Obsession with Reality

Seems like we don't get enough reality from our own lives these days and we have this insatiable need to look into the "real" lives of anyone on camera, even if we have no clue who they are. Jon&Kate plus 8, Cake Boss, Hell's Kitchen, Big Brother, and countless others, when you really watch the shows, you realize that they're all the same - nothing really happens, really; at least that's my take on it.

It's smart though, the marketers and producers know that we can't get enough of gossip and dirt and everything related to that stuff. We watch whatever they churn out - provided there's a lot of "drama" and "suspense" - and they make tons of money.

Anyways, the latest in line (at least to my knowledge) of reality TV is this show called Over The Bolts - which apparently follows the "Epic Journey" of the Canadian snowboarding team. Now I'm all for snowboarding, but isn't the term "epic" kinda really misused nowadays?

I watched one or two episodes of this new show and in one of them two guys on the team sat in a hot-tub with two girls that they just met and eventually went back to their hotel room and began pouring alcohol down the throats of the girls. Soon after the girls had to leave and one of the guys said to the camera, "They used us man, they used us".

Epic?

Over the Bolts on MTV

Shouldn't everyone be able to have water?

We take it for granted - living in this privileged country. We wake up, put the kettle on, make some coffee, take a shower for ages, and brush our teeth without thinking about it. We buy water in bulk from Costco or Loblaw's or any other supermarket.

The UN reports that 1.1 billion people around the world are in shortage of clean drinking water. The absence of water leads to many health issues including eye disease. That's not something that should happen.

That data came with the latest newsletter that I just received from A Cup Of Water Internationl Inc. I've been following this missionary-based organization for a couple of years now, and it's bittersweet every time I receive news - encouragement comes from knowing that another village now has a new water source but there are still many more that are in need of outside technology and help. Going on my own missions trip last summer in rural China also made me appreciate clean water and how wasteful I usually am with water. I just hope that I can remember these people every time I turn on the faucet.

Pink!

Such a simple colour, but the message gets through instantly. October is CBCF's breast cancer awareness month. By combining the efforts of all four MLSE teams - Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC and Marlie, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's aiming to boost awareness and funds for the organization. If you flipped on the TV this weekend, you might have seen the players of Toronto FC sporting their flashy pink jerseys.

I think it's a great way to spread awareness - getting a bunch of guys to wear pink for a weekend or two. Now where did I put my pink jumpsuit?

Now this is a good commercial

A full-on action packed 3 minute video that takes you through the journey of an amateur player playing in various leagues in Europe - getting signed by Arsene Wenger to Arsenal, being humiliated on the pitch by C. Ronaldo, getting rough with Rooney, and playing along the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Wesley Sneijder - all in first person perspective!

I'm not going to say anymore, just watch it. I can't get enough of this video.

When there are forks in the road...

A while ago I was thinking about what I wanted to do in life. I started thinking about my childhood, how the first profession that I picked was to be a hot-dog vendor, just because I love hot-dogs. Years later, I find myself studying marketing, thinking about connecting with people, and bringing to light things that are so amazing but yet undiscovered. I find that while I have this overall direction, I still don't know exactly where I want to end up.

This is where the following video comes in - Dr. Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture - Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". Even when he's diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only months to live, his zest for life, his energy and passion still outshine many people who are still in their youths. Watching that video made me think about my life, what I need to be doing, and more importantly, not taking TIME for granted. I hope you'll also enjoy this video.