tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66740811433431798072024-03-13T20:11:20.315-07:00Good Deed on the InternetDo good from your computerSky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-42287228839417599712009-12-22T09:18:00.000-08:002009-12-22T09:50:39.897-08:00Do 5 days of good before celebrating the New Year!As 2009 comes to an end, it's time to reflect upon what we have accomplished for the year. If you lament that you haven't done enough good deed to help others (which I do), here's your last chance. A gentleman<span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" class="gI"><span email="thomas@greencomms.com" class="gD">Thomas Atcheson</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> </span>contacted me just a while ago and asked me to spread the words about <a href="http://www.twixtmas.com/">Twixtmas</a>. Twixtmas is a project that encourages people make a pledge to do at least a good deed a day for 5 days from Dec 27 to Dec 31, the days during Christmas and New Year. Instead of spending all your time indulging yourself in pleasure, try to think about the less fortunate for a moment. And if you think you didn't have much time during the regular work weeks to do something, here's your chance to do it.<br /><br />Count me in on this as I have long planned to spend my holiday break, from Christmas to New Year day, at a religious community center volunteering. I have done this in the past and I felt more content and satisfied than just having a good time for myself. The Holiday Spirit is essentially about sharing and caring anyway.<br /><br />So, while I am gone, I would like to wish you Happy Holidays and have a save and healthy break. I will see you again next year.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-54874310483592091862009-11-09T18:14:00.000-08:002009-11-09T18:34:38.111-08:00Have you tried Kiva.org?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 90px;" src="http://l3-1.kiva.org/r17914/images/logoLeafy3.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Sorry for not blogging for a while. I meant to share this a while ago but other things got in the way. I have used a service called <a href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php">kiva.org</a> for a while and started to see its impact. <a href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php">Kiva.org</a> is a loan service where you can become the loaner to low-income entrepreneurs around the world. The <a href="http://www.kiva.org/app.php">kiva.org </a>website says this:<br /><br /><blockquote>Kiva's mission is <b> to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. </b> <p>Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.</p></blockquote><p></p><br />Practically, this good deed is not "free" in the sense that you need to invest an initial amount of capital in order to start the loan service. However, you are not donating your money away; instead, you will get repayment for your loan (up to 98% repayment rate according to kiva) , which you get to loan to someone else after that. So, after the initial investment, you don't have put a penny more into your account and keep the good deeds going practically forever.<br /><br />Start using the service and tell me what you think.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-51546552010458029762009-07-23T15:17:00.000-07:002009-07-23T15:32:47.897-07:00Update: DonateBot is now SuperDonate<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.superdonate.com/"><img src="http://www.superdonate.com/banners/superdonate_234_60b.png" alt="SuperDonate free charity" width="234" border="0" height="60" /></a><br /></div><br />A while ago, I post a blog entry promoting the site <a href="http://www.donatebot.com/">donatebot.com</a>. Now it is renamed <a href="http://www.superdonate.com/">SuperDonate.com</a>, even though the old address will direct you to the same new site.<br /><br />To rehash, SuperDonate.com allows you to donate your idle or unused computer time through a distributed computing network that requires a lot of CPU processing power. All you have to do is to download a software from the site and install it and everything will take care itself after that. My computer has been running the software for about five months now and it rarely interrupt my normal computing use. Do it for a cause now!Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-64932532166321780652009-07-02T11:41:00.000-07:002009-07-02T11:43:52.643-07:00You need 'cleanbreath'...no, it's not a typo<div><a href="http://www.cleanbreath.org/"><img style="width: 386px; height: 60px;" alt="Clean Breath" src="http://www.cleanbreath.org/banner/banner_468x60.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br />cleanbreath.org is a new site that offers multiple click-to-donates for various causes, including seniors and environmental protections. Visit the site everyday by clicking the banner above.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-75089217270416763442009-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:002009-06-11T09:24:12.675-07:00Blacken Your Website Campaign...Here we come<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blackle.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 100px;" src="http://www.blackle.com/logo_hm.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Can you see the banner above? It's <a href="http://www.blackle.com/">Blackle</a>, a site that I encountered last week. It is touted as the energy saving way to use Google search engine. I don't know how much energy you would save by visiting a site with a black versus a white background, but it wouldn't hurt to try. To echo this "Blacken Your Website" campaign, I also changed my blog's background color to black. Let's make this a movement and make our internet browsing experience greener.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-62131268209267637412009-06-07T15:06:00.000-07:002009-06-07T15:26:34.255-07:00You can always help...even you are at home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.helpfromhome.org/banner-large.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 60px;" src="http://www.helpfromhome.org/banner-large.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I received an email from Mike Bright and he wanted me to promote his website called "<a href="http://www.helpfromhome.org/">helpfromhome.org</a>." I am very delighted to do so because his initiative is exactly what I have been intended to do for this blog: To promote ways to do good deeds in a small way (preferably) from home without costing us much time or money (if any)! Helpfromhome.org has a very comprehensive list of things that you can do at your home to help others. I applaud Mike for putting all the resources together because there are A LOT of things you can do to make this world and yourself better. I look forward to further explore and promote his site.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-38458435263252114282009-05-13T09:55:00.000-07:002009-05-13T10:00:32.917-07:00Good Stuff: The Story of Stuff<div style="text-align: center;"><object width="360" height="220"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OqZMTY4V7Ts&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OqZMTY4V7Ts&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="360" height="220"></embed></object><br /></div><br />I have seen this series of videos a while ago and I thought you would enjoy it. The author did a good job in visualizing the things that I have been thinking for many years.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-42358556041134885372009-05-12T13:21:00.000-07:002009-05-12T13:35:31.674-07:00Twittering Your Good Deed: Better than Blogging?My schedule is getting busier and I haven't been able to find something new to blog about. Recently I found that <a href="http://twitter.com/login">Twitter</a> may be a way to go for recording one good deed a day. Twitter, of course, is the next big thing many people have been talking about. One upside (and arguably the downside) of twittering is that people just type in some random, mundane stuff online in a sentence or two for anyone who cares to read them. It may not mean much on a daily basis, but it is a good way to keep a record of what you have done daily. This could be a tool to influence others to do good deeds in their life by just 'reminding' them in your twitter message (provided that they do check your message regularly). By doing a search on Twitter you can see that some people are already doing so. Start twittering your good deeds and see whether it would lead to anything.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-78222412486671112962009-04-25T09:01:00.000-07:002009-04-25T09:02:53.670-07:00Food for Thought: Helping Others<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dailythoughts.org/images/20090425.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 348px; height: 217px;" src="http://www.dailythoughts.org/images/20090425.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Courtesy of DailyThoughts.org)</span><br /></div>Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-84617648150974026062009-04-22T10:56:00.000-07:002009-04-22T11:23:26.899-07:00It's Earth Day! So what?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.noaa.gov/earthday/images/earthday2005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 214px;" src="http://www.noaa.gov/earthday/images/earthday2005.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>We all know by now that declaring a day or a month to a specific population or a cause doesn't get really far anymore. Who are celebrating the Earth Day besides the kids in school? It is even sillier to call it Earth Day. We live on the earth EVERYDAY, don't we? Why celebrating the Mother Earth only one day out of 365 days a year? Anyway, there is no harm at all if you start doing something good for the environment on something you haven't done before. For example, do you know that by going <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/vegetarian-diet-could-cut-climate-change-mitigation-costs-by-70-percent.php">vegetarian for even a day can significantly reduce your carbon footprint</a> more than driving a hybrid or taking the public transportation? Make a switch and commit yourself a day to become a vegetarian in every week. It is a lot easier to do than you think.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-70630110622441066892009-04-14T09:47:00.000-07:002009-04-14T09:52:57.696-07:00Today's Good Deed: Send a CardWendy over at <a href="http://spreadchange.blogspot.com/">Spread Change</a> alerted me that one of her friends' friend Charlotte was involved in an accident and just came out of a coma recently. You can read the story <a href="http://erindelaney.blogspot.com/2009/04/collect-letters-for-charlotte-lewis.html">here </a>. Wendy asked me to spread the words about sending a card to Charlotte. A small act of kindness for someone whom you don't know personally can go a long way. I wish her well and have a speedy recovery.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-37294367085085813362009-04-04T19:59:00.000-07:002009-04-04T20:18:33.622-07:00Socially Responsible Business...Just(be)means!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.justmeans.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 54px;" src="http://www.justmeans.com/themes/blue/images/logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This week has been a stressful period for me. Next week would be worse. Anyway, I came across a website called <a href="http://www.justmeans.com/">Justmeans.com</a> and it is a business that help businesses to become more socially responsible in their practices. Obviously it is not the kind of service for individuals like you and me, unless you own a business. And the membership fees are pretty impressive too. But I think it would be worth it if you have a sizable business and have no idea where to start implementing social responsible practices. I have written about <a href="http://ogdad.blogspot.com/search/label/socially%20responsible%20investing">socially responsible investing</a> before and it would be ideal for small businesses and big corporations to start upholding socially responsible principles for their business sake. More and more people are aware of the social and environmental impacts of business and by greening their business, the businesses would ensure a good image among their customers and a sustainable growth of their bottom line.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-36729766263364480682009-03-28T16:25:00.001-07:002009-03-28T16:45:39.729-07:00Saturday' Good Deed: Measuring your Eco-footprint<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.conservation.org/ACT/LIVE_GREEN/Pages/ecofootprint.aspx"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 53px;" src="http://www.conservation.org/SiteCollectionImages/CI_Logo_Horiz.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>I have been so busy with other stuff in my life that I rarely have time to blog. Before the spring break I encountered a site by Conservation International that allows you to measure your eco-footprint, not just carbon footprint that everyone talks about. In fact, there is another 'footprint' we can measure--water footprint. I like the idea that CI calls it 'eco-footprint,' because carbon and water and whatever thing that would become popular next are interconnected in some ways. I tested by eco-footprint and I got 44 (not sure out of how many points) and it says I am living green and but still have a way to achieve a totally green, sustainable lifestyle. Not bad I guess.<br /><br />I am still not sure by 'measuring' our eco-footprint it would bring more people to be more conscious about their impact on the environment than not. Sure, for people who are conscious about the environmental issues, they would attempt to do their best to cut their eco-footprint. However, for people who don't give a damn about the environment, they would see this as a tool by the environmentalists to restrain them from having a better lifestyle. I think it is better to tie eco-footprint to the economic impact on people's wallet's as well so that people know this is not about environment, but also their bottom line. <a href="http://www.google.org/powermeter/">Google's PowerMeter</a> is one of the correct steps by the mega-corporation to show that connection.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-835936572573851912009-03-24T10:06:00.000-07:002009-03-24T10:26:10.354-07:00Tuesday's Good Deed: Growing a Good Tree<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.goodtree.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 56px;" src="http://www.goodtree.com/images/logo/logo_with_byline_tree_normal.png?1236195743" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>It has been a while since I last updated this blog and I have a good reason. I had been gone for the last few days to Houston to volunteer at a Zen Center. One lesson that I learned from my stay at the center was when one of the masters said that the good deeds that we do often don't display their positive effects immediately; it may take days, weeks, months, or even years to observe the full impact of our actions. Therefore, we should always remind ourselves that whatever we set out to do, especially our plan to help people, we need to evaluate our actions from the long-term perspective.<br /><br />Speaking of good sites, I found this website, <a href="http://www.goodtree.com/">GoodTree.com</a>, a while ago through search engine. It is designed like a webpage that you would see on My Yahoo and iGoogle, but its content is geared toward good causes. You can customize the page to your preference once you sign up. Also, they have a search bar that generates donation for your favorite charities every time you do a search on it. Go and check out the site yourself.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-44100256843878700462009-03-18T07:23:00.000-07:002009-03-18T08:02:38.119-07:00Wednesday's Good Deed: Feel Good Coffee<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.carbuyersnotebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/coffeebeans.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 146px;" src="http://www.carbuyersnotebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/coffeebeans.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(photo courtesy of www.carbuyersnotebook.com)</span><br /></div><br />Are you an avid coffee drinker? I don't drink coffee everyday but drink it often enough. This morning I brew myself a fresh cup of coffee that is made from coffee beans certified organic, fair traded, and shade grown! It tastes good and feels good. I think coffee beans are one of the few produces that have so many kinds of certification, since it is the most popular drink in the world and are among the top traded agricultural products.<br /><br />It is no <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">brainer</span> to explain the meaning of organic. By eliminating the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in growing the coffee beans, you are helping the environment, the farmers, and the consumers like you and me to have a healthier life. Fair trade certification is relatively new. It is growing rapidly in the recent years along side with organically certified produces (e.g., coffee, chocalate, tea, and sugar etc.). Fair trade is to make sure that farmers who grow the produce are being treated ethically and being compensated fairly by the owners and traders for their products. Lastly, shade-grown is indicating that the coffee beans are grown under the canopy of trees, where coffee trees are grown without clearing the forest. This practice protects the wildlife, especially birds, and avoids <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">disastrous</span> deforestation of the virgin forest. Shade grown is not officially a type of certification per se, but it will be mentioned on the package of the product for the conscious consumers.<br /><br />By carefully selecting your coffee beans, you are helping the environment, the wildlife, and the farmers indirectly. Luckily, it is not difficult to find such products in your local grocery stores and it often does not cost a lot more than regular coffee beans (ok, maybe a little, but you don't buy coffee beans everyday right?). Brew yourself a cup of coffee and feel good about it!Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-86376856743934812852009-03-16T18:28:00.000-07:002009-03-16T18:43:28.320-07:00Monday's Good Deed: Shop on Discount and Help Children with Cancer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.alexscoupons.com/why.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 77px;" src="http://www.alexscoupons.com/images/headerlt.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It has been a few days since I last blogged. The economy is not getting any better soon and everybody can use some reliefs and cut corners. At the same time, it would be ideal if we can lend a helping hand to those who need more assistance than us. One site that I found a while ago, <a href="http://www.alexscoupons.com/why.html">Alex's Coupons</a>, fits that bill. You can find all kinds of discount coupons for online purchase here. In addition, when you make the purchase with the coupons through the site, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to <a href="http://www.starlight-washington.org/site/c.ihLVJ7PKKsG/b.2045649/k.BF61/Home.htm">Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation</a>. The site is inspired by Alex, a child who suffers Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Go to the site and check out the story <a href="http://www.alexscoupons.com/why.html">here</a>.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-14067933083494918042009-03-12T14:26:00.000-07:002009-03-12T15:02:05.528-07:00Thursday's Good Deed: Broadcast Your Good Deed?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://think.mtv.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 389px; height: 59px;" src="http://tstatic1.fluxstatic.com/-/Clients/ThinkMTV/Img/Menu/Main_Logo.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />While I was on ComedyCentral.com and watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (I am a big fan), I came across this site called "<a href="http://think.mtv.com/">Think.mtv.com</a>." There is no surprise because both Comedy Central and MTV are owned by the parent company <a href="http://www.viacom.com/Pages/default.aspx">Viacom</a>. The Think.mtv site is designed very similar to Youtube with video clips and online community but dedicated primarily (if not exclusively) to social causes, from discrimination to poverty. You would think that Think.mtv is an oxymoron because of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_MTV">the criticism of MTV itself</a> over its negative influence on the youngsters. Aside from the 'negative' aspects of its parent site, however, I think Think.mtv is a very good concept because, well, Youtube is such a giant site on the internet today. Thousands, if not millions, of people watching, sharing, commenting, making, and uploading videos on Youtube alone. Even if only 10% of these Youtube users can turn their effort and time on Think.mtv for a social cause, it could have a powerful impact. This is a trend that I have argued in my earlier entry <a href="http://ogdad.blogspot.com/2009/03/thursdays-good-read-charity-web-20.html">Charity 2.0</a> where people working on good causes are increasingly relying on the Web 2.0 technology to spread their words. Explore the site and see what you think.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-73099721934941340642009-03-10T11:55:00.000-07:002009-03-10T12:50:30.751-07:00Tuesday's Good Read: Double-Es SustainabilityIn the midst of the economic downturn, people are rethinking some of the assumptions that we have taken for granted or are regarded as 'radical' when we try to challenge them. Among these assumptions are economic 'growth' and environmental protection. For too many people and for too long, we have been told that we need to maintain economic 'growth' to create jobs, reduce/eliminate poverty and crimes, and improve our standards of living. However, more people have come to realize that the society cannot sustain the economic 'growth' forever. As many hard-core environmentalists have argued, our current economic model is based on materialistic consumption, which is basically extracting the nature to create wealth. Such economic model is ultimately not sustainable because our planet has only a limited amount of resources and that destroying our environment for economic 'growth' does not improve our living standards from a more holistic perspective.<br /><br />The unfolding of the biggest economic crisis in decades and the increasingly alarming environmental disasters lead to a tipping point of public conscience about the relationship between environment and economy. Thomas Friedman, a long-time advocate of free-trade, globalization, and environmental technology revolution (which ironically contradict each other according to the hard-core environmentalists), has written <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/opinion/08friedman.html?em">a column</a> urging for revisit of our concept of economic 'growth.' While there is nothing groundbreaking in his article (as the environmentalists have been saying this for years), it is good to know that someone in the mainstream media like Friedman has finally come aboard with the environmental critics.<br /><br />Not coincidentally, the current issue (Spring 2009) of Green American (previously Co-op America Quarterly) focuses on the green economy and its implications to the environment and the future of our economy. There are some very good articles that take aim at the concept of economic growth and how we should redefine it. An online article "<a href="http://www.greenamericatoday.org/about/newsroom/editorials/rethinkingGDP.cfm">Rethinking the GDP</a>" is a part of the discussion.<br /><br />I will have a follow-up entry after I delve into the articles. Stay tune.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-47163779370174253132009-03-09T14:05:00.000-07:002009-03-09T14:44:47.559-07:00Monday's Good Deed: Greenpeace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ithaca.edu/ices/images/coming_attractions/greenpeace.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 170px;" src="http://www.ithaca.edu/ices/images/coming_attractions/greenpeace.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>There was a blog-worthy encounter of me with one of volunteers from <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/">Greenpeace</a> last fall. I was walking to the bank and a Greenpeace volunteer was standing just a few feet away from the bank entrance asking me if I was interested in donating to Greenpeace. Immediately I made a gesture to him that I was not interested and continued my way to enter the bank. It was always my gut reaction to reject such kind of solicitation along the bypass. However, it recurred in my mind that I was rude in rejecting him and perhaps I should approach him and offer some encouraging words (I still didn't intend to donate any money). Finally, after my business, I walked out of the bank and saw the volunteer. The pedestrian light turned red so I had to wait for a while to go across the street. Meanwhile, I approached the volunteer to offer my kudos for the organization for what they have done (the biggest thing I knew so far was that they stopped or at least delayed the whale hunting for 'research purposes' by the Japanese government). Not surprisingly, he thanked me and continued to persuade me about donating to Greenpeace by promoting what they have been doing to protect the nature. Finally, I caved into his persuasion and made a donation of $20 (yeah, I am that soft-hearted). Later, to my surprise, I found out that I have signed myself off to a commitment of monthly donation of the same amount. It was my bad for not reading the fine print clearly, but I didn't complain much and didn't plan to suspend my monthly donation. If it is for a good cause and I can afford it, why not?<br /><br />Greenpeace has been one of the environmental non-profit organizations that actively and creatively uses Web 2.0 technology, such as Youtube, Facebook, MySpace, Blog, and etc. to harness the grassroots power. On Youtube, it was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenpeaceVideo">eighth most viewed non-profit and activism channels of all time</a>. You can subscribe to the Greenpeace channel and get updates from the organization periodically. Nothing is easier than watching a youtube clip, right?Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-89799340016735007922009-03-08T17:38:00.000-07:002009-03-08T17:49:39.787-07:00Sunday's Good Deed: Poland sites<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.pajacyk.pl/index.php"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 338px; height: 27px;" src="http://www.pajacyk.pl/img/gora_gl.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zmilosciserc.pl/donate.php"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 107px;" src="http://www.zmilosciserc.pl/images/logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.polskieserce.pl/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 60px;" src="http://www.polskieserce.pl/img/logogora.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />There are several Polish sites featured on <a href="http://www.thenonprofits.com/">thenonprofits.com</a> that I thought you might be interested in. As a European country that is relatively unknown to many, Poland has a significant presence at the click-to-donate world. Can anyone explain why it is the case?Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-5495867153587635242009-03-07T16:09:00.000-08:002009-03-07T16:43:09.853-08:00Saturday's Good Deed: To inspire and be inspired<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.utexas.edu/features/graphics/2009/exploreut09/exploreut09_logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.utexas.edu/features/graphics/2009/exploreut09/exploreut09_logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I went to volunteer at Explore UT (University of Texas) today. It was my first time doing so at this event and I had never seen so many young children and adolescents on UT campus. Explore UT has been advertised to be "the biggest open house in Texas" (and everything is bigger in Texas, as they said). I have been told that as many as 50,000 people of all ages from all corners of Texas would visit UT in a single say. All colleges and academic units were open today to allow K-12 students, teachers, and parents to have a first-hand experience of what a college life looks like for college students and faculty. This university-wide outreach program is not only to inform the Texas community about UT's dedication to the public services and academic excellence, but also to inspire the younger ones to aspire for college. One of the volunteer directors told us that some of the volunteering UT students are here because they came here to explore UT before when they were young children. It is truly encouraging to listen to stories like this. Inspiration can be such a simple and easy thing to do and it can also make a tremendous impact on one's life. Even if you don't have money or other materials to give out, you can always inspire others. If you can't find anything in your life that are inspiring, don't be despair; you can always find inspirational stories from other sources to share them with others. My earlier entry on <a href="http://ogdad.blogspot.com/2009/02/story-of-liao-fan-how-good-deeds-change.html">the story of Liao Fan</a> is a perfect example. Of course, we need to be inspired ourselves to keep us moving forward everyday. So start to be inspired and to inspire others!Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-11765350893532395772009-03-05T20:35:00.000-08:002009-03-05T21:10:52.379-08:00Thursday's Good Read: Charity + Web 2.0 = Charity 2.0?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.realsoftwaredevelopment.com/WindowsLiveWriter/Web2.0DesignGuides_A7/web-2_0%5B4%5D_1.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 152px;" src="http://www.realsoftwaredevelopment.com/WindowsLiveWriter/Web2.0DesignGuides_A7/web-2_0%5B4%5D_1.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I have been interested and doing research on "Web 2.0," one of the most recognizable buzzwords around. As popular as the term Web 2.0 may be, many people, including myself, are still confused with its definition and what technology is considered as a part of Web 2.0 as opposed to, say, Web 1.0. Tim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">O'Reilly</span>, in his <a href="http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html">seminal piece</a>, explains what is Web 2.0 and technology associates with it. I highly recommend his article. Blog such as this one would be considered as Web 2.0 because it provides a platform for users like me to be the author of the web content.<br /><br />With the existence of Web 2.0, other domains in the real life that utilizes Web 2.0 technology are purportedly named in the similar fashion, like Business 2.0, Classroom 2.0, Office 2.0, and Library 2.0, etc. Now, people are touting the idea that there ought to be Charity 2.0, a phenomenon where charity-based activities are increasingly more reliant on Web 2.0 technology to recruit people, raise money, organize events, and administer aids. While it is true that no form of technology can replace human-to-human interaction, it it unarguably evident that the internet plays an increasingly important role in facilitating the functions of charity groups. With the help of Web 2.0 technology, which emphasizes on user-based interactivity and open sourcing, Charity 2.0 might be at the verge of explosion in the near future.Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-89223619235761335172009-03-04T12:47:00.000-08:002009-03-04T13:00:22.424-08:00Wednesday's Good Deed: Volunteer Match<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://usaservice.org/page/content/opportunities/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.volunteermatch.org/about/images/mg_240.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I know this is long overdue. <a href="http://usaservice.org/page/content/opportunities/">VolunteerMatch.org</a> is one of the most recognizable volunteer matching programs online. It is one of the programs that are promoted by <a href="http://usaservice.org/page/content/opportunities/">USA Service</a>, a government site created by the Obama administration to encourage community service among the citizens. I have nothing to add except to ask you to explore the site and start volunteering!Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-40253947579354686852009-03-02T10:12:00.001-08:002009-03-02T10:39:08.753-08:00Monday's Good Deed: Stop Sending Me Junk!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.41pounds.org/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 61px;" src="http://c13.zedo.com/OzoDB/7/t/346749/V1/728x90_EliminateJunkMail.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sorry about the small fonts on the banner. I cannot find a better banner/logo to put on the blog. I have seen <a href="http://www.41pounds.org/">41pounds.org</a>'s advertisement in many pro-environmental sites, and until recently, my friend August sent me an email message spreading the words about this website and its service. The website got their inspiration from the fact that an average adult American receives about 41 pounds (!) of junk mails every year. By making one time payment of $41 (well, it is obvious why this amount), 41pounds.org claims that it would help you to eliminate 80-95% of your junk mails for 5 years. And on top of that, they will set aside more one third of your fee for a non-profit organization of your choice. Not bad.<br /><br />However, I still have many reservations about the service. Through my fast skimming of the site, I haven't seen any independent source or environmental authority that supports their claim except for a couple anecdotes from their service users. I will wait for my friend and you to tell me how effective it is before I sink my teeth into this.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.41pounds.org/images/common/0.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="http://www.41pounds.org/images/common/0.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674081143343179807.post-91269799463553641542009-03-01T13:51:00.000-08:002009-03-01T14:16:35.730-08:00Sunday's Good Deed: Farmers Market<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_2345909_21864_4482514_main.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 338px; height: 224px;" src="http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_2345909_21864_4482514_main.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Have you visited your local farmers market lately? I went to one here in Austin yesterday. It certainly doesn't have the convenience of shopping in a big box grocery store. I had to weather the strong, chilly wind to get there and shop. It also doesn't have the variety of produce and other products that you'd hope for for all your needs. You can only buy certain products and the choice isn't as elaborate or exotic. But that's what defines farmers market: local, fresh, and community. When you shop at the farmers market, you are directly supporting the local farmers and business owners with your purchasing money. Sometimes I also suspect that people go to farmers market not just for the fresh produce or home-made food, but also for the sense of connectedness with the local community. You get to know the family who grow or made your food, the artists, and your neighborhood shoppers. It is weird that most Americans would find going to farmers market as something 'luxurious' because for the most part of the world, like the country that I come from, farmers market is the rule rather than the exception of where local people get their food source. Even though my family has moved away from my childhood neighborhood for more than a decade, my mother still insists to go back to the farmers market there and shop for grocery for a simple reason: She knows the vendors there in person. Whatever that propels you to the farmers market, spend this time with your family and enjoy your experience!Sky Soonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13979620651815175527noreply@blogger.com0