I was recently sent a link to a youtube video. This is something that is becoming all to common, and I am almost to the point of not even watching it, because they are becoming mundane for me. I was struck at a moment of boredom however and decided to watch the movie. I was taken to a line drawing of slopes, turns and hills. A little person on a sled proceeded to ride along the lines as if being propelled down the slopes and turns by gravity. After 2:41 of this sledder falling he ended up at his original position.

My initial reaction was an all to common one. Why would you take so much time to do this? My usual thought to any youtube movie is why take the time? There are so many movies that intrigue people on youtube, but many of them seem like a waste of time. I love that people, especially younger kids, are learning how to use technology in new ways. I like that they are immersing themselves in the future of computing, learning how to do what was once a professionals job. After a little exploration I found that this movie was not one of a kind. In fact, this movie was created from a simple flash based website called Line Rider. This is one of those internet fad sites where you can create your own lines for the sledder to ride and then watch them ride down the slopes. This site has grown so big, they are releasing a retail version this year! This particular video that I saw must have taken hours to make!

My biggest concern is this. I am afraid that people aren’t really being innovative. I am afraid that most people are taking ideas or sites that already exist and they are simply using them for their own creation. There are some great youtube videos, but what percentage are good. There are some fun websites to explore, but how many really teach you something or make you think beyond putting a line down for a slider to ride. I am afraid technology is making us not to have to think, as opposed to enhancing the thinking process.

I was driving home yesterday and I got off the expressway relieved once again to be on familiar ground. I drove through our small downtown area and I was observing all of the houses that values have doubled since the Christmas season invest of inflatable lawn ornaments and fake icicles (I miss plastic mangers). I slowed to a stop at a red light and looked up to see lights flashing. After a closer look I noticed it was more then just flashy lights. There was some choreography involved. This house, which was not the best kept, had a Christmas light show for all to see. Parked next to a $750,000 mansion for sales this tiny shack over shadowed its glamorous neighbors with flashing porch pillars and glowing snowflakes. It is not common when parked at a stop light to beg for it to last longer, but this Christmas spectacular intrigued me enough to make me want to stop and watch for the loop in the light pattern to occur.

It all started with this electrical engineer (video the right). He made a Christmas light show at his house all by means of being an electric nerd. While lights show have been around for a while he made it public domain. Flashing lights had to be his passion. I find this story very interesting. For some reason I have been thinking about the “American Dream” a lot lately. I think this man better represents the American dream then the one commonly portrayed. It is said that you have to work to achieve this dream, but there lies more in this dream then freedom and money. Carson Williams of Mason, Ohio put his passion to the test. He found he was not the only person who liked flashing lights. Since his light show in 2004 (which was used in a Miller Light commercial), Carson has made his own company that specializes in custom light shows. You can view his website here. Some of his works include the Symphony in Lights at The Northfield Stapleton Mall in Denver, design for The Promenade Bolingbrook, located Chicago, IL and design for Yorkdale Shopping Cneter, located Toronto, CA.

I think this is really what people strive should strive to do in life. God calls us to work and work is hard. Ever since the fall of man kind that has been the case. Why not spend time doing something that is a passion, instead of striving to make as much money possible regardless of the pain and depression? I think America gives a great chance for anyone to do this.