Archive for January, 2009

Enabling Entrepreneurs In Developing Countries Is Made of Happy

Monday, January 12th, 2009

This video follows the path of a $25 loan from London, England to Preak Tamao village, Cambodia. Kiva.org is a website that allows internet users like you or I to lend money to people that need it in developing countries, with the aim of empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.


A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.

Thanks to my friend H for the link!

It seems incredible that $25 can make such a big difference, but I remember that when my family of 5 moved to the US, we only had $75 to our name. Koreans and Korean Americans engage in a community lending circle called “gae” so I am used to the idea of individuals lending money to help others start businesses. I love that such a small amount can help. I think I am going to make a loan. I’ll do it this month, and make someone happy. 🙂 Kiva is made of happy!

Turning Tragedy Into an Opportunity To Help Community Is Made of Happy

Friday, January 9th, 2009

As we all know by now, many small businesses were attacked on Wednesday night in the midst of the protest that turned violent on the streets of downtown Oakland. Walking through downtown yesterday morning made be both sad and angry. There was glass everywhere, burnt debris in the street, garbage cans still tipped over, and store owners surveying the damage.

But now it’s time to come together as a community to try to make things right again. We need to support these locally owned businesses that have already been struggling through this difficult economy and now have to deal with this additional economic and emotional hurdle.

via dakotapie, Becks at Help me support Oakland business that were vandalized « Living in the O.

You may or may not know all that’s been going on with the shooting death of Oscar Grant in Oakland and the subsequent protests that turned into vandalism (see some info here: Perspective from a Protester). Becks of the blog Living in the O decided not just to talk about how awful that is, but to do something about it. She (I think? I am so sorry if this is wrong!) is getting the community together to get locals to increase patronage to the vandalized stores.

Turning tragic events into a way to proactively organize a community and do good is so amazingly made of happy. Thank you, Becks, for doing this for our community. I am an Oakland local so this means a lot to me.

Affectionate Lion Is Made of Happy

Friday, January 9th, 2009

This video has been floating around for more than a year, so it might be old news to you, but it was new to me. The intro snippet says:

A woman in Columbia found a lion cub, who was wounded and hungry. She took him home and raised him until he was too big. She then gave him to the local zoo, where she visits him every day. 

This is one of those cases where I have complex mixed feelings about wild animals being domesticated, but the lion was wounded when she took him in, so I think it is much better this way. Since he is living in a zoo and not released into the wild, I can just look at the incredible display of affection and just say, “Awwwwwww!”

Powerthirst Is Made of MenergyHappy

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Via reddit, I found youtube faceoff, which is a great idea. But via this site, I found these two AWESOME videos!

Powerthirst

and

Powerthirst 2: Re-Domination

Vote here!

I was made uncomfortably giggly. I literally laughed until I cried. I was like, “How do I justify putting these videos on the Made of Happy site?” when I realized that if I’m laughing until I’m crying, then I’m pretty happy, at least momentarily. So today, it is I who is made of happy!

Undying Love Is Made of Happy

Thursday, January 8th, 2009


Everlasting love, by Bug-a-Lug (“,)

Suzanne Bernstein said she and her husband, Sidney, eat side-by-side when they go out, always walk hand-in-hand, and begin and end each day with “I love you.”

The couple from Weehawken, N.J., have been married 18 years and Suzanne said the relationship is as passionate as when they first met.

Now research exists to support her claim.

Stony Brook University researchers looked at the brains of Bernstein and 16 other people who had been married an average of 20 years and claimed to be still intensely in love. They found that their MRIs showed activity in the same regions of the brain as those who had just fallen in love.

“It’s always been assumed that passionate love inevitably declines over time,” said Arthur Aron, a social psychologist at Stony Brook University and one of four authors of the study, presented in November at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

“But in survey after survey we always have these people who have been together a long time and say they are intensely in love. It was always chalked up to self-deception or trying to make a good impression,” he said.

Read more of this awesome news at Stony Brook study supports claims of undying love — Newsday.com.

My heart still skips a beat when I look over at my spouse. We’ve been together almost 11 years and he still takes my breath away.

Bonding With Your Human/Bonding With Your Pup Is Made of Happy

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

funny pictures of dogs with captions
see more puppies on ihasahotdog

My dog sleeps tucked under my arm like that too, when I let him. 🙂

Disapproving Bunny Disapproves of Happy

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Laughing at you, by jpockele
Laughing at you, by jpockele

This is dangerous territory, my friends. Is this bunny really happy? I did burst out in laughter the second I saw this bunny though. Heh.

As the Koreans say as they stick out their tongues, “Meh-rong!”

These 6 Seconds Are Made of Happy

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Behold! Five corgi puppies, one camera, six seconds:

I wish they would run through the screen at me.

Lifesaving Puppypile Is Made of Happy

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

See video here. The news site’s embed code is broken…

The title of the article is Puppies save three-year-old boy lost in freezing Virginia woods. Yes, this story is as awesome as you imagine.

A toddler lost in the Virginia woods was back home safe Sunday thanks to two puppies who kept him warm through a harrowing night of freezing temperatures.

Jaylynn Thorpe, 3, wandered away from his baby-sitter at 4 p.m. Friday and was missing for 21 hours as hundreds of friends, family and law enforcement officials searched for him in the thick woods of Halifax County, fearing the worst.

[snip]

Officials said the lost little boy and the two family puppies wandered up to a mile in the dark, even across a highway, but it wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that members of the search team found him sitting by a tree, the two puppies nestled against him.

[snip]

“When I first saw him, he was like, ‘Momma, I got cold. I slept in the woods last night. The puppies kept me warm.’ He told me that … the dogs slept up against him. And I’m sure the body heat kept him warm,” said his mother, Sarah Ingram.

So glad you were found, little guy! And that your little puppy friends kept you warm and safe throughout the night. Your loyal puppies are made of happy!

New Homes For Katrina Victims Are Made of Happy

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Leonard Riggio, the chairman of Barnes and Noble, made a $20-million contribution. WOW. This story came out right around Christmas, but it’s still awesome. I will break my resolve to spend less money and buy a book from B&N this week. 🙂 Thanks, Mr. Riggio, for making Katrina families so happy!