A Christmas Miracle: Mother & Baby "Died" Then Revived

Warning: This story is goose-bump inducing and awe inspiring. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

In what is being hailed as a Christmas "miracle," a young mother died during labor with a still-born baby on Christmas Eve but both mom and baby came back to life just minutes later, before the eyes of the nearly heartbroken, stunned father.

> Read more about this story here

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Teenage Girl Only Survivor of Plane Crash into Indian Ocean
• Miracle on the Hudson - Chesley Sullenberger is My Hero
• Girl, Age 7, Had 6 Organs Taken out to Remove Tumor
• Flight 1549's Good Luck Charm - Passenger Maryann Bruce
  

Happy Birthday to Sublime Goodness!

It was one year ago today that Sublime Goodness debuted with a short video of an Army Dad surprising his daughter for Christmas. For the first six months, I diligently posted almost every day and then went to once a week - but still filled my tiny corner of the internet with funny, sad, heroic, or just good news. Highlights of the year for me were making the Alltop site in the Good and Inspiration categories and also being listed as one of the "100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World."

Thank you dear readers for sticking with me and looking forward to year two.

The most popular Sublime Goodness posts in the last year (ranked in order by page views):

1. Funny Cat Videos
2. Cute Things Falling Asleep
3. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'le
4. Funny Dog Videos
5. 8 Year-Old Girl Saves Self, Grandmother by Taking Wheel
6. The Sublime Goodness Mixtape (Vol. I)
7. Maru the Japanese Cat - Famous & Funny
8. "The Shining" by Badly Drawn Boy
9. Guy Starts Dance Party - Music Festival Video
10. Beautiful Examples of Tilt-Shift Photography

"Pounding" by Doves

I was tempted to post "Satellites" from the Doves for this Sublime Sunday song, but another tune from the same album jumped right out at me. I hadn't heard the album in awhile and it was refreshing. "Pounding" is faster, janglier and filled with awesomeness.

Close your eyes and listen:



Have You Downloaded the Sublime Goodness Mixtape yet?

Baby Dances to Beyonce's Single Ladies - Video

Ok, I know I'm behind the curve on this one, but just in case I thought it was worth posting.

First, my daughter was a fan of Beyonce's infectious "Single Ladies" single...and then this viral video came along:



It's about a minute too long, but the first half is pretty funny. Enjoy!

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• The Best Laughing Baby Video - "Ethan Laughing"
• Funny Cat Videos
• Funny Dog Videos
• Ultimate Wedding Dance Down the Aisle
• Guy Starts Dance Party - Music Festival Video
• The Evolution of Dance

Top 10 "Happiest Endings" of the Last Decade

Newsweek has put together a myriad of top 10 lists of the last decade, but this one is my favorite - the top 10 happiest endings.

All are goose-bump inducing and wonderful....and sublime :)

Here is the full list with links to the well written overviews:

1. Miracle on the Hudson
2. Rescue of Euna Lee and Laura Ling
3. Rescued Miners in Pennsylvania
4. 2004 Red Sox Victory
5. Captain Phillips’ Rescue
6. Subway Hero Wesley Autrey
7. Ashley Smith Robinson
8. Martin Tankleff’s Release From Prison
9. Aron Ralston’s Survival Story
10. Elizabeth Smart

> Read past rescue stories at Sublime Goodness

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by the Muppets - Video

You might have seen this already, but just in case I am posting it because it's too awesome not to miss. I saw it a few weeks ago and it's already gone viral across the internet.

What is it?

Muppets. Queen. Uplifting. 'Nuff said.

Enjoy.

Giving is Good for Your Health

Came across this post at Operation Nice, one of my favorite blogs out there.

It's about Cami, the fabulous founder of the 29-Day Giving Challenge. This NY Times article explains how giving is good for your health. Volunteerism, generosity, helping others can all have positive effects on a person's well-being.

> Read More at Operation Nice

Facebook Group Miraculously Reunites Camera with Owner

This is wonderful. Here is the scoop:

A Facebook group called “Needle in a Haystack” has found its needle. Australian Danny Cameron organized the Facebook group in an effort to locate the owner of a camera he found on the Greek island of Mykonos. Cameron posted a photo he’d pulled from the camera’s memory card and then spread the word on Facebook. More than 230,000 people joined the online search effort and eventually somebody recognized the people in the photo, who were friends of the camera’s owner, a Frenchwoman. With the camera now returned, Cameron has issued a final post: “Congratulations, everyone. I am amazed and in awe of you all.” (from the Week)

Sure compared to other stories here, this isn't as profound, but it's pretty darn cool, eh?

Read more here.

Rescuing Baby Ducks from a Pool - Video

Something cutesy to start the week:



Glad that some people are nice enough to try to get them out and also I like that the mama duck picks up on it quickly.

I also didn't know ducks could quack that much.

* Thanks to Angela for passing the video on!

"Blue Light" by Mazzy Star

For this Sunday Sublime song, it would have been too easy to choose Mazzy Star's beautiful hit "Fade Into You." But out of all three of their albums, the tune "Blue Light" always had a particular ethereal quality to it, even more so than usual. I love singer Hope Sandoval's voice, so effortlessly sublime.

Close your eyes and listen:




Have You Downloaded the Sublime Goodness Mixtape yet?

5-Year-Old Daughter Climbs Ravine to Save Mother

This story gave me goosebumps:

A 5-year-old Canadian girl saved her mother’s life after their truck drove off a cliff. Nikki Butler, 30, was driving through the Rocky Mountains with her daughter Mary when their truck skidded on black ice, flipped over the guardrail, and rolled four times before coming to rest at the foot of a steep embankment. Unable to wake her unconscious mother, Mary unbuckled her seat belt, crawled out the rear passenger window, and climbed 150 feet back to the road where she flagged down a passing truck. “I needed to save my mom,” said Mary, “because I love my mom.” Mary was not hurt and her mother suffered only minor injuries. (from The Week)

I want to give that kid the biggest high-five in the world.

> Read More about the Rescue Here

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Man Rescues Flood Victims Just Like Father
• Nursing School Student Saves Dean's Life at Graduation
• 'Hero' Mail Carrier Delivers for Woman in Need
• 8 Year-Old Girl Saves Self, Grandmother by Taking Wheel
  

Piano Stairs - Video

In the spirit of the last post, here is another fun one I came across recently.

How do you get more people to use the stairs instead of the escalator? Make them musical. Love it.

Enjoy:


It worked too - 66% more people used the stairs!

Grocery Store Musical - Video

This video is genius - fun, creative, spontaneous in nature and smile-inducing. It was staged by Improv Everywhere, a New York City groups who "cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places" according to their website.

Here are the details from the group on this "scene:"

Six undercover actors burst into song in a grocery store in Queens. Three minutes and lots of silly choreography later, they returned to their roles as shoppers and stock boys. The mission was filmed with hidden robotic, lipstick, and wearable cameras.

Enjoy :)



> Watch a Behind-the-Scenes Video & Learn More About the Scene Here

Related Sublime Goodness Posts

• Aquarium Awesomeness
• Music from a Tree - Video
• Ultimate Wedding Dance Down the Aisle
• Guy Starts Dance Party - Music Festival Video
• The Sound of Music - A Surprise Public Performance in a Train Station

"It Made My Day - Little Moments of Win" Blog

I came across this site recently and had to blog about it. It's a blog of "little moments of win" - small nuggets of goodness. Some funny, some poignant, and almost all are smile-inducing. I admit there are a few juvenile ones in there, but still. It's mostly cool.

> Check it out here.

Some faves (IMMD=It Made My Day for the uninitiated):

Before an exam, after whole-nighter of studying, me – exhausted screamed out loud “Somebody save me”. My boyfriend pushed me with two fingers and said “Ctrl+S”. IMMD

When my mom saw the commercial for The Beatles Rockband, she thought John Lennon was Jesus Christ. IMMD.

While at work, I received a phone call from a James Raspberry, but since caller ID does last name first, it showed up as “Raspberry Jam” IMMD

The 3 year-old I was babysitting was showing me her stuffed animals. There was her cat Fluffy, her dog Woofy, and of course, her unicorn – Horny. IMMD.

I was eating a donut with a friend’s 15 month old daughter. She asked what the hole was for and I asked “What do you think?” she said ” That’s where you put the bacon”. IMMD

I work for AT&T and was explaining to a customer why he needed the data plan for the iphone. He was upset and exclaimed that it was just one more way Bill Gates was going to get all of his money. I said “Actually sir, I promise you that Bill Gates is not getting any of your money from the iphone.” IMMD

Sitting in my Student Advisor’s office I saw she had three trays labelled “in”, “out”, and “shake it all about!” IMMD.

On my way to work I passed a guy on campus who was dressed in a snazzy shirt-tie combo… and the batman utility belt. IMMD

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• "Things Your Grandmother Knew" - Blog with Tips from the Past
• Duo's Secret Acts of Kindness for a Month
• Cute Things Falling Asleep
• Passage - A Video Game with a Heart

Four-Year-Old Drummer Jonah Rocks

This kid got me so excited about music. His name is the apt Jonah Rocks & the kid can jam. Enjoy a video of him jammin' here (won't allow me to embed the video).

I love his facial expressions - you can tell he's really into it. Check out his other videos too afterwards right here & visit his website here.

* Thanks to Tim for making me aware of this cool kid.

Man Rescues Flood Victims Just Like Father

Heroism must run in this family. Check this out:

As the 37-year-old Douglasville, Georgia, man [Zack Stephney] set out September 22 to try and save a woman whose car was swept away by rushing waters, he thought of his father's drowning. He, too, had fought to rescue people struggling against currents.

That was in 1979.

Tommie Stephney, a City of Atlanta employee, dove into the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta, Georgia, to save canoeists who'd flipped their boat, his son said. He safely brought two to shore. The third, he said, panicked -- forcing them both under. It would be a week before his father's body was found.

A week later, the death toll in Georgia from the floods was 10. Standing along the fence still tangled with weeds and debris, Stephney peered down at Brooks' mucked-up car, knowing that number could have been higher....

"It could've happened to me the same way it did my dad," Stephney said.

The "what ifs" keep spinning through his head:

What if her window hadn't been down?

What if they 'd never spotted her?

What if she'd failed to stay calm?

Mixed in are thoughts about his father, a man he in many ways struggles to remember.

What Stephney did was not unlike the countless heroic efforts that played out in disaster areas during the flood. First responders and regular citizens risked their own lives to save others.

But he had something else pushing him, the kind of inspiration rooted in family legacy. And without a doubt, Tommie Stephney would have been proud of his boy.

> Read the full amazing story here at CNN

Eerie. Also, if you read the story, you'll find out that he showered and then put in a full day's work. I would think it would be hard to concentrate after such an adrenaline rush!

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Fireman Dresses as Spider-Man to Rescue Boy
• Firefighter Meets Woman He Saved 40 Years Ago
• Another Hudson River Rescue
• Dad Delivers Baby During Flood Using Google
• Hero Cop Saves Toddler from Train & Inspires Children

Co-workers Discover They Are Brothers

What a great story this is:

Two employees of the same company in Waldoboro, Maine, have turned out to be brothers separated 35 years ago. In July, when Randy Joubert of Dow Furniture was assigned a new delivery partner, Gary Nisbet, customers began remarking on their uncanny resemblance. That spurred Joubert, who had been put up for adoption as a baby, to dig up his birth records. He shared the information with Nisbet, who confirmed they had the same parents. “This only happens once in a lifetime. And it happens in Waldoboro,” said Nisbet. “Nothing good ever happens in Waldoboro.” (from the Week)

I've posted many stories of reunited family members before, but what I love about this one in particular is that they working together. How funny is that? Customers kept saying, "Wow, you guys look like brothers..." and they actually turn out to be.

Also, read the surprising coda here - they recently reunited with a half-sister too.

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Childhood Sweethearts Wed... Almost 90 Years Later!
• Mother & Son Reunite via MySpace...After 32 Years!
• Reunited Siblings Were Living Only 300 Yards Apart...
• Firefighter Meets Woman He Saved 40 Years Ago

"No Surprises" by Radiohead

After scanning a list of past Sunday's Sublime songs, I was surprised I hadn't yet posted a song by one of my favorite artists - Radiohead. And how do you pick? Their music catalog contains so many sublime songs I could almost post them all.

But then I remembered singing "No Surprises" to my oldest daughter when she was very little - she loved it. The melody does resemble a lullaby and the production is superb...almost otherworldly. I hope you enjoy it.

Close your eyes and listen:



Have You Downloaded the Sublime Goodness Mixtape yet?

Teenager with Down Syndrome Scores Touchdown

I don't know what to say about this except that it made me smile today (thanks Mark Arnold) & I don't even like football:

Matt Ziesel's debut on the freshman football team at Benton (St. Joseph, Mo.) will not soon be forgotten.

The 5-foot-3, 110-pounder has Down syndrome, but charged 62 yards for a touchdown during a game last Monday night.

Ziesel is the son of Mike Ziesel, former basketball coach and current athletic director for Benton. He says that Down syndrome affects each child differently.

“He loves being around kids, and the high school kids have loved him for years,” Mike said. “The kids have really been great to Matt, and they’ve watched out for him.”

This was never more apparent than last Monday, when a small gesture of kindness turned into a magnificent flood of support that came from well outside the town of 800.

With the freshman football game out of reach and victory secured for Maryville, Benton freshman head coach Dan McCamy decided it was time for a special play not found in any other playbook.

He called it the “Matt Play.”

McCamy had a discussion with the coaching staff at Maryville, explaining his intention to give Matt what, for any other player, might just be a meaningless snap as the clock ran down.

Up to that point, Maryville had been shutting out Benton. However, the Spoofhounds’ staff graciously agreed to let Matt run wild on their defense.

With the consent of Maryville, McCamy called on Matt to take the handoff of his life. As he came around the outside and sprinted down the sideline, the Maryville defense ran toward him, making his experience as real as possible.

So real, in fact, that Matt bit his lip during the play.

As No. 45 made his memorable run, teammates on both the field and the sideline ran beside him. They weren’t there to block, but to provide another type of protection, the type that the Benton community has provided for years.

“You’ve got to understand our community — not just Benton High School — and the support and values system most of these people have,” Mike said.

As soon as Matt crossed the goal line, his teammates celebrated with him like they would any other player.

It’s ironic that the touchdown video has become a YouTube sensation, because it was never intended for the Internet.

“It really wasn’t intended to be that way,” Mike said. “Danny (McCamy) didn’t put it on there to get any publicity. He did it because my wife Patty didn’t get to make it to the game. It was kind of a birthday present to her from him. He only meant to show about four people. (from Max Preps)

Watch the touchdown here:

Fan Video for "Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear

Let me say this first - I'm not a huge fan of Grizzly Bear or this song really. BUT this video is genius and it was created by a fan. The band already created their own video for the song...and it doesn't come close to this one. You can watch it with the sound off and still be blown away. Enjoy:

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear from Gabe Askew on Vimeo.

"Sunday Afternoon Pt. II" by Christopher Morris

A very special Sunday Sublime song...in fact a sequel to a Sublime song from months ago. That's me trying to look cool six years ago.

So in 1998 in the Army, I recorded an instrumental song "Sunday Afternoon." It always kind of bothered me that I couldn't figure out any lyrics or melody to accompany it, but I enjoyed it anyway. So I just let it be.

Jump five years to 2003. Out of the Army (since early '99), in college full-time, working full-time, living in Chicago, and newly married with a newborn baby. I was months away from being officially out of the Army being still contractually obligated in the Individial Ready Reserve, which basically means if something really bad happens, they would've call me if they need bodies.

Then the Iraq war started. I was stressed out - my new life was really just beginning and started to imagine what it would be like if I got called "back to duty." I was playing guitar one day, playing old songs I wrote and when playing that old instrumental I started singing of separation. The lyrics came out like a faucet and I recorded this song very soon after that.

Oh and I never had to fight in the war.

Close your eyes and listen:



Click here to download the mp3.

Have You Downloaded the Sublime Goodness Mixtape yet?

Aquarium Awesomeness

I love the aquarium, especially the Shedd Aquarium in my hometown of Chicago. Thanks to Brad Garland for tipping me off to the following visual brilliance. Let it load and watch the full screen. You will thank me later.

Enjoy:

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

As an aside, my two daughters just sat in awe on my lap as we watched this. I hope you do too :)

Gulf War Penpals Married after Facebook Encounter - 19 Years Later!

Yes, I realize that I've been posting a lot about weddings & marriage for the last few posts. What can I say? They tug at my heartstrings and are wonderful.

This one is no exception. It's almost unbelievable...but it's true and amazing. You couldn't write such a tale:

Nearly two decades ago, when she was just 13, Jaime Benefit wrote a letter addressed to “Any Soldier” serving in the Persian Gulf War to express her support for the troops. Her letter found its way to Pfc. Jeremy Clayton, then 19, of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. After becoming pen pals for a while, the two stopped writing. But Benefit always wondered what happened to Clayton, and this year, she found him on Facebook. They met in March and fell in love, and on July 15, they were married. “It was fate that I got her letter,” said Clayton, as was “her finding me 19 years later.” (from the Week)

> Read More about the Happy Couple. (NY Daily News)

Aww...I'd even go see that romantic comedy. And get this - "

The Internet may have brought the newlyweds together, but they still rely on good old pen and paper to keep their bond strong.

"She writes me notes every morning and puts them in my lunch," he said.

Up on the Roof with Carol

Carol Schillios, an all around amazing person I've been lucky enough to meet a few times in credit union land, is doing something very cool. From her site:

Hi, I’m Carol Schillios, founder of the Fabric of Life Foundation. Perhaps you’re wondering why I’m living on a roof.

I’m living in a tent on the roof until 1 million people each send $1 and share how they are making a difference in their world. An angel donor has already pledged to match $1 for every resident in the City of Edmonds, WA.

Why?

1. To inspire action and celebrate what people are doing to make a difference in their world.
2. To create bridges of understanding through learning about our global community.
3. To raise $1 million; $1 at a time from 1 million people for the Fabric of Life Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization supporting cooperative development projects around the world.

Watch a video:

Up On The Roof With Carol from Carol Schillios on Vimeo.

> Visit the "Up on the Roof With Carol" website for the latest news & more

...and more importantly, can you spare a dollar to get her off the roof?

Also, my friend Brent has a great idea to take Carol's goodness and make it ripple across the world via the internet. Check it out.

Childhood Sweethearts Wed... Almost 90 Years Later!

I love stories like this. Sweet, sublime and serendipitous.

They lived long lives...and came back to where they started. Here is their story:

Two childhood sweethearts have gotten married, 88 years after they first met. As third-graders at English Ridge Public School in Wisconsin in 1921, Roland McKitrick and Lorraine Beatty talked of how they would tie the knot one day. But they drifted apart and raised families of their own. Three years ago, after both had been widowed, they got back in touch through siblings. Last week, Roland, 93, told Lorraine, 92, that he needed to speak with her. “I thought, What have I done wrong?” she said. “He just said, ‘I want to ask you to marry me,’ and I said, ‘Go ahead.’” They were married three days later. (from the Week)

> Read more about them here at the Daily Herald

This is my favorite part from the Daily Herald:

For McKitrick, marrying Beatty marks the culmination of a lifelong love story.

He recalls a day, many years ago, when the two of them stood in the Wisconsin sunshine and talked about how one day, they would marry each other.

"I still picture her as my third-grade sweetheart. I've carried that in the back of my mind since that time," said McKitrick, who counts among his prized possessions a photograph taken of the two of them about that time.

"That snapshot stayed in my memory," he said, "and her face stayed in my memory."

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Happy Couple Celebrates 70th Wedding Anniversary
• Mother & Son Reunite via MySpace...After 32 Years!
• World's Oldest Person
• Reunited Siblings Were Living Only 300 Yards Apart...
• Firefighter Meets Woman He Saved 40 Years Ago

Ultimate Wedding Dance Down the Aisle

A delightful and unexpected viral video of some newlyweds in Minnesota that choreographed their entrance down the aisle on their big day. I love the guests' reactions! Enjoy.



I also like that this video has been uploaded about a week or so ago and has been watched over four and a half million times!

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Happy Couple Celebrates 70th Wedding Anniversary
• "Will You Marry Me?" - Statue of Liberty Proposal
• Guy Starts Dance Party - Music Festival Video
• The Evolution of Dance

Music from a Tree - Video

Thanks to my friend Brent again, here is an amazing video. Here are the details from the creator:

In the garden of my house there's a tree with lots of randomly grown twigs. It looks odd and nice at the same time. One day I asked myself if I could create a piece of music with it.

To tune the tree I picked a fundamental note and tuned the twigs by trimming them with a pencil sharpener. I used two Røde NT6 and a NTG-2 as microphones, combined with a customized stethoscope.

I recorded the tracks live on a Pro Tools LE system. I didn't use any synthesizer or sampler to create or modify the sounds. All the sounds come from playing the tree, by bowing the twigs, shaking the leaves, playing rhythms on the cortex and so on.

Enjoy.

Diego Stocco - Music From A Tree from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

> View behind the scenes pictures and more info on the video.

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• The Best Version of the Song "Stand by Me" Ever
• Fifty People, One Question: New Orleans
• Guy Starts Dance Party - Music Festival Video
• "Deadline" Stop-Motion Video
• "Sorry I'm Late" Stop- Motion Video

"Will You Marry Me?" - Statue of Liberty Proposal

You may have heard recently that the crown in the Statue of Liberty just re-opened for visitors for the first time since September 11, 2001.

But you may not have heard that a couple (among the first in the re-opened crown)...have another reason to celebrate.



Look at the pictures in the story. I love the look on that woman's face.

> Read more about the proposal. (CNN)

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Happy Couple Celebrates 70th Wedding Anniversary
• Fiancé Drops Engagement Ring Off Brooklyn Bridge...but Saves the Day

Michael Jackson's Daughter Paris Says Goodbye

I don't have cable news anymore, but I can imagine the last week has been wall to wall Michael Jackson coverage. I've seen bits and pieces online - many touching, many surreal, but this 45 seconds of video just broke my heart in two:



Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• RIP Michael Jackson - "Famous Moonwalk" 1983 Video
• "Rock with You" by Michael Jackson

Teenage Girl Only Survivor of Plane Crash into Indian Ocean

This is both a sad story and an uplifting story. On the one hand, 152 people are most likely not to be found alive because of a plane crash this week into the Indian Ocean. But on the other, by some divine twist of fate or miraculous occurrence, 14-year-old Bahia Bakari was found in the water where the plane went down...the plane's sole survivor. Here is the deal:

Bahia Bakari clung to wreckage in shark-infested waters for more than 13 hours after being ejected from the doomed jet.

The 14-year-old, who cannot swim and did not have a lifebelt, was alone in the water from 1.30am as bodies and debris floated past. Her mother was among the dead.

It was not until 3pm that rescuers saw her bobbing up and down in the Indian Ocean.

She waved as they shone a torch from their boat but was unable to grasp a life ring and was hauled aboard.

Bahia, shivering uncontrollably and suffering a broken collarbone, cuts, bruises and hypothermia, was given hot water and sugar before being taken to hospital.

Surgeon Ben Imani said: “Her health is not in danger. She is very calm given the shock she has suffered.”

Bahia sat up for photographers but under French privacy laws we are not allowed to show her face.

Bahia’s father Kassim Bakari, who had waved off his family in Paris, has spoken to her by phone about her incredible survival.Mr Bakari, from Marseille, said: “She felt nothing and was found in the water. She was ejected. She was found beside the plane. I never thought she would get out like that. It’s the good Lord who wanted it.”

In a radio interview, he said: “I’m astonished. I’m grieving for my wife but I am stunned and amazed Bahia is alive. She’s a very timid girl. I never thought she would escape like that.” He added: “She’s pleading to see her mother. Who is going to tell her? I don’t know who is going to tell her that. I can’t tell her.”

Alain Joyandet, the French minister for international co-operation, visited Bahia in hospital in the Comoros capital of Moroni.

He said: “It’s a true miracle. She showed incredible strength. She is physically out of danger but is very traumatized.”

> Read more at mirror.co.uk

Wow. I can't even imagine what the rest of her life will be like. What is it like to live your life after you nearly lost yours?

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• Girl, Age 7, Had 6 Organs Taken out to Remove Tumor
• Miracle on the Hudson - Chesley Sullenberger is My Hero
• Chesley Sullenberger is My Hero: Facebook Edition
• Flight 1549's Good Luck Charm - Passenger Maryann Bruce
  

Hiatus...for the Summer

Wha? Who? Why? Silly right? After a little over six months, I have more readers, subscribers, and commenters than ever. I started the blog on a whim and it has continued to make me very happy and introduced me to some amazing people (and content!).

Anyway, I spend about 1-2 hours each night on the computer, posting on blogs, finding stories and aimlessly clicking around the internet.

I need some Christopher time. I have a few books in my head (children's stories and a "grown-up" book) and I want to take a few months off to develop them. Therefore, I'm going to spend the time I used posting to this blog writing for myself for a while. Maybe I'll get published, maybe not, but I'll never know unless I try right? Like my friend Giovanna always says, "Imperfect action is better than no action."

Anyway, don't fret dear reader, I won't stop posting completely - I'm sure a wonderful story or video or whatever will find it's way into my hands that warrants a quick post.

In the meantime, peruse the archives at right, listen to some music, or subscribe to any of these wonderful blogs. I'll miss you but know that I'll be missing you too.

The Sublime Goodness Mixtape Vol. II

That's right - the wait is over. It's been twelve weeks since the first Sublime Goodness Mixtape and since then I've been posting another Sublime Sunday song every week, comprising this second installment.

And I do say, this is the most eclectic mixtape I think I've ever made (and I've made many!) - Michael Jackson, Smashing Pumpkins, the Chi-Lites, Vampire Weekend, m....I've also created some front and back cover art that is in the zip file like last time (and in case you are wondering, the pictures for both volumes of the mixtape are from my copy of the Illustrated Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - one of my favorite books).

Here is the tracklist (with links to the original blog posts):

1. "Tender" by Blur
2. "Concrete Sky (Acoustic)" by Beth Orton
3. "Across the Universe" by the Beatles
4. "Deep Forbidden Lake" by Neil Young
5. "Sunday Afternoon" by Christopher Morris
6. "For Martha" by the Smashing Pumpkins
7. "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix
8. "Playground Love" by Air
9. "Have You Seen Her" by The Chi-Lites
10. "It's Oh So Quiet" by Bjork
11. "Rock with You" by Michael Jackson
12. "Walcott" by Vampire Weekend

DOWNLOAD the mixtape:

> Click here to download (74.2 MB)

...then click the "Download Now" button at zShare and the download will begin after a bit. The mixtape zip file above includes all twelve songs in mp3 format (192kbps) and front/back cover in jpg format. Close your eyes and listen. :)

Need some free "zip" software? Download 7-Zip here which is what I used. Your Windows program most likely can unzip this mixtape file with no problems - just double-click it and click "unzip!"

Disclaimer: I own all the CDs for which these songs came from - if you like any of the songs, please go buy the albums. I am offering them here for "sampling" only.

Looking for Volume I? Click here.

Maru the Japanese Cat - Famous & Funny

People love cats. And Maru is no exception - he's HUGE in Japan where he and his owner are from.

Why? He's cute and he really likes to get into stuff.

You'll see what I mean. This video of him jumping in and out of cardboard box is fun to watch:



Wow! And when he can't get completely into something, he at least wants to get his head into it.





Quiet hilarity. And when he's not getting in and out of things, he rests in the sink:



> Visit Maru's YouTube channel for more videos

> Visit his blog (yes, his blog!)

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RIP Michael Jackson - "Famous Moonwalk" 1983 Video

Michael. MJ. The King of Pop. It was the death of Elvis for my parents, and for my generation today will be a sad milestone of history.

Michael Jackson is a huge part of my childhood (and others no doubt) - I remember waiting all night for his videos to come on MTV when I was little, I wore out my copy of Thriller, I had a MJ scrapbook, trading cards, and this classic poster of Michael in a yellow sweater vest on my wall. Later on, I was impressed with his willingness to push the envelope a little bit, releasing a lyrically edgy hit song like "Black or White."

Later in life, when I spent years in Europe I was amazed at how popular he still was over there - his fame never receded like it did in the U.S.. Now, for the last few years, MJ's been back in my life as my daughters have rediscovered Micheal's classic early work and relish it for themselves.

To honor Michael, I think it warrants posting one of the most famous moments in TV history - a night I'll never forget - his legendary May 1983 performance on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special of Billie Jean.

Oh, and he moonwalked too that night - I was in first grade and remember that the next day, every kid in school (probably every school...)was talking about it and trying to do it like he did.

His energy is amazing here - enjoy:



Here is more background for the performance:

Five months after the release of his phenomenally successful second album, Thriller, Michael Jackson performs the 'moonwalk' on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special to his hit song "Billie Jean" on this day in 1983. (He had introduced the move in front of a live audience earlier that year.)

Already well-known since the age of 11 as the star and lead singer of the Jackson 5, a family musical act made up of Michael and his brothers that was signed by Motown in 1969, Jackson released his first solo album, Off the Wall, in 1979 when he was 21 years old. The follow-up, 1982's Thriller, was packed with seven hit singles and went on to break all music-industry sales records as it made Jackson a worldwide superstar. Jackson's May 16, 1983 performance on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special boosted enthusiasm for the release and spawned the 'moonwalk,' a dance move--in which he appeared to be slowly moving forward as he actually moved backward--that is now synonymous with Jackson and his unprecedented critical and commercial success. (The move was actually a takeoff on the 'backslide,' which had been performed on Soul Train a couple of years earlier.) Later that year, he released a hotly anticipated 14-minute music video for the song "Thriller" on the year-old MTV music network, and was well on his way to revolutionizing not only pop music, but television as well. (from This Day in History)

> Learn more about Michael Jackson

BONUS: Jackson 5 - "I'll Be There"

Homeless Teen Headed to Harvard

A true "rags to riches" story about the amazing Khadijah Williams:

Around here [her high school], Khadijah is known as "Harvard girl," the "smart girl" and the girl with the contagious smile who landed at Jefferson High School only 18 months ago.

What students don't know is that she is also a homeless girl.

As long as she can remember, Khadijah has floated from shelters to motels to armories along the West Coast with her mother. She has attended 12 schools in 12 years; lived out of garbage bags among pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers. Every morning, she upheld her dignity, making sure she didn't smell or look disheveled.

On the streets, she learned how to hunt for their next meal, plot the next bus route and help choose a secure place to sleep -- survival skills she applied with passion to her education.

Only a few mentors and Harvard officials know her background. She never wanted other students to know her secret -- not until her plane left for the East Coast hours after her Friday evening graduation.

"I was so proud of being smart I never wanted people to say, 'You got the easy way out because you're homeless,' " she said. "I never saw it as an excuse."

There is much more to her story and I encourage you to read it at the LA Times here. She graduate with high honors, including fourth in her class. She also was accepted to more than 20 universities (turning down Brown and Columbia...) and plans on becoming an education attorney.

My takeaway - believe in yourself, work hard and know that anything is possible.

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"The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix

For today's Sunday Sublime song, we have another titan of rock - Jimi Hendrix. But this isn't one of his loudest songs - far from it - it's his most sublime (although "May this be Love" or "Red House" comes close...) and beautiful.

This was the song that turned me on to Hendrix too when I was a teenager. At that point, I had only heard "Foxey Lady" and "Fire," two good songs but just blah classic rock to my grunge filled ears. Then I got a record player and put on the "Are you Experienced?" album that I must have inherited from my dad's collection. Today's song, "The Wind Cries Mary," came on and I was transfixed. The guitar, the groove, Jimi's voice, the stereo mix...it just blew me away and still does to this day. Enjoy.

Close your eyes and listen:



PS - I'll be in Boston the next few day for a conference so updates might be sparse. But stay tuned - next Sunday brings the second installment of the Sublime Goodness Mixtape. Are you excited? Me too! In the meantime, enjoy the first one here.

Girl Gets Dying Wish Granted from Pixar to See "Up"

I was tipped off to this amazing story at work today and it got me pretty choked up, as well as a few people I subsequently sent it to. Such a heartbreaking event.

My heart goes out to Colby Curtin's family. Here is the short version of the story:

Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, was staying alive for one thing – a movie.

From the minute Colby saw the previews to the Disney-Pixar movie Up, she was desperate to see it. Colby had been diagnosed with vascular cancer about three years ago, said her mother, Lisa Curtin, and at the beginning of this month it became apparent that she would die soon and was too ill to be moved to a theater to see the film.

After a family friend made frantic calls to Pixar to help grant Colby her dying wish, Pixar came to the rescue.

The company flew an employee with a DVD of Up, which is only in theaters, to the Curtins’ Huntington Beach home on June 10 for a private viewing of the movie.

The animated movie begins with scenes showing the evolution of a relationship between a husband and wife. After losing his wife in old age, the now grumpy man deals with his loss by attaching thousands of balloons to his house, flying into the sky, and going on an adventure with a little boy.

Colby died about seven hours after seeing the film.

> Read the rest of the story at the OC Register

Thanks to Pixar for paying it forward in a big way and to Mike Lombardo who already wrote a song about the event.

Watch a short video recap:



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Need a Smile? Watch This....

Enjoy:



Smiling is contagious you know. :)

7 Year-Old Girl Sings National Anthem at NBA Playoff Game

Oh and she has autism, which makes this performance even more amazing. Here's a little background:

When Gina Incandela of Kissimmee, Florida was two years old, she was diagnosed with a type of autism called PDD NOS. Her parents weren’t sure if she would ever learn to speak.

But after they enrolled her in a special needs class at the University of Central Florida, things began to change. As it turned out, music was the key to help the silent toddler find her voice—and as soon as she started singing, she never wanted to stop.

“We would recognize the melodies far before we recognized the words. Her pitch and melodies were so accurate,” her mother Michelle told the Orlando Sentinel.

Gina’s favorite singer was Leanne Rimes—and she especially loved Rimes’ rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. Soon, Gina had learned to sing the song so beautifully that her parents knew it was time to share their daughter’s gift with the world.

Last spring, when Michelle saw an ad for singers to audition to perform the national anthem at a Houston Astros game, she didn’t really believe that her little girl would be chosen for the momentous event. But Gina wowed the judges—and, at the game, her stunning performance brought many of the 40,000 cheering fans to tears. Her performance launched the child to instant fame, with performances at more sports events including the US Open and several Orlando Magic basketball games, as well as the Today Show.

“Many families that receive a similar diagnosis are struck with fear and react with denial,” Gina’s mother writes on her website. “They are overwhelmed with the feeling that their child will never achieve the same goals as other children. Well, Gina is an example that these children are capable of wonderful things. Gina has gracefully walked through every door that has been opened for her through early intervention. It is my hope that others will hear her story so that their children may follow through those doors to reach their own goals and fulfill their own dreams.” (from Gimundo)

This footage is fantastic. Prepare to be wowed:



By the way, it's worth reading some of the comments on this video's YouTube page here.

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Disabled Employee Inspires Community

This just makes me smile:

For two years, everyone from jockeys to longtime racing fans have come through Gate 1 for more than just the races. One worker's story, his love for work, can be a lesson to us all.

Sometimes it takes some giving up to get where we want to go. For James Cornette, it means putting off his 31st surgery to work at Churchill Downs. "He told me that I needed surgery right away, but I told him since I just started working, that I wanted to wait," said the Churchill Downs employee of his doctor.

Right now Cornette has two fractures in his back and health concerns so great he takes 11 pills everyday to get by. This medicine helps make it possible for James to tackle a job of a lifetime -- handling tickets and programs at Gate 1 of the track that gave him a chance.

"James was looking for work and he actually told us that he would work for free if we'd let him work, and of course, we told him we can't do that there's laws against that, but of course we'd have to pay you," said Chuck Jetton, James' Manager at Churchill Downs.

For four days a week, the 23-year-old and his mother are stationed at Gate 1, Mauk helping her son where she can. It's a job James has had now for two years. "Sometimes it does get a little overwhelming having all these people come through here," he said.

Still, James Cornette's dedication is enough to inspire an entire racing community, including the jockeys who race at the track.

"He gets up everyday for Churchill Downs. He lives it, he eats it. breaths it," said James' mother Jackie. "It has given him the willpower to push and to strive to do better."

"This is my hero right here, " said racing Fan Hezekiah Bush. "Some days I'll come in, I'm feeling kind of down and kind of bad, and every time I see James it just picks me up."

"I'm going to work til I can't work no more," said James of his job at Churchill Downs. (from Wave3)

Watch the video:



Wow - are you as excited by what you do every day?

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"Rock with You" by Michael Jackson

Yes, Michael Jackson for today's Sublime Sunday song. For the last 15 years or so, Michael Jackson has been surrounded by weirdness and scandal. But go back to the 70s and 80s and you will find some of the most amazing pop songs were done by MJ. It's hard to find people nowadays that don't like "Thriller" or "Off the Wall" ... like my two daughters. I had to get a new copy of "Thriller" because they wore out mine.

Which leads me to "Rock with You." It's a brilliant song (read a detailed reason why here) and survived the Disco years to still be relevant today. It's one of those songs that you can put on at home, the club, the car - wherever - and have everyone nod in agreement. Universal sublime goodness.

Close your eyes and listen:



Have you downloaded the Sublime Goodness Mixtape yet?

Guy Starts Dance Party - Music Festival Video

This is great and a special thank you to my friend Brent who has now given me two posts within a week now.

For some reason, this video reminds me of Susan Boyle (of Britain's Got Talent fame).

Why? Because when it starts, you can see everyone around kind of going "what's up with that guy?" and just amused. But then one by one, people start dancing with him and by the end of it, everyone is having fun and part of something bigger and organic.

Enjoy!

Nursing School Student Saves Dean's Life at Graduation

"Not your typical rescue story" is what I first thought reading this. Instead, a powerful story of second chances. Here is the deal:

Charity Townsend Caldwell wasn't even going to go to her own graduation that day, but a friend talked her into it at the last minute.

As the new nursing graduate hustled out of the rain into the DeSoto Civic Center on May 2 and saw a crowd gathered around a man, her instincts kicked in.

"I'm a nurse," she called as she pushed through people, got down on the floor in her heels and her half-zipped graduation gown and checked for a pulse. The man's breathing was shallow. Then his pulse stopped.

"All I was thinking is, 'I only have three minutes to get the blood flowing to his brain,'" she said.

Caldwell, 35, began chest compressions, an act she had only performed once before and an act she was later told saved the life of Southwest Tennessee Community College's Dean of Health Sciences, Glen Swinny.

"He really wouldn't have made it, we don't think, without Charity," said Provost Joanne Bassett. "It was just amazing to see a little angel working in front of us."

Swinny was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto. He had suffered a heart attack and his arteries were 90 percent blocked. He had double-bypass surgery two days later.

Caldwell had never met Swinny, but she visited him in the hospital the day after his surgery.

"I couldn't recognize him at first, but when he looked at me, I knew his brown eyes," she said. "He hugged my neck, kissed me and said, 'Thank you so much.'"

School officials called Caldwell a heroine, but she views it differently.

"It was divine intervention for both of us," she said. "He let me know that I could do it."

It took a lot of perseverance and little bit of luck for Caldwell to reach the graduation ceremony that night.

As a single mother working full-time, Caldwell struggled for eight years to get her nursing degree. She began when her son was in kindergarten, taking one class at a time. After failing two classes, she was dismissed from the program.

"I was crushed," said Caldwell, who said she has always wanted to be a nurse.

When Southwest instituted a readmission policy in 2007 in response to the state's nursing shortage, she gave up her full-time job as a clinical reimbursement specialist at Smith & Nephew and started over.

In a letter to the school's president after graduation, Caldwell wrote: "I have no doubt that the second chance I was given to pursue my dream resulted in a second chance for Dean Swinny. To all of my instructors, classmates, friends and family, thank you for believing in me." (from Memphis' Commercial Appeal)

Watch the CNN Video:



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"Deadline" Stop-Motion Video

Hard to believe, but I'm posting another stop-motion video in a week's time. This is a great one that will make you smile. Last week's fun video is here.

Again, this came by the way of serendipity when another friend tweeted today:

RT @robinmcmillan: Cooooool post-it stop motion: http://bit.ly/IOUNS

...and it is cool. Very cool - almost awe-inspiring. Stop-motion with post-its. I like the part with the lightning (the driving is neat too!). Enjoy:



Here is some background - the piece was done by Bang-yao Liu and on the YouTube description it reads:

This is my senior project at Savannah College of Art and Design. Where my idea comes from is that every time when I am busy, I feel that I am not fighting with my works, I am fighting with those post-it notes and deadline. I manipulating the post-it notes to do pixel-like stop motion and there are some interactions between real actor and post-its.

I also recommend you check out the making-of video here. Interesting and informative - yes, it's harder than it looks. They did it on computer first via flash animation and projected it on the wall to get it right. Over 6,000 post-it notes later...

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