Medley of the popular songs “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World,” the iconic piece “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is still touching hearts of millions who got to listen to it performed by the great Israel Ka’ano’i Kamakawiwo’ole. His mild and soft voice along with his undeniable talent for music made him a true Hawaiian legend.
The story behind this piece of music is as exceptional as the song itself. Recording engineer Milan Bertosa said how he got a call one night at 3 a.m by a man who wanted to record a song. “And in walks the largest human being I had seen in my life,” Bertosa was reported to have said. “Then I put up some microphones, do a quick sound check, roll tape, and the first thing he does is ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ He played and sang, one take, and it was over.”
Thirty years later, Israel’s song is still as popular as on the day it was first released.
Over the years, the song has been used by many film companies and producers.
Israel, whom people loved to call “Bruddah Iz” and “Gentle Giant,” passed away in 1997 at the age of 38 as a result of a cardiac and respiratory issues but his music continues to live on.
Take a look at the video of him performing. This is truly heartwarming. Enjoy!
Most of us remember picture days at school and how excited we were to get group photos with our classmates. I still have mine from the time I was a student and whenever I see them I recall those fun and careless times.
An 8-year-old girl named Marian Scott won’t be able to see a 3rd grade picture of herself and her classmates years from now because she was denied one.
Apparently, she broke the school’s dress code, in her case the hairstyle code, and was told to wait in the corridor while everyone else was being taken photo of. The reason why made many people mad as they agree that most times school rules and policies are kind of stupid and limit students’ creativity and suppress their self-expression.
Marian was overly excited for the picture day and asked her mom to take her to the hair salon so that she could have a new hairstyle which included a hair cut and some red dyed extensions.
According to Marian’s mom, Latoya Howard, the girl was very pleased with the way she looked and just “couldn’t stop staring at herself in the mirror.”
Marian’s hair for the picture day was nicely and neatly braided in a bun. But when her teachers spotted her new hairstyle, they told Marian that she didn’t look decent and that she couldn’t be part of the photo shooting. They even excluded her from the group photo.
The poor girl was confused because she believed that she would be paid some compliment. Instead, she was told off and left to spend the day all alone while everyone else was having fun and hanged out together.
Marian started crying and couldn’t wait to get home. When she told her parents what happened, they got really angry because they believed their daughter shouldn’t have gone through such an unpleasant experience because of something like a dyed hair.
After they contacted the school Marian attends, Paragon Charter Academy in Michigan, the teachers told them it was a rule and that they didn’t feel guilty for excluding Marian from the photos.
They even said how the parents should have known the school rules which said that students were only allowed ‘natural hair tones.’
Instead of an apology from the principal, the family was given a week ‘to correct’ their daughter’s hair. In case they didn’t, she would not be allowed to attend classes.
Marian’s mom and dad believe their daughter didn’t do anything wrong, but still got rid of her extensions because they didn’t want her to be suspended and miss classes.
They still believe that the school should apologize for making the girl cry that day.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Please share them with us in the comments section below.
Let’s get honest, when children come into our life there is very little chance that we ever take some time for ourselves. Starting from preparing healthy meals and spending a bunch of time in the kitchen, taking them out for a walk or at the park, making their days fun, and struggling to get them to sleep at night make parents exhausted.
One clever mom, however, found a cool way to get her two girls to sleep without begging them to stop fighting and being naughty.
When she bought those glow-in-the-dark pajamas, mom Jessica D’Entremont had no idea she was buying her self some free time.
Jessica exposed the pajamas to some light before the girls got to bed and they were overjoyed wearing their unique piece of clothing. The second night, however, Jessica ‘forgot’ to keep the pajamas under light which meant they didn’t work. The girls were disappointed and kept asking what was wrong. It was then that their mommy told them how in order for the pajamas to work and glow they had to put them on, lie down under some light, and stay completely still.
The moment she realized her two beautiful girls were getting very sleepy, Jessica turned the lights off and both girls drifted off to sleep in a matter of minutes.
Jessica couldn’t believe what had happened as getting them into bed would rarely pass without the girls fighting and refusing to sleep.
The night was peaceful and this tired mom could have it all for herself.
Needless to say, as she had a glass of wine and her favorite book in her hands, Jessica couldn’t stop wondering whether her trick was a one time lucky pass or it will work in the days to come as well.
The next night, Jessica asked her girls to lie still again so that their pajamas could be charged. To her surprise, once the girls relaxed, they fell asleep very quickly and Jessica was over the moon she could skip hours of calming them down and forcing them to go to bed.
Her trick works and she is more than happy to share it with other parents out there.
Of course, Jessica makes sure the pajamas are out of light during the day so that the girls can ‘charge’ them before going to bed.
She hopes others will find this useful. If you have young kids yourself, let us know of the outcome in case you are giving this trick a go.
Great Freddie Mercury once said, “You can do what you want with my music, but don’t make me boring,” and it looks like this team of Canadian ice skaters live by these words.
What they had to give the cheering crowd at the Canadian Synchronized Skating Championship resembles pure magic.
The moment the music of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ filled the air, the audience couldn’t wait to see what the NEXXICE Senior team had up their sleeves.
With such melody that changes tempo and tone many times during the six minutes it lasts, the performance had to be one to remember.
Not everyone would agree to dance and skate to such iconic song, but this team lived up to their expectations. They have been the first Canadian team in history to be crowned the title of World Synchronized Skating Champions in April 2009 and again in April 2015 for a good reason.
The months of hard work paid off as the remarkable routine has stolen the hearts of everyone who got to see it unfolding right in front of their eyes.
At the beginning of the performance, the team divides into four groups and everyone is eager to see what comes next as the opening lyrics “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” make people sing along as they have their eyes glued to the ice.
Next, two of the groups of skaters split off and join hands together as the other two groups get closer. In the next moment, one of the performers is lifted into the air.
After that, the two inner groups formed a circle, and the outer groups formed wings. Now imagine that this is just the beginning of what you are about to see from the NEXXICE Senior team.
Sliding on their knees was also part of the incredible act that left people amazed.
With the start of the second sequence of the song, the group stayed in a solid formation and skated backwards and forward from one edge of the ring to the other. But once the lyrics “I don’t wanna die” were heard, they split into two lines, then four, and weaved in between each other.
At one point the group members joined their arms and can-canned across the rink.
During the solo part of the iconic song, the group formed a square that later split into four. Each skater leaned forward and had one of their legs into the sky.
As the song came to the end, one of the skaters performed a handstand in the middle of the rank and it was the icing on the cake. Breathtaking, indeed!
People praised the skaters for their incredible performance. All 16 of the team members breathed as one and skated in perfect harmony.
This is definitely something you don’t want to miss.
Most people do their jobs for the sake of the money they make, but there are also those who put their heart into what they do.
Arletha Sherman is a 64-year-old bus driver who loves and cares for her riders as though they were her own children. However, there is one special girl who stole Sherman’s heart from day one, and she doesn’t mind going an extra mile to make this little passenger’s life more fun.
5-year-old Anna Hopson suffers from a disorder known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease which affects the nerves in the limbs. Sadly, it means that Anna has to use a wheelchair most of the time.
The sweet girl is now attending pre-kindergarted at the Sabal Palm Elementary school in Jacksonville and goes to and from school with Sherman’s bus. This is how these two became very close, and despite the huge age difference they are kind of best friends.
Anna’s mom and dad had no idea that Sherman took that much care of their daughter until one day she showed up on their door just to make sure the girl was all right after she missed a day at kindergarten.
“I thought, ‘Well, she didn’t have to do that,’” said Anna’s mother Kathleen Hopson.
Sherman makes sure little Anna is comfortable during the rides.
“I mean, I may have a bad morning, but once I see her, it’s different,” Sherman told CBS News. “The fact that she has so much going on in her life, but she’s always happy — and she’s always bubbly — and she’s always, ‘Hey, Ms. Sherman!’ And then we just started communicating.”
Anna’s fifth birthday was a day to remember. When she boarded the bus, she got a surprise of a lifetime. The whole vehicle was decorated with balloons an a big ‘happy birthday’ banner. Everyone had lots of fun on the way to school. They sang songs and laughed, and Anna got a princess dress and a bunch of other gifts.
Anna’s parents were over the moon knowing their girl was loved that much. They felt like they had to share the photos of Sherman’s act of kindness on the Instagram page dedicated to Anna named Sunshine and the Shark.
“Anna’s bus driver #wentallout to make Anna’s birthday special! This princess dress and tiara are gifts from her, she decorated the bus, and gave Anna cards, toys, and hair clips. Anna felt like a real #princess going to school this morning! “
People were overjoyed and loved the dedication of the bus driver. She really became an important part of the girl’s life.
“All she could do was just take her hands up and say, ‘All this for me?’ It was just so overwhelming,” Sherman recalled.
On Sherman’s big day, she invited Anna and her parents to be her guests. Sweet Anna was the flower girl and one of the most special people at the wedding reception.
Words couldn’t express how honored the family was to be sharing such an important moment with the woman who did so much for their girl.
“Anna’s bus driver has been a blessing in our lives from day one. Yesterday she was a beautiful bride and Anna was honored to serve as her flower girl! “
Sherman’s heart of gold made her the most loved bus driver in town and maybe the whole country. The parents whose kids she drives must be very happy knowing they are in safe hands.
“Arletha is an excellent bus driver and a very caring person,” Kathleen told Good Morning America. “She loves all the kids that she drives and always goes above and beyond to make them feel safe and happy on the bus.”
Take a look at the video below to learn more of this amazing woman.
A woman named Jayne Sharp paid the price of beauty after she visited a nail salon one day. All she hoped for was getting a nice manicure, but she ended up contracting a flash-eating bacteria that left her fighting for her life.
During the process of having her nails done, the nail technician cut Jayne’s right thumb.
However, the cut was slight and that didn’t bother Jayne a great deal so she stayed until the end.
Once home, she started feeling odd. The pain on her thumb was persistent and didn’t fade away even after she took painkillers. What’s most, she couldn’t even sleep as the pain intensified with every passing moment.
In the morning, Jayne felt really ill and visited the doctor believing she caught the flu, but it was her thumb that caught the doctor’s attention. There was a swollen lump on it and it didn’t look good.
He advised her to go home but pay close attention to the lump and visit the emergency room in case it grows bigger.
The following day, she noticed that not only her finger swallowed even more, but her whole hand was covered in red marks. This raised a red flag.
She rushed to her doctor again and that’s when she was told the devastating news that she had contracted a flesh-eating bacteria. There was no time to waste and Jayne underwent a surgery right away.
The chances of her losing her hand or even the arm were high.
Thankfully, the surgery was a successful one and amputation was avoided. She’s still recovering and is unable to use her right arm completely. Doctors believe that more months will pass until she’s completely healed.
The mortality rate of flesh-eating bacteria is up to 80% and Jayne knows just how lucky she is to be alive.
Her thumb now has an awkward shape but she doesn’t mind it. She’s thankful she reacted on time, because if she went to the doctor even a day later, the bacteria could have spread and she could have easily died.
Doctors don’t know how she contracted the bacteria but say that people like Jayne who suffer from diabetes and whose immune system is compromised are more likely to catch it than someone who is completely healthy.
After Jayne’s story spread, the nail salon where she got the cut, Jazzy Nail Bar, was under inspection but they passed it with no health issues. The owner and the employees were shocked to learn that they could be the reason for Jayne’s ordeal.
Although she could have contracted the bacteria anywhere as she had an open cut, she claims that she started feeling the pain very shortly after she left the salon and is certain she caught the virus there.
However, what’s most important is that she is recovering and can put her ordeal in the past.
Eating healthy is crucial for the right development of children. That is why most parents include fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, and a variety of other nutrients on their kids’ menus.
However, it’s not only important for them to consume quality food at home, but while at school too. Sadly, not every student is able to afford a healthy meal. In fact, those who have lunch dept only get an alternative meal such as a cheese sandwich and are often publicly “lunch shamed.”
The overall dept of the students from the school district of Jupiter Florida was around $994, which meant that around 400 students weren’t getting items from the regular menu but an alternative lunch.
This was something that most people and parents were aware of, but it wasn’t until a woman named Angie Vyas-Knight wrote about it on Facebook that the problem was finally solved.
“I was like, that’s not OK,” she told WPTV. “These kids are starting off the school year with a negative balance, won’t even have a shot at starting with a clean slate.”
“It has a lot of impacts if a child is happy and well-fed.”
As Angie’s post spread quickly a kind-hearted man named Andrew Levy stumbled upon it and was touched by the story. This real estate agent from Palm Beach Gardens felt uneasy knowing that such high number of students can’t afford decent food.
“Food is something that you shouldn’t have to think about,” Andrew told CBS Miami. “Children shouldn’t have to learn hungry.”
He had the money and believed that covering the dept would make those students’ life a bit easier.
“I went in there and I said ‘I want to pay off the lunch debt.’”
Andrew decided that it would be for the best if he paid the school a visit and see the real situation. He met with the food service department and offered to wipe the debt slate clean for the whole district.
“The thought of a fairly small sum being able to rectify that situation and clear the debt of all these families so the children could eat warm meals is really what got me,” he told WPTV.
The problem was, however, that the debt was likely to accumulate again as the parents of a number of kids were struggling to make ends meet and pay for their children’s lunch. So, Andrew went an extra mile and came up with a plan. He was about to spread the story to people who would be able to donate every once in a while, among which his clients.
“I even have had some clients over the past 48 hours say ‘you know something, I want to help, I want to give too,” he told CBS Miami. “Every quarter I’m going to do either a GoFundMe page or a fundraising page that can raise money every quarter so the lunch debt never accumulates.”
The sad reality is that most school districts around the U.S face the same problem as Jupiter did. The lunch debt in some of them is even higher that $50,000. Such is the case with the Palm Beach County.
As for now, the only solution to this problem is helping the schools and the students with donations. So in case you know of schools who need help covering their students lunch debt please consider donating.
Most moms, no matter how proud they are of the role they are given, feel uncomfortable and are dreaded by the question, “What do you do?” This is because they have a lot on their plate, but despite all the responsibilities around the house and the kids, what they do isn’t appreciated enough, neither by their spouses nor the society.
One mother was fed up by people asking her what her occupation was and rolling their eyes when she would answer “I’m a mom.” So, the last time she was about to give an answer to this question, she did it in a way that made all of us laugh out loud. Needless to say, moms from all over the world praised her for her wise words.
This is her story:
A woman named Emily, renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office, was asked by a recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …?”
“Of course I have a job,” snapped Emily. “I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder emphatically.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, “Official Interrogator” or “Town Registrar.”
“What is your occupation?” she probed.
What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right.
I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “just what you do in your field?”
Without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply. “I have a continuing program of research, in the laboratory and in the field. I’m working for my Masters, and already have four credits, (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day. But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants – ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6-month-old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt triumphant! I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood. What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.
We thank this mom for reminding us how special the role of mothers is in everyone’s life.
