. I nearly lost my sandwich but was bailed out by a very nice little old lady who gave me an extra shopping bag she was carrying. To this day I have never forgotten her kind deed and have repaid her in a way by doing for others what she did for me:

Just the other day a young man on the city bus went shopping at Walmart. One of his grocery bags broke and he nearly lost some of his groceries. Luckily, I was carrying a large Target shopping bag in my tote bag. Gave it to him and he was gratefully able to save all of his groceries.

Over the years I have done this many times as I always carry an extra shopping bag with me wherever I go. Thus, I was able to repay that kind lady many times over for her kindness. An RAOK I have never nor ever will forget.

Let us all spread good news wherever we go.

[Brooklyn]

kicking coach serves as great inspiration to this players:


https://www.kare11.com/article/news/loc ... 9-13704103


''I'm a lucky man'.

[Brooklyn]

Tommie Smith & Juan Carlos in Olympic Hall of Fame where they belonged all along:

https://newsone.com/3888249/john-carlos ... induction/


Nazi sympathizer Avery Brundage must be agonizing in Hell over this good news.

Smith and Carlos are an inspiration to all.

[Brooklyn]

Minneapolis has the most beautiful parks in the USA. One such park/lake was named for slave supporter John C Calhoun. Now there has been a change:

https://www.fox9.com/news/streets-signs ... way-monday


Streets signs around Bde Maka Ska changing to 'Bde Maka Ska Parkway' Monday



Earlier this year, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted to remove the name “Calhoun” from all signs around the lake and replace them with the lake’s Dakota name. By Tuesday morning, 22 street signs around the lake will read “Bde Maka Ska Parkway.”

[Typical Lax Dad]

Minneapolis has the most beautiful parks in the USA. One such park/lake was named for slave supporter John C Calhoun. Now there has been a change:

https://www.fox9.com/news/streets-signs ... way-monday


Streets signs around Bde Maka Ska changing to 'Bde Maka Ska Parkway' Monday



Earlier this year, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted to remove the name “Calhoun” from all signs around the lake and replace them with the lake’s Dakota name. By Tuesday morning, 22 street signs around the lake will read “Bde Maka Ska Parkway.”

+1

[Brooklyn]

a thought for today:


"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

[youthathletics]

The FCC is working on a 3 digit number (988) to support suicide prevention.

https://twitter.com/FCC/status/1205168944832757761?s=20

[Brooklyn]

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/4296 ... -holidays/


Salvation Army helps to bring good news to others - the Dynamic Duo of Herald Square.

[Nigel]

Big assist to the Colgate Men's lacrosse team

https://www.wtxl.com/sports/college-spo ... rosse-team

[Brooklyn]

Son finds sailor dad's old navy bag online:

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/nat ... 570943ecc3



Reminds me of the time decades ago when, as a young kid, I put on my dad's old pea coat, cap, wool sweater, pants that had buttons rather than zipper, and walked around with his blue Navy bag. Wonder whatever happened to all those things from his sailing days.

[Nigel]

Kraft Heinz Reduces Production at 3 Factories, But Increases Output of Macaroni and Cheese!

There's nothing like packaged nostalgia during a pandemic.

[Matnum PI]