good news/ social entrepreneurship

Jan. 15 Good news: There are good news in the newspaper if you look for it.  Sometimes you become so focused on your own life and problems, that you need to think outside of yourself sometimes.

“Lost suitcase with gifts returned”: I read this in Metro on Dec. 6, 2013.  A Regina woman lost her suitcase.  Trina Owens went on Kijiji and said her suitcase fell off a truck.

Christmas Bureau: I read in the Metro on Dec. 12, 2013 that his charity has been providing people with monetary donations since 1940.  It’s to provide 62,000 meals to Edmontonians. 

Philippines: I read in the Metro on Dec. 13, 2013 that Edmonton doctor Rashad Chin went to the Philippines for 3 weeks.  He went to treat victims of the Typhoon Haiyan that left 6000 dead.  He’s part of the Canadian Medical Assistance team.

Virtual bike: I read in the Metro on Dec. 13, 2013 that this was created by NAIT students.  Eva Elder is 12 and she’s using the Nintendo video game Mario cart and a stationary bike to strengthen her left leg because she has cerebral palsy.

It’s like riding a bike and playing a video game and it’s fun.

Charity: I read this in the Metro on Jan. 2, 2014.  The Polar Plunge is where the Law Enforcement Torch Run puts the event to raise funds for the Special Olympics.  It’s where you dive into a pool of cold water.

Social entrepreneurship: I was reading in the Globe and Mail on Nov. 6, 2013 called “Commerce beyond the profit motive” by Virginia Galt. McGill University MBA student Ba Sein went to Japan.  They volunteered at the Second Harvest food bank in Tokyo. 

“The experience made a profound impression on Mr. Sein.  He was ‘somewhat shocked’ to learn that one in six people in Japan lives in poverty, he says, but was inspired by the business model developed by the national food bank to reduce food waste, collect surplus supplies and deliver them to those in need.”

“Recently a team of McGill students worked with a meal program in Montreal to develop a sideline business- selling frozen meals to students- and using the profits to support the core objective of providing fresh food to clients who could not provide for themselves.”

SmilingItForward.com: I was reading in Metro on Jan. 14, 2014 about Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother).  She is with the medicine brand Smiling It Forward. 

“Parents can upload a photo of their little one SmilingItForward.com, and for each photo uploaded Tylenol will donate $1 to the Children’s Health Fun, a national nonprofit that gives free health care to kids who need it.”

Fun news:

Irony: I read this in the Metro on Jan. 3, 2014.   It says “Breaking Bad contest winner charged for drug op.”  Ryan Lee Carroll won a contest to watch the series finale of the TV show with the cast.  It turns out he “sold synthetic marijuana and shipped it across the US from his home with two other men.”

Costumes: I read in the Metro on Nov. 27, 2013 “Police dress as turkeys to squawk at bad drivers.”  It happened in Las Vegas where police wait at the crosswalks and fined people who didn’t stop.

Celeb news:

Farrah Fawcett: I read in the Metro on Nov. 27, 2013 that her nephew Gregory Walls inherited a lot of her things.  He is going to sell 67 of her items like the People’s Choice Awards and a portion will go to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation.

Surviving Survivor: I read this in the Edmonton Journal on Dec. 14, 2013.  Survivor: China winner Todd Herzog won the $1 million prive in 2007.  He then became an alcoholic and Dr. Phil goes to help him saying that he was “closer to death” than any guest he ever had.

My opinion: I don’t watch Survivor, but this proves that though you win lots of money, you still have problems.  I hope Dr. Phil can help him.  The rest of the article talks about some other contestants and they’re doing fine.

Michael J. Fox: I was reading the Metro on Jan. 14, 2014 about how E! was coving the Golden Globes.  It mentioned a “fun fact” that Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991.  Twitter had lots of complaints that is not a fun fact.  E! then apologized.

My opinion: That sounds like a sincere mistake and apology.

Eminem: I was reading the Metro on Nov. 6, 2013 about how the rapper Eminem uses homophobic terms.  He says: “That word, those kinds of words, when I came up battle-rapping or whatever, I never really equated those words (to being gay).  It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk.”

“But the real me sitting here right now talking to you has no issues with gay, straight, transgender at all.  I’m glad we live in a time where it’s really starting to feel like people can live their lives and express themselves.  And I don’t know how to else to say this; I still look at myself the same way that I did when I was battling and broke.”

My opinion: Well if you think calling someone a fag means calling him a punk, then you should say the word punk.  

I can kind of relate about how he sees himself the same way he did way back when he was younger.  The older I get, I do see changes in myself like how I am more left-brain than how I was right-brain when I was a kid and teenager.

Beyonce: On Jan. 2, 2014, in Metro her new single “XO” has audio of the 1986 Challenger disaster.  The NASA spokesman Steve Nesbitt is heard saying “Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation.  Obviously a major malfunction.”  The Challenger exploded and killed all 7 astronauts.

Beyonce says: “My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster.  The song XO was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you.”

James Avery: He plays the dad on the old sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  He died at 68 yrs old due to complications following open heart surgery.

The show is on Much Music now, and I see a little bit here and there.  The show is still funny.

Inspirational story: I was reading the Metro on Nov. 8, 2013 and it’s called “You’ve got Seoul: Vet’s spirit buoyed by pen pal” by Joe Lofaro.  It profiled Frank Bayne who fought in the Korean War.  He experienced terrible nightmares and he dealt with it by writing to seven school girls in South Korea through a organization called the Korean Veterans Association of Canada.

Choi Jeong- Won kept writing to him and she told him how she failed the bar exam after the first time.  Bayne writes back: “So I wrote her back and said ‘You know, I failed many times and please keep trying.’” 

They did meet each other for the first time back in Apr.  “When we met at the hotel she said that (letter) inspired her to keep on going.”

Fake interpreter: I read this in Dec. 13, 2013 in the Metro.  I’m sure all of you heard about the man who pretended to be a sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s funeral is a fake.  His name is Thamsanqa Jantjie and he said he has mental illness and was hallucinating.

My opinion: When I heard that he was fake, I thought:

Are you stupid or delusional? 

Did you really think that no one will figure out that your sign language is fake? 

Are you here so you can get on international TV and say you met the President?

Then it turns out he was delusional so that got my questions answered.

Post Secret: Here are a couple of them:

Nov. 30:

"Being able to survive it doesn't mean it was ever ok." 

Dec. 8: “I heard a woman being raped.  I called the police.  She declined to press charges.  I wish I could have done more.

My opinion: What do you mean that you could have done more?  I will give you points that you called the police.  You are an witness to this and if she decides to press charges later on, you can testify.