Slumdog Millionaire: It is written

** SPOILER ALERT** Watch movie before you read.

It is destiny. It is written.

As you already must have heard, the film, Slumdog Millionaire is a favorite to win Best Picture at the Oscars this year. This film tells a story about a young man, Jamal, who becomes a contestant on the Indian version of “Who wants to be a Millionaire” to find his lost love. He doesn’t care about the money… he cares only for his destiny, Latika.

This film really resonated with me. The story of Jamal brought light to my own search for answers. Jamal wasn’t a genius. He knew the answers because the right questions were asked. The answers were found within his life experiences.

In my own search for my destiny, my inspiration, I realized a few things about myself.

ASK THE AUDIENCE

Jamal did not know all the answers. In the beginning of the game, he asked the audience for help. The people of my life is my audience and can be a good source for some answers. Sometimes the simplest answers can be hardest to find. But with the help my “audience” the answer may be brought to light.

50/50

Sometimes you can be led astray. In the film, the host of the show feeds Jamal the “answer”… the wrong answer. But somehow Jamal was able to see past that and choose the correct answer. This is an area I struggle with. Sometimes I feel that I rely on a person of power or influence, to find my answers and am disappointed or led astray.  I need sometimes trust my own instincts and find my own answers. God has prepared and is preparing me to make the right choices.

Phone A Friend

For Grand Prize of 20,000 million rupees, the question was asked, what was the name of the third musketeer. Jamal, did not know the answer and didn’t really care. His purpose on going on the show was not to become the next millionaire, but to find Latika, his destiny. He used his last lifeline and used “Phone A Friend” to call his brother, but through divine circumstance, Latika picks up.  She did not know the answer but it didn’t matter. Jamal found his destiny.

I feel that in search of my own destiny (God’s purpose), I am only looking for answers through my friends, mentors and other people of influence and prestige. But sometimes, you just have to take a guess. My destiny has already been written. Just because I do not know the answer does not mean I don’t try to answer the question. I feel that by being bold and taking risks, I feel God will reward that. Maybe not with a 20 Million rupees but with my destiny.

 

JACK is back! Jack of all trades, Master of none.

This weekend, FOX brings Jack Bauer back for another season of 24. With it comes the nail biting anticipation of what Jack will do now to save the world,.. for the 7th time. Man, doesn’t he get tired? I’ll just wait for the season to be over and watch the whole season in one 24 hour marathon.

Jack of all trades, Master of None

As I have been proactively thinking about my life and assess what talents and life experiences I obtained, I noticed that I am “A Jack of all trades, Master of None.”

I have skills to do pretty much anything well but not excellent. I can lead a volunteer team, make good money with wedding photography, can shoot a movie on 35mm Arriflex, produce a sunday service, teach, blog, social network, write a business plan, market a product, make a simple website, edit a music video, be a good husband and father, etc… but when I try to think of one thing I am a master at, I really can’t think of anything.

Is it better to be good at a lot of things or excellent at only one thing? 

[As I have been writing this and twittering, I came across a tweet from @tonysteward. He posted an entry on his blog that actually talks about this. Check it out here.]

I believe that in everything that we do, we try to hit the mark of excellence. But when we can’t hit it due to budget, time or an unattainable goal, we should still be able to celebrate the “goodness” of the project. It’s o.k to be good.

I will be the first to admit that I am not an expert on blogging or have great grammar skills, but I am trying and it is helping. Will I ever achieve having a “great” blog? Maybe, but I am content with a “good” blog. Could I make my blog great if I become “ruthless” as Tony puts it? I might be able to, but I like all the other things I’m doing and don’t want to give it up.

Especially with the world that is changing so quickly, isn’t it better to be  “good” and versatile than “excellent” only in one thing?

Check out this video. It will really show you how fast this world is changing.

Is Jack Bauer a great hero because he is great at one thing or because he is good in a lot of things?

 

Death by Meetings

Death by Meeting is a book that I never read, but really like the title. (Maybe I’ll write a review on it and compare it with my own thoughts)

As I am quickly approaching my 100 day as Creative Arts Director of Newsong Church, I am starting to realize one thing. With greater responsibilities comes a greater quantity of meetings. And if you are not to careful, you can find your self stuck in a strangle hold by the “meeting”. Here are some insights I learned the hard way.

1. Space out the meeting: Avoid back to back meetings. Create some space to unwind.
2. Make it as quick as it needs to be: Value each others’ time.
3. Clarity: Make sure you know what the meeting is focused on before you start.
4. End the meeting: Sometimes I feel a meeting never comes to an end. Be bold and ask, “Are we done?”
5. If leading, please make it interesting!: I personally am more willing to stick through a meeting if it is interesting and fun.

This is my simple attempt to share insights I learned along the way. This are not rules but more like items to think about as you deal with meetings.

 

Blue Ray is DEAD!

The battle between HD-DVD and Blue Ray was pretty much settled last year at the CES with Warner Bros crossing the DMZ. But now, it looks like Blue Ray is dying or fuzzy as New York Times Article states it. The article still gives it hope, but I predict that it won’t last more than a couple of years.

iTUNES, HULU, VUDU, YOUTUBE, etc…

With internet speeds increasing, video codecs creating  better but smaller HD files, iTunes offering HD movies as well as Vudu, Blue Ray is going to have a short shelf life. But it’s not just the technology but also the mindset of consumers that is driving this. The success Youtube, Hulu, Vudu, Slingbox, Bit Torrent, DVRs and iTunes are showing us that the viewing audience is ok with mediocre image quality as long as we can get it when we want and it’s free or cheap.

TVs are no longer tvs, but computer monitors. With the cost of the LCD Flat Screen HDTVs dropping and with the DTV signal change in February, why wouldn’t you get one. Viewers are also learning to hook up their computer to it and play their movies through the computer.

CONTENT OVER QUALITY:

I also noticed that viewers will always choose to watch something that is interesting and engaging rather than something with no story but technically amazing. (I can list a lot of movies/shows here, but I will refrain for time sake). If the story is great, it doesn’t matter how it was shot and displayed. I watched videos on my computer, on my iphone, on people blogs, facebook, websites. As long as the content was fascinating, I watched.

DISCLAIMER:

There is no replacing the telling of a great story using great technology that is used purposefully. I personally would love a Blue-Ray DVD player and a HDTV. I love going to the theaters and watching a film. Have you seen an IMAX film. (not the ones that they blow up a regular 35mm movie, but the ones they shot with 70mm film) Amazing. It is hard for me to watch football games not on a highdef television. (GO CHARGERS!)

But this entry is more about the business of Home Entertainment formats.

HOPE FOR BLUERAY: Here are some reasons why they might survive.

1. Prices are dropping: With the economy today, they have to drop.
2. Additional great content that you can only get on Blue Ray: But they are also starting to be available at the websites associated with film
3. Early Adopters or as I call them, Easy Money: It’s no longer the latest technology and about to be old news
4. I don’t know what I’m talking about: But I do.

 

Nostalgia

What is it about Nostalgia that is so appealing?

I am eating at Rubys at the spectrum and feel like I’m in the 50s again. The posters are cool. Notice the big bold letters, “Photographed in COLOR”. Wow how the times have changed.

 

“You complete me.”

It’s 1 AM and this might be the bad pizza I had earlier talking, but I believe I have something to say. Or rather, I have something to say that I believe in. My father once said, “Get the bad news over with first. You be the one to say the tough stuff.” Well, here goes. There is a cruel wind blowing through our business. We all feel it, and if we don’t, perhaps we’ve forgotten how to feel. But here is the truth. We are less ourselves than we were when we started this organization.
[excerpt from This is War – Jerry Maguires Mission Statement]

For me it was 3 AM of New Years Eve. I seem to always have these type of sleepless nights every year around this time. Last night, I wrote a mission statement for the Creative Arts Ministry of Newsong, which I am the director of. It was supposed to be a quick post, but ended up becoming an intimate retelling of my story.

To read it on Newsong CAM’s site, Click here.

 

Stickers at Wahoo

Have you ever noticed the stickers at Wahoos? Since I started to actively pursue inspiration, simple thing like a sticker can be that.

 

Idea Camp

This blog has been my way of expressing my ideas and sharing things and people that inspire me. Charles Lee is definitely one person that has been a person that I look up to. When I was first starting Art United, he sat down with me at a Starbucks in Brea and listened to my ideas and gave me great advice. He also partnered with Justice N.O.W and shared a great message on the issue of Human Trafficking. He also a founding member of Just One, a great organization that really makes a positive difference in this world.

Charles Lee has done it again. This time he put together FREE hybrid conference for idea-makes to share, network, and implement ideas called THE IDEA CAMP.

Here is a quick blurb of what it is about. 

• We are gathering some of the most innovative and creative leaders from around the country (this means YOU!) to share ideas, intentionally network, and move collaboratively into idea-making. Whether your passion is church leadership, non-profit work, social entrepreneurialism, technology, media, creativity, culture making, church planting, spiritual formation, compassionate justice, etc., this is the conference for YOU.
• Dates: February 27-28, 2009
• Location: New Song Irvine <http://irvine.newsong.net/>
• Cost: Register Online for FREE by Creating a Profile at http://www.theideacamp.com <http://www.theideacamp.com>
• Facilitators
   
  • We are gathering some of most creative and innovative leaders from around country to facilitate meaningful conversations about idea-making.
    
• More Info? Email charles@theideacamp.com

I’m definitely planning on being there! I hope to see you there!

 

iPhone: it’s only a brick until you use it

“My life is so much better with an iPhone.”

I know there are as many iPhone haters as there is iPhone-philiacs but this needs to be said.

Similar to the controversy of whether film is better than digital, or the mp3 being the end of high fidelity, there is a little stirring going on in the world of “mobile phones”.

I do agree that there are great phones out there that come with your very own “verizon gang” or the “time square inspiration quote of the day” from the Sprint’s CEO and there is no denying that. My wife has the LG Shine (mainly because Lauren Conrad from the hills endorse it) and it fulfills it’s purpose as a phone.

My argument is that the iPhone is not a celluar phone. It is a mini computer, camera, Internet browser, game console (fieldrunner being my favorite game), personal finance (Bank of America app, Mint), social network tool (twitter, facebook), music and movie player (iPod), harddrive, Bible (YouVersion) and etc…

The iPhone has in a couple of years created a whole new category of gadgets: The portable computer that happens to have a phone option. Even this posting is all done through an iPhone. (it’s not even the 3G version).

But as my title of this posts states, an iPhone is only a brick until you use it. Not as a phone but as your mini portable computer. Did you know, you get free wifi at McDonalds and Starbucks as an iPhone owner? (by the way, those two stores are pretty popular.)

But to be fair, this mantra is for any device. If not used, it’s only a brick. Whether it’s a fancy digital camera you bought at costco or the new MacBook or PC, or one of the many blackberries out there (another side note: why does there have to be so many different versions of the blackberry), learn to utilize it to it’s fullest.

“One is free to choose your own weapon but one, is at a miss, if one does not learn to use it to it’s fullest potential.” – Artisan Warrior

Even right now, as I’m cradling Baby Sophia in my arms, I’m writing this post entirely with one thumb. And this post is helping me improve my writing through blogging. Blogging helps me clear my thoughts. Therefore I’m a more focused person which makes my wife happy. Which results in my life being better because of the iPhone. 🙂

Here is one of many example of how I utilize my iPhone. I take daily pictures of my newborn daughter and post them on facebook. Here Is a screen capture I made, yes with an iPhone.

 

Holiday on Prism

I live in a wonderful, magical place where it snows in Irvine. Truly I was amazed at the lengths Irvine Company goes to keep their tenants joyous.

Today, they blocked off a road and converted into an old fashion block party. They provided FREE Starbucks, cupcakes from a local bakery, sushi from Wasa Sushi, vegi snacks from Veggi Grill and to top it off provided two drinks ticket to indulge in either Guinness, Newcastle, or Harp Beer…. Did I tell you that this was all FREE!

For entertainment, they had a street magician, a DJ and a live band. And the creme de la creme was the snow that fell from the sky. It was the type of snow that falls in Disneyland during their Winter fireworks spectacle. (to be honest, I wasn’t there for that, but I’m pretty sure it was a treat.)

The reason why I share this with you is partly to justify to myself that the high rent I pay is totally worth it but also, how a need to make the village feel more like a community brought out this creative answer… A holiday block party.

I really felt inspired by the simple decor and atmosphere they created. The lighting, the music and even the cold brisk air all worked together to give me the warm fuzzies. It might have been the beers, but still I felt like it was the holidays.

Kudos to the Irvine Company.