- The Daily GOOD
- Posts
- A rock, a penguin, and a little romance
A rock, a penguin, and a little romance
Scottish children are helping penguins find love. Yes, it's as adorable as it sounds.
Greg Sullivan
October 14, 2026 • Est. Reading Time: 3 minutes
“The answer to every problem involved penguins.”
― Rick Riordan
Some genuinely lovely people appear in today's issue. A former chef helping families stretch their grocery budgets. A legendary rock star turning a huge piece of land into a wildlife haven. And a group of Scottish children who, as Erik Barnes reports, have taken on the rather unusual job of helping penguins find their perfect partners. Not a bad collection of humans. And the penguins aren't too shabby either.
Science
This romantic penguin story has a touching children’s hospital angle that rocks. (ahem)
Dating is hard. You've got to find the right partner, make a good first impression, and you've got to find that perfect rock. Welcome to the romantic lives of gentoo penguins.
At Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, male penguins woo potential mates by presenting carefully selected pebbles that also double as nest-building materials. It's basically an engagement ring and a trip to Home Depot rolled into one. But this year, the penguins have some very special wingmen.
Children supported by Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity have been painting colorful pebbles for the penguins to choose from. It's an annual tradition that gives kids facing some pretty tough circumstances a chance to participate in something wonderfully silly, sweet, and meaningful. And as Erik Barnes reports, yes, they can actually watch the penguins pick their creations.
GOOD reader Pamela Lefebvre shares this gorgeous view from Many Glacier Lodge in Montana's Glacier National Park. With scenery like this, it's easy to see why they call it the Crown of the Continent!
Do you have a GOOD picture to share?
Send us your best images, and we may feature them as the image of the day. Be sure to tell us a bit about your pic.
Your Boss Will Think You’re an Ecom Genius
Optimizing for growth? Go-to-Millions is Ari Murray’s ecommerce newsletter packed with proven tactics, creative that converts, and real operator insights—from product strategy to paid media. No mushy strategy. Just what’s working. Subscribe free for weekly ideas that drive revenue.
What's the most romantic small gesture someone can make?Forget diamonds and fancy dinners. It's the little things. |
Previous Results
In yesterday's issue, we shared a teacher's surprisingly insightful second-grade marriage advice, which got us thinking about what else we learned in second grade.
So we asked: Which second-grade subject would give you the most trouble if you had to take a test today? Math took the top spot with 36.8% of the vote. That's more than half, right? Right?!
Math. I have a calculator for a reason. (36.8%)
Grammar. Adverbs still haunt me. (21.6%)
Geography. Wait, where's Delaware? (14.4%)
Science. Please don't ask me about clouds. (27.2%)
Nature | Courtesy of Upworthy
 | ||
Queen guitarist Brian May's nature reserve is a wildlife sanctuary. | ||
Queen’s Brian May turned 157 acres of private land into a 100,000-tree reserve and animal rescue | ||
Locals now call the reserve “May’s Wood.” | ||
By Emily Shiffer | ||
Brian May is best known as Queen’s legendary guitarist, but nature conservation is another important part of his life. May, who also earned his PhD in astrophysics and has helped NASA, loves this planet and all its wildlife. | ||
In 2013, May announced that he had purchased 157 acres of land that was due to be developed into housing in Bere Regis, Dorset, England. He intended to transform it into a nature reserve where native British trees and wildlife could thrive. | ||
During a July 2012 interview, May toldThe Sunday Times, “Queen is a huge part of my life, but I do have other interests. People know about the astrophysics, but I love gardening, too, and I’ve always been passionate about the welfare of our wonderful British wildlife.” | ||
|
Smart Spending
The most useful cooking teacher on the internet is working with a budget smaller than your morning coffee run.
Feeding a family has quietly become a luxury, which is exactly why a Brooklyn chef known online as "Chef Moe" has people stopping mid-scroll. His whole pitch is deceptively simple: hand him $5 worth of groceries from a discount store, and he will walk you through a real, satisfying family dinner, naming the cost of every ingredient as he goes. No sad sacrifice, no sad food.
As Mark Wales reports, Maurice Levene built his following the hard way, putting his professional kitchen background toward cheap meals that don't taste cheap. What pushed him to start wasn't a content strategy. It was a widowed mother of three who couldn't stretch her budget far enough to cover seasonings. "I got so sad thinking that she couldn't even afford to buy seasonings," he recalled, and what he decided to do about it is the part worth watching.
On October 14, 1964, American runner Billy Mills pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, winning the 10,000-meter race at the Tokyo Games. A member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and a Marine Corps officer, Mills wasn't considered a serious contender against the world's best distance runners. His personal best was nearly a minute slower than the world record, and few expected him to challenge for a medal, let alone take gold.
But with one lap remaining, Mills was still hanging in with the leaders. In the final stretch, he unleashed an astonishing sprint, surging past the favorites to win in a dramatic finish that stunned the crowd and the television commentators. He shattered his personal best by nearly 50 seconds and became the first American to win Olympic gold in the event.
Do you have something GOOD to share?
We’re always on the lookout for uplifting, enlightening, and engaging content to share with readers like you. If you have something you think should be featured in the Daily GOOD, let me know!
💬 From the group text…
I would change the name before I’d argue with that face. Your-ami indeed. Let’s start the paperwork.
Join the Group Text! Send us your social media gold.
Until tomorrow, maybe do a little “pebbling” of your own. Someone might appreciate it.