The Good List
Still determined to drop a word or 12 on my most recent travel adventure (Bogotá and Cartagena, Colombia) sometime within this century. But meanwhile…
It seems I’ve likewise neglected to add to the “WOW Worthy” corner of TL that I initially launched waaay back in 2013 (categorized right up there ↑ under the TL pull-down “Potluck” menu). I did manage to add (albeit sporadically) more than a dozen “WOW” posts over the next 5 years, but alas somehow stopped doing so in 2018. Still… imho that little corner of TL holds a “worthy” collection of delightful digital treats (the last, a most interesting “Your Life – in 6 Words” site).
I still occasionally unearth an arguably WOW Worthy gem every now and then whilst diving down (yet another) digital rabbit hole, though I never seem to get around to adding it here. But lately I’ve been thinking…
Given the seemingly ever more glum direction of the entire Planet (e.g. already knee-deep in global warming, worrisome AI-ugh, and especially the current NACHO whims of a seriously narcissistic billionaire, etc.) – better now than ever for all of us to seek out life’s POSITIVES in earnest, no?
And to that end, recently I made room in my perpetually overloaded email box (crammed much like yours, yes?) for a new weekly newsletter that showcases an assortment of positive/fun/uplifting websites – thanks to none other than the brilliant folks at the New York Times.
Curated by Melissa Kirsch, it’s dubbed simply “The Good List“, and I must say – after just a handful of weekly issues – it’s now solidly become one of the (preciously limited) digital subscriptions that I honestly look forward to.
Each Wednesday, “The Good List” lands in my Gmail box with but a handful of carefully chosen sites “…designed to bring joy and meaning to your day.” Not sentimental, Pollyanna sappy websites mind you. But rather – a most refreshing minimalist collection of eclectic digital corners that (curiously) seldom/never seem to end up in my “Google News” tabs (neither “World” nor most certainly not tucked under the “U.S.” news tab – sigh…)
In short, kind of the antithesis of the steady stream of deadly Hantavirus updates, Indonesian volcanic eruptions, the latest flagrantly biased decision dropped by the (otherwise, all-my-life nearly piously respected) SCOTUS, and of course – less we forget – the leader of my native land’s latest bicker with – the POPE of all people(!) Indeed, no matter the media outlet (both liberal and conservative news sources be they venerated or somewhat lesser renowned – e.g. the NYT, the BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters or the likes of that silliness reliably spewed forth at Fox). Every blessed one seems hell-bent on serving up a 24/7 menu of steady cafeteria-style negative slop.
That said, not every entry (of the half dozen or so collection) on the weekly “Good List” necessarily tickles my personal toes of course. But so far (i.e. 8 issues to date) I always discover at least 1 or 2 truly remarkable digital treats that make me momentarily smile and brighten my Wednesday.
Just to highlight a few:
How would you like to see your name depicted in NASA’s land satellite images?
A satellite view of “DYANNE” spelled out in NASA’s geographical database – kewl! 🙂
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Or… tune in to see a live-stream of a pair of wild Bald Eagles caring for their little eaglet…
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Or how ’bout digitally meandering around the “Happy Map” – an interactive experiment in “Mapping Happiness”. In 2017, more than 10,000 people shared their “happy moments” – both small moments (e.g. sipping a latte or relishing the first bite into a custard filled Dunkin’ Donut), along with major euphoric events (like nabbing that promotion or quitting your job and starting your own business). So too, the pleasure of moments you don’t control (like receiving a gift from a friend, or a sudden hug from your 11-going-on-30 year-old pre-teen son).
Participants answered two simple questions: What made you happy in the last 24 hours? and What about in the past 3 months? The answers are fascinating, and you can even filter the map for single vs. partnered, age group, gender, U.S. vs. non-U.S. (like me), etc.
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A bit of NYC Subway music perhaps? No less than 800+ trains each w/ a tone attached, as they move in real time: Train Jazz.
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An utterly amazing assortment of both literary and visual techno wizardry at the “HTML Review” site (#you’rewelcome).
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An interactive (live-stream) FISH DOORBELL, anyone? Simply tune in whenever you have a moment – and tap the underwater “doorbell” to help a stray fish struggling to swim upstream to spawn in a manually operated lock in The Netherlands . Note: only March – May and generally takes ~ 6 min. to see a fish. But still… beats reading the latest (generally non-productive) update in the Nancy Guthrie investigation, no?
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Or… my (admittedly excessive and peculiar lifelong preoccupation) personal fave to-date:
A presently ongoing (as of this morning, still not found) HUNT FOR BURIED TREASURE! Alas hidden in San Francisco, so no way am I about to fly off this mountain-top in Ecuador to personally take part in the frenetic scramble up hill ‘n Frisco dale (not to mention, sadly a bit too dodderin even if I was still living nearishby in Seattle). But still…
Trust that it’s been awfully fun to tune into the minute-by-minute shenanigans of the many amateur detectives on Reddit each morning who are all feverishly trying to solve the (deliberately ambiguous/confounding of course) poetic clues in hopes of being the first to (literally) “unearth” the $10,000 treasure (10k $1 coin) “doubloons”.
~ DISCLAIMER~(a.k.a. all that said…) Now I’m not at all suggesting/encouraging you to INCREASE your weekly screentime by subscribing to The Good List – g-knows we all struggle with that 21st Century malady as it is. Shoot, apparently even we (allegedly techno-phobic) dodderin’ Boomers average 5 hours on-screen per day. And though I try my darndest – even I have necessarily taken to pushing myself to rise an hour early – simply to manage my brief (20 min. max – I actually set a timer) daily world news review, sort my latest emails, and – yes of course – catch up on touching base with friends and family around the globe via a short soiree on Facebook. All I’m saying is – with a little help from smart folks at respected sources like the NYT – this little weekly “Good List” can at least tilt the digital noise in a positive direction. |
And BTW, for those fellow dodderin’s on a slim pension… I long ago (and continue annually) to personally negotiate a most economical NYT subscription. Currently, I’m able to read the entire NYT site (not just the “games”) for a mere $4/mo.
P. S. New here and curious who I am? Check my bio to learn more! Better yet, subscribe to my email list (so you never miss a single post) and get a pdf of my 30+ Best Travel Tips (trust me, at least one is sure to be a revelation).
About the Author
Dyanne Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion,and I’ve always lived life “like-a-kid-in-a-candy-store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been: This ain’t a dress rehearsal, folks!
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Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion, and I’ve always lived life “like a kid in a candy store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been:
