I'm gonna dive straight into this one by posing a philosophical question I woke up with; are "Sunday scaries"actually scary when you're in the midst of a global pandemic?
My conclusion? NOPE! It's just another day.
And whether you agree with my reasoning or not (I almost minored in philosophy so you may want to think twice before you refute my claim), there's still plenty of good news to brighten your day - no matter what level you're starting at.
What's that I see in the sky? A silver lining?
If you have suggestions for the newsletter, better jokes I could add-in, or just want to chat - email itsgoodnewsdudes@gmail.com
Speaking of Wuhan, here’s a video of smiling medical workers taking off their masks to celebrate the closure of the now unnecessary makeshift hospitals in Wuhan! More good news, restrictions on movement in China are being eased (people can move around, extroverts rejoice) as some supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail businesses are allowed to re-open. In Hangzhou, cinemas, libraries, and museums are allowed to reopen. And bonus, after a month of closure, all Apple stores in China are back open!
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the situation in China, “Wuhan provides hope for the rest of the world that even the most severe situation can be turned around. Of course, we must exercise caution; the situation can reverse. But the experience of cities and countries that have pushed back this coronavirus gives hope and courage to the rest of the world."
And SHOUT OUT to South Korea for already taking that message of hope; as of March 17th, they only reported 74 new cases, compared to the 909 that were reported just over two weeks earlier on Feb. 29th, making them an exemplary model for other countries to emulate. What’s their secret? Maybe she’s born with it. Or maybe it’s their expansive and well-organized testing program, combined with their efforts to isolate infected people and trace and quarantine all their contacts. Ya. It’s definitely the second one.
To compare, South Korea used 5200 tests per million inhabitants, the US (at the time of this article) only used 74 per million. I’m thinking we all collectively send Donald the Step-Up movies until he gets the hint.
Hot, recognizable people are doing good things
My good personal friends Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have donated one million dollars to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada.(Ps. If anyone can actually hook me up with Hugh Jackman’s # that’d be great).
Rihanna’s foundation, Clara Lionel Foundation, just donated $5 million to help fight COVID-19; making this officially the best money spent since the same queen dropped 15k at a strip club in Houston back in 2016.
Bill Gates donated $50 million dollars (!!) through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to 12 different pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms that are working to develop a vaccine against the virus. Best part? The money has a catch - whichever company develops the vaccine must make it affordable and accessible to everyone. Hoping in on the giving train is Wellcome, who threw in $50 million, and the Mastercard Impact Fund with $25 million - totalling $125 million going to people working to make a vaccine. I’ve never been fired up about the pharmaceutical industry but LET'S GO BOYS.
A side bar to people with money, it’s definitely a good time to flex your wealth, just swap out the new Rolex for a donation to any of these foundations.
Apparently, the internet is a good place now?
The Times podcast, The Daily, released a special episode about the ways people are connecting during the era of "social distancing". From virtual birthday parties to yoga classes listen to tech reporter, Kevin Rose, explain how the internet suddenly became a nice place.
Wholesome content: Michelin-Star Italian chef Massimo Bottura started teaching daily cooking classes through his Instagram (emphasis on the covetedMichelin-star). The series is called “Kitchen Quarantine” and his voice has a soothing yet animated quality that makes me inexplicably excited.
In news that's not at all related to COVID-19 (we all need a break), there's a 93-year-old named Bonnie from Hartley, Iowa who gets up early every morning to wave at the school bus that goes by her house. It was her birthday last Sunday, so the Friday before that weekend the kids and bus driver stopped to return the kindness. Judy, who posted the original video, declared via Facebook status that March 15th should be National "Be Like Bonnie Day", we agree.
(I'm not fully convinced that this is real for the SOLE fact that the bus driver sounds like the archetype of a midwestern bus driver whose name is probably Kevin)
