Check out the video too!Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Ridiculous idea of the day... seatless subway cars!
In the great wisdom of the head honchos of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) here in NYC, the "seatless" subway car is on its way. They are going to start a pilot program that involves running subway trains with four of the ten cars with special seats that can be locked in the flipped up, non-usable position during rush hour. Why? To cram in 18% more paying passengers - no one sitting equals 18% more standing room. Wow, what a brilliant idea for the MTA! Did I mention that they also want another fare hike - as much as 23%? So, let's think about this - pay more to use the subway, but get even less in return. Hmmmm... doesn't sound like such a great idea to me. Talk about innovation and creativity - make people spend more for a service and don't even let them get the basics of that service!
Is a seat that important? Well, it can be to: the elderly, the disabled, parents with small children, pregnant women, anyone not in good health, riders with long commutes, people with heavy bags, or anyone who is tired and just wants to sit for a minute. We all don't need a seat all the time - many of us sit all day at work - but I think everyone is grateful for a seat when we really need one. So there will be some cars with seats, but you'd have to go out of your way to find them; and during rush hour no one wants any additional hassles. This plan is just wrong on so many levels. It truly is a slap-in-the-face to consumers, a show of complete disrespect for the MTA's ridership.
Let's all let the MTA know what we think (www.straphangers.org/complaints.html)!
Is a seat that important? Well, it can be to: the elderly, the disabled, parents with small children, pregnant women, anyone not in good health, riders with long commutes, people with heavy bags, or anyone who is tired and just wants to sit for a minute. We all don't need a seat all the time - many of us sit all day at work - but I think everyone is grateful for a seat when we really need one. So there will be some cars with seats, but you'd have to go out of your way to find them; and during rush hour no one wants any additional hassles. This plan is just wrong on so many levels. It truly is a slap-in-the-face to consumers, a show of complete disrespect for the MTA's ridership.
Let's all let the MTA know what we think (www.straphangers.org/complaints.html)!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Innovative Gifting...
I've come across what I think is a very interesting and innovative way to both give a unique gift (for any occation, even create a gift registry) and get people motivated to become philanthropic. Charity Gift Cards can be purchased from two online entities, Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org) and GlobalGiving (globalgiving.com). These cards can be of any amount starting from as little as $10 and can be sent in regular mail as a physical card or in e-mail as an e-gift card. Once received, the recipient goes online to the respective site and chooses a charity or project of his/her liking to receive the donation. Additionally, the recipient can add their own money to the donation to help even more.
Both Charity Navigator and GlobalGiving are trusted sites that review and evaluate each charity and project that they list on their sites (but of course, some charities are better run then others, so a little research about a prospective-donation recipient, available on each site, would be a good idea). And as an added bonus, each gift card is fully tax-deductible for the purchaser. (Check each site for full information on its mission, evaluation policies, and terms for gift cards.)
I think giving a charity gift card could be a great way to inspire people (especially children) to become more altruistic, less materialist, to feel more connected to others and their needs, and to feel how great it feels to know you're trying to make a concrete difference for someone. Also, I feel it teaches people that you don't have to be rich to give and that giving doesn't have to be done in huge chunks of cash. Sometimes the idea of giving to charity can seem overwhelming when you hear information in the news about scams and mismanagement of funds by individuals that supposedly are working for the benefit of others. But there is so much information available online, especially on Charity Navigator, GlobalGiving, and GuideStar (www.guidestar.org) that we all can feel more secure about the myriad of charities and become more informed and educated donors.
Of course receiving an envelope (or e-mail) with a gift card to be spent for someone else may meet with some resistance. Let's face it - a charity gift card is not as fun as a shiny new iPod! And yes you could be accused of trying to press your morals or agenda onto others, but those that say that ultimately won't look so good (or feel so good) for complaining about a gift, especially one that is supposed to be used for a noble cause. And you're not telling anyone which cause or which charity - they get to choose for themselves. The opportunity to teach and motivate or inspire others may be worth the initial uncomfortableness. (Besides, Oprah did it several years ago with her "Pass It Forward Challenge" where she gave her audience members $1,000 each to give away.) :-)
One obvious caveat – giving a charity gift card to someone who just lost their job or is having other financial problems will be inappropriate and almost cruel - not a good idea. So think carefully about your intended recipient and his/her own circumstances.
Also, before I forget, I found GoodShop (goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx) and GoodSearch (goodsearch.com). Its a website that donates 50% of the advertisers' fees to the charities of your choice every time you do a search or buy something from their affiliated retailers (i.e., BestBuy, Target, Gap, etc.) through them (the actual search engine is YahooSearch). I don't know much about them or if the search results you'd get from using Yahoo vs. Google would be that different or if having your browser set to accept cookies while you're on that site would be a problem, but I thought the concept was very intriguing - a potentially super easy and free way to "give" to the charity of your choice. Since at some point we all will make a purchase from one of their affiliated stores, we might as well make the purchase through GoodShop and give the charity of our choice a donation (even if it is tiny) that costs us nothing.
Both Charity Navigator and GlobalGiving are trusted sites that review and evaluate each charity and project that they list on their sites (but of course, some charities are better run then others, so a little research about a prospective-donation recipient, available on each site, would be a good idea). And as an added bonus, each gift card is fully tax-deductible for the purchaser. (Check each site for full information on its mission, evaluation policies, and terms for gift cards.)
I think giving a charity gift card could be a great way to inspire people (especially children) to become more altruistic, less materialist, to feel more connected to others and their needs, and to feel how great it feels to know you're trying to make a concrete difference for someone. Also, I feel it teaches people that you don't have to be rich to give and that giving doesn't have to be done in huge chunks of cash. Sometimes the idea of giving to charity can seem overwhelming when you hear information in the news about scams and mismanagement of funds by individuals that supposedly are working for the benefit of others. But there is so much information available online, especially on Charity Navigator, GlobalGiving, and GuideStar (www.guidestar.org) that we all can feel more secure about the myriad of charities and become more informed and educated donors.
Of course receiving an envelope (or e-mail) with a gift card to be spent for someone else may meet with some resistance. Let's face it - a charity gift card is not as fun as a shiny new iPod! And yes you could be accused of trying to press your morals or agenda onto others, but those that say that ultimately won't look so good (or feel so good) for complaining about a gift, especially one that is supposed to be used for a noble cause. And you're not telling anyone which cause or which charity - they get to choose for themselves. The opportunity to teach and motivate or inspire others may be worth the initial uncomfortableness. (Besides, Oprah did it several years ago with her "Pass It Forward Challenge" where she gave her audience members $1,000 each to give away.) :-)
One obvious caveat – giving a charity gift card to someone who just lost their job or is having other financial problems will be inappropriate and almost cruel - not a good idea. So think carefully about your intended recipient and his/her own circumstances.
Also, before I forget, I found GoodShop (goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx) and GoodSearch (goodsearch.com). Its a website that donates 50% of the advertisers' fees to the charities of your choice every time you do a search or buy something from their affiliated retailers (i.e., BestBuy, Target, Gap, etc.) through them (the actual search engine is YahooSearch). I don't know much about them or if the search results you'd get from using Yahoo vs. Google would be that different or if having your browser set to accept cookies while you're on that site would be a problem, but I thought the concept was very intriguing - a potentially super easy and free way to "give" to the charity of your choice. Since at some point we all will make a purchase from one of their affiliated stores, we might as well make the purchase through GoodShop and give the charity of our choice a donation (even if it is tiny) that costs us nothing.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
A sad day for human behavior...
I saw two very disturbing things in the news today that really make me wonder about the future of humans. The first was an article on the trampling death of a worker at a Wal-Mart on Friday and the other was an article on a NYC bus driver who was stabbed to death over a $2 bus transfer!
How desperate can these people be to stampede over a person, crushing him to death just for the opportunity to buy some sale items? (Oh and there were three others including a pregnant woman who were taken to the hospital too.) How desperate can that guy be to stab and kill another human being because he wouldn't give him a bus transfer?
What kind of a society are we that this type of behavior exists?
And no, I don't think the problem is with NYC, or with poor people, or people of color - the problem is that there is a general loss of appreciation for the value of human life. There is a lose of civility, a lose of the basic idea that we should treat EVERYONE like we'd like to be treated. Basic respect and politeness - goals every parent had for their child has been replaced with a survivalist, me-centered, instant gratification model - "Do what you gotta do to get what you want and screw everyone and anyone in the process". Always sad to see another example of this...
How desperate can these people be to stampede over a person, crushing him to death just for the opportunity to buy some sale items? (Oh and there were three others including a pregnant woman who were taken to the hospital too.) How desperate can that guy be to stab and kill another human being because he wouldn't give him a bus transfer?
What kind of a society are we that this type of behavior exists?
And no, I don't think the problem is with NYC, or with poor people, or people of color - the problem is that there is a general loss of appreciation for the value of human life. There is a lose of civility, a lose of the basic idea that we should treat EVERYONE like we'd like to be treated. Basic respect and politeness - goals every parent had for their child has been replaced with a survivalist, me-centered, instant gratification model - "Do what you gotta do to get what you want and screw everyone and anyone in the process". Always sad to see another example of this...
Monday, December 1, 2008
We all need to try to help someone in need...
As I continue to research the most effective and reputable charities doing humanitarian work in Cambodia, I've been asked why I'm choosing to focus my philanthropic attention on the problems of a foreign county. Isn't there still a great need in New Orleans and other places in my own country? Legitimate questions. My first answer is that even the poorest of Americans have shoes or could quickly get a pair through the many social programs, shelters, and religious organizations run by public or private sources. I'm not trying to minimize anyone's suffering, I just know that we as a country are very fortunate to have many programs and organizations that can offer some form of basic help. Other countries are so poor (and/or corrupt) and overwhelmed by the massive numbers of people that need help, that there aren't many places to turn to for assistance.
The broader more reflective answer is simply one of exposure - I have never been personally exposed to the level of poverty that I witnessed in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Yes, I've seen lots of homeless people, I've seen lots of beggers of all kinds, I've seen movies, documentaries, and commercials pleading for help for destitute people around the world. But there is a vast difference between seeing human misery from the comfort of your living room and witnessing it with your own senses. There is a huge difference between passively watching from a distance and experiencing sad, desperate children pleading with you personally for help. Very probably if I went to the most poverty-stricken areas of American (i.e., New Orleans, Appalachia, the border towns of Texas, etc.) I might feel just as moved to help them as well.
It is heart wrenching to think that so many people in the world don't have access to something as basic as clean drinking water. And today, its not just a few people, a few communities - its over ONE BILLION people that lack access to safe drinking water! Can you even image what it would be like not to be able to have a glass of water when you wanted it or to know that if you do drink any water close by that you'll probably be ill (again). This also means no clean water for hand washing, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, or washing dishes. Just think about how much we all depend on clean water everyday and how hard it'll be if we didn't have any. Yes, we'd get by for a little while - we could go to a friend or relative, we could take a shower at the gym or the local YWCA, we could get a drink at a water fountain in a train or bus station, we could use the restroom in a fast food place, and of course if we had too we'd go to a shelter. But just imagine if none of these options existed for you and the problem wasn't temporary. Imagine if everyone in your family, everyone you knew, everyone you saw had the same problems you did so no one could help.
I'm not trying to be Mother Teresa, Angelina Jolie, or anyone else. I'm just trying to help in any little way I can. If someone is inspired to help also, that would be fantastic, if not, that's fine too. Its not about me and my goals or about trying to feel superior or making any one feel bad about themselves; I just feel motivated to try to help and hopefully will motivate others to help as well. Ultimately, its not important which country or which cause as long as we all attempt to make a positive impact of some kind on this world and for our fellow humans.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
