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Posts tagged 'KF14'
Happy Earth Day from Kiva Fellows around the Globe!
Compiled by Caree Edson, KF 14, Armenia
One of the unfortunate sight-seeing adventures that you never sign up for when you travel (especially in developing countries) is the unseemly amount of trash cluttering the otherwise beautiful landscapes. In Armenia, it isn't possible to see the horizon through the smog most days and the streets are covered in cigarette butts and litter. I found no exceptions to this as I inquired from other Kiva Fellows about the dire situation in their countries. Environmental education and reform are simply not a top priority in many countries. But the future of climate change initiatives are not entirely hopeless…
By Caree Edson, KF 14, Armenia
There were incredible stories of resiliency on the Kiva website that moved me to sacrifice my stable income, access to hot water and balanced nutrition, not to mention consistent contact with my friends and family back home for a few short months in pursuit of furthering my knowledge in the field of microfinance. In short, the reason I became a Kiva Fellow was to fulfill Kiva's mission of "connecting people through lending to alleviate poverty". I could think of nothing I'd rather be doing with my days than meeting farmers and small business owners on the other side of the world and sharing their stories with all of you. I informed a few borrowers last week that I journeyed all the way from the US to meet them and hear their stories, and I meant every word.
The Bare Necessities
By Stephanie Sibal, KF14, Cambodia
It oftentimes begins with the aspiration of achieving something bigger: many enterprising Kiva borrowers request loans to start new ventures or expand businesses. Some rely on a Kiva loan to remedy a setback.
However, not all borrowers take out loans with the intention of starting or growing a business. Coming from places where running water, electricity, and sometimes even a roof for their house are considered luxuries, countless borrowers request loans to improve the quality of their lives.
Three months and nearly a dozen trips into rural Cambodian provinces of Kampong Chhnang, Takeo, and Kandal have provided me with opportunities to chat intimately with borrowers who are grateful to lenders for allowing them what the developed world calls "the bare necessities."
"The Good Family"
By Caree Edson, KF14, Armenia
It was about noon on a gorgeous Spring day in Goris, Armenia when I showed up at the local SEF branch to meet the employees there. Goris is stunning in its natural beauty. The city center resides at the bottom of a bowl with caves and mountains towering on every side.
The tiny, three-person staff of the SEF branch welcomed me with tea, brownies and chocolate (a custom I plan to take back home with me) and were thrilled for the opportunity to show me around. The only question was how many borrowers I would like to visit. Since the day was getting later, I asked them to pick their two favorite Kiva borrowers and introduce me. With no agenda, other than training on how to take fabulous profile photos, we were off on a four-wheel drive trek around the villages to see two of the area's farmers.
Blast from the Past: KF7 turned microfinance professor visits Colombia to do field research
What happens to Kiva Fellows once they finish their placement and get released back into the world? This is a question I have asked myself many times as I look ahead beyond my placement in Colombia–luckily I will be part of KF15 and won't have to make those decisions for a few months! Many of the current fellows will be heading to grad school in the fall, going back to their old jobs, or looking for new jobs in international development. But how many of us get the chance to continue on in the world of microfinance?
Continue Reading 28 March 2011 at 21:35 JohnGwillim 4 comments
New Horizons- A Fellow's First Field Visit
By Caree Edson, KF 14, Armenia
While Kiva works with three microfinance institutions in Armenia, I have, thus far, only had the privilege to spend time with the staff at one. When I was offered an opportunity to do some Borrower Verifications for Nor Horizon (another partner institution), I jumped at the chance. Borrower Verifications, while requiring a lot of time and effort on the part of the fellows, are by far the best part of this journey. They entail going out into the field with credit officers and meeting with clients to ensure the accuracy of the information being uploaded on Kiva's website. In Armenia this makes for a fantastic way to spend a Friday.
Celebrating Carnival in the Andes
Compiled by Geeta Uhl, KF14, Peru
Kiva Fellows celebrate Carnival in the Andes- in Ayacucho and Cajamarca, Peru and Oruro, Bolivia. Check out photos and descriptions of the various celebrations and traditions in South America.
Photos from Carnival de Barranquilla
Forty days before Easter marks a grand occasion in many countries across the world – Carnival. We're composing this blog during a couple of hours of well-needed downtime from the second largest of them all: Barranquilla, Colombia.
Outside of Carnival season Barranquilla is a relatively ordinary city which doesn't tend to attract the throngs of tourists that flock to its beautiful coastal neighbours such as Cartagena and Santa Marta. However, for one long weekend of the year there is no more popular tourist attraction than Barranquilla. Hotels are booked out months in advance and the masses flood to town with just one thing on their mind – partying. As it happens, the locals start 'preparing' for Carnival about a month before the actual event with, well, more partying.
UNESCO hailed Barranquilla Carnival as one of the 'Masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity'. Whatever on earth that means, it makes it sound fabulously impressive and so, from what I've witnessed so far, I'll go along with it.
The focus of Carnival during the day are the numerous parades that take place around different parts of the city. These can be up to 5 or 6 hours long and feature a continuous stream of floats, dancers and performers strutting their moves in glorious waves of colour and mesmerizing patterns.
When the sun sets and the last of the performers reach the end of the road, the dancing baton is handed to the masses who assume their role with fervent gusto at street parties and open-air nightclubs across the city.
Carnival, while only being a few days long, provides a major boost to Barranquilla's economy. Prices for food, drink and taxis are inflated but, in the spirit of things, no-one seems to mind. Importantly, Carnival is of great significance to small-scale entrepreneurs such as hat-makers, artisans and food-stall owners. It's also an important time for Kiva Field Partner FMSD who provide loans to these entrepreneurs so that they can invest in stock to meet the high demand.
Amid a hazy but fantastic blur of dancing, costume, body paint, music, foam, corn flour and the odd Aguila beer, John managed to capture a few photos of this amazing spectacle. Enjoy!
Words by Nick Hamilton, photos by John Gwillim, KF14
Batalla de Flores – Saturday March 5, 2011
The first, and largest, parade of Carnival kicked off on Saturday afternoon.
Parada Floclórica Carlos Franco – Sunday, March 6, 2011
A much smaller parade with a more community feel didn't include the huge floats from Saturday's parade, but was still very fun and highlighted some amazing costumes and dancing.
Stay tuned to the Fellows Blog this Wednesday to read about more carnival stories from Latina America!!!
Nick Hamilton is currently serving with Interactuar in Medellín, Colombia and John Gwillim is in Barranquilla, Colombia with Fundación Mario Santo Domingo (FMSD) as part of KF14.
Interested in learning more about Fundación Mario Santo Domingo? Visit their page on Kiva here!
Ensuring a manly man's day
February 23rd was man's day here in Kyrgyzstan. Actually it was Defenders of the Fatherland Day throught the former Soviet Union, but here in Kyrgyzstan that has morphed into man's day. Many of you might be familiar with International Women's Day which is coming up on March 8th, but until I got here to Kyrgyzstan I had not heard of its male equivalent. I decided to celebrate the day with a trip to visit an entrepreneurial eagle hunter working to set up a community based tourism project in his rural home town. (more…)
The Rookie (El Novato)
The Rookie
This past week I was invited to receive the same training a CrediComún loan officer receives: a 45-hour-long marathon of information, from the history of the institution to the organizational structure of the branch offices to the details of the bonuses each role is entitled to. I'm not only a rookie here at CrediComún, but I also don't have much of a finance background, so I welcomed the opportunity.
CrediComún is a young company with 35 branch offices throughout central Mexico and over 350 employees. They primarily loan to groups of women in rural areas, but are gradually adding individual loans to their $12,000,000 portfolio. CrediComún is a dwarf compared to its main competitor Compartamos, with a portfolio in excess of half a billion dollars, and CrediComún's employees frequently use Compartamos as a measuring stick. In 2010 CrediComún rose to the rank of 12th best MFI in Latin America according to The MIX (Microfinance Information eXchange), and their total portfolio size grew by 96% in 12 months. Compartamos dropped one slot to 9th and their portfolio grew by less than ten percent.
All new employees attend the course, though it's designed primarily for loan officers. My class consisted of one loan officer, one branch manager, two computer programmers, the new Kiva coordinator and myself. Not only did the six of us cram information into our weary brains for daily exams, but there was also homework, we had to role-play the part of a loan officer encountering difficult clients, and write songs to promote the company.
The loan officer performs the principal tasks of the organization; everything else revolves around them. They find new clients and take care of existing ones, attend the weekly meeting of each group they manage, typically travel several hours each day, solve problems within the groups, and transmit information between the company and the borrowers. They need to be punctual, professional, have wonderful communication skills and be willing to work long hours.
Oddly, three days into the course, I had the highest score. Danny, our instructor asked if I had ever considered being a loan officer. I laughed and replied that I don't have the right attitude — if a client couldn't pay, I'd probably loan them my own money. And that would be tough on $500 per month, which is a loan officer's approximate base pay.
But they also earn bonuses. If they serve more than 120 clients, they can get a monthly bonus of $40; if over 400 clients, the bonus turns into $100. That amount grows or shrinks based on several factors, such as number of new clients, years spent as a loan officer with CrediComún, and percentage of clients who have fallen behind in their payments. As our class stepped through the function to calculate that bonus, we were seeing that maybe being a loan officer is not so bad. $100 base incentive, add 20% for having been there for 2 years, add 10% for adding 20 new clients, tack on up to 0.7% of the amount collected… ka-ching! Then factor in the delinquency rate as follows:
|Percentage of Delinquent Loans
|Adjustment to Bonus
Given that the average delinquency rate in the institution is in excess of 3%, calculate the bonus for the typical loan officer. Anybody? Anybody?
That's right, class. No bonus at all. Ouch, right? Make sure your clients pay on time!
Toward the end of the week, I dropped out of first place into the middle of the pack, but graduated. The big honor: I'm the first non-employee to receive the coveted training certificate. Thanks CrediComún!
John Farmer is a Kiva Fellow working in Mexico City. He is gradually recovering from the training.
El Novato
La semana pasada me invitaron a recibir la capacitacion de coordinadores de CrediComún. Es un maratón de 45 horas, que incluye la historia de la institucion, la estrutura de las sucursales y los detalles de los bonos que reciben los coordinadores. No solo soy novato aqui con CrediComún, pero también me falta experiencia en finanzas, por eso acepté con mucho gusto.
CrediComún es una compañía joven con 35 sucursales en la central de México, con más de 350 empleados. Ortogan préstamos principlamente a grupos de mujeres en áreas rurales, pero poco a poco van agregando préstamos individuales a su cartera de $12,000,000. CrediComún es pequeño al lado de su competidor principal, Compartamos, con una cartera en exceso de 500 millones de dólares. CrediComún suele competir al lado de Compartamos. En 2010, CrediComún alzó al lugar número 12 entre las mejores microfinancieras en América Latina según el Mix Market, y el tamaño de la cartera creció 96% en 12 meses. Compartamos bajó un peldaño a lugar número 9 y su cartera creció menos de 10%.
Todos los nuevos empleados asisten al curso, aunque la función principal es capacitar a los coordinadores. Entre los integrantes de mi clase estuvieron: una coordinadora de crédito, un gerente de sucursal, dos programadores, la Coordinadora de Kiva y un Kiva Fellow. No sólo nos metimos un montón de información en la cabeza para tener éxito en los exámenes, sino también hubo tarea para las noches, teníamos que jugar el papel del coordinador frente a clientes complicados y componer canciones para promover la compañía.
El coordinador de crédito hace los trabajos más fundamentales de la organización; todo depende de él. Ellos buscan los nuevos clientes y atienden a los actuales, asisten las reuniones semanales de cada grupo que les pertenece, viajan horas cada dia, solucionan problemas de los grupos, y transmiten información entre la compañía y los grupos. Necesitan ser puntuales, profesionales, poseer excelente técnicas de comunicación y estar dispuestos a trabajar muchas horas.
Curiosamente, en el tercer día fuí yo quien tenía la nota mas alta de la clase. Danny, el instructor, me preguntó si me interesaría ser coordinador. Me reí y dije que no tengo la actitud de coordinador – si no podría pagar el cliente le daría de mi propio dinero. Sería difícil con el sueldo que ganan, unos $500 por mes.
También ganan incentivos. Si tienen más de 120 clientes, reciben un bono mensual de $40; si más de 400 clientes, ese bono es de $100. El bono crece o disminuye basado en varios factores, por ejemplo: el número de clientes nuevos, años con la compañía, y porcentaje de clientes en mora. Cuando vimos la fórmula para calcular el incentivo, pensabamos que tal vez no sería tan horrible ser coordinador. $100 de incentivo base, otro 20% por haber trabajado 2 años con CrediComún, otro 10% por agregar 20 clientes nuevos, en adición 0.7% del monto colocado… ka-ching! Luego calcula, por favor, el efecto del porcentaje en mora:
|Porcentaje en Mora
|Incremento al Bono
Dado que la morosidad institucional excede los 3%, calcula el bono para el coordinador. ¿Alguien sabe? ¿Alguien?
Sí, exactamente. No habría nada de bono.
No mantuve el sitio de primer lugar en la clase pero a lo menos me gradué. El gran honor es que soy el primero en recibir el codiciado certificado sin ser empleado de CrediComún. ¡Gracias CrediComún!
John Farmer es un Kiva Fellow ubicado en la Ciudad de México. Poco a poco anda recuperandose de la capacitación.
Knowing and Understanding, Saber y Entender
by Carlos Cruz Montano KF14
One of my local friends came to me one day… "Mr. Montano I need to talk to you". Later that day he told me he had to send money to his mother and had other expenses but payday which was still a few days away. We agreed on the terms, half with the current month's pay and the other half with the following month's pay; both at the end of the month since that's when he receives his pay. No big deal, I thought.The first paydate came and went – no payment. He had an explanation and reasoning of how we had agreed for him to pay on the 14th of the month – to his credit he did pay back the first half on that day but this simple incident finally made me understand what three directors at different microfinance institutions (MFIs) had been telling me in one way or another, sometimes borrowers simply do not understand the terms of the loan.
Uno de mis amigos llegó un día muy sonriente y me dijo Señor Montano, necesito hablar con usted. Un rato después me explicó que tenía una pequeña emergencia y debía mandar un poco de dinero a su mamá pero todavía faltaban varios días para el fin de mes (que es cuando recibe su sueldo mensual). Después de platicar llegamos a un acuerdo, yo le iba a prestar el dinero; el haría dos pagos en el último día del mes, es cuando recibe su salario. Pasó el último día del mes como si nada, cuando lo volví a ver le pregunte que había pasado. El me salió con una historia que el había acordado pagarme a mitad de mes. Al final si me pagó pero este pequeño incidente finalmente me hizo enteder lo que tres directores de instituciones de microfinanzas (IMFs) me habian comentado: a veces los clientes simplemente no entienden los términos del contrato.
Microfinance Marketing 101: The Loan Officer
By Stephanie Sibal, KF14, Cambodia
In the last few weeks, while hopped up on caffeine from too many cups of instant coffee, when I was approached and asked to create a marketing plan for MAXIMA, the microfinance institution (MFI) hosting my Kiva Fellowship in Cambodia, I overeagerly agreed.
Prior to my fellowship, I spent some time working in public relations, so the task of creating a marketing plan wasn't completely new to me. In order to get started, I needed to figure out how MAXIMA markets to its borrowers in the first place. I knew the first place to start was the ever-important loan officer.
"Today, we're advertising."
Loan officers have an unbelievably difficult and labor-intensive job. They have a long list of responsibilities: traveling long distances to meet with new or existing clients, disbursing a microloan, and collecting repayments. (Previous Kiva Fellows have written about the jobs of loan officers, in Vietnam and Ecuador)
Last week, I asked to tag along to with Vanna, one of MAXIMA's loan officers, and found out exactly how crucial loan officers like him are to MAXIMA's marketing program.
In short, he and other loan officers like him ARE the marketing program.
Kiva Field Partners: More than just microfinance
Kiva's mission, to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty, is implemented in the field by partnering with microfinance institutions around the world. All of Kiva's Field Partners have a strong mission to alleviate poverty and expertise in doing so through the use of microcredit–they are the legs of Kiva that get the money loaned into the hands of the entrepreneurs. Yet, in many cases the projects and mission of our Field Partners expand beyond microfinance–they are dedicated to enriching the lives of their clients in many ways. A few examples from Kiva Field Partners across the world:
- The Christian Rural Aid Network (CRAN) runs the Child Education Support Scheme, a child aid and development program that provides access to quality, basic education for needy children living in deprived rural communities in Ghana. CRAN also runs a program called Energy in Common that provides lighting for remote villages in Ghana, using the concepts of microfinance: it loans the equipment to villagers, who then pay back in installments.
- Fundacion Paraguaya runs a self-sufficient agricultural highschool; they focus on producing and selling organic vegetables, but also have cows and a small dairy plant. The school also own a small hotel that is rented mainly for private functions, work meetings, and seminars. All students work and live on-campus: the freshmen do most of the basic work, the juniors train the freshman and also working on specialized tasks, while the seniors serve as experts and supervisors. Depending on what each student chooses they can graduate with a single or dual-degree in agriculture and/or hotel management.
- FINCA Peru provides its members with training sessions on women's rights and gender issues education. FINCA is part of the Women's Empowerment Mainstreaming and Networking network (WEMAN), which aims to empower and improve vulnerable women's lives, their families, and communities. Training is offered during weekly or biweekly bank meetings through dynamic and interactive programs that incorporate analysis, reflection and mutual learning to allow women to share their own experiences and change their attitudes and perceptions.
Here in Colombia Fundación Mario Santo Domingo's (FMSD) work is focused not solely on microfinance, but the social development of Colombia as whole, as described by their mission statement:
To promote the common good and bring about social development on a national level through support for educational, cultural, charitable and health-related activities and programs, scientific and technological research, the creation of jobs and income, and all other activities that contribute to improving the quality of life of the general population, especially within the poorest communities.
FMSD has built a clinic, a ecological institute on Barú Island, and high schools for communities that likely would not have received any other form of help. The hold numerous workshops each week ranging for business seminars to programs designed to improve the communication of families within their homes. They have programs that offer street children better opportunities for their future, as well as programs designed to strengthen and maintain Colombian culture, such the events and costumes used as part of Barranquilla's world famous carnival that will take place in 9 days.
One of FMSD's largest and most ambitious projects is called Dreams and Opportunities, which is a program designed to construct strong communities with better housing options for poor families in Colombia. They have constructed over 14000 homes to daye, and in 2008 plans began for two large communities on the northern coast: Villas de San Pablo in Barranquilla and Ciudad del Bicentenario in Cartagena will housing 20,000 and 25,000 families respectively within the next decade. The homes receive approximately a 40% subsidy from the local and national government and require only 10% down for a family to move in; they are able to take out a 7-10 year loan at low interest rate that they would never be able to receive from a commercial lending source. FMSD does not only focus on building homes, but also a community surrounding them–playgrounds, parks, computer centers, and community areas are planned into the design from the beginning.
Last Friday I had to opportunity to visit Villas de San Pablo for the dedication of a free house from FMSD for a family in need. The Alverez family used to live in very poor conditions and experienced a tragedy where they lost 4 of their 8 children in a fire in their previous home. FMSD worked with the national government and local Catholic church to provide a new, furnished home for the family. The family will now have an opportunity to start over in a new, safer home thanks in part to FMSD.
Projects such as Villas de San Pablo allow organizations like FMSD to assist people in many aspects of their lives, as well as tie back to their microfinance mission; loan officers are constantly reaching out to new residents to see if they would benefit from a loan to start or improve their current business.
Kiva's Field Partners are doing much more than just providing loans, they are helping transform their communities and change people's lives.
Interested in learning more about Fundación Mario Santo Domingo? Visit their page on Kiva here!
John Gwillim is a Kiva Fellow currently serving with Fundación Mario Santo Domingo (FMSD) in Barranquilla, Colombia.
A Month in Armenia
As I look back, I can't believe it's been a month already since I left my home in Colorado to serve as a Kiva Fellow in Armenia. It has felt much longer with incredible experiences, both positive and negative, that will surely shape my future in ways that I have yet to discover.
Where in the world is Yerevan, Armenia?
When I told people that I would be going to Armenia as a Kiva Fellow, the first response was always "WHERE IS THAT?" Most mixing it up with Romania or to my Spanish speaking students back home- "Alemania"( Germany). I could understand their difficulty – as it is such a small country that it is abbreviated "Arm." on many maps.
I was anxious and enthusiastic as I boarded a plane after training at Kiva headquarters in San Francisco, and set out to learn all I could about this tiny country in my 3 ½ months as a fellow with SEF International in Yerevan. This excitement was only mildly lessened by the 27 hour flight + 8 hour layover in London on the way.
I had the good fortune to overlap in time with the previous fellow working with SEF- Abhishek. He was invaluable to me as he helped with everything from setting up a cell phone on my first day, showing me around the city, and introducing me to all of his wonderful friends, who quickly accepted me into their group as their newest family member.
Of course, in any new place, one discovers many trials and reasons to be grateful for what we have access to in our home countries. For example, I quickly discovered after moving to an apartment on the 11th floor why most Armenians try to live below the 6th floor. Consistent access to water is something that just doesn't happen on the floors above this level. Pumps are inefficient in these old Soviet structures and water doesn't always reach those of us living at higher levels. There is also a limited supply and once the water is gone, there's nothing that can be done. To solve this issue, many people have storage tanks in their apartments and if mine wasn't always leaking, I would have better access to water throughout the day. Electricity and gas are quite expensive and highly unreliable as well. This takes some planning, but does not deter from the awesome experience of living in Yerevan.
During my first few weeks, the wonderful and welcoming staff at SEF were very busy catching up on figures from the end of the previous year and were off to a slow start as the holidays lasted well into the second week of January. (Christmas is celebrated on January 6th here ). I learned that it is customary for borrowers to repay any loans they can and start the year off with no debt- an excellent custom, I think-and so we saw a few early repayments on loans that were not due in full for another year. SEF offers Kiva borrowers the opportunity to take either small business loans to improve their shops with inventory, air conditioning, ovens, and more, or to gain access to agricultural loans. SEF serves 6 regions in Armenia and offers a unique 36-month term on agricultural loans which allows farmers to weather the difficult seasons and take advantage of the profitable seasons before repaying. I understood quickly how organized and efficient SEF's office and staff are. They are a growing institution and each member holds a significant workload and responsibility, but they all made time to greet me and welcome me to the team- conveying all the while how important they feel their partnership with Kiva is. Borrowers were slowly trickling back into the office to get new loans and we enjoyed some down time so I took the opportunity to get to know the city.
Walking the streets of Yerevan- with infrastructure that is obviously influenced by both Europe and Russia- you can find anything you desire from fashion, a variety of restaurants, coffee shops and beautiful parks with mini-amusement park rides. The capitol, however, does not reflect the rest of the country by any means.
With an average annual income of around $5000 per year, and a struggling economy, Armenia has suffered the loss of a quarter of its population since independence in 1991 in an exodus for better economic situations elsewhere. Armenians hold fiercely onto their national identity and make consistent efforts to unite the 3 million Armenians actually living inside these borders with the 8 million Armenian diaspora who are spread all over the world. Armenia has been conquered and carved up so many times that each generation has had to start anew. Once part of the Persian empire, then the Ottoman empire, then the Soviet Union, dealing with genocide, wars, restricted religious freedoms, and trouble along two borders, Armenians know how to handle adversity with patience and resiliency.
It is this spirit of resiliency that I most admire at the moment. I was involved in a very bad car accident this past weekend while riding home in a taxi. Three cars collided and we are still unclear as to how many people didn't make it. One person passed away for sure and the car was on fire when I left the scene. I was lucky to walk away with only a dislocated hand and two sprained ankles.
Aside from being shaken up, I am doing fine now thanks to my incredible new friends that have dedicated each day to bringing me food, flowers, candy, cake, cheering me up, and mostly making me feel cared for and taken care of in the same way I would be at home. My Kiva Coordinator at SEF, Rouzan, immediately dropped everything at work to pick me up and took me to the best doctor in town to get x-rays done and make sure I was ok. I don't know what I would do without the amazing people that I have been blessed to meet in the past three weeks and am in awe of the caring nature and warmth of the Armenian people.The doctors were kind and patient and a woman even stayed with us for four hours to translate at the hospital even though it was very late and she didn't even work there.
I have also been grateful to the staff at Kiva and my fellow Kiva Fellows around the globe for their emails, phone calls and tremendous support. Working in developing countries involves many risks. Kiva Fellows have taken time off of work and left their lives of comfort knowing the risks involved to learn first-hand what a difference microfinance can make on the ground to those that need it. While it is not always glamorous, or 100% safe, it certainly entails excitement and opportunities for growth and this is truly a wonderful network to be a part of.
I know that each day will bring me closer to full health and mobility and am grateful for the opportunity to continue my fellowship with the fantastic, caring people at SEF. Business at SEF is picking up and new loans are coming in. If you would like to make a difference in the lives of their borrowers please consider lending today. We are hoping to surpass the 100 member mark on our lending team Team Armenia, and are very close. Join today and help us to get the word out to family and friends.
Caree Edson is a Kiva Fellow (KF14) serving in Yerevan, Armenia with SEF International. She is becoming quite adept at using just her left hand for everything she needs. To find out more about becoming a fellow click here.
A Post about Nothing
What's up with blog posts? Why do they always have to be about something? A post should be just like life. You know, nothing happens — you get up, you eat, you go shopping.
I asked myself, "John, what did you do today in Mexico City?"
My reply: "I got up and went to work."
There's a post!
You're still with me? Impressive! Then on to the details, or rather, the non-details, of a day in the life of a regular everyday normal Kiva Fellow.
I met up with CrediComún's Kiva Coordinator (my KC) at the Observatorio metro station and we hopped the bus to Toluca. This smog-capped industrial city of about a million people is historically famous for producing chorizo, or Mexican sausage. It's also surrounded by mountains — it's beautifugly! The bus was plodding along a crowded frontage road next to a busy highway. We got off, walked under a bridge, passed a few rows of shops and found our CrediComún subsidiary.
After chatting for an hour, four of us (including two branch office managers) got into a car and drove off to visit some Kiva Entrepreneurs. First, a young woman with three small children. All have striking ojos chinos, or Asian eyes, a very photogenic family. The two year-old was sitting on a bucket on a chair eating pasta soup. I started my interview with her, asking about the soup. She was incredibly bright and cute and not shy at all. We moved on to talking about shoes — hers came from the shoes her mother sells out of their home. The line of credit her mother receives (yes, I had moved on from interviewing the little girl to the mother around this point) allow her to earn a decent living while being with her children. Before, she borrowed from another microlender. For a six-month loan, she paid 100% interest. Not 100% annualized, but over the six months she pays back twice as much as she borrowed. That's around a 300% APR! With CrediComún she pays about 15% interest on a four-month loan, or around 70% APR. We did not want her to be late for her appointment to have her children vaccinated, so we didn't stay too long.
Next we visited a woman in her fifties who sews out of her home and her mother's home across the alley. The cameras were obviously making her nervous as she told us about how the loans had helped her situation. Then her eyes teared up as she spoke about her daughter who had left her baby with her a few years ago. The four-year old was crawling all over his grandmother throughout the interview. The cameras went off and we prepared to leave, and she showed us the jeans and industrial towels she makes. She waxed enthusiastic as she talked about the order for 30,000 towels she received from a nearby factory, and how she contracts another woman to help out and may be hiring others soon. If only we'd filmed that part!
The final visit was to a poor-looking house on a dead-end lane with what used to be a truck sitting out front. Chickens were clucking and a hateful dog on a short tether was barking and struggling violently to get at us. A preteen girl gave him a kick as we were invited into the house.
This client sells plates and cups and so forth out of her home. She didn't want us to videotape the interview out of fear for her children. I explained that we would not upload photos of anyone but her, and never give her full name or her location, and that there already is a photo of her on Kiva's site and that she had agreed to have it posted. She didn't budge, and we proceeded with the interview. Her twelve-year old daughter had just begun sixth grade. The girl talked about how she wanted to be a doctor and planned to finish high school. I let her know she'd probably have to study a bit longer than that.
The dog barked the whole time, so it was just as well we didn't record the interview. We had two great videos already and dozens of photos.
Next the four of us went to eat pozole (a hominy-based soup, as in "No pozole for you!") at a successful-looking restaurant. One of the branch office managers told me that the owner is another CrediComún borrower, but because she has become so successful, the amounts she can borrow are too high to qualify as a Kiva borrower. At lunch we reviewed our amazing collection of videos and photos.
My KC and I walked back to the highway, were soon on the bus and I threw my backpack in the rack above our heads. Because she's one of those people who have a lot to say, the time went by quickly. I told her about my late night of shooting pool and drinking mescal and eating chapulines (crunchy grasshoppers served with sliced oranges).
We looked out at the beautiful mountains and pine forests, and before I knew it we were on the subway heading back to the office. I realized something was wrong with my backpack – my flipcam was not there. Nor was my camera. We returned to the bus station to see if perhaps they had fallen out, and an hour later, the infinitesimal hope I held had gone to zero. After years of never having been a victim in Latin America (true, I've been overcharged!), I had finally been robbed. And the worst part by far, was the loss of all that precious data.
I felt like a jerk (in fact, the jerk store called and they are not running out of me!) because of the sheer carelessness on my part. Not only were those images perfect and meant so much to me and would have made this post so much better, but could the data in the wrong hands put those families at risk? Fortunately none gave their full names or neighborhoods and we didn't take any outdoor shots, but the truth is, yes, it could.
So there it is. There's a post. Just a bunch of people doing their day-to-day routines.
You can help by making a loan to a CrediComún client, joining Friends of CrediComún, or spreading the word about Kiva.
John Farmer is a Kiva Fellow working in Mexico City. He has watched way too many Seinfeld reruns in the past.
Mangoes and Motos: Visits to the field in Cambodia
By Stephanie Sibal, KF14, Cambodia
My first couple of weeks serving as a Kiva Fellow in Cambodia were in many ways, a true shock to my system. The country's capital, Phnom Penh, is a dizzy blur of lights, motorbikes, colonial-inspired architecture, and savory street food aromas that take some getting used to. However, nothing snaps a Kiva Fellow out of homesickness faster than a visit (or two) to the field. While working with CREDIT, one of Kiva's oldest partners in Cambodia, I had the pleasure of leaving the busy city life two visit two borrowers in rural provinces.
Community Vigilantism Keeps Toto Tranquil
By Gustavo Visalli, KF14, Guatemala
"Esto no es Guate, ni Xela. Aquí las calles son seguras. (This is not like Guatemala City, or even Xela. The streets here are safe)." My wonderful host in the village of Cojxac is reassuring me of the safety of the streets at night. It is my first month as a Kiva Fellow in the region of Totonicapán (aka Toto), Guatemala. I secretly doubt my host's words as I nod, since the ominous streets outside seem like the perfect place for a good old fashioned mugging. These prejudicial thoughts first came up as my chicken bus screeched into town. I then planned to spend many long nights safe at home re-reading my copy of The Hobbit. Ah, the crazy nightlife of a Kiva Fellow.
However, my host continued to explain that the community has a strong presence in the region. A thief, he recounted, recently stole an old woman's bag on the main road. Alert neighbors blew their whistles and the thief was quickly apprehended. They shaved his head, displayed him to the town and warned him that he had 12 hours to gather his belongings and leave, never to return.
- Banners reading "Vecinos Organizados Contra la Delincuencia (Neighbors Organized Against Delinquency)" hang across the main road. My first thoughts were that this community had an unusually enthusiastic public concern regarding loan delinquency, but I soon learned otherwise. Delinquency = crime, not loan delinquency, in this case.
A lack of police presence sparked this community vigilantism. Of course, the question arises: How far can or should these community groups take this street justice? Is the victim of vigilantism always guilty of a crime? These are questions beyond the scope of this post. However we look at it, the intensely tight knit community identity fascinates me. This small scale organization has minimized criminal activity in the streets, and this group mentality is widespread throughout the region. Can most of us say the same for the communities in which we live?
Asociación ASDIR, a Kiva field partner in the region, is built upon this cohesion. Rural communal banks of 4-20 members are regular ASDIR borrowers. Utilizing the strength and financial security of cooperating group members, these entrepreneurs join together for loans which support their various developing working projects. Las Mujeres Emprendedoras Santa Ana (The Enterprising Women's Group of Santa Ana) is a wonderful example.
If a neighborhood can come together to protect one another from criminals, it can certainly develop strong projects which help develop the community as a whole. ASDIR and Kiva help make this happen. With such a strong community identity, working together out of poverty is a goal that Kiva, ASDIR, and Kiva lenders are happy to support (want to lend?). Toto is a community built on respect for your fellow compañero, and I look forward to becoming a part of it in the coming months.
Gustavo is a Kiva Fellow working with Asociación ASDIR in Nimasac, Guatemala. He has become an expert in a new extreme sport: highway shoulder hiking, and is excited to live and work in the Guatemala highlands.
Super Bowl Around the World
The Neilsen ratings haven't been released for Super Bowl XLV yet, but from the early reports it may have been a record viewership in the United States with well over 100 million people tuning in. As a big American football fan I thought it would be fun to gather some stories about the interest (or lack thereof) in the Super Bowl from Kiva Fellows posted around the world. Here's what we found!
I purposely scheduled a two hour trip from Barranquilla to see some of Fundación Mario Santo Domingo's projects in Cartagena this weekend as it is the epicenter of tourism in Colombia and I knew I would be able to find a few travelers to watch the game with. I spent two days asking for "sports bar recommendations" to watch "fútbol americano" and came up with quite a few places to watch English Premier League games, but nothing for the NFL. I gathered a group of Americans, Australians, and English and headed off to the most American place we could find: Hard Rock Cafe Cartagena. Upon walking in the door we saw a promotion for a free drink if you wear a jersey supporting you favorite team and upon further inspection I saw some black and gold balloons along with 4 Steelers shirts.
The crowd was leaning towards the Packers, lead by my group and some a table from Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The Steelers put up a good fight in the cheering section led by a Colombian woman from Bogotá that has been living in the US for the past 16 years. We even had a Hard Rock Cafe "cheerleading" team and the ability to buy some tasty hot wings. The biggest disappointment I gather from most fans; no US commercials, as the game was broadcast by the local ESPN outlet and we had local commercials. Overall, I think I got about as close as I could have to watching the game in the US from South America.
I also decided to check the local newspaper, El Universal, this morning for any Super Bowl related articles; on the back page of section 1 I was pleasantly surprised.
But, fútbol, or soccer for the Americas, still is king here after looking at the front page:
John Gwillim, KF 14, Colombia
According to American media, there is growing excitement in Ghana about the first Ghanaian to make it to the Superbowl. The Kansas City Star reports that Charlie Peprah of the Green Bay Packers has become "somewhat of a hero for the 23 million people there." http://tinyurl.com/4k3qfu6
However, when I asked around, no one seems to have even heard of him. In fact, most people don't know what American Football is. Looks like the Beautiful Game still reigns supreme here.
Mei-ing Cheok, KF14, Ghana
In Bolivia American football is not very popular, however soccer is! When telling that I'm from the Netherlands, they often mention the loss in the World Cup final against Spain. Argh! When the Bolivian national team plays in La Paz they often win. Other teams call playing in La Paz the 'suicide match', because of the altitude: playing at a height of 3.660 meters (around 12.000 feet) is quite a challenge! However, last match in the South American Champions League between the number one team of Chile and the Bolivar team of Bolivia was won by Chile…
Klaartje Visser, KF14, Bolivia
When the Super Bowl airs at 4AM local time, I decided to do as the locals: sleep. Sleep over football seems to be the consensus from here.
Adam Cohn, KF 14, Rwanda
While many of my friends and family back home are filled with excitement for the Superbowl, I can't say people are filling the streets out of excitement for the Super Bowl here in Jordan. Right in our neighbors' backyards, both steeling and packing have occurred, but there is no clear winner yet and the fans on each side are hedging their bets. A search for "Sports Bar" in Amman, Jordan, on Google Maps found just 3 results. Two out of the three are in the Marriott.
Alex Silversmith, KF14, Jordan
Within two blocks of my apartment there were dozens of bars showing the game. I watched the first half in an Irish pub and the second half in an English pub. No American pubs apparently. Almost all of the crowd were Mexicans, though a lot had lived in the US at some point. The crowds were evenly divided between cheese heads and asaderos. Channel 7 (Mexico City) even had a reporter on the field at the stadium in Dallas.
John Farmer, KF 14, Mexico
Kickoff time here in Yerevan, Armenia was around 4:30am Monday morning. The streets were pretty quiet and very cold. I decided to stay comfortable under my covers and watch the results from my laptop.
While international football (soccer) is quite popular here, American football is not. The most popular sports are wrestling and weightlifting. I hear that the Armenian soccer team is not great and no one seems to know when the team will play next or where I can purchase tickets.
Caree Edson, KF14, Armenia
So even though the Steelers lost I had a fabulous Superbowl in Lima. I thought about bringing my terrible towel to Lima, but since it is quite valuable to me I didn't want to chance losing it during the next three months! I watched the game in my hostel with a bunch of folks who didn't care at all about the game, but I didn't mind. I even explained the rules of the game in Spanish to a Chilean, Australian and two Germans. I thought we had it. Sigh. Next year!
Noreen Giga, KF 14, Peru
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone was not crawling with football fans….no one seems to know or really care about the game. Despite the odds, KF14 member David was able to catch the end of the game in Freetown.
David McNeill, KF 14, Sierra Leone
Guatemalans in Quetzaltenango do not get too excited about the Superbowl, but every bar is happy to accommodate ex-pats, tourists, and volunteers from the U.S. who are in town for the game. Gustavo of KF14 celebrated the event with a large portion of Pearce Corps Guatemala, many of whom are currently displaced from their placements in the area of Coban, Guatemala. Coban is currently in a state of siege and all volunteers in the area were forced to leave indefinitely. Despite the setback, spirits were high and high fives were plentiful.
Gustavo Visalli, KF14, Guatemala
South Africa
South Africans care about three sports: soccer, rugby, and cricket. There were no signs of the Super Bowl in Richards Bay, South Africa, except for late last night in EB's room. (She was rooting for the Packers.)
EB Moore, KF 13, and Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
John Gwillim is a Kiva Fellow currently serving with Fundación Mario Santo Domingo in Barranquilla, Colombia.
$3,000 Rent Anyone? Renta de 3,000 dólares? No, Gracias!
by Carlos Cruz Montaño, KF14, Liberia
Upon arriving to Liberia I started looking for a place to live, was just looking for a furnished apartment with nothing out of the ordinary… walked into a new building that was almost finished. The apartments included things like power 24/7, water, water heaters, bedroom set, TV, and a kitchen with gas stove, fridge and some cabinets… nothing out of the ordinary, right? Then I asked about the rent… how much? Three thousand dollars???
Despues de llegar a Liberia me dediqué a buscar un departamento, algo simple y sin lujos. Entré a un edificio que estaban renovando, los departamento tenían todo nuevo e incluían lo básico, electricidad, agua, calentador de agua, cama, closet, y la cocina tenia una estufa de gas, refrigerador y algunos gabinetes. Al parecer nada fuera de lo común… y la renta al mes es cuanto? Tres mil dólares???
Continue Reading 28 January 2011 at 20:00 Carlos 11 comments
Drawings from Training and Greetings from Boston
By Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa
You'll be hearing a lot from the 14th batch of Kiva Fellows (KF14) in the next few months but I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself while my Internet is fast and my motivation to go outside is low (it's well below freezing in Boston).
Continue Reading 18 January 2011 at 08:42 Alexis Ditkowsky 14 comments


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I need to control the backlight of a S60 3rd edition MIDP 2.0 device. However, if I try using the Nokia UI, the application does not build since Nokia UI was discontinued after MIDP1.0. The result is not satisfactory on using the standard Java function flashBackLight() of the Display class. The device behaves in a very unpredictable manner. It behaves as expected in certain cases, but the screen turns dark in some cases, if there is a key pressed event and the back light turns off for the rest of the application flow. Is there any other device specific way to control the backlight of Nokia devices?
Awaiting a reply.

subset: commoncrawl


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Have gotten lucky and have some new myth worth upgrading. Was wonder with a squire stats of 800/1400/700/800 and monk, eve, huntress with stats in the 800 range. Where would be a good place to collect mana and possible upgrades for my chars. I have not been playing that long but completed all of the original campaign and have unlocked the first shard misty for nightmare. I just got the complete shard pack a week or so ago and so I only have survive mistymire unlocked in nightmare have not been able to unlock the other maps yet.
So I guess what I am also asking is at some point do you get enough out of misty to be able to do moraggo and them the other shards, or should I be doing the older maps to get drops.


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Comment: Cynical attempt to lower tech wages (Score 2) 253
Tech companies want to make sure the Zuckerbergs make a gazillion dollars, but tech wages get driven down. 501(C) organization like FWD.us are all about getting "immigration reform" which includes a lot more H1B, which means you distort the intellectual capital market by bringing in more workers and thus driving down pay. Why pay money to an american with school loans when you can lobby government to get someone who can work for less as an H1B serf.
Paying kids is a new twist on this game. So, why even pay people who have careers, lets pay our employees even less by hiring children?
It is a race to the bottom, and make no mistake, it is so the rich can get richer. I don't want to sound like an "occupy wall street" loony, but don't workers deserve reward for their work just as much as industrialists. 40 years ago, CEOs only made a few hundred times more than their average employee, and that was scandalous.
These guys complain about the "economy," but that facts are clear, the U.S. economy was better when we had more wealth distribution, stronger unions, and a growing middle class. They want us to be China, and unless we figure out how to stop it, we will be.


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Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
As you approach The Saddlehorn Formation (which is the huge block just right of The Kid) this route can be seen as the arete on the right side of the north face of the block. It joins the route Redskin at Redskin's 5th or 6th bolt. At the 4th bolt you have an option: up and right (5.8, slightly more runnout) to Redskin's 6th and final bolt(5 bolts total),or, straight up (5.9) to Redskin's 5th bolt for a slightly more difficult variation (6 bolts total).One star out of five. 70 foot rappel off the overhanging north face.
5 or 6 bolts, 2 bolt belay/rappel anchor 70 ft.


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Pumpkin Spice Krispy Rice Bars
I admit it, I tend to go a little overboard on fall inspired baking. From No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies to Mini Pumpkin Spice Muffins, its a good thing my family loves the flavors of fall too! Not to leave any classic treat behind, I have infused the flavor of fall into krispy rice bars, for a delicious, ooey, gooey, fall flavored treat!
Pumpkin Spice Krispy Rice Bars
Lisa @ onceamonthmeals.com
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 10 oz marshmallows
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 5.5 cups crisp rice cereal
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and marshmallows. Stir occasionally so the mixture doesn't burn. When the marshmallows are melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add crisp rice cereal one cup at a time, stirring so that all cereal is coated. Transfer immediately to a greased 9X13 baking pan, pressing down bars. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Freezing Directions:
Prepare as directed above then wrap bars in plastic wrap. Place in gallon freezer bag, label and freeze. To serve: thaw and enjoy!
Servings: 15
**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann
3 Responses to "Pumpkin Spice Krispy Rice Bars"
Have you tried the pumpkin marshmallows?? I saw those at the store tonight, and this recipe made me think of them! I'll be it would be delicious!


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a classic
FedeEx Maintenance got the patio and #2 opened up.
Fedex 9034 arriving on RWY24R after a short flight from Palmdale Air Force Base. A very lucky chance to geta FedEx MD-10F on this side of the airport! [Canon 50D]
FedEx departing off 25L.
One of two daily FedEx MD-10s on final.
FedEx 1751 Heavy rotating off of 27L at PHL.


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Mack Brown - One-On-One with Craig Way
Absolute must listen for the diehard Longhorn football fan. Mack Brown discusses recruiting cycles, complacency, and reload memes. Dick Tomey's consulting efforts appear to be paying dividends. On several occasions in the past, Coach Brown has mentioned things that Tomey has offered. Multi-position evaluation is one of them. Interesting commentary on the "Shiro" Davis recruitment. Coach basically says that we were never out of it due to Bo Davis' involvement. Shiro said he was "intrigued" of the pass rush possibilities in Big 12 play due to quarterback skill. Mack Brown compares him to Brian Orakpo. In other interviews, Shiro stated that a big draw to the Texas program was the fact discussions were about academics and family first. Football was a distant third. Additionally, you probably have read or heard the direct quotes from Shiro regarding the need to play his decision close to the vest because of SEC, shall we say, shenanigans. This business about criticizing recruits for their school selection borders on the deranged. Those that trade on the social media vulgarity should be horse whipped. Also, Coach Brown sends a message to Longhorn nation regarding work ethic. "At Texas you can get complacent, even when something is good," he said. "We as coaches have to keep putting pressure on ourselves. We've got to get off to a great start with this next class." "I want to walk out on the field as a head coach and know our bunch is as intimidating to the other bunch," referring to his understanding the job of identifying, securing, and developing the best talent as head football coach is never finished. "And I want Texas fans to be really proud of what walks out there. I don't want them to duck. I don't want them to say 'we don't look good at this, or that'. I want us to walk into a stadium and represent what Texas Football should represent." With all due respect coach, just win, baby. Just win.


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News: Diggy Simmons Breaks Silence On J. Cole, Admits Sister Fueled Diss Record [Video]
Tuesday, Apr 3, 2012 9:13AM
Rap newcomer Diggy Simmons has come forward to address the newly leaked "What You Say To Me" diss record and admitted his anti-J. Cole track is indeed legit.
Despite leaking on April Fool's Day, Diggy said the words are indeed from his mouth.
"[There's] no big story behind it, it was really just that my sister [Vanessa] over a year ago told me that [J. Cole] was saying that he did this, that and third with her, 'cus the went to the same college, but they didn't really know each other like that, so it wasn't like that," he said. "She also told me that he subliminally talked about her in a song called 'Purple Rain,' which was also false. So it was just me sticking up for my family, that's all that it really was. I didn't even leak it, it got leaked last night while I was at the movies...I did that record last year...I was gonna put it out, but I didn't feel like it was appropriate, but of course, that's my sister...family over everything. [My dad Reverend Run] had already heard the track and he was like the same thing: 'Family over everything, that's your sister,' so he wasn't mad at all." (99.1 FM)
A couple days ago, the rapper's father also backed up his diss track.
"J Cole.. Puts out 2 records Dissing family & Diggy & nobody cared.. Some1 leaks a old Diggy record & there's a problem?," he tweeted April 1st. (Reverend Run's Twitter)
Diggy's new "What You Say To Me" diss landed online, coincidentally, April 1st.
"The other day I was listening to 'Purple Rain,' couldn't believe all of the things that I heard em say/Who dat, who dat, you know who it is, heard you lying on my sis, tellin people that you hit when your album drops I'ma hit you with your bricks, so I'ma bomb first on you since you wanna riff/Who you gonna call, you ain't got no friends, this fight is fixed, you ain't got no wins/Little n*gga named Cole think he live like me, jet setter trend setter, yeah you not like me/Can't find a girl that you know that do not like me, can't find a girl I know, who know you, you dumb fool/Wasn't even poppin' in the school you used to go to." ("What You Say To Me")
The track is his response toward Cole's "Grew Up Fast."
"Move along cock-sucker, ain't got nothing to see, 'less you talking blockbuster, you n*ggas is not Russell/You more Diggy, Me, I'm more Biggie/No diss to the young boy, I'm just rapping, get bored quickly" ("Grew Up Fast")
Check out Diggy Simmons' interview below:


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A group of protestors used the Presidential visit to get their voices heard.
The small group gathered to voice their concerns about the Keystone Pipeline.
Courtney Plante has the story from the Cannon Ball pit stop.
"This is right in our backyard. This is our homeland. We're going to stand here in solidarity with everybody else that's fighting the pipelines," says Joye Braun, South Dakota.
Members of the Indigenous Environmental Network are worried about the risks of the pipeline, if built.
"That's why we're here. We're here to remember that we're here to protect one another and to be good relatives," says Aldo Seoane, Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
They deliver their message with a tipi, banners and speakers to those traveling in and out of Cannon Ball for President Obama's visit.
"We want to continue our platform here, our message that we are asking for presidential consultation when it comes to the Keystone XL pipeline," says Aldo Seoane, Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
"I know they will give him a message. I know that our District 5 council representative from Cheyenne River will tell him please say no to Keystone XL pipeline," says Joye Braun, South Dakota.
We have a voice and we need to be heard. This is a step in the right direction," says Aldo Seoane, Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
Even though they weren't in direct contact with President Obama -- Seoane feels like they're voices will be heard.
Reporting for KX News from the Cannon Ball pit stop -- I'm Courtney Plante
Seoane says this was the perfect opportunity to remind people, the Lakota are against the Pipeline because it runs through culturally significant areas.


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Was it ever stated officially why Harry was an Ensign for 7 years?
View Single Post
November 1 2012, 06:28 AM
Rear Admiral
Location: Lost in Moria (Arlington, WA, USA)
Re: Was it ever stated officially why Harry was an Ensign for 7 years?
Pavonis wrote:
Maybe Kim just didn't earn a promotion because he's a poor officer, and if he hadn't been stranded in the DQ, he'd eventually have been forced out of the service.
If he was that poor, they wouldn't have kept him as the operations officer. That's a critical position. Instead he would've wound up stationed with Telfer, Harren, and Tal Celes.
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Konami Code Entered at Last Supper
Posted on Monday, August 1 @ 11:51:32 Eastern by Anthony SeverinoNo other "code" is as well known as the Konami code. It's the code. It originated from Gradius on the NES, but it wasn't until Contra for the NES when it became famous. It's so well-known, it's been used by over 40 different games, some of them not even published by Konami. It's a code of biblical proportions, which makes this "The Konami Code" poster art that spoofs The Da Vinci Code's take on The Last Supper so appropriately.
If video games were around when Jesus broke bread with his Twelve Apostles, The Last Supper would have looked something like this:
You can purchase DuelingAnalogs' The Konami Code poster art for $14.95.
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When Did VOYAGER Jump The Shark?
I don't know if a thread already exists on this or not, if so, I apologize, maybe someone can provide a link? If not, I'm curious about people's thoughts on this. Don't give me a specific episode or moment, just tell me which Season you felt VOYAGER began losing its way, and why. Thanks. For me, I'm not sure, but I believe I began tuning out in Season Five, not sure why exactly.
I do not really regard each series as being separate, so I cannot speak strictly for VOYAGER, since I view it as merely one part of a single huge series that aired for 40 years straight. So I must say that VOYAGER suffered from having been released after Star Trek AS A WHOLE jumped the shark, which I would say started with the first season of Deep Space Nine. Star Trek on TV was all downhill from roughly 1994-2005. After TNG went off the air, I concentrated on the movies, which even still sucked with the sole exception of FIRST CONTACT. And while I loved Enterprise, it was a massive failure. This new STAR TREK movie is the highest point that Star Trek as a whole has reached since TNG went off air.
Back on topic, though, VOYAGER, like Enterprise after it, suffered from being released during the wake left behind from Deep Space Nine. For that, I find it blameless.
"To boldly go where no man has gone before"
I'd say one of Voyagers big disadvantages from the onset was running along side DS9 for most of its run and having so much recent Star Trek behind it bogging it down. I think that by the end of the millennium the world had been saturated by too much Star Trek, so in that sense, not strictly Voyagers fault, just audience fatigue.
Just to clarify though, I do like Voyager despite my criticisms here, I think it had shaky beginnings like all the other shows, peaked in seasons 4 and 5 then sadly dropped again, similar pattern to TNG really, just never peaking as high.
'A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now.'
Thomas Pynchon
I don't think the series ever really jumped the shark - that would imply that the series became "silly" or had reached a point where suspension of disbelief was difficult. I do think the show reached a point - sometime early in season 6, IMO - where it did become more "safe" and predictable than it previously had been, but that's not quite the same thing.
I do think some of the characters jumped the shark, though: witness the Doctor's transformation from an intriguing and likeable curmudgeon into brain-dead comic relief, for one. Some characters that had rarely been well served really faded into the background: other than the last-minute romance with Seven, who can remember Chakotay doing anything interesting after One Small Step? I always think that was a case of the writers punishing Robert Beltran for daring to critique the way his character had been used.
People complain about Voyager being turned into the 7-Of-9 show, and they do have a point: but quite honestly, by the end of the series, she was, by far, the character with the most potential for interesting storytelling. No wonder the writers used her so often!
For all its shortcomings, I can't dislike the show, and always enjoy watching it. In fact, last month I started watching the show from the beginning for the first time since its original run. I'm up to season 3 now and am thoroughly enjoying it. The first season in particular was/is a lot better than I remembered it being.
Yes, the Maquis 'conflict' was dealt with far too quickly in many ways, although I liked that the writers dealt with it head-on with Learning Curve: after the events of that episode, I'm not surprised that the few remaining Maquis (about 30-odd, if I remember my numbers) began to toe the line and settle into their new positions. Perhaps the writers' only real mistake there was making Learning Curve so soon - maybe it would have been a better idea to make that in late season 2 or even early season 3, after the events of the Basics two-parter, when it was clearly illustrated that Janeway had really become popular with the whole crew.
My only complaint about season 1 really is that there were a hell of a lot of spatial anomalies... Still, we were in the Delta quadrant and those episodes did help give the impression to the viewer that things were weird and different out there!
Still though season 1 had wayyy to many anomalies, Parallax, Time and Again, The Cloud, throw in a holodeck episode with Heros and Demons (great for the doctors character but completely lacking in originality in terms of theme), and then a couple of 'it's all their head' episodes for good manner, Ex Post Facto and Cathexis.
I reckon, these should have gone in favour of possible marquis mutiny episodes, build up an atmosphere of paranoia and tension eventually leading to trust and friendship over the course of a series, rather than a pilot. And actually running out of resources and not making it a trivial fixed by the end of the episode job.
Still though, you're right in that there were a lot of great ideas, and it's a lot stronger than a lot of season 1 TNG and DS9 epiosdes.
The first time was after the great pilot episode. The pilot was, IMO, the best of all the Trek first episodes. Then it jumped the shark right into a pool of blandness. Part of the idea was there could be conflict between the Starfleet and Marquis characters but they seemed to all too quickly become a lovey-dovey crew. the most science fictional characters was Kes. But they copped out and never followed through with the great concept of a humanoid who's full lifespan is seven years. The showmakers didn't allow her to be much more than bland then they jumped the shark again and got rid of her because she was....bland!
They replaced her with Seven of Nine, who turned out to be a good character but they jumped the shark again by pretty much making it the 7 o' 9 show! And they relied too much on older concepts, The Borg and Q, because they couldn't seem to come up with new ones that catch on.
You know, I could go on but the problem was, IMO, fear of being different from what had come before, of being safe. It was like someone decided that ok, we've a female captain and some Marquis on the ship and they're all lost in space so we can write variations on the same themes in that different wrapping and we'll have something bold and different. Wasn't so. I don't know how much of the problem came from Berman or from Paramount but while I didn't hate the show by any means, I found it to be a huge bundle of unfufilled potential.
'A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now.'
Thomas Pynchon
Thanks for sharing your thoughts AA, I'm sure there are many who share your thoughts. But I guess I was thinking series wise, not in terms of the whole franchise, but in those terms, I guess I do agree that VOYAGER wasn't as fresh and original as DS9, however, I thought ENTERPRISE was surprisingly fresh compared with VOYAGER. Also, I'm more addressing the qualitative factor than the popularity of a series, or the Star Trek brand, which can be manipulated through marketing gimmicks.
Although I don't watch Voyager as much as the other series (it's the only series in which if I were asked to describe an episode just from the title, I'd find it a struggle Season Four onwards). I actually enjoy the earlier seasons more, and while I've nothing against 7 of 9, I think the Borg were overused towards the end.
I don't think they really jumped the shark, so much as failured to live up to its premise, yes the crew spent seven years looking for a way home, but the conflict between Starfleet and Marque crew members forced to work together just wasn't built on the way character conflict on DS9 was. And there was no sense of the crew getting more desperate as time went on (unlike Season Three of Enterprise) so no matter how many shuttles were destroyed or torpedoes fired, the ship never seemed depleted of resources. The show should have been more like 'Year of Hell' all the way through.
"Commanding a starship is your first, best destiny."
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We provide our clients a highly graceful range of Premium Scarfs which are fabricated by making use of premium quality raw material. Our elegant and stylish range is available with us in stylish colors and patterns, for our style conscious clients. We customize our range in varied specifications as per the demands and requirements of our clients.
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Maybe you want extra weight in your putter, but found the previous Heavy Putter models just a little too heavy for your preferences.
Fear not. Now Heavy Putter, by Boccieri Golf, has the Mid-Weight Series. Their weight falls between traditional putters and previous Heavy Putters. Each of these putters weighs 750 grams. As described in the company news release:
- CX2: Classic blade design; plumbers-neck hosel with a full shaft offset allows for a balanced putter face. Similar to the company's popular C2-Deep Face; available in LH.
- H1/H3: Medium-size mallet; high MOI rating for forgiveness on off-center hits. Features a thin face to improve feel at impact; available in both heel (H3) and center-shafted (H1) models with a striking parabola channel alignment aid.
- J2: Deeper flanged blade offers the forgiveness of a mallet with a sleek top-line; plumbers-neck hosel for a full shaft offset and balanced face.
- K4: Classic "toe-droop" blade with thin top line; half-shaft offset on heel-mounted hosel aimed at those who prefer a putter that swings with rotation.
- L3: Traditional small mallet; double-bend shaft produces a half-shaft offset, a unique three-line alignment system centers and frames while a thin-face design promotes crisper feel at impact, improves MOI.
Each is available in standard, mid and long lengths, and each carries an MSRP of $169. All are available in either a black PVD or silver satin finish. Visit www.heavyputter.com for more info.


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Card Games Home Page
Other Invented Games
Go Fish Deluxe
Go Fish
variation invented and contributed by Jonny Groves
Play with a standard 52-card deck plus two Jokers. Deal 7 cards to every player. Any pairs in players' hands are put face up on the table immediately.
Play like standard Go-Fish except that pairs (not sets of 4) count. Any pairs you form are placed face up on the table, not face down - which is the usual rule for Go Fish. If you ask for a card of a particular rank, you must hold a card of that rank. If your request is successful, you must put the pair on the table.
If your request is not successful but you draw a card of the same rank you had asked for, your turn continues. You must put the pair on the table.
If your request is not successful but you draw a card of a rank different from the rank you had asked for, your turn ends. If the card drawn creates a pair, you must put the pair on the table.
If you run out of cards before the game ends (which will happen if you pair your last card by asking for it or drawing it from the stock), you draw 7 from the stock (or the remainder of the stock if there are 7 or fewer cards in it) to replenish your hand. Your turn then continues.
If it is not your turn to ask and you run out of cards (which will happen if a player asks for your last card), draw 7 from the stock (or the remainder of the stock if there are 7 or fewer cards in it) to replenish your hand. That other player's turn continues.
If the stock runs out, the game continues until all the cards have been paired. If your request for a card is not successful, your turn ends and the next player's turn begins. If you run out of cards when the stock is gone (whether it is your turn to ask or not), then you cannot play any longer in the hand.
The pair of Jokers counts as 2 points.
If you collect all four cards of the same rank, count the second pair as 2 points. Thus, a set of 4 gives you 3 points altogether rather than 2.
All other pairs are 1 point each.
The player with the most points wins.
You can keep a cumulative score over several deals and play to a specified number of points if you wish, or just count every deal as a separate game.
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Index of Invented Card Games
Last updated 25th January 2006


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Farmers At Market
By Nathan Eldridge
This is a photographic collection of farmers in Maine at market.
About the Author
Nathan Eldridge is a is a working commercial advertising & editorial photographer living in Maine with his two children.
Publish Date October 04, 2013
Dimensions Small Square 32 pgs
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Roper Hospital is hosting Ladies Night Out-- a night of food, gifts, music and free breast cancer screenings.
The event is Thursday, October 24 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Roper Hospital Lobby at 316 Calhoun Street.
Board certified doctors will perform the clinical breast exams. To qualify, you must be age 18 or older and not have had a breast exam in the last 12 months. Registration is required for the breast exam.
Register online or call (843) 402-CARE.
210 W. Coleman Blvd.Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Telephone: 843.216.4875
Fax: 843.881.3410
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The year was 1988 when the state of Wisconsin acquired a portion of two properties in the 9700 block of S. Howell Ave.
One of those properties belonged to Steve Bocek. The other was owned by a neighbor, but would be obtained by Bocek in 1996.
In 2011 - a full 23 years since the state bought part of those properties - the Oak Creek resident realized that tax records didn't reflect the state's purchase. The never received the information from the state and had been charging Bocek as if his land was bigger than it was.
In other words, Bocek has been overpaying taxes since 1988.
Bocek then asked for and received relief from the Oak Creek Common Council, which earlier this week voted unanimously to refund taxes already paid.
The council's move is unprecedented, City Attorney Larry Haskin said. Further, aldermen didn't legally have to do it since so much time has passed. According to state statute, the burden is on the taxpayer to file a claim for unlawful taxes. Bocek had no recourse if the council voted against refunding him.
But it did, and Bocek will get an estimated $4,633. It would have been more, but tax bills only go back to 1994.
To Bocek, 72 years old, retired and legally blind, the refund means a lot.
"That's a lot of money to me," he said. "I've been retired for 22 years. I'm not no kid no more. I pay the bills, I pay my taxes quarterly so I don't have a debt."
How it happened
City officials were somewhat incredulous that it took this long for Bocek to realize his property was not as big as tax records indicated. He appeared at an open book meeting with the city assessor in 2004 and again in 2007, but the mistake still slipped by.
It was only after Bocek and his son took out a tape measure about four months ago when they realized that his alleged property line was in his neighbor's house.
"I was planning on building a house maybe this year or next year on the empty lots. I got a ruler and started measuring with my son and said, 'What the hell's going on here?" he said. "We're in the middle of Ron's house."
Bocek, a 36-year resident of Oak Creek, said that the state told him it had no record of even buying the property. No receipt. No anything.
Mayor Dick Bolender said something similar happened to him on his property when the state took land for Highway 100. Then, too, the state did not inform the city about the acquisition but Bolender caught the error in time, he said.
Doing the 'right thing'
Given the passage of time, it was completely within the discretion of the Common Council to refund Bocek the money, Haskin said.
But aldermen said the city had a moral obligation to do so.
"I think it's the only right thing to do to reimburse the man," Alderman Dan Bukiewicz said.
"If Oak Creek is going to be a friendly place to live," Alderman Dan Jakubczyk said, "then I think the fair thing to do would be to return that money to him."


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Welcome to our centre ESL Westerwald (10-17 years)
At the crossroads of the Rhine and the wooded hillsides of the Rhein-Westerwald natural park, ESL's course centre is perfect for summer camps for young learners and teenagers. In addition to classrooms optimised for dynamic language classes, the facilities include free internet access, 2 restaurants, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, ping-pong tables, an indoor football pitch with a synthetic playing surface as well as 2 tennis courts, an outdoor football pitch and an athletics track. A multitude of additional outdoor activities are available in the surroundings of the course centre and the young students will be able to take part in a wide range of social and cultural activities in the neighbouring cities of Cologne and Bonn.
Enjoy a beautiful setting during your German course in Westerwald and make tons of new friends from all over the world thanks to the exciting activities programme.
Effective supervisionOur experience of language study stays for juniors naturally leads us to pay very particular care to the supervision of the participants.
Present and available from the first to the last day, our team of specially trained ESL monitors gives the required assistance and watches over everything. Adapted to the age of the participants and to the type of accommodation booked, this attentive and effective supervision manages to remain discrete. It allows for everyone to enjoy their stay in complete freedom and security.
Pocket money service, the pluses of ESLA "pocket money" service is provided in all of the residential course venues. Functioning on the principle of a bank, this service allows students to withdraw or deposit money every day if they so wish.
How to get to the course centreBy plane
Westerwald is located close to the international airports of Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. You can reserve a special transfer and, in this way, an ESL employee welcomes you on your arrival and drives you from the airport of your choice as far as the course centre.
By car
Parents wishing to accompany their children as far as the course venue are welcome. Complete information with a map of access will be sent to you.
By train
For our centre in Germany, an accompanying adult takes charge of the students throughout their journey from Lausanne as far as Westerwald.
You can also book a transfer from Koblenz train station organised by ESL. An ESL employee welcomes you on your arrival and drives you as far as the course venue.


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Year 2010, a small Caribbean country. The main part of the island is aflame with revolt. The Government Army tries to quash an uprising, powerful drug cartels are trying to decimate the Indians, and the whole population is being indiscriminately slaughtered by criminal gangs. This boiling pot, however typical for Latin America, is rapidly nearing an explosion. The main hero of the game is entrusted with a task to uncover some dark secrets, to investigate a few disappearances, and to stay alive above all.
The sequel to Boiling Point: Road to Hell, White Gold: War in Paradise explores the shadowy background of modern low intensity conflicts. The game's engine is capable of working seamlessly with hundreds of square miles of open terrain, an extensive physics system, clever AI and free gameplay are combined with a character development system, realistic in-game economy, hundreds of quests and hundreds of NPCs.
Xenus II: White GoldPublisher: Play Ten Interactive (PTI)
Xenus II: White GoldRelease Date: TBA
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Proof that your septic has been pumped is a receipt from the sewage hauler that contains the property's tax parcel number, the owner, address, and date of pump-out and send to the Lower Oxford Township at 220 Township Road, Oxford, PA 19363, or e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com or fax to 610-932-2367.
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For the past 30 years, everyone has gotten used to getting their mail delivered six-days a week.
But the post-master general for the united states postal service says debt has put an end to it.
Here at home, we met with some local mail carriers who want to keep Saturday mail delivery.
Most of us would enjoy having our Saturday's off but not these mail carriers.
They want to keep working on Saturday because they say both the carriers and their customers depend on it.
Neither cold weather nor snow flurries could keep these mail carriers from rallying to protect six-day delivery.
About 50 carriers from southeastern South Dakota came out to show their commitment to their work and their customers.
They're worried about a loss of jobs and a loss of a service many people not only come to expect but depend upon.
Brent Fjerestad, president of the South Dakota letter carriers union (SDSALC) says they provide a service which goes beyond delivering the mail.
"To a rural state such as South Dakota, it would be so detrimental. A lot of these small communities, we're the lifeline for that community. It seems that the statistics always say over 50 percent don't even have Internet access so we are that communication nationwide for these people. We also check on the elderly every day of the week. we check on our seniors. We know their habits. If something's wrong, we'll be the first one to spot it," Fjerestad said.
Postal carrier Shari Gusted said "there would be a lot of jobs lost but not only for us but for our customers as well. They depend on it. We deliver a lot of medicine and that type of thing. We need to keep the mail moving. We need to keep it going and we need the six days a week to keep it moving."
it was cold out there today, but the mail carriers I met say it's important for them to stand up and not only protect -- but save what they believe is a necessary service, one which was established by our constitution.
Removing poison ivy, sumac or oak plants


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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton tells The Associated Press he's `99.8 percent certain' he'll abandon a bid to broaden the state sales tax to service transactions, a key revenue element of his proposed budget but also one that provoked protest from the business community.
Dayton said Friday that a business-to-business component was surely gone and he doesn't want consumers to shoulder the new load. He plans to detail other revisions to his budget proposal next week.
The Democratic governor was banking on the sales tax expansion to also to pay for other program spending and tax breaks. By taxing legal, accounting and other services, Dayton was aiming to raise more than $2 billion over the next two years.
Dayton is standing behind his plan to raise income taxes on the wealthy.
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