It’s hard not to be  demoralized by the news these days, what with a worldwide pandemic still raging, climate devastation upon us, and a completely dysfunctional political system seemingly unable to address these issues or lift us out of our national doldrums.  But take heart; the news isn’t all bad.  Mark and Joe discuss some things that are going right in the world, and why a dose of wise optimism might be warranted. (Recorded December 17, 2021)