Rubik’s Cube Head
This commercial for a fruit juice brand shows a man rearranging the pieces of his head like they’re parts of a Rubik’s Cube puzzle. It was made by the ad agency CHI & Partners and directed by Ulf Johansson.
1 comment September 2, 2010
Soul Survivor Bible In One Year
Jon helpfully posted on the Soul Survivor Bible In One Year. Similar to Jon many of the young people who we sent to Momentum have come back enthusiastic about joining in the Soul Survivor’s Bible In One Year. Jon has taken this a step further explaining how you can link the Soul Survivor blog material into your youth group’s facebook page which we’ve set up today. Check out what Jon wrote, and read the comments on his post for more information on how to link the Soul Survivor feed to your website:
The really interesting and exciting thing about this one is the collaborative effort being promised by the new Bible In One Year Blog. From the blurb:
- Take thousands of young people all committed to reading the Bible together
- Add in a brand new arrangement of the Bible, with specific chunks to read each day
- Start on 1 September, when the new school/uni year is getting going
- Kick it off with a bit of explanation about how the Bible works and what it contains
- Mix with online blogs and commentary from Mike Pilavachi, Andy Croft, Ali Martin and more
- Top it up with prayer, good friends, supportive youth leaders – and a lot of help from God.
A number of our young people were keen to purchase a copy and we’ve committed as a group to get stuck in together. The great thing though is that you don’t actually need a ‘Soul Survivor Bible In One Year’ to follow along. The references and notes should be posted on the blog each day, and being a geeky kind of youth worker, I’ve plugged the RSS feed into our youth group’s Facebook page so they’ll get each day’s notes popping up in their News Feed!
Add comment September 2, 2010
The most expensive car wash in the world
If you have about £7,000 to spend, Gurcharn Sahota will give your car the most thorough cleaning imaginable. Each car can take up to 250 hours of effort, in part because Sahota uses a microscope to examine the car for blemishes. Here’s how he starts:
Gurcharn first sprays the car with a degreaser to loosen any mud then jet washes it to get the worst off.
Next he wipes the vehicle with a lambs-wool mitten dunked in warm soapy water before jet washing it again.
Gurcharn sprays the car with mild wax solution to reduce the risk of scratching before drying it with a microfiber towel.
The final stage uses a special clay which is rubbed over the paintwork with wax to remove any impurities.
He then polishes up to five times using a buffer and an abrasive compound.
A paint gauge is used throughout the cleaning to check how much clear coat and colour there is to work with on the body work.
And a microscope linked to a computer allows him to view bad scratches in detail.
Add comment September 2, 2010
Elliptical Trainer Bicycle
ElliptiGo is a combination of a stationary elliptical trainer and a bicycle. It looks a bit unstable to me, but the official website says that it was successfully used on the grueling 129-mile Death Ride in California. What do you think — is this a useful exercise tool?
Add comment September 1, 2010
Lego Sphere Stop Motion
I’d never have the patience or skill to make this!
Add comment August 31, 2010
Funny stories from around the world
Some funny and interesting headlines from around the world:
- Reverse runner strides to victory: ‘Backward runners’ from across the world gather in Manchester for the first UK championships
- Kissing couple’s end of pier show: A Somerset couple have been travelling the country in an attempt to kiss at the end of every seaside pier in Britain before they marry in October.
- Kylie’s secret performance in pub: The Australian superstar Kylie Minogue has performed at a secret gig at the Ring O’Bells pub in Compton Martin, in North Somerset.
- China traffic jam lasts nine days: A massive traffic jam in China stretching for 100km near Beijing finally clears after nine days, local media say.
- ‘Loose change’ buys van in China: A man pays for a van in China with 100,000 yuan ($14,700; £9,500) in pocket change he gathered over years, state television reports.
- Longest pizza attempt in Poland: Residents of the Polish city of Krakow have attempted to break the world record for the longest pizza in the world.
Add comment August 30, 2010
Linesmen goes flying
Corinthians right-winger Jorge Henrique took the linesman down in an attempt to get at a pass that was a bit out of reach.
Add comment August 30, 2010
Shock exit for Pardew at Southampton
The fifth manager of the season has been sacked, and we’re only at the end of August. Following Saturday’s 4-0 victory for Southampton at Bristol Rovers it was announced today that Alan Pardew, his assistant Wally Downes and goalkeeping coach Stuart Murdoch has all been “relieved of their duties with immediate effect”.
Three matches into the season this seems an extraordinary action from club chairman Cortese, who wants automatic promotion this season. It’s not been the best start of the season but 4 points from 3 matches is no disaster, especially after the last result.
The press release announcing Pardew’s dismissal stated: “We recognise that frequent changes to the football management are unlikely to assist in the winning of trophies and promotions.” The suggestion is that Cortese, who arrived at the club shortly after Pardew’s appointment, is hopeful of making a long-term appointment. On the one hand, Southampton is an extremely attractive proposition for a prospective manager – a financially stable club with a good squad, a sound infrastructure and a large fanbase. But the fact that Pardew has been sacked so early in the season might make a prospective new manager think twice before joining them.
Southampton is in a mess, one can only hope that Cortese has a miracle answer because it looks pretty gloomy for them at the moment.
Add comment August 30, 2010
What is your favourite song, and why?
Question 182 from Thought Questions, what is your favourite song, and why?
Add comment August 30, 2010
Books I have read: Obstacles Welcome
As part of the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze blogger programme I was given a copy of Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity Into Advantage in Business and in Life by Ralph De La Vega. I’m a fan of learning from business books and seeing how I can apply lessons both in life and my work in the faith community. This book written by Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets is interesting in the way that it doesn’t just reflect on his experience as a businessman but also in his life journey. The book starts with how he arrived in America from Cuba, aged 10, all alone, separated from his parents by Cuban authorities just moments before they were to board a plane to Miami.
That moment defines his attitude to business, that no challenge is too big, be that his experience of trying to provide phones in the middle of major hurricanes, helping lead the internet development for residential homes for BellSouth, leading Latin America as one of the worst parts of the BellSouth business into a stronger more unified body, or overseeing the merger of Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless.
Whilst not a writer, and so at times the book doesn’t flow as well as it could, de la Vega writes an inspiring account that encourages me to meet head on the challenges I face both in life and work.
Add comment August 30, 2010
Treating youth ministers like silver medal ministers
I loved the post on Treating youth ministers like silver medal ministers over at the Stuff Christians Like site. Last weekend we visited a church where Hannah grew up, and I spent a lot of time as a teenager, volunteered a lot in the youth work, and got married in and over the course of a Sunday morning I was asked 3 times when I was going to be an adult minister, in one sense it is a compliment, but it frustrates me because I know I’ve been called to minister to children and young people, not adults, so it was great to see this post from Jon:
“Do you ever think you’ll be a real minister someday?”
If I had a dollar for every time someone said this to a youth minister I could probably train a worship eagle to hunt and kill the pigeon that pooped in the mouth of the Kings of Leon bass player, forcing them to cancel their St. Louis show this weekend after only three songs. (In pigeon society this event has already been labeled, “The greatest day ever.”)
Alas, no one pays me money when youth ministers get insulted. That’s a shame because it happens. We think youth ministers are goofballs. They’re good at kickball and pranks that involve whipped cream. And once a year we let them preach on youth Sunday.
But I think in a lot of ways, they’ve got the toughest job at a church. In fact, here are five reasons we should never consider our youth ministers silver medal ministers.
1. Liability forms
2. Relevance
3. Speaking
4. Dramas
5. Orange Drink & Pizza
There are probably a billion reasons it’s difficult to be a youth minister, but one of the reasons that it’s not, is pretty simple:
This generation has more potential to spread the gospel than any other generation in the history of mankind.
It’s true, teenagers today will communicate more, share more and talk more than ever before. Twenty years ago, when a student heard a great sermon, they maybe told two friends at school. Now, they post a link to it on facebook. They tweet about it. They blog about it. Your sermon can go viral in about 12 seconds. The ability for this next generation to be salt and light is unbelievable.
I thank God for Kurt Andre my youth minister growing up.
If you had a youth minister you’re thankful for too, give them a shout out today. Forward them post and comment with this:
“I thank God for ________________.”
1 comment August 26, 2010
Flugtag World Record
More than 90,000 people witnessed team Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies soar into victory and the record books when they flew 207 feet at Red Bull Flugtag Twin Cities. This historic flight smashed the previous Red Bull Flugtag world record of 195 feet, which had held strong for more than 10 years.
Add comment August 24, 2010
Daft Punk Helmet
Harrison Krix of Volpin Props spent 17 months creating the Daft Punk helmet worn by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. The result? Pure awesomeness!
Add comment August 23, 2010
Priorities for 2010/2011
A few months ago I sat and wrote some priorities for the next academic year. I came across them a few days ago and thought I’d blog on them:
Things to say no to
- Boys’ Brigade Weekends Away (2 weekends per year).
- Leading a youth cell group.
- Regularly attending the Tonbridge & Malling Youth Association.
- Regularly attending the Trench Neighbourhood Action Group.
- 50% of Connexions Networking meetings.
- A local secondary school’s Yr 5 transition days.
- A local secondary school’s Governors role.
- Doing less Fairtrade presentations in local secondary schools.
Things to focus on
- Management, leading, and pastoring of adults
- Writing of resources and articles
- Doing further study (possibly including the gaining of JNC status)
- The transition of year 6s including those about to attend our local secondary school
- Moving mentoring (both for me and by me) to school holidays
- Recruiting and training of leaders
- Delegation of administrative tasks
What are some things you’re having to say no to, and what are the other things you’re focussing more on.
Add comment August 20, 2010
Tarp Surfing
Want to surf but not near some decent water, simply call a friend, get a hold on a giant blue sheet, grab your skateboard and start surfing:
Add comment August 20, 2010
Funny stories from around the world
Some funny and interesting headlines from around the world:
- Bear takes car for short joy ride: A terrified bear goes for an unintended ride after climbing into an empty car in the US state of Colorado.
- Band release world’s longest single: The Hoosiers are aiming for ‘the longest pop song ever to be released in the UK’ with a 43 minute single
- £1.2m car clamped outside Harrods: A luxury car worth £1.2m is clamped outside Harrods in central London after being illegally parked.
- Robber dissuaded by ‘Jesus’ talk: A 20-year-old Christian mobile phone shop manager in Florida stops a would-be armed robber by preaching to him.
- Tunnel workers forget passengers: Eurotunnel investigates after passengers are taken from Folkestone to France and back again without being able to get off the train.
- US flight steward in shock exit: A judge bails a US flight attendant who allegedly used the emergency exit slide after arguing with a passenger.
- Trio climbs Kilimanjaro on one good leg: Three US amputee veterans climb Mt Kilimanjaro, enduring tumbles and sores to reach the peak with only one good leg among them.
- Pea plant grows inside man’s lung: A Massachusetts man is told a pea plant has sprouted in his chest, after being rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung.
- Swede faces $1m speeding penalty: A Swedish man who was caught by Swiss police driving at 290km/h is facing a world-record speeding fine of SFr1.08m ($1m; £656,000).
- Hungary priest gets on skateboard: A Hungarian Catholic priest who preaches the Lord’s word from a skateboard has become a YouTube sensation.
Add comment August 19, 2010
Youth Ministry Links
Some links from the world of youth work and youth ministry:
- Music industry looks beyond music sales: One in five pounds collected by record labels last year, wasn’t actually related to music sales.
- Teen sex has no effect on school performance: Research presented at the American Sociological Association conference suggests that if students have sex within a committed relationship, there is no resulting effect on grades. However, if students simply “hook up” and have casual sex, their grades do tend to be lower.
- ‘Only children’ are not socially disadvantaged, research suggests: Children who grow up without brothers or sisters are just as adept in social situations as their peers, according to a new study.
- Wear wristwatch? Use e-mail? Not for Class of ’14: These are among the 75 items on this year’s Beloit College Mindset List, the compilation, is assembled each year by two officials at this private school of about 1,400 students in Beloit, Wis. The list is meant to remind teachers that cultural references familiar to them might draw blank stares from college freshmen born mostly in 1992.
- A fifth of girls pregnant by 18, survey reveals: Almost one in five girls say they have been pregnant at least once by the age of 18, according to a Government survey.
- Fall in drug use among schoolchildren: Biggest decline in smoking, where number of 11- to 15-year-olds who had smoked has fallen to 29%, from 54% in 1982. Fewer schoolchildren are smoking, drinking or taking drugs, according to an NHS report which contradicts the widespread belief that such behaviour is increasingly popular with young people.
- iPods and MP3 players ‘linked to teenage deafness’: The number of teenagers experiencing hearing problems has gone up by nearly a third in the last 20 years, it is claimed. Between 2005 and 2006, one in five adolescents suffered some form of hearing loss, the study found.
Add comment August 19, 2010
U.S. atheists using hair dryers to ‘de-baptise’
A group of atheists have devised a ritual of de-baptism in which they dress up like monks and use a hair dryer to take away “the stigma… and the stain of baptismal water.”
Leading atheist Edwin Kagin blasted his fellow non-believers with the hair dryer to symbolically dry up the holy water sprinkled on their heads in days past. The styling tool was emblazoned with a label reading “Reason and Truth.”
Add comment August 19, 2010
