We’re at that time of year when the winter blah really sets in (I’m sure February is the longest month of the year!).  We’ve at least had a couple of days that weren’t gray, but it’s certainly been looking more like Seattle then Kansas City.

It’s cold outside – so here are 5 diversions on your computer that might help brighten your day up.  Shake it off, have some fun and check out some cool stuff (some with a local tie)!

1.  Amazing Shot!

You’ve probably seen this sometime in the last few days – it’s been all over TV and the internet, but in case you missed it – you need to check out the vide of the Olathe Northwest Girls Basketball coach who’s getting set up for a prank.  The students are challenging him to shoot a 1/2 court shot…blindfolded and if he makes it he wins Final Four tickets.  The prank is that the students are going to cheer wildly when he shoots to make him believe he hit it.

The drawback to their plan?  He actually hits the shot!  It’s unbelievable and a lot of fun to watch.

If that video doesn’t work, here’s a link with the video along with some additional coverage:  http://onwravens.net/media/www.onwravens.net_media/The_Shot.html

To complete the story, it turns out someone has now donated Final Four tickets so he actually did win!

2.  More Basketball fun

It’s not as dramatic, but it will likely waste more of your time!

Check out this free online game of Basketball!  The idea is to make as many baskets as you can during a timed session.  It takes a few tries to get a handle on how to shoot, but once you make a couple of baskets you’ll be hooked.  It’s challenging and addictive!

3.  A Flight of Imagination!

Remember the Jetsons and their flying cars?  Apparently NASA engineers have developed a concept of a personal flying vehicle that could be built any day.  It’s an all electric vehicle, so it’s quiet with no pollution and although the range is only 50 miles on a single charge, it can go 140 miles an hour at cruising speed!

I’m not sure who would really use this, but it’s definitely got a cool factor to it!  You can learn more in Wired’s article on the Nasa Puffin.

4.  Jump start your travel planning!

It’s always good to have an inspiration when it comes to day dreaming about cool places to travel to.  This article on the Top 33 World’s Strangest Buildings might just inspire you to find some cool places to visit.  There’s a Kansas City connection here as well (you’ll have to click through to figure out what it is).

5. Pigeon Impossible!

All of the other stuff here is great, but this one is really spectacular!  I’m a huge fan of all things Pixar and they clearly inspired the team that created Pigeon Impossible!

A group of 100 volunteers spent 5 years making this 6 minute animated video, but it is one of the funniest, most creative things I’ve seen in a long time.  The link will take you a larger version of the video than I can fit here – so go check it out and enjoy your break!

Shawn Kinkade  Kansas City Business Coach

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I’ve been on a kick lately to collect older movies – movies that I remember as influential or just entertaining from ‘formative’ years (which probably are still going on now that I think about it).

Some of them have held up better than others (I watched the director’s cut of The Warriors recently and I was really disappointed – there are some great scenes, but it didn’t really pull together the way I remember it in college!).

Anyway, one movie that actually was better than I remembered it (and I liked it a lot the first time around) was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  With John Hughes recently passing away, I was inspired to find this and relive one of the best movies of the 80’s.

There are a lot of things Ferris can teach us – even 20+ years later.

Confidence:

The reason Ferris is so compelling – both to the viewers and to all the people he interacts with is because he has boundless confidence – in himself and how the world works. 

A person should not believe in an "-ism," he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me."

Ferris has a plan.  He’s going places, making things happen – even with some slips along the way, he continues to believe in himself.

Friendship:

Ferris didn’t take the day off for himself – he did it for Cameron (his best friend).

Pardon my French, but Cameron is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks you’d have a diamond.

Cameron has a lot of issues, but Ferris knows he has to shake him up and get him to see there’s more to life than just stress!

Hey, Cameron. You realize if we played by the rules right now we’d be in gym?

Perspective:

Probably the biggest takeaway for me  (when I saw it the first time and when I watched it again) is that you have to have fun with what you’re doing – other wise what’s the point?  And if you’re having fun, being creative – there’s really no limit to what you can do and how people will respond to you.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

That’s a lesson to live by – what’s your favorite part of the movie?  Share your thoughts below, I’d love to hear them.

Shawn Kinkade  Kansas City Business Coach

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So you know that a trend is becoming mainstream when people start making fun of it and doing spoof Broadway musicals about it.   Social Media is certainly ripe for satire and the clip below does a great (and very funny) job of bringing out the really silly things people do.  It’s very well done!

Check out Web Site Story – an homage to the classic musical.

If you have trouble with the video above – go to CollegeHumor to see it there.

Shawn Kinkade   Kansas City Business Coach

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