22

February
2011

Forget You

category: Uncategorized
by Kamael, No Comments »

It’s been over a year since I wrote a blog post - and it’s because I’ve made such sweeping changes in my life that I am not sure how to describe them. I told “the man” to shove it, took my money making degree and decided to start a non-profit. I’m not going to even begin to try and summarize the last year in one blog post, but I will tell you about what made me return to writing for my 7 Plantain Chip followers:

I’m slowly starting to not give a damn what others think about what I say and how they may judge me on that. That’s not an easy thing for someone who’s “decided” to live her life somewhat in the public eye by starting a non profit. People may come across this and decide I’m not a leader, not fit to help others or not someone to be taken seriously. And for a very long time, I’ve not written for Plantain Chips because I’ve been worried that my random rants will be strung together in a way that undermines my credibility to do what I love and am most passionate about.

But here’s the thing about following your dreams - if you really want it, there is nothing that anyone can say or do that will stop you. You will make it happen. You will go forward despite the setbacks, you won’t hear the naysayers and you will be yourself throughout your pursuit.

And here’s the reason:

You can’t realize YOUR DREAMS by being someone else or living your life the way others would.

Note: This post is entitled “Forget You” because Cee Lo Green is playing on my iPod in the background…and i can’t think of a title..


07

October
2009

Play the cards you are dealt

category: Life
by Kamael, No Comments »

Sometimes Google search really just gives you a good thing. And the above video of Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture is a good thing and definitely worth an hour and fifteen minutes of your time. Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. In 2006, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a little less than two years to live. For most of you that don’t know this - pancreatic cancer has a 5% survival rate. That’s damn low. Really damn low.

You’ll get caught up in his energy in the video of his last lecture - which he gave with about 8 months before he passed away. And if you’re like me, you’ll probably forget that he’s dying because you’re so inspired by just how much he talks about living. While a good portion of the lecture focused on his career and work around virtual reality, there are huge nuggets about life and achieving your childhood dreams that just jump out and grab you. Here are some of my favorites:

1. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.

2. Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.

3. You’ll get more from the dreams you don’t accomplish than from the ones you do.

4. When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care.

5. Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

6. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.

7. You can’t get there alone. People have to help you and I do believe in karma. I believe in paybacks. You get people to help you by telling the truth. Being earnest.


04

October
2009

Kiva Kiva Kiva

category: Life
by Kamael, No Comments »

I just completed my 48th loan on Kiva. Now some of you may ask - why blog about the 48th, why not wait til the 50th loan? I’m not conventional like that.

Here are some of my kiva stats:

Total amount lent: $1,450
Total amount repaid: $1,017
Total amount lost (not repaid): $75

Before you give me much props for lending $1,450 of my shoe festish stash to the poor, let me correct you. I invested $500 in Kiva two and a half years ago. As borrowers repay, I’ve immediately reinvested the money in new borrowers. So my small little amount of $500 (the cost of these pair of shoes) has helped over 48 entrepreneurs in the third world.

That’s pretty darn cool.

Here’s my lending style:
- 95.8% of my loans are to women. Before you call me a man hater, let me explain. In the third world women tend to be more responsible with money than men. The spend on the household and the community vs. drinking and smoking. In addition, most men are often not at home (preferring to try and earn a living in more lucrative urban cities with better job markets).
- I’ve loaned to entrepreneurs in 19 countries: I’ve got a thing for Bolivia. Over 20% of my loans have gone there.
- Retail, Food & Agriculture: Most of my loans go to funding business in these three sectors. Agriculture funding is particularly interesting to me.

So after 2.5 years of lending, what do I like the most about Kiva?
- it’s easy. I mean real easy. You just create an account, put some money in it via Paypal, pick a lender and fund.
- it’s rewarding. Very rewarding. In one minute, I have made a difference in someone else’s life around the world
- it’s transparent. I know exactly who the loan is going to and what they plan to do with it.

What do I like the least?
- nothing.


11

September
2008

High School Note Passing

category: Life
by Kamael, No Comments »

On my recent trip back to NYC, my mom presented me with a large crate of high-school memories she demanded I go thru and take back with me to California. The crate was full of pictures, report cards, books, knick-knacks and a small box containing notes my best friend and I wrote to each other during our four years at Bronx Science. It’s amazingly amusing how simple life was in high school. Here’s an excerpt:

Kimmy,

Hey babes, I’m really not feeling up to gym today - should I go? I don’t know. I’ll probably go - but I am not really feeling up to it. Seriously, I may not go. Happy 2 months! Yea! How come you have all the rich boy, long relationships?? No fair! Whatever. Anyway, Jason’s que idiota! Oy! I was seriously going to hang up on him - now I don’t really don’t want to speak to him. If he hadn’t acted so stupid! Whatever - I will vent more later. Adam and Jodie say that I should just tell Lev. I am actually contemplating it. Really - what do I have to lose? My regards to Paul and Mr. B. I apologize for neglecting them. Write back!! Can you believe the AP Logic is today?!? Debbie and Jon are taking it - yikes!

Love, Viv


27

April
2008

Presidential Attention Required

category: Dating
by Kamael, No Comments »

I am not sure when my personal life took a turn for the worse and required PRESIDENTIAL attention, but last week I received this email:

Greetings,

….From San Francisco and hope this note finds you in high spirits! We have not met. However, as a Lawyer-turned Certified Matchmaker and Relationship Expert , who has received a very enthusiastic response from the Professional Community, I wanted to introduce Intersections Matchmaking.

Intersections Matchmaking is a Matchmaking Service, which helps accomplished and busy professionals maximize their chances of finding significant others through a highly-personalized process involving extensive consultation and feedback.

Feel free to forward our website (www.intersectionsmatch.com) to those you know, who may be interested in learning about our (i) Nationwide Personal Consultation/”Pool Membership”, or (ii) “Introduction Plan” services.

Please feel free to have folks contact me with any questions (jasbina@intersectionsmatch.com).

Thanks for your time,

Jasbina
President, Intersections Matchmaking

Clearly, I am in desperate need of “extensive consultation and feedback”…



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