Burn baby burn

It is times like these, when I slog, head hung, back to the blogosphere after a month of no posts, that I am very glad I never really promoted this thing in the first place.  It was always for me, first and foremost, and I just didn't feel the need to post.  So I didn't.

Today I am compelled to write, and it has nothing to do with weight.

The Johannes Mehserle verdict was announced yesterday, and last night Oakland burned.  I wasn't near any of it, but I have many coworkers who live in Oakland, and I hope they're ok.

I woke up this morning to photos of a city on fire.  And more news of BP.  And more stories of people walking away from mortgages.  And I went over to fark.com, my favorite internet hangout, and I found I just couldn't face the vitriol and bile of the comments threads this morning.  I scoured a few tabs looking for a story that I knew would have funny, cheerful comments instead of a bunch of people flaming each other into oblivion and found nothing.

So I'm writing this post because I'm tired of reading misery.  It's 7:30 a.m.  I haven't even made it into work yet.  As Terry Pratchett once wrote, "It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness."  This post is my little candle of happiness in the dark abyssal forest of today's news.  And while I will never win any awards for my analogies, that one was intentional.  Because in California, forests like to burn.  If you're reading this, light your own candle and post something happy.  Set the forest on fire.

Ok, so where's the happiness?  Coming right up!

First of all, a site I don't check nearly often enough.  The Great News Network
It says we should all call our moms today: http://www.greatnewsnetwork.org/index.php/news/article/mothers_phone_call_can_be_as_soothing_as_a_hug/

Next up, some selections from my "Break the funk" playlist that I pull out at times like these. It has:

Some excellent gospel, courtesy of The Boss himself:



Some guys in suits and sunglasses with harmonicas and the BEST DANCE MOVES EVER:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1ehMrK3itM&feature=related



Finally, some Leslie Nielson hilarity:





Now it's your turn.  Post something happy today!