A good friend of mine recently visited some relatives in Oregon. Among her activities there, she went to Washington Square for some serious shopping. As she went to the car with all her packages, she realized she had left her backpack (purse) on a bench in the mall.

Frantically she rushed back into the mall, hoping to find her bag where she had left it. No luck! Panic time! Security suggested she check in some shops adjacent to the "bench." She checked in a couple of shops, with no good news.

Having very little hope, she checked in yet another shop: YES, someone had left her backpack, hoping the owner would meet up with it. My friend was so relieved and so thankful that an honest, caring person had found her bag. Her only regret is that she didn’t know the good Samaritan's name and contact number so she could thank her/him. It's a NICE story, nonetheless.

Takayo -- Pearl City, HI

Gates spoofs are everywhere, but this was a little to close to home.

Someone erected "The Cheese Cracker Gates" near the West 90th Street section of the park and did so brazenly close to a stand of the real Gates. Onlookers speculated that the cheese crackers were indeed Keebler brand products as opposed to cheap knock-off crackers sold in area Bodegas. This Christo & Jeanne-Claude inspired artist obviously has great taste and attention to detail.

It is not known who was responsible for this installation, but the flocks of Upper West Side pigeons thank them for what should prove to be an excellent meal.

NICE Staff -- New York, NY

Here are photos from the last weekend of The Gates installation in Central Park. Removal of The Gates begins tomorrow, Monday, February 28.

I decided to spend most of the day at the northern end of the park, around the Harlem Meer, perhaps the most beautiful water feature in the park.



We found this Gates worker holding court on the way to the Museum of Modern Art. There were an army of Gates employees tending to the installation all day long. Most were hanging amongst themselves in groups, some were fielding questions from visitors like this guy, and still others were giving away small samples of the actual saffron colored fabric used on The Gates.



Finally, we saw these two making snow angels near the West 100th Street entrance. The Gates are cool, but piles of the snow in the park are much, much cooler.



Photos: D. Robert

Games are fun. NICE will periodically feature cool and fun games that you can play while passing time at work, contemplating your next novel or hiding from crazy relatives visiting for the holidays.

Thank you to the ever clued-in T. Mac for bringing this game to our attention. Many of you already know about the obsession inspiring Googlewhack, a game that seems to have been invented in the early century by a group of insane webbies. The Googlewhack site, run by Gary Stock, a veteran search entrepreneur from Kalamazoo, Michigan, allows all Googlewhackers of the world to verify and post their most treasured whacks. As of this posting, over 472,000 Googlewhacks have been recorded on the site.

So, what the heck is a Googlewhack? It's simply when Google only finds one match for a two word search. There are some rules, like no proper nouns and English only, please. But, you mostly have your creative and cognitive abilities to toil with. Googlewhacking can absolutely consume you.

I, for instance, could not stop myself for a solid half-hour bout with Google yesterday. After learning of the game I sat and pounded out two word combinations like there was no tomorrow. 'Pickle Remediation', 'Flipper Postulate', 'Grumpy Camel', 'Percolate Zydeco'. You get the picture. The idea is to pick two completely unrelated words such that they could not possibly exist together on the same webpage but once. The golden moment is when it happens: only one Google search result, otherwise known as a pure Googlewhack.

To really set your accomplishment in stone, take your pure Googlewhack to the namesake website and verify your find and post your information to the Googlewhack Stack. The site is a project of Stock, who owns the popular online news-clipping service, Nexcerpt, and XML news feed service, Exfacto. He was formerly a Cryptanalyst with the National Security Agency and also runs UnBlinking, a site dedicated to inspiring people to search for the end of the internet. With search running through his veins, Stock is well qualified to run this gateway to everything 'whacky'.

Oh, by the way, you may be wondering if I ever found that ever-elusive Googlewhack. Indeed, I did: 'Hemorrhoidal Fizzle'. I am proud to say that I am now part of the esteemed Googlewhack Stack.

Excerpt from Googlewhack (12:30AM 02/26/05):
219. hemorrhoidal fizzle -- D. Robert -- New York, NY

D. Robert -- New York, NY

Read this article from The Boston Globe about the continuing success of Hargo and The Somerville Gates art installation in Massachusetts (see the Daily NICE post below from February 22). The website has reportedly received four million hits and Hargo has received offers from museums around the country to house his installation. All this for $3.50 and a bit of gumption. Yesterday was even declared "Hargo Day" by Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. Congrats, Hargo!

read The Boston Globe article

Plastic shopping bags are ubiquitous throughout the world. Many of us receive them on a daily basis from trips to the grocery store, the mall and even the local sandwich shop. Do you remember the days when you would come back from the supermarket with ten paper bags, half of them torn, the other half soaked from the melting ice cream? The plastic bags seemed to be a godsend, allowing you to carry all ten bags at once and not have to worry about breakage. And, come to find out that plastics bags are cheaper and require less energy to produce than their paper counterparts. So why does it seem like these plastic bags get such a bad wrap.

It’s probably because these bags have become an eye soar as our consumption has increased over the years. Worldwide, we produced 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags in 2002. That’s trillion with a ‘T’. In America alone we throw away 100 billion bags a year, recycling only 0.6 percent of them.

South Africa and Ireland have both taken measures to start curbing consumption of these bags in hopes of riding their streets from this unsightly liter bug. South Africa has required production of thicker, more durable bags to encourage reuse and not refuse. Ireland has imposed a 15 cent surcharge on plastic bags, encouraging citizens to shop with reusable bags instead. Kenya has recently taken notice of its plastic bag problem and solutions are being studied.

Plastic bags aren’t about to choke off life as we know it; however, they are a nuisance that we can all pitch in to make less so. Try to carry thin cloth shopping bags with you at all times in the trunk of your car or in your carry on luggage while travelling and use them whenever you have a chance. Even refuse bags when buying small items like candy or batteries. And when you do bring the bags home, either reuse them in your trashcans or for walking your dog (if you know what I mean). Finally, drop them off for recycling if your supermarket or local Wal Mart offers this service.

Just some food for thought.

D. Robert – New York, NY

*Statistics from Worldwatch Institute of Washington D.C.

The visual arts are great, don't get me wrong. We have memberships to the Metropolitan and Whitney and try to make it to other showings around town as much as possible. But, there is still something kind of wrong about the whole art gallery and museum thing that always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe it's the severity of the whole experience. Maybe it's the starchy people that are all around you at these places. Maybe it's the high admission price or too-fancy-for-me hors d'oeuvres at openings. I like the art -- definitely. I could probably do without the environmental contaminants that come with it.

Ah, then there are public space art shows. We went to one tonight at a community clinic called the Ryan Chelsea-Clinton Clinic (no relation to THE Chelsea Clinton) on the westside of Midtown Manhattan. Very low key event, and very sweet since it all had to do with a well meaning and very worthwhile organization that exists primarily to help others. There was a cool little trio playing Beatles and Jimi Hendrix covers, not-too-fancy pupus and pretty good cheap wine (Smoking Loon Merlot). The atmosphere was warm and familiar (felt like I was at my aunty's house for New Years Eve) and the art, although it wasn't like a show at the Guggenheim, was pleasant to the eye. So, the next time you are invited to a public space art opening, make a point to go and support the cause.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

I couldn't help myself. We all know that G.W. has done drugs in the past. We all know that he smoked weed and probably did cocaine. Some of us care, but most do not.

Now there are reportedly taped confessions by G.W. himself. Close adviser and presidential historian, Doug Wead, has recently come out with news several weeks ago about the tapes, which he made in 1998 while G.W. was contemplating a run for the White House. Of course, this story has spread like wildfire on the internet and traditional news outlets. The tapes have since been authenticated and shared with a reporter from The New York Times for further verification.

On the tapes, Bush is reportedly heard talking strategy about how to address questions about possible past drug use. He contemplates questions about both pot and cocaine.

Why is this story on NICE? Well, it's because we feel that honesty is the best policy, and good policy is always nice to have. Also, we just couldn't resist the name play with the title.

We will try not to get too political on this site; however, this was just too poetic.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

Thanks to Serge for sending this link in.

We all have love hate relationships with public restrooms. For the most part, we hate them. Once in a while, however, the toilet gods shine down on us and bless us with a beautiful, almost serene restroom experience.

This site, sponsored by restroom supplier, Cintas, gives us the opportunity to nominate our favorite restrooms and put it out for a public vote.

Give it a try: http://www.bestrestroom.com/index.html

Nice has marvelled at the transformative nature of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Central Park masterpiece, The Gates. We thought we'd never seen anything like it for a long, long time.

Until Hargo came along. The Somerville, Mass. artist -- and tabby cat lover -- has released to the world his vision for transformative, environmental art. Except, whereas The Gates works to redefine the 800+ acres of Central Park, Hargo's The Somerville Gates has a more modest focus: All 2,400 square feet of his Cambridge area apartment. But smaller is better, and much easier. Hargo's masterpiece took a mere 0.002 years to complete as opposed to the 26 years it took Christo and Jeanne-Claude. $3.50 vs. $25+ million. Does beauty not show in might? We certainly think so. Judge for yourself at www.not-rocket-science.com/gates.htm.

Great job, Hargo. We can't wait for your next installation.

The Desk Gates

The Media Gates

Photos: Hargo

Yesterday was President's Day, and the snowpeople amongst us were celebrating. New York City got five inches of snow Sunday night allowing for some creative snow building during yesterday's holiday.

We found this presidential snowman (he had a fancy derby on last night, but one of his human brethren must have availed him of it) in front of 211 W. 106th Street. We thought to ourselves, "doesn't Frosty look like an attractive candidate for 2008." You decide.

NICE Staff -- New York, NY


Photo: D. Robert

I came across this understated and telling piece of graffiti on the side of an old barn near the Catskills town of Margaretville.

Notice the honest nature of the message: "This club will stick together while it can." I wish more of us could have such modest ambitions. We as a society may not push forward quite as quickly, but I think we'd all be more in-tuned with our surroundings and be happier as a result. What do you all think?

D. Robert -- New York, NY


Photo: D. Robert

The USGS has set up three cameras around the Pu'u O'o vent of Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawai'i. This is the one that has been erupting since the early 80s. I'm sure you have seen footage of spouting lava and sheets of magma seeping into the ocean. Although Pu'u O'o is not currently spurting streams of lava into the air, there are apparently cool incandescence that can be seen after dark which are supposed to be spectacular. Hawai'i Standard Time is five hours earlier than on the east and two hours earlier than on the west coast. So, check the cam out late at night or first thing when you get into work.

Check it out the volcano cam here.


Photo: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Fan favorite (even Red Sox fans would have to agree), Bernie Williams -- centerfielder for the New York Yankees -- recently returned from a transformative trip to South America as one of the State Department's Cultural Ambassadors, joining luminaries such as Yo-Yo Ma, Frank McCourt, Daniel Libeskind and Wynton Marsalis.

Bernie traveled to Venezuela and Colombia to lead several baseball clinics for children. He also met with the U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela and lunched with local Colombian leaders. He even played a couple of concerts (Bernie plays the guitar -- keep the day job).

The first of a reported four trips that Bernie will be making as a Cultural Ambassador, his willingness to extend himself beyond the safe confines of arguably the most enviable position to have in life (professional sports star is not too shabby) is admirable and inspiring.

see article in The New York Times

Check out contributor Adam Skolnick's crazy good article about Yoga in Bali, Indonesia’s only Hindu island in the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Adam was kind enough to offer Nice the opportunity to publish his article. This article can also be currently seen in the March / April 2005 issue of Yoga International.

Go to article at Nice Places

A favorite read of ours is the Back Fence section of The Oregonian newspaper.

Scroll down to the little thank you about the dog poop. Dog owners everywhere will relate.
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We can't seem to pin down the origin of this day, but there is a favorite Nice non-profit dedicated to this cause, and most probably the group responsible for it all. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is located in Denver and offers users free kindness websites, cool downloadable graphics and kindness curriculum for educators. They do not charge a fee and they surprisingly do not accept donations. In case you were wondering, they claim not to have a religious affiliation either.

This group was created in 1995 and is the U.S. delegate to the World Kindness Movement, first organized in 1996.

We can't argue with a movement dedicated to helping to make the world a nicer place to live. So, on this day (by-the-way, it's also Random Acts of Kindness Week), go out and do something nice for someone...just to do it.

NICE Staff -- New York, NY

What else can we ask dogs to do? They hunt, track, flush and point to prey. They herd other animals into place and are faithful companions (if not confidants). They rescue humans from various predicaments, fight, protect, haul sleds, yodel (yes, yodel), waddle, romp, leap, snort, howl, bark, solve problems, race like greyhounds and would shop for you if not for their lack of cash and thumbs.
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The German Shorthaired Pointer.

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Photo: The Westminster Kennel Club

All of these photos were taken at Madison Square Garden tonight, the final night of the Westminster Kennel Club's 129th Annual Dog Show. Dogs are pretty cool and very much our best friends. It was quite the experience -- my first dog show (and maybe my last).

***This is a story gathered from the field***

A friend of mine was going home last night after a long day of work and classes. In no mood to socialize or stop to smell the Valentine's Day roses, she simply wanted to get home and chill out with her son and husband, nothing else.

Getting off of the Roosevelt station in Queens, she noticed a fellow face down on the platform, passed out. Not an uncommon sight in New York. Neither was the sight of the other guy going through his pockets. In fairly typical New York fashion, everyone tucked their heads and pretended not to see what was going on. My friend, too, just kind of looked the other way and focused her mind on getting home to her family.

It's sad to know that this level of social disengagement can happen in a city. Would this happen in a smaller city or town? Perhaps, but, having lived in many different sized cities in my life, I would venture to say that this kind of incident would not go unnoticed or unattended to in most places. In the big city, the concept of humanity tends to get a little fuzzy.

Well, my friend had a clearing of her conscious half way down the platform walking toward the station exit. She decided that she couldn’t let this incident go down unabated. She immediately went to report the incident to the nearest MTA police station, which ended being several blocks away down the cold, rainy and windswept streets of Queens. Thank goodness.

Anonymous -- New York, NY

One of my favorite New York happenings is when I'm on the A, B, C or D train between 59th Street and 125th. It's one of those deals where the express track runs right next to the local. Once in a while, you get to ride right next to another train and peer into their strap-hanging world. It's a whole storybook. You always see a group laughing, many singles just staring at the advertisements, a Columbia student cramming for a test and maybe a crazy person or two talking to themselves.

Tonight, St. Valentine's Day, it was a particularly warming sight. Looking over into the glow of the newer and nicer A train from my dingier and more rickety B, I was treated to the sight of couple after couple in side-by-side embraces, all of them strangers to each other, but very comfortable with their love. It was very very nice to see.

Anyway, don't want to get too sappy here. Hope you had a great Valentine's Day.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

So, we're all hanging out in a bar on the near East Village, on E. 5th Street, celebrating the move of a very close friend to London. We reserved a corner of the bar on a Sunday afternoon thinking that we would beat the crowds and have the exclusive attention of the bartender.

We all filed in around 4ish, our surprised friend around 4:30, and we dealt drinks, passed around salt water taffy and hugged, kissed, talked and had a great time. Very understated, very much your normal gathering of friends.

Well, so happens that another group of like-minded, like-aged (maybe a touch older) folks had a similar idea for a celebration during the afternoon delight hours. They started pouring in in droves carrying balloons, cupcakes and little fuzzy presents. A birthday party? Cool, it'll be like Chuck E. Cheeses or something. Except, where are all the kids? I see little white dog, but no kids.

Then I saw the T-shirt, "I'm Nuts for Mutts." Then the singing started, "Happy Birthday dear Sam-O." Sam-O? They're all looking at Sam-O, the little white dog, as his "nuts mom" started feeding him a cup cake.

"Very cool," I thought, as I reached for a quarter to turn the vending machine for a handful of bar nuts.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

And the Grammy goes to ... ki ho'alu.

The instrumental multi-artist compilation "Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2" won the first-ever Grammy award in the Best Hawaiian Music Album category yesterday. The award was given out in an untelevised ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center just before the prime-time Grammy awards telecast at the neighboring Staples Center.
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It wasn't the romantic Valentine's Day (news - web sites) rendezvous the South African public eagerly anticipated, but zoo officials hope a newly matched gorilla pair can still hit it off.
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All of these photos were taken at The Great Hill at 7:45 AM. This is the highest point in the park, located at the northwest corner, at the W. 106th Street and Central Park West entrance.

With flowing fabric the color of a sunrise, ``The Gates'' -- a massive public art installation -- was unfurled Saturday for the start of a 16-day stay transforming miles of footpaths in Central Park.
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The Gates, by husband and wife environmental artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, has cast its veil over Central Park. See how 25 years of persistence and belief in a vision can pay off big.

Members of Nice Magazine staff blew-off a little steam last night at The Slaughtered Lamb in the West Village of New York.

It's the economy, Cupid.

The number of young Americans meeting, dating and marrying fellow workers is on the rise in the United States, as more singles than ever work ever-longer hours, says a new report.

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Arthur Miller, a titan of American theater who wrote "Death of a Salesman" and was revered as a playwright who spoke for the common man, has died. He was 89.

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Almost eight years after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, announced today that he would marry Camilla Parker Bowles, his longtime love and Diana's onetime rival in a triangle haunted by rumor, scandal and secret passion.
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I'm used to saying, "Gung Hee Fat Choy", but I can adjust to change.

Today is the first day of the lunar new year. It's the year of the rooster. According to the Chinese, roosters are industrious, decisive, self-assured and independent and out-spoken. Famous roosters include Mia Farrow and Yoko Ono.

Many of you have probably already heard the news, but this year is not supposed to be a good one for marriage. So, all you newly weds to-be, don't count your chickens before they hatch. Is sarcasm and cynicism nice?

D. Robert -- New York, NY

A Palestinian man died on Wednesday after he was hit by gunfire from a Gaza Jewish settlement, in the first conflict-related fatality since Israel and the Palestinians declared a truce a day ago, medics said.

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Giving up candy for Lent, the Christian season that begins today, may be a good choice for children, an El Paso priest said.

But mature Christians must do something much more significant in the weeks leading up the annual celebration of Christ's resurrection, said the Rev. Bill Ryan, priest at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

"You should be doing something helpful, service to people or charity, not just giving up something," Ryan said. "If you give up something, who cares? I call that a cheap Lent."

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When a local business needed help translating its packaging materials into a foreign language for international sale, the phone started ringing at the International Institute of Buffalo.

A nonprofit organization, the International Institute also counts area banks, law firms and courts among the clients it serves through its translating and interpreting department, a program that brings in gross revenues of about $400,000 every year, or a third of its total revenues.

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You've all heard by now that a cease-fire agreement has been reached between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Egypt today, the first of its kind in more than four years. Although a small step toward any kind of lasting peace in the Middle East, seems like one we can all take with a grain of optimism and hope for the best.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

Kids today have a 'me, me, me' reputation. For many teens, life is about how much they have, not how much they give.

As a parent, how do you encourage your child to volunteer? News 10 Now's Casey Kelly introduces us to one woman who has ideas on how to raise a giving family.

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More than 2,000 of the world's rich and powerful checked out of the luxurious Swiss ski resort in Davos on Sunday after five days of talks on how to improve the world, particularly by stamping out poverty, fighting diseases and bringing peace to the Middle East and elsewhere.

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