Wired is reporting that Google says that SPAM e-mail is decreasing. I don’t know about you, but it seems like spam e-mail is increasing, not decreasing. A day seldom goes by when I receive less than 20 spam messages.

I’m not very religious, but am fairly spiritual — I believe everything happens for a reason and that there is some higher purpose to life (though that purpose is still unbeknownst to me). I was chatting with one of my good friends on IM this morning and had an interesting discussion that started with a question

how do you think the “everything happens for a reason” mindset relates to being spiritual?

I really liked the way my friend approached the subject and totally agree.

You can look at it and say that your destiny, and what happens is out of your control and that you can only let life happen to you. Or, if you take it more spiritually, you take your life’s circumstances and you evaluate them more, you challenge their significance more, and then you listen to what calls you on the inside as you evaluate all that. Then, the conclusions you draw, and the lessons you learn from ‘what happens to you’ allow you to approach your path in life with more purpose, direction, and hunger.

What group are you in — the one that believes life is out of your control or the one that believes you have control over your destiny?

I just stumbled on a cool initiative — Buy Nothing Day — that took place in the UK on November 24th.

Everything we buy has an impact on our planet. Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries – only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is infinite – while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions – Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

Consuming doesn’t make people truly happy (at least not me). Buying material goods is like a band-aid — it’s a temporary fix. Happiness in life isn’t about material goods, it’s about life experiences and personal relationships. Good friends will make you happier than material possessions ever will — once you realize that, you’ll likely realize you don’t need 90% of the “stuff” you buy.

Click Here and then click the Red Button

[via StumbleUpon]

Read/Write Web has a fantastic post worth reading, especially if you are one of the thousands trying to make money via blogging — There’s No Money In The Long Tail of the Blogosphere.

How does Google’s renewable energy iniative announced yesterday help Google achieve their mission to organize the world’s information? I agree with Spencer (my bosses’ boss) — it doesn’t.

Not exactly core to their mission of making all the world’s information accessible, nor core to their business plan of making money through advertising.

That’s not to say that I don’t admire Google’s focus on renewable energy — there is a huge need for renewable energy in the world — I just don’t think this project is core to achieving their mission. The world’s oil supply isn’t going to last forever, and the quicker new and cleaner energy sources are developed, the better off the world will be. One thing is for certain — Google might be the most innovative company on the planet so, in that regard, I’m excited they are tackling such a massive issue. But, business-wise, should Google really be the company focused on this initiative? I’m skeptical.

Anyway, I’m not going to write a whole long post about this issue, mainly because I don’t feel sitting in front of the computer any longer tonight.

I said I MIGHT get a photo or two uploaded while I’m gone — so here are a couple from my trip so far (click on the thumbnails for the larger versions).

Only 4 days left until I’m back in Seattle…

Just a heads up that I’m taking a vacation — from blogging, from work, from the United States — for the next 3 weeks. I’m heading to the caribbean to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to enjoy some beach time and some relaxation — both of which are long overdue.

Those who have been reading this blog probably know I’ve become pretty passionate about microfinance. I’m going to get some 1st hand exposure to microfinance in the DR (where my best friend from high school friend is working right now), which is something I’m really looking forward to.

I might get to a computer for long enough to post a couple pictures, but I’m not promising anything — sitting in front of a computer is NOT on my list of desired activities (I do enough of that as it is).

So, if you e-mail, call, or facebook me — don’t expect a response til sometime in December

Being from Seattle, I couldn’t resist this video my colleague sent around today.

I am a huge fan of Bono and the work he is doing in Africa, so I thought it was worth highlighting the fact that Bono was featured on NBC’s “Making a Difference” segment on Friday night.

Making a Difference: Rock star with a heart

Here is the complete 16 minute interview with Bono on MSNBC.

Here’s a vlog by Bono thanking everyone for their support.

Note to MSNBC: It’s really annoying that you don’t allow people to embed your videos in other places on the web.