Ask any newspaper publisher -- good news doesn't sell. It's easy to find bad news. Just switch on the TV or open the nearest newspaper, and there it is -- bad news. There's something intrinsic in the human condition that draws us to bad news like moths to the flame. We love to indulge in news that blames, news that hates. Perhaps it's the nagging feeling of loathing -- or even self loathing -- that bad news inspires. Or maybe it's the collective feeling of impending doom that bad news inspires that keeps us coming back for more. Let's just admit it, when we pass a collision on the highway, we all love to slow down and relish in the view of the shockingly twisted former-automobile in the ditch at the side of the road. As hyperbolic as this account is, it is a fact (according to this source) that approximately 60% of freeway traffic is a direct result of rubbernecking!
Not that there's anything wrong with bad news. I mean, let's face it, without identifying problems, we would not be much good at fixing them.
But there is a time and place for everything, and this blog will be the place for good news. And I mean real good news -- not the usual horse hockey that commercial media outlets love to think that we love. Sorry, this blog will not be focusing on the sappy feel-good pieces that usually get tossed in amongst the wreckage of bad news. (Such as, for example this piece on alpacas who think kitties are cute or this piece on holy bikers.)
My goal here is simple: I intend to post one piece of meaningful, good news a day. While this will undoubtedly not change our insatiable hunger for bad news, I hope that it will be an enriching experience for me, and just maybe, it will also enrich a few other folks along the way.
If you would like to contribute a meaningful piece of good news, please feel free to email me at jleder4@gmail.com. Cheers!
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