# The Good News Thread



## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

At the suggestion of Macdoc the Wise, I think that a thread dedicated to ONLY good news stories, be their international, national, local or personal, is appropriate. This thread should be self-monitored, thus, no one person controls this thread. It is for us to share our hopes and wishes for a more peaceful world, country, province, city, comminity, home. Paix, to one and all.

We should also thank Anne Murray for her song pertaining the lack of bad news on the TV, radion and in newspapers. And, as Judy Collins once sang, "Someday soon....". We shall see.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

One of our doxies, Jack (aka "silent Jack" and "laid-back Jack for his lack of barking and his gentle nature) has been selected as a "companion dog" for a local senior's home. He is small enough to still sit on someone's lap, but he loves just to be close to a person and let him or her pet behind his ear. There are many seniors that had to give up their pet dog when they came into this care facility, and such dogs serve as a reminder of the companionship that a pet is able to bring to young and old. 

This is my good news story of a personal nature.


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

Dr G....what a great idea!

My good news, I'm expected to be getting a new job soon downtown, so goodbye car burden (Beaches to Oakville).......

Hello public transport (hugs and kisses the front of a streetcar) not so much gas used by me now....take that ESSO!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Loafer, the idea was originated by Macdoc the Wise, so give him credit. I envisioned something like this to be absorbed in the Shangri-la Clubhouse, but this is a much more focused thread than The Shang. Hopefully, this Good News Thread will unseat The Shang as the most popular thread. We shall see.

Kudos to you, Loafer, on your new position.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Near and dear to Dr. Gs heart and that of ball fans around the world. The curse is broken the Sox won the world series.  

Here's a whole string of good news events from the Toronto Star today who seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
Now you DO have to log in but it will remember your password and it takes like 10 seconds and it WILL bring a smile to your face.

Good news from real people 

Here's a couple of samples of people helping strangers....from the Star artical



> Last Friday I stopped at a grocery store on my way home from a long, stressful day at grad school. When I came out, between juggling the grocery bags and unchaining my bike, I dropped my wallet on the street. I thought it was gone for sure, until the next morning when I heard from my aunt. A very kind person had found my wallet, then tracked down my relative in the phone book to get it back to me. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsamujh, you truly gave me something to be thankful about this year.
> Laura Pontoriero, Toronto, Oct. 12
> 
> I know that people in Toronto are known for their good deeds, but I want to say thanks to someone on Saturday near Malvern, P.A., while I was on vacation. While on my way to a large equestrian event, my boyfriend and I reached the gates only to find my purse missing. We turned around and went back to the last place I had it, a fast-food place for breakfast. I panicked, it had my ID, money and other valuables. Miraculously, someone had given the purse to the restaurant’s staff, with money, credit cards, and cell phone untouched. I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to that person in P.A!
> Aubrie Holmberg, Bolton, Oct. 12


more please........  

•••••

Congrats loafer, Beaches to Oakville  Just think reading, iTuning or just watching the harried crowd go bye.

Mahvelous dahling......


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macdoc the Wise, I think that your idea shall catch on as more and more people start to read this thread and realize that with all its faults, this is still a wonderful world we live in. Paix, mon ami.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Great thread... I have some really great news I'm busting at the seams to share, but I can't officially say at this time.

Stay tuned in the following weeks.

Yeah, I'm a tease.


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

awwww Manny, come on.......give us a hint ?


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## vacuvox (Sep 5, 2003)

He must have ordered a new G5 dual 2.5 - and awaiting delivery.

Meanwhile... grandpa had a poop!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

MannyP..........a baby on the way? A new doxie pup? A new computer? A new job? A new whatever?


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

it's gotta be a baby.....I'll put $5 on it.

Any takers ?


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Loafer, if it is a baby, we should all donate $5 to a charity that focuses upon children (e.g., UNICEF, School Lunch Associations, etc), in the name of mini-MaxPower? Just a good news thread thought.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

For those of you who do not know, I write two weekly columns in the local paper.

I started a very simple tradition at the end of my column three years ago called "Whine and Roses".

I use it to give bricks and bouquets where I felt they were appropriate on local issues I wrote about.

My readers stole the idea and began sending me requests for a Rose or a Whine. Since this is the good news thread, here are some samples of the "Roses" requested by readers in our community. I think they are all "good news".

Compiled By Don Sinclair

On: Tim Horton’s Fine Service
Hi Don: If you choose to print this you'll have to probably edit this because I don't tend to make long stories short!!
I'd like to send out a rose to Sylvia at Tim Horton's on Hebert Road. On Monday afternoon my daughter called me in a panic because she'd lost a cheque I'd written to her. I immediately called my bank and kept my fingers crossed that it wouldn't be cashed. I got home and there was a message from a Tim Horton's asking for my daughter. I put two and two together, called my daughter to ask if she'd been at Tim's that morning and the missing cheque mystery was solved. Both she and I called Sylvia to thank her and I'd just like to publicly acknowledge her kindness. So few people take time out of their day to be a good samaritan and Sylvia deserves a rose for her actions. Thanks, Don.
Jackie Lindsay 
St. Albert, Via E-Mail

Sinc Says:
One rose coming up. Way to go Sylvia! You made Jackie’s day.

On: Gateway Shell Service
Dear Don, I feel that a "Rose" should go out to the management and staff of Gateway Shell for their kindness and generosity for a embarrassing moment I had at their store last week.
Upon washing my vehicle in their car wash, I realized that I had locked the doors with the keys inside. I informed the staff of my predicament and told them I would walk home to get my second set of keys and they took note of the time I had finished washing. 
The second set of keys were not found but the local AMA agency was called to unlock the vehicle in the car wash. The total time lapsed was about an hour and a half. Expecting a big bill for a "simple car wash" at the end of this incident, I was told it was "on the house". What an unexpected and friendly gesture made by a local business. Thank you Gateway Shell for your consideration. 
A Grateful Customer
St. Albert, Via E-Mail

Sinc Says:
Now that is customer service. Turning a negative into a positive is a welcome change. Well done, Jim and staff!

On: Yet another Rose Request
Hello Don, Lancaster Crescent had its annual block party event on Sept. 11th. and because "Block Parties" make good neighborhoods we need to thank some young folks who helped to make it even better with all their pre-party help.
A special thanks to Craig, Mitch and Brent Vigneau, Adam and Amber Cook and especially Amy Adkisson for organizing the children's scavenger hunt.
Children make a difference and these young people (Grade 0ne to Nine) need to be congratulated for all their willing help. Thanks,
Colleen Mcleod
St. Albert, Via E-Mail

Sinc Says:
Sounds like they all deserve a rose to me, Colleen. Well done guys and gals!

On: One More Rose
SCN reader Ann asked we pass along a rose to the Pizza 73 delivery man. Seems when she gave him a tip, she inadvertently gave far too much. When the delivery fellow realized what happened he returned to the house and gave back the extra money.

Sinc Says;
Imagine that, getting back “dough” from a pizza! Three cheers for Pizza 73 and their honest delivery guy.

This kind of reader involvement of makes my writing columns all worth while!

Cheers


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Kudos to you, Sinc. It's called "interactive literacy" and you have people reading/writing/reading and writing.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macdoc, a gift for Sinc, or a call for lotus to return to our flock? The former is well deserved and the latter is hoped for, at least by yours truly.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Indeed


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Heads, I win........heads, you win.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Here is a good news story about a friend of mine, Graham Hicks who writes a gossip column for the Edmonton Sun. 

(Please don't brush this off as "another Sun" thing. Read what this man has done for special causes in Edmonton)

A good guy, doing good

By SCOTT HASKINS -- For the Edmonton Sun

Graham Hicks had no idea what he was getting into. It's not like that's anything new.

It was November 1992. A quaint, quickie charity auction co-sponsored by the Sun, CISN and Shaw had raised $13,000 for the Christmas Bureau. It was a good thing.

When it comes to charity work, however, there is never too much of a good thing. Our new page 6 columnist thought it could be a better thing.

He remembers the brain cramp like it was yesterday. "We can double that," he thought.

Not quite, but close enough to see that the possibilities were endless. Even if it meant the work would have to be tireless. He raised another $12,000 for the Christmas Bureau. A seed was planted. A beautiful tradition blossomed.

"Life hasn't been the same since." For Hicks, certainly. More importantly, for thousands of less fortunate people.

"It's like having a baby," he says of producing the Sun's annual charity auction. "October is the cruellest month. But it pays off in December."

Next week marks the 13th anniversary of the Little Auction That Grew. Some time between Wednesday at 9 a.m. and Friday at 3 p.m., Hicks will blow past half a million dollars in total money raised.

"I have witnessed some unbelievable human kindness over the years," he says. "It may have started with me, but it takes a total team effort."

For the first 11 years, it was all about the Christmas Bureau. "Graham does great things for the community," says campaign director Bill McCallum. Last year, friendship and job security produced a change.

"I had to be involved with Catholic Social Services," says the 2003 chairman of that social agency's Sign Of Hope campaign. "And Craig (former Sun publisher Martin) was chairman of the United Way's 1993 campaign."

Our largest-ever auction set a goal of $100,000, $50,000 for each good cause. When the money was counted, the total was $100,000 and $1.

"When I started, it was all pretty low-key, just a column project," Hicks says. "I still have a hard time believing how it has taken off."

Even if it means he has trouble keeping up.

Catholic Social Services and the United Way return again this year, but the Christmas Bureau is also back in the fold. The goal is $150,000 and, somehow, he always manages to score. The target has been reached every year since it started.

The official name this year is the Edmonton Sun Christmas Charity Auction, presented by ATCO.

The fact that it is bigger is a given. It is also better. Bidding on more than 150 packages can be done by phone (421-XMAS) as usual, but also online, for the first time, at www.CampusAuctionMarket.com.

"It's a bold step forward," says Hicks. "The online bidding makes it more convenient to become involved."

The website comes courtesy of U of A business school's EBay-style research and learning project. The use of the call centre is donated by Pizza 73.

What would you pay for 25 foursomes worth of golf at various area courses next summer, courtesy of golfingcard.com? How about dinner with Oiler Ryan Smyth and Calgary Flame Jerome Iginla?

There are dozens of trips and dinners to be won, your own golf tournament for 44 players at Blackhawk, two Konica-Minolta photocopiers and a night with Danny Hooper as your MC.

There is an acquisition committee, but Hicks does the majority of the begging himself. As I write this, he is at the desk across from me, hard at it on the telephone.

A restaurant has offered dinner for two. "Can you make it dinner for four?" he asks. "Of course you can."

And of course they do. Whatever it takes.

"It's wonderful the way so many businesses step up," he says. "It's tiring, but the rewards speak for themselves. It's to the point now where I couldn't imagine not doing it."

And when it's over? He'll take three days to reintroduce himself to wife Maria and the kids. Then it's back to work on his other pet project, Adopt-A-Teen.

In 1997, when he realized kids between 13 and 16 are ineligible for help from Santas Anonymous, he became the go-between for Good Samaritans willing to provide a $50 gift and those in need of help.

"I think we helped 250 teenagers that first year," he says. Then 364. Then 670. The goal this year, he says, is an astounding 1,400 - or "as many as we can."

Last year, Graham Hicks was presented with the Queen's Jubilee Medal for community service. One of his favourite people, Lieutenant-Governor Lois Hole, did the honours. This year, he received Sun Media's Doug Creighton Award for his dedication and effort.

Good things happen to good people. (-30-)

Way to go Graham!

Cheers


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Sinc, what a way to start the day. Merci. Yes, "good things do happen to good people" and this is a greast story of "A good guy, doing good".


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

In that vein I often enjoy reading the tales the Star Fresh Air funds generates












> *History of the Fresh Air Fund*
> 
> Founded in 1901 by Star publisher Joseph Atkinson, The Fresh Air Fund has raised millions of dollars and provided more than half-a-million children with a memorable summer holiday they may have otherwise never experienced.
> 
> ...


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## kermit (Oct 9, 2004)

A recent 'good news' item is SINC getting his OS installation up and running after many hard hours of patient hard work









With so much bad news and slagging matches on the internet and in the media, it is refreshing to see somebody using the technology to share their good vibes and warmth with his fellows.

God bless you, SINC, may your Panther purr like a kitten for evermore


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

A person I know was visiting a friend's house and was chatting to the Mexican lady who cleans the house several times a week.

The cleaner is well educated and pleasant and my friend ended up asking her why she was doing this work when she was clearly qualified for higher paying jobs.

Turns out the lady does have a better job, but does this too, for extra cash: because her grandson (7) needs an implant to restore his abilty to hear, lost through illness.

The grandson lives in Mexico and they need about $20,000 for the whole thing, which can only be done here or in the US.

My friend checked it all out, and he kid has been here to see the specialists etc.

So my friend spent a few weeks setting up relationships with a few charities, and now a committee is raising the cash.

My friend is such a cool lady!


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## MBD (Sep 1, 2003)

I'll enjoy reading this thread! Lately there are so many bad things happening in my work life that they are bleeding into my home life so I need good news!

My good news though - I FINALLY HAVE HIGHSPEED!









I have lived out in the boonies for a long time with dial up until we found a wireless solution! Yay! I still have dial up as a back up in case there are issues though. I really hope it stays up!

MacDoc - I like you Janus coin.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

MBD, this is what I like about this thread as well. It is an oasis, of sorts, from the reality of what is taking place out there in the real world. For a moment, we might all escape in the reality that there ARE good things taking place in the lives of many people throughout the world. It helps to achieve a sense of balance and equilibrium in one's life.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Check out Sinc's signature quote "I believe in angels, the kind that heaven sends. I'm surrounded by angels, and I call them my best friends." If you are one of those who might call Sinc a friend, consider yourself blessed. Paix, mon ami.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A man with no friends is nothing.

I value my friends, and my best friend is my dear wife Ann.

She is my everything.

Cheers


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Thanks MBD, I've always admired the Janus meme - forward and back, all around or mulitfaceted however you wish to interpret it.

That with the Yin Yang symbol where nothing can be defined without it's opposite and in fact contains it's opposite.
No happiness without knowing sorrow.

The good news thread offsetting the grimness of the world.  

•••••

BTW is would be VERY good news for Macspectrum should you share your high speed int he boonies news with him/us.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"A friend is a gift you give to yourself."

"There is no friend like an old friend, who has shared our morning days. No greeting is like his welcome and no homage is like his praise." Oliver Wendall Holmes

"The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are wrong. Nearly everyone will side with you when you are right." Mark Twain


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"Sinc is a friend I truly value." Dr.G.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." - Aristotle.

Cheers


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Oh my!!!!!!!!!!

what a swing - this certainly belongs in the Good News thread

http://www.electoral-vote.com/

*Electoral Vote Predictor 2004:   Kerry 283   Bush 246 *


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macdoc, we should start a GREAT News thread if this actually is the final result. However, having been botn a few weeks before Harry Truman "lost" to Dewey, according to the Chicago Tribune, and all of the polls, I shall wait and watch. I haven't been this psyched/afraid about an election since staying up all night in 1968. We are ALL involved, in one way or the other, in the outcome of this election. May it be a fair one, because the consequences of another stolen election shall be civil turmoil. We shall see.

[ October 31, 2004, 04:04 PM: Message edited by: Dr.G. ]


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

It's the magnitude of the swing that is amazing. It was EXACTLY opposite yesterday - 283 Bush. 246 Kerry.
Now sure it's volatile but the 2004 showed a very late Dem swing so if it's showing early that's very very good news.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macdoc, as I am fond of saying, we shall see. Trust me on this one.........we shall see.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"I gotta go, Rock. It's alright, I'm not afraid. Sometime, Rock, when the team's up against it, and things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, tell then to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock, but I'll know about it, and I'll be happy."


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Still going in the right direction - yippee


Kerry 298   Bush 231


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"Ya Gotta Believe!", the "battle cry" of the 1969 Miracle NY Mets, coined by Tug McGraw just before they won their first world series. I have faith in the American electorate. We shall see.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

My fingers are still crossed, but you know . . .










Cheers


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"When Life gives you lemons, make some lemonade."
"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
"Roosters should never peck at dynamite, lest they subsequently lament an exeguous inadequacy."


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

In politics momentum is king. Let it be a stampede.









[ November 01, 2004, 02:59 PM: Message edited by: MacDoc ]


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Every vote counts, so let us hope for good weather tomorrow across all of the US. I am amazed at the number of early voters who took the option to vote prior to Nov. 2nd. Democracy in action!!!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I just received another bit of good news for my column, so here is the item before it is even publsihed on Friday:

A ROSE to “John” from F. Dennis of the city who wrote: I had a flat tire on Hebert Road. John stopped and replaced the tire in short order. What a delight to find there are still kind, thoughtful people in our city. So John, I am sending a donation to a charity to say “Thank You” for your generosity to a Great Grandmother in much distress.

Sinc Says: Attaboy John! Methinks you are the lady’s “Knight in Shining Armour”. Well done indeed. And good for charity as an added bonus!

Cheers


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

As of 12:34 AM on Monday, the day before the US Presidential elections, all the news channels are reporting a slight lead for George Bush.

For the record...I think that John Kerry might also be a rather good President (I just hope that he can come up with the resolve that he has not yet shown in his almost three decades in political life. He'll NEED it. We ALL will).

I also hope that, if he wins, nothing here at home starts blowing up a few months after he wins.

If he wins...I also sincerely hope that Kerry doesn't go through with the massive shift towards US protectionism (read: anti-Canada) that both he and John Edwards have been loudly promoting on the campaign trail.

Other than that...all good news!


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

One of our 2 cats, Sabrina, is a bit of a nutter. They are indoor cats but she likes to nip out for an adventure when the door is left ajar for a nano-second. So yesterday the wife was leaving to catch her train to work and the little bugger dashes out. As my wife had an important meeting and the cat is in no mood to be teased back into the house she decided to let Sabrina have a grand day out.

After worrying all day my wife got home to find our neighbour playing with Sabrina on the front lanw (He was attracted by the constat meowing, she's very vocal). My wife gives Sabrina a big hug and kisses to which the cat takes exception to and ends up ****ting all down the front of my wife's jacket!

Not terribly good news for the wife.....but I was in stitches when she told me.....and the cat's fine after a day wandering the streets of the Upper Beaches.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Welcome home, little Sabrina. Maybe it's a good omen...............John Kerry has a female doxie named Sabrina..........or a golden retriever named Ralph..........one or the other. Whatever..... We shall see.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

The good news is that we live in Canada. Peace/Paix, my friends.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

A few months from now, nobody on this planet will even remember who John Kerry is...let alone give a hoot about his dog.

Just the way it is.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Kerry is still in the Senate, so his voice shall be heard.


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

"The good news is that we live in Canada. Peace/Paix, my friends."

Amen to that!

What with the UK elections being predicted to be just around the corner I feel Canada is the only sane place left to live.
The whole worlds gone crazy.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Loafer, I wonder what the fate of Tony Blair might be in the upcoming UK elections. Any predicitons?


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

Well I was talking to my dad the other day and he's under the impression that the economy there is going to tank in the next 6 months (1 billion pounds of consumer debt doesn't help) and Blair is rushing through for an election before things really start to show and before the Cons. get their sh*t together.

I think personally Blair will walk it....same reason Bush "seems" to have walked it....people just aren't informed enough about their government and what the real consequences are to their personal freedom fights.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Loafer, this should be the topic for another thread. The good news is that the people of the UK have the freedom to vote.


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## Vinnie Cappuccino (Aug 20, 2003)

I think that it is time for the Canadian economy to rise above that of the US, Good news to accounts like myself. I think we just need to find out opportunities. Maybe we can open up some Canadian Tires in China


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## MBD (Sep 1, 2003)

I always thought a Tim Horton's overseas would do well. When I was in New Zealand there was nothing like it & friends who had brought a Tim mug when they moved there found it admired by co-workers.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

MBD, when I first came to St.John's back in July of 1977, I recall having some coffee at the one Tim Horton's we had back then, thinking that this would be a great idea to franchise around the city. We now have about a dozen Tim Horton's within easy driving distance from where I am sitting right now.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

This should be good news for Macnutt -- 

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new presidential pooch will soon be roaming the halls of the White House.

President Bush marked Laura Bush's birthday Thursday by announcing he would give her a Scottish terrier puppy that is a relative of the current first dog, Barney."

It is reported by the ehMacLand News Network that Pres. Bush rejected a French poodle, "Because it would be crazy to call it a Freedom Poodle", rejected a Old English Sheepdog because "Who wants an old puppy?", considered a Saluki because "That was the dog of the Russian Czars" AND rejected a standard wirehaired Dachshund because "They look like a science project that went terribly wrong. Their heads are too big and they are too long and short."   

http://shw.fotopages.com/2536192.html
http://shw.fotopages.com/2534734.html
http://shw.fotopages.com/2544770.html


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

Oh no, the Good News Thread went political!
Okay, here...

I'm on 2 weeks vacation! And, I have a cold but don't care about it!  

-H


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

gw, it is good news for Macnutt, and, in a way, good news for dog lovers. He had considered an armadillo, since the armadillo is the state mammal of Texas.   So, gw, maybe this IS a good news story.


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## MBD (Sep 1, 2003)

Dr. G - yep the Tim Horton's is popular. I lived in Hamilton, Ontario for a long time and there is a Tim's on every block. I think it has the most Tim's per capita or something like that.









My good news today is I finally bought a proper KVM switch so I can switch between my Mac and PC. I had a cheap manual one I got from a computer show a few years back & it made lines on my monitor. Now I can easily switch back & forth when I have to use my PC for teaching courses or working at home! Yay!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

MBD, my wife and I are in a constant struggle between Tim Horton's coffee and Starbucks. Since I like both, and she likes Starbucks, wherever we go, I get a good cup of coffee. Thus, that's the good news.


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## Cynical Critic (Sep 2, 2002)

When I first saw the poppy quarter I thought someone had poorly painted the new poppy design with nail polish. It appears the first run smudges off a bit. Nevertheless, I commend the idea. A little more colour is nice and memorable.

Good news for lefties and righties (no, not handed!). 
R: Bush is in another term and Herman Munster (errr, Kerry) isn't.
L: Bush will be out of office forever in 4 more years. 

Yay to our rising dollar because when I go to the U.S. next I'll be able to stretch my meager amounts of cash further.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I'll give a good news thread nod to Tim Hortons for their red poppy quarter.


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## Gretchen (Aug 16, 2004)

Okay, can we please please please please please please please please please please please please please please pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease stop referring to Tim Horton's hot pale tasteless yuk as coffee? It's just nasty... I know everyone has their own tastes, but really. Who here chews rubber bands? 

Saw the news story about the guy in Hamilon that ran into the buring home and rescued the 70 year old women inside from burnin' up.







That's a happy story, yes I like happy stories as well. Not many people like that around these days. I wonder what kind of coffee he drinks?


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Gretchen, I think that is a fine story of good news and heroics. Try a cup of coffee at the Cafe Chez Marc in The Shang. It is from coffee grown in environmentally-friendly ways, picked by adult workers (NOT children) who are paid a good wage for their labor. Have a home-made muffin, on the house. Be careful not to step any of the doxies. Merci.

http://shw.fotopages.com/2534873.html


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yeah double good news. Kicking Horse coffee.
Canadian coffee company applying fair trade policies to the growers.

http://www.kickinghorsecoffee.com/










good stuff - tho not cheap.... but still....... knowing it's not exploitative makes it taste even better.


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## Cynical Critic (Sep 2, 2002)

Nice call MacDoc. And adorable doggy picture Dr.G.!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Let sleeping doxies, lie, CC. Let sleeping doxies lie....... It's far safer for one and all. Paix, mon ami.


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## Vinnie Cappuccino (Aug 20, 2003)

MMMMMMMCoffee is always good news!! Coffee that fits with my Nature/Human/Doxie/Cat Named Loki, Friendly adjenda is even better! Justus Coffee is a Fair Trade Coffee Company here in the Maritimes, Their coffee is Good too!







Coffee!


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

Here's my good news.

A few months ago, I sent out a short story to some literary magazines for the first time. I received my third rejection today.

How is this good news?

Well, the first rejection was a photocopied form letter. The second rejection was a photocopied form letter with an added note about what they were looking for with a handwritten asterisk beside the photocopied "We hope you find this helpful for future submissions."

This third rejection, received today, is a _handwritten_ note that includes the following quote: "You should keep writing fiction; your sentences are clear and you have a sense of story."

I feel like the greatest not-yet-published writer in the world.


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## LGBaker (Apr 15, 2002)

454 Horse Power is my favourite. There is another variety in some local bakery/coffee shops called Kickass. Do these names derive from Juan Valdez's donkey?


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Kudos to you, Sonal. We shall be able to say "We knew her when...." after you receive the Governor General's Prize for a newly published literary work.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

i was going to post some personal good news and then it turned, but the summer was wonderful and winter's sleepy bliss awaits

good things come to those who wait and i have waited for a very long time

(tune in next week for; "as the macspectrum turns")


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Keep truckin' Sonal.

James Michener didn't get moving til his forties and Joseph Conrad his 50s...... in his second language!.









Michener, after his modest success with Tales of the South Pacific, was taken on by the top literary agent in the US...quite and honour.
The agent gave him an advance to write his second book Fires of Spring.

The agent disliked it and did not think MIchener should continue to write, told him so, and let Michener go as a client.

So James was quite down in the mouth, draggin' his ass out of his office at the end of a day, his future as a writer down the tubes........
I mean you get fired by the most prestigious agent in America  
Who wouldn't be in the dumps about the future.........

*BUT THEN* as the phrase goes.......  

As Michener is putting his hat and coat on just at 5.....this the SAME DAY remember....... in blows a messenger boy with telegram for him. His secretary reads it to him.

_"Why Mr. Michener, you've just won the Pultizer Prize for Literature.!!"_

The rest, as the cliche goes....is history.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Happy Birthday to me!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Have a super day, Manny!

Cheers


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Happy birthday, Manny. Free coffee and muffins for you at the Cafe Chez Marc. The doxies have a little treat for you as well.

http://shw.fotopages.com/2606539.html


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

If you believe the strength of our universities is an indicator of future prosperity then the following is good news:

In a list of the top places to do research in the world compiled by The Scientist  magazine Canada features in 5 of the top 10 spots. Thelist excludes US institutions (there is a separate tabulation of those).


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Yeah and just you wait until the Northeast secedes and joins Canada.
10 for 10


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Add in the areas of cold ocean research and wave/iceberg dynamics, and Memorial University would be included in that list. And, we are the furthest easterly of any university in North America.


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

"And, we are the furthest easterly of any university in North America." 

No debating that Dr. G! Memorial is a very fine institution and its NL location is but one of its assets.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

We are also the university that experiences the most fog, which made us the ideal location for an international conference on fog which was held a couple of years ago. Sadly, of the 7 days the conference was held, it was sunny for 4 days, cloudy for 1 day, a bit foggy for 1 day, and pea soup fog for 1 day. C'est la vie.


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## LGBaker (Apr 15, 2002)

I thought this was good news ...



> In what school officials are calling the first one-to-one laptop program for student writing in Canada, students showed substantial improvement in their overall academic achievement, particularly in written expression.
> 
> Moreover, computerization proved to be a levelling influence between boys and girls, and between Aboriginal students and non-native ones.


Read more here.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

LGB, that IS good news. In that I teacher undergrad and graduate teachers literacy education, anything of this sort is good news.


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## james_squared (May 3, 2002)

Hello,

I think this is good news: Billions in Iraqi debt to be written off. Now, only if this could be done for some of the more "needy" developing countries.

James


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I think random acts of kindness happen more than one would think. This morning I had to drop a parcel at a downtown Edmonton office tower. I chose to park in one of those street level outdoor lots that people love to hate. 

As I pulled up and got out of my vehicle to purchase a parking ticket to put on my dash, a friendly lady in a blue mini van was exiting the lot. She stopped and rolled down her window and said, “Wait, don’t do that. Have my ticket. It’s good for all day.” I thanked her for her generosity and she simply smiled and said, “I feel great now that I’ve done my good deed for the day!”, and off she drove.

I conducted my business in about half an hour, but when I was ready to leave the lot, not another car was to be seen so I could return the favour. That’s when I decide to park and wait for someone to come into the lot. It took about five minutes, but along came a gent in yet another blue mini van, and I stopped him and offered him the ticket. 

The wide smile and the friendly, “Thanks”, made me feel as good as the lady who gave it to me. Maybe the Christmas spirit is here early this year!

Cheers


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

I think it's good news that torture victims in Chile will receive some compensation. On the downside, there is little movement in bringing the torturers to book.

Compensation for torture victims 

We were living in South Africa during the work of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. The commission found that sometimes it may be best to expose the dirt, compensate the victims and try to move on rather than drag out the fight.


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## thewitt (Jan 27, 2003)

> we are the furthest easterly of any university in North America.


Hey Good Doctor...

Wouldn't that be Ilisimatusarfik university in Nuuk Greenland? I belive they have you beat by just a little.
Nukk:
Latitude: 61° 10', North. Longitude: 51° 40', West.
St. John's:
Latitude: 47° 34', North. Longitude: 52° 41', West.

Poor Greenland, no one wants to remember they are part of North America.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

I stand corrected. The shame of it all. What shall Macnutt think of me, in that I have been reading his new book "Being Correct All the Time for Dummies"? Still, thanks for the geography info.


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## thewitt (Jan 27, 2003)

Good Doctor:

There is no shame in what you have done. Simply ignore my post and rehash some quotes. For the love of god, don't read or refer to ANYTHING. Please keep repeating what you have stated earlier. If you can, guide the thread further off-topic and try to upset some members. Perhaps mention that people in Greenland need to think about things or trust you.

But never, ever, sit, lay, lean, walk, march or stand corrected.

(Anything in the 'Dummies' series to too applicable. See the Sushi thread.)


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

thewitt, learning new things and obtaining new knowledge is the good news. As I am in the profession of learning/teaching, this new info is my good news for the day.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

> Great thread... I have some really great news I'm busting at the seams to share, but I can't officially say at this time.
> 
> Stay tuned in the following weeks.
> 
> Yeah, I'm a tease.


Well folks, the time has passed... a couple of people made guesses... only one had the correct answer.

Any others want to wager a guess?


...


The time has come. Good news to follow, soon.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Manny, a baby or a doxie??? An new position? A new Mac? Peace on Earth??????????


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Dr.G: Good guesses, but only one is correct -- the wife and I are having a baby (well, technically _she's_ the one pregnant) and is due June 29th. Yay.  

She had her first ultrasound and everything appears well at this stage -- our little bundle of joy is approximately the size of a lime, and has a heartbeat of 150 bpm.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Wow, that is great news Manny.










Cheers


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Manny, that is GREAT news. May he/she be healthy, which is the only thing I shall wish for you and your wife. Mazel tov!!!


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Thanks guys, we're quite happy with the news -- it wasn't easy keeping it a secret until we were sure everything was okay. We will be finding out what gender the baby is in several weeks when the time is right -- we have no preference, but would like some notice so we can get the baby's nursery ready for the big day.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Manny, if this is your first child, get a copy of Bill Cosby's "Fatherhood" to read prior to the child's birth.


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## marrmoo (Jul 24, 2003)

Congrats to you and your wife MannyP.
My wife and I welcomed our second child (a boy) on August 24 of this year. Almost 9 years after our daughter was born.

On a somewhat related note I just got a call from my folks who live up in Hearst Ontario and they informed us they are going to make the 12 hour drive to spend Christmas Eve with us.
Just had to share my exitement with someone.


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

Congratulations Manny!!!!  

As one New Father to a pending New Father, be prepared to have your whole world flipped upside down again and again and again and again..........

But on the flip side, no matter how often your world gets flipped upside down, it won't matter because you will know why it is so.

One book I recommend for you is "Do I look like a Daddy to you." very well written, it is the chronicle of a new father from just before he found out his wife was pregnant to the end of the first year. Humorous and informative.

Make sure your wife gets the book "What to expect the first year". We have this book and it is almost worn out. Very helpful.

Again, congratulations.


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## Mrs. Furley (Sep 1, 2004)

Hooray Manny! Congratulations and all the best to you, your wife and your little one!!


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## ErnstNL (Apr 12, 2003)

Congratulations, Manny. That's excellent news. Another new Mac user will be born!


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## MBD (Sep 1, 2003)

Congrats Manny! I suspected that was the good news.  

I'd have a hard time keeping it quiet too if it were me. It's really hard for a woman if she's tired or ill in the first trimester to keep it all quiet.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Thanks everybody,

It's amazing how people come together over good news of this kind; our friends and family have been very supportive -- offering hand-me-downs as well as books (What to Expect When Your Expecting, which I believe is the quintessential reference for new parents).

The fun part was in how we would break the news to our friends: The people I work with are a great bunch and the office party is always a blast, we usually have a Charades gift exchange (a pseudo Chinese gift exchange where the winner gets to pick a gift). Well, Laura decided the clue would be "I'm Pregnant" and consisted of her pointing to herself, and then pantomiming a big belly... one person called the Charade immediately and about 15 seconds later it registered with the whole group. 









Truly a funny moment.

~

Now... when it comes to baby names -- we're covered for a Boy; a Girl on the other hand...we need help!


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

Hey congrats Manny!

I nearly missed the good news there.


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## Bolor (Sep 14, 2003)

Manny, from this forward, your life will never be the same ... it will be better! Congratulations.


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## gastonbuffet (Sep 23, 2004)

Ukraine has a new government.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Good news indeed for the Ukrainian people!

Cheers


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## MBD (Sep 1, 2003)

*Leaving the Tyranny*

I thought I'd resurrect this thread to announce that I've left my tyrannical work place for a new position.  

Same long commute but in the opposite direction. I feel like it's an act of hybris to talk about it as I was freaked out resigning Friday but I did sign the formal offer so I think I'm covered. 

While at my place of work for about 8 years, I converted a few people (all senior management) to the Mac platform & I'm working on two middle management types. :naughty:


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