All this Useless Coolness

I REALLY like the new Nissan Cube.  Big Ups on their attempt to do things differently.  They don’t even call it a car, they call it a Mobile Device (you crazy advertising kids!).

What’s really Cool and potentially totally Useless is their 3-D brochure.  You can pop in their CD, hold their brochure up to your Webcam and fully interact with the car.  It’s a trip.  In my opinion, it is undeniably COOL.  The question is…Is it USEFUL?

Does this change anything?  AND What are other applications of this Augmented Reality?  How could Churches, Home Builders, Universities, or Airports use this technology?  Could Trader Joe’s use this to help me find the dang Chili Powder that I spent 20 minutes trying to find!?!

Your Turn :: Cool or Useless?  How else could you use something like this?

I want the Jesus that doesn’t want anything from me

One of the passages from the Lectionary for this week is Mark 8:27-38.  It’s a brilliant snapshot into how I want things to work between me and Jesus.  

Basically Jesus asks his disciples who people say he is, then he asks them who THEY say he is.  Peter’s response is as quick as it is solid – You are Christ!

Immediately after this, Jesus begins to explain what it means to be the Christ.  That he will be betrayed, suffer, and die.  The P.R. rep in Peter panics.  He literally pulls Jesus aside and tells him to stop talking like this, that he’s really bumming people out.  People want Hope and Change they can believe in, not a leader who will willingly and intentionally let him self suffer and sacrifice.  Jesus pulled that private conversation into a public rebuke of Peter and goes on to say,

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?”

Reality is – I am Peter.  I publicly claim Jesus as my Savior, but privately I want him to come up with some other way than me having to suffer and sacrifice my time, my agenda, my finances, my life.  I want all of the Spiritual Benefits without any of the Physical Sacrifice.  I want a Jesus that doesn’t really want anything from me.  

Reality is - That Jesus doesn’t exist.  

Reality is – Real life doesn’t exist without risk, surrender, and sacrifice.  If I am going to follow Jesus at all, I must welcome, not avoid or even tolerate the Life that comes with him.

Your Turn :: Where is a place that is difficult for you to follow Jesus to?  (I’ll share mine, after you share yours.)

The Winner of Funky Friday is…

…Milan Ford for his perfectly funky choice of Turbo’s Broomdance for the Cinematic Masterpiece - Breakin‘.

Besides being diagnosed as “Clinically Funky”, Milan is also a game changing leader here in the ATL.  You can hang with “Forty” HERE or follow him HERE.

Thanks for all who played.  I hope this sets your weekend off right.

Your Turn :: Start nominating next week’s Funk today!  (you can actually embed YouTube clips right in your comments now!)

The Greatest Book You’ve Never Read…

This is easily the BEST BOOK I’ve ever read on what it means to the THE THING that God has put you on this planet to do.

Steven Pressfield nails the Joy / Pain and Work / Wonder of being an “Artist” in the best sense and every sense of the word.  His description of the RESISTANCE that we face and the difference between being Amateur and Professional is literally changing the way I approach just about EVERYTHING I do.

No kidding.  It’s that powerful.  It’s that good.

Run, don’t walk to wherever it is that you buy books to get your copy today.

You will be hearing a TON more from me in the future about the ideas in this book and how they are shaping My Life, My Work, and Nuvement.com.

Until then…I think the Tag Line at the bottom of the cover says it all.

Your Turn :: What are YOU reading that WE need to be reading Right Now?

A Creative Manifesto

I’m a HUGE fan of Todd Henry and his work at Accidental Creative.  Thier motto is simple – Cover Bands Don’t Change the World.  Brilliant!

Their Creative Manifesto is seriously INSPIRING and so CRITICAL for anyone who considers themselves an Artists, Creative Leader, or anyone trying to the Unique Thing God has put them on this rock to do.  Here is their MANIFESTO::

Read more…

Where it’s AT-AT

THIS is the perfect mash-up of all that mattered to me in the 4th Grade.  It is my inspiration for the day.

Enjoy.

Your Turn :: If you could combine any Old School Toy with any Modern Day Gadget – What would it be?

Create and Destroy

This is a great micro-mentary about how important Physical Space is and what it represents to those that interact with it.  And what happens to the soul and identity of a neighborhood when the slow march of Gentrification makes it’s way into town.

It’s also about the beauty and power of COLLABORATION.  What happens when Artists collaborate with each other.  What happens when Developers collaborate with Neighbors.  What happens a City collaborates with it’s Citizens.

You can check out the uber-urban hipness of Wooster Collective HERE

Your Turn :: What, if anything, are you CREATING right now?  Are you COLLABORATING on that art?  I’ll share my answer in the comments as well.

I want PUMA to build my next house

A couple months ago I came across a rad little bit of inspiration. It’s Puma’s Portable City. A Lounge / Showroom / Work of Art that travelled all over the world and set itself up on docks all along the way.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s genius! Reclaiming old Cargo Containers and repurposing them to build something no one has even seen before. Something that is both beautiful,  functional, and inspiring.  In a word – rad.

You can read more about Puma City as well as check out some great pics  HERE.

So :: What’s something that is crazy freakin’ inspiring to you right now? (include links so we share the love)