Do 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 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?

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.

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

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.

Twittering 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 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.

Today's Good Deed: Send a Card

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.

Saturday' Good Deed: Measuring your Eco-footprint

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

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

(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

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?

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.

Monday's Good Deed: Greenpeace

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

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

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!

Wednesday's Good Deed: Volunteer Match

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!

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

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!

Wednesday's Good Deed: Instant Messaging

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.

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

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.

Saturday's Good Deed: Petition

(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

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.