People in the floor
I really like this piece of artwork by Korean artist Do-Ho Suh: 



I like imagining that the world is held in place by little people.  (via The Big Picture) #entertainment

Small changes over time
I believe that small changes over time can have a big impact in the long run, either in a positive or negative way.  I'll use a graph to illustrate my point: 



Let's say you start at (0,0) and make a minuscule change over the course of a day.  After that first day, you're a tiny fraction off from your original location.  Even after a week, you're still only a few percentage points off, which is hardly noticeable.  Now let's zoom out a bit and look at the bigger picture: 



After a considerable amount of time (140 days in this case), you're a considerable percentage off from your original location (100% off in this case).  The numbers are fairly meaningless, but the concept is valid:  We tend to look at different changes from different perspectives, leading us to behave in some pretty irrational ways. 

In a positive sense, for long-term changes, we often look at the zoomed-out view and only notice how far we are from completion.  Some examples are things like getting a degree, buying a house, and losing weight.  If instead we focused on the zoomed-in view and simply made incremental changes over time, we'd get there eventually. 

In a negative sense, for long-term stability, we often look at the zoomed-in view and only notice how little we've drifted from one day to the next.  Some examples are things like relationships, morality, and spirituality.  If instead we focused on the zoomed-out view and realized how far we've drifted from our original position, we'd realize how drastically small changes add up over time. #psychology

Staples eco-friendly notebooks
I've been using a Staples eco-friendly notebook (there are more designs in-store) for the past several months, and I'm a huge fan.  I'm the type of person who's pretty skeptical of eco-things, but if it's a good product for a good price, I'll use it.  Its eco-friendliness comes from the fact that it was made using sugarcane plant fiber waste, which is cool because (a) they're using a part of the product that's generally not very useful, and (b) it has something to do with sugar, of which I'm also a huge fan.  If only it was edible. #products

Expanding foam happiness
I just bought some of these Hearos expanding foam ear plugs (via Slate) to drown out the background noise at work, and simply put, they're heavenly.  As soon as one of my co-workers starts talking too close to my circle of self-imposed sensory deprivation, I just pop in these ear plugs and listen to what I would assume to be blood flowing through my brain.  But the best part is the 30 or so seconds it takes for the foam to fully expand, as all the various noises, bodily functions, and mind-numbingly stupid conversations disappear into thin air.  It's magical. #products

Communicating excitement
I've noticed that the excitement one person has about an idea doesn't always spread to another person.  The idea can be good, and it can be communicated well, but if the other person is on a different page, or if it's just not the right setting, the excitement evaporates.  This happens a lot at Bible studies, when I think I have something good to add, and I can even gather my thoughts and convert them into speech pretty well, and I expect everyone to totally agree with me and for the issue to be settled, but then it doesn't happen.  Other people talk, or the original issue gets rehashed, or both.  Afterward, I'll go over my thoughts in my head, and reaffirm my good idea and the reason I'm excited about it.  But just because it's exciting for me, doesn't mean it has to be exciting for everyone else.  To each his own, I suppose. #psychology

Leap of faith (2)
I think it's pretty normal to have doubts about God, the Bible, and Christianity.  Certain people just seem to be better at ignoring those doubts, much to their credit.  And when a person has doubts, the standard procedure is to ask questions and do research and keep poking and prodding until at least some of those questions are answered.  But I think a skeptic will reach a point where, regardless of how many of their questions are answered and how good the answers are, even if all the questions are answered and they're answered well and the person becomes the smartest, most answer-filled person on earth, it still won't be enough to fully understand God and be completely sure of everything.  And when that point is reached, as much as this is a crappy "Christianese" response, that person will need to take an illogical, irrational leap of faith in believing in a God that's beyond our understanding.  If we're on the edge of a cliff and God is on the other side of the valley, I personally don't think anyone will ever have enough building material to make a bridge to God.  At some point, a leap is required. #religion

Wombat poop
A wombat is a burrowing mammal that lives in Australia.  Its solid waste is cube-shaped, which helps it mark its territory without the "markings" rolling away, since as the saying goes, poop rolls downhill.  Ripley's put it best:  "Wombats poop cubes!"  Here's a pictureHere's a happy wombat. #nature

TVs with USB
I got a new TV recently, and it accepts a USB input.  On a whim, I decided to stick a thumb drive in to see what would happen, and I was blown away by how it simply showed my pictures and played my movies.  There was no installation or setup or drivers or hardware configuration.  I just plugged it in and it worked.  The same thing happened with a family member's new TV.  I don't know why it worked, and I don't understand how it could be that simple, but I wish all my other gadgets worked that easily. #technology

NJ man
The license plates for the great state of New Jersey feature a solid-color graphic of the state.  When I was a kid, I thought it was a picture of some guy.  I even asked my mom, "Who's that guy on the license plates?" 

Turns out, with some rudimentary computer drawing skills, you can make the state of New Jersey look like an awkward, frumpy policeman with a witch's nose. 



You'll never look at New Jersey the same again.  You're welcome. #entertainment

Missing pieces
Name this famed work of art: 



Unless you're from another planet, you can fairly easily recognize it as the Mona Lisa. 

I'm a firm believer in the idea that you don't need all the pieces to recognize the big picture.  I often have lots of questions and doubts about God, but this is when I need to step back and focus on what's clearly there. #religion

« Older Newer »