I just watched what might be the most incredible independent film I’ve ever seen. Written by fans and for fans of Lord of the Rings, this 35-minute film by a ragtag group of amateur filmmakers cost less than $5,000 to produce … and in my opinion, the quality actually rivals that of the $430,000,000 Peter Jackson films, even though it’s a bit rough-around-the-edges at times.

The Hunt for Gollum takes place just before the first LOTR movie (and after The Hobbit), setting the scene for the trilogy’s early scenes. Below is the HD version … be sure to watch it in full-screen mode!

Facebook just announced that they’re going to be opening up a new can of worms in a couple of days, allowing each person to claim a username. It’s kind of a big deal, a potential game-changer for Facebook, as they’ve always resisted the username trend to ground their user base in actual identities, in real names. I’m quite interested to see how else they choose to use these usernames down the road.

It got me thinking, though … starting nine years ago, when I first registered http://webel.net, I’ve tried to keep things simple by going with the username “webel” on various services (i.e. Twitter, Flickr, etc). Short and sweet, you know? But now I’m starting to wonder if that’s really the best strategy.

If I changed my username to “lancewebel” on all of these services, for example, it would do a couple of things … first, it’d allow me to have a standard name that’s always available (so I wouldn’t have to fight with my own relatives). Second, it’d be much more search-friendly … anyone entering my first and last name would be more likely to find me if both of those were in my URL/information.

But it wouldn’t be all short-and-sweet anymore.

Hmm. I guess I have a couple of days to decide how to handle this from here on out, ’cause once I choose a Facebook username, it’s permanent. What do you think … should I go with “webel” or “lancewebel”?

Now this was a good book. A mystery involving a cast of crazy characters and a twisting plot, the storyline centers around a mysterious competition to which an eccentric millionaire postumously challenged his heirs. The prize, of course, was his massive inheritance.

There were a fair amount of twists and turns throughout the book, giving the reader ample opportunities to try to figure out the clues … And the wacky characters kept me entertained throughout.

In reality, though, I think I liked reading it as much for the smart and funny writing style as I did for the plot itself … in fact, I’m pretty sure that this was the first witty novel I’ve ever read.

Are there other similar books out there, ones that’ll engage my brain with wittiness? If so, do tell!

Guys like the pursuit of a mystery, while girls like anticipation of the inevitable.

I’m not much of a book reader … black and white words on a page can be so flat, take so long to work through, create such a hassle (to lug around), and be so disappointing so easily.

One thing I do like about books, however, is that I usually only get to read them on vacation, when the pace of my life has slowed and margin abounds. And I like those times.

I just finished the first book I’ve read in at least five years, “The Lovely Bones”, by Alice Sebold. I’ll admit, it’s a story well-suited for this medium, full of intertwining narratives and strange imagery that might not work in film. ‘Twas good.

Of particular note was the unusual way it described both heaven and time … the book is written from the perspective of a girl who was murdered in 1973 and had traveled to ‘her heaven’, where she could witness life on earth and even intervene a bit. It didn’t try to be scientific about it, but rather seemed to place a huge importance on the spirits of people and their interconnectedness.

I don’t think I’ll type more here, other than to say that it was worth the time it took to read it in the margins of this week, slowing me down and getting my imagination rolling.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when we first begin to read.

I’m tired of hearing people complain about the outrageous salaries of professional athletes, actors, and musicians then seeing those same people pay $8 to see a film, $15 for an album, $20 for a dvd, $30 for a concert, or $50 for a ticket to the game.

Check out this interactive map of words that were Twittered (a kind of mini blogging) across the nation during the Super Bowl on Sunday … it’s truly fascinating to drag the slider right and left in each category and see what the general public in each location was talking about at each crucial part of the broadcast.

Man, I love it when technology is used well.

I’ve got a day to nail down a design for my cross country team … and I need your opinion! Here’s what I whipped up over dinner tonight (see it bigger).

It’ll be on microfiber (breathable athletic) shirts … what do you think?

To me, the interesting thing about these Olympic broadcasts is how “Chinese” NBC chooses to be. They don’t release a detailed schedule of what they’re going to broadcast and when … instead, they keep viewers in suspense, forcing us to watch all of it and “become” interested and attached to things we wouldn’t necessarily choose to see. They’ve decided for us … and have no intention of handing over the information or the reins.

Is this lemming-esque experience par for the course when it comes to television viewing? Personally, I think it’s insulting and backwards … but I guess that’s what I get for liking something that’s so corporate!

In China, many of the delicious dishes you could order in restaurants were fat-based. And I’m talking just fat … not pork or beef or anything like that, but straight up cooked fat and veggies. It was actually pretty delicious, but it took a little while to get used to.

One time when I went to the doctor for some skin problems (mostly from the polluted and damp air), he actually prescribed it … I had to eat about a fist-worth of lard every day for two weeks. Mmm … scrumptious!

Funny, sure. But it does raise some big questions, I think. We’re told, over and over, that eating fat is bad for you … but almost every dish in Hunan (where I lived) was soaked in oil and fat, and the people were, by and large (pun intended), incredibly skinny!

So where do we get our strong ideas about diet and nutrition, and how accurate are they? Are we just taking the word of the food industry, which some say is the second-largest industry in America (behind pharmaceuticals)? It has thousands of lobbyists and unbelievable marketing budgets … should we be connecting those dots a little more?

When I sing hymns like the one I posted yesterday, my heart comes alive. It tells a tale, a glorious account of death and renewal, betrayal and redemption, and mystery and revelation. It takes me on a journey, illuminating a path that has been traveled many times before and opening my eyes to a story that can deeply impact me.

When I sing modern choruses, however, I have a very different experience. Just check out this one, which often shares the same title, “Amazing Love”:

You Are My King
by Billy James Foote

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken.
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I’m alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
because You died and rose again.

Amazing love, how can it be
that You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true.
It’s my joy to honor You.
In all I do, I honor You.

You are my King.

I mean … it’s good, don’t get me wrong … but it’s also quite flat. The words speak Truth, but it’s impossible to tell where it’s coming from or where it’s going. The song conveys emotions but fails to connect them with a context. And the repetition that is required to sing these choruses often numbs me, turning off my mind and putting me into cruise control.

What’s missing, I think, is narrative. This communication tool, perhaps the most powerful and effective in our toolbox, is too often forgotten and ignored. We’ve lost the ability to tell a tale as we worship … and in the process, I think, we’ve crippled our own ability to intertwine our story with His.

So … how do we get the narrative back?

I’ve long felt that when I die, it’ll be the best day of my life. On that day, you see, I believe that I’ll finally get to shed this body, this temporary “tent” … and my spirit will be free to party it up with Jesus. Sure, I know that mourning and all of that is a natural thing, especially when you miss someone … but I don’t want it to get out of hand when I die. I mean … people who know me well should know by then that it’s a time for celebration, a time to come together and rejoice because of the freedom I’ve found!

So here’s the deal … I’d like to start planning this now. Morbid? Maybe. But what better time is there to really reach out and touch some hearts than at my own funeral? That’s some real leverage, yo … what a platform. It’s worth being ready.

The current idea is to lay down a challenge … I want to be cremated and have my ashes spread on 100 (or so) different remote places around the globe by my friends and family. The pyramids, Antarctica, the Sahara … you name it, I want to give the people who are closest to me the opportunity (and requirement) to travel to these places.

Why? Well, I want what’s left of my mortal flesh to serve an eternal purpose … connecting people I care about with the God I am finally partying with face-to-face. I want them to experience how big the world is, to see God’s magnificent creation and to be humbled and inspired by something bigger than themselves. Isn’t that way better than paying to let my corpse just rot in the ground? I sure think so.

All of the details, including my story and the reasoning behind this challenge, would be compiled on a website (maybe lanceisnotdead.com). Then, as people complete the trips (which could take many many years), they would have to document their journeys, checking places off of the list and posting stories, photos, and videos online for the world to see.

The idea is really in its infancy … I’m not exactly sure how it would all be implemented, and it might evolve over time. But I’ve already contacted a really talented designer and started thinking about how to approach it all. Sure, there’s no rush (at least, I don’t think so) … but it seems to me that if people get confused and saddened by my death, I really must’ve let them misunderstand my life too!

I’m usually really bad about responding to emails … in any given day, I get dozens and dozens, and there’s simply no way I can answer everything that I want to answer. So for those of you with messages still sitting in my inbox, here are a couple of tips if you want to get a response from me.

1. Keep it short.
   A couple of sentences is usually enough.

2. Ask directly.
   I’m not that smart … beating around the bush distracts me.

3. Be persistent and patient.
   I won’t be offended, at all, if you send me 5-10 messages.

4. Be awesome.
   I tend to make time for people who I consider to be amazing.

5. Show me that you care.
   If nothing seems meaningful, I often don’t stop and notice.

6. Don’t.
   Sometimes email’s a terrible medium … phone or visit me!