Posted by Lite on November 3, 2007
Every once in a while (few years?) you find yourself looking onwards to a new and interesting episode in your life. As anything related with the future, uncertainty is king and your own abilities to deal with challenges are preparing themselves, waiting to prove their might.
I’m in such a point now, after I’ve been in a similar (yet completely different) situation last March before going to South America. Now I’m back home, living with two good friends in an amazing apartment in Tel Aviv, beginning my trip towards my newly-set goals (both personal and professional).
This is very exciting for me and I’m sure you understand what I’m talking about. I also know that my own skills, along with will-power and effort, will be up to the challenge and more.
Don’t you just love the feeling of an exciting new beginning?
Posted in My Photos | Tagged: adventure, beginning, exciting, lookon, new, onwards, venture | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Lite on October 18, 2007
A few days ago I wrote about the Blog Action Day movement , one of many movements on the web that set their sights on imporving people’s lives (not in the consumer-way of “improving people’s lives”). Another one I’ve encountered recently (actually on LinkedIn, odd) is Kiva.org. Microfinancing for third world entrepreneurs.
Many times over the past few years (and especially in my time in South America) I thought about how lucky I was. Much of my success in various aspects in life is attributed to my personality, skills and talents (like any other person walking this planet), but one must also admit that part of that success is sheer luck. Sometimes it’s a bigger part, sometimes smaller.
A part of my luck was to be born into an amazing and fertile surrounding (family, friends, co-workers, fellow countrymen, social status, etc.). Acknowledging this allows you to understand there are other people in the world with similar (or equivelant, as much as one can compare these things) basic characteristics, but lack the luck of being born in the right place at the right time.
Kiva, a non-profit organization founded a couple of years ago by an American couple, is one of the many ways to attempt and transfer some of the luck people like me had over to people who didn’t. It is true there are many organizations in this field, but at Kiva they have taken an amazing Web 2.0 approach. You lend online (there are other online-lending sites but they’re intended on loaning in the western world) and help real people offline, on the other side of the planet.
These are the kinds of things the Internet was made for.
Other people’s thoughts about this:
A small note: as there are plenty of scams or plain failures out there, you should always watch yourself when lending money. I won’t take any responsibility for anything you do after reading this post. I, myself, have lended cautiosly on the Kiva.org site and will monitor the development and decide if I want to lend more there, and to whom, as time goes by.
Posted in Causes, My Photos | Tagged: donation, dontaions, kiva | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Lite on October 15, 2007
There are many different movements on the ‘net. Those who ask you to help poverty, fight cancer, stress a political view… and there are those who ask you to talk about the environment. Blog Action Day is an interesting attempt to raise awareness regarding our beloved environment. The idea is to unite thousands of people, who otherwise would be writing today about whatever issue they care for, and ask them to write about the environment. People who’d each go in his own direction, but today we’re all going in the same one.
There’s no doubt some blogs will be talking about Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize , and even though I don’t agree with what happened there I’ll save my rant about it for another day.
No, what I’d like to talk about today relates to my previous post regarding road accidents. You all know cars pollute. Today we’ve got less polluting cars (electric, hybrid, etc.), but they still result in pollution (where do you think the electricity comes from?? and how about what happens to a car after it’s useless?).
There’s an easier solution – use public transport or your own two feet. Period.
Posted in My Photos | Tagged: Blog Action Day | 1 Comment »
Posted by Lite on October 9, 2007
Every year there are over 440 people killed on the roads in Israel (more statistics at the National Road Safety Authority). It is an aweful figure, especially when you realize the total deaths in road accidents is far greater than deaths due to wars and terrorisim acts. So why is a war more traumatic to our country than road accidents?
That’s a good question. Maybe because in road accidents we all believe it will never happen to us, but in a war or terrorist acts we actually believe there’s a chance we’ll get hit.
I used to own a car… actually a few of them (one after the other) for a period of over seven years. I’ve come to the conclusion, during my trip in South America, that I’d rather not own one. I prefer to use my feet or public transport. It’s much safer, better for the health (pollution/road-rage/sports) and far cheaper.
I urge you to do the same.
Comments?
Posted in My Photos | Tagged: cars, public transport, road accidents | 2 Comments »
Posted by Lite on October 8, 2007
In the past month and a half I’ve drastically switched between climates 3 times. One day I’m snowboarding in the Andies, a week later I’m at the sea in Israel with scorching heat. Three weeks later I’m on an island in Holland, freezing my butt off. And today I’m back in Tel Aviv with heat and humidity, sweating myself to dry.
It sounds like I’m complaining here, but the opposite is true. I was happy to be in each and every one of those places, and am really happy to be here now. I’m also thanking whatever “force” (God? Luck? Destiny?) which gave me the luxury of being able to move between so many climates so many times. I wish you all the same.
The picture above was orginially posted on a different blog of mine, along with this quote:
‘Live every day as if it were your last and then some day you’ll be right.’
-H.H. ‘Breaker’ Morant
Posted in My Photos | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Lite on October 7, 2007
I haven’t posted anything for a few days, I’m sorry for that. Friday morning began early, because we had to leave Terschelling Island (the place where the pictures I posted here so far, and a few more to come, are from) and get to Amsterdam. It took a ferry, three trains and a tram – but we got there! Afterwards, I didn’t have easy-access to the Internet, till now.
Flight Israir 202 left Amsterdam this morning at 12:10 (50 min delay from original schedule, not too bad). It was on the flight that I looked at the picture and fine-tuned it. I’m not that keen on flying these days – with aircraft accidents hitting the headlines. The National Geographic Show Air Crash Investigations I used to watch a few years ago didn’t help much.
Did you ever think about the fact that every time you fly you put your life in the hands of a few dozen people, who are only doing their day jobs and some of them are paid roughly the same as a Mcdonald’s cashier? Think about it, it starts with the airplane designers and builders – which I generally trust (Airbus or Boeing mostly, but you’ve got a few other ones). Even those are a bit difficult to trust, as Airline world blog reported roughly a week ago. There’s also the pilots – which is the beginning of the problem. Add to that the mechanics, luggage dudes, the people at the tower, the people at the various air traffic controls, and probably other people I didn’t even know existed. All these people are responsible for my arrival safely at my destination.
I don’t like it. Not even one bit.
Add to that the usually horrible food, prolonged sitting (which can actually kill you), cheeky stewardesses, lack of oxygen, bad smell and fat people (they sit next to you taking roughly 50% of what would normally be your sitting space).
It seems flying is not an experience like they’d like you to think. Oh no… It’s something you’d rather not do, but have to.
Posted in My Photos | Tagged: airplane, airplanes, crash, fly | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Lite on October 4, 2007
I must admit, this picture reminds me of Albert Einstein:
I am by NO MEANS comparing the two. Einstein was a genious – a man we can all learn from. I just couldn’t help comparing the two pictures in my mind, once I saw how the dog look in his picture.
For those who are worried about the dog from yesterday – I saw him today and he was still a bit sad. From what I understand, his owner is having his house remodeled and is bearly home. Instead, the dog gets to see sweaty construction workers all day. I’m sure it’ll change soon.
If you had to choose between getting your picture taken with your tongue sticking out (above) or looking completely hopless, what would you pick? Assume this picture will receive global coverage – everyone you know will see it.
I’d go for the one with my tongue sticking out. Not just because I really wouldn’t want people to see me hopeless, but also because I was blessed with a really long tongue. You have no idea how useful that can be (grabbing flies in midair, scratching my nose, etc.).
Posted in My Photos | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Lite on October 3, 2007
When you lose hope, you lose it all.
Sometimes you really feel like all is lost. The world is uglier than it use to be, life is more difficult than you thought it would be and just when you need them, your loved ones desert you.
When you feel that way, pull yourself together. Remember that your preception of the world changes by your mood. Your thoughts about your life are governed by how well you slept last night. And, last but not least, your loved ones will always be there for you – just sometimes not at the exact moment you’d like them to.
If you catch yourself on the brink of losing hope, stop. Relax. Find a patch of grass and lay down on it. Look at the sky. Remember all these problems will seem tiny to you ten years from now (if you remember them at all). When you’re ready, and you feel you’re regaining your hope, get up and continue with your day.
Posted in My Photos | Tagged: despair, dog, dogs | 3 Comments »
Posted by Lite on October 2, 2007
“Attitude and intention is everything !
Be compassionate and respect all.
Live simply, love deeply.
Teach by example.”
Interesting philosophy, isn’t it?
Posted in My Photos | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Lite on October 2, 2007
Yea, that’s a very geeky title for a post. On the other hand, it makes sense a bit to have a geeky title for my first post — after all, I’m a bit of a geek. If you see me in the street, or a bar, or a club, or the beach, or… well… you get it… so if you see me, you won’t think I am.
But I am.
After firing up and quitting on many blogs in the past few years – I decided I’ll have one that will really give people the right idea about me. What goes on in my head. What do I like, what I don’t. How do I see things. Maybe even what I do for a living (maybe).
Hope you like it. Comments are always welcome.
Posted in My Blog and I | 2 Comments »
