James Dean and My Hometown

Ryan K — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:08:09 +0000

This is an amazingly romantic look at my hometown of Fairmount, Indiana and its most famous son, James Dean.

I will always love the fact that I grew up in Fairmount. And who knows, maybe I’ll move back there sometime…

Via: Hulu – The James Dean Story – Watch the full feature film now..

My freshman year of college I bought every single John Mellencamp album.

My friend Charity posted a Morrisey video (“Suedehead”) on Facebook recently which features Fairmount. Embedding for that video has been disabled, but you can catch it right hurr.

Koulou’s story – Haiti Earthquake

Ryan K — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:47:39 +0000

I had the privilege of working on a project and learning about Open Space Technology from John Engle of Haiti Partners a few years ago. He has been on the ground in Haiti sending updates during the earthquake disaster.

New York: If big lights don’t inspire you, these kids will…

Ryan K — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:57:03 +0000

The PS22 Chorus captures the magic of New York in their rendition of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.”

If only the Yankees and Mets weren’t from New York, it would be so much easier to love that place…

I hate to admit it, but this performance gave me chills. The magic of New York, the magic of Yankee Stadium, and of course Alicia…

Martin Luther King Jr. on true compassion

Ryan K — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:45:13 +0000

Happy birthday, Dr King.

From his speech titled “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” Dr. King distinguishes between basic charity and true compassion:

On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.

Via: YouTube – Martin Luther King A Time to Break Silence part – 5.

Ringo Starr and Ben Harper – With a Little Help From My Friends

Ryan K — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:52:17 +0000

2009 was a good year that introduced a lot of change in my life. The pieces are beginning to fit together and life will soon have structure again. Thanks to all those people who support me in so many different ways. It’s comforting to put yourself out on a limb and discover that you’ve got one heck of a safety net.

Announcements coming soon. But for now…

Emmanuel Jal – Lose to Win

Ryan K — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:10:21 +0000

Emmanuel Jal is an incredibly gifted man with an unforgettable story. From the biography on his nonprofit website:

Emmanuel Jal was born in Southern Sudan, and spent the early years of his childhood in the midst of its longrunning civil war. At the age of 7, after the death of his mother, he was recruited as a child soldier for the Rebel army (SPLA).

Amazingly, he survived front line action and eventually managed to escape with 300 other “lost boys”, enduring a 3 month trek on foot without any supplies to reach safety. One of only a handful to survive the journey, Emmanuel was rescued by Emma McCune, a British Aid Worker, who smuggled him to freedom in Kenya and enrolled him in school for the first time.

Tragically, Emma died shortly afterwards in a car accident. Gradually, after so much sadness and trauma in his life Emmanuel began to find healing through the church and through music.

Emmanual is now raising funds to build a school in South Sudan in tribute to Emma McCune. You can download is latest single for free via his music website.

This is a guy that I would really like to meet.

Peyton Manning and the Playbook

Ryan K — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:55:49 +0000

When the Indianapolis Colts first drafted this season’s MVP quarterback, Peyton Manning, they had narrowed their choice down to two prospects. George Barna tells the tale:

To figure out who might be the best selection for their team, Colts executives set up interviews with both young men. Both prospects discussed their desire to win and their positive feelings about the Colts. The turning point in the Colts’ decision was the answer they received to one particular question: If chosen by the Colts, what is the first thing you will do? Young Manning’s reply, supposedly offered without hesitation, was “Study the playbook.” His competitor’s response? “I’m booking the next flight to Vegas so I can celebrate with my buddies.”

via Peyton Manning and the Playbook.

The other candidate, Ryan Leaf, didn’t fare so well. According to Wikipedia, “his time as a professional lasted only four years, and was marked by injuries, poor relations with teammates and the media, and poor performance. He is widely regarded as one of the biggest busts in NFL and professional sports history.”

Looks like studying the playbook was the correct answer.

HT: (@indychristian)

Making Lemonade

Ryan K — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:20:22 +0000

When Terminal C of Newark International Airport was shut down for 6 hours recently due to a security breach, some travelers took the opportunity to have a little fun.

These unexpected outbursts of community are something I have always enjoyed about traveling. I was once stuck on a highway behind a major accident for a couple of hours. Myself and several other drivers were hungry so we called all the nearby pizza shops until we found one that would deliver to the other side of the highway. When traffic got moving again we had full bellies and a good story to tell.

When life gives you lemons, you might as well make lemonade.

UPDATE: The guy in the video is Josh Wilson, a Christian singer/songwriter.

The Governator’s List

Ryan K — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:22:44 +0000

I love how he whips out his list of goals with check marks. A basic, great tool for any leader.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

BONUS: Classic example of keeping cool under pressure.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Archive

Ryan K — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:00:33 +0000

Paul Mawhinney was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the years he has amassed what has become the world’s largest record collection estimated to be worth $50 million. Due to health issues and a struggling record industry Paul is being forced to sell his collection.

I love this style of video portrait.

via The Archive on Vimeo.