SALON

Sunday, Apr 3, 2011 4:04 PM UTC

The Week in Uppers

Unnerved by nuclear anxiety? Check out these heartwarming headlines

By

Topics: Viral Video, Noble Beasts, Uppers,

The Week in UppersIn this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, the female giant panda "Xiannu" strolls in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Chengdu, southwest of Beijing, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. Two 5-year-old pandas are due to arrive at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on Monday. They'll be the zoo's first since the 2008 death of its beloved giant panda Ling Ling. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Jiang Hongjing) NO SALES(Credit: AP)

The news these days is wrought with headlines guaranteed to bring you down. But the world isn’t all doom-and-gloom. The following stories may not have been the most prominently featured in the media this past week, but they’re guaranteed to make you smile.

  • An estimated 300 people displaced from their homes were on hand at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on Friday for the debut of two new panda bears. (Reuters)

Either scripts and active content are not permitted to run or Adobe Flash Player version10.0.0 or greater is not installed.


Get Adobe Flash Player

  • A University of Maine professor and student have teamed up to create a more eco-friendly golf ball out of recycled lobster shells. (AOL News)
  • James Gronseth may be 84, but he still thinks he can give back — which is why he’s joined the Peace Corps, and is headed to Botswana to help HIV patients. (Huffington Post)
  • When a Florida women fell into a sink hole in her backyard last Monday, sharp thinking may have saved her life. After several failed calls, she tossed her cell phone above ground with 911 dialed, prompting a quick response. (AOL News)
  • Since Blair Griffith was crowned Miss Colorado in October, she’s faced one hardship after another, and even wound up homeless. Now a Chicago designer has decided to personally create pageant gowns for Griffith, pro bono. (Huffington Post)
  • A Florida photographer is snapping shots of abandoned dogs to help find the animals new homes. (NBC News) 

  • Thousands of people in more than 130 cities across the globe took part in International Pillow Fight Day yesterday. (AP)
  • One charitable parishioner dropped a winning scratch-off lottery ticket worth $30,000 into the donation plate at a Baltimore church last week. (AOL News) 
  • Cee Lo Green has modified his famously dirty hit song as part of a Proctor & Gamble charity effort to donate batteries to volunteer fire departments. The new track is titled “Thank You.” (AOL News)

View more videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com.

Peter Finocchiaro

More Peter Finocchiaro.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations