Whine & Cheese

AI8: Rat Pack (Week 8)

Songs from the Rat Pack... or Rat Pack "era" on last night's IDOL...and for the most part it was pretty snoozy, with the exception for one (take your pick) amazing or annoying note from Adam.

At this point, it gets difficult to do these summaries.  My opinions of the contestants are pretty much set in stone and/or everyone is pretty good at this point that is hard to criticize and/or figure out who is going to be sent packing.  Even coming up with an order of finish was difficult... so while the Top 3 are in my typical order, I could hypothetically pull the each pic out of the hat and be okay w/ the order of finish.

Adam ("Feeling Good") - As noted above, had my usual mixed feelings about this one from Adam.  The vocals are always amazing and the guy has stage presence out the wazoo.  But this is one of my favorite songs and one of those that I just have issues with when not sung by Nina Simone.  But he provided the only wake-up moment of the night with that big note... but again, it didn't seem entirely appropriate for me or the song.... show-offy, self-indulgent... but alas the judges are also set in stone at this point about who's going where in the competition.

Kris ("The Way You Look Tonight") - It was nice to hear Kris admit that his vocals were not really comparable to anyone left in the competition.. but that said, that also has him rarely hit a wrong note or go astray with vocal gymnastics.  I did like his phrasing, his tenderness (oh, those puppy dog brown eyes)... and yes, the way he looked last night. 

Allison ("Someone To Watch Over Me") - While never falling totally off the wagon, I thought this was one of Allison's better showings in the past few weeks.  I found some of her orchestrations a bit off of late, so it was nice to have her sing this one pretty straight-forward but with her own special touches.  While Randy claimed this was a singing competition (in praising Danny), it's really not... it's a popularity contest and for whatever reason, Allison's time is drawing close to an end... perhaps, even tonight.

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Matt ("My Funny Valentine") - I will admit that this is one of my least favorite standards... also, one that seems to be pulled out of the vault a bit too much on IDOL (Constantine and Melinda come immediately to mind).  Didn't really like Matt's phrasing on it... a bit too precise for my taste... and overall, thought it showed he was trying too hard to give it his own spin.

Danny ("Come Rain Or Come Shine") - To use a word that has been in the press lately w/ the Susan Boyle hysteria, I was gobsmacked by all the praise that was heaped on Gokey on this one.  The powers-that-be seem to want a Danny/Adam, "goodness & light/moody & dark" finale... but while I thought the first part of the song was pretty good, I thought the bombastic finish was a total mess... and a bit too insistent (at least how I interpret the song)... even during the phone-number review there was a part where I couldn't understand what the heck he was growling.  

And on a sidenote... has anyone else noticed how Danny is making/shaping that heart with his hands... and that very thing/hand gesture is the centerpiece of a commercial.... for... Lenscrafters!?  Is he gunning for an endorsement?  Does he unofficially have one?   Hmmmm...

DWTS Rants

Ok, time for a little ranting about Dancing With The Stars... don't worry I still love it, though there are a few things that are starting to grate on me. 

First off, I think the "stars" need to undergo a rigorous medical examination prior to competing in the show... include full body x-rays!  Heck, these days the "stars" can't even get to the first episode... but I am tiring of the show turning into General Hospital... ah, the good 'ole days when someone would just faint on live television!

... which leads to my next "new rule"... if you can't perform live on Monday night, you are off the show!   I know this is entertainment, but if a tennis player can't go on the court they are not getting a potential pass to the next round on the hopes that they may recover... or a gymnast isn't getting scored on a taped warm-up routine.  Again, I know the show has to run a certain number of weeks... and ABC is certainly not going to end their big ratings bonanzas early, but they have to figure some other way of dealing with this.  Steve O survived the week of his injury and I'm guessing Melissa will do the same... and if for some reason anyone goes but Ty/Chelsie (who actually gave one of their better performances), it doesn't seem fair.

And alas, I am sad to report my love affair (chaste, of course!) with Julianne Hough might just be over. 

I feared this might happen when it was announced that she would be dancing this season with her real-life boyfriend, Chuck Wicks, on this supposed season of love on DWTS (which didn't quite work out with Jewel leaving hubby Ty on his own from the get-go and real-life lovers pros, Maks and Karina, not lasting long). 

Basically, young people in love are annoying... and young and beautiful people in love are even more annoying!   Now, they haven't been too cloying... but still enough that it is starting to rub on me and Julianne certainly doesn't have that objectivity in working with Chuck (understandably so, but still). 

Also, Julianne had this whole purity, goodness and light, virginal thing working for her... but that's just been blown to pieces (though I think other DWTS pairings have generated hotter/sexier chemistry)... but I kind of preferred Jules in innocent Mormon girl mode... instead of thinking her rumba is ... as Mark Ballas referred to it once... a vertical expression of a horizontal act.  I mean I'm no prude... good for her (and Chuck too), they'll make beautiful babies together... but I don't like imagining them trying... haha!

However, what bugs me the most is how cynical I feel about the pairing.  Since Julianne released her first country album, she's been threatening to take off a season to pursue her music career... which she readily admits is her first love and the thing she really wants to do... so pretty much suggesting she's a "singer who just happens to dance" vs. "a dancer who just happens to sing."  (On a quick sidenote, and based on just a couple of songs... I think she's a competent/good singer, but a better dancer).

That kind of attitude always bugs me... the whole "oh this is just a stepping stone" thing... same thing on IDOL when booted contestants are already have their album planned, their Grammy won, and the world tour planned....

What we suspect (allegedly!) happened this season was that producers wanting to get their golden girl back on the show ... offered to have her boyfriend on the show, who while known in the country music community could probably use his own PR boost of his own... while country music isn't my most listened to genre, I am pretty familiar with who's successful... so kinda sorta maybe thought I had heard of Chuck, that's certainly all changed now. 

So again just makes me cynical about the whole thing... and I will be the first to admit that I am putting Julianne on a higher and double standard here and shouldn't faulting her for doing what it takes to get ahead (and her boyfriend ahead) in the business... but it still bugs me.

Foot Massage - Ancient Chinese Secret?!

As I tweeted/status'd (amazing what words come into being thanks to the Internets!) yesterday, I was pretty stoked about last night's episode of The Amazing Race as it brought the contestants to Beijing.  My international travels have been pretty limited, so it was fun to have them finally go to some place I had actually been!  (I know they've been the big European cities, but in the past seasons... not the after I had been there!)

Overall, I was a bit disappointed as they arrived... and pretty much all of last night's activities took place... at night... and they even arrived domestically, so I couldn't even recognize the airport terminal! 

I got excited when they said they were headed to the natatorium... so thought they were headed to where we saw water polo!  But alas, it wasn't the natatorium (Yingdong)... but a natatorium (Guangcai), which apparently there are quite a few of in Beijing... even sporting the Olympic logos (but they were everywhere... and apparently still the winter after the Games).

And while the episode ended at the well-known/tourist spot of the Drum Tower (oddly enough, the location where those American tourists - family members of the US Volleyball coach - were killed in the opening days of the Olympics), we didn't make it there and/or (???) only saw it from afar.  But it looks like from next week previews, we'll see a bit more Beijing...

Anyhow the one thing we did recognize and pretty much laughed our way through was the foot massage roadblock... which also inspired the name of this episode "Having A Baby Has Got To Be Easier Than This":

While we didn't go to this particular foot massage palace, there was a lot of things that were quite recognizable... from the very gaudy interior design, to the massage room set-up an chairs, to the bucket/plastic bag set-up (which you can kind of see in the picture to the left).

I will say immediately that ours was not nearly as painful as what was going on in this episode.  I think they were told to go easy on us and to give some indication if it was too rough... something I don't think the Racers had the option of requesting with their full-on service.  We were also given tea at the start, but it wasn't awful tasting as Kisha suggest (again, could have been something totally different).

Now, I will say it was uncomfortable... very uncomfortable at times!  Our massage lasted over an hour... so more than 10 minutes on the feet... but also some rhythmic slapping of our feet, calves and thighs (again, personally not terribly pleasant)... and a neck/head massage (which Todd painfully describes in the comment section!).  Thankfully I was the only one (there were 6 of us in one room) NOT to get upper body treatment as I was in a seat/chair that couldn't be moved or for someone to squeeze behind... that said, it was tad awkward to be sitting there watching everyone else get it done!

Now, we pretty much thought we were in the minority... most folks in our group really seemed to enjoy it (a couple even fell asleep towards that end... granted it was after our long flight over/on our first full day in Beijing)... and even my friend James, who lives in Beijing, voluntarily gets this done on a regular basis (!!!)... plus these huge facilities (I wasn't joking when I said "palaces") suggest there is very high demand for this... so we had just made peace that we just didn't "get" it.

All this said, we (well, particularly myself!) are not a huge fan of any kind of massage... again, one of those quirky people who don't like to be touched... feet or otherwise... so that was personal roadblock #1... but also that this was the replacement/"oops, sorry!" activity for not going to the Opening Ceremonies (that was promised for 5 months in advance)... well that didn't provide any improvement over getting a foot massage either.

It was really a big thrill to see TAR last night and see folks not enjoy it as much as we did... haha!  Heck, even James stumbled upon a "non-relaxing" one not too long ago! (Update: James clarifies in the comments that it was not a foot massage... my bad!)  So at least we're not crazy... while not a highlight of the trip, it is still one of those things that we will always remember about our trip to Beijing! 

Act Your Age, Not Your...

As I mentioned, yesterday I took my MINI Cooper up for its annual maintenance check... and one thing that makes its bearable is that I don't have to sit around the dealership and wait for it... as one of my good friends from my old workplace lives close by (one of the bad things about a Cooper is dealerships are few and far between, so I have to drive nearly 30 miles to get it serviced - which I know is probably a lot shorter distance than a lot of other folks).

So while we should do a  lunch/catch-up session more than once a year... we all know how time seems to fly by and it just does not seem to happen.  But we were very good buddies, killing way too much gossiping each morning, but always with some paperwork close at hand for cover.  I'll definitely date myself by telling you our morning after Melrose Place "can you believe it?!!" chats were... wait for it... legendary!  (Funny enough, we both watch and love Brothers & Sisters now... and she kinda resembles Calista Flockhart)

She also made me feel slightly old by mentioning that her eldest daughter was turning 11 this weekend and reminding me that we had lunch together the very same day she went into labor!

Anyhow, the conversation got around to American Idol (shocking I know!) and going over our favorites... we're liking the same folks Kris, Adam, and Allison... but then she totally cracked me up, saying her 11 year old daughter turned to her the other night after Kris performed and said...

"I like his face. I like his hair. I like the way he sings. I like everything about him."

To which I replied that we pretty much have the same conversation each week at our house!

Guess it's time to start to act my age, not my shoe size... or not.

Butt First

I am off getting the MINI Cooper its annual maintenance (when you only average 5,000 miles/year - that's apparently all it needs)... but was browsing through the Yahoo Tennis Gallery yesterday and this caught my eye:

As someone who has experience in being mesmerized by staring at admiring ... errr... ummm... familiarity with Rafael Nadal's gluteus maximus... well, send me an application to be a "trainer" a.s.a.p. please! 

AI8: It's Disco, Duck! (Week 7)

Well, they were moving the show right along last night for Disco Night, huh?  No mentors to coo over the contestants and not even bumper vids of the contestants working out their song... and thankfully, it was back to all the judges speaking, though Simon is really the only one that matters... except when he goes down a road he shouldn't with Paula. 

(Speaking of Simon... one of the things that most chokes me up about the Susan Boyle/Britain's Got Talent thing is Simon's reaction... when he lets out that smile and grin, it's like... it kinda melts my heart!)

Anyhow, we well past the point in the competition where these posts start to become repetitive... at this point there is not much a contestant can do to change my mind... so if it's bad and I like them, it's forgivable... if it's good and I don't, then it's too little, too late.  We're still a 7 contestants this week and my pass/fail is the same, though a mix-up in the "fail" order...

Adam ("If I Can't Have You") - Much like the judges, I wasn't expecting to see Adam in a suit or have him pull it back for Disco Night... but shouldn't we not be surprised by now?!   Anyhow, it was an amazing performance. I am firmly off the Okey-Gokey bandwagon and onto Lambertville (which I think is an actual town in NJ).  I still find him a tad too calculated/thought-out and that one note was just a tad too screamy for me... though this was probably the moment of which Paula spoke where Adam pulled out his heart and left it thumping on the stage.

Kris ("She Works Hard For The Money") - Ok, we all know by now that Kris makes me jump up and down like a kid at a pet store... er animal shelter (Mommy! Daddy! Can we keep him?!  Can we keep him?!), but while he is probably just as calculated/thought-out as Adam I just find his approach a lot more natural... (maybe organic, is maybe the work I am looking for).  Though unfortunately his performance got hijacked by this week's "I'm not touching you/He's hitting me!" antics... though scary enough, I knew what Paula was talking about. 

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Allison ("Hot Stuff") - I contemplated giving Allison a "pass" this week as I am appreciating anyone who is actually doing something different/original, but I just did not like the arrangement enough (a common issue last night) to have her rise up.  Overall, she's a solid 3rd... and I really don't care what order the contestants below go... though my preference below...

Matt ("Stayin' Alive") - Again, not loving the arrangement here... but Matt did stay true to what he was trying to do... or the "artist he wants to be"... but that has landed him in the Bottom 3 and after "making history!!!!!!" last week with being saved, it's difficult to think this won't put him right back in jeopardy this week. 

Danny ("September") - As suggested above, I am seriously over the Goke.  I am not sure what Kara was talking about with his "perfect pitch"... because during the recap at the show, I found the portion to be almost painfully pitchy.... and overall, I am finding himself shouty and falling victim to making all his songs sound the same. 

Anoop ("Dim All The Lights") - Similar thoughts as the judges (mostly, I think Kara called it one of his best - which it wasn't)... an unfortunate bad note to end the song and probably a not wise decision to allow the song to go to its up-tempo original instead of keeping it in ballad territory.  And a boo! to Ryan for calling his eyebrows "Groucho Marx"... sorry Ryan, not everyone is a millionnaire of questionable talent that gets plucked, spray-tanned, and highlighted in their spare time... I actually thought Anoop was looking quite good... well, maybe a tad too pink.

Lil ("I'm Every Woman") - As you see, Disco Night is pretty much Donna Summer night... and I feared that Lil would continue down the path of divas she shouldn't really sing.... so imagine me slapping my forehead when it was announced that she was singing "I'm Every Woman".... so not only Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan.... but the ghost of Whitney Houston as well!  Oy to the world!  It was a big 'ole mess... I honestly couldn't understand a word she was saying (and mentally inserted the commonly misinterpretation of the song "Climb Every Woman")... and was thinking as she moved around the stage in an interesting outfit choice that perhaps "Brick House" would have been more appropriate.  I did feel bad for her as she continued to get raked over the coals by the judges... but instead of doing the wise thing... cry Lil cry... even better UGLY cry!... but again, proving she is not a good decision-maker she opened her mouth and defended herself. 

I don't see how Lil gets by tonight's double elimination - though it wouldn't surprise me if it's Matt and Anoop... the pair headed home sweet home come from this trio.

I'm Here

I think it was just this past Friday that Todd mentioned to me that he was a bit concerned about the lack of activity here at W&C...so figured it was time for a post not related to a book or American Idol...  and don't worry (or cheer) this is NOT a "I'm closing up shop" post.

A little while back I gave myself permission that if I didn't feel compelled to write something that I shouldn't.  I never wanted this blog  to become a chore, but I'll admit that I did start to feel pressure after maintaining a pretty much "every weekday" schedule for many, many years.  I've been doing this since September 2003... an incredible stretch for someone who will be the first to admit his tendency to not stick to things ... tell it to the gym membership, the baseball card collection, walking the dog, etc

This has been an incredible outlet for me.  Working alone (and 97% of the time having no human interaction - in-person or phone - the latter btw being totally okay with me), this is my watercooler and pretty my connection to the world Monday thru Friday, 12 hours a day.

So why the W&C hiatus? 

Well, I am in the midst of working some stuff out... most of it on the work-related doorstep... and while it wasn't a conscious one (and in retrospect), it appears that I made the decision not to primarily deal with it here.  I'm chalking it up to a minor mid-life crisis and fueled on by the economic downturn... exposing some raw nerves or having me pick at some long-formed scabs re: work/career.  It's been building for awhile, but much more easily ignored or not dealt with when the projects and $$$ were rolling in carefree manner... and while things could be a whole lot worse (thank goodness we have so little/no overhead) it's still leading me to re-evaluate and struggle figuring a way to deal with (or more accurately, accept) the new realities on the ground... and/or how things may be from now on (or for the foreseeable future).  Top it with a whole weight gain thing... which is/was something I never had to worry about... has only added a visible/ physical /tangible dimension to it all... and well, I haven't been the most pleasant person to be around of late!

And that is a bit troubling, because I view myself as fun and pleasant (and hold out hope that others view me the same, which I think they do) and I've just let other things hijack that... now it's not all shadows and darkness, there are still genuine and lots of fun and frothy thoughts and things going on (as my FB and Twitter stuff suggests - I hope!), but for now this long form I think would just allow me to wallow too much... and while part of the blog title is "whine"... wallow is a quite a different animal that lacks is not a particular productive activity for oneself nor much entertainment value to others (I know this my blog, but I wouldn't be honest to say that it has an audience - regular or random). 

Anyhow, I'm working things out... and do honestly believe I'm on my way up/out... I think this post is actually proof of that... but still a work in progress...

AI8: Too Lil, Too Late (Week 6)

It was A Night At The Movies on IDOL last night (I know you can't tell that by the title of the post, but there was no way I was not going to use that once it entered my brain) with director and all around strange guy, Quentin Tarantino, providing the mentoring (which oddly enough I thought was slightly more helpful than the "advice" given by the "experts" who are part of the music business).

But first, I have to address this whole running over issue.  Here is my advice to help the show finish on time (thought it's our DVRs that are at fault the way the talk about it on the show)... (yo, yo, yo) don't introduce the judges, don't have Seacrest have to make a grand entrance, don't have Seacrest have to make some lame joke about Simon's age, sexuality, wardrobe, etc..., don't have Randy have to boo every time Simon is introduced, don't have the contestants walk out the 2nd time (isn't the pre "this is American Idol" intro enough?), don't have Ryan and the judges fool around when they come back from commercial breaks, cut the lame chatter between the contestants and Ryan, stop talking about running over!... whatever the case when the first contestant Allison finishe we were 16 minutes into thes show! 

Anyhow with the regards to the actual show... I thought it was pretty hard to rank the contestants... oddly enough we do seem to be down to the best with the driftwood all washed back to sea.  That said, I really got tired of all the power ballads and drippiness... thus I am doing what I threatened in previous weeks and only giving a "pass" to two of the contestants.

Adam ("Born To Be Wild") - I usually don't like the screamy version of Adam, but it seemed okay this week and dare I say a bit more in control (or maybe just appropriate) when compared to previous weeks.  But pretty much he was the only thing that registered on the musical Richter Scale last night.

Kris ("Falling Slowly") - Now granted Kris was part of this low rumbling night... but at least he didn't pick something totally goopy, granted this is a song that a whole lot of folks are not familiar with (I only remember it on the night it won the Oscar), but it is some beautiful lyrics and Kris delivered it sweetly (of course!).

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Anoop ("Everything I Do") - I was really, really close to giving Anoop a "pass" on this one... but it's just one of those songs that is just gonna be sung on IDOL by somebody at some point... but I really thought he sounded good throughout and had very good control.  Again, he's doing this type of song well... I'm just not totally convinced that he wants to be doing this kind of song (aka, that's not his "true self" or the "artist" he wants to be).

Allison ("I Don't Want To Miss A Thing") - Much like Anoop, I am being a hard-ass and faulting Allison on picking a predictable IDOL song... though I thought she did a pretty straight-thru take on the song (whereas Anoop did mix it up a bit). Still love her, but I didn't think her usual special "juice" was on display (think Paula hadn't had enough of her "juice" yet when critiquing this first performance of the night).

Lil ("The Rose") - I thought this was Lil's best performance since getting to the big stage (but still 2nd best to her only other show song, Mary J's "Be Without You" in the semis)... but getting back to the title of my post... Lil has past the point of no return and while I understand her frustration with the criticism from last night (she did put her own spin on it), she just isn't all that and a bag of chips... which I kinda sorta maybe thinks she thinks she is... and backtalking rarely seems to work on IDOL, so I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up being the end.

Danny ("Endless Love") - Again, another goopy ballad and one that Gokey really didn't do much with... though he did prove he can sing without glasses, so we should give him credit for that right (stepping out his comfort zone and all).  Well sung, but alas boring.

Matt ("Have You Really Ever Loved A Woman") - Matt was in full-Justin Timberlake mode last night with this one... which unfortunately is not a good thing when one is not JT.   Matt was the only contestant from last night that I thought screwed up vocally, just too runny and distracting vocal gymnastics/improv stuff.   I think Lil caused enough of a fuss to have folks rally to perhaps rally to her (though I wonder who has kept her safe most of these weeks anyhow?!), so that seems like that would put Matt in some serious danger.

Express Lane: Issue 63

'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Author Inks Six-Figure Deal - Not sure I can get through the Jane Austen classic again - even with zombies! But it sound like Graham-Smith's rumored next book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" will be more up my alley! (4/10/09)

Earth Hour 2009 - The Big Picture - Best TBP Ever! It's interactive, click on (most of) the pix and watch the lights fade off (or back on) for Earth Hour! (3/30/09)

Signs of Spring - The Big Picture - After the last TBP photo set I posted re: the recession, this one of hope and renewal is a lot more inspiring... and pretty too! (3/23/09)

CBS Renews "Men," "Big Bang" - Could care less about the Charlie Sheen sitcom, but thrilled that Sheldon & Leonard & Company got a TWO-YEAR pick-up! (3/18/09)

Scenes From The Recession - The Big Picture - Not the most uplifting or inspiring set of pictures, but always interesting ... and a couple shots of the real estate bust right here in Phoenix metro area. (3/18/09)

Stacy Keach Recuperating After Stroke - Was supposed to see Keach in the stage production of "Frost/Nixon" (playing the latter), but I think chances of returning to to the show by early April are pretty slim. (3/18/09)

Holi: The Festival of Colors - The Big Picture - That wild and crazy throw paint and powder at each other Hindu festival that I only learned about thanks to 'The Amazing Race' (3/13/09)

Kiva Update

I've been meaning to do a Kiva update for awhile now (If you don't remember about Kiva, you might want browse through these posts).

It's hard to believe that in a few months, I will have been on the site for 2 years.  While I haven't written about it much of late, I am still micro-lending money on a regular basis. 

I admit to going bonkers (ok, addicted!!) when I first started... and throwing quite a bit of money into it... but the great thing (especially in these economic times that is scaring many of us into being conservative with our cash) is that I haven't added any new $$$ in quite some time (I'm guessing at least a year!), but just recycling the cash into new loans... in fact, it has got to the point where the money is being paid back faster than I can re-loan it!  

As of this morning, I am up to 158 loans in my Kiva portfolio!  86 of those are paid-back loans (with the funds re-loaned or in my "credit bank" waiting to be re-loaned... or returned to me if I so choose), 70 are active, 1 was refunded, and 1 default (so lost that $$$, but as you see a rare occurrence).

One of the fun things is trying to find is looking for new countries. I added Mongolia just yesterday.  At the moment, I have/had loans to 44 countries!   I will certainly admit I've had to look at a map to see where some of them are!   Here is my list of countries:

Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D'lvoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatamala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somoa, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, Viet Nam

I do my best to find some connection with the folks I lend to... the majority of the time, it is something about their photo that catches my eye... though lately I have been seeking out things that I'd like to personally support... two of those searches are "books" and "photography"... which my regular W&C readers know are two things near and dear to me.

I had a "hit" with one of those  this morning with a loan I made to Solomon in Ghana:

Solomon is 37 years old. He is married and has three children. He loves his work. They live in the central region of Ghana with his entire family. He has been a general photographer for the past year now. He also does video shooting. He owns a photography and video shop where his clients pose for their photographs. He also goes to occasions like parties and concerts to take photographs of his clients. He is requesting a loan to buy additional tools and materials like a camera, flash, video camera etc. to expand his operations. He wants to buy a motor bike, which he believes will ease the distances he walks to take pictures. Solomon belongs to a village bank called ‘Adwendaho’,which means ‘Clear mind’.

This kind of thing is what makes Kiva such a cool site!  Again, I know it's not a great financial time - but I really encourage everyone to check Kiva out (my beginner's advice to not get discouraged would be to look for shorter-term loans and good "risk ratings")... it has been an incredibly rewarding / fulfilling experience for me... and certainly puts things in perspective when I need a little kick in the bootie.