The GOOD community

I think this is an interesting source for us. As part of our core idea was to create a facebook but with common good values... check this out:

http://www.good.is/user/community.php

Can a good samaritan be sued?

A controversial court case from California - In 2004 a group of office workers headed home after a party and were involved in a car crash. One pulled a co-worker from the crash fearing it will catch fire. The woman rescued was left paraplegic and sued her co-worker for treating her like a rag doll. Can a good Samaritan be sued?

The California Supreme Court says good Samaritans can be sued. The woman who was pulled out of her car can proceed with her law suit against the co-worker who rescued her. 

The problem is that you can't be careless when you are helping someone. The victim here says I would have been better off if you had not tried to help me and let some professional come on rather than be left as paraplegic for life.

The backlash is so strong that the California Legislator may rewrite the law to give more protection to good Samaritans.

(original source: CBS news)

DDB pushes it forward

During the holiday season, so many of our offices and our people open their hearts (and their wallets) to help those less fortunate than us. It is always gratifying to hear of our toy drives for needy children, the food and clothing drives and all the other good things being done across the network.

They remind me that generosity has always been a trait of DDB people.

This year, one particular story of generosity stood out for me and I'd like to share it with you.

Like many of our offices in this difficult year, DDB Mexico has cancelled their traditional holiday party. The tradition at DDB Mexico has been to take all the employees on a three-day trip to a resort at Christmas time. DDB Mexico is not a bad place to work!

This year, however, all the money that would have been spent on the party is not going to the bottom line. It is going to the family of Mr. Rigoberto Cesario Gonzales, "Don Rigo" to everyone at DDB Mexico, where he worked in the administration department for over 20 years.

In early November, Don Rigo was killed in as freak accident as he was simply crossing the street in center of Mexico City. A small plane that was carrying the Mexican Interior Minister encountered severe turbulence as it approached the airport and crashed into rush hour traffic. Don Rigo was a victim of the crash.

I'm sure that DDB Mexico President Raul Cardos feels it is the least he could do for Don Rigo's family. He took this action quietly, without fanfare, so I'm sure he won't be happy with me sharing it will all of you.

But I thought it said something special about the people of DDB Mexico and what Christmas means to them this year.

Finally, I'd like to wish each of you Happy Holidays, whichever holidays you happen to be celebrating this time of year!

A thought from Bob Scarpelli - Chairman, Chief Creative Officer

For Our Reference 2

Twitter Tools

(source)

For Our Reference

Use Google Web History Without Installing Google Toolbar

(main source)

The Future of the Internet III

A survey of internet leaders, activists and analysts shows they expect major tech advances as the phone becomes primary device for online access, voice recognition improves, artificial and virtual reality become more embedded in everyday life, and the architecture of the internet itself improves.

They disagree about whether this will lead to more social tolerance, more forgiving human relations, or better home lives.

Here are the key findings on the survey of experts by the Pew Internet and American Life Project that has asked respondents to assess predictions about technology and its roles in the year 2020:

• The mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the internet for most people in the world in 2020.

• The transparency of people and organizations will increase, but that will not necessarily yield more personal integrity, social tolerance, or forgiveness.

• Voice recognition and touch user-interfaces with the internet will be more prevalent and accepted by 2020.

• Those working to enforce intellectual property law and copyright protection will remain in a continuing arms race, with the crackers who will find ways to copy and share content without payment.

• The divisions between personal time and work time and between physical and virtual reality will be further erased for everyone who is connected, and the results will be mixed in their impact on basic social relations.

• Next-generation engineering of the network to improve the current internet architecture is more likely than an effort to rebuild the architecture from scratch.

(for more check this out)

Some features that we should consider

Here are a few features I thought might be helpful to consider:

http://www.google.com/friendconnect

http://yanswersblog.com/index.php/archives/2008/12/01/what-is-mybloglog/

Korea: An Actress, Her Good Deed & Her Family History

A popular young actress who is called the 'national star' due to her naivete, humble attitude, and good acting, Moon Geun-young is famous for making donations to society. She usually hides her good deeds from public view. This month a welfare organization, exposed that she donated 850 million won (1 US dollar= 1,500 won) for 6 years in public. Her family history was also introduced by the media for the first time. 

Under the condition of being the actress, she promised her family to share her earning with the poor and organizations, such as North Korean aid organizations. Her grandfather was in prison for more than 30 years as a political prisoner and communist and her family members were victimized in the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. While the media tended to introduce her good deed and her family story as a sad part of Korean history, it leads to unexpected reactions. Some netizens praise her good deed and feel sorry for her family story. But the history seems to still linger around now. Some politicians regard this action as a dangerous element in terms of political security and other netizens interpret this scandal in diverse ways.

(for full story)

Subject on Voluntary Work Introduced into Curricula

Kuwait: A new subject has been introduced into school curricula for the current academic year. According to an education official, the new subject pertains to volunteer work and the preservation of Islamic values and identity.

Speaking at a seminar on Sunday which was held to discuss this new subject in coordination with the Kuwaiti Volunteer Center, the Head of the Farwaniya Educational Zone Yuser Al-Omar said that the new subject is aimed at fostering a stronger sense of social responsibility and community work amongst students.

Al-Omar noted that the introduction of this subject will serve to promote volunteer work in the country and will tackle many of the impediments faced by workers in this field, such as a lack of awareness of the need for voluntary work, a lack of encouragement to the youth to engage in such activities and a poor sense of community amongst the younger generation.

Also speaking at the seminar was the principal of Anas Bin Malik High School, Waleed Al-Eisa, who explained that the value of volunteer work has been recognized as a leading principle in the fields of education and parenting and is an area which merits greater attention on the part of parents and teachers in order to ensure a better future.

The seminar, which was held at Anas Bin Malik High School, included the participation of a number of education officials as well as students from the school. 

People, this is a good opportunity for us to initiate contacts with schools for 'push it forward' and get the students engaged also off-line and on-line.

Yalla!

(original source: Al Watan Daily, Monday 24/11/08)

PUSH IT FORWARD ONE LAST TIME IN SWEDEN

It is my last day in Sweden. I will be heading to the airport in 10 minutes. 

I leave totally happy and satisfied that just a few minutes ago, I have given one of the Hellstein Hotel employees my train pass and asked her to be inspired to push it forward to someone else and to certainly log into our blog and write about the experience.

Erik Pushes It Forward - Observations

Erik Pays it forward

Agnes Pays it forward (3)

3. Pushing a bill down a neighbour’s mailbox.
I’m a little doubtful as to whether this was really a good deed. 20 crowns isn’t a lot and I could certainly have given it to someone more deserving than a random neighbour - like a homeless person or a charity organization, but I was running out of time. Ironically, while doing this I was really scared of getting “caught”.

Agnes Pays it forward (2)

2. Visiting my grandmother

This was a good deed in itself - a visit from her grandchild makes my grandmother really happy - but I decided to add on to it by helping her out with the dishes. Doing so made me realize I should help her out more instead of letting myself be pampered by her when I visit. (Also, I forced myself to eat a huge piece of apple pie even though I was so full I could burst. But I always do that, my grandmother would be heartbroken if I said no to dessert)

Agnes Pays it forward (1)

1. Brewing coffee for my classmates.

When a classmate expressed his desperate need for caffeine after lunch, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to help. It’s obviously a small gesture, but it seemed like a good place to start. I asked if anyone else wanted some and ended up brewing a whole pot. I rather sheepishly explained to everyone that I wasn’t doing it out of the goodness of my heart, but that I was on a mission. In retrospect, I wonder why I was so reluctant to let them think I was just being genuinely nice.

Agnes Pays it forward

23-year old female, living n Stockholm
Previously studied Philosophy
Currently studying Digital Media / Hyper Island
Currently working part time in a Café
Likes watching TV, going out with friends, cook, video games, art, Literature, comics.

Mira Paying it Forward

Mira Speaks about her Paying It Forward Experience:
http://blip.tv/file/get/Salehmeka-MiraVoicerecord287.mp3

Dear Friends of YLVP,

I was asked by our friends of MindSpace to document myself doing 3 good things to people, so I was wondering what that could be .. I have 2 little things this morning which I wouldn't necesserly see as a help but well since I need to document things I will just count in and what remains is the third thing .. My dear team-mate Nasry "My Victory" has just provoked me a little hehehe but well ya I know he is just kidding, I decided that instead of teasing him back that I do something nice to him, I have a HUGE chocolate bar that I have home that I wanted to share with him, but then I decided that it would be nicer if I just shared it with all of you because I like you all as you are and I would like to make you all happy today or at least smile a little as my third ''doing good thing" ... so today you are all invited to share a huge bar a chocolate maybe this evening when you get back to the hotel and in addition to that I dedicate you all this ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVczDSiAWPY ) lovely piece of music for Fairuz .. which I imagine we all like or most of us at least do .. I got inspired by the snow coz we are in sweden heheh and also the tayr (Bird) symbolyzes freedom to me and so it is an inpiration again !So I wish you a lovely day .. and hope to see you all smiling especially with finishing most of our assignments..TRY TO BE POSITIVE AND SMILE :D-- Mira Nabulsi,Cellphone (ES): +34 65 33 52 601Cellphone (PAL): +970 599 845 139E-mail: mira.gabi@gmail.com

******************

Re: Dear YLVP`s Have a Smiley Day‏
From:Maha Alaswad (maha.alaswad@gmail.com)
Sent:Tuesday, November 04, 2008 12:51:17 PM
To: Mira A.B. Nabulsi (mira.gabi@gmail.com)

sweet Mira I just loved you email and the lovely song , it's one of my favorites, Birds are my favorite creatures and they mean freedom for me too ,if you remember in the very 1st presentation in Swedish institute.

i am definitely smiling now sweetie

take care

*****************************

From: Hazem Abo Youness

Sent:Tuesday, November 04, 2008 10:57:05 AM
To: Mira A.B. Nabulsi (mira.gabi@gmail.com

Dear Mira, thank you allot it's very nice words, and feeling which touched me deeply, thank you again and also for the song, which I didn't see one in Sweden (I know it's winter) thank you and for all of the group, please take it easy, so you will do it, Best regards and Great Love for all of you,

Hazem

http://www.hyperhummus.com/

Sophi Paying It Forward (3)

http://www.youtube.com/v/qSjMZmoEziw

Sophi Paying It Forward (2)

http://www.youtube.com/v/062BwTvYyhI