Good Humanity Sunday - 4/27/08

Happy Earth Week! Did you plant a tree on the 25th? Did you turn off your TV?

This week's Good Humanity Sunday is a collection of some excellent Earth Week-related posts that I've found.

Why BPA is bad and how you can avoid it.

Earth Day photos in Oakland.

Enough with the plastic bags already!

Recycling also applies to kitchen appliances, y'know.

And finally, stay educated about the dirty greenwashing schemes meant to fool consumers like you and me.

Send me your proofs of good humanity! If you've found some on the interwebs, or would like me to post your good humanity story (maybe like my Subway Hero!) drop me an email at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com.

Good Humanity Sunday - 4/20/08

This week's Good Humanity Sunday is just a reminder that I'm hosting the 58th edition of the Carnival of Feminists. (Check out the 57th edition at Pandemian!)

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, April 22nd at 6pm EST.

Submit your post here or email them to me at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com.

(All these great submissions have been keeping me busy! I'll have a more uhh... topical Good Humanity Sunday next week.)

Send me your proofs of good humanity! If you've found some on the interwebs, or would like me to post your good humanity story (maybe like my Subway Hero!) drop me an email at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com.

Good Humanity Sunday - 4/13/08

I love old people. Seriously. They have seen and done so much. Even if you spent hours with them every day, you still wouldn't be able to take in the breadth of their life experiences. Woah.

But the way they represent the inevitable end of life never fails to make me feel all introspective and sad. Take this guy that I found via Boing Boing, for example. He's 80 years old and calls his late wife's voicemail every day just to hear her voice.

Until, of course, Verizon changed their voicemail system and the voicemail message was lost.

But Verizon made it right by retrieving another message that she left, so he can continue to call it, hear her voice, and feel a little closer to her even though she's gone.

Send me your proofs of good humanity! If you've found some on the interwebs, or would like me to post your good humanity story (maybe like my Subway Hero!) drop me an email at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com. I love to read them!

Good Humanity Sunday - 4/6/08

Guys, I'm not sure if you know this, but Wal-Mart is a Hellmouth. Seriously. They do bad things.

So it feels so strange and wrong and alternate universe-y to be writing about them for Good Humanity Sunday. But whatev. Watch my tv crush Keith Olbermann tell us what they did. (Skip to 1:28.)



That's right. Brain damaged and unable to care for herself, with memory so spotty that she must be reminded that her son is dead every single day and Wal-Mart tried to rob her of everything she has.

But they finally conceded (thanks mostly to all the press that Countdown got for continuing to run this story every night until Wal-Mart backed down) and stopped seeking the money Shank needs to live on:



I'm thrilled that Wal-Mart was finally shamed into doing the right thing here. This is proof, albeit maddeningly slow and only after they couldn't stand all the negative press, that somewhere in the dark bowels of their corporate office/hell on earth in Bentonville, AR, there is good humanity. Now if only they'd start paying a decent wage, stop discriminating against women in their promotion policies, quit selling products made from Chinese slave labor, start offering an affordable health care plan so their employees wouldn't need medicaid, stop bullying their way into small town America and closing down all the local businesses that can't compete with their prices, and LET THEIR WORKERS UNIONIZE, then we'd really be getting somewhere.

Send me your proofs of good humanity! If you've found some on the interwebs, or would like me to post your good humanity story (maybe like my Subway Hero!) drop me an email at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com. I love to read them!

Good Humanity Sunday 3/30/08

OMG you guys, I love basketball so much. So our proof of good humanity this week is a shoutout to the little guys, the rags to riches scrappers who defy expectations and much higher seeded teams.

This year, Davidson College, led by the monstrous Stephen Curry has danced through the field of 65 all the way to the Elite 8. And by monstrous, I mean in terms of talent instead of looks, because he is just so adorable. Just look at him! I wonder if he even shaves yet.

Cinderella stories (or if you prefer, Davidson vs. Goliath) like this are one of the big reasons that I love March. The NCAA tournament thrusts these kids into such a bright national spotlight and I'm just so freakin impressed that they don't wilt on the spot from all the pressure. I don't even think I could make a layup if I knew millions of people were watching.

The 10th seed Wildcats face Kansas today at 4:30 EST on CBS. I'm so excited, I don't even care that they busted my bracket.

Send me your proofs of good humanity! If you've found some on the interwebs, or would like me to post your good humanity story (maybe like my Subway Hero!) drop me an email at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com. I love to read them!

Good Humanity Sunday - the late edition

Here's some proof of good humanity: no reanimated corpses of dead messiahs tried to eat all our brains yesterday. I think we can all agree that this is a good thing. Stay save, everyone!

Good Humanity Sunday 3/16/08

This week's Proof of Good Humanity comes from MSNBC Health. The Janssens were fat - dangerously so. The old "finish your plate" command was killing off this family.

Nine years ago, eldest sibling Claudia Meyer ... had a stroke, and doctors said she'd never walk again. In 2003, youngest brother Bruce passed away at age 47 from a blood clot, and a little over 2 years later sister Valerie, 57, died suddenly from a heart attack.

Instead of letting unhealthy habits continue to pick off the remaining Janssens, they decided to do something about it: go for a walk. Yep, that's it. No crazy exercise regimen or raw food diets; they're just taking walks together. A group of 21 family members even walked a half-marathon together.

Over the miles, family members walked in small groups, catching up on news in their lives, sharing emotions, telling stories, and encouraging each other. "When my blisters started acting up at mile 6, Heidi distracted me with a game of 'let's see who we can catch ahead of us,'" says Lois. Even Claudia, back on her feet despite doctors' bleak prognosis 9 years ago, took part in the walk — 65 pounds lighter and feeling "twice as good as ever." For Nita, crossing the finish line with her sister-in-law Stephanie, who had been married to her brother Bruce, is a memory she will never forget. Heart disease may have claimed Bruce's life, but the Janssen family is walking toward a promising new future.

How great is that? Not only are they getting healthier, but they're doing it together. And they collectively lost almost 200lbs. Woah.

Bonus Sunday Proof: Less than 2 weeks after I got that freelancing job, I finally found the full-time position I was hoping for. Consider the job search tag officially closed!

Send me your proofs of good humanity! If you've found some on the interwebs, or would like me to post your good humanity story (maybe like my Subway Hero!) drop me an email at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com. I love to read them!

Good Humanity Sunday 3/9/08 - Celebrate!

This past week was pretty busy for me. You may have noticed that I didn't post anything. My proof of good humanity this week is that I found a freelance job that I really enjoy. After a lot of ups and downs, and much emotional hand-wringing, someone finally gave me another chance to prove how awesome I am. I'm still on the lookout for a full-time position that will satisfy my middle-class guilt, but this was just what I needed, in a talk-me-down-from-the-rooftop sort of way.

(Oh, and I promise to get back to posting 2 or 3x per week like you're used to. Sorry.)

Send me your own proofs of good humanity! I love to read them and I will likely post them on Sundays. Email to beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com.

Good Humanity Sunday 3/2/08

As part of my ongoing search for proof of good humanity, I thought I would share this gem, which I found on Consumerist. Basically, Staples tried to rip off this old guy for computer repairs and this guy Michael stepped in and fixed it for him for free!

The senior, who had been lulled into Staples for a free tune up that suddenly cost $39.99, didn't understand why he needed to spend money on a "diagnostic screening ($49.99), virus removal services ($150), and more RAM (~$150)." Michael intervened and offered to look at the computer free of charge. He couldn't believe what he found when he popped open the computer.

Great story. Go read the rest. It's a cautionary tale and proof of good humanity all rolled into one!

In an attempt to bring some kind of stability to my posting schedule, I'm going to try to start (or end, depending on your calendar) your week off right with some proof of good humanity every Sunday. If you've found some on the interwebs, or would like me to post your good humanity story (maybe like my Subway Hero!) drop me an email at beagoodhuman11 at gmail dot com. I love to read them!