Every once in a while, I run across a story on News.com that I find very inspiring. This morning, I was lucky enough to run across such a story: “Blogger asks, ‘Wanna trade a paper clip for a house?’” 

In a nutshell, “Kyle MacDonald is on the verge of successfully completing a project that on its surface sounds nothing less than absurd: Trading–with the help of a blog–a single red paper clip for a house.” I’ve heard of some pretty far out stories about items being sold on eBay, but this is the first outrageous blog story that has crossed my path, or at least that was significant enough to remember.

MacDonald “announced on his one red paperclip blog his intention to take the clip he’d used on his resume and trade it up, step-by-step, until he got a house.” So far, here are the trades the creative 26-yr-old has achieved:

• Paper clip for a fish-shaped pen
• Fish-shaped pen for a clay doorknob with a funny face on it
• Clay doorknob for a camping stove
• Stove for a generator
• Generator for an “instant party”
• Instant party for a snowmobile
• Snowmobile for an all-expenses-paid trip to Yahk, British Columbia
• Yahk trip for a panel van
• Van for a recording contract
• Recording contract for the year of free rent in Phoenix  

According to MacDonald, “So many people have heard that I’m trading up to a house that if I don’t make it, I’ll be a schmuck. I’ll take a house anywhere in the world. That’s kind of the adventure, trading up to a house and then moving there.”

Why does this inspire me personally? As a frequent blogger, I have some dormant creative genius that I may have to tap into and use for my greater good. Are there any other blog posts of the obscure or unusual flavor that you’ve heard about or read?