It appears that I am not alone in my quest for good news. Apparently, a collective awareness is rising within the ranks of the American people. No longer do we wish to listen solely to the drab and depressing; instead, we are seeking inspiration and vindication in the form of positive stories. It is becoming so evident, in fact, that even the main stream media has taken heed (and in a way, taken charge.)
One of the most famous faces of the media is that of Brian Williams, who is an anchor for NBC news. A little over a week ago (about the first week of march), Willaims came on the air and admitted that his newscast has been gloomy at best in recent months. In light of this, he made an offer to his viewers in the hopes that he would be able to lighten the spirit of, "The Nightly News." He asked his constituents to send him good news to report on the air.
Within days of the request, thousands of emails were sent his way. The Denver Post quotes Williams as having said, "We have more stories than we could humanly cover if we combined all three network newcasts." Apparently, goodness is alive and well. Selected responses have been aired in a special segment known as, "Making a Difference." The segment highlights acts of kindness taking place in this great country of ours (here's a link to the segment).
The stories are truly inspiring, and are worth your time if you have a moment. However, the greater victory in my opinion is the very fact that people are seeking good news, and that it is being provided. Of course, this means that I will be losing some of my market share in the good news industry. Still, I am more than happy to see this industry develop. I hope that someday we will cease to call the reporting of events in our world "nightly news": I hope that someday we can rightfully call it the "nightly inspiration."
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Our new "Service" economy
It doesn't matter where you get your news or how you get it. If you went looking for news right now, you would undoubtedly find something about our current economic crisis. It seems like every day there is another well known establishment cutting jobs or announcing huge fourth quarter losses for 2008 (today on Yahoo!, it's Berkshire Hathaway reporting $3.25 billion in unrealized losses.) Doom and gloom seem to be the order of the day for our once flourishing service based economy. Now, however, hope is emerging once again as our country embraces another kind of service: the voluntary kind.
The good folks at MSNBC are reporting that in these tough times, volunteering is "on the rise." The articles (two of them, see links below) report that, "Volunteer organizations such as the Peace Corps and Teach for America say the floundering economy and President Barack Obama's call for service have led to a major increase in applications." In the second article, it is reported that 56% of teens are volunteering to support charities while only 39% have part time jobs (based on a randomized national telephone survey.)
One article reports Micheal Brown, the CEO of the non profit City Year, as having said, "It's not just a matter of needing employment, which I think is still important, but there's something in a declining economy that clarifies all our values." I don't think that I could agree more with that statement. We have seen this time and time again throughout the history of our nation. When hard times strike, our priorities are better set and our perspectives are realligned.
The young people of our nation are standing up for what they feel is right. They're stepping up to make a change. They're going out into our communities to see what they can give instead of seeking what they can take. They are volunteering their time, energy and resources to better their communities and the world. In doing so they are serving the common purpose, and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. It is as if they have been awoken from a slumber not only to find their house in decay, but also to find the tools with which to fix it. Could this awakening have come at a better time?
Granted, I do believe that fixing our economy will take more than community service. However, with that being said, I think this recession would be well worth it if it could build a culture of service within our generation. To this point, we've built a society that runs on goods and services. Do we have it within us to build a society that runs on the goodness of service? I certainly hope so.
Think about this: goods and services can go away. The very definition of a recession is that our productivity (the rate at which we make goods and services) is in decline. Thus, we have less stuff. Is that anything on which to base a culture? It can disappear in the blink of an eye. Cultures endure through traditions, values and beliefs. They should be based on something that will last, and on something that we can all take part in and contribute to. The youth have shown a desire to improve their communities and the world, as evidenced by these articles. I think that a new culture of service is emerging that will outlast our bad times and even last into the good ones.
So, for those of you who were wondering how you could help the world without donating millions to fight polio, this is it. It's great that we have a President who is emphasizing service; however, changes of culture have to come from the bottom up. It's up to the people, and not the leadership, to develop culture and change it for the better. This is a development that would be unlike any other, and I hope we can make it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29263824
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29371988/#storyContinued
The good folks at MSNBC are reporting that in these tough times, volunteering is "on the rise." The articles (two of them, see links below) report that, "Volunteer organizations such as the Peace Corps and Teach for America say the floundering economy and President Barack Obama's call for service have led to a major increase in applications." In the second article, it is reported that 56% of teens are volunteering to support charities while only 39% have part time jobs (based on a randomized national telephone survey.)
One article reports Micheal Brown, the CEO of the non profit City Year, as having said, "It's not just a matter of needing employment, which I think is still important, but there's something in a declining economy that clarifies all our values." I don't think that I could agree more with that statement. We have seen this time and time again throughout the history of our nation. When hard times strike, our priorities are better set and our perspectives are realligned.
The young people of our nation are standing up for what they feel is right. They're stepping up to make a change. They're going out into our communities to see what they can give instead of seeking what they can take. They are volunteering their time, energy and resources to better their communities and the world. In doing so they are serving the common purpose, and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. It is as if they have been awoken from a slumber not only to find their house in decay, but also to find the tools with which to fix it. Could this awakening have come at a better time?
Granted, I do believe that fixing our economy will take more than community service. However, with that being said, I think this recession would be well worth it if it could build a culture of service within our generation. To this point, we've built a society that runs on goods and services. Do we have it within us to build a society that runs on the goodness of service? I certainly hope so.
Think about this: goods and services can go away. The very definition of a recession is that our productivity (the rate at which we make goods and services) is in decline. Thus, we have less stuff. Is that anything on which to base a culture? It can disappear in the blink of an eye. Cultures endure through traditions, values and beliefs. They should be based on something that will last, and on something that we can all take part in and contribute to. The youth have shown a desire to improve their communities and the world, as evidenced by these articles. I think that a new culture of service is emerging that will outlast our bad times and even last into the good ones.
So, for those of you who were wondering how you could help the world without donating millions to fight polio, this is it. It's great that we have a President who is emphasizing service; however, changes of culture have to come from the bottom up. It's up to the people, and not the leadership, to develop culture and change it for the better. This is a development that would be unlike any other, and I hope we can make it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29263824
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29371988/#storyContinued
Friday, February 20, 2009
Some times, you just gotta miss
Sportmanship is a time honored tradition, in America as well as other parts of the world. We consider it a great show of respect to honor competition and competitors. In doing so we put sports in its proper place, and elevate it to a higher level. Sometimes, however, we go beyond the respect and honor to show compassion, solidarity and love. This portion of dan's good news is being provided by Rivals.com, which reports on high school sports in the U.S. (see link below).
A few hours before his high school basketball team was scheduled to play a game, Johntel Franklin of Milwaukee Madison suffered the passing of his mother. The coach of the team, Aaron Womack Jr., initially wanted to cancel the game. For Johntel, senior captian of the team, that was not an option; he wanted his team to play.
The game began without Johntel in the lineup, and was a close contest. After the first quarter of play, Johntel arrived at the gym not only to cheer his team on, but to help them on the court. His heart was with his team, and more importantly, their's was with him. However, because Johntel was not on the starting lineup, he would not be allowed to simply enter the game. In order to do so, his team would have to commit a technical foul, and in doing so would give the opposing team two valuable free throws.
As one would image, coach Womack had no quarrel in giving up the two points, and drew the foul. On the opposing bench, the senior captain of the team went to the line to take the two free throws. Before he had even stepped up to the line, though, he had decided that he would not be making his two shots. In an unusual display of sportsmanship, he intentionally missed both attempts. In doing so, he allowed the grieving Johntel to enter the game, without any penalty to his team. This act was as amazing and heartfelt as it was unusual, and certainly did not go unnoticed by the home team or the home crowd.
The beauty of this story is two fold. First and foremost, is the fact that Johntel had the courage to support his team and even play in the game. The sense of community and family that his actions must have fostered is probably beyond description in words. The beauty of the story is multiplied by the fact that the opposing team was able to step up and do what they considered right. They were able to look past the colors of their jerseys and see each other as human beings. They were able to recognize courage and greif, and did what was in their ability to show respect and compassion.
In the world of sports, winning isn't everything. Of course, winning is the objective, but sometimes what we can gain from sports goes so far beyond a win-loss record. It goes beyond any statistic that can be kept. Sometimes, it becomes a catalyst to show compassion, and to comfort those in need. Sometimes, it becomes a venue to show tremendous courage in the face of adversity. And, every so often, it allows us to do even more than just come together as teams; it allows us to come together as human beings.
http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=914609
A few hours before his high school basketball team was scheduled to play a game, Johntel Franklin of Milwaukee Madison suffered the passing of his mother. The coach of the team, Aaron Womack Jr., initially wanted to cancel the game. For Johntel, senior captian of the team, that was not an option; he wanted his team to play.
The game began without Johntel in the lineup, and was a close contest. After the first quarter of play, Johntel arrived at the gym not only to cheer his team on, but to help them on the court. His heart was with his team, and more importantly, their's was with him. However, because Johntel was not on the starting lineup, he would not be allowed to simply enter the game. In order to do so, his team would have to commit a technical foul, and in doing so would give the opposing team two valuable free throws.
As one would image, coach Womack had no quarrel in giving up the two points, and drew the foul. On the opposing bench, the senior captain of the team went to the line to take the two free throws. Before he had even stepped up to the line, though, he had decided that he would not be making his two shots. In an unusual display of sportsmanship, he intentionally missed both attempts. In doing so, he allowed the grieving Johntel to enter the game, without any penalty to his team. This act was as amazing and heartfelt as it was unusual, and certainly did not go unnoticed by the home team or the home crowd.
The beauty of this story is two fold. First and foremost, is the fact that Johntel had the courage to support his team and even play in the game. The sense of community and family that his actions must have fostered is probably beyond description in words. The beauty of the story is multiplied by the fact that the opposing team was able to step up and do what they considered right. They were able to look past the colors of their jerseys and see each other as human beings. They were able to recognize courage and greif, and did what was in their ability to show respect and compassion.
In the world of sports, winning isn't everything. Of course, winning is the objective, but sometimes what we can gain from sports goes so far beyond a win-loss record. It goes beyond any statistic that can be kept. Sometimes, it becomes a catalyst to show compassion, and to comfort those in need. Sometimes, it becomes a venue to show tremendous courage in the face of adversity. And, every so often, it allows us to do even more than just come together as teams; it allows us to come together as human beings.
http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=914609
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The fight against polio
Living in the United States, we often hear that we take many things for granted. Our standard of living is higher than that of most the people of the world. Very rarely, if ever, do we have to worry about simple necessities such as water, shelter or food. And, those of us who were born in an industrialized nation after 1960 have probably never feared Polio. Unfortunately, not everyone in the world is so lucky.
According to an article posted on cnn.com (see link below), the disease still exists in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. However, there has been an effort since the late 1980's to "eradicate" this disease from the face of the earth. Just recently, this effort received a huge boost in the form of some very generous donations.
The Gates Foundation (started by the Microsoft juggernaut Bill Gates and his wife Melinda) has pledged $225 million to the cause of removing Polio from the world. The funds will be donated to the "Rotary's Global Polio Eradication Initiative," which claims to have, "reduced the number of global polio cases by 99 percent in the past two decades" (CNN Article).
So, should we feel guilty that we are free from the worries of Polio? In my opinion, no. That being said, however, shouldn't we help those who live with the possibility of contracting the disease? I think yes. Apparently Bill feels the same way, which is great, because I don't have billions of dollars...yet...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/22/gates.foundation.polio/index.html
According to an article posted on cnn.com (see link below), the disease still exists in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. However, there has been an effort since the late 1980's to "eradicate" this disease from the face of the earth. Just recently, this effort received a huge boost in the form of some very generous donations.
The Gates Foundation (started by the Microsoft juggernaut Bill Gates and his wife Melinda) has pledged $225 million to the cause of removing Polio from the world. The funds will be donated to the "Rotary's Global Polio Eradication Initiative," which claims to have, "reduced the number of global polio cases by 99 percent in the past two decades" (CNN Article).
So, should we feel guilty that we are free from the worries of Polio? In my opinion, no. That being said, however, shouldn't we help those who live with the possibility of contracting the disease? I think yes. Apparently Bill feels the same way, which is great, because I don't have billions of dollars...yet...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/22/gates.foundation.polio/index.html
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Intro to Dan's Good News
Alrighty everybody, this is my new blog in which I try to convince that the world is actually, at times, good.
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