Creative Math Professor’s Halloween Treat
Comments October 30th, 2009
Posts filed under 'Touching'
Notes Left Behind
It started as a parent’s personal journal to their younger daughter Gracie, so she would be able to remember her 6-year-old sister, Elena, who was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer.
Though her parents didn’t want her to know the severity of her cancer, they feel that she must have known what was happening. The tumor slowly took away her ability to talk.
But Elena was still able to write.
After Elena passed away, her parents discovered that their daughter had left a message behind for them — a lot of messages, actually.
“We started to pull out notes and they would be in between CDs or between books on our bookshelf,” Keith Desserich said.
Then the couple started finding them everywhere.
Comments October 29th, 2009
Grieving Chimps?
United in what appears to be deep and profound grief, a phalanx of more than a dozen chimpanzees stood in silence watching from behind the wire of their enclosure as the body of one of their own was wheeled past.
This extraordinary scene took place recently at the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon, West Africa.
When a chimp called Dorothy, who was in her late 40s, died of heart failure, her fellow apes seemed to be stricken by sorrow.
As they wrapped their arms around each other in a gesture of solidarity, Dorothy’s female keeper gently settled her into the wheelbarrow which carried her to her final resting place – not before giving this much-loved inhabitant of the centre a final affectionate stroke on the forehead.
Comments October 28th, 2009
One Love
From the award-winning documentary, “Playing For Change: Peace Through Music”, comes an incredible rendition of the legendary Bob Marley song “One Love” with Keb’ Mo’ and Manu Chao. This is the third video from the documentary and a follow up to the classic “Stand By Me” and the incredible “Don’t Worry.” Released in celebration of Bob Marley’s birthday on February 6th, this tribute to the legend is performed by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it traveled the globe.
Playing For Change | Song Around The World “One Love” from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.
Comments October 20th, 2009
Blind Baseball
Comments October 5th, 2009
She Gave Five Sons to the Navy
Yup, this was the inspiration for Saving Private Ryan (and I’m still bitter it didn’t beat out Shakespeare in Love for Best Picture).
November, 1942: Five brothers, all serving on the same vessel during World War II, are killed in action as a result of said warship sinking at the Battle of the Solomons. Two months later, after hearing no word from the Navy regarding her sons’ well-being, Alleta Sullivan writes the following, deeply moving letter to the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Alleta promptly received a reply from President Roosevelt. That letter can also be read below.
As a result of the Sullivans’ plight, the U.S. military introduced the Sole Survivor Policy. The policy attempts to ensure that, should a family member be lost during military service, any remaining siblings be exempt from service.
Read both letters here.
Comments October 1st, 2009
In Memoriam Emmys 2009
For some reason I always look forward to the “In Memoriam” parts of award shows, especially the Oscars and the Emmys. I always like to see what clips are used of a performance of the deceased and what order they are presented, and sometimes I’m surprised that someone died and I had no idea that they were gone, or just reminded of a great that has passed. And it’s cool that I get to see people I had no idea were behind a film or show that really impacted my life. Oh, and it’s really interesting to see how the audience reacts to each person.
I didn’t get to watch the Emmys this year because I was too busy not watching a Cowboys game at the new stadium. So for those of you that missed it, here it is.
Comments September 23rd, 2009
Matt Ziesel’s Touchdown Run
Matt is a special athlete who has Down Syndrome. He loves football and has grown up in an environment surrounded by sports. His father is a coach/ athletic director, and all his siblings play sports. He grew up at athletic events, and has always been a cheerleader. He registered as a freshman at Benton High School -Saint Joseph, MO this year, and told his mother and father he wanted to play football. The team takes good care of looking after Matt, and he is still the cheerleader on the sidelines. He puts his pads and helmet on, stands next to Coach McCamy and waits for his turn to play. Over and over during the course of the game Matt will say, “Coach McCamy, I am ready! I am ready Coach!” On this Monday night coach gave him a chance. The Cardinals were down by a few touchdowns with 15 seconds left. Coach McCamy called a timeout and asked the coach of Maryville High School if they could run their “Matt Play”. He agreed and this is where the video begins. Thanks to Coach McCamy and the freshman coach at Maryville, Matt and his family will cherish his moment forever!
Comments September 19th, 2009
The Blind Side
If you like stories where a rich white family adopts a large black boy, educates and loves him, and turns him into a first round NFL Draft pick, then this movie may just be for you.
For a nice primer, check out this NY Times story about Michael Oher.
The movie looks good, but I’m worried that southern accent Sandra Bullock is trying to pull off will become too distracting, almost like Costner’s Boston accent in Thirteen Days.
[Thanks, Jonathan!]
Comments September 2nd, 2009
Life Advice From Old People
I blogger meets up with old people, asks advice, and records it.
www.lifeadvicefromoldpeople.com
Here’s a news segment on the blog:
Coming soon: Life Advice from Clergy
Comments August 31st, 2009
Hero teacher didn’t have time to think
In the moments after a young man detonated two pipe bombs at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, English language development teacher Kennet Santana didn’t have time to think about what he should do.
As students crouched for cover in their classrooms, Santana, 34, moved toward the explosions shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. In the hallway outside the library, he saw a boy wearing a tactical vest with what turned out to be eight other pipe bombs.
Santana thought at first the youth was a student trying to run from whatever was happening. But when he noticed a pipe bomb sticking out of one of the boy’s pockets, he realized that the youth was a threat – and that he had to stop him.
Without hesitation, Santana tackled the boy in a bear hug, pinned his arms to his sides, flipped him to the ground and stayed on top of him while yelling at other teachers to call for help.
Read more: www.sfgate.com
But does the teacher consider himself a hero?
Not by this answer: “There’s one hero in my family, and he’s in Iraq right now,” Santana said, referring to his brother, who is in the military.
Comments August 26th, 2009
Lucky the turtle gets new legs
Comments August 24th, 2009
Don’t Text and Drive
A very GRAPHIC public service announcement made in the UK about the dangers of driving and texting.
Comments August 18th, 2009
