A Goodwill Ambassador, And Other Good News *Weekend Open Thread*

As the inevitable attacks against Republicans from The Commander in Chief on down to the media continue to heat up with the 2016 elections on the horizon, and with the seemingly inevitable tide of support for Hillary Clinton no matter the lies, the distorted record, the missteps, and mistakes, I think we can all use a little goodness right about now.

And so I want to bring you the story of Mala, a Teacup Poodle, who is a Goodwill Ambassador at a nursing home. Here is her story, and her work:

How absolutely precious is she? I have to say, though, that unlike the USA Today commentator, I haven’t a DOUBT that dogs, cats, all God’s animals, end up in Heaven. Not a doubt in my mind on that one, I have to say.

In case you want to read about Nala’s story instead, you can click HERE to do so.

As we know, it isn’t just dogs who provide this kind of comfort and support. I have written before about the comfort, joy, and support the mini-horses from Gentle Carousel provide for seniors and the elderly, for sick children, and for those who have sustained tragedies. They are, of course, one of many organizations with therapy animals.

But what about when it is the animals who need comfort? Well, that is where Radamenes comes in. Radamenes is a black cat who lives in Poland (photo from Good News Network).

Radamenes comforts another cat.

This is his story, from Good News Network:

When a rescued two-month-old kitten named Radamenes was rushed into a Polish clinic last year, doctors didn’t think he would make it. Plagued with an extreme respiratory infection, they were planning to euthanize him – but, then he started to purr. It was the beginning of a miraculous recovery for the black kitty, and through it all he might have learned some tips about care giving.

He began seeking out ill animals that might need comfort or warmth. The staff noticed that Radamenes paid special attention to those, like himself, undergoing the most serious treatments. Whether hugging or grooming the patients, the “nurse cat” spends much of his day purring the sickest back to health. […] (Click here to read the rest.)

Isn’t that just precious? I love that he is a therapy cat to other ill animals, both cats AND dogs. Apparently, he does not discriminate, according to the article. Radamenes was given a gift, and has chosen to repay it time after time. What a great cat!

Now on to a “Good News” story that involves people. You may have heard of one of them, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. From Instagram via SunnySkys:

Cool story to share on Easter.. After my workout I’m drivin’ in my pick up and notice these kids in the rearview mirror screamin’ & runnin’ after my truck. Thought to myself, “Should I stop or keep drivin’?” I stopped. I hop out of my truck and this kid runs up to me, hugs the hell outta me and says it’s been his life’s dream to meet me and tell me how much I’ve inspired him to fight cancer (Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and hard core chemo and stem cell transplant treatments. He was a little teary eyed and said for months and months all he’s wanted to do was find me and say this face to face. I told him what it meant to me to hear this story. I thanked him, hugged him (and his friends), got back in my truck and drove away. As I’m drivin’ I start shaking my head (and tearing up) at how fragile life is and how amazing and cool the universe was to make this meeting happen between myself and this special kid Nick Miller. Let’s always take a moment to count our blessings.. cause there’s always something to be grateful for. Happy Easter y’all – DJ

How cool is it that The Rock stopped for this kid chasing his truck? I mean, really – how many celebrities would do that? And not just stop, but listen to what the kid had to say. If you click on the Instragram link, you can see the two of them posing together. And hey, if Johnson can keep inspiring Miller to overcome his cancer, and I sure hope Miller does, amen to that, am I right?

I have one more story about a couple of people, one of whom you definitely know, Gov. Sarah Palin, and the “comedian,” Louis C.K. Personally, what I have heard of his humor seems misogynistic and ugly. Many liberals seem to like him, so much so that he has a show on FX. The event in question happened at the SNL Anniversary event recently according to The Blaze:

[…] “She says, ‘Hey, I think you’re terrific. I think you’re really funny and my nephew told me I have to say hi to you and you’re the one guy I have to meet.’” the comedian recalled. “Something came over me emotionally and I said, ‘Well, I owe you an apology.’”

Louis C.K. said he’s “never in a million years apologized for anything” he’s said before, and he made it clear he doesn’t apologize to anyone else who was offended by his remarks. However, seeing Palin in person moved him to make amends because he’s not an “insult guy.” If you wish, you can read his graphic tweets directed at Palin here. [Note: I chose not to retrieve the link and see any of his Tweets about Palin. If you wish to do so, you can go to the Blaze article via this link and retrieve the Tweets.)

After he admitted that he’d said some “bad things” about her, Palin apparently responded, “Well, you’re a vile person.”

“And it kind of made me laugh,” he said. “I said, ‘yeah, I hope I didn’t hurt you’re feelings and I’m sorry.’”

Before their brief conversation ended, Louis C.K. said Palin invited him to go fishing if he was ever in Alaska, something he admitted he would do in a “heartbeat.” […] (Click here to read the rest.)

How about that? Amazing what happens when these people who go out of their way to attack someone based on rumor, innuendo, and downright hatred based on nothing more than ideology actually meet their target face-to-face. Louis C.K. found out what most of us already knew: Palin is the real deal, and he bought a bill of goods that was nothing but a bunch of lemons. At least he admitted he was wrong. That’s something too many are incapable of doing, so there is that…

That’s it for me. This is the Weekend Open Thread, and you know what that means – share whatever stories, news, or music you wish!

**Programming Note! Rep. Trey Gowdy is going to be on Judge Jeanine’s show on Saturday night. Now THAT is a Dream Team!

Tags: 2016 Election, Gov. Sarah Palin, Republicans