A Quest for Good News

I love to read, and quite frankly I look to the dailies for the national stories about medical advances and human interest features.  Articles that are informative and don't necessarily raise my blood pressure. However, the media is a hard maiden, and it does not matter where you turn, there is always bad news at our doorstep.  So in my quest for good news this week, I tried to see the brighter side of the bad.  Here is what I found.
 
Another week goes by and it seems that British Petroleum (BP) and the US Government are not really doing anything about the oil pouring into the ocean as a result of the off-shore derrick disaster.  Now with the oil choking the life from the Eco-system, and waters controlled by other countries will probably have been affected as well.  Maybe then Obama will put his “Yes We Can” attitude and plug the hole.  While Barack Obama and his cronies stand by and allow BP to flounder, the problem will not just go away.
 
I truly wish I could just grab a daily newspaper, or read from several news sources online and actually enjoy reading. But each day I am reminded about the BP's environmental assault and I just wish they could put a cork in it.  It may even come down to having to use nuclear charges to plug the leak.  But do two wrongs make a right?  Nothing good can come out of this, so I pushed on.
 
Maybe Obama has his hands full with the North Korean affair.  With the stubby despot's navy torpedoing the South Korean patrol ship killing 46 sailors, many countries including Canada have spoken out against Kim Jong-Il.  I just hope Kim Jong-il did not have a submarine near the oil derrick. Sorry but I guess just don't trust him.
 
These two stories alone dominated the press, from news print to television and radio.  It is no wonder people get agitated being bombarded by such negative stories.
 
Then perched below a headline about Polar Bears dying as a result of the BP's cock-up, I spot the headline, “Prepare for a bit of cooling predicts geologist.”  Now, here was something that I could sink my teeth into.  According to geologist Don Easterbrook, professor emeritus from Western Washington University, “Global warming is over―at least for a few decades.”  Easterbrook, who is an ardent believer in Anthropogenic Global Warming, says that the earth is in for some harsh winters and cooler summers for at least three decades.  Or, for those in Australia, they will have harsher summers and cooler winters.  If you think about it, Australia can really mess with your mind.
 
But, according to this piece of climate news, data collected from global sources shows that we are in for another mini-ice age.  The culprits for this climate change are cited as being reduced solar activity (no flares) and the end of El Nino.  Of course, all the sources for this story concluded that the colder climate will result in more human deaths, shorter growing seasons resulting in food shortages, and more hunger.  They always need to toss in a little fear, even with good news, so I kept flipping though the newspaper then paused.  A thought came to me.  In Australia, does a toilet really flush backwards.
 
Huh, so I kept reading.  I turn one page and a young woman is murdered, turn another page and we read of gang activity on the rise in smaller communities.  One page after another and the human condition is reported with true vigour.  My quest for some good news was not going anywhere.  Was there no news source willing to blow some sunshine at me from behind?
 
Then it happened. News that kinda made my day.  The headline read, “Marc Emery pleads guilty in U.S. court, awaits sentencing.”  Yes, I truly like it when the 'Prince of Pot', the fella who have been on the march to legalize marihuana is given a dose of reality.  Mark, please note that I used the word “dose” and not “hit.”
 
I have been watching Mr, Emery's defiance for many years.  Truly believing that he can snub his joint at law enforcement by openly breaking our narcotic laws.  It is a misguided belief that his activity can actually change Canadian legislation. His followers openly wept as he was arrested last year on charges of conspiring to manufacture marihuana on United States soil.  Then the anger followed when he was extradited, sending him into a country that has actually waged war on drug offenders.
 
To our Conservative Federal Government promising law reforms, please take notes.  Mr. Emery folded quickly in the hands of the US legal system.  His defiance crumbled when he copped to a plea.  A deal was struck that will probably see him in an American prison for 5 years.  If he had been convicted in Canada on similar charges he would have probably received a fine, or little jail time.
 
So the moral of the post-long-weekend tirade is this.  Yes, some good news can be found,  if you really search for it.  You just have wade through some muck to get at it.