Good Deed on the Internet

Do 5 days of good before celebrating the New Year!

2009-12-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

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 Thomas Atcheson contacted me just a while ago and asked me to spread the words about Twixtmas. 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.

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.

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.

Have you tried Kiva.org?

2009-11-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

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 kiva.org for a while and started to see its impact. Kiva.org is a loan service where you can become the loaner to low-income entrepreneurs around the world. The kiva.org website says this:

Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.
Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.

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.

Start using the service and tell me what you think.

Update: DonateBot is now SuperDonate

2009-07-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I post a blog entry promoting the site donatebot.com. Now it is renamed SuperDonate.com, even though the old address will direct you to the same new site.

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!

You need 'cleanbreath'...no, it's not a typo

2009-07-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

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.

Blacken Your Website Campaign...Here we come

2009-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Can you see the banner above? It's Blackle, 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.

You can always help...even you are at home

2009-06-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

I received an email from Mike Bright and he wanted me to promote his website called "helpfromhome.org." 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.

Good Stuff: The Story of Stuff

2009-05-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

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.

Twittering Your Good Deed: Better than Blogging?

2009-05-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

My schedule is getting busier and I haven't been able to find something new to blog about. Recently I found that Twitter 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.

Food for Thought: Helping Others

2009-04-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

(Courtesy of DailyThoughts.org)

It's Earth Day! So what?

2009-04-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

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 vegetarian for even a day can significantly reduce your carbon footprint 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.

Today's Good Deed: Send a Card

2009-04-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Wendy over at Spread Change 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 here . 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.

Socially Responsible Business...Just(be)means!

2009-04-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

This week has been a stressful period for me. Next week would be worse. Anyway, I came across a website called Justmeans.com 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 socially responsible investing 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.

Saturday' Good Deed: Measuring your Eco-footprint

2009-03-28T16:25:00.001-07:00

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.

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. Google's PowerMeter is one of the correct steps by the mega-corporation to show that connection.

Tuesday's Good Deed: Growing a Good Tree

2009-03-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

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.

Speaking of good sites, I found this website, GoodTree.com, 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.

Wednesday's Good Deed: Feel Good Coffee

2009-03-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

(photo courtesy of www.carbuyersnotebook.com)

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.

It is no brainer 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 disastrous 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.

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!

Monday's Good Deed: Shop on Discount and Help Children with Cancer

2009-03-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

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, Alex's Coupons, 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 Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. 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 here.

Thursday's Good Deed: Broadcast Your Good Deed?

2009-03-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

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 "Think.mtv.com." There is no surprise because both Comedy Central and MTV are owned by the parent company Viacom. 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 the criticism of MTV itself 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 Charity 2.0 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.

Tuesday's Good Read: Double-Es Sustainability

2009-03-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

In 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.

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 column 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.

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 "Rethinking the GDP" is a part of the discussion.

I will have a follow-up entry after I delve into the articles. Stay tune.

Monday's Good Deed: Greenpeace

2009-03-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

There was a blog-worthy encounter of me with one of volunteers from Greenpeace 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?

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 eighth most viewed non-profit and activism channels of all time. You can subscribe to the Greenpeace channel and get updates from the organization periodically. Nothing is easier than watching a youtube clip, right?

Sunday's Good Deed: Poland sites

2009-03-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

There are several Polish sites featured on thenonprofits.com 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?

Saturday's Good Deed: To inspire and be inspired

2009-03-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

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 the story of Liao Fan 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!

Thursday's Good Read: Charity + Web 2.0 = Charity 2.0?

2009-03-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

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 O'Reilly, in his seminal piece, 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.

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.

Wednesday's Good Deed: Volunteer Match

2009-03-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

I know this is long overdue. VolunteerMatch.org is one of the most recognizable volunteer matching programs online. It is one of the programs that are promoted by USA Service, 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!

Monday's Good Deed: Stop Sending Me Junk!

2009-03-02T10:12:00.001-08:00

Sorry about the small fonts on the banner. I cannot find a better banner/logo to put on the blog. I have seen 41pounds.org'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.

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.

Sunday's Good Deed: Farmers Market

2009-03-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

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!

Friday's Good Read: Who Are Net-Gen-ers?

2009-02-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

When I went to Hulu.com today and watched The Daily Show, an advertisement by DoSomething.org came up. It was a surprise to see a 'do good' organization make its way to the air (wait, I mean wire). It intends to appeal to the young audience by asking them to text "30644" and join their cause. I think it's a good and necessary strategy to engage the next generation--Net Generation. Look at how Obama's election campaign had made the youngsters excited about and involved in politics. Obama understands the young generation and the importance of using internet technology and (of course) other wireless technologies to communicate with these young supporters. Similarly, I also believe that the charities should do the same to engage the youngters.

The first step to realize this is not to start thinking what technologies we use be using, but who are these Net Generation-ers. I have been planning to read Don Tapscott's books "Growing Up Digital" and "Grown Up Digital" to understand more about these youngsters that has been growing up with internet and computing technologies around them. Don is the person who coined the term 'Net Generation' and has written a lot of books about the internet revolution. His first book "Growing Up Digital" published a decade ago has been cited more than 1200 times! Just a few months ago, he came up with the latest version of the book called "Grown Up Digital." I have read the first chapter online for free on Google Book Search and will check the book out from the university library to finish the rest. I will share my thoughts here once I finish reading it.

Wednesday's Good Deed: Instant Messaging

2009-02-25T09:28:00.001-08:00

This is what I have envisioned for the future: Big corporations like Microsoft take on their social responsibilities by changing the way they do the usual business (not just for PR purposes). The i'm Initiative by Microsoft is a fine demonstration how everyday computing can be turned into good deeds. Click on the banner above and follow the instructions on how to sign up for i'm Initiative with your Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail.

Tuesday's Good Deed: Good News

2009-02-24T12:19:00.001-08:00

Today I have added Alltop Good News gadget to my blog. It will automatically provide news feed from blogs that focus on good deeds, charities, and 'feel good' news. You can add this gadget to your online space (e.g., blog, social networking site, Twitter, etc.) to get the latest blog entries.

Monday's Good Deed: Play Crossword/Sudoku Puzzle and Donate to Charity?

2009-02-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

I love playing sudoku. I love it even more when I can play sudoku and donate to charity. Unfortunately, I haven't found a site that offers the best of both worlds (playing sudoku and donate to charity FREE). Same for crossword puzzle (even though I suck in playing it). It may be a good idea for you out there to start a website like this. If I overlook any website that meets my expectation here, please contact me.

Sunday's Food for Thought

2009-02-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

Need an inspiration or a quote of motivation to start off the day? I have been receiving email postcard everyday from Dailythoughts.org and it includes a quote that stimulates your thinking for a moment. Dailythoughts.org is a partner of hungerfighters.com, so every time when you receive a e-postcard from them, you will also be reminded to click to donate for the hunger. You can also send this to your friends and family to show your love.

Saturday's Good Deed: Petition

2009-02-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

(Photo courtesy of polizeros.com)

Have you signed a petition on an issue or a cause that you care about? While there is no guarantee that your plea (among thousands others) would be answered or even heard, but at least you are showing support to those who are at the forefront of the campaign. The petitionsite.com, affiliated with Care2.com, allows you to create your own petition and find people who resonate with your call. If you don't have the time to start from stretch, you can select one of the petitions created and sign your name electronically. It only takes seconds to do so, so act now!

Friday's Good Deed: Distributed Computing

2009-02-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

You may remember a while ago I introduced the site DonateBot.com here. It's mission is simple: By just opening this site on your browser, it would automatically activate your Java application to start "donating" your unused potential CPU processing power to the networks that require much processing power to conduct their research projects that may ultimately benefit the society as a whole. Such application is called "distributed computing." Through my short time of using the site, I found nothing detrimental to my everyday computing and even to my computer, except that the computer may get a little more heated because of the increase usage of CPU. I have also had several contacts with the site's owner, Tom Bak, to ask him some questions about the site. He seems very responsive to my questions and is dedicated to make the site more informative to the users. I have trust in him.

Meanwhile, there are several more established sites out there that are promoting distributed computing for various research: from fighting AIDS to predicting future climate change. Most of these sites require you to download a special software before you can join the distributed computing networks and start "donating" your idle CPU power to these networks. I haven't tried them yet but you can give them a try and share your experience with me.

Wednesday's Good Deed

2009-02-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Have you done meditation? There is a saying in Zen Buddhism, "When your mind is peaceful, the world is peaceful." Think about it. Our mind is in a constant struggle of what we want and what we need, what we think the world is and what the world really is, and who the person we think we are and the person other perceive in us. This inner struggle is the cause of many global and local conflicts. Many people are oblivious of this struggle within themselves and attribute the cause of the problems outside of themselves. Thus, the conflicts persist. Only when people resolve the conflicts within themselves, the ongoing conflicts can be resolved.

Some people may regard this as total nonsense, arguing that the conflicts on the earth is caused by irrefutable greed and hatred by some people (i.e., the evil ones). However, how can we sure we are on the "good" side? Is it not possible that it is our greed and hatred that cause the conflict? When we claim the "rights" over something, the entrenchment of others on our "rights" would elicit protection of our self-interests (in other words, greed and hatred). There is never going to be an ending in arguing who has the rights on something over others. Instead, the solution should be both sides reflecting upon their claim of rights and share things with each other.

That's where meditation comes in. Meditation helps us to achieve three Cs: Calm, Concentration, and Clarity. By doing meditation, one can examine his/her own needs and desire and hopefully resolve the conflict within him/herself. Only by resolving this inner conflict, one can resolve the interpersonal conflict. And only then, we would achieve a more peaceful society.

Tuesday's Good Deed

2009-02-17T09:30:00.001-08:00

Here are some click-to-donate sites that are dedicated to the environment. Click on the banner and visit the sites.

Monday's Good Deed: SocialVibe: Facebook with a Good Twist?

2009-02-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

I encountered a social networking site called SocialVibe, which allows you to network with friends and family but also doing charity by choosing a sponsor and posting your SocialVibe badge on your other sites. I haven't had time to explore the site yet, but it seems like a cool website for the Web 2.0 generation.

Sunday's Good Read: Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)

2009-02-15T07:56:00.000-08:00

As promised, this entry I will delve into the details of socially responsible investing (SRI). SRI, as the name implies, is an investing that not only look out for one's long-term financial well-being, but also be mindful of the good of the society at large. It strikes a chord with me early on because it is based on the premise that individual acts, such as investing, have personal as well as collective consequences as a whole. Investing, however, has much broader implications on our society and environment than everyday acts because of the prevalence of capitalism. Big corporations, such as Walmart and Coca-Cola, have as much influence on people's lives as the government, which is a terrifying fact. Fortunately, as bad as the nature of capitalist system is, we can use the same tool (i.e., capital) that the big guys utilize to exploit others and harm the environment and turn it into an instrument that lifts others' life.

Thus, socially responsible investors would screen the businesses as part of their investment portfolio (usually through buying shares and/or bonds) so that their business practices are accorded with certain criteria, although these criteria are not universally observed. First, these corporations cannot be engaged in 'sin' industries such as tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and/or adult entertainment. Second, these businesses cannot carry out practices that violates human/worker rights, such as human trafficking, child labor, worker exploitation and exposure to harmful materials within their work place, and etc. Sometimes anti-unionization policies in an corporation are also viewed as a violation of worker rights. Third, the corporations' business practices cannot pose significant damage to the environment, and if they do, some measures have to be taken to remediate the problems. Industries that are inherently polluting, such as nuclear or coal plant, chemical fertilizer and cement production, are usually excluded from the SRI consideration. Fourth, which is arguably the most controversial and ellusive, corporations should demonstrate in their business practices that they are committed to the welfare of the society as a whole, as if everyone is a stakeholder in their company. The grey area in this is that sometimes it is difficult to judge whether the businesses are sincere about their commitment and not just use this as a PR tool for their own good.

In some cases, social investors use their power as shareholders in the big corporations and force them to conduct their business in a more socially and environmentally more responsible way. This is called shareholder activism (or shareholder advocacy according to Social Investment Forum). They would skillfully use their voting power as a shareholder to influence business decisions and sometimes demand or pressure the corporate management to change their practices.

Still, other social investors opt for an alternative business model that is outside of the big-corporate-dominated capitalist system. They focus instead on the local communities (usually the ones in which they reside) and small businesses that are independent of big corporate franchaise. This type of SRI is referred to as community investing. Instead of channeling their investment and purchasing fund to the big businesses, they use their capital to support the local small businesses that would bring a more sustainable development to the local communities.

Here are some links for further reading on SRI (highly recommended):
Social Investment Forum
Green America

Saturday's Good Deed

2009-02-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder how much trash we throw away. And yes, I am guilty of it. Just be mindful about packaging next time when you are shopping. Buy something that has biodegradable or recyclable packaging.

Friday's Good Deed

2009-02-13T08:20:00.001-08:00

This is sobering news. There are many missing kids out there everyday. Although we feel helpless about their situation (and have sympathy to their parents/guardians), we can do our small part to put this Recently Missing Children Widget on our website to remind and alert everyone about the missing kids. My prayers to their safety and well-being.

Thursday's Good Deed

2009-02-11T11:18:00.001-08:00

Open the page and leave it on for the rest of the time when your computer is on. Heck, set it as your homepage. You will automatically generate donation, whether it is water, grain, education, or land, by donating some idle CPU processing power to some organizations that need high processing power. There is nothing to be worry about. Check the site for more information about computer security. (If you are really worry, use the public computer first).

Wednesday's Good Deed

2009-02-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Play and do good at the same time! The banners above are some sites out there that allow you to play games (in the form of quiz or puzzle) and generate free donation. Have any more suggestion on this type of sites? Email me.

Tuesday's Good Deed...Japanese Style

2009-02-10T09:05:00.001-08:00

Yes, there is no language barrier when it comes to free donation at the tip of your finger. Above are three click-to-donate websites in Japanese. You don't have to understand Japanese to know where to click. Just use commonsense.

Tuesday's Good Dish: Avacado Tomato Penne with Parmasen

2009-02-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

I have made this dish many times. On many occasions, I want to eat something fresh and fulfilling but simple. So one day I just threw in many ingredients that I like in a pot and it turned out to be incredible! The key to this dish here is fresh. Try to get everything fresh and you will be amazed how 'fresh' can take the dish to another level.

Ingredients:
1 cup of uncooked pasta (penne)
1 middle or large tomato
1 avacado
1 teaspoon of butter
1/4 cup of Parmesan (or Mozzarella)
A couple leaves of fresh basil (not dry one please!)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Place the penne into the boiling water. Salt the water so that the penne is flavored.
2. Chop the tomato and basil. Cube the avacado with the skin on.
3. Drain the penne when it becomes al dente or almost al dente (you don't have to cook it through because it will continue to cook). Place the penne back into the same pot for further cooking.
3. Put butter, salt and pepper, and chopped tomato into the pot. Stir them evenly with the penne until everything is well blended together. Allow it to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat. Put the Parmesan and cubed avacado into the pot. Gently stir the dish to prevent the avacado from mashing.
5. Put the chopped basil into the dish before serving.

Enjoy!

Monday's Good Deed

2009-02-08T15:11:00.001-08:00

More than one and a half year ago, I was introduced to the idea of retirement investment. Yes, I am still in graduate school and have yet landed on my first post-graduation job, but it is never too early to think ahead. I guess I am kind of a worrier and planner. So as I went further and did some research about investment (not necessarily only about retirement), a genre called "socially (and sometimes environmentally) responsible investing" caught my attention. It is essentially a type of investing where the investors are aware about the social and environmental consequences of their investment and deliberately attempt to make a positive impact on the society and environment through their conscious investing practices. I will devote one entry to further discuss socially responsible investing (SRI) later this week. Meanwhile, in my research on investment, I encountered a non-profit organization that dedicates a large part of their mission to socially responsible investing: Green America (formerly Coop America). They have tons of information on the website and periodicals regarding green living, green shopping, as well as socially responsible investing and banking. It did not take long for me to join the organization and start receiving useful publications at a regular basis. See it yourself and become an activist for a green life!

Sunday's Good Deed

2009-02-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to the Chinese New Year celebration hosted by Tzu Chi Foundation Austin Chapter. As you might know, Tzu Chi is one of the largest charity organizations established in Asia and has charity operations around the world. My friend asked me to 'adopt' a thing called 'bamboo bank.' It's like an oriental style piggie bank. It is not made of bamboo but it shapes like it. On the side of the bamboo bank, it says "Good deeds everyday. Happiness and wisdom on your way." By putting any change that you get from grocery or food, you can build a sum of money for the underprivileged. Isn't it in line with the spirit of this blog?

Congratulations Dorothy and Eric!

2009-02-06T09:58:00.001-08:00

My sincere congratulations to Dorothy's and Eric's wedding today. I will be attending their ceremony this afternoon. I have known them for years and I wish the best for their beginning of a new life.

The Story of Liao Fan: How Good Deeds Change One's Destiny

2009-02-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

Today's food for thought reminds me of the story of Liao Fan, which was one of the reasons that aspired me to start this blog. Liao Fan Yuan (袁了凡) was the author of Chinese popular book of virtue called "Liao Fan Four Lessons (了凡四訓)." Being a scholar and a bureaucrat during the Ming Dynasty in the sixteenth century, this Chinese moral figure intended to pass down his words of wisdom to his son, Tian-Chi Yuan, in his book. He used his own life experience as a template to his lesson, emphasizing one's autonomy over his or her own destiny through the practice of kindness and good deeds as well as the eradication of unwholesome behaviors. Read the full original text here.

Liao Fan's Four Lessons:

The first lesson: Learning to change destiny
The second lesson: Ways to reform
The third lesson: The ways to cultivate goodness
The four lesson: The benefits of the virtue of humility

Friday's Food for Thought

2009-02-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

From DailyThoughts.org.

Thursday's Good Deed

2009-02-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

Feed a Child with just a Click! Join the Facebook group here and it has tons of links that will direct you to many click-to-donate sites. Join other 4 million (!) members to end hunger!

Wednesday's Good Deed

2009-02-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Want to do something but have no idea what to do?

Care2.com, as I mentioned before in an earlier post, has a Daily Action Center page that rolls out a suggestion for action everyday. If you don't like the suggestion or are unable to perform it, there is an alternative.

The Action Center by MercyCorps and DoSomething.org offer something more customizable to your need. You can choose the time you want/have to spend, what cause, and where you want to have an impact.

Alternatively, the DailyThoughts.org gives away daily email postcards with some wisdom words on it. You can sign up and receive an email postcard daily and/or send it to a friend that you care about.

Food-for-Thought Message

2009-02-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

Just receive this from one of my friends. I post this here for your viewing. If you have any similar kind of email message you'd like to share, please forward to me.

VOTED THE BEST EMAIL
OF THIS YEAR

If you think you are unhappy, look at them

If you think your salary is low, how about her?

If you think you don't have many friends...

When you feel like giving up, think of this man

If you think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as
he does?

If you complain about your transport system, how about them?

If your society is unfair to you, how about her?

Enjoy life how it is and as it comes

Things are worse for others and is a lot better for us.

More below...

Tuesday's Good Dish...Share a Recipe: Cheesecake

2009-02-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, I make cheesecake! And to your surprise, it is easier, cheaper, and tastier than you think. And forget about the store-bought cheesecake or the Cheesecake Factory. Why not make it yourself and enjoy the process? I have used the following recipe for my cheesecake. I made cheesecakes several times over the years and it has earned rave (!) reviews from friends and family. The recipe is originally from Tyler Florence's ultimate cheesecake recipe (see here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-cheesecake-recipe2/index.html), but I modify a little bit to suit my taste. Here it is the original recipe and my modifications (comments in parenthesis):

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

(To be honest, I tried the pre-made crust the last time and it was much more convenient. I just had to concentrate on the fillings.)

Filling:

1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 dash vanilla extract
Warm Lemon Blueberry Topping, recipe follows

(I used egg replacer [instead of real eggs] which can be bought at Whole Foods' baking section. Follow the instruction on the box to see how much you need to replace 3 eggs. I also used less sugar--about 1/2 - 3/4 cup. Besides, I find that a small/medium size lemon is enough to do the job, both the zest and juice; don't go overboard on that, or else it would turn out to be too sour.)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

For the Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not over-beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.

Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

(I don't have much to add except that it is not necessary to place your cheesecake pan in the boiling water if you use the store-bought crust. I would also bake it a little bit longer for about an hour.)

Warm Lemon Blueberries:

1 pint blueberries
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons sugar

In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.

Yield: 6 servings

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Tuesday's Food for Thought

2009-02-03T08:09:00.001-08:00

With respect we eradicate arrogance, with compassion we extinguish anger, with harmony we eliminate violence, with truth and sincerity we eradicate deceit.
-Zen Master Wei Chueh

Monday's Good Deed

2009-02-01T19:29:00.001-08:00

Shop online and....do good!

Do Good Toolbar

Recently there is an explosion of online "Charity Shopping" sites that allow you to shop AND conveniently (as if online shopping alone is not convenient enough) direct some of the sale proceeds to charities. Some sites require registration but in turn they allow you to choose a charity to which your donation will be forwarded. To make things even simpler, you can download the charity shopping toolbar on your browser from Do Good Toolbar and aGoodCause.com (shown above) and next time when you shop, just do it through the toolbar.

Sunday's Good Deed--Hunger

2009-02-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some click-to-donate sites that are dedicated to solving the problem of world hunger. Click on each banner and explore each site.

Friday's Good Deed

2009-01-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

Don't be deterred by the non-English banner (I believe it's Italian). It's a English-based website and it seeks to "promote the use of ICTs [Information and Communication Technologies] in education and training of youth," or in other words to bridge the digital/informational gap between the haves and have-nots. Click on the banner above and see yourself.

Thursday's Good Deed

2009-01-29T14:05:00.000-08:00

Ripple.com is another multiple-cause, click-to-donate site that allows you to contribute to the needed without spending a dime. They also feature the searchbar powered by Google. So whenever you want to search something on Google, just go on their site. One simple act of yours can make a difference in others' life!

Wednesday's Good Deed

2009-01-28T09:34:00.001-08:00

Care2.com is one of the most established and expansive click-to-donate sites known. It has ten different causes that you can click to everyday. It also has a Daily Action page, which asks you to do a simple task that can lead to a small and better change to your life as well as to the world. You should sign up before you click to donate so that your clicks will be tracked. You'll be impressed how much your personal impact is by doing the clicking-to-donate everyday persistently.

Wednesday's Food for Thought

2009-01-28T07:05:00.001-08:00

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
~Albert Einstein

Tuesday's Good Deed

2009-01-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

Do you know that you can do good by just doing what you have been doing all along--searching and shopping online? Above are a few examples of websites that you can go to for web searching and shopping. Some of them, such as GoodSearch.com, you can download their search toolbar to your browser so that it will be super easy for you to search and/or shop AND perform a good deed at the same time. Click on one of the banners and explore them yourself.

Monday's Good Deed

2009-01-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

EcologyFund.com is a click-to-donate site that primarily focuses on environmental issues. So far they claim to have saved 2,313,802,745 sq. ft. (or 83 sq. miles) of land! There is a lot of land considering the source of funding they are relying on (i.e., advertising sponsors).

Monday's Food for Thought

2009-01-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

You must be the change you want to see in the world.: ~~Mahatma Gandhi

Saturday's Good Deed

2009-01-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

FreeRice.com is an innovative site that combines fun and charity. Ten grains of rice (down from 20 recently) will be donated anytime when you get the right answer in the vocabulary game. You can help those in hunger and improve your vocabulary at the same time. How cool is that! Click on the banner above and start playing! Watch the video below to understand how FreeRice works!

Friday's Food for Thought

2009-01-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

Friday's Good Deed

2009-01-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

The Hunger Site is one of the most known click-to-donate sites. It has generated 66,235,888 cups (or 8,279,486 pounds) of food in 2008. It also attends to other causes such as breast cancer, child health, literacy, rain forest, and animal rights. Click on the panels on top of the site to navigate between causes.

"Have you done one good deed today?"

2009-01-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

(Courtesy of www.garybeene.com)

Maybe you have thought of making the world a better place. When you are established and having the luxury of time and money, you figure, you want to help the unfortunate. But when would that happen? In 20, 30 years? What if you were too consumed by the responsibilities in life to do anything?

I say to you, "Just start doing something small today, everyday." As the old Chinese saying goes, "Eliminate all bad deeds, cultivate all good deeds; While a three-year-old child may understand this, an eighty-year-old senior may not even be able to observe this." Just ask yourself this simple question, "Have I done one good deed today?" The answer is often NO. People, including myself, have millions excuses to do nothing good and let the day goes by without meaning.

You'd counter, "One small good deed would not have enough effect to make a dramatic change in the society." True. But consider this: If you can do a small good deed (combining with others) and perhaps make someone life's better NOW, then that person might be able to help others to better their life, so on and so forth. It's like the golden principle in saving and investing: the snowball effect of compound interest. Look at the chart above: By doing a meaningful good deed (like a principal saving/investment), you earn an interest everyday (like having a positive impact on someone's life). This interest is compounded over time along with your principal saving/investment (like the person you've helped go on to help others, so on and so forth). By the end of the day, your one simple deed could have generated a significant change in the society, even you'd do nothing after that. The key here is TIME. If you wait until you have time and money to make the move, you would actually make an smaller impact on the issues you care than you do it now.

You'd repeat to me, "I really don't have the time and money!" But who said that you need time and money to do good deeds? And I don't mean going out and volunteering for some non-profit organizations (although this is a very good deed to do). If you have the time to finish reading this post, you have time. And a lot of things you can do for FREE without leaving where you are (your comfortable chair and computer). Everyday I will post something that will direct you to some philanthropic sites that allow you to contribute something without any cost to you. For examples, many sites have the click-to-donate campaign where you can click on buttons to generate donation to some causes. These sites are able to do so because of your visit to their sites (i.e., page views) that helps to attract advertising sponsors to their sites. In turn, these sites use the advertising revenues to donate to the philanthropic organizations or directly to the people in need. So it's a win-win situation.

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