Teach A Man To Fish

When I log on to the net, I have a pretty set routine. There are a half dozen or so sites I routinely check out. One of them is Kiva.org.


Kiva specializes in micro-lending, a new trend in helping others in third-world countries. For twenty-five bucks, you can become a venture capitalist, lending money to people starting businesses all over the world. Among other things, I have helped finance a bar in Ghana, Africa, a taro farm in Samoa in the South Pacific, and a coffee shop in Bulgaria. The cool thing is that when they pay me back (interest free), I can pull my money out or reinvest in another business.

My portfolio now contains 19 businesses and I usually add another about once a month. Fun stuff. Check it out when you get a chance.

Summerfest

I spent the 4th of July weekend in Milwaukee with friends, enjoying Summerfest, a huge 10 concert event with hundreds of bands. We only went for Friday and Saturday, but it was more than enough time to fill up on plenty of music, beer and absolutely perfect weather.

I didn't actually see anyone too exciting, but I was constantly entertained by the crowds. For example, I saw Phil Lesh (ex-Grateful Dead) and, believe me, the Dead Heads are still around.

But at festivals like this, it is usually the smaller no-name bands that are the most fun. There was a mock U2 band called U2 Zoo that was incredibly entertaining. The crowd for that was huge, making it seem all the more convincing.

I also saw Cheap Trick, but must say I liked them better back when I saw them in Fargo in 1980. They looked tired, kind of like I was when I got home Sunday...