In a vain attempt to remove the image of the "baby suicide bomber" -- I am not linking to the article because I don't want to ever see it again -- from my mind's eye and counteract the numerous depressive conversations I've had recently about the state of every freaking thing ever, I'm jumping on yet another Internet trend. In no particular order, here are 25 Things That Are Good.

Pottery; irony; the word "quintessential"; Tomato Nation; moving into the big beautiful yellow room with morning light; people who talk with their hands; Friday afternoons; Jorge Posada's ears; having one's hair played with; anticipation; the fall (as in "autumn," not as in "of humankind"); fountain pens; the existence of Jim Henson and Charles Schultz; beards; iced coffee with milk; Silly Putty; feeling understood; Powell's; Rock Creek Parkway; the way my mother says "take it easy" when getting off the phone and the way my father signs emails "love love love"; thunderstorms; people who are cynical, sarcastic and smart as all get-out; Nalgenes; basil; "Pomp and Circumstance."