Reunited

A couple from Des Moines, Iowa who had been married for 72 years passed away this week an hour apart from each other, holding hands.

Gordon died at 3:38pm holding hands with his wife as the family they built surrounded them. "It was really strange, they were holding hands, and dad stopped breathing but I couldn't figure out what was going on because the heart monitor was still going," said Dennis Yeager. "But we were like, he isn't breathing. How does he still have a heart beat? The nurse checked and said that's because they were holding hands and it's going through them. Her heart was beating through him and picking it up." 

"They were still getting her heartbeat through him," said Donna Sheets.

It sounds like a beautiful way to leave this world.

I know of another couple who have been reunited in the great beyond this week. I'm happy for them, though I'm sad that so many of us here below will miss having them around us. But you can't separate love like that forever, and one had to return to the other.

[KCCI via Neatorama]

Got Your Ducks in a Row

What is going on here? Where are they going? And why are they waddling when they could be flying? Seriously? The squirrels must have something to do with it...

 [via Neatorama]

Simon's Cat: Double Trouble

It's been a while since we had a Simon's cat short. This one involves a kitten, which automatically makes it doubly adorable. My BF loves to talk about the differences between cats and kittens (and how cats are far superior) and I think this cartoon lays out those differences pretty darn clearly.

A Good Day for Goldendoodle

It's been a rough week so far, and I thought everyone could use a little goldendoodle love. Meet Mason, Professor of Cute Studies at Adorablenstein University in Loveableton, NY.

Thanks, as always, to Daily Puppy.

Dr. Spaceman Movie, Please!

This needs to happen:

30 Rock

Also, I need to check out that donut place. Probably after I complete my October Unprocessed month, though...

Gumby Google Doodle Today!

Head over to Google today to see a fun Doodle featuring some of the late animator Art Clokey's famous characters, like Gumby, Pokey, the yellow dinosaur, and those two wacky Blockheads. When you click on the clay lumps, they turn into each character (then back into a little clay lump). Very entertaining.

Were you a fan of Gumby when you were little? I loved him and Pokey! I was really into clay and animation, so it was the perfect show for me.

Also, isn't Art Clokey the perfect name for an animator? Seriously. The Doodle is in honor of what would have been his 90th birthday.

For more information on the Doodle and Clokey himself, check out this Washington Post article. 

We'll Miss You, Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs passed away this evening after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. He was a young man who worked hard and accomplished much. His will to live was stronger than most, but even someone with immense will, talent, drive, and fortune cannot best death forever, even when it strikes too young.

Despite issues I've had with the Apple company, Steve Jobs was a man whose achievements are immeasurable, beyond innovations in computers, phones, and the way that we interact with the world, he also helped create and fund Pixar, one of the most important cultural icons of our time. He was both a profoundly scientific and creative man, a rare combination. I wish he had gotten a chance to show us more of what was in that brilliant mind of his.

He also understood the importance of giving back to the community. After his liver transplant three years ago (around the same time I had my kidney transplant), Steve fought hard to improve access to transplants among all patients in California and across the country. He knew that, as a wealthy man with the ability to move across states easily, he could register in a state where he would have better access to a transplant. He also knew that was unfair to others. Instead of simply being grateful for his good fortune, he decided to give back by asking for policy changes that would increase access to transplants for all patients, not just those wealthy and well enough to travel.

If you'd like to read more, Gawker has a round-up of heartfelt thoughts and reactions to Steve Jobs' passing.

We'll miss you, Steve. You (and I'm sure you knew this) will not be forgotten. I hope you are resting peacefully now. You deserve it.