Ted's Excellent Conference

The time is 7:45 and I have been listening to Neko Cases' latest album, Middle Cyclone. If it were possible to fall in love with a voice, much like the prince in The Little Mermaid, then it would be hers. Dreamy, indie undertones mixed with deep Americana twang. Yeah, I love her. Today, however, we talk about the TED conference and Disney World.

Speaking of The Little Mermaid, my parents are going to Orlando with our good family friends, William and Joanna McMahan. My parents won a trip for four and since neither my brother nor I could make it, they went with our long time family friends. I have to admit, it's funny picturing the two older couples running around Orlando, living it up. They will probably do such fun and exciting things like hitting the antique stores, historical reenactments, botanical gardens and if there is an old fort or something there they are sure to stop by it. Sadly enough that is all stuff I would probably dig, except the gardens. My dad will probably eat frog legs or something else weird as well. Oh well, I am sure they will have fun.

We went to Disney World when I was a kid, right after my dad graduated seminary. By all means it was one of our better family trips, but it was marred by one very tragic incident involving Mickey Mouse. As best as I can recall I was going into 4th grade and my brother 2nd grade, or maybe it was right afterwards, whichever, we were young and Disney bound.
My Mom tells me that my brother was totally pumped about meeting Mickey Mouse and I was like okay, cool, we can meet the mouse. So we kept an eye out for him wherever we went and knew it was only a matter of time before we saw him. Now of course my dad had his camera ready and was determined to capture the moment. He always has a camera out.

So sure enough, when we approached the castle, (that I was dismayed to learn was fake) there among the crowd we see it, the famous ears sticking out above everyone. My brothers face lights up, (so I imagine) and dad readies the camera. My brother beams, stick his chest out proudly like a big boy, and thrusts out his hand to shake Mickey's. They shake, like two nations reaching a peace agreement and CLICK! Goes the camera.

Mickey turns to me. I turn to the side and stick out my hand, ready for a shake. Mickey put both arms out and I am like, "Wait what? Am I supposed to shake his hand or hug him?" I couldn't tell what he wanted but it seemed more hug like, so I lean in and hug him. CLICK! Goes the camera.

Later on walking away my brother is like, "Dude you hugged him?" and I was like, "No he hugged me!" A hug? I hugged Mickey Mouse like some little 5-year-old girl when my younger brother just shook his hand?? I was so humiliated and to make matters worse, we have it on photo record that it really happened. To this day whenever we mention Disney World my brother has to dredge up this embarrassing memory and humiliate me.

At least I could have hugged some hottie like Snow White or Cinderella, heck, Minnie Mouse would have been better then freakin' Mickey Mouse. Of course, back in those days we didn't have babes like Ariel or Jasmine. I would have hugged them in a heartbeat and next time I go, I still might.

Let me introduce you to a little conference called TED: Technology, Entertainment and Design. Every year they have this event and it is a veritable whose who of industry leaders, thinkers and innovators. Musicians, Nobel Prize winners, activist, directors, artist, scientist, businessmen and a myriad of others speak for ten minutes on innovations and developments in their fields. Anywhere from Bill Clinton speaking on health care to J.J. Abrams on creativity, it is pretty interesting and you can watch the talks online. It is also currently making rounds as the latest sermon and leadership illustrations at Newsong.
Anyway, what does this have to do with my blog? I have gotten hold of some of the lineup the next conference as well the topics they are speaking on.. So here we go...

TED Conference line up for 2009!

Kirstie Ally - "Sausage Grease as a Renewable Energy Source and Milkshake Flavoring"

Bill Clinton - "Better Implants for a Better Tomorrow.".

Christian Bale - "Modern Breakthroughs in Anger Management."

Stephen Hawking - "Not Only Can I Talk Through this Thing, but I Can Blow Bubbles in My Chocolate Milk too."

Steve Jobs - "Who Would Have Thought IPhones Cause Cancer?"

Vladimir Putin - "Let's Make the Next 100 Years Bloodier Then the Last!"

Bono - "All the Reasons I am Cooler then You"

Barak Obama - "Instead of Hoping for Change, Let's Change our Hopes"

Chris Brown - "Rihanna Has a Weakness for Left Hooks"

George W. Bush - "How Not to Invade Arab Countries"

J.J. Abrams - "Let ME Remake Star Wars Episode's 1,2, and 3 the Right Way."

Miley Cyrus - "Um Why We Need to...Do Stuff to... Help Things in the World."

France - "Who Will Invade us Now?"



Well guys, I hope you enjoyed it, I am still trying to do one a week and this one was pushing it. Cut me some slack, I have been sick all week with a sinus infection. Later.