Photographer Reveals The Super-Heroes Within These Kids With Illnesses

And then, you see folks doing this.

Photographer Josh Rossi used special photo shoots to reveal the super-heroes these kids with illnesses and disabilities truly are.

More of this, please.

This kind photographer turned kids with illnesses and disabilities into superheroes #SundayMorning pic.twitter.com/yOgJGK9FRw

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) December 3, 2017

The Super Bowl Commercial FOX TV Didn't Want You To See

This is truly the Super Bowl commercial FOX TV didn't want you to see.

While the first half of this spot by 84 Lumber, debuted during the Super Bowl last night, viewers were urged to see the second half online. Titled, "The Entire Journey," the commercial chronicles a mother and daughter’s symbolic migrant journey towards becoming legal American citizens.

FOX TV apparently told 84 Lumber the image of an actual wall was too controversial for their viewers.

I really encourage you to watch the full 5 minute video. The tag line at the end hits it.

If this doesn't affect you, it probably says something about your perspective on the world.

Student Director Crafts Moving Spec Spot For ADIDAS

Bravo to student filmmaker Eugen Merher of Germany.

Merher's spec spot for Adidas has a visceral pull that's undeniable. The minute and a half video tells the tale of a senior in a retirement home who dreams of his days as a marathon runner.

And then one day, he finds an old pair of Adidas running shoes.

This one will tug at you.

The 26-year-old student at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg told the Huffington Post that he tried to share it with the footwear company: “We tried sending it to [Adidas’] communications department but they didn’t really react."

I'll bet you've got their attention now, Eugen :)

Yeah, I Cried A Bit

Blind boy throws out his first pitch

Posted by The Bear Shit on Thursday, October 15, 2015

Video: "It Got Better" Featuring RuPaul

The It Got Better Project closes out it's second season of inspiring stories with the one and only RuPaul.

From It Gets Better:

This collection of stories from notable members of the LGBT community is meant to build on Project testimonials and further empower and inspire audiences throughout the world with themes of courage, perseverance, personal growth, and hope -- giving context to when and why and how "it got better."

We began this project with the goal to educate, save lives, and change minds. We believe the stories that we’ve collected are capable of doing just that. So we are very proud to wrap this season with the incredible RuPaul, following moving stories from Nate Berkus, Janet Mock, Rosie O'Donnell, Andrew Rannells and Portia De Rossi.

From executive producers Dan Bucatinsky, Lisa Kudrow, Brian Pines and Dan Savage.

Via L/Studio - created by Lexus - an eclectic collection of unique perspectives meant to inspire you. Surprising, intelligent, and original work from the worlds of film, art, culture, design, science, and beyond.

Meet Max Lenox

Max Lenox is a senior at West Point and co-captain of the basketball team for the second year.

But there's a LOT more to the story than simply "teenager excels at life." A lot more.

From Sports Illustrated:

Max Lenox is a senior at the U.S. Military Academy. But wait: His path there has not been storybook pat. Lenox will be the first to tell you he is no genius. He flunked two classes as a freshman and almost got kicked out; like Gen. George Patton, Lenox is a “turnback,” a cadet forced to repeat his plebe year and to graduate late. Last year, in a class of 1,084, he was ranked No. 903.

It's important to note in watching Max's story and reading his life journey that the haters who would deny loving gay or lesbian couples the right to marry and raise kids is supposedly based on the idea that gay couples don't make for a stable and supportive environment for kids. With that in mind, I'd love to know where folks like Brian Brown of the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage would have preferred to see Max Lenox end up?

Looks like he's doing pretty great to me...

Watch the short video below, then read the mucho inspiring story of Max and his parents at SI.

1984: United States Men's Gymnastic Team Wins Gold

I came across this short video that tells the tale of the US men's Olympic gymnastic team winning the gold against the odds at the 1984 Summer Games.

I always frowned on the idea that an "asterisk" is usually associated with the win since the Soviet Union chose to boycott those games, seeming the take some luster from the win.

Our guys scores were amazing. Nothing could be taken away from the accomplishment.

Oh - and then there's the fact that all our guys were very easy on the eyes.

Made for double the TV viewing enjoyment.

19 Year-Old Literally Lives For Basketball

Nineteen year-old college freshman Lauren Hill

Nineteen year-old Lauren Hill has just weeks to live, but she still gets up at 5:30am for basketball practice.

She can't even do most of the drills anymore, but she still tries: "Because I feel like I'd be a quitter. And I don't like being called a 'quitter.'"

The Mount St. Joseph University freshman's dream is to play in a college game before time runs out.

That game is one week away. Normally, there would be 50 people in the stands for such a game. Next week will be different. The game is already sold out - 10,000 tickets. In one hour.

The coach has even come up with a new play - Lauren's Layup - and looks forward to the crowd cheering her on.

Next to her love of basketball, Lauren's biggest passion is raising money for pediatric brain cancer. She's begun a charity, The Cure Starts Now, where folks can donate.

Watch Lauren's inspiring story below.

Beating death and homelessness, teenager becomes valedictorian and inspiration

Facing down homelessness, the death of his mother and numerous other hardships, Griffin Furlong never missed a class and has graduated with a perfect GPA from First Coast High School becoming the 2014 valedictorian.

The word "inspiring" doesn't begin to describe what Griffin has done for himself and many others.

Griffin’s friends started a fundraiser to help him throughout his time at Florida State University.  Currently, the total raised exceeds $100K.  Click the link to donate anything you can to help a guy who's helped himself.

Go Griffin!

(source)

Nico Calabria defies expectations

Nico Calabria's true life story promises to inspire you.

From the YouTube clip description:

He was born with only one leg, Nico Calabria didn't let his disability keep him from any sport he was passionate about.

Encouraged by many and driven by internal strength, he eagerly participated and excelled in a variety of childhood athletics. Nico continues to astound teammates, competitors, and fans with his talent today, and is living proof that there's power in every game.

Overcoming this challenge through hard work and unwavering commitment, Nico exemplifies Powerade's mantra to Power Through and shows a tough determination that lets him rise up and push past his challenges.

Grab a tissue and hit play.

San Jose Sharks make a life-long fan's dream come true

Sam Tageson, a lifelong San Jose Sharks fan with a congenital heart condition, gets to realize his dream.

The Sharks signed 18-year-old Tageson to a one day contract to allow him to warm-up and skate on the ice with the team.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation worked with the San Jose Sharks to make this happen.

Pay it forward, folks, pay it forward.  Watch the joy in his face.  Priceless.

Twelve year-old Taylor Smith's "letter to self" goes viral after her passing

Like many kids today, 12-year-old Taylor Smith wrote a special letter to herself last spring, to be read in 10 years’ time.

No one knew that the letter would be read just a few short months later as she passed away from unexpected pneumonia.

Taylor’s parents found the letter after she died last spring. In hopes of inspiring other parents and families, they posted the letter to Facebook.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Trainer Bob Harper of The Biggest Loser comes out to inspire contestant

On Tuesday’s episode of The Biggest Loser, trainer Bob Harper came out publicly as gay to encourage contestant Bobby Saleem, who comes from a very strict Catholic family, to speak openly about his own sexual orientation to his father.

The 48-year-old personal trainer, who’s never denied his sexual orientation but hadn’t discussed it on the program, was moved by Saleem’s struggle to come out to his dad.

“I haven’t talked about my sexuality on this show ever, and now meeting Bobby, I really do believe this is the right time,” Harper said on camera. “I want to show Bobby that he doesn’t have to live in shame.”

Harper then decided to share his own story with Saleem and viewers.

“I’m gay. I knew I very long time ago that I was gay,” Harper revealed. “When I came out — when I was 17 years old — it was one of those things where I realized that there was going to be so many obstacles, but being gay doesn’t mean being weak. And being gay doesn’t mean that you are less than anybody else. It’s just who you are.”

Saleem said he would come out to his father.

Harper received an outpouring of support from viewers and tweeted a message to fans:

THANK YOU to everyone that supported my decision to talk about being gay w/ Bobby. I felt like it was appropriate & necessary. LOVE Y'ALL!!
— Bob Harper (@MyTrainerBob) November 27, 2013

(source)

Three minutes to inspiration: "Giving"

A three minute ad produced at a fraction of the cost of most movies is more moving and poignant than almost anything the big studios have to offer today.

The Thai telecommunications conglomerate True is getting rave reviews worldwide for its latest spot, "Giving," which tells the story of a man unexpectedly rewarded for a lifetime of good deeds he performed without expecting anything in return.

Don't you wish you could do this?

You can.

(via Gawker)

Peru: A billboard creates drinking water out of thin air

The billboard pictured here is real, it's located in Lima, Peru, and it produces around 100 liters of water a day (about 26 gallons) from nothing more than humidity, a basic filtration system and a little gravitational ingenuity.

The billboard is located in Lima, Peru, the largest city in Peru and the fifth largest in all of the Americas, with some 7.6 million people (closer to 9 million when you factor in the surrounding metro area). Because it sits along the southern Pacific Ocean, the humidity in the city averages 83% (it's actually closer to 100% in the mornings). But Lima is also part of what's called a coastal desert: It lies at the northern edge of the Atacama, the driest desert in the world, meaning the city sees perhaps half an inch of precipitation annually (Lima is the second largest desert city in the world after Cairo). Lima thus depends on drainage from the Andes as well as runoff from glacier melt — both sources on the decline because of climate change.

According to Mayo DraftFCB, the billboard has already produced 9,450 liters of water (about 2,500 gallons) in just three months, which it says equals the water consumption of "hundreds of families per month." Just imagine what dozens, hundreds or even thousands of these things, strategically placed in the city itself or outlying villages, might do. And imagine what you could accomplish in any number of troubled spots around the world that need potable water with a solution like this.

Video: "Make It Out This Town"

The official video for "Make It Out This Town" by Eve feat. Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship.

Wanna know when it's your second, your minute, your time
Sick of dreamin', wanna lay the pictures in your mind
Never been like all the others, you're one of a kind
I know you're feelin' like you wanna break free, it's a sign
Just wanna fly above it all, see where you can land
Know that you can do it on your own 'cause you can
Know that you can conquer all with a plan
Forget about the negatives buried in the sand
Yeah, never forget this is your life
Your path, your dream, this is your fight
Victory, you'll see, you'll be alright
Get through the darkness, on the other end is pure light

p.s. I was one of those kids who lived through a lot of this. And I made it "out that town."

A few Broadway shows later; a happy 19 year marriage; and the respect of people I actually respect - folks who regarded me as a peer. I brought a megaphone up to my voice and found a whole lot more self-esteem once I realized I could like myself.

It happens. Trust and believe.

Forward.

88 year old dancing Nana

Go Nana, go Nana, go Nana!

Make sure you don't miss the last second. Sassy granny is funny at the end...

Basketball story: Mitchell Marcus of El Paso, TX

I live for these stories. When athletes surpass our expectations and inspire us.

Thanks Jonathan Montañez and everyone who played in this game. You show us a great side of the future of America.

Very, very, very cool.

Getting back a bigger return on your investment than you ever expect

Great night last evening as we ran our final dress rehearsal of CHICAGO the Musical down here at San Diego Music Theatre. (By the way, the good news came last night that our first weekend is almost completely sold out! Whoo-hoo! Come see the show!).

This cast has really focused, come together and brought a gorgeous set of talents and gifts to the stage.  I'm really excited to see them share all this hard work with an audience tonight.

I'm a bit superstitious only when it comes to the theater.  I don't like to proclaim success or failure until the audience has their say.  But one of the best moments I've ever had in my life - period - happened last night as we were sending our cast home to rest before tonight's preview performance.

As I was leaving, one of the very talented actors in the show came up to me to say thank you for the experience that has thus far been CHICAGO.  I thanked him, he thanked me, and "we all just loved each other" as the line in the play goes.  As we spoke, he said he had one more thing to share with me.  He wanted me to know that I had "changed the way he sees the world" and that while he didn't think a lot about same-sex marriage in the past (being a young straight guy), he had always thought that children needed a mother and a father.  But having watched Ron and I nurture and support this production and the actors in it, he now believes that gay men should be married and that we can nurture a family. 

He also recalled an earlier conversation during a break in rehearsals where I'd spoken of my first relationship and how I'd never blamed my ex for it's failure.  I'd said that I took responsibility for my part and also, had that relationship not ended I've most probably never found my husband, Michael.  The actor then shared that he, too, had been through a bad relationship and even while he's in love with his current girlfriend, he knows he needs to let go of past hurt.  He said "Randy, it's clear you love loving your husband more than you love being hurt by your ex.  I think I need to learn from that."

Clearly this guy is a lot more developed than I was at his age :)

I was almost numb hearing him speak.  I write The Randy Report every day hoping to open the minds of anyone who may not see gays and lesbians as being equal or able to "be" a family.  And yet, by just doing what I do when working in the theater, this young actor now "sees the world" a bit differently.

I always hope that I can somehow impart some kind of positive learning experience about theater when directing or choreographing.  I love hearing actors say they maybe learned how to "work" harder or better in the theater.  But this was an actor telling me I actually communicated something more than a few songs and dance steps.

That will always be a great moment of my life.  That sounds heavy-handed, but it is.  I'll remember his voice saying those words the rest of my life.  Something was done; something occurred.

I'm guessing this is one of those moments coaches and teachers have at some point in their work.  Where they hear and feel that they made a difference.  Wow.

To quote Ron, I "slept with the angels" last night reliving the conversation.

Four weeks of work here in San Diego and I walk away with a whole lot more than a pay check and some good times in the theater.  Talk about a bigger return on your investment.

The bravest skateboarder in the world

Meet Tommy Carroll. He has been skating since he was ten, but has been blind since the age of two...

"I think what's fun about skateboarding is - when you get something kind of new and scary. When you finally land that scary thing and you feel that tension release. That's one of the better adrenaline rushes you'll ever experience."

(via Buzzfeed)