Flight 1549's Good Luck Charm - Passenger Maryann Bruce

Just when you thought the amazing stories to come out of last week's "Miracle on the Hudson" plane crash were over...there is this - turns out that one of the passengers had already escaped death six times before!

Maryanne Bruce knew her number wasn't up when Flight 1549 was ditched in the Hudson River.

The reason was simple: It was only No. 7 out of her allotted nine lives.

At 48, the business executive, who lives in North Carolina, has already survived a tsunami in Hawaii, a plane trip through a hurricane off Long Island, an earthquake in California and an avalanche while skiing in Colorado.

She also worked in the twin towers during the 1993 terrorist attack, and was midflight from Charlotte, N.C., to Boston on 9/11, and watched the two buildings smolder from the jet's window.

Can you believe that? Her relatives call her a jinx, but she says she's a good luck charm. It's hard to argue with that. My favorite piece of wisdom is this:

Bruce kept her hospital tags as a memento and flew back home Friday, having no qualms about stepping onto a plane again.

"I'm the type that just figures you've got to get back on the horse," she said. "You never think it's going to happen again, you gotta live life, and I don't want to live life being afraid."

> Read More at the NY Daily News

Chesley Sullenberger is My Hero: Facebook Edition

A lot has happened in the last day. It is rare that one person can become so universally beloved in such a fractured society we supposedly live in ("red-state, blue-state,etc"). It seems that there is one thing we can all agree on - Chesley Sullenberger is a hero and let's show our gratitude!

Already, when I logged onto Facebook this evening there is a growing number of grass-roots "Chesley Sullenberger" pages for Facebook members to become fans of and "Chesley Sullenberger" groups for members to join. What touches me more than seeing literally about 100,000 people (by my count and growing rapidly) become public supporters of this man from all corners of the earth is to see the overwhelming number of emotional words of thanks. Here are just a few:

I am so impressed at such a wonderful and heroic job. I am planning on getting my pilots license and I would be happy if I could be even half as brave and knowledgeable as you are. You are my hero.

You are a true hero. I haven't flown in since 2000, but you...you my dear man have given me hope. You have done a remarkable thing. My faith has been restored. I just might take that short flight to Hawaii with my family after all....

Sully, you are a true hero. I hope that people will teach their children that people like you, your co-captain, flight staff, the ferry boat staff, and first responders are the true heroes...

I am still awestruck.

hi im gabi and im 8 years old I am very proud of you. P.S. this is my dads facebook but email me back!!!!!!

Amazing job Sully! America loves you!

Your actions yesterday not only saved 155 lives they also impacted millions of lives. God Bless YOU!

> Read More on Facebook

Miracle on the Hudson - Chesley Sullenberger is My Hero

The lead story on the news across the country is no doubt the emergency landing of a US Airways plane in the Hudson River today. Apparently a few birds crashed into the plane, causing it to go down. It could have been terrible and tragic...but it wasn't. Before today, Chesley Sullenberger was a pilot. Now he's a hero.

In the aftermath of the crash, the pilot, Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, was praised for his efforts at landing the plane softly on the river's surface, allowing rescue crews to get to the passengers before the plane sank.

"It would appear that the pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river, and then making sure everybody got out," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference late today.

What cinched it for me was this - he walked the aisle of the downed US Airways jet twice looking for passengers before exiting the plane he safely ditched in the Hudson River, saving the lives of more than 150 people onboard. What an amazing man.

> Read More about the Heroic Landing & Sullenberger