Comments

One addition to this whole Web 2.0 phenomenon (the surge of the Internet after the dot com bust) that I like is the ability to add comments to articles, pictures, blogs... and so forth. It allows interaction between the creator of web material and those who read, enjoy, and/or benefit from the content.

However, there is a dark side to commenting and that is , if unmonitored, this new way to express your thoughts can do more harm than good. That "dark" side are the comments left by those who don't take responsibility for their comments.

An example are the Globe and Mail online newspaper comments section. I'm surprised how often the comments degenerate into name calling and forums for political/religious/personal views (even though the article has nothing to do with those views). It becomes a disturbing read and frankly, a time waster.

Although there are great comments that enhance and educate the topics at hand, I believe that the world of commenting is dangerous because people are more confident behind a keyboard and screen than in real life. They hide... and only stand up and take responsibility for their comments behind their online alias name (if even that - most people just use "anonymous"). If you met them in real life, they probably won't even admit to their view that they posted online.

So, I'm going to start posting comments (i.e. G&M) using my common username and not leave anonymous comments anymore. It won't turn the tide by itself, but it is a start I hope.

Ultimatum

Of all the movies this summer, I think this is the one I'm looking forward to the most:

Supporting a Child

This post is a continuation of the previous one:

So thinking about what I can do, one of my first thought was to do some research on supporting a child in Africa. One of the scenes in the movie was in a re-education facility for children who faced the horrors of war. A lot of children who live in war torn areas are deprived of education and a childhood that we know of here in the West. There are some child support organizations that offer children and their family a new life, both in this world and in Christ.

However, when I was researching some of these organizations, I was shocked to find that the CEO's/presidents of these organizations make six figures in salary and benefits.

What?

Yes, six figures! Not just in the 100,000 range, but in the 200,000 - 400,000 range! I couldn't believe it! Here are children suffering for food, dying, being exploited and the organizations who are there to help are pulling salaries in the hundreds of thousands for one person.

At first, I was enraged and confused. It didn't make sense to me. But after some time, I reflected on the reality of the situation. If I don't give to an organization such as the ones I researched, who would I give it to to ensure that my money is going to be used as I directed?

Not that it justifies their six figures, but they are helping the poor and overseeing the follow up and the things in place to make sure the poor and needy are being cared for. As well, I don't know what these presidents do with their money but they could be giving it away to their own organization to help the poor, the church or other organizations.

At the end of it all, it is not going to deter me from sponsoring a child. There is one organization that's vision and foundation I am quite excited about. As well, their president doesn't make as much as the $400,000 dollar dude. I rather give than not give. The rest I leave up to God cause ultimately, I give to Him.

Blood Diamond

The other night, my wife and I watched "Blood Diamond" - a movie set in Sierra Leone about the civil war and events that surround conflict diamonds. The movie is an excellent piece to highlight the atrocities that people will go to for wealth.

At many points of the movie, I found it very difficult to watch as children were taken at gunpoint to be recruited into guerrilla camps and forced to kill. In a short span, they become "men" doing what desperate men in a mercenary army would be doing.

As the story goes on, my heart went out to Africa and the exhortation and exploitation of the innocent, the poor, the young and the underprivileged. I couldn't sleep for the most of the night after watching the film thinking about the acts of war done by little children and fighting the rage against those who did this to them.

Questions that I pondered:

• What can I do to help?
  
• If I go to Africa, what is the most effective way to help these children?
  
• Why was I born in Canada as an Asian at such a time as this?

Answers to come...

Movies: Do I have a life?

Got this from a friend:

Supposedly if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook/blog account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun!

() Rocky Horror Picture Show
() Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
() Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
() Boondock Saints
() Fight Club
() Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
() Blazing Saddles
() Airplane

Total:2

(x) The Princess Bride
() AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
() Labyrinth
() Saw
() Saw II
() White Noise
() White Oleander
() Anger Management
()50 First Dates
() The Princess Diaries
() The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 4

() Scream
() Scream 2
() Scream 3
() Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
() Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
() American Pie
() American Pie 2
() American Wedding
() American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 4

(x) Harry Potter 1
() Harry Potter 2
() Harry Potter 3
() Harry Potter 4
() Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
() Little Black Book
(x) The Village
() Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 7

(x) Finding Nemo
() Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
() The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
() White Chicks
() Butterfly Effect
() 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
() Robots

Total so far: 10

() Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
() Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
() Deep Impact
() KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
() Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG

Total so far: 16

(x) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
() The Lizzie McGuire Movie
() Passport to Paris
() Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
() Halloween
() The Ring
() The Ring 2
() Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber

Total so far: 18

() Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
() Practical Magic
() Chicago
() Ghost Ship
() From Hell
() Hellboy
() Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
() The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 18

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
() Child's Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
() Ten Things I Hate About You
() Just Married
() Gothika
() Nightmare on Elm Street
() Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
() Coach Carter
() The Grudge
() The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
() Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 21

(x) Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Sleven
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
() Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
() Predator I
() Predator II
() The Fog
(x) Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George

Total so far: 28

(x)Independence Day
() Cujo
() A Bronx Tale
() Darkness Falls
() Christine
(x) ET
() Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 34

() Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
() She's All That
() Calendar Girls
() Sideways
() Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
() Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
() The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
() The Terminator 3

Total so far: 40

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
() Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
() Freaky Friday
() Reign of Fire
() The Skulls
() Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

Total so far: 49

() Swimfan
() Miracle on 34th street - only the original
() Old School
() The Notebook
() K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
() Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
() The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 50

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 56

() Baseketball
() Hostel
() Waiting for Guffman
() House of 1000 Corpses
() Devils Rejects
() Elf
() Highlander
() Mothman Prophecies
() American History X
() Three

Total so Far: 56

(x) The Jacket
(x) Kung Fu Hustle
() Shaolin Soccer
() Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
() Shaun Of the Dead
() Willard

Total so far: 61

() High Tension
() Club Dread
(x) Hulk
() Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
() 28 days later
() Orgazmo
() Phantasm
(x) Waterworld

Total so far: 65

() Kill Bill vol 1
() Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
() Wolf Creek
() Kingdom of Heaven
() The Hills Have Eyes
() I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
() The Last House on the Left
() Re-Animator
() Army of Darkness

Total so far: 66

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
(x) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
() Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 73

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
() The Matrix Revolutions
() Animatrix
() Evil Dead
() Evil Dead 2
() Team America: World Police
() Red Dragon
() Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal

Total so far: 75

Now Add them up and...

Put "I've seen X out of 239 films" in the subject line and repost it

So - I have seen 75 films. LOL! So, supposedly, I still have a life according to this list... Whoever made this list had a lot of time on their hands...

Notes: I have seen one of the Ewok movies but can't remember which one... I definitely regretted watching Event Horizon with my friends as we thought it was going to be a cool sci-fi movie but it quickly degenerated to a horror flick. Not cool...

Two big blisters

Recently, I have had the chance to play some indoor soccer with my friends from church. They play in an informal group for fun and they invite me to play when one of the members can't be there and I can be a "sub".
I wasn't always a big fan of soccer until I watched a couple of World Cups. Soccer (or more commonly known as football in the world) truly is a world sport. There are virtually no barriers of entry to play the sport - it is cheap, you can play it anywhere, and it is easy to learn. However, it takes skill to play at a high level.

Back to the title - so while I was playing Tuesday night I noticed that my shoes were getting uncomfortable. It felt like two tiny stones where in the arches of my feet. The next time I was subbed out I took off my shoes to dump the stones out. There were none. Back on the feet the shoes go but this time the pain is more intense. I shrug it off, but it was more difficult to run and play.

After a great time of playing soccer, I get home to see what all the pain is all about. I take off my shoes and lo and behold, two burst blisters were on my arches of my feet - one on each foot. It was gross (I was going to take a picture of them, but I think that would be in bad taste with no one every going to return to my blog). They were about the size of a quarter each and the flap of wet skin just rubbing on the tender part of the blister - no wonder it hurt.

sigh

I need new indoor soccer shoes. Now I hobble alongside my wife.

Great White Sharks

My wife will hate this post, but this video came out of a conversation I had with one of my co-workers, Chris. Crazy video - stupid/brave scientist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jr9uAGkov4