My niece is the first one to submit a piece for Nice:

One morning the trash people were coming around our cul-de-sac and they dropped some trash on our neighbor, Paul's, driveway and since Paul wasn't home another neighbor came and started sweeping and cleaning up the trash, witch I might add is a long hard job and pretty discusting considering it was trash not to mention some one else's and Paul didn't even know what his neighbor did. :-)

-Anna

By D. Robert

I have an uncle who is known throughout his hometown as the legendary Candyman. No, this isn't the spooky legend depicted in the mid-90's b-film that took place in Chicago's Cabrini Green projects. He's the real live, really nice legend of Hilo, Hawai'i who decided several years ago (we're talking decades, really) to start carrying a bag of Braches, by-the-pound hard candies with him around town and pass them out to friends old and new -- for no reason at all.

Going into Longs Drugs to pick-up some saline solution? There he is, passing out candy. Getting your morning coffee at Mickey D's? There he is, passing out candy. Getting your haircut? Yup, you get the picture. Can we say omnipresent? Omnipotent, perhaps? He's all over town, all day, everyday. He did it wearing polyester slacks in the 70's, cotton Dockers in the 80's and 90's, and most probably a trusty pair of Depends at present. With a smile and a heartfelt, "Have one good one," he moves from hand to hand, passing out Braches absent any vanity, shame, and selfish intent; really, just doing it just to do it. Almost like the awe that is inspired by the sun’s daily rising and setting and the coming and going of the seasons, the Candyman’s steady presence brings a sense of joy and an eternal sense of goodness to those sweet toothed citizens of Hilo.

No one in the family knows exactly why uncle does this. Ask him, and he'd look right through you, like the question was never posed. It's just something that happens. That’s it. Some in the family think he’s crazy; and some hate the fact that they are related to the Candyman. But others of us see what really is the most important part of the story: Selfless acts, in any form, are wonderful and beautiful. Period.

By D. Robert

One way to do a nice thing everyday is to eat wisely. This means for you but and for the greater good. Hmmmm, what does that mean?

Of course, eat low fat / high carb, no carb / high fat, veggie, vegan, or surf-n-turf, whatever you do, eat good stuff for your own well-being. But the simple act of preparing that quickie low carb / no fat breakfast could also have global ramifications.

Why buy name brand cereal (where ungodly percentages of the money you spend go directly to someone foreboding marketing department) when you could buy granola from the local farmers market made by the (hardworking, and some would say, more deserving) hands of someone who at least pays the same property taxes as you do. And, in the case of the boxed cereal industry, some four or five corporations dominate global production (or so I’ve heard). So giving your neighborhood farmers market a chance may also help with a more even distribution of wealth. What say you?

There are oodles of other reasons why buying local produce and products is a good practice. Here's a couple of sites to turn to in case you were wondering: USDA Farmers Market Site; Food Routes.

Let’s get this project off the ground! Nice Magazine has an open call for submissions of stories, images, links and anything else depicting the best of the human condition. Please keep written submissions down to about 1,000 words; images would be best sent as JPEGs.

Quite simply, we’re interested in learning about nice people doing nice things. Nice will vet submissions and post the best of the best. We want this space to be a bit of relief for a world weary of badness and negativity.

Send stuff to: drobert@moderncharity.org

To my sweetheart.

Walking yesterday afternoon through the hotbed of activity which is the San Gennaro festival along Mulberry Street in New York, my partner pointed out a very nice and random act of kindness: A little boy at one of the skills booths had just won a coveted kid-sized stuffed animal, and, without hesitation, turned around and gave it to an even younger and littler girl passing by, a complete stranger to him.

Small and selfless acts like this are what Nice Magazine is all about. I encourage you to send me your stories of the human spirit at its absolute best. This space will post the best submissions of the day, everyday.