Nothing But Net

WEBSITE Kiva
www.kiva.org

It’s scary to imagine, but someday, we and every one of the 18 million NBN readers will die. We know, we know, you didn’t come to our page to read depressing stuff (that’s what the finance section of the Times is for). But something to consider when you kick the bucket is: How are you going to be remembered? Maybe by setting up a scholarship for students at your alma mater. Maybe by donating your corpse to be cut open and sutured for practice by med students. Those are noble gestures, don’t get us wrong. (Do you know how many cases of Natty Ice you can buy with a scholarship? At least 40; that stuff is cheaper than bottled water.) But an even better opportunity lies in Kiva. Kiva lets you loan money to individual entrepreneurs in developing countries, enabling them to start their own small businesses, which could put food on the table, teach their children to read, and many other things we take for granted. Microfinancing is a proven method of helping impoverished countries, with institutions like the Grameen Bank having aided millions of people. Sure, you don’t get a plaque with your name on it, but the reward of enabling a family to survive is far better.

PICTURES Orange County Fires
www.latimes.com

There are lots of instances when fire is awesome, like when Dhalsim shoots it out of his mouth in any of the Street Fighter video games. But there are also times when fire totally sucks, and burning down houses is one of them. The Los Angeles Times has an excellent photo montage of the destruction, and we wanted to show the 23 million NBN readers in the Golden State we were thinking about them. The collection includes photos of charred houses, one with its entire second floor caved in, and some of grieving families who have lost the most valuable investment in their lives. Aside from those, there are plenty of pictures of wild blazes and dancing flames, which make us wonder who is taking these shots? On the list of stuff to do near a fire, “Take Pictures” is pretty low. “Call For Help” and “Get The Hell Away” are our top two options. Maybe there’s something special in the photo department water cooler at the Times office.

TRAILER Seven Pounds
www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/sevenpounds

Will Smith. He’s got good movies (Independence Day), great movies (The Pursuit of Happyness) and classic movies (Hitch is one of the best movies ever). His last eight films have each grossed over $100 million. Barack Obama says he would want Smith to play him in a biopic of his life. To sum it up, Will Smith is The Man. And on Dec. 19, Will Smith is going to be even more The Man when Seven Pounds comes out. Judging from the trailer, this is a decidedly different choice for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, so we wanted to get the word out to the more than 41 million NBN readers. Smith plays Ben Thomas, a mysterious guy who tries to change the lives of seven strangers by giving them stuff (like his house) for unknown reasons. Smith’s character is creepy and his facial expressions are a bit unsettling, but if he was able to play an alcoholic superhero and gross $100 million, this should be a walk in the park.

WEBSITE Culture Shoq
www.cultureshoq.com

Listen. This whole writing gig? It’s not too bad. It pays the bills. And anything we say gets read by more than 60 million readers each week. Best of all? There isn’t even a single suit in our closet; we wear Nikes and jeans to the office. You get up early to do yard work, we get up early to go buy the new Air Jordan sneakers. We are a part of street culture. And maybe you’re not. That’s OK. Try on Culture Shoq and see how it fits. The site is run by seven dudes who wear their love of street culture right on their hoodie sleeve. Culture Shoq is full of it all, from skateboarding to sneakers to music, updated daily with news and opinions from the writers. Word.