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Have You Seen This? Dad builds prosthetic arm for little boy
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This may be a commercial to try to get people to become engineers, but it's also one of the best videos I've seen in a very long time. Get your tissues ready. - photo by John Clyde


HEARTSTRINGINGTON I know commercials usually try to tug at your heartstrings in an attempt to get you to buy something and let's be honest, it works way too often. But this ad gets to your soul and that's OK because it has an amazing story.

Ben Ryan's little boy Sol had to have his arm amputated when he was only 10 months old. Ben saw the prosthetics available for kids and knew they weren't good enough for his son. So instead of complaining about it and giving his boy something he felt was subpar, Ben did something about it.

Ben started experimenting and eventually created a prosthetic arm for his son that was perfect for the small boy. Now Ben is an engineer making arms for kids all over the world and completely changing their lives.

This video makes me so happy that I've been smiling for days since I first saw it. We are dealing with a lot of heartaches and difficult circumstances right now in the world, and I feel like we need stories like this. So go ahead and watch the video and let it inspire you. Then share Sol and Ben's story and make someone else's day just a little bit better.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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