CNN's "Good Stuff" - 2020-08-22

August 22, 2020

By the time you read this, I will be deep in a painkiller-induced dream world after getting my wisdom teeth removed. While I understand the process is definitely not pleasant, it conveniently comes with a built-in excuse to do absolutely nothing for a few days. Doing nothing is so underrated. When you're young and full of vim and vigor, "I did nothing all weekend" is the ultimate lament. Then life gets stressful, responsibilities pile up and pretty soon being able to do nothing all weekend is a rare and luxurious accomplishment — even when it involves recovering from oral surgery. Hey, at least you get to eat ice cream.

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Our favorites this week

Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week

Breaking bread together
Let’s start off with two great stories about sharing the one thing that always brings people together: Food. The first is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where a powerful derecho (a type of prolonged windstorm) caused major damage earlier this week and left millions without power throughout Iowa and Illinois. As his city struggles with the damage, barbecue restaurant owner Willie Fairley of Willie Ray's Q Shack has provided his neighbors with more than 1,000 meals at no cost. His commitment to serving up freshly grilled ribs, chicken, burgers and hot dogs to those who need it most right has made him a local hero. Fairley says online donations for the restaurant mean he'll continue to serve people for free for as long as he can. "Money will come," he says. "But people are in need right now."

Meanwhile, in Parma, Ohio, Tyler and Melanie Tapajna were looking forward to an all-out 150-person party to celebrate their wedding this month. But like many couples, the pandemic put the kibosh on the whole thing. They canceled the party for safety reasons, and donated the huge haul of food to a shelter. After a small, backyard wedding, the newlyweds headed to Laura's Home, a women and children's facility in Cleveland. There, they accented their wedding finery with some hairnets and gloves, and started serving food.

Pint-sized heroes
A paramedic. A grocery store worker. A nurse. A teacher. A pilot. These are the heroes being honored with their very own American Girl dolls as part of a special contest to honor workers who have kept us safe and functioning during the pandemic. The beloved childhood brand asked children across the country to nominate an outstanding essential worker in their life as part of its Heroes with Heart contest, and fans delivered from coast to coast. In fact, while the whole getting-a-doll-in-their-likeness thing is cool, what's most touching is seeing who nominated them. For instance, April O'Quinn, a Virginia-based paramedic who was among the selected heroes, was nominated by her niece. Xavier, a 17-year-old grocery store worker, was nominated by his sister, and Pam, the teacher, was nominated by her students.

Special delivery
Why should human moms have all the baby shower fun? Tumani, a critically endangered western lowland gorilla, is expecting her first baby, and the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans has created a registry especially for the blessed event. The zoo's animal care and veterinary team filled it with plenty of tried-and-true baby necessities, like cozy blankets and a sand box, plus some gorilla-specific items, like a 32-inch anvil lopper and shredded wood. This is more than a gift party, though. Steve Marshall, the zoo's vice president, says the zoo spends more than $70,000 a month to feed the roughly 15,000 animals in their care. "Your support will provide nutritious diets and premium veterinary care to our animals like Tumani to ensure they are as healthy and happy as possible," he said in a press release. The new bundle of joy will be the first baby gorilla born at the Audubon Zoo in 24 years, and he or she will represent fresh hope for a species in peril. That definitely calls for some pampering.

Raise a glass to...

A trio of trailblazing new captains that are making history with the Texas Rangers. Rangers Wende Wakeman and Melba Saenz were recently promoted to captain within the legendary law enforcement group, making them the first female captains in the Texas Department of Public Safety's nearly 200-year history. Then there's Ranger James Thomas, whose promotion to captain makes him the first known Ranger in modern history to hold a doctorate degree.

A bright idea

Music is for everyone, and thanks to a blind percussionist and some high-tech innovation, it's getting even more accessible. Kyungho Jeon, a blind percussionist based in Seoul, found it difficult to play with an orchestra because he couldn't see musical cues from the conductor. Jeon says he often imagined what it would be like to be able to feel a conductor's movement instead of having to see it. Two years ago, he got his wish when he met Vahakn Matossian and his father, Rolf Gehlhaar, the founders of Human Instruments. The organization designs musical technology in collaboration with people with physical disabilities, and together, they created the "Haptic Baton." Conductors use it like a regular baton, but sensors inside it detect different kinds of movement and turn it into vibrations. These vibrations are transmitted wirelessly to receivers that a musician wears on a wrist or ankle. Matossian says inventions like these can help the music world fully embrace the talents of people with disabilities. "This baton," Jeon says, "allows new dreams."

You gotta see this

Reader, I was not prepared for how cute this "SlothBot" is. I thought it would be like one of those terrifying Boston Dynamics robot dogs, which most definitely bear no spiritual resemblance to dogs at all. But this — this is good! And little SlothBot has an important job. It was created by robotics engineers at Georgia Tech and now hangs in a tree canopy above the Atlanta Botanical Garden, collecting readings on everything from temperature, humidity, air quality and carbon dioxide levels. It's just as slow as a real sloth, but that's the point. SlothBot's creators hope this kind of "slow robotics" could help keep an eye on long-term environmental changes, especially in remote locations.

Heroes among us

Personal trainer Hector Guadalupe (far right, above) says coronavirus lockdowns have left a lot of his clients feeling upset, depressed and far behind their physical goals. It's a feeling he knows all too well — from serving 10 years in prison for drug trafficking. "I spent close to 31 months in solitary confinement. I could've sat and let depression take over," he says. "But guess what? What I do with my time is extremely valuable." Instead, he used his time to better himself, and now he's in a unique position to coach people who are needing an extra boost of motivation and confidence during this trying time. His non-profit, A Second U Foundation, helps formerly incarcerated men and women get certified as personal trainers and find jobs in the fitness industry. To date, Guadalupe says nearly 200 people have graduated from his program and not one has reoffended.

Wanna get away?

Imagine your toes sliding along the cool mosaic tiles of this swimming pool in Bali, Indonesia. Sydney-based photographer Brad Walls has a thing for pools, and his aesthetically pleasing shots explore the summer oases from an unexpected vantage point. From high above, the images take on a quality of modern art, all while retaining that nostalgic summer vibe that makes us want to grab a towel and some flip-flops and escape for a while.

Who knew?

Did you know that a zebra's stripes protect them from horsefly bites? The pattern of their stripes disorients the insect, so instead of landing neatly on some succulent horseflesh, they either bump into the zebras or fly right by. Scientists aren't exactly sure how the stripes accomplish that, but frankly, we're just satisfied knowing they have a purpose.

Tell us something good

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I write a LOT of newsletters and yes, the constant flood of news can be stressful. (Hi, Five Things family!) So this story really got me. The city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, sends out a coronavirus newsletter several times a week, and it didn't take them long to figure out it was a super depressing venture. So the city's public information officer asked Tammi Truax, the city's poet laureate, to contribute some verses to help lift people's spirits. Since April, every edition of the newsletter has included a poem from Truax, whether it's a tribute to nurses, a lament of a fishing season lost or a powerful reflection on the Black Lives Matter movement. Truax says she gets joy out of writing them, and from hearing that they help brighten the days of her fellow residents. "I think in our community it reminds people that we are all in this together, and the only way to the other side of it is to help each other in whatever way we can," Truax said. "This just happens to be my way."

Are there people in your community doing great things who deserve a shoutout? Drop us a line with a photo and a short description and they could be featured here.

Even more Good Stuff

The artist behind the world's largest painting hopes to raise $30 million for charity

When completed, Sacha Jafri's work will be roughly the size of four NBA-regulation basketball courts — except much more colorful.

Extremely rare wolverines have returned to Mount Rainier National Park for the first time in 100 years

There are only about 300-1,000 wolverines in the lower 48, so this mom and her two offspring, known as "kits," are very welcome in the neighborhood.

How a grandmother of eight in a remote Indian village became a YouTube star

Gangavva Milkuri is the star of My Village Show, a channel with 1.5 million followers. And she's cooler than all of us.

Norman Lear, 98, is the oldest person ever nominated for an Emmy — and his wife is a nominee this year

Power couple? Power couple.

Lavender sales are surging during the pandemic

People just want to be RELAXED, OK?!

Rec of the week

Brought to you by CNN Underscored

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Shameless animal video

There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.

Now that we're all thinking about going to the pool, join a baby jaguar for her very first swim. (Click here to view)