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Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

Last month marked 25 years of humanity’s continuous presence in orbit around this fair planet.  

25 years, one website: ISS in Real Time captures quarter-century on space station

Two NASA contractors, working only during their off hours, have built a portal into all of those resources to uniquely represent the 25-year history of ISS occupancy.

ISS in Real Time, by Ben Feist and David Charney, went live on Monday (October 27), ahead of the November 2 anniversary. In its own way, the new website may be as impressive a software engineering accomplishment as the station is an aerospace engineering marvel.

It’s a good story about persistence and creativity, and it’s great to have all of this history and knowledge in one place. 

It’s also easy to get bogged down in the trials of life and forget what’s good. But really? Our adventures in space are pretty incredible. For most of our species’ existence we’ve looked up at the stars and dreamed. And now?

Look! Look what we did!

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Why do we need heroes? To be better versions of ourselves.

Scientists Discover That People Act Way Better When Batman Is Present

After making a guy dressed as Batman stand around in a subway car, a team of researchers found that the behavior of people around him suddenly improved the moment he showed up.

I call this the “see better, be better” school of human behavior. And I like it!

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I taught an octopus piano (It took 6 months)

This video is refusing to embed for some reason, but if you are impressed by clever and creative displays of persistence (by humans and others!), it’s worth checking out. Start at the 3:00 minute mark if you want to go straight to the training process, or at 15:00 if you want to skip to the piano performance.

Note: this video contains a lot of swearing. Which, as someone who has trained their cat to sit and jump (but definitely not play an instrument), I completely understand!

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“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.”

― John Holmes

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Now this is exactly what I need on a Monday.

How John Green Fights Despair Every Day | The Interview – YouTube

I mean the problem with hope is that it feels like a very easy word. You know, it feels like very convenient and sort of kumbaya. But I’m interested in the kind of hope that holds up to scrutiny. The kind of hope that does hold up to the worst things that happen to us, that holds up to our worst days. That’s the kind of hope that I’m interested in.

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“Young people will have the seeds you bury in their minds, and when they grow up they will change the world.”

— Jack Ma

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We Earthlings are in the middle of the Leonid meteor shower. It takes place this year from November 6th through the 30th, but will peak overnight tonight. Even better, the moon is only 9% full, so the only competition will be from human light sources. 

Leonid meteor shower: All you need to know in 2025

The Leonid meteor shower is back! Leonid meteors are already flying. The peak is on the morning of November 17.

Love this animation!

Meteor Showers 2025 – 2026 – American Meteor Society

So tonight, if you find yourself in a place with clear skies, look up. 

The Universe is saying hello.

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Happy Kindness Day! Not that you should limit kindness to just one day, but a little reminder can be useful. And knowing that people around you are more predisposed to be kind today? 

That’s a good thing, and it’s catching! 

If you’re going to be kind to another human, today is the day to do it!

Some hardhearted souls may even question whether small acts of kindness really matter. Spoiler alert: They do! 

“And here’s the beautiful part: When someone receives kindness, they don’t just feel better, they become better.”

The bonus is that a little kindness is good for both the recipient and the giver. Win win!

How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

— William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

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We held two memorials this weekend, both opportunities to come together around happy memories and shared stories. It also got me thinking (in a positive way!) about what comes after—not in terms of heaven (or that other place) but how to live and the world you leave behind. 

Today is also Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada, an ideal time to think about those who came before and what they did for their world, and ours.

Given that, this quote seemed like a good fit for today.

Decide what you would like your obituary to say and live the life to deserve it.  

— Warren Buffett

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“The closest thing we can get to a crystal ball is history.”

— Jennifer Lawrence

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