"Star Guitar" by the Chemical Brothers

I know what you are thinking - don't the British duo known as the Chemical Brothers make electronic dance music? Well, they do, and pretty good electronic music too - this song in particular is an ethereal gem. It's upbeat, but there is something about it that is just sensational and melancholy - the first time I heard it I was on a plane with my new wife (on our honeymoon!) and it was playing on the airplane music channel I was plugged into. I remember staring down at the clouds and being taken away by the music.

Enjoy. If you haven't seen it, the video by Michel Gondry is pretty cool too:

Inspirational & Motivational Quotes

Similar to Sublime Goodness, where I collect...um, sublime goodness, I came across another collection of inspiration and motivation - www.worldofinspiration.com. This site just lists uplifting quotes and continually adds them. I can dig that.

Here are some of my favorites at the site:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, It is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead (this is a classic!)

“You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.”

Vernon Howard

“You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.”

Henry Drummond

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.”

John Lennon

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”

Abraham Lincoln

> Read More Quotations at World of Goodness

> Subscribe to World of Inspiration RSS Feed

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Fifty People, One Question: New York

First of all, if you haven't seen "Fifty People, One Question: New Orleans," go and do that now. Here is the 2nd video in the series. The lowdown from the filmmakers:

We asked the same question and it took us somewhere new. Gone were the lazy days of summer. A cool breeze swept the streets with leaves under foot and the familiar hustle of the city…welcome to autumn in New York.

It’s a simple question. And the answers can lead us anywhere.

So go ahead, ask yourself…

Here is the question - "By the end of today, what do you wish to happen?" I love the diversity of this one. The diversity of responses and people. Beautiful.

Seriously - if this blog ever put together a video, it would probably be pretty close to something like this. Sublime video goodness. Enjoy.

Fifty People, One Question: New York from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.

> Read more responses and submit your own here

Amish Aid Neighbors in Storm

Here is a great story about being a good neighbor, even when your neighbor is a little "different."

When ice storms recently pummeled large portions of Kentucky, hundreds of thousands of people were left helpless and without power. But their Amish neighbors, who have lived all their lives without the benefits of electricity, came to their rescue. Amish families lent out kerosene lamps, cooked meals on wood-burning stoves, and provided advice about making do without modern appliances. “Best neigh­­bors we’ve ever had,” said 76-year-old James Hutchins of Mayfield, who was without power for almost a week, “and we’ve been around a few places.” (from The Week)

It's too bad that it takes an ice storm to bring people together right? It's always important to get to know your neighbors and get involved in your community.

> Read the Full Story from the AP

Also, that Amish coffee sounds really, really good.

More Secrets to Happiness

My secret to being happy? To love and be loved - the rest will come easy.

Here are two posts I've come across today that also give a few secrets (and non-secrets):

> 10 Non-secrets to Happiness

> The Zen Millionaire's 14 Secrets to Happiness (yes, from MarketWatch!)

My favorite ideas from the above:

• Do something nice for yourself.
• Do something for someone, without expecting anything in return.
• Eat something you love to eat, at least once a week.
• Happiness is getting lost in whatever you're doing.
• Happiness is more a bunch of little moments than big deals.
• Happiness is not being attached to money and stuff.

You might also like these related Sublime Goodness posts:

• The Secret to Happiness: Seven Ways to Savor Life
• Happiness Habit: Routines to Make Your Life Richer & More Productive
• Five Surprising Happiness Habits that Could Change Your Life
  

* Hat tip to Happytweets for the Zen Millionaire article.

Woman with Two Wombs Delivers Twin Daughters

This is pretty amazing. In the video below, they said this is only the third time something like this has happened:

A northern Michigan woman with two wombs has given birth to twin daughters -- one from each uterus.

The Mining Journal and WLUC-TV reported 21-year-old Sarah Reinfelder's babies were delivered seven weeks premature Thursday by Caesarean section at Marquette General Hospital in the Upper Peninsula.

Dr. Connie Hedmark and Dr. Breanna Pond first delivered Kaylin Joy, then Valerie Marie, the larger twin by one pound. Kaylin Joy weighed 3 pounds, 15 ounces. Both babies are healthy, and they and their mother are doing fine.

Reinfelder has uterus didelphys, and doctors say such twin births are rare. The uteri are different sizes, with the larger twin born from the larger uterus.

> Read More from the Associated Press

I'm so happy for the proud parents! Watch a CNN video of the story:

"Dear Someone" by Gillian Welch

When I think of sublime songs, Gillian Welch embodies sublime. Playing with songwriting partner David Rawlings, her songs are haunting, beautiful, and all around dazzling.

One of my favorites is "Dear Someone" from her brilliant album Time: The Revelator. It makes me feel like I'm lying on my back in the grass gazing up at the stars. Enjoy.

Close your eyes and listen:
Note that the YouTube video is just the song w/a screen shot - there isn't a true "video," only music.