The "U"

Random Rant

2010-02-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

No matter how many of these blogs I do, I never seem to know how to start one off. Eh, I guess I'll get used to it. Anyway, I've always wondered what sort of direction my blog should take. Should it be comical, inspiring, thought provoking? Should it change the world? But then I thought, sometimes people get so caught up in changing the world, they forget about what matters the most...changing themselves. As my boy Mr. Miyagi once said, change begins from within, not from without.

So, what's my topic of choice for this blog entry? A concept I just heard today from a movie. It's a line that Owen Wilson said in the movie, or was his name Luke Wilson? Eh, one of the Wilson brothers. Either way, he said a line and it kinda stuck to me.

"Be cool. Be liquid."

Probably one of the most intriguing line I've heard in a movie in a very long long time. It was so simple, yet so...different. Think about it. What do YOU think it means? BTW, I promise my posts will DEFFFF get funnier :) Ciao for now!

- U

YES, Umair is a blogger!

2009-09-14T21:26:00.001-07:00

Hello all! As you may have notice, I've got a blog.

You might be asking yourself, why does Umair have a blog? He's not even THAT interesting! Well, the answer to your question is...you're right, I'm really not.

Blogging is not always meant for people who are interesting, have crazy lives, who rock and roll, and/or do drugs. It can also be used for boring people who enjoy baseless rants such as what I'm doing right now. However, in all seriousness blogs are not just meant as way to communicate ones thoughts/feelings, it's also used as a way for one to reflect, learn, and prosper.

So, every now and then, I'll be posting my thoughts on things I see and notice. Check back often and thanks for reading.

- U

Social Media...A part of your complete breakfast!

2009-09-14T21:16:00.001-07:00

Facebook, MySpace, Linked In, and Friendster are all forms of social medias. We all love them, use them, and abuse the heck out of them, but how long will they be around for? Sure, it's the hottest thing in the market right now. Filmmakers looking to target a younger crowd advertise heavily on MySpace earning for just a fraction of the people who even have accounts on that site. Facebook, starting as just a site for local college students to connect and mingle has turned into a website for the young, younger, old, and elders to connect. Amazing right? I agree. I have/had accounts on every social medium available today.

However, how long will this rage last for? Months, years, decades? I personally give it a couple of years. Social media has become a paradise for stalkers. Cousins I spoke to once a year have become next door "neighborish" due to social medias. Excuse my English, but social medias will run peoples lives one day and it will scare people away from social mediums. It's inevitable. I already feel like my "associates" know more about me than my own family. Considering the growth of social mediums and the rage, it's bound to die down in a few years. But, what'll there be after that? Virtual medias? Will I be able to have fish and chips with my cousins in England on the internet? Or will I be able to go to dancing with a girl I like at school? Who knows! What I do know is, Facebook should be called Stalkerbook, MySpace should be EveryoneSpace, and Friendster should be called Strangester.

Too much of anything, isn't good for you.

- U.

Blogging all patients!

2009-09-14T21:15:00.001-07:00

Just when you think social networks couldn't get any more creative or personal, vancouver based BC Children's Hospital/KHLF and TELUS respond with a cooky, yet intriguing announcement. The hospital is launching a first ever social online network for kids undergoing hospital care in western Canada. This is no joke ladies and gentlemen!

The social network is meant to connect kids in hospitals who tend to feel cut off from the world. Kids can now create a profile, blog, instant message, play games, and be connected to other kids with similar health conditions. Will this social network be a big hit? I think so. I'm sorry, I lied. I KNOW SO.

We are at a point in time where social networks run our lives. We use social networks at work, home, when we're bored, when we're busy, on the train, on the bus, while in a meeting, while on our phones; Social networking is in and it makes total sense to create a network for kids creating a common ground with other child patients. I'm just wondering why it took so long for someone to launch such an idea? Might it be because an idea such as this isn't economically sound? How does one make money from this?

Would it be morally wrong to use this tool as a way to advertise cancer drugs to a patient? Of course! So, it'll be interesting to see how this social network becomes financially sound as time progresses.

Creating a social utility for patients is not only necessary, but "socially responsible."