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Friday, Apr 19, 2013 10:54 PM UTC

10 good things about a horrifying week

Gay Boy Scouts, Wellesley, an epic "Star Wars" improv, classic Colbert, classic Lochte -- we salute you all VIDEO

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Topics: Video, Patton Oswalt, Boston Explosions, LGBT Rights, Marriage equality, Boy Scouts of America, wellesley, sorority, College, Boston Marathon, ,

10 good things about a horrifying week

The nightmare in Boston — which shows no signs of lifting anytime soon — makes this a week worth ruing. But there was also a massive fertilizer plant in West, Texas, that killed at least 12. There were ricin-laced letters reportedly sent to DC, targeting the President and a Senator. For those big majority of Americans who supported background checks for gun owners, a crushing defeat. And there were more sinkholes.

So here’s a look at events from the past week to reaffirm your hope in human nature (or at least get you through another day).

1). It’s been a good week for LGBT rights. The Boy Scouts removed their ban on gay members (if not gay scoutmasters), and New Zealand passed gay marriage. National Party MP Maurice Williamson gave an epic speech in favor of marriage equality:

2). Stephen Colbert gave the world “Oopsy-Daisy Homophobe“:

3). A top college basketball star comes out, no one bats an eye.  Baylor superstar Brittney Griner came out as gay, and according to the New York Times, a nation yawned.

4). Patton Oswalt riffed on “Star Wars” for 8 minutes straight:

5). Wellesley College admitted Katelyn Campbell, a West Virgina high school senior who stood up to her school’s “slut-shaming” abstinence-only program:

6). Chicago and New York set aside sports rivalries in support of Boston:

7. The ravaged Balkan peninsula came one step closer to regaining order in a milestone agreement between Serbia and Kosovo. From the New York Times:

Serbia and Kosovo reached an agreement on Friday aimed at overcoming ethnic enmities in the former Serbian province, a milestone that could enhance stability in the region and help clear the path for their eventual membership in the European Union.

8). The craziest sorority girl in America, went on a tear, and if you’re offended, “I really don’t give a fuck.”

9). Uproxx created this video of badass Joe Biden being badass while exiting a car, looping to “Return of the Mack.”

10. Fox News interviewed Olympic bro Ryan Lochte and then laughed about how bad it was for several minutes:

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com. More Prachi Gupta.

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The week in 10 pics

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  • This photo. President Barack Obama has a laugh during the unveiling of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Tx., Thursday. Former first lady Barbara Bush, who candidly admitted this week we've had enough Bushes in the White House, is unamused.
    Reuters/Jason Reed

  • Rescue workers converge Wednesday in Savar, Bangladesh, where the collapse of a garment building killed more than 300. Factory owners had ignored police orders to vacate the work site the day before.
    AP/A.M. Ahad

  • Police gather Wednesday at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to honor campus officer Sean Collier, who was allegedly killed in a shootout with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects last week.
    AP/Elise Amendola

  • Police tape closes the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy in Libya Tuesday. The explosion wounded two French guards and caused extensive damage to Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood.
    AP/Abdul Majeed Forjani

  • Protestors rage outside the residence of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday following the rape of a 5-year-old girl in New Delhi. The girl was allegedly kidnapped and tortured before being abandoned in a locked room for two days.
    AP/Manish Swarup

  • Clarksville, Mo., residents sit in a life boat Monday after a Mississippi River flooding, the 13th worst on record.
    AP/Jeff Roberson

  • Workers pause Wednesday for a memorial service at the site of the West, Tx., fertilizer plant explosion, which killed 14 people and left a crater more than 90 feet wide.
    AP/The San Antonio Express-News, Tom Reel

  • Aerial footage of the devastation following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in China's Sichuan province last Saturday. At least 180 people were killed and as many as 11,000 injured in the quake.
    AP/Liu Yinghua

  • On Wednesday, Hazmat-suited federal authorities search a martial arts studio in Tupelo, Miss., once operated by Everett Dutschke, the newest lead in the increasingly twisty ricin case. Last week, President Barack Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker, R.-Miss., and a Mississippi judge were each sent letters laced with the deadly poison.
    AP/Rogelio V. Solis

  • The lighting of Freedom Hall at the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday is celebrated with (what else but) red, white and blue fireworks.
    AP/David J. Phillip

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