Surprising

You've heard of the horse whisperer, the baby whisperer, and the dog whisperer. And now for something completely unexpected. Check out this video for something beautiful and paradigm shifting:

The Power Of Illusions

Illusions are funny things. They seem so real that you begin to accept them as reality. But reality is real, not illusion.

I don't know about you, but when I watch a magic show I don't want to know how they did it - I want to believe in the illusion. But with people, in relationships, these illusions can be incredibly destructive. Like the illusion that we can (or should) be able to control people. The reality is that we can't.

By the way, did you catch any of the sleight of hand in this video?

Doing the Unexpected

Check out this super cool video: of a simple and brilliant play by the football team of Driscoll Middle School from Corpus Christi, TX:



There are almost always more then one way to solve a problem. Creativity is the ability to think of new solutions to riddles and problems and sometimes the best ones are the ones far outside the box. A few things that we can learn from the above video:

-Sometimes the opposite of what we think will work will work.
-Working harder is not always the solution, but doing something different is.
-To try something different means taking a risk.
-Sometimes the solution is not in something complex , but simple.

Whether it is following God, improving a relationship, investing in your future, working a job, or anything else, doing something different then what is expected, popular, or the norm may be your wisest course of action. What's the worst that could happen if it doesn't work? May we all be courageous enough to try the unexpected today.

Protecting the Creative From Themselves

This 20 minute video by author Elizabeth Gilbert (who wrote the recent best seller Eat, Pray, Love) is a very interesting take on where creativity intersects with mental health and the divine. Keep in mind I don't agree with everything she says, yet it is the idea that intrigues me:

What It Feels Like

Sorry I haven't been posting a very much original content lately - I've been very busy and am looking to share some thoughts (and several book reviews) next week. In the meantime, enjoy this creative commercial:



Whoever came up with this idea was a genius; empathy, humor, emotional pull, and a great bridge to what they are selling. Amazing!

Modern Day Ninja

Yeah, he's pretty impressive. But can he cook?

Oh wait, I can't do that either!

Anyway, when someone is able to achieve such incredible feats; whether it is academically, physically, business-wise, or artistically I catch myself thinking this question: What is behind them and driving their success? Are they driven by healthy things or unhealthy? This is of course pure curiosity and speculation. So many hours of practice/learning are necessary for these incredible feats that I wonder if people who don't have severe issues (like a Dad who wasn't there, a traumatic past, a personality disorder, abuse, etc) could actually achieve anything so spectacular. The reason I wonder this is because I've talked with a lot of incredibly successful people and they often are driven by such things. Things that allow them to sacrifice huge areas of their lives (like comfort, friendships, healthy relationships, regular leisure time) to become so good. Often it seems they are trying to prove something - to themself or to others. I realize some people are just gifted and driven, but I wonder how many are simply reacting to something in their past? And I wonder if they can ever take satisfaction in their successes and feats?

P.S. I realize that everyone has some sort of issues (including myself) but some people seem to react to their issues by extreme acts or drive to prove themselves. And it's not all bad, I'm just curious about it.

This made me chuckle:

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Don't keep it to yourself, pass it onto your favorite contemporary worship leader! The great thing is that this was made by a mega church! I like that they can poke fun at themselves.

Ironing Man

parody :
noun
1. an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect : the movie is a parody of the horror genre | his provocative use of parody.
2. an imitation or a version of something that falls far short of the real thing; a travesty : he seems like a parody of an educated Englishman.



This Friday Iron Man 2 hits theaters, so to celebrate I thought I'd post this cute parody of the original movie. Enjoy!

Sometimes All That's Needed Is A Hug

Check out this video. A shelter dog (Edie) was scheduled to be euthanized. She was fearful, aggressive, and hard to control. Then Bronwyne Mirkovich gave her another chance ...



What struck me as I watched this film is the power that loving and gentle touch can be in someone's life. So many times in counselling I will ask a wounded woman what she wants most from her husband. The most often repeated reply I hear is "Just that he would hug and hold me sometimes." One hug is not always the only thing necessary to heal people of their afflictions but there is definitely something powerful about it. Who do you need to hug today?

Great Artists . . . Steal?

This is a short clip from Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple in his early years. I'm certainly not in the category of "artist" in any way, but I was intrigued by his comments. Do you agree with his quote that good artists copy and great artists steal? It is ironic then that Apple is spending millions of dollars to sue HTC for patent infringement!

Deep Thoughts On Dirty Jobs

I guarantee that you will learn something you never knew before from the above video of Mike Rowe. Rowe is the host of the Discovery show "Dirty Jobs" and is a surprisingly thoughtful speaker. In this TED talk from last December, he talks about people with dirty jobs, questioning one’s assumptions, the nature of hard work, and the "war on work." He also talks about sheep genitals. Enjoy!

Advent Conspiracy

Advent Conspiracy '09 (TMP Promo) from TMP Vids on Vimeo.

You may have seen this video (or a derivative) somewhere in the past, but it sums up for me so many of my thoughts and feelings towards Christmas lately - the giving part. May all my fellow Christ followers have a meaningful advent season. . .

Operant Conditioning: Office Style

VCR Hack

Have an old VCR kickin' around? Don't trash it, hack it. You'd be amazed at what you can find in there . . .

Cat Ladies

I found this to be a very interesting look at the phenomenon known as "cat ladies," women who collect cats like they were going out of style. Although it seems comical, the condition that they struggle with, animal hoarding, is a serious mental affliction. It's not as funny as you might think. Watch the link below and enlarge your perceptions . . .

The Art of Eating . . . In Space

Sometimes when I watch my daughter Trinity eat stuff, I can't stand it. She drops things, smears them on herself, puts her fingers in her food. I can feel my blood pressure rising the longer I watch! But compared to what astronauts have to go through, I guess I can learn to handle it. At least she's not eating in zero gravity. Check out this video about what it's like to eat in space. If you want more info about the evolution of eating in space, check out this article from Neatorama. Interesting stuff! I'm scared to ask what going to the bathroom in space looks like . . .

Run

Just curious what you think about this video:

Surviving The Fall

This is one of the most unbelievable things I have ever heard of:




Read the story here.

Risking Life and Limb

"If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be too cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down." - Annie Dillard


After church some guys and I were talking about going mountain biking this coming Thursday. One said something like "if you can't get hurt, it's not worth riding." Someone else wisely commented back "Yeah, but now we have families so we can't risk too much." Without thinking I joked back, "That's the thing, because you have a family you have to live dangerously sometimes - its our responsibility to model and reinforce that taking risks is vital and important." I said it off the cuff, but as I reflected later upon it, I stand by it. Safety is an illusion in this world and God continually coaxes us to get out of our comfort zones. Living dangerously, isn't that what faith is all about? Not that we should court certain disaster of course but there is something in risking life and limb that makes us feel alive, courageous, and connected to true selves. Safety scares me.

I dedicate this video to my friend Keith. Hopefully this won't be us on Thursday! But I'm willing to risk it . . .

Parkour Master In Action

All I can say is "wow."