Attention, Grey's Anatomy producers...

After the glut of hospital/doctor shows in the late '90s, I refused to catch the tidal wave that is Grey's Anatomy. I personally do not feel like I've lost anything by not keeping up with Meredith and McDreamy, but the look on people's faces when they realize their breathless retelling of the best parts of last night's Grey's made absolutely no sense to me is preciously comical. 

However, the three stories I have today all involve kidney transplants and have all the elements of being "made for TV." 

My college roomie Michelle sent this first one my way from AOL.com. Rita Van Loenen, a 63 year-old woman from Arizona, made trips to her dialysis appointments in Tom Chappell's taxi after she was diagnosed with kidney disease and one transplant had already been rejected. Chappell decided to put his name on the list to be tested for a match after several of Van Loenen's family members tested negative. He turned out to be a perfect match and will give his long-time passenger a kidney. Chappell's employers are so pleased with his decision, they are covering his wages for the entire, four-to-six week recovery time. 

MSNBC had a story awhile back on a massive, 14-person kidney swap. Dr. J. Keith Melancon performed a "domino transplant" between six males and eight females over a four-day period. Most of the participants who donated were involved because a loved one of theirs needed a transplant. Two people were "altruistic donors" and knew none of the recipients personally. 

Dr. Melancon performed his surgery at Georgetown Hospital, but doctors at UCSD Medical Center recently performed San Diego County's first paired donor kidney swap. Patti Ford had been on the national waiting list for four years and was receiving dialysis, while Paul Bryan had been waiting six months and was about to start dialysis. Ford's husband, Patrick, donated a kidney to Paul, while Bryan's wife, Robyn, donated one of hers to Patti. All four are doing fine, according to their physicians and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

(Photo courtesy of MSNBC)

Opposite day...

When I (and I imagine most people) were little, my friends and I would periodically declare it "Opposite Day" - when you meant the opposite of everything you said. It gave you license to say the most horrible or ridiculous things and get a pass. Someone must have forgotten to tell me today had been declared such a day since the two stories I have definitely turn perspective sideways. In fact the second one might actually be considered a sign of the apocalypse. 

Recently I have become obsessed with a TV show on TNT called "Leverage." It's basically about a band of thieves who have turned into modern day Robin Hoods, helping everyday people who have been taken advantage of by the rich and powerful. I have absolutely no idea why I started watching it now since the first season and half of the second had passed without me noticing. But now I'm absolutely hooked. So the story in the Calgary Herald about "putpocketers" made me laugh out loud. Sponsored by TalkTalk, a broadband station in London, 20 former pick-pockets are putting 100,000 English pounds INTO unsuspecting citizens' pockets and purses. The random acts of kindness will continue in London until the end of August before rolling out to the rest of the nation. 

In a double-example of Opposite Day, my second story is both the aforementioned apocalyptic indicator as well as a feature on a reality TV show. This is now twice in the last couple of weeks I am highlighting a genre I totally abhor. Which I guess is another sign of impending doom... But YouTube has a video of the latest Susan Boyle-type success from "The X-Factor" - Great Britain's version of American Idol. Only Danyl Johnson, a 27 year-old teacher from Reading, is extremely good-looking and much more self-assured. Salty curmudgeon Simon Cowell called Johnson's audition "the best first audition I have ever heard" and actually seemed to enjoy himself during the performance, giving Johnson a standing ovation at the end. 

(Photo courtesy of Pop Culture Madness)

The facts of life...

Recently I had a conversation about all the old TV shows I used to watch when I was younger. While looking over stories for today, "The Facts of Life" popped into my head, particularly the theme song chorus - "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have, the facts of life..."

Ain't that the truth?

The downturn in the economy has been bad for a lot of things, but apparently it has succeeded in a small way in bringing jobs back to the US. Sallie Mae reported earlier in the week it will be bringing out-sourced jobs back into America. The company is looking to bring 2000 jobs in by October 2010, with 600 located at the Wilkes-Barre, Pa. facility. (Yahoo!)

The New Jersey Leader reported on a local success story, a man who has turned the economy into an opportunity. By lowering his rental prices slightly and connecting with tenants who also thought outside the box in terms of launching or expanding businesses now, he's generating revenue for himself and helping local residents access necessary services. 

And I know I've said this before, but the most satisfying (for me at least) good news is the kind that comes out of a bad situation. The New Britain Herald tells the story of a young military couple surprised by a large rental bill and how the town's elected officials came to their aid. Politicians can get a bad rap, but in this case, you meet some people you wish were in your town government.