So many content management systems, so little time. From WordPress to Joomla to Drupal to Squarespace to TYPO3 to…yea. The open source CMS list seems to go on and on.

How does one choose a platform that can do everything, but not too much? That isn’t bloated with unnecessary garbage, but has cutting edge features and extras? That is extremely secure, without the need for an in-house Nick Burns? That is easy and even *gasp* fun to use?

We answer all of the above with one word – Modx™.

Here’s why:

• Flexibility.
  Without a doubt the single biggest reason we love modx is it’s inherent flexibility. Whatever the end-goal of your website or web application – informational, interactive, user-driven, blog, e-commerce, mobile, or some combination thereof; modx can handle it. The back-end can be structured for the explicit needs of the project at hand, and it’s robust API and Object-oriented core make it a prime choice for even the most custom Web apps.
• It gets out of your way.
  This is a bit of a sub-point to the above. As a developer, there’s nothing more frustrating than having to hack through bloated code, just to get a basic website layout in place. A content manager should get out of the way and provide a platform for updating and managing content easily. It shouldn’t make developing a basic HTML layout painful. Modx’s templating system is the best I’ve ever come across, allowing you to write your markup and code how you prefer. Learn the basic templating syntax, and you’re off to developer beulah land.
• Community.
  This is what makes an open source platform truly special, and when it comes to finding helpful friends, modx shines. Support can be found in a variety of places: the modx forums, twitter, youtube, as well as various blogs like that of mr. mark hamstra. The patience and support I’ve received in the last 4 years is one of the main reasons I’ve chosen modx as my platform of choice. From core developers of the platform, all the way to other end-users, the community is there to help.
• User Interface.
  With Modx Revolution (the latest iteration of the CMS) came some outstanding UI improvements. In general, I’ve trained folks from twenty-something nerds to seventy-something great-grandmas…and they all enjoy modx. That’s saying something. And because of the aforementioned flexibility, the manager can take on the necessary form for the specific needs of any given site (when properly developed).
• Extras.
  While WordPress may be the king of the plugin and widget, modx isn’t too far behind. From image galleries to calendars, resource aggregators to blogging functionality, user registration to search, you can do it with modx. And if by some off-chance it hasn’t been done before, it definitely can be!
• Easy Installation.
  As long as your system meets the necessary requirements, installing modx is about as straight-forward as they come.
• Foxycart.
  What does an e-commerce solution have to do with our favorite content management system, you ask? Pretty much everything. Like modx, foxycart looks to do what it does best and integrate with other systems that do what they do best. The combination of modx + foxycart can handle just about any e-commerce scenario, no matter how streamlined, or robust.

These are just some of the reasons why we generally choose modx for our web projects. It’s not to say that other platforms don’t have their place, as we use WordPress and Xcart from time to time for specific needs.

But it is to say – our hearts are belong to Modx™.

If you find yourself delaying any and all website updates due to fear of that insane-back-end-admin-thing that is supposed to help you update your website, but instead haunts your dreams… contact us. We’d love to turn your sorrow into joy using modx.

And if you’re a developer, run (don’t walk) to download the latest iteration of Modx Revolution (and be sure to thank us later).

We here at the Future Forward have a friend who happens to be a boxer. If you’re around him for more than 10 min, you’ll inevitably get in to a conversation about boxing, training, technique, etc. We also have another friend, and by friend I mean, a band that we like. This band goes by the name of UNKLE.

Our two worlds collide in the music video for UNKLE’s “Another Night Out” featuring boxer Terry Wright. Directed by Toby Dye.

There are some absolutely stunning shots here. And, a particular beauty in the repetition of hand and eye imagery throughout.

I find the whole video so mesmerizing I almost miss the music itself. It’s as if the whole thing becomes an odd blend between silent film and ambient experience. I’m not sure what this says about the video or the music, but I think you’ll enjoy both all the same.

Here’s to our friend Dave, and another night out.

UNKLE – ANOTHER NIGHT OUT
Director – Toby Dye
Executive Producer – Svana Gisla
Producer – Ben Porter
Co-Producer – Rebecca Mills
Editor – Julian Eguiguren
Director of Photography – Steve Annis
Colourist – James Tillet (MPC)
Flame – Mark Robinson (Big Buoy)
Post Production Producer – Barny Wright (Big Buoy)

Featuring – Terry Wright
With Special thanks to Alan Mortlock

via : highsnobiety

Eloquent and compelling as ever…  Mr. Brainwash a.k.a. Thierry Guetta talks to The Talks.

…

What’s an art piece? Maybe I am. If you think about it, why not? I’m real; I am who I am. I’m continuing. What you see now is mine, Banksy has nothing to do with it. I’m here, it’s me. My life is my life; nobody’s going to take that from me. His life is his life. I mean, we have a connection, we have something that connected us for a movie, but life goes on.

…

If I learned anything from him, it would be passion. You know, two people meet each other and they connect. That’s why there is a movie about it because there was a connection from him to me and me to him. There is this connection that made something.

…

Yeah, you know I’m good for me. I don’t know if I’m good for you. Art doesn’t have any way – art is freedom and you can do it any way you want. I can take a bottle and put it on top of this table and say this is art. If I believe it, it’s art for me, and it can be art for other people.

Read the full interview here.
Take from it what you will.

In awareness, acknowledgment, and protest of SOPA/PIPA we (along with the rest of the internet) are going black. Fight for the Future.

Get informed:

http://www.fightforthefuture.org/pipa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

http://vimeo.com/31100268

For clarity, by “cover” I mean “old christmas song, re-envisioned”. I contemplated separating out old christmas hymns/carols from the rest, but decided instead for a big mash-up (with a rock n roll bent).

In comparison to my recent post on original christmas songs from recent years, there were far more possibilities here, so I wanna hear the favorites that I’ve missed!

I hope you enjoy this playlist and that it brings you a little holiday cheer as the best day of the year approaches. And no… groban and buble were not oversights.

1. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Pedro The Lion
2. O Holy Night – Sufjan Stevens
3. The First Noel – Weezer
4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Joey Ramone
5. Last Christmas – Erlend Oye
6. The Little Drummer Boy – Sufjan Stevens
7. Baby It’s Cold Outside - She & Him
8. Silent Night - Bad Religion
9. O Holy Night – Weezer
10. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – She & Him
11. Little Drummer Boy - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
12. Winter Wonderland - Radiohead
13. Auld Lang Syne - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
14. I Saw Three Ships – Sufjan Stevens
15. Last Christmas – Florence & the Machine
16. Santa Baby – The Dollyrots
17. The Friendly Beasts – Sufjan Stevens
18. Someday at Christmas - Jack Johnson
19. Silent Night – The Blackhearts (& friends)
20. Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Michael Bolton (that was for you, @rdmdk. and for the sheer amount of passion shown in this rendition. truly from the heart.)

Just finished a poster for Carols & Cupcakes: a Christmas carol event with the likeness & friends. (with free cupcakes). Open to all, Wednesday, December 21st at New Moon Cafe.

Come out and join the FutureForward as we get in the Christmas spirit, by singing carols and pound gallons of eggnog, coffee, and cupcakes; all while raising money for Hope for Hyderabad.

I love Christmas.

Not with a normal “oh, it’s a nice time of year” type love. I’m talking a deep-within-my-soul kind of love. The kind of love that drives me to not only listen to christmas music all the time…but listen to christmas music all the time, starting on november 1st.

With that in mind, I was recently cleaning my living room, my daughter Adelaide strapped to my chest in her Baby Bjorn, dancing to ‘Great Big Sled’ by The Killers, and realized there’s just no good list of the best original christmas songs of recent years. To be honest, there haven’t been that many. This is not a list with an embarrassment of riches. But thanks to the likes of Sufjan Stevens, The Killers, and everyone’s favorite Mariah Carey, we have ourselves a solid list of “new” Christmas songs to go along with the classics. And to be honest, this list could have been compiled solely by Sufjan, but alas variety is key.

So without further ado, here it is. My list of the top 10 original christmas songs of the last 20 years.

1. Great Big Sled – The Killers

2. All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

3. Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance! – Sufjan Stevens

4. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) – The Ramones

5. Sister Winter – Sufjan Stevens

6. A Christmas Duel – The Hives & Cindy Lauper

7. Put the Lights on the Tree – Sufjan Stevens

8. Joseph, Better You than Me – The Killers

9. Tiny Tree Christmas – Guster

10. Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time! – Sufjan Stevens

You might be saying to yourself, “Where the heck is ‘christmas shoes‘ by alabama?”. No, that wasn’t an oversight. That is the worst song ever written.

Let me know what you think. Disagree? Did I miss some? I wanna hear more!

And look for the best christmas covers of the last 20 years later this week…

(thanks to @rdmdk for help on this list)

French product designer Oscar Lhermitte creates beautiful video and image experiments using nothing more than a GoPro HD camera and a drill.

Check out more of his work here: www.oscarlhermitte.com

Beautiful new track & video from Orbital : Never

Be sure to fullscreen this one. Also, go download the track for free at OrbitalOfficial.com

We recently began the process of designing a book. Not just any book. A book about our current favorite TV show here at the office. A show called Dexter.

The book explores the deep themes of the show, and has us flat-out excited to see where it goes. On board with the project is well known author/speaker Chris Seay, publisher Gray Matter Books, and one of our collaborators here at the FutureForward, Zach Hoag.

Alongside book design, we are at the helm of all identity development, a promo video, the book proposal, and (of course) website. While still very in the works, check it all out and let us know what you think. You can also help us fund the project by backing it on indie gogo.