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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

10 things that made us smile this week

Looking for a reason to smile? Look no further.

Hey there, fellow passengers on this thrill ride!

Are we having fun yet? I don't know about you, but I keep finding myself wanting to yell, "SOMEBODY STOP THIS THING—I WANNA GET OFF!" All of these ups and downs and roundy rounds are making me queasy, I gotta tell you. And that last drop was a doozy.

While we're wondering what lies on the other side of the next climb or around the next corner, let's close our eyes and take stock of what else is happening. Smell the buttered popcorn and funnel cakes in the air. Feel the warm sun on our face and wind in our hair. Be grateful for the friend in the seat beside us, holding our hand as we scream on the descents and laugh on the straightaways.

We can't control or predict everything. But we can choose to find some good amid the chaos.


If you're struggling with the ride and having a hard time finding the good in the moment, this list won't fix everything. But maybe it'll give you a little reprieve and bring a smile to your face a few times. And maybe, for now, that's enough.

May we all be as jaunty and jovial in our later years as this awesome auntie.

I want to be her when I grow up.

The future of medicine is bright, indeed.

Aw. After the hell that healthcare workers have been through the past two years, it's lovely to see such a pure, sweet hope coming from the medical field.

Little boy sees his mom coming down the aisle and adorableness ensues.

The way he looks for her and the way his face lights up when he sees her. A perfect walk down the aisle.

A boy in Kansas sent off a note attached to balloons. A man in Quebec found them.

Incredibly, Reid Habbert's bunch of balloons traveled more than 1,800 miles with a note attached asking whoever found them to contact him. Cree hunter David Longchap found them on the traditional lands of the Cree nation in Quebec, Canada, and a beautiful cultural exchange resulted. Read the full story here. 

This boys' school marimba band is nothing but sheer joy.

How fun is that? Read the full story here. 

Blue Jays fan caught a homer and immediately gave it to a young Yankees fan.

Oh that kid's face. Talk about a moment to remember.

No idea who this guy is but he's amazing.

If anyone knows who or where this is, please share. Totally made my day.

Kitten discovers a sun beam.

I mean, it just doesn't get cuter than that. Kittens win, hands down.

Gamer's girlfriend surprises him with a visit from an online friend he's had for 10 years.

Proof that "virtual" friendships can be real friendships. So sweet.

This chipmunk's reaction to tasting an almond for the first time.

May we all experience something this week that gives us such rapturous pause.

Hope those little bits of joy made you smile. Come back next week for another roundup!

Cecily Knobler

A woman sings "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac at karaoke.

On a hot Sunday in July, Carole Wade took the mic at a Dallas senior living facility where my mom lives. I happened to be visiting for the karaoke event, and the list of residents who couldn't wait to put their stamps on their favorite tunes was so long, the event had to be extended. ABBA's "Mamma Mia," David Lee Roth's "Just a Gigolo"—you name it, they sang it.

When it was Wade's turn, the microphone was brought to her table. She took it in her hands as though it was an extension of her fingers as the music cued up. Then, as she began to effortlessly sing "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, the room got still. Frozen. All eyes were on her, and most of those eyes were wet. The lyrics, so beautifully fitting:

"Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you.
But time makes you bolder,
Even children get older,
I'm getting old too."

A man sitting at our table took notice of how emotional I had become. He leaned over to say, "Never stop feeling the music."

I had the honor of chatting with Wade, who at 85, has been singing nearly her whole life. She got started in the business as a backup singer in Elvis impersonator groups in Dallas and surrounding areas. In and out of bands, playing Deep Ellum clubs and local hotels, she shares, "I've been singing since I was a small child. I've loved music all my life."

As luck would have it, she was at a jam session when she started harmonizing with other musicians. They would soon form her most recent band, Psychedelic Oatmeal. They officially stopped playing gigs when she was in her 70s, but they remain close. (She notes her bandmates were all much younger.)

 bands, carole wade, music, old friends, singer Carole and her band mates.Carole Wade

They covered classic rock tunes from Stevie Nicks, The Eagles, Janis Joplin, and Led Zeppelin. Songs like "Me and Bobby McGee," "Seven Bridges Road," and "Whole Lotta Love." She laughs that most of the men in the band couldn't hit those Zeppelin high notes made famous by Robert Plant, so she took on the challenge—with great success.

They even branded themselves at gigs, making little Ziploc bags of oatmeal and glitter, which they would throw to the audience at shows. That is, until a club owner asked them to stop, as the oatmeal was mixing with spilled drinks, "creating goo."

Rare footage of Psychedelics Oatmeal.

  The band Psychedelic Oatmeal plays in Dallas.  www.youtube.com  

Wade makes clear that music is her therapy. "If you're down on a certain day, it will bring you up." She has lived a full life, with two grown sons who are both excelling in life. But music, and the friends with whom she makes it, brings her that extra piece of joy and purpose.

Michael Hatcher, the Resident Services Director at The Reserve at North Dallas (the senior facility in which this event was held), has seen firsthand how music soothes seniors. It reconnects them to their purest selves, no matter how hazy their memories might become. Hatcher shares, "They remember the music, and the time. It's a vessel for anyone of age. It can be used to bring someone out of the deepest sun-downing and back to life."

A man sings "Just a Gigolo" at The Reserve karaoke day.

@cdk213

Senior living karaoke! Fabulous! #seniorlivingcommunity #justagigalo #dallas

There is much research to support this. Bannerhealth.com quotes music therapy coordinator Tammy Reiver for Banner Hospice in Phoenix: "Music holds the power to increase dopamine levels (happy hormones), decrease symptoms of depression and pain, and improve a person’s quality of life. Pleasing music plays an important role at every age, but for aging adults, the benefits are even greater.”

As for Wade? She jokes that she and a few other musicians at the senior home have plans to start their own band. She certainly has the chops for it—and the fans.

Culture

People from Generation Jones explain their major cultural differences with Boomers

"Think of us as a generation that got the tail end of the party but had to clean up the mess."

Image via Canva

Generation Jones points out the biggest cultural differences between them and Boomers.

Generation Jones, people born from 1954-1964, is considered a 'micro-generation' between Boomers and Generation X. Though typically lumped in with Boomers, there are some pretty distinct differences between them.

In an online community of Generation Jones-ers, a member named @WalkingHorse, prompted those in Generation Jones to discuss how their upbringing differed from Boomers in a post titled "What is and who are Generation Jones. Step inside...".

"We're often described as pragmatic idealists—raised on big dreams but tempered by economic recessions and a sense of lowered expectations compared to the Boomers’ post-war prosperity," they wrote. "Think of us a generation that got the tail end of the party but had to clean up the mess."

It inspired many Generation Jones members to share their thoughts and opinions. These are some of the major cultural differences those in Generation Jones have with Boomers:

"We were too young to fully participate in the counterculture of the '60s but old enough to feel its aftershocks." —@WalkingHorse

 Babbel, language, learning a new language, sales, deals A person uses the Babbel appBabbel


Babbel’s Biggest Sale of the Year: Get 67% off. Lifetime Subscriptions For $199"


Gen Jones men also signed up for the selective service, but were not drafted as the Vietnam war had ended." —@tedshreddon

"Boomers had Elvis and The Beatles. We had Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd." —@Scr33ble

"First teenage generation to experience the Space Shuttle launch. First teen generation to watch music videos in between movies on cable TV then the birth of MTV. We laughed when hearing that golf obsessed President Gerald Ford would routinely slice or hook a ball into a crowd of spectators. Then laugh at Chevy Chase for mimicking our clumsy commander in Chief. We watched our parents go through the fuel rationing days where you could only buy gas for you car if the last digit on the plate was an odd or even number. We counted days along with the media on how long the Iran hostages were being held. We lost John Lennon while not in that sweet spot age to have experienced the musical British Invasion of the 60’s. Instead, MTV opened to floodgates to the Brit-pop invasion of Duran Duran followed closely by big hair, neon clothing and wondering why saying ‘too hip’ was all that and a bag of chips. Best part was that college tuition was sorta affordable." —@contrivancedevice

"Not mentioned yet, but we were present for the rise of gay rights. Went to my first gay bar at 19. Music, especially Disco, was infused with pride and acceptance and coming out. 'We are Family', 'I’m Coming Out'. Queen and the Village People, etc. The rise of 'women’s music' like Holly Near and Chris Williamson. Activists like Harvey Milk and later ACT UP. We were young adults when AIDS hit and the fight for treatment led to a huge wave of coming out. We lost a whole generation of gay men to that plague. 😢" —@BldrJanet

"Boomers remember where they were when President Kennedy died. We remember where we were when John Lennon died." —@KJPratt

"Musically speaking, I think we were blessed. Our musical heyday had everything. Our moms played Elvis the king on the radio, and we had Elvis Costello. The Stones and The Who transverse generations. We are old enough to remember Joan Baez and Bob Dylan pre-Chalamet, not to mention Freddie and Elton before their bio-pics. And Johnny Cash too. And shout out to the poster girl of the 80’s Cyndi Lauper (I got special love for her as a race tracker cause she walked hots at Belmont Park.)" —@Binky-Answer896

"We gave a hoot, and didn’t pollute!" —@Awkwardimplemet698

"We are the generation that got to see the war every evening at dinner 'live via satellite'. —@blurtlebaby

"Think: 45s—albums—-8 tracks—cassettes—-CDs—-Streaming! I’ve had the Rolling Stones on all!" —@NOLALaura

"I always said that I experienced it all...born in 1957. I listened to my older siblings music. I stole my sisters Woodstock album when she went off to college. I still have it. I recall all the assassinations from JFK and MLK.I saw RFK being killed on live tv.(at least I think I did), I remember the chaos of the Vietnam war, the Chicago riots, the Nixon mess. I recall the beginning of the environmental fight, Sesame Street and the moon launch. Computers, and floppy discs, cell phones that came in small cases that would plug into the car. So much good stuff. So much chaos." —@mammaV55

"There’s a sure way to know if you’re Gen J. Were you deadly afraid of quicksand?!" —@NOLALaura

This article originally appeared in June.

@shopyourtv/TikTok

We all need a reality check from time to time.

We all know that the level of fitness achieved by celebrities we see on television isn’t attainable for many, if not most everyday people. And yet, when their sculpted bodies grace our screens, it can still activate a little voice that says “clearly you’re not doing enough."

That’s why it’s so helpful and grounding when a celebrity is actually transparent about the work it takes to achieve their physique, so that it might quiet that self deprecating narrative and help us get a little more realistic about achieving whatever fitness goals we might have. Jessica Biel’s recent response to a fan who asked her to share her workout routine is a perfect example of that.

It all started with a clip from her Prime Video thriller series, The Better Sister, where she plays a super fit character…as is evident by how clearly toned she looks in a backless white dress worn during the show’s opening.

Several women have shared the clip on TikTok, while muttering something along the lines of “I need to get back to the gym.” One person even asked Biel to share the workout routine she does in order to get that toned. Biel saw the request, and acquiesced…but not without delivering a truth bomb or two.

“Everyone is talking…about the white dress…and I just wanted to share that that peak shape in that show is not maintainable unless you are living the strictest, most rigid lifestyle with your nutrition and with your fitness,” she said, admitting that not even she, someone who’s been notably lean and athletic their entire adult life, who has access to the best foods, best gym equipment, etc. etc., can sustain that look indefinitely.

 
 @jessbiel Replying to @tori I’ve heard y’all are talking about the white dress 😏 I’m no expert but I want people to be healthy, safe, and strong. Remember to warm up and cool down, and let me know what other workouts you’d like to see! A big thank you to #AshleyBrown and @Ben Bruno ♬ BIRDS OF A FEATHER OFFICIAL INSTRUMENTAL - Dan Swift Del Rey 
 
 

This bit of candidness incited a whole slew of praise in the comments section, from folks who thanked Biel for "being so real."

“THANK YOU for saying that many if not most actors look amazing for a moment in time during shooting and that it is incredibly hard to enjoy life and look like that all the time,” on person wrote.

Another said, “Thank you for speaking about the lifestyle that comes with maintaining! this kind of transparency is so important 🙏🏼.”

But Biel didn’t stop there. She also took the opportunity to raise awareness on how important it is, especially for women, to prioritize maintaining muscle strength and flexibility as you get older…not just achieving an aesthetic goal, or, for the love of all that is holy, getting skinnier.

And, as requested, she did end up sharing a sample lower body workout routine—something she’s currently doing to get back in Better Sister shape—which consisted of dumbbell exercises like hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts, as well as curls with a large stability ball and banded kickbacks.

She was even so kind as to break down proper form for all the moves, and didn’t edit out her being out of breath at the end of the routine, saying, “my body’s not twenty years old anymore, you know?” She’s a real one for that. For sure.

Biel then concluded her video by saying, “let’s get older and stronger together.”

 jessica biel, jessica biel workout, the better sister, jessica biel arms, ben bruno, fitness, getting toned, full body workout Biel performing a Romanian deadlift as part of her lower body routine. @jessbiel/TikTok

The video garnered a lot of gratitude from viewers, who commended Biel for “keeping it real” and “being a great advocate for women.”

"JB is a girl's girl," one person gushed.

At the end of the day, it is possible for us to achieve amazing fitness goals all while juggling what life throws our way. But we are doing ourselves a disservice to think that a) it can be done with a quick fix and zero lifestyle changes, and b) that we are supposed to remain at peak fitness levels 24/7. Not even the pros do that.

If getting more fit is a goal of yours, rather than simply stealing Biel's routine, it might be beneficial to also try to adopt her mindset about it all as well. Just sayin’.

Luckily, if you are still on the hunt for a Biel-approved workout, one of her long-time trainers, Ben Bruno, does have fitness programs to try out.

Here's to getting older and stronger together.

A train conductor, a bidet, and fries with gravy.

America is the wealthiest country in the world, but it still lacks a few things compared to other countries. Why can’t America have a high-speed rail, a healthcare system that won’t bankrupt you, or super cool toilets like they do in other parts of the world? Why are we still tipping on every meal, and why can't you find a decent meat pie anywhere?

The great American experiment has done pretty well for the past 248 years, but we still have some blind spots. It would be cool if a brave politician could one day make America truly great by poaching all the best ideas from around the world and creating the perfect country.


A Redditor recently asked people on the AskReddit subforum, “What's one interesting thing you saw in another country that made you think, 'How does my country not have this?" The responses are a great starting point for this hypothetical leader to begin making the improvements we’ve all been dying for. Bidets? Yes, we can! French fries with gravy? Yes, we can! Beer at Burger King? Yes, we can!

We compiled a list of the 15 most interesting things they have in countries that should be implemented in America, like yesterday.

15 cool things they have in other countries that we need in America

1. Cashiers can sit down

"I was an exchange student in Germany during my Junior year in high school. Right before I left, I had a job as a cashier at a grocery store. When I first went shopping in Germany, I thought, 'THEY GET TO SIT?! WHY COULDN'T I DO THAT?!' The only place that does this in the U.S. now is Aldi, which of course is a German company."

"Corporations: 'It's a slippery slope. If we let cashiers sit, what's next? The federal government will make a law that says that pregnant women get time off, and we have to give them money? Fathers get paid time off, too? We let people stay home if they're sick, without a doctor's note? Employees get more than 2 weeks of vacation per year? We have to pay people enough to afford both food AND housing? Where does it end?!'"

2. On-time public transport

"I travelled everywhere in Japan by public transport. My Japanese was terrible, but I could get everywhere with Google Maps because of the utter reliability of the services. I turned up at the station or bus stop and caught the transport that presented itself. The train, which was 5 minutes early, was not my train. The one that was on time on the right platform was the one I needed to catch."

 japan subway, japan, japanese train, public transport, transport A subway conductor in Japan. via Canva/Photos

3. Fit-levers on faucets

"I saw something similar in Mexico City, only it was a foot pedal to activate/flush a public toilet. This operation seems so much more sanitary than using a handle to flush a toilet."

"You want two peddles: 1) to lower the seat (it should automatically lift back up unless it has a lid which auto-closes); 2) flush."

4. Coupon crushers

"In 1997, I was in Singapore and saw these things that looked like vending machines. It was a machine that you would take your empty pop can, and put it in this compartment, lift a handle to crush the can. It would then drop down into the machine. Then the machine printed out coupons for businesses in the area. I thought it was genius! I've never seen it anywhere else."

5. Bidets

"More Bidets, pls. My anus can only take so much tp."

"Honestly, every person who has tried it has understood why I love them so much. It’s uncomfortable at first because it’s different, but it really does leave you feeling much cleaner."


 bidet, toilet, faucet, clean, bathroom, tile A common bidet.via Canva/Photos

6. Private public restroom stalls

"Public restroom stalls without the stupid gaps in between the doors, and smaller to zero gaps on the bottoms of the doors."

7. Server buttons

"In South Korea, there were buttons on the tables to signal you were ready to order, pay, whatever. It meant no pushy or hovering waitstaff and they were able to chill and relax a bit when no one needed their help."

"In Korea, they have a 'bing-bong' button on your table on a restaurant. If you need something, you press the button, your table number shows up on a screen by the server station, and they come over to your table. Usually, I just hold up my empty bottle or side dish and make eye contact from across the room, and they smile and bring me another one. Otherwise, the servers don't come by and bother you during the meal. It's so so so much better this way."

"We have this at Korean BBQ restaurants in Los Angeles."

8. French fries with gravy

"In Canada, you can get French fries with cheese and gravy."

"We have this in the US. If you're in the Jersey/New York area they're called Disco Fries."

 disco fries, poutine, French fries, gravy, cheese Some delicious putin. via Canva/Photos

9. Free healthcare

"Basically, your medical bills are paid for by your taxes, so when you go into the hospital, the only thing that ends up costing money is the parking. The drawback can be that there is a waitlist for some surgery (except when it's urgently needed to keep you alive), at this time, medical insurance can pay for it, but it's still not as expensive as in America. Also, depending on the country, your medication is also a fraction of the actual cost. For example, in America a box of medication I have to take would cost me about US$600 a month, here in Australia that same medication only costs me about US $15"

"Socialized medicine is only as good as the people implementing it. If it isn't working properly, that isn't really the concepts fault. It's the people running it."

10. Traffic light countdowns

"In Germany, the traffic lights go from green to yellow to red like they do everywhere else, but after red, they light up red + yellow together before green. That way people have a head start getting ready to hit the gas and by the time it’s green you’re immediately moving forward. Bothers me more than it should when it just goes from red to green in other countries."

11. The government does the taxes

"Taxes filed FOR YOU, and the return just appearing in your bank account."

12. Beer vending machines

"Beer at Burger King" (One-upper!)

 vending machine, snack machine, snacks, food, vending,  A man using a vending machine.via Canva/Photos

13. Attached caps

"This one's less exciting than a lot of others, but I bought a bottle of Coke in London, and when I opened it, I realized there was a little piece of plastic that held the lid to the neck of the bottle, so you don't have to hold it. I can't believe we don't do that in the US. It's such a tiny little thing, but it feels like a no brainer when you think about it."

"That is due to a new law (an EU law, but a lot of brands have done it for their UK products too). Bottle caps have to be attached to the bottle to prevent them from being littered and to help ensure that they are also recycled along with the bottle."

14. Meat pies

"America, they are just not as big a thing here as they are in other countries. I loved them in New Zealand, in fact, when I was there, they had a fast food joint called Georgie Pie that was absolutely fantastic, also bakeries everywhere, where you could get them too."

15. Clean public toilets

"Clean, modern public toilets. I've been to Japan a few times, and those public toilets are amazing. I need to go back to try the one-way glass wall ones. (On a side note, having been to some Japanese music festivals, it seems that they have no problem setting up mens bathrooms in a way that the women line up looking directly into the men's bathroom. Very odd.)

This article originally appeared in June.
NBC6 & Canva Photos

John Morales stopped his report to educate viewers on what budget cuts really mean.

I hardly ever watch the news on television, especially not for the weather. It's just so much easier to pick up my phone and check Google or The Weather Channel. I just want to know how warm it's going to be or how likely it is to rain. These days, I can find that out in about 10 seconds and go about my day.

But when there's potential danger—hurricanes, storms that might knock out the power of topple over trees, tornado warnings, or threats of ice and snow—my trusty local meteorologist or weatherman is always there. All of that said, I've never once considered that I might not be able to get my weather forecast from either source, at least not accurately. It's 2025—our weather modeling should be better than ever, state of the art, right?

John Morales, a meteorologist and hurricane specialist with NBC6 in South Florida, was reporting on an upcoming storm when he suddenly shifted gears, right in the middle of the broadcast.

 weatherman, weather, meteorologist, news, tv news, news anchor, viral videos, trump, doge, government Without good data, we can't accurately predict the paths of hurricanes.  Photo by NASA on Unsplash  

Morales explains that in his 34 years of presenting the weather, he's always been able to confidently tell his viewers when a hurricane might hit, or when it might turn away. He's always been able to stand behind his data, modeling, and forecast in order to help protect the people of South Florida.

"I am here to tell you that I am not sure I can do that this year."

Why? "Because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general."

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Babbel’s Biggest Sale of the Year: Get 67% off. Lifetime Subscriptions For $199

Morales then pulled up a graphic instead of his usual weather map. It laid out some stark realities about severe understaffing of the National Weather Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Between brutal layoffs, employees accepting the recent DOGE buyout, and straight-up resignations, the agencies responsible for collecting weather data have lost hundreds and hundreds of valuable experts.

He also explained that due to federal government budget cuts, there's been a sizeable decrease in weather balloon launches across the country. Weather balloons are instruments that take crucial measurements of the upper atmosphere and send data that helps with forecasting. With less data available, and lower quality data, Morales say that "the quality of forecasts is becoming degraded."

That's a pretty scary thought, especially in a place like South Florida. What do you do when your local meteorologist can't predict what a powerful hurricane will do next?

"This is a multi-generational impact on science in this country," Morales warns.

Watch his passionate plea here:

Almost nine million people viewed the powerful clip on X. It was reshared over 26,000 times. Morales' message is definitely getting the attention it deserves.

It's not just the National Weather Service that's bleeding. In the name of efficiency, The White House has slashed budgets at the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and more. Trimming the federal budget sounds well and good until you realize that we won't be making any major cancer breakthroughs any time soon without funding the research. And we won't be able to protect people from hurricanes and tornadoes without complete weather data.

(And yes, even the Weather app on your iPhone needs a database to pull from.)

Meanwhile, we're spending $1 trillion—yes, trillion— per year on our military. This is the anti-science, anti-expert sentiment Morales is talking about. It's been building for years and is just now coming to a head in the worst way.

We still need meteorologists and weather experts like Morales. We still need scientists.

 weatherman, weather, meteorologist, news, tv news, news anchor, viral videos, trump, doge, government We still need human scientists and experts that can compile and read maps like this one.  Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash  

ChatGPT can pull weather data from Google and tell you if there's going to be a thunderstorm, but can it tell you when the data behind that forecast is incomplete or unreliable? That's the reality we're facing right now, and we might not know the forecast isn't reliable until it's too late in some cases.

TV weathermen who live in our communities and can put crucial context behind the weather and help keep us safe still matter. Not only that, but they are ambassadors for science, and they still have a big platform in many communities around the country. Morales is making sure he makes the most of his.

This article originally appeared in June.