NICE Magazine favorite celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, yesterday delivered 271,000 signatures to United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair asking him to better feed UK school children. Oliver's Feed Me Better campaign seeks to improve the quality of school lunches throughout the country. Shocked by the fact that many school children he knew recognized fast food logos like those for Burger King and McDonalds more accurately than fresh foods like celery, Oliver knew right away that something had to be done. This kind of rootsy activism that Oliver uses is inspiration to all of us.
read the article in the BBC NEWS...

Columnist, Lucia Herndon, tells of how one of her stories about a residential facility that uses knitting as part of its substance abuse recovery program. After her story ran, hundreds of dollars and donated yarn were immediately sent to the Interim House by caring Philadelphians.
read the article in the Philadelphia Inquirer...

Vanderbilt University, the "Harvard of the South", has the nice fever. Students have organized Random Acts of Kindness Week from March 28 to April 1. Vanderbilt's version of this idea comes complete with public bulletin boards to declare gratitude and a "Mystery Kindness Patrol" that will document acts of kindness on campus.
read the article in The Vanderbilt Hustler...

Read about this Green Bay couple that have literally been peddling ever since their wedding in 1991. And that's not back-peddling, mind you -- it's all forward progress. Pam Aerts and her husband Michael Gerke are bicycling enthusiasts who make a living with peddle power. The two run a cleaning service, a recreational bicycling tour service and are certified bicyclist instructors. They bike everywhere. When not peddling paying customers around town, they are biking to their other job, cleaning houses and workplaces. They bike to the store and to visit friends and family. And, it's a year-round affair, which, in Green Bay, is admirable.

So why do it? The two cite the environmental, health and social benefits to biking. What's more, and quite simply, "It's doable", says Aerts.
read the article in The Green Bay News-Chronicle...

The newly formed Random Acts of Kindness Club on the University of Pennsylvania campus has hit a road block in its inaugural year: Laziness. Not uncommon for a college campus, I presume, but the Club is short several umbrellas because of it.

As their first act of kindness, the Club set out a bunch of umbrellas on a recent rainy day and encouraged students to borrow them with the suggestion that they be returned during "sunnier weather." As you might have suspected, several of the umbrellas have not yet made their way back to the Kindness Club.

You have to expect these kinds of responses to random and anonymous kind acts. Perhaps it's a shame, but it won't stop this group of nice Penn students from continuing their quest. Next up: Free "cold survival kits", complete with medicine and tissues.
read the article in The Daily Pennsylvanian...

Dana Scott, sister of Columbine victim, Rachel Scott, is another piece of Rachel's legacy to help make ours a better world in which to live.
read the article in the News-Record...

This came from a recent press release -- an example of progress on our country's energy front:

Orange peel is to be used to help power a rest stop at on a Florida interstate.

The state of Florida is famous for its orange groves and produces in the region of eight million tons of orange peel every year.

Ener1, a Florida-based company, intends to use the hydrogen-rich gas emitted by orange peel as a renewable energy source.

The firm has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Florida Hydrogen
Initiative.

"This landmark project allows us to publicly demonstrate how our renewable energy technology translates directly into applications that can have an immediate impact on the environment and the energy needs facing Florida and other parts of the world," said Kevin Fitzgerald, chief executive of Ener1.

"This is just a single application, but one that can be duplicated wherever the need exists.

"We look forward to working closely with the Florida Hydrogen Initiative and representatives of the citrus industry to show the potential of this technology."

It is hoped that the project will help raise the profile of fuel cells as a means of providing renewable energy.

Rachel Scott was a 17 year-old victim of the Columbine school shootings in 1999. Her father, Darrell Scott, and family have created Rachel's Challenge, a program to help schools, students and parents address the challenges faced by our youth and stop school violence.

The program will be run in 18 southwest Louisiana schools thanks to the generosity of many area businesses.
read the article in the Sulphur Southwest Daily News...

Kathryn Shakeel, of Lisbon, Connecticut, told a story in the newspaper, The Day, about New London police officer, Anthony Nolan, anonymously paid the bill for her and her family while at the State Street Diner recently. Just like that. No accolades or pats on the back for Mr. Nolan. He apparently just wanted to do something nice for a young family enjoying a nice Saturday morning together.
read the piece in The Day...

A Canadian teacher with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, gets a visit from hundreds (500, to be exact) of her former students who wanted to let her know just how important a part of their lives she is. Now, that's gratitude. And, that's a teacher who has made a difference.
read the article in The Enid News & Eagle...

Local Idaho women, Kelly Anderson and Donna Frye, have taken it upon themselves to help keep the spirits of Iraqi children up and their hopes and dreams alive. The two have organized an effort to collect toys and essentials to send over to Frye's husband, Lt. Jon Frye, and the Idaho Army Guard's 116th Brigade Combat Team in Iraq. The Brigade members visit area hospitals and shelters and give the gifts out to the children. You can contact Anderson at kellysidahoheroes@yahoo.com. You can send items to: Kelly's Idaho Heroes, care of Rocky Mountain Fitness at 875 E. Plaza Dr., Suite 101, Eagle, ID.
read the piece in the The Idaho Statesman...

People in Hawai'i are full of life and spirit. Just ask the war-wreary troops in Iraq. Read specialist, Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo's account of the recent arrival of a Brigade of National Guard and Army Reservists from Hawai'i to the Logistical Support Area Anaconda in Iraq. Tamayo, a former state representative in Hawai'i, tells of the Hawai'i troops spreading aloha where and when they can.
read the article in The Honolulu Advertiser...

Antoinette Boissoneau of Acushnet, Massachusetts, has knitted an estimated 5,000 baby caps for an area hospital. She has been knitting non-stop for nearly 12 years. Why does she do it? "They need bonnets, and I can knit, so I knit," so said Boissoneau. You have to love straight shooters, and we certainly love Ms. Boissoneau for her honesty and extreme generosity.
read the article in The Standard-Times...

Before the 1,100 mile Iditarod dog sled race got it's start in 1973, many in the sport occupied their time retelling the story of the 'Serum Run'. In 1925, an outbreak of diphtheria hit residents of the remote gold-rush town of Nome, Alaska and word got out that the town's supply of serum was rapidly running out.

A team of 20 men and their dogs rallied together and set out from Nenana to cover the 674 miles to deliver 300,000 units of medicine. This heroic and nicest of acts immortalized team members including Leonhard Seppala and Gunnar Kaasen and dogs like Balto and Togo. There's even a statue of Balto somewhere in Central Park (if anyone knows, please let us know).

Today, the Serum Run lives on in the tracks of the Iditarod. It's a wonderful testament to a truly selfless act.
read the article in The Mercury News...

These University of Texas at Arlington students decided to use their spring break time to do some good for the environment and for themselves. These people prove that volunteering can be a healthy mix of fun and work.
read the article in The Shorthorn Online

Seems like most of these nice stories are coming out of the Midwest lately. C'mon coastal people, you have to represent.

This is a subtle "wow" story. High school seniors from Roeper School in Birmingham, Michigan, decided in January to donate all of their spring break senior trip savings to Oxfam for Tsunami relief efforts. This is money that the class has been saving for six years...yup, you heard me right, six. Could you imagine? You're an adolescent growing into your teen years, saving up money for a dreamy spring break trip every year, for six years. It's a lot to build up toward. Then, a global tragedy strikes and you're first reaction, and that of all of your classmates, is to sacrifice your wellbeing for the greater good.

The story gets better. The Detroit Pistons professional basketball team caught wind of the story and honored the senior class at half time of one of its January home games. The Pistons also wrote the class a check matching their donated spring break funds. So, what does the class do? With philanthropy running through their veins, they decide not to swing down to the beaches of Florida or Padre Island, but instead decide to organize a class trip to North Carolina to participate in a Habitat for Humanity house building project. Um, can you say, "unreal?" Many kudos to the Roeper School Class of 2005!
read The Detroit News article...

A graduate and current custodian of Madison East High School in Wisconsin decided to donate $5,000 to renovate the theater. Jim Ely reportedly felt that the theater he once loved was in too bad a state of disrepair and couldn't wait for money to be appropriated to fix it. So, he garnered up his own hard earned cash and gave it to the school.

Fellow Madison East graduate, Bradley Whitford, of the hit television show, "West Wing", got wind of the story and decided to Match Ely's gift dollar-for-dollar. Pretty good stuff.
read the story on the NBC15 website...

A post about a warm weather person getting help from a stranger in a cold weather town.
read the post in The Seattle Times

Some people like to give back to family or their church, some to their favorite charities or their alma mater. There are still others that like to give back to civic causes.

In Birmingham, Michigan, it seems like everyone is giving back to the city. A group of architects a few weeks ago donated their talents to the redesign of a local park, saving the city $30,000 in design fees. And more recently, an anonymous person dropped of another set of plans for a parking garage and park that saved the city another $80,000. This is an amazing string of events in this somewhat quiet town outside of Detroit.
read the Eccentric article...

Just a short reminder that to "make it" in this world doesn't mean being the biggest, best and greatest. Lincoln High School of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin has a program called the 'Lunch Bunch', which honors students not for athletic or academic achievement, but for volunteerism and personal achievements in a particular department. This program ensures that all segments of the student body understand that they are equally important parts of the community. We think it's a great idea, and one that should become more the norm than a novelty.
read the Daily Tribune article...

The Youth & Philanthropy Initiative program in Western Canada encourages teenagers to research charities and advocate for their favorites in a grantmaking contest. The winning pitch is awarded a $5,000 grant toward the charity. Another innovative way to promote a nicer world to the next generation of nice people.
read the article in The Globe and Mail

Millersville Elementary School in Annapolis, Maryland held a monthlong contest to see which student to compile the longest list of kind acts. What a great concept.

The winner, 10-year-old Stephanie Hasenei, won the "Kindest Student" award by tutoring kids at a daycare center and helping out with chores at home.
read the article in The Capital...

Let's hear your stories from the field. Submit your NICE story and we'll get it up, pronto. Just try to keep it around 500 words or less and, or course, the story must be about something or someone nice.

Take as much creative latitude as you like. You know from our past postings that the definition of NICE is very broad and inclusive. Have fun with it. You'll find reporting nice stories liberating and thought provoking. Give it a try...

NICE Staff -- New York, NY

Check out these two stories that take place in and around Madison, Wisconsin.

The first tells of the proverbial lost purse that gets returned with everything still intact. Except this time, the anonymous person who found the purse went beyond by slipping in a gift certificate.

The second tells of a woman who gets a flat tire and is saved by a special tire-changing teenager who volunteered to help her out.
read the stories in the Wisconsin State Journal...

These 4th graders in a Tinley Park, Illinois school helped to sustain troops in Iraq by sending care packages and letters to the older brother of one of their classmates. Read about how Marine Cpl. John Buck repaid their kindness by visiting them with pizzas in hand during a recent trip back home.
read the Daily Southtown article...

This is our second find from the Peoria Journal Star. This paper runs a column called "Random Acts of Kindness", so they're already ahead of the game.

Read this cool little submission to that paper about a woman who was about to buy a child seat at Wal Mart when the person in front of her offered to give an identical chair to her for free. All the giver wanted was for this person to "pay it forward." Many of us saw the namesake movie with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment. Like the movie or not, the concept is pretty solid: Get a gift, pay it forward and watch the world become a nicer place.
read the piece in the Journal Star...

Scouts in Hurley, Michigan were deputized as Kindness Kops, charged by local officials to cite people for "Random Acts of Kindness." We love it.
see the article in the Ironwood Daily Globe...

Auction for charity. eBay has a wonderful service called Giving Works, which allow sellers and non-profits to post items as a fundraiser. Buyers get the same eBay treasures, only knowing that the money is going to a good place.

eBay recently announced that it will donate up to $2 million per year of auction fees generated through their Giving Works site.

Giving Works has raised more than $40 million since 2000. Now that is a well functioning online fundraising program. Many companies sprouted up during the tech boom with promises of raising millions for charities. eBay's Giving Works is one of a very small few that have made it.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

You've already heard of the amazing case of how Ashley Smith coaxed mass murderer, Brian Nichols, to release her and her daughter while he held them captive in their apartment in Duluth, Georgia.

NICE really took notice of the case (it was hard to avoid the news coverage) after reading about the manner in which Smith handled the situation and counseled Nichols into letting them go. She reportedly talked to him, listened to his problems and offered solutions. They stayed up all night (she was taken hostage at 2 AM Saturday morning and released at 9:30 that same morning). He told her how exhausted he was. She talked to him about God and read to him from the book, "The Purpose Driven Life" by Christian author, Rick Warren. She also talked to him about her daughter and how she was already fatherless, so if he took Smith's life, her daughter wouldn't have any parents. And she's telling this to someone who just murdered four people, including a judge, and was also on trial for rape and false imprisonment. I mean, this was a bad actor who could easily have turned the situation upside down.

Now, all accounts of the case are from Smith's point-of-view. I'm sure this could all shake out differently in the end, but the fact of the matter is that Smith and her daughter survived. Equally amazing is the fact that Smith somehow calmed Nichols down to the point where he in fact peaceably surrendered to officials by waving a white flag from the window of Smith's apartment. This while having spent the past several days murdering and assaulting people in an effort to escape the law. Whether she coaxed him down with talk of God or her daughter's wellbeing are delicious details, for sure. The amazing fact, however, remains that a man on a thunderous rampage was subdued and changed by the words and instincts of a mild mannered single mom in her 20s whose only weapon was her passion for life. She didn’t have a million dollars, a Jag in the garage, fancy degrees or lunch dates at the local tennis club. Smith only had herself and her wits, and it proved to be all she needed.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

Andrea Berman loved to travel with her husband and kids, and not a year went by when plans for a family vacation weren’t in progress. Most years, vacations included a cruise, but visits to Disney World were also favorites for this active and close-knit family. That all came to a sudden halt in 2002, when Ed, Andrea’s husband and dad to 25 year old Allison and 23 year old Andrew, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma of the central nervous system. An architect, sports fan, and avid traveler, Ed ultimately succumbed to the disease after a seven month battle.

As a remembrance to the man with whom she shared over 30 years of marriage, Andrea decided to establish a volunteer organization that could help others in some small way. Using her own start up funds, her love for travel, a post office box, and a do-it-yourself web site, The Travel Angels group was born.

As a passenger on a cruise ship, Andrea one day realized that the housekeeping staff would leave small personal care items for her convenience – shampoo, conditioner, lotion, mending kits, soap. Preferring her own brands, she would never use the complimentary samples. BUT…what about homeless shelters and others who were dedicated to providing assistance to individuals who did not have the means to purchase products like soap and shampoo? Sample-size toiletries could make a difference in someone’s life. From that day forward, Andrea has been collecting these items on her travels, taking them home, and when her “donation boxes” are full, bringing them to local shelters. She hopes that others will pitch in too! In addition, on regular trips to the grocery store, she encourages shoppers to purchase just one travel size product – toothpaste, shaving cream, baby powder to go into the donation box. “Most cost under a dollar”, she says, “but you’ll be surprised how fast that box will fill!”

Andrea’s new web site, www.TheTravelAngels.com provides information on what is needed and where to send the items. (The Travel Angels, PO Box 101, Revere Beach, MA 02151) She publishes a monthly update with news of what’s been donated, who the generous “Angels” are, and who the recipients of the donations will be. This month, all donations are designated for “Project Home Again”, an organization which will be providing Mother’s Day gift bags to clients of a homeless shelter in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Please visit Andrea’s web site, and next time you’re on vacation, on a cruise, checking into a hotel, or just shopping at your local market, remember that you, too, can be a Travel Angel!

Andrea -- Revere Beach, MA

This cool little company from Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada, does their part in closing the recycling loop.

Did you know the widely used “crown” bottle cap was invented by a guy named William Painter in 1891? Did you know Canadians purchased nearly $8 billion worth of beer in 2002 to 2003? That’s nearly $250 worth of beer per Canadian (all 32 million of them) and a ton of bottle caps. That also means ton more in the U.S. And you can bet that many of these caps go straight to the landfill.

The Original Bottle Cap Lure Company, founded by Norm Price, looks to help put a dent in the bottle cap issue. His company reuses the caps by turning them into fishing lures. Check out the results:



This product reminds us of our 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), and that recycling products should be our last choice. Reusing stuff, like this fishing lure company does, reduces the need to manufacture new stuff, therefore reducing our impacts on the environment. So, get some Bottle Cap Lures, help the environment and enjoy that trout dinner.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

The Arizona Republic has a great section in its paper called "Acts of Kindness."

Read this short thank you from a fan to Paul Westerberg for actually stopping outside of the concert venue in his bus and signing autographs. Pretty rare, and pretty cool.
read this section in The Arizona Republic...

Those close to camp know about my trials with Craigslist recently. Basically, I've been breaking the rules and I got busted, big time. I broke the rules mainly because I didn't know the rules. Now I do. Breaking the rules, inherently, is not nice. But, I like to think that I did so with good intentions and with the right ambitions. So, this is my confession for the day.

Anyway, Craigslist is an online community, maily known for its classified postings. It began in San Francisco in the mid-1990s and has grown to an international site that receives more than a million postings a month.

They also have several other functions besides the classified listings, including a "rant and rave" section for, well, ranting and raving.

I found this great one on the New York rant and rave section. It's about a guy thanking the anonymous person who broke into his car recently. It's funny...
read this Craigslist rant and rave...

There are still tons of seriously nice people in the world. Read this thank you notice to a stranger who helped a father and 4 year old twins get out of the cold and safely home after finding them walking away from their broken down car.
read the Journal Star article...

Testing the politeness of New York City subway riders, a pregnant commuter was offered a seat on busy lines five out-of five times. The best line: The A train in Harlem. The worst line: The No. 7 at Hunters Point Avenue in Queens.
read the New York Daily News article...

The late Rev. Paul Osumi rocked. He wrote a column in local Honolulu papers called "Today's Thoughts" for decades. You could always count on a little bit of sunshine from his words in an otherwise mundane and even cruel world. He really was a treat.

Get a taste of his quips on life in his reprints in The Honolulu Advertiser and in books published by Mutual Publishing.
read The Honolulu Advertiser clip

New Jersey Assemblymen Jon M. Bramnick and Gordon Johnson have a resolution in their state house for those in the state to join "a campaign toward civility, kindness and respect to all." You betcha. This is great news. I suspect a lot of these kinds of resolutions are periodically brought into various state houses around the country. It would be great to keep tabs of them all. If you hear of any, let us know. Meanwhile, we'll keep you updated on this latest attempt to keep New Jerseyans a little nicer.
read the New York Newsday article...

Read this article by Kathryn McKenzie Nichols, contributor to the Monterey County Herald in California. Nichols writes about her experience sending her son, a freshman tuba player in the high school band, off to China on a school trip. Tense about her son being in a foreign land with chaperones she barely knows, Nichols discusses how the other parents did little yet important things to let her know that her son was in good hands. It's a refreshing story about community taking charge and caring for one another.
read the Monterey County Herald article...

Private philanthropy in America topped the $1 billion mark for Tsunami Relief.

This is amazing news. This kind of philanthropy shows that, given a sense of purpose, Americans can really make an impact. With these kinds of resources we could address and defeat just about any problem that's out there. Poverty in America? Done. Aids and HIV? Done. Polluted air and streams? Done.

There are hundreds of thousands of advocacy and non-governmental agencies that fight the fight everyday in the world, and all of them are pining for supporters. NICE encourages everyone to get involved in philanthropy. You don't have to give money necessarily, just your own focus and attention. Have you heard of projects that utilize unused computer power to do good things? Let's use our collective reserve of unused brainpower and passion to help out our brothers, sisters and environment. What do you say?
read the Voice of America article...

Really interesting article by Dr. Val Farmer, a clinical psychologist from Fargo, North Dakota, about the nature of being nice. He contends that being nice all the time can actually lead to some not-so-nice symptoms of depression, repression, loneliness and problems with intimacy. Of course, he is writing about the Midwestern brand of extreme niceness, where you never say a bad word in public, always put your best foot forward and always accommodate others before yourself. Seems virtuous to me, but when you're finished with the article, you'll see that Dr. Farmer has a few good points.

read the article from The Pilot-Independent...

Nobel laureate, Charles H. Townes, was awarded the 2005 Templeton Prize on Wednesday for his lifelong advocacy of converging the worlds of science and religion. The Templeton Prize is awarded for exemplary work in the field of "spiritual realities" research. Created by Sir John Templeton, the Prize award this year is 795,000 pounds sterling, or more than $1.5 million. Sir John stipulated upon creating the Prize that the award will always be more than that awarded every year by the Nobel Prize. Townes reportedly will give most of his prize to educational institutions and churches.

Townes, co-awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1964, has been writing and speaking about breaking down the walls between science and religion since the 1966 publication of his article, "The Convergence of Science and Religion" in the journal THINK, published by International Business Machines (IBM). The article started a movement to begin drawing similarities between scientific and religious research. He is most known for his work with lasers, which have led to tremendous technological advancements including such devices as DVD players and precision medical devices.

And this convergence seems to make sense. There are many similarities in the ways that science and religion seek to answer their respective riddles. Townes described moments of scientific revelation as being similar to a spiritual one. Often, ideas conjured up by scientist come seemingly from nowhere, almost like some divine intervention.

NICE does not advocate for religion, science or particular religious practices. NICE only advocates for nice things. But, we think that Townes' vision is profound in helping us all to remember just how big life is; that there are still some very large and pending questions of life out there and that both science and religion play equally important parts in our search for the answers.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

Read this article about how Peter S. Lynch, former manager of the storied Fidelity Magellan mutual fund, and his philosophy on philanthropy.

Heading the Magellan fund for 13 years in the 1980s and 1990s when it outperformed mostly every other mutual fund in its class, Lynch has approached his philanthropy with similar investment sensibilities.
read The Boston Globe article...

Lindy is a new romance novelist whom many compare to some of the greatest in the genre.

A New York University graduate now living in sunny California, Lindy is one of those people you hear about who only had a vision and desire to publish, and did it. Her first book, Weekends, is out on the stands.

Join her on March 23, at 6:00 PM (PST) at Romance Junkies to chat with her about the new book.

Also, read one of her short stories right here on NICE.

Whether or not you are a fan of romance novels, Lindy's story is inspiring to anyone out there wanting to follow their dreams.

Our tech guru, Serge Yurovsky, visited the Dominican Republic last week and took this picture of reef fish eating bananas. Warm water, tropical fish and nothing else to do but snorkel around and lay on the beach is definitely a nice way to live.

Here's a clip from our Kona Coffee write-up in the NICE Things section.

Kona Coffee is known to be a high quality, highly sought after and highly priced caffeine fix. But what many of us do not know is just how much of an all around good thing Kona Coffee is for the environment and the people of the western coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. Not too mention, Kona is America’s greatest coffee producing region. Kona beans are literally hand picked, one at a time. Bean quality is carefully graded by the State of Hawai’i Department of Agriculture in order to qualify as pure Kona. This scrutiny ensures that plantations place a high priority on those picking the beans and the land on which the trees grow. Indeed, field workers are well paid and taken care of and many plantations voluntarily opt to implement environmentally sustainable farm practices.
more at NICE Things...

A friend got this fortune out of a cookie from Number 1 Chinese, a restaurant in the East village of New York City.

Big bit keeps you rockin' in your sit.
-Fats Domino

We hope that your sit too is touched by Fats.

NICE Staff -- New York, NY

I got hold of this story from four friends here in New York.

Yesterday afternoon on the A train going uptown to Fort Tryon Park, they were quietly talking amongst themselves when a guy came through the car with an open bag asking for money. It was the same routine. He acknowledged that it wasn’t anybody else’s problem, that he was sorry for bothering everyone, but that he is homeless and hungry and just wants to get something to eat. There was a slight twist to his approach as he threw in the notion that he was also collecting for fellow homeless around the city.

Unfortunately, this is a normal ritual of New York subway life. So normal, in fact, that most of these appeals fall on extremely hardened and deafened ears. Literally, if you’re a frequent subway rider, you’ve heard this speech hundreds of times.

So, nobody gave this fellow any money. No offense intended and none taken. Again, pretty normal stuff, except that my friends reported hearing the man muttering under his breath something about how people just don’t get it.

He got to the end of the subway car and noticed a man slouched in his seat, tired looking and destitute.

“Brother, you hungry?”

“Yes, yes, man, I am,” the other man said, coming out of a midday slumber.

So the guy asking for donations pulled out some of what was probably the last of his own food and gave it to this other man in need. That’s it. No other words exchanged. Just one man recognizing the desperate needs of another and deciding to do his part to help. This man got it.

My friends told me that at that point the whole subway car perked up and took notice. Undoubtedly, everyone else on the car suddenly became overwhelmed with guilt and shame.

The man, savvy as can be, sensed this sudden shift in sentiment and continued to come back through the same subway car, with bag opened, asking once again for donations. As you would expect, wallets opened and charity, for one moment, had its place on this uptown A train.

Although an uplifting story, there is definitely a sadness to it all. Certainly, every second that people go hungry in our country is a tragedy. There simply is no room for this in the wealthiest and most resourceful nation on Earth. But what really saddens me about this story is the fact that people generally do not give unless they witness the drama of need. In other words, it’s simply not enough to learn that people go hungry from a person walking through your subway car. In order for someone to take action on an issue, he or she actually needs to be moved, dramatically. The recent Indian Ocean Tsunami is a perfect case in point. The drama of it all brought billions of relief dollars to the region in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, there are areas in sub-Saharan Africa where hundreds of thousands of people have been literally starving to death for years; however, because there is no way (or will) to dramatize their story, that same level of relief simply is not coming forth. So, what makes this A train story so sad is the fact that we simply do not have the bandwith, if you may, to fit charity into our daily lives. There are, after all, only 24 hours in a day. We consistently sift through the noises of jobs, children, relationships, families, current events, dating and getting ahead in life, all of which drowns out the call of charity. We all want to help others, but dealing with our own lives is challenge enough. Besides, there are simply too many worthwhile causes to support and very little time and resources to get to them all.

NICE Magazine will spend a great deal of time helping you to be charitable. By profiling interesting causes, companies with a social conscience and people who go beyond the call we hope to give you the knowledge and inspiration to be a charity maven. So, here’s to a brighter, more giving future.

D. Robert – New York, NY

I lived in Dar es Salaam, literally meaning 'haven of peace'. As in any good description of something, one would describe using all five senses. Maybe a sixth too, your feelings perhaps. The air is moist and salty, because of it's location on the coast of the Indian Ocean. One can smell the dust, sweat and fresh air at the same time. To some it would seem disgusting, to others it's natural and refreshing. The trees and grass are lush, not fake and shiny as though waxed, but green like a faded painting that always calms one down when stressed. The very picture or view you first see looks as though it is faded, but not old. I would not advise you to go back home without washing your hands because they would definitely be dirty and dusty. Dar es Salaam was dusty, though I hear it isn't anymore. If someone is looking for a place to retire, I would recommend Dar. It has long grasses, and I could always get lost and found at the same time. It's like being lost in home, or found in a strange city. It's definitely a place where you can share simultaneous feelings of being lost and found. Though it might not be hygienic, vendors on the streets sell ubuyu, seeds from the bayobab tree coated with sugar, red and green dyes, and sometimes a spice I'm not so sure I can identify. Powdered red chili, salt and lime on half-ripe mangoes, ubunges (I don't know what they are in English). The sea is loud and tantalizing, the people are beautiful inside and out, their sense of humour takes all shapes and sizes, and is brought out in their language, speech, music, dance and writing of all forms, poetry, proverbs and books. They always look to the bright side of life, they are laid-back but not lazy. They are passionate about the nice things in life, and enjoy life to the fullest. I might not have described using all senses, but I know that even if I had, I'd never do Dar justice. It's tropical, hot, calm, wild and beautiful. Those qualities definitely befit a city in Tanzania in Africa.

Anonymous -- Boston, MA

We felt that we had to address the Martha mayhem.

In the veil of darkness last night, Martha Stewart left Alderson Prison, a.k.a. "Camp Cupcake", in West Virginia, boarded a private jet and shuttled back to her enormous (does 150+ acres qualify?) Bedford, New York compound for a five month house arrest, after which her sentence for lying to investigators about her alleged role in illegally trading stocks of ImClone will be complete. I could be dumb, deaf and delirious, but is Martha being treated like a heroine/rock star by the media? Did I not see news clips of stores in West Virginia selling out of Martha memorabilia? Did I not see quadrillions of news feeds regarding Martha's "return" on the net this morning? I know we have a fascination with criminals and evil empires, but honestly.

I understand how the whole underdog caricature that Martha has portrayed during her last five months of incarceration plays into her recent rising star. What I don't understand is, why Martha? Why don't we cheer harder for other more likeable underdogs, like Martin Scorsese? Or likeable law breakers, like Robert Downey Jr. Martha is a well documented hot head who, by most accounts, has no real redeeming qualities other than that she is business savvy and rich. We can cheer for Warren Buffett (second richest person on Earth) because he is folksy, down-to-earth and inconspicuous. We can even cheer for Bill and Melinda Gates (sort-of) because they are parting with a great deal of their wealth and giving it to the greater good. We can't be a booster for Martha because, well, there's nothing really to cheer about.

I understand that media hype has a mind of its own, and it's not necessarily shared with that of its audience. NICE acts as a counterweight to the news out there in honor of all of you who see through this publicist driven madness.

Have a great weekend. Maybe bake some killer cookies, crochet a killer shawl, and, by all means, stay away from all that news junk.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

Let's hear your stories from the field. Submit your NICE story and we'll get it up, pronto. Just try to keep it around 500 words or less and, or course, the story must be about something or someone nice.

Take as much creative latitude as you like. You know from our past postings that the definition of NICE is very broad and inclusive. Have fun with it. You'll find reporting nice stories liberating and thought provoking. Give it a try...

NICE Staff -- New York, NY

The numbers are in and it's confirmed: The Gates was a tremendous moneymaker for New York City.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg reported today that more than 4 million visited the Central Park art installation over a two-week period in February (versus 750,000 last year), yielding approximately $254 million dollars to the local economy. Let's all pause here for a second and soak this in. Let's spell it out: 2-4-5 m-i-l-l-i-o-n s-m-a-c-k-a-r-o-o-s. Seriously, I knew that The Gates was popular and was going to be an overall economic good for the City, but seriously.

Hotel occupancy during the three weekends rose to 90% and rates were up 15% over last year. Naturally, area restaurants too reported increased business, some claiming increases of 110% over last February.

Love them or hate them for their self-promoting ways, Christo and Jeanne-Claude scored big with this one. Some saw beauty some not. Some saw a welcome addition to the landscape some just saw thousands of construction orange obstructions. But in the end, no real harm was done and more than 3 million people were introduced to the wonders of Central Park in winter. So, in the wake of The Gates, I think we all owe a big thank you to Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

You may have followed the story of Bubba, the 22-pound lobster caught off the coast of Massachusetts last week and recently moved to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium on Tuesday. The amazing Bubba "shrimped" his 1.5 pound bretheren and instilled shock and awe in onlookers. Recently published pictures showed how just one of Bubba's claws was bigger than a normal-sized boiler lobster. NICE staff member, T. Mac, noted that Bubba was actually bigger than her Jack Russell Terrier, and that he probably could have snapped her dog's neck with one swipe of his claw.

Well, as T. Mac also reported this morning, Bubba has sadly passed away. Big Bubba had outlived Presidents, the Cold War, even the Pet Rock phenomena, but in the end, the hub-bub surrounding him over the past week or so proved too much for this monster of the deep. Bubba passed away yesterday morning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Experts estimated Bubba to be anywhere between 50 and 100 years old.

Nature's wonders always help us to get connected with the basic facts of life. Bubba was once such wonder that helped to remind us that life is much larger than meets the eye.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

You were probably in the Cub Scouts or Brownies when you were young. If not, you certainly had a few friends in the neighborhood with whom you loved to create secret handshakes and passwords and give yourselves a name like, "The Masters of the Universe Club." At the very least, I'm sure you watched the Mickey Mouse Club or Saturday morning Kid's Club shows on network TV.

Then you got to high school and college and either got involved in clubs or avoided them like the plague. In either case, the clubs were a constant presence in your life. Young Achievement, student government, theatre club or some Greek organization, you know that you either lived and breathed it, or were haunted by it day-in and day-out for the eight or so years of your young adulthood.

Let's face it, clubs are cool.

I have a friend who is involved in a group in New York City called, Clubs Inc. A very cool concept: The members of the group decided to get together and create clubs. One club for every category of life that they found interesting. They range from the normal -- Birthday Club and Book Club -- to the creative -- Kiss a Boy for the First Time Club and the Try Something New Club. It's a wonderful idea and it works. The group's calendar is always full and events tend to be well attended.

Clubs Inc. is a great example of groups of people finding creative and fun new ways to experience life. I think we all could use a little shake-up in our lives, and joining a club, or two, or three, is a wonderful way to go about it.

So, if you're in New York, North Carolina, Massachusetts or Pennsylvania, check out their website and see if there is a clubhouse meet-up that fits your interests.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

Sorry to recipients of the NICE email. I named The Gates artist Jeanne-Claude, Jeanne-Paul. As a staff member pointed out, I must have been thinking of the television show, The Bachelorette, which ended in disappointment on Monday (the bachelorette ended up not getting engaged to anybody). Sorry Jeanne-Claude and Bachelorette contestant, John Paul -- somehow I feel like both parties would be offended by the mix-up.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

What do these three iconic (and extremely rich) folks have in common? All three were amongst the most charitable in 2004. The Chronicle of Philanthropy came out with their annual listing of the 60 top donors last year, and Bill and Melinda Gates once again led the pack. The Microsoft gagillionaires decided to donate all of the income from their company's historic dividend payment last year, $3.35 billion worth, to their foundation.

The late Susan T. Buffett, the wife of investment oracle, Warren Buffett, passed all of $2.6 billion of her estate as a bequest upon her death last year. Ms. Buffett was listed second on the list.

New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as we all now, had a job before taking office in 2002. As founder of the Bloomberg media conglomerate he made (and continues to make) a decent living as a private citizen. Well, in 2004 he continued his charitable ways by giving away $138 milion, placing him 10th on the Chronicle's list.

Oprah landed in the #24 spot by giving away $50 million.

The point of all this? NICE feels it is extremely important for all of us to give back, as we are able. I, for instance, don't have a fortune. So I try to give back by publishing this and other publications that help inspire a better world. You too can do something this year to help the greater good. I don't believe those on the Chronicle list deserve more or less applaud for their efforts than you and me. Really and truly, it's the thought that counts.

D. Robert -- New York, NY

We think we discovered the artist who did the "Cheese Cracker Gates" noted on the post below (see Sunday, February 27, 2005).

Go to SmilingGoat.com and meet Chris Cunniffe and Jane Hanstein Cunniffe, the ones most probably responsible for the appearance of dozens of strange orange crackers throughout Central Park in the past several weeks.

The only question is: Are they Keebler's?

NICE Staff -- New York, NY