Good News Thread

[Kitt]

good news: it's raining, does that mean spring has sprung?

At least it is not more snow!

Edited March 11, 2014 by Kitt

[W_L]

Not sure if I should post this up or not, but I will with the comment that the bioethics debate should stay on my blog:

 

7 year old gets needed drug as part of FDA/Pharmaceutical deal

Edited March 12, 2014 by W_L

[Graeme]

Thanks, W_L. Hopefully the drug will be successful....

[DynoReads]

I'm not sure if this is a hoax, but the thought it nice. I wish there were more grandfathers like this: http://themetapicture.com/a-mother-disowned-her-son-for-being-gay/

[Graeme]

I'm not sure if it's real either. I've found it at a few places, with some expanded details:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/grandfather-viral-letter-daughter-disowning-kicking-gay-grandson-article-1.1476437

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/10/03/heartless-b-word-of-a-daughter-grandpa-pens-viral-letter-disowning-his-daughter-for-kicking-her-gay-son-out-of-the-house/

 

It originally appeared at a clothing store facebook page, apparently sent in by the grandson in question. If it's real, his grandfather showed it to him and he took a picture of it, and then sent it in. Plausible, and I'd like to think it's a true story.

[Astro]

I really hope that this story is true and if it is, it is definitely good news! I confess I cried a bit reading it (a good cry).

 

[Celethiel]

I really hope that this story is true and if it is, it is definitely good news! I confess I cried a bit reading it (a good cry).

 

That's not good news that makes me want to cry the whole thing makes me want to cry

[Astro]

That's not good news that makes me want to cry the whole thing makes me want to cry

 

I will admit, I really did cry! 

[Celethiel]

I will admit, I really did cry! 

I almost did too.

[Zombie]

Okay, the Australian posts a story from America and the American posts a story from Australia.... I can live with that Good news stories are international

 

OK, well here's one from the UK to give some global balance... bought a dozen free-range eggs on Saturday for £1.20... paid into an Honesty Box

 

[rustle]

OK, well here's one from the UK to give some global balance... bought a dozen free-range eggs on Saturday for £1.20... paid into an Honesty Box

 

At the farmers' market here, they'd cost $5.00.

[Aditus]

At the farmers' market here, they'd cost $5.00.

2 €

 

Good news: My best friend has finally a job again.

Edited April 9, 2014 by aditus

[Bill W]

How many kids would do this?

 

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/02/teen-brings-his-great-grandmother-to-prom/20879539/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl20|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D471932

 

Now there was a sweet and classy move. 

[Graeme]

Marriage still strong, 80 years on

 

When I saw this on the TV last night, I couldn't help think of a young married gay couple I know of in California, and hoping that they make it to 80 years, too

[Graeme]

Time to resurrect this thread

 

Toddler prepares to take his first steps...for the second time

[C J]

Here's some more good stuff. 

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/moments-that-restored-our-faith-in-humanity-this-y

[Celethiel]

goodnews... it's raining in montana... which means it's not snowing...

[Graeme]

Here's some more good stuff. 

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/moments-that-restored-our-faith-in-humanity-this-y

Oh, wow...

 

This is one of those times I wish I could 'like' something more than once. In this case, 26 times, one for each of the stories in that link

[C J]

I liked seeing those stories, and I wish there would be more interest in the idea.  I get so tired of always hearing the bad things.  I try to leave it but it's hard to do because it's everywhere.  The world gives more to the bad than the good, and it's ruining everything.  Maybe some time people will understand how important it is, and then maybe they never will.  I don't know.

[Suvitar]

Such a sweet story

 

http://www.boredpanda.com/thula-therapy-cat-autistic-artist-iris-grace/

[Graeme]

Kai Bogert classified: Mum's ad tells transgender son 'It's all cool'

 

A mother places an ad to retract the 1995 announcement of the birth of her daughter, and replaces it with the announcement of her son.

 

Some people just get it

[JamesSavik]

I finished my paper and project for my solid state electronics class!

 

I'm riding an A into finals.

 

Tomorrow I present my gadget and how it works.

 

My project is a smart geiger counter that can connect to computers for data logging.

 

It's smart enough to network the devices together and connect to a central hub so they can monitor radiation levels over a large area- like say around the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the ruins if the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, any number of open air or underground test sites that need to be monitored on a long term basis.

 

Each node will cost ~$300, the hub $1200. They run on a Linux core with programming in static RAM with a geiger-muller tube, wi-fi, solar power and a GPS Chip.

 

Depending on the detector tube, prices may vary.

 

I'm excited about more than my anthology entry.

[Palantir]

I finished my paper and project for my solid state electronics class!

 

I'm riding an A into finals.

 

Tomorrow I present my gadget and how it works.

 

My project is a smart geiger counter that can connect to computers for data logging.

 

It's smart enough to network the devices together and connect to a central hub so they can monitor radiation levels over a large area- like say around the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the ruins if the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, any number of open air or underground test sites that need to be monitored on a long term basis.

 

Each node will cost ~$300, the hub $1200. They run on a Linux core with programming in static RAM with a geiger-muller tube, wi-fi, solar power and a GPS Chip.

 

Depending on the detector tube, prices may vary.

 

I'm excited about more than my anthology entry.

 

Wow! Some people talk about what they're going to do, and some people go ahead and do it. - you sure are in the latter group.

Congratulations for the highly impressive (and very practical) achievement of your project. - it seems to me that a certain amount of pride is warranted as well as excitement.

[JamesSavik]

Between 1945 and 1980, 502 nuclear weapons have been detonated on or near the earth’s surface and another 8 were detonated underwater for a total yield of 440 megatons (189 Mega-tons from fission bombs, 251 Mega-tons from H-bombs (fusion). That is the equivalent of a medium scale nuclear war and the fallout is still around to prove it. The Cold War has left the world with many tons of high level nuclear waste, fallout and a deadly legacy that will last and be dangerous for many thousands of years.

 

Plutonium-240, Plutonium-241, Carbon-14, Cesium-137, Iodine-131, and Strontium-90 from these tests are still very much with us and add significantly to the natural background radiation.

 

Worse still, the plant and animal kingdoms don’t know a radioactive isotope from any other and fix radioisotopes into the food chain.

 

Radioactive Calcium-41, Potassium-40, and Carbon-14 enter the food chain naturally and have always been there. Now Cesium-137 and Strontium-90 are finding their way into the food chain. They have the identical quantum electron configuration to their cousins Potassium and Calcium just above them in the periodic table. Biological systems treat them as if they were just the same fixing these radioactive elements into the very blood and bones of plants animals and US.

 

 

Uranium based reactors are probably on their way out. No new ones have been built since 1974. Despite that, there are 100 operational nuclear plants in the United States providing nearly one fifth of the nation’s total power grid.

 

There are no easy answers here. We simply can’t flip a switch turn them off and forget about them. Each plant has tons of active and spent nuclear material and associated wastes.

 

There are new reactor designs based on the Thorium fuel cycle. Thorium is an attractive fuel. It cannot be used to weapons proliferation, there are much less in the way of waste products and the designs promise much safer operations. Many technical questions remain but research and tests are being carried out in the US, China and India.

 

Research into hydrogen fusion based reactors is ongoing but the best indications are that is decades away.

 

In the meantime it looks like we’re stuck with our Cold War legacy of Uranium based weapons and power plants and they must be handled with great care.

Edited December 3, 2014 by jamessavik

[Gene Splicer PHD]

NERRRRD

 

Good for you James.