Tag Good News

Good New This Week – Nature Edition

Michael 7 Comments

In Monday’s Moment of Motivation and yesterday’s Uplift post at ROAMcare.org, we visited nature for some positive uplifting news. In this week’s good news of the week post here, nature also is this week’s focus.

I wonder what our vaccine czar would have to say about this one. In South Africa, rhinos are being vaccinated with radioactive isotopes to stop poachers. The isotopes are harmless to the animals but can be detected at airports and borders. Some 20 rhinos have been tested in advance of mass vaccinations.

Also on the animal front, In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the city is spending about 100,000 euros “animal stairs” to help cats and other animals climb out of the canals instead of drowning when they find themselves at the wrong end of the canal wall. As innovative as this sounds, it is not the first such installation. Amersfoort installed a similar contraption for their cute but clumsy furry friends. Amersfoort is also the home town of abstract artist Piet Mondrian. That has nothing to do with this story but I like Mondrian and that’s not a fact you get to slip in just anywhere.

Over in England, an analysis of the government’s 13million pound species recovery project reveals some positive news. It that it has turned the tide for some of its most endangered plants and animals, including the first hatchings of the red-billed chough in over. 200 years.

Shifting from fauna to flora, lotus flowers are blooming in Kashmir’s largest lake, having been freed from underwater silt that strangled them for over 30 years. in 1992, flooding dumped thousands of tons of sediment into the lake, burying the lotus stems. A staggering 8 million cubic meters of silt has been removed to allow the lotus to flower again.

And it took some digging, but there’s good nature news even in the U. S.. Off Key Largo (one of my favorite movies and songs although neither has anything to do with the other, sort of), staghorn coral have spawned in mass for the first time in 2 years. In 2023, a bleaching event left marine biologists worried over the reefs’ future. Biologists have been working to strengthen the environment to support the tenuous breeding of the coral. Reef researchers across the world are now experimenting with cross breeding of corals in captivity to try and create hardier genotypes.

So once again we proved that there is good news in the world, you just have to go out in the world to find it. Out in the world nature for all its tenuous grasp on survival, is in much better shape than people. There is much life hiding in nature, and there are many times we’d do well to emulate how naturally nature lives. We talked about that in Hidden in Plain Sight.

Faithfully yours

Michael 5 Comments

Even though I’m still reeling from some of the most dictatorial events of all time that have happened and are happening in this country this week, I still have faith that I can find good news to celebrate. (And yes they are dictatorial. Find a German who was around in 1932 and ask if there is any difference between then there and here now.) (Anyway…)

What good went on this week?

The Wellbeing Research Centre releases its annual report on countries’ relative happiness. They polled 100,000 people from 147 countries on their perceived quality of life. This year’s report found Finland taking the top spot (for the eighth successive year), with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, and The Netherlands rounding out the top five. Surprises included Costa Rica (sixth) and Mexico (tenth), both in the top ten for the first time. Other countries making it into the top ten are Norway, Luxemburg, and Israel. The good ole USA comes in at 24th. (In ‘Freedom” the U.S. comes in at #115. That puts us behind some democratic stalwarts like Mongolia (113), Venezuela (103), and Russia (102).)

From just as recently as 2021, statues in London honoring men have outpaced those honoring women.  Since then, more statues honoring women have been unveiled than in the entire second half of the 20th century. These included war heroes, pop culture icons, medical pioneers, and even royalty (Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest reigning monarch, received her first statue in 2023.) Why should we care about what happens in London. Because women do things. So do all kinds of humas who are not white and/or orange males. Besides, they scored higher than us on the happiness scale so they must know something.

In April, the Salt Spring Island (B.C.) office of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) received the request from an out-of-town family to check on their elderly father who they’d not heard from. Officer Cst. Lloyd found the senior who appeared to have been living in unhealthy conditions, reluctant to engage, and adamant that he did not need help. The officer stayed with him for over an hour and developed a rapport with the older gentleman. In time, he agreed to be transported to the hospital to be checked. Last month, the man showed up at the RCMP Salt Spring Island office to share the news that he had unknowingly been bleeding internally for some time and, according to doctors, would have succumbed in the next 24 hours had it not been for the intervention of Officer Lloyd. No word if Officer Lloyd was fully masked and decked out in battle gear. I kind of think not. Canada also ranked ahead of us (way ahead of us) on the happiness scale.

Descendants of the Maya in Belize (aka indigenous people) are reviving an old game (even older than the NFL – oh my!). Pok-ta-pok, today the national sport of Belize, is billed as the world’s oldest team ballgame. It’s more curious news than good news but I wanted to bring it up because even though Belize came in one space behind the U.S. on the happiness scale, they ranked #1 in freedom. See what happens when you are nice to your indigenous neighbors.

I have faith you enjoyed this roundup of good news. Hmm. Did I use ‘faith’ properly, or could another word been better. Check out what we wrote about faith in An Article of Faith, this week’s Uplift post at ROAMcare.

Oh, if you’re interested, here’s is a link to the World Happiness Report dashboard compiled by the Gallup organization from this year’s wellbeing report.

The root of all goodness

Michael 6 Comments

In keeping with what I started last week, I’m loading up on good news from around the world. We really do have to go around the world for this because that’s where we find the good news.

Remember when the orange menace decried wind power being bad for birds? Certain Scottish cranes would like to have a word with him. Efforts to restore wetland and peatland areas have helped to return the country’s largest bird that have been gone for centuries. What’s that now about wind power? Wind power is Scotland’s fastest growing source of energy in the country, producing more than the country uses. They’ve been expanding on and off shore windmill farms and are intent on doubling wind produced energy by 2030. And after a 1,000 year absence, the cranes are back. Causation? Or just correlation? Does it matter to the birds?

By the way, in neighboring England, even though natural gas powered electricity continues to be the largest source at 30%, wind is gaining and now contributes 29.2%. Experts say estimate wind will take the number 1 space by the end of the year. No word on missing birds there.

In a rare moment of doing something that doesn’t line their pockets, a bipartisan bill has been introduced to the US Senate. The bill proposes to protect American call center jobs and make sure customers know whether they’re talking to a real person or artificial intelligence. Under the bill, call center employees must disclose their locations at the beginning of all interactions, and share whether AI technology is being used. I’d rather have the Consumer Financial Protection Center back but hey, at least it’s something different coming out of the upper chamber than the usual trend of trying to name everything in town after Dumbbell Donny.

Do you have a telescope? For the first time in 15 years, this Monday you will be able to see the underside of Saturn’s rings using a basic telescope. Saturn will be visible with its iconic rings on 11 to 12 August allowing stargazers to see the flat undersurface rather than just the band. Maybe not good news but something to look forward to besides rising prices.

There is good news coming out of Yellowstone Park. Back in 1995, when the government cared about our natural wonders, the gray wolf was reintroduced to the park area. Now, 30 years later, a direct benefit from this action has been noted. For the first time in over 80 years, young quaking aspens are in the northern section of Yellowstone National Park. The unexpected return of this iconic tree is being attributed to the return of the gray wolf. How? The loss of the gray wolves from the park in the 1930s allowed the elk population to balloon to an estimated 17,000 by the end of the twentieth century. The elk would eat the emerging aspen sprouts, never allowing the tree to flourish. Returning the apex predator wolf species returned the park to balance and now tree, wolf, and elf are flourishing.

Those trees could not have survived 90 years of lost growth without strong roots. We also need strong roots to flourish. Can we make adjustments to keep us growing? Yes! And we talk about strengthening our roots and growing great in this week’s Uplift post Growing Greatness.

 

 

 

Let It Snow

Michael Leave a comment
2020 has been a pretty unusual year, virtually. We have all adapted to some pretty unusual circumstances, virtually. And we have had some measure of success in carrying on with our lives, virtually. We are working virtually, worshipping virtually, entertaining virtually, schooling virtually, and yesterday a brand new foray, virtually.
 
Western Pennsylvania does not do well with snow. I don’t know why. Ski resorts do well but otherwise most people panic at the suggestion there may be a white coating covering their spaces. When the weather nerds forecasted twelve hours of nonstop snow with an accumulation of up to 9 inches of the stuff, not a jug of milk, loaf of bread, or roll of toilet paper was safe on its shelf down at the local market. (See here if I lost you with that one.) One thing Western Pennsylvanians do well on snowy days is “snow days.” Schools, work, and other semi-essential components of life just shut down, or a less dramatic response issue a “delayed opening” or “early dismissal” order. So it wasn’t unexpected with a forecast of snow starting to accumulate in the late morning hours that local school districts would consider an early dismissal. And in fact one did. And with that we entered a new dimension, virtually.
 
A suburban Pittsburgh district declared an early dismissal for Wednesday due to the impending inclement weather. But the district is on remote learning. It was as far as I have been able to ascertain, the first virtual snow day on record.
 
It gets better. Not sarcastic better. Seriously better. This was actually a sort of planned “virtual snow day” evidence by the touching letter the district superintendent sent to all the parents Tuesday evening. In it she asked all instruction to stop at 11am and everyone to “let go of the stress and worry of school.” 
 
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had the opportunity to just let go of stress, to start being happy, to enjoy what we have. Oh wait, we do! It shouldn’t take a snow storm to create happy memories. Two weeks ago I semi-issued a semi-challenge to recall one happy memory from 2020 each day in December as we close in on the end of this virtually unhappy year. I have been and I have been saving them so I when I think nothing good ever happens I can tangibly point to a year’s worth of good in one nobody wants to remember.
 
So, in the words or my new favorite educator, go make a snow angel, build a fort, or bake cookies. Take time for you and your family and enjoy the wonders of this season. Although I would argue that every season holds wonders.  
 
Please don’t wait for a snow day to let go of stress and worry.
 
20201216_204238
 

That One Thing

Michael 5 Comments

As we enter December “Hooray, 2020 is almost over!” is moving to the top of everybody’s mental “Things to Be Thankful For” list. Should it be? The calendar is a few short weeks away from turning the big page to 2021, how much will be new in the New Year?

Come New Year’s Eve people will take part in the traditional announcing of their New Year’s Resolutions wishing for a fresh start to the fresh year in a positive frame of mind. With the concentration of negative news and events this year has given us, one day of wishing may not be enough. So here is the challenge: each day of December find one thing from 2020 that was a positive for you and resolve to repeat whatever actions you took then to make that happen again in 2021. Surely this can’t be done you say! How can anybody find 31 positive things that happened in 2020? Well, for one thing, it isn’t 1520.

By 1520 fifty-six million people, that’s 56,000,000 people, perished worldwide in the great smallpox pandemic. By comparison, so far in 2020 only 1.5 million have succumbed to CoViD-19. That is still a lot of people and the current pandemic will not end when the current year expires. Comparing again to the smallpox pandemic, that wave actually began in 1518 with few deaths.  Assisted by increased travel for trade and exploration, the variola virus easily made its way around the world with devastating effects, initiating the eventual loss of 40% of the Aztec empire population, over 8 million people, just 2 years later.

PlusBalThat was then, now is now. What good came out of 2020 for you other than being born 5 centuries later than your counterpart from 1520? Perhaps it was a new friendship you started with someone who was once “just a neighbor” when you found yourself spending more time on your front porch rather than at work and began trading tales of things you’d rather be doing. Perhaps it was a newfound hobby born of necessity like baking or of boredom like painting. These are the positives of 2020 that can become the resolutions for a better 2021. Talk to my neighbors more than a grunted “uh” is passing. Learn a new bread recipe and bake a loaf each month even if I can find plenty of bread on the store’s shelf. Read a book that has nothing to do with work, school, or that on-line book club I got roped into last April. Play a game of Clue without wishing I had the candlestick in the dining room RIGHT NOW! Buy a spin bike and work out at home with all the money I saved not paying for the gym membership I never used or even wanted to use until I couldn’t.

So … every day for the next thirty-one begin each day remembering one thing, just one thing that was good, that was a positive for you, that happened this year. In fact, just do 30. Take Christmas off. I will not be surprised that by New Year’s Eve you will have gone from struggling to remember one positive thing every morning to rattling off 30 new positive things each morning! Then you can start 2021 with the resolve that next year you will do it all over again – just the way you did this year.

And now for some good news…

Michael 5 Comments
We interrupt today’s wailing and gnashing of teeth to bring you some good news.  Naturally there is a lead in.
 
I was sitting around on Saturday thinking of all the places I’d most not want to be. This is unusual because for the most part I think of the places I’d most want to be. Usually it involves water, sand, palm trees, a boat, and female companionship. Specific female companionship if you must be that nosey (or nebby as we would say here). But last Saturday the thought was of the least desirable place, even with the right companionship. Not surprisingly, the place I’d least like to have been on Saturday would be a dialysis clinic.
 
Let’s think about that for a minute, then we will move on to the news. My county as many other cities, counties, states, and countries, now has a shelter in place order. The rule is pretty simple, don’t go out unless staying in endangers your life. And don’t go anywhere if you are experiencing symptoms. For the everyday ordinary dialysis patient (or more appropriately the every other day ordinary dialysis patient) it’s a no brainer that staying in is more hazardous than going to the clinic. And the everyday ordinary dialysis clinic staffer needs no fewer brain cells to also conclude that staying home endangers lives. But it’s the second part that is difficult to reconcile. No matter how you might be feeling, that trip is one of life sustainability. You can’t get somebody to pick it up for you while they are at the store.
 
I was in a good place to think the last place I’d want to be is at a dialysis clinic, the extreme dedication of the staff and their love of their mission to serve a population defining the area between a rock and a hard place notwithstanding. I was in a good place because I was in my own livingroom recliner rather than the one I spent so many Saturdays in at the clinic. 
 
Yes, no dialysis. Okay, if you’ve been following along with me over the years you have a right to be confused. The last thing I wrote about my kidney health was that the transplant last summer did not take and I was back on dialysis. By the way, after still more scans and tests they are no closer at determining why the transplanted kidney clotted so rapidly and completely. But what they had noticed last fall was that my renal function lab tests were stabilizing. Then new questions arose. Everybody’s tests go up and down as function fluctuates, particularly in a patient like me whose renal dysfunction is induced by factors elsewhere in the body. But these were not fluctuating. They were improving. Steadily. 
 
Adjustments in treatment were made, ultimately pared down to only 2 three hour treatments per week, fully half of what a weekly treatment total had been not too long ago. Weeks went by and weekly labs continued to return surprisingly encouraging results. On January 23 I left the nephrologist’s office a free man, well perhaps more a dialysis parolee ordered weekly outpatient lab test and every other week appointments with a call-in on the off weeks. Last week after nearly two month of that routine I was given a appointment three months in the future. I had stabilized! At least for the near future. At that point I thought comfortable enough to tell somebody other than my daughter and sisters and you guys get elected.
 
There is no good reason that kidney function should improve. It’s not unheard of but it is rarer than correctly picking all five numbers plus the white ball. I’m crediting my reprieve to Someone Up There showing a particular kindness to me and expending a miracle on that.
 
I feel particularly grateful, the break coming at a time when going to dialysis could be just as life threatening as life preserving, and pray that the patients and staff at clinics around the world will be safe and free of all complications, even those not COVID-19 related. 
 
And I know now I have to figure out why me and what I am to do with this unexpected opportunity. Sitting around thinking of the places I’d rather not be is not it. I’ll keep you posted.
 
Now go wash your hands!
 
Happy

Don’t worry, be happy!