This is really cool.
Some folks in China have started an experiment whereby they enlist the help of interested parties to actively test this theory. For those of you not familiar, the theory, originally introduced in 1957, proposes that everyone on the planet can be interconnected by way of four intermediaries or less. The scientific studies supporting the theory were inconclusive, yet still there is strong evidence to suggest that there is something to the notion we are all indirectly connected.
I stumbled upon the site today, and decided to register to be part of the study. I had to enter some basic demographic information and create a username. Then I was given a target - an actual person in China - to try to reach via my own personal contacts.
My uncle lives in Hong Kong, and my target is in Shanghai. I sent him an email telling him what I was trying to do and asking him to either send a message directly to the target (if he knows who she is), or to email someone whom he feels may know who she is. I was given basic demographic information about her to aid in the search.
I am way excited to see how this works out. To garner interest, there is a contest set up complete with prizes for the person who reaches the target first. If you are interested in participating too, go here.
Let's see if it's really as small a world as we think it is!
B.G. ;)
Mar 20, 2006
Mar 11, 2006
Why some people are destined to be alone
Ever wondered why someone who is drop dead gorgeous, dynamic, popular, wealthy and seems to have everything going for them is still single? Well wonder no more...
OK. I'm officially out of the closet: I'm an online dater.
I am registered on two sites and have been getting some serious attention. While it's cool having a plethora of potential suitors clamoring for your attention, it can be difficult, if not altogether impossible, to manage them all.
I took myself off the market last year after some disastrous and humourous escapades with some very damaged and confused people. For the full story, follow this link. It was quite a journey. For the record, I was also a little confused myself, and did not have a solid plan as to how I was going to navigate those very choppy waters.
After some deliberation, I am now back online again. I have since learned that to be successful at eDating you have to have plenty of spare time, patience, the discernment of a jury auditor, and a very level head. I've learned that photos only tell half the story, and should not be relied upon as an accurate depiction of an individual who may only be online to have a few cheap kicks.
My experience has taught me that there are many, many creepy characters on these dating sites, and you have to be really careful to separate the wheat from the chaff. The honest, good-natured people are harder to find, but they are there if you just know how to look, and stay objective.
For example, I had a very disturbing experience just last night with a fellow who, at first glance, appeared to be a real catch. He had the looks, an exciting lifestyle, sex appeal, the whole package.
I was reticent to contact him at first, as he was in his forties and had never been married nor had he had any kids. I usually consider this to be a red flag and stay away. However in an effort to be more non-prejudiced, as the good Dr. Phil suggests, I gave him a wink.
He responded immediately and wanted to chat on MSN. He started off the conversation by telling me he was lying naked on his bed and surfing the net on his laptop. I should have ended it right then and there, but instead I went with it to see where it would lead us. This turned out to be a mistake. Things went from naughty to downright depraved, and eventually I had to put him on the spot.
I asked him what it was that he was looking for. He responded that he was looking for what everyone else is looking for - that someone special with whom he can make some plans, and of course with whom he can have amazing sex.
I thought OK, so far we are on the same wavelength.
Then I issued him a dose of reality by telling him that although I have no problem following his lead with this sexy chat stuff, I really wasn't looking for cheap kicks, and that I don't generally tend to jump into bed with someone unless I've been dating them for a couple of months. I have just found in my experience that I tend to get attached to people with whom I get intimate, and it has caused me much grief in the past.
Well he more or less confessed to agreeing that if I wasn't putting out before two months I'm probably not the girl for him. He then went on to say that we weren't likely well-suited anyhow, as I am probably looking for more high end guys, because women are typically shallow.
What you talkin' 'bout Willis???
I reminded the dear fellow that he was talking to a woman, who was a tad offended at his comment, in case that meant anything to him, with an 'LOL' added to lighten the mood a bit. He held fast to his statement, adding other negative generalizations that he had come to believe about women, the fickle, game-playing, non-committal and judgemental nonces that they are.
Wowza.
I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and added that I, too, had similar negative experiences with men in the past, but instead of condemning them all, I choose to believe that there are still some great guys out there. He quickly concurred with this statement, as if to say 'well d'uh'. Apparently there was a double-standard, and drew his attention to it. I commented that it seemed a little chauvanistic.
Oops...big mistake.
This is when he went completely ballistic ("Did you just call me a chauvanist???") and ended the conversation. I wished him good luck, and closed the screen. He squeezed in the last word by congratulating me for being the biggest game player on the internet, and thus proving his point.
I immediately deleted him from my contact list and blocked him. Then I went onto the dating site and deleted/blocked him there too.
He then sent me an email to my Hotmail account that I got this morning after the website informed him I had blocked him. He cursed at me some more and called me a moron saying how I wouldn't have wanted to be with a man who is out of work and living with his parents anyway.
I'm not kidding.
So, it's true: if someone looks too good to be true, they probably are. Some people - sad as it is - are just fated to walk through this life alone and bitter.
I just wish it didn't bother me so much.
B.G. ;)
OK. I'm officially out of the closet: I'm an online dater.
I am registered on two sites and have been getting some serious attention. While it's cool having a plethora of potential suitors clamoring for your attention, it can be difficult, if not altogether impossible, to manage them all.
I took myself off the market last year after some disastrous and humourous escapades with some very damaged and confused people. For the full story, follow this link. It was quite a journey. For the record, I was also a little confused myself, and did not have a solid plan as to how I was going to navigate those very choppy waters.
After some deliberation, I am now back online again. I have since learned that to be successful at eDating you have to have plenty of spare time, patience, the discernment of a jury auditor, and a very level head. I've learned that photos only tell half the story, and should not be relied upon as an accurate depiction of an individual who may only be online to have a few cheap kicks.
My experience has taught me that there are many, many creepy characters on these dating sites, and you have to be really careful to separate the wheat from the chaff. The honest, good-natured people are harder to find, but they are there if you just know how to look, and stay objective.
For example, I had a very disturbing experience just last night with a fellow who, at first glance, appeared to be a real catch. He had the looks, an exciting lifestyle, sex appeal, the whole package.
I was reticent to contact him at first, as he was in his forties and had never been married nor had he had any kids. I usually consider this to be a red flag and stay away. However in an effort to be more non-prejudiced, as the good Dr. Phil suggests, I gave him a wink.
He responded immediately and wanted to chat on MSN. He started off the conversation by telling me he was lying naked on his bed and surfing the net on his laptop. I should have ended it right then and there, but instead I went with it to see where it would lead us. This turned out to be a mistake. Things went from naughty to downright depraved, and eventually I had to put him on the spot.
I asked him what it was that he was looking for. He responded that he was looking for what everyone else is looking for - that someone special with whom he can make some plans, and of course with whom he can have amazing sex.
I thought OK, so far we are on the same wavelength.
Then I issued him a dose of reality by telling him that although I have no problem following his lead with this sexy chat stuff, I really wasn't looking for cheap kicks, and that I don't generally tend to jump into bed with someone unless I've been dating them for a couple of months. I have just found in my experience that I tend to get attached to people with whom I get intimate, and it has caused me much grief in the past.
Well he more or less confessed to agreeing that if I wasn't putting out before two months I'm probably not the girl for him. He then went on to say that we weren't likely well-suited anyhow, as I am probably looking for more high end guys, because women are typically shallow.
What you talkin' 'bout Willis???
I reminded the dear fellow that he was talking to a woman, who was a tad offended at his comment, in case that meant anything to him, with an 'LOL' added to lighten the mood a bit. He held fast to his statement, adding other negative generalizations that he had come to believe about women, the fickle, game-playing, non-committal and judgemental nonces that they are.
Wowza.
I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and added that I, too, had similar negative experiences with men in the past, but instead of condemning them all, I choose to believe that there are still some great guys out there. He quickly concurred with this statement, as if to say 'well d'uh'. Apparently there was a double-standard, and drew his attention to it. I commented that it seemed a little chauvanistic.
Oops...big mistake.
This is when he went completely ballistic ("Did you just call me a chauvanist???") and ended the conversation. I wished him good luck, and closed the screen. He squeezed in the last word by congratulating me for being the biggest game player on the internet, and thus proving his point.
I immediately deleted him from my contact list and blocked him. Then I went onto the dating site and deleted/blocked him there too.
He then sent me an email to my Hotmail account that I got this morning after the website informed him I had blocked him. He cursed at me some more and called me a moron saying how I wouldn't have wanted to be with a man who is out of work and living with his parents anyway.
I'm not kidding.
So, it's true: if someone looks too good to be true, they probably are. Some people - sad as it is - are just fated to walk through this life alone and bitter.
I just wish it didn't bother me so much.
B.G. ;)
Feb 19, 2006
Gratitude
A very good piece of note...
Village of 100!
If Earth's population was shrunk into a village of just 100 people, with all the human ratios existing in the world still remaining, what would this tiny, diverse village look like? Phillip M. Harter, a medical doctor at the Stanford University school of Medicine, attempted to figure out. This is what he found:
57 would be Asian; 21 would be European; 4 would be from the Western Hemisphere; 8 would be African; 52 would be female; 48 would be male
70 would be non-white; 30 would be white; 70 would be non-Christian; 30 would be Christian; 89 would be heterosexual; 1 would be homosexual; 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth, and all 6 would be from the United States; 80 would live in substandard housing; 70 would be unable to read; 50 would suffer from malnutrition; 1 would be near death; 1 would be pregnant; 1 would have a college education; 1 would own a computer
The following is an anonymous interpretation:
Think of it this way: if you live in a good home, have plenty to eat and can read, you are a member of a very select group. And if you have a nice house, food, can read and have a computer, you are among the very elite.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are fortunate, more than three billion people in the world can't.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare, even in North America.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in this world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day...count your blessings.
B.G. ;)
Village of 100!
If Earth's population was shrunk into a village of just 100 people, with all the human ratios existing in the world still remaining, what would this tiny, diverse village look like? Phillip M. Harter, a medical doctor at the Stanford University school of Medicine, attempted to figure out. This is what he found:
57 would be Asian; 21 would be European; 4 would be from the Western Hemisphere; 8 would be African; 52 would be female; 48 would be male
70 would be non-white; 30 would be white; 70 would be non-Christian; 30 would be Christian; 89 would be heterosexual; 1 would be homosexual; 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth, and all 6 would be from the United States; 80 would live in substandard housing; 70 would be unable to read; 50 would suffer from malnutrition; 1 would be near death; 1 would be pregnant; 1 would have a college education; 1 would own a computer
The following is an anonymous interpretation:
Think of it this way: if you live in a good home, have plenty to eat and can read, you are a member of a very select group. And if you have a nice house, food, can read and have a computer, you are among the very elite.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are fortunate, more than three billion people in the world can't.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare, even in North America.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in this world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day...count your blessings.
B.G. ;)
Feb 11, 2006
My Valentine...
...knows when he has it good
...isn't afraid of raw emotion: his or someone else's
...shaves
...is in touch with his world and what's going on in it
...feels the fear and does it anyway
...doesn't take himself too seriously
...loves my kids
...brings flowers for no reason at all
...doesn't sweat the small stuff
...won't find excuses to get out of my family gatherings
...is educated
...gives a damn about his appearance
...knows how to cook
...thinks I'm amazing
...sings and plays guitar
...is patient and understands me
...takes pride in my successes as much as his own
...is the life of the party
...misses me when I'm gone
...looks for ways to better himself
...understands that I need my space
...isn't afraid of raw emotion: his or someone else's
...shaves
...is in touch with his world and what's going on in it
...feels the fear and does it anyway
...doesn't take himself too seriously
...loves my kids
...brings flowers for no reason at all
...doesn't sweat the small stuff
...won't find excuses to get out of my family gatherings
...is educated
...gives a damn about his appearance
...knows how to cook
...thinks I'm amazing
...sings and plays guitar
...is patient and understands me
...takes pride in my successes as much as his own
...is the life of the party
...misses me when I'm gone
...looks for ways to better himself
...understands that I need my space
Feb 8, 2006
Burning flags for sale
Can someone please help me understand what the f**k is going on in Islam? The people there are so unbelievably quick to anger and hate. I read with shock in the Globe and Mail yesterday that a local entrepreneur, eager to benefit from the opportunity, stocked up on Danish and Norwegian flags just as the outpouring of rage was beginning over the publication of caricatures of their prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper. This guy knew his people would be lining up to buy the flags so they could burn and destroy them to avenge themselves on the 'infidels' who had blasphemously mocked their faith. I can just see him, rubbing his scaly palms together and chuckling quietly to himself as he made sale after sale after sale. At over $10 US a pop, he is likely not selling as many flags as he could, but instead he is going for the top dollar. I wonder if he realizes/cares that he is totally exploiting his people for a buck.
Growing up in a peaceful, democratic country, I suppose I take for granted the lifestyle, freedoms and attitudes to which I am accustomed. In this country, when someone disses you or your religion, one is more likely to just ignore it and not worry so much about what others think and/or say. And as we have many different religious denominations rather than just one prophet, it is far more likely that there are going to be religious clashes from time to time. Take for example my former workplace in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Our office was a real diverse group of people working in a small environment. Staff would openly discuss their faith with one another, and on occasion there would be a disagreement as to which organized religion was the 'correct' one. Never ever did a riot break out over someone making light of another person's beliefs or choosing to denounce the doctrines of said faith.
We really are very lucky - those of us who live in North America and are allowed to practice our chosen faith (or no faith for that matter) without fears of repercussion or ostracization. However at the same time I realize that we need to do our best to understand our differences with other countries, and to that end I try to respect the beliefs of other cultures even when they make no sense to me whatsoever. But I have to draw the line here: any god who tells me that to redeem myself and achieve his favour I must strap 20lbs of plastique onto myself, walk into the middle of a crowded plaza and blow myself up is one whacked out god.
Sorry....
Growing up in a peaceful, democratic country, I suppose I take for granted the lifestyle, freedoms and attitudes to which I am accustomed. In this country, when someone disses you or your religion, one is more likely to just ignore it and not worry so much about what others think and/or say. And as we have many different religious denominations rather than just one prophet, it is far more likely that there are going to be religious clashes from time to time. Take for example my former workplace in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Our office was a real diverse group of people working in a small environment. Staff would openly discuss their faith with one another, and on occasion there would be a disagreement as to which organized religion was the 'correct' one. Never ever did a riot break out over someone making light of another person's beliefs or choosing to denounce the doctrines of said faith.
We really are very lucky - those of us who live in North America and are allowed to practice our chosen faith (or no faith for that matter) without fears of repercussion or ostracization. However at the same time I realize that we need to do our best to understand our differences with other countries, and to that end I try to respect the beliefs of other cultures even when they make no sense to me whatsoever. But I have to draw the line here: any god who tells me that to redeem myself and achieve his favour I must strap 20lbs of plastique onto myself, walk into the middle of a crowded plaza and blow myself up is one whacked out god.
Sorry....
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