R-E-S, er, C-U-E (my apologies, Aretha)...

A lot of people have weighed in on Michael Vick and the fallout from his prison sentence and subsequent reinstatement to the NFL. As a football fan, an animal lover and inveterate believer that people are basically good, I don't know what to think. On one hand, his actions were despicable and disgusting. But on the other, I do agree with what a Phildelphia woman told the Philly Inquirer - if you don't allow someone a second chance, why should they try to better themselves? I wish he'd apologized more directly and seemed truly committed to animal welfare, but I guess I'm just going to wait and see with that one.

However, my moral quandary did not keep me from laughing out loud at a story on FoxSports on MSN. The Main Line Animal Rescue League (based in DC and just outside Philadelphia) has begun placing ads in the newspapers of each of the cities the Philadelphia Eagles play, offering to donate five bags of food to animal shelters for every time Vick is tackled. Bill Smith, founder and CEO of the shelter, did say that since Vick is hard to catch, a minimum donation will be made even if the new Philly QB is not tackled.

Another major news network, ABC News, featured an initiative by the organization Pilots N Paws. This week, the rescue group aims to transport 5000 homeless animals from death row at their respective shelters to other shelters or foster homes across the country. Founded in 2008, Pilots N Paws helps alleviate the problem of transporting shelter animals long distances. When an animal is transferred from a shelter in one state to another, the journey by car or truck is long and requires frequent stops and vehicle changes, all of which is traumatizing to a group of animals who have enough to deal with. Volunteer pilots are giving their time, and some flight schools are donating their planes so the organization can fulfill its goal by Sept. 20.

PetSmart Charities has a similar mission to Pilots N Paws - the Rescue Waggin'. How cute is that?? According to The Canadian Press (via Google Hosted News), the tricked out trucks (specially constructed with air conditioning, piped in music and video cameras so the dogs can be monitored) have transported over 29,000 animals from communities with high euthanasia rates to ones with high adoption rates since 2004. The animals are moved from shelters all across the US to the Washington Animal Rescue League in DC, where they receive medical examination, social and behavioral training and, hopefully, new homes. The facility sounds like doggy Eden - a full service hospital, behavior school and cageless facility complete with cascading waterfall.

(Photo courtesy of doggienews.com)

It's the Economy, Stupid...

So goes the famous saying on James Carville's white board in the 1990s. That could be the answer to a lot of questions these days as well. It's made us rethink a lot of our habits and patterns in all areas of our lives. I am definitely guilty of it; anyone who knows me knows of my obsession and conspicuous consumption of kitchen tools. I actually spent part of this afternoon's lunch explaining to my coworker how to use a grapefruit sectioner. To which our administrative assistant replied, "I just use a knife." 

Fair enough.

But I also have caught myself examining my habits as well. Knocking on any and all available wood, I have not (yet) been affected by the economy, so when I get the mail every day and see another letter from a charitable organization, I remind myself I do not, in fact, need a (insert latest-gadget-from-Williams-Sonoma-I'm-drooling-over here) and could instead send $10 to the MSPCA or Save the Children. The one thing I do wish they would stop doing is sending me address labels. Oh, March of Dimes, you want to offer me free address labels? Thanks, but the World Wildlife Fund, the Mass. State Troopers and the Red Cross beat you to it...

The stories I found today revolve around people who share my mind-set of remembering others before spending on myself. I am personally of the opinion that this is the silver lining to this current crisis. The Duluth News-Tribune highlights local restaurant owners who, working together with the community, sponsor once-a-week free lunches for veterans from a local rest home. The gratitude the husband and wife ownership feel for the veterans' sacrifices really come through in the interview.

The Toledo Blade appears to be doing a series on how local people are coping with the economy. This installment concerns a retired couple who are helping their less fortunate neighbors wherever they can since they themselves have not yet suffered a massive loss in the stock market. 

A volunteer writes a first-hand account in crosscut.com of a man she helped as he turned his life around after serving a prison term. The story, based out of a tent city in the outskirts of Seattle, reminds you that it is possible to turn things around with some hard work. 

The last story isn't strictly people reviewing habits, but I thought it was a nice little roundup. The Columbia County News-Times published a list of local good news and accomplishments. Maybe it's because I'm from a small town and I grew up in economic prosperity, so these types of things actually were news back then, but I really enjoyed just reading about all the little things the county appreciated.

Drawing inspiration from everyday people...

The stories I found today trended more toward ordinary people stepping out of themselves and their immediate concerns to help others, regardless of their own personal situations. These are the types of stories I wish they would focus on more in the news. I know there's the big call for good news out there now, and I hope it's not just a transient function of the crappy economy. I hope even a small spotlight continues to shine on stories like these even after the world recovers from the latest downturn in the economy. 

This first article was written by a local police officer in Hingham for wickedlocal.com. I think it's particularly telling that someone who works in a profession generally considered to be full of heroes took time to write about someone who, as he put it, "has not sworn an oath to protect others."

Personally, I think there is very little more inspiring than the stories of those who suffered through the Holocaust. Those people experienced the very worst human nature and society could dream up and used often little more than their will to survive. That's why I really enjoyed the recap in the Holyoke Enterprise of a Polish Holocaust survivor who moved to Nebraska after he was liberated from Buchenwald. 

In one of the stories I've read in the last few days, a reporter brought up the point that often good news arises out of a bad situation. It's people triumphing over unfortunate circumstances. The Red River out in Minnesota has been rising and is projected to rise higher than it's ever been before, already past the destruction point from the last flood in 1997. Much of the news has been devoted to disaster predictions and evacuations, but mndaily.com had a reporter who chose to focus on the good that's being done in the area even as the waters continue to rise. People from all over the state and country are coming together to help those in the affected area. This story highlights the thousands of people who convened in the Fargodome to pack the desperately needed sandbags used to protect towns and homes. 

This last story is not particularly inspirational, but when I saw it in the New York Times, it immediately made me think of all my coffee-addicted friends, especially the ones who work in sports. : ) Here you go, Stef...