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Sunday, Apr 10, 2011 4:28 PM UTC

The Week in Uppers

The cheerful news you missed while fretting about a government shutdown

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Topics: Viral Video, Chris Christie, Going Viral, Gulf Oil Spill, Uppers,

The Week in Uppers

While most of the country was holding its collective breath this week over the prospect of a government shutdown, not all news was so stressful. We’ve compiled a collection of stories from this past week more likely to make you smile than frown:

  • Five-year-old Jesse Koczon was inconsolable after learning he was “too small” to be governor of New Jersey. Koczon became a viral star after video of the episode hit the Internet, and now Gov. Chris Christie has made the boy honorary governor for a day. (CBS News)

  • A 10-year-old from Maine born without hands was honored with a special award for penmanship, named after him. (AP)
  • More and more parents are making the life-changing decision to adopt children who test positive for HIV. (AOL News)
  • Men in cities from Georgia to Alaska on Friday donned high heels for a mile-long charity walk to raise awareness about sexual assault against women. (AP, Albany Herald)
  • A team of mountaineers have set off on an expedition to clean trash that’s accumulated over the years on the slopes of Mt. Everest. (AP)
  • NBA player Darko Milicic is raffling off the championship ring he won with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 in order to raise money for children with life-threatening diseases. (USA Today)
  • An Ohio man nearing the end of his unemployment benefits purchased a winning lottery ticket worth $150,000. (AOL News)
  • An 11-year-old girl who’s helped raise more than $150,000 for oil-spill relief in the Gulf has now released her first book, which received glowing praise in Publisher’s Weekly. (AOL News)
  • Conservationists in Vietnam have nabbed a legendary, 100-year-old turtle for medical treatment, and with the hopes of finding it a mate. (Reuters)
  • An endangered Bornean orangutan baby was rejected by her mother in the wild, but has 50 surrogates at a Houston Zoo to help her reach adulthood. (ABC News)

Peter Finocchiaro

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

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  • 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.

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