chumble spuzz

Awesome moment between a mom and her daughter. I love this picture.

Fond farewell

Amber Simpkins and her daughter Elezia Simpkins rub noses during a farewell ceremony in Gulfport, Miss., on Sept. 18. Approximately 140 Mississippi Army National Guard soldiers are mobilizing for one year to Kuwait to support the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. Detachments of the 1108th will serve in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Horn of Africa.

(photo by Tim Isbell / The Sun Herald / AP via The Week in Pictures - msnbc.com)

A really beautiful moment full of joy and love.

Military dad gives his son a surprise visit

Canton, Ill., High School graduate Wayne Decker, a specialist with the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, lifts his one-year old son Ethan after he surprised his children on a return to Peoria, Ill. on June 29, after a deployment in Iraq.

(photo by Ron Johnson / Peoria Journal Star via AP via PhotoBlog)

SPENT is a game from the Urban Ministries of Durham that takes you through a virtual month in the life of an unemployed American and forces you to make tough decisions to help your family survive. It’s probably the most depressing game I’ve ever played. I finished the month with $12 left and felt like a champion. Every choice is difficult and there’s no right or wrong answer in the conventional sense.

Over 14 million Americans are unemployed. Now imagine you’re one of them. Your savings are gone. You’ve lost your house. You’re down to your last $1,000. Can you make it through the month?

About UMD:

UMD distinguishes itself from other organizations that care for Durham’s homeless and indigent population by serving as a comprehensive service provider of food, shelter, clothing and supportive services for over 6,000 men, women and children annually. We offer an inclusive acceptance policy, welcoming clients with mental illnesses, active addictions and those seeking outside employment.

Learn more about UMD here: http://www.umdurham.org/

Little boy gets his father for Christmas

Jack Marguis, 5, leaps into the arms of his father, Tech. Sgt. Zachary Marquis, as he is surprised by his father’s appearance, Dec, 22, 2010. Jack had just asked Santa to bring his father home for Christmas. Jennifer Marguis, daughter Abigail and Santa watch the reunion in Maryville, Tenn (Tom Sherlin / The Daily Times via AP).

(via Photoblog)

That’s telekinesis, Kyle.

Sometimes when I walk around certain towns it makes me sad. These towns are those that look like their better days are in the past. Occasionally, I wish I could get in a time machine and go back to some of these cities “good ol’ days”. I had that feeling in Bloomington, Illinois today as I wandered around in advance of Election Day coverage of Illinois Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady…

…I had that feeling, accent on had, until I looked down an alley off of Monroe Street and saw an entire family dressed in superhero costumes. Seeing this scene made me feel the same way I do when I see a flower popping up through a crack in a parking lot.

Upon further investigation, I found out that I had stumbled upon a Christmas card shoot in progress.

(photo by Scott Strazzante via Shooting from the Hip)

Welcome home, Dad

Staff Sgt. Guido Constant, of Norwalk, is hugged by his daughter Lunise, and son Kendrick at the Army aviation support facility in Windsor Locks, Conn., Aug. 25, 2010. About 110 soldiers of the 250th Engineer Co., Connecticut National Guard who were deployed to Iraq last winter have returned home (Jessica Hill / AP). 

Robert Hood says: Sometimes you see a picture and it makes you smile and cry at the same time.

(via Photoblog)

Meet world’s tallest couple: 13-foot-5 combined

He’s a ceiling-scraping, doorway-bonking 7 feet, an altitude seen more often in basketball players than security guards. She’s 6-foot-5, an impressive height for a woman, but just right for the man with whom she goes through life.

I don’t know that I would have gone with “doorway-bonking” as an adjective in this context, but it’s an interesting story anyway.

(via TODAYshow.com)