diff --git a/examples/unfinished/shark/client/shark.js b/examples/unfinished/shark/client/shark.js
index 11beefd486..cdfe5f1b27 100644
--- a/examples/unfinished/shark/client/shark.js
+++ b/examples/unfinished/shark/client/shark.js
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-Items = new Meteor.Collection(null);
-Items.insert({ text: 'Foo Greenspan' });
-Items.insert({ text: 'Bar Oliver' });
-Items.insert({ text: 'Beef Tofu' });
-
 Meteor.startup(function () {
   /*
   Meteor.setTimeout(function () {
@@ -15,24 +10,37 @@ Meteor.startup(function () {
 
 UI.body.name = 'David';
 
-UI.body.items = Items.find({}, { sort: { text: 1 }});
+UI.body.items = Items.find({}, { sort: { rank: 1 }});
 
 
 
 // xcxc rendered didn't work and was surprising.
 UI.body.attached = function () {
-  $('#list').sortable();
-};
+  $('#list').sortable({
+    stop: function (event, ui) {
+      // xcxc use jQuery .prev() instead of previousElementSibling
 
-// TO REPRO FAILURE:
-// 1. Move "Bar Oliver" to the bottom of the list
-// 2. Call `funkyReorder()`.
-var funkyIteration = 0;
-funkyReorder = function () {
-  var chars = "THEMAGICALMACHINETHATDOESNTBREAKNOMATTERWHATYOUDOWITHIT";
-  Items.find({}, {sort: {text: 1}}).forEach(function (item) {
-    Items.update(item._id, {
-      text: chars[funkyIteration++] + item.text.slice(1)
-    });
+      el = ui.item[0]; // unbox jQuery array
+      var before = el.previousElementSibling;
+      var after = el.nextElementSibling;
+
+      var doc = el.$ui.data();
+
+      // xcxc improve rank generation.
+      var newRank;
+      if (before === null) { // moving to the top of the list
+        var firstDoc = after.$ui.data();
+        newRank = firstDoc.rank-1;
+      } else if (after === null) { // moving to the bottom of the list
+        var lastDoc = before.$ui.data();
+        newRank = lastDoc.rank+1;
+      } else {
+        var beforeDoc = before.$ui.data();
+        var afterDoc = after.$ui.data();
+        newRank = (beforeDoc.rank + afterDoc.rank) / 2;
+      }
+
+      Items.update(doc._id, {$set: {rank: newRank}});
+    }
   });
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/examples/unfinished/shark/lib/items.js b/examples/unfinished/shark/lib/items.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c7482718df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/unfinished/shark/lib/items.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+Items = new Meteor.Collection("items");
+
+if (Meteor.isServer) {
+  Meteor.startup(function () {
+    if (Items.find().count() === 0) {
+      Items.insert({ text: 'Foo Greenspan', rank: 1 });
+      Items.insert({ text: 'Bar Oliver', rank: 2 });
+      Items.insert({ text: 'Beef Tofu', rank: 3 });
+    }
+  });
+}