truk Rambles - Read truk's Blog! RSS Feed Microloans Made Easy - Kiva.org 2008-02-25 19:21:32 It has been a busy couple of months, but I've been working too hard to have anything decent to write in this space. I tend to lie pretty dormant in the winter, which in Memphis can be mercifully short (usually only 2 months long, or so). I have been experimenting with a few things worth mentioning, though. One of those is kiva.org, which is a site that allows you to loan money directly to people around the world that need it. The idea is called microcredit, and while it has been around for a long time, what is relatively new is that it is now possible for individuals to easily (via the web) to pool their efforts and loan money directly to other individuals and groups. Kiva.org has been around a few years now, and while it has gotten a fair amount of press (including a mention in President Bill Clinton's book Giving), most folks are still unaware that such a thing exists. How does it work? Well, the kiva.org site is full of requests from people all around the world that need a relatively small amount of money loaned to them so that they can expand their business or accomplish a similar short-term goal that will result in them being able to pay back the loan and, hopefully, make their life better and improve their community in the process. After creating an account on kiva.org, you can select the projects you wish to fund through a loan. In most cases, depending on how much you want to loan, you may be loaning money to an individual or group on the other side of the world in partnership with several other people doing the same thing. For example, the total amount of a loan provided for a person in Ukraine may be $1100, but you may only be putting up $50. You decide how much you want to put up for the loan. A PayPal account is required to provide a loan, as that is how the money is provided for the loan overseas, as well for how it is paid back. It is important to note that you are not paid any interest for your loan but that interest (about 21%) is charged to the person or group that takes out the loan. All of the interest goes to pay for the Kiva Field Partners, which are the folks on the ground the various countries around the world, investigating the validity of the loan request and facilitating the dispursel and collection of loan money. As the Field Partners have a great motivation to ensure that money is only loaned to people who can pay it back, as it is the only way that the Field Partner makes any money, the repayment rate on the loans is near 100%, meaning that they money that you are loaning is pretty safe. (Like any loan, however, there is a risk that you could lose the entire amount you are loaning. Only loan an amount you can stand losing, if the worst happens.) Kiva.org isn't without its critics, but I found the entire process of loaning $50 to a group of Ugandan women, called the Namugongo Group, very straightforward. Through the kiva.org site, the Field Partner will keep me up-to-date with how the loan money is used and let me know when repayments are made, which could take up to a year. By doing this, I am able to personally help make a change in the lives of others half-way around the world, people I'm never likely to meet. I'm also probably not out any money, as it would likely just have set in my PayPal account making a tiny bit of interest. The money will eventually come back to me. And, if I'm lucky, maybe a little karma, too. I have a lender page set up, where you can find out more about the individuals and groups I choose to fund: http://www.kiva.org/lender/truk If anyone reading this is interested in an invitation to join kiva.org, drop me an email through the Contact page. (An invitation is not required to join Kiva, but I will get credit for an invited person actually joining Kiva.) View more truk blog entries 2001 Footy Grand Final in Sydney 2008-01-06 16:04:41 I've been posting a few videos on YouTube from our time in Australia in 2001 and 2002, and I thought I would share a few of them here. This movie features the La Perouse Panthers in an exciting city championship game against Moore Park, one of their biggest rivals. I still haven't mastered getting the best quality video up on YouTube. I've tried several different methods to improve the resulting video after YouTube encodes my video after upload, but nothing has worked. If anyone has a killer method of how to move a finished iMovie 2006 video to YouTube, please leave a comment. Thanks. View more truk blog entries Bruno's Restaurant, Memphis, TN 2008-01-03 18:01:44 Today, I happened upon a pretty good, relatively new Italian place in midtown Memphis. Bruno's Restaurant, located at 1354 Madison, offers tasty, authentic Italian fare, generous portions, and good service, all at an affordable price. Perhaps the best thing about this relatively new restaurant is that it offers a touch of class to a corner that really needs it: Madison at Cleveland. Located in a building that formerly housed a quick labor business, Bruno's is helping to turn around Madison at the end of the trolley line and acts as a great example of the slow but gradual downtown-uptown-midtown Madison business revival. I had the spaghetti with sausage for $9, which was well worth the money. Bruno's only uses real Italian, spicy sausage, which is impossible to find at most chain Italian places. Everyone from the lunch gang enjoyed their meals, too. The Commercial Appeal review echoes many of my thoughts, so I won't repeat what Fredric Koeppel wrote, other than to say the same guy pictured in the article wearing camouflage and chowing down on lasagna was there when we visited. View more truk blog entries The Rambling Continues: Read All truk Blog Entries Here

2007 - Memphis February Snowboarding in Tahoe May Memorial Day at the Parker's Lakehouse June Larry and Michelle's Wedding on Shelter Island, NY July Hawaii (Oahu | Big Island (plus kayaking at Captain Cook) | Kauai text 1 and text 2 | Hawaii (Mostly Budget) Accommodation Review) 2006 - Memphis January Las Vegas April Jacob Born July Douglas Visit in Rhode Island September Iowa Visit October Urban Wolf River Trip November and December Costa Rica (Volcan Arenal | Monteverde | Montezuma | Uvita | Porto Jimenez | Corcovado | Aerial Photos) 2005 - Memphis January New Years at Dave and Christina's May Kath's PhD Graduation from Duke University June Kath's PhD Graduation Party at the Shack-Up Inn December New Zealand and Australia (Tahiti and Wellington | Marlborough and Kaikoura | Abel Tasman and the West | Manapouri and Milford Sound | The Catlins | Dunedin and Christchurch | Sydney) 2004 - Memphis January Jeni's Baby Shower | Birth of Emmett February Snowboarding in Park City May Memorial Day at the Parker's Lakehouse July Yucatan Movie [QT 7] (Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Chichen Itza, Valladolid, Merida, Celestun) | Paris October Visiting the Douglas's in Boston 2003 - Memphis January New Years February Aaron's Snowboarding Bachelor Party June Jaymie's Bachelor Party October Dave & Christina Wedding Shower September Dave's Bachelor Party October Dave & Christina's Wedding 2002 - Australia - Memphis January Tasmania - Port Arthur [1st] | Tasmania - East Coast [2nd] April Queensland [1st to 15th] June Sydney Opera House [11th] | Broken Hill [15th] | South Australia [20th] | Western Australia [26th] July Darwin, Litchfield, Katherine Gorge [16th] | Arnham Land [19th] | Kakadu National Park September Prague Wedding Reception, People, More People, Buildings | Croatia Mainland, Vis November Kath's Surprise Birthday Party | Thanksgiving December Christmas 2001 - Australia September Peyton's Baptism [2nd] | Apartment [9th] | Cliffwalk [18th] | Footy Final [23rd] October Koori Knockout [1st] | Vigoro [20th] | North Sydney Beaches [30th] November Sports Awards [9th] December Tasmania - Cataract Gorge [30th] | Tasmania - Cradle Mountain [30th] | Tasmania - West and South [31st] 1999 - Southern Africa Cape Town | Garden Route | Jo'berg | Victoria Falls | Stellenbosch 1998 - Peru Lima | Huancayo | Ayacucho | Cuzco | Machu Picchu/Puno | Lake Titicaca | La Paz | Arequipa | Colca Canyon | Nazca/Pisco/Lima 1997 - Prague, Greece, Turkey Prague | Cesky Krumlov | Romania | Alexandropolis | Samothraki | Ruins | Prague 1996 - Australia Sydney 1995 - Asia, Silk Route Turkmenistan | Kyrgyzstan | Kashi/Urumqi | Iron Rooster | Beijing | Great Wall | Hong Kong | Philippines 1994-1995 - Prague Other Trips - Greers Ferry Lake (2001) Arkansas Expats A collection of friends Peebo.net Jeff Parker's blog Knurd.com Stephen Espy's blog Issafly Brad Sim's blog Jim's Astrophotography Page My uncle's cool collection of pics from around the galaxy truk.com truk and kath's website The Tackle Box by Matt The Adventures of Pete Big Bear Follow the adventures of Pete Big Bear while he roams around the US Crotchfish A witty (and true) look at all things library, political, and trivial. A Foolish Consistency CinemaApprentice's blog; great advice on movies and books From a Place Near a River Lady Di is online and loving it Dave and Christina Dave and Christina are building their own house! Life Beyond Expection Kath's CF blog