The Roundup: Aug. 1–7

The past week brought us some killer new stories, not the least of which will have you trying on 21 Jump Street for size. Dig into the Roundup now, or save it for some weekend bliss. Either way, we're making sure your highlights and heavy hitters are never far from sight.

• Can Lauren Harper McMenemin's article, "Secrets to Being Cool Like Johnny Depp," give you chiseled cheekbones and a villa in France? Earn you a private island? Make you a deranged candy man? Not likely. Can it give you a dreamy smile and a nudge to be just a little more humble and authentic? Quite possibly. Side effects aside: It's Johnny Depp. What's not to love?
• Cute animals may be a shameless gimmick when it comes to internet attention bait. But don't judge this puppy before getting the full story. "Heroes and Street Dogs" by Jimmy Langman will blow your mind. There's a video accompanying, just in case you're too much of a cynic to believe the story of a dog-dog rescue proving inter-species loyalty. In Chile, seems dog is dog's best friend.
• Who says college kids are all keggers or exams? There's something in between, and Steve Tanner tells the story in "College Students Build Car For The Blind." Wait... for the blind? Pretty self-explanatory, and pretty damn cool. Having fun, doing service, taking technology to a whole new level. Al Pacino's Lamborghini scene in Scent of a Woman should be re-enacted with this future-bound buggy.
• Texting has changed the way we communicate. Words sans vowels and naughty, naughty messages may not be prime examples of bite-sized exchanges for the greater good, but Katherine Gustafson will reinvigorate your love of passive communication in her article "TXT MSGing 4 Charity." Nice to know that someone's on the ball making sure we use our gadgets for good ... and make it super, duper easy. We're not a culture that likes to be bothered with paperwork, but we sure do know how to hit "send."
• On the road again with Richard Bangs. The globetrotter took us on a wild ride up the dangerous Wnanganui River in New Zealand. His article, "The Whanganui River: New Zealand's Road Less Traveled," gives a beautiful breakdown of the waterway's history ... and a thrill-seeking crew's journey to get there.