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[gimymblert]

Regarding microfinance, it's a failure because of the unrestrained bandwagon of entity that abuse it to make money and not to lift people out of poverty. It is also a problem of poor note taking risk to increase their cash flow with conservative investment.

http://www.google.fr/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=failure+microfinance

You don't need to dig that far to see report

[Theophilus]

I think economies would be better off giving some value behind their money instead of just flat paper. It would also help stop some counterfeiting. Ahh well.


That video is shocking. I am so blessed to live in America.

[Mipe]

I guess you don't live in New Orleans then, eh?

[Theophilus]

Nope. :d

[Mipe]

Oh, today I've seen a demotivational poster comparing American and Japanese cultures as in how they handle catastrophes.

Japan:
- calm
- cooperative

America:
- looting
- violence

I chuckled.

[PowRTocH]

yeah americans are stinko

[s0]

yeah glorious nippon is so much better than the west

i heard in nippon everyone is an anime ninja samurai with spiky hair who plays videogames all day

[s0]

Jokes aside, looks like shit is getting serious with the power plants. 

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Regarding microfinance, it's a failure because of the unrestrained bandwagon of entity that abuse it to make money and not to lift people out of poverty. It is also a problem of poor note taking risk to increase their cash flow with conservative investment.

http://www.google.fr/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=failure+microfinance

You don't need to dig that far to see report

a lot of things have corruption, but a) kiva in particular doesn't, as it's not a bank, but a non-profit, and b) just cause something doesn't work when it's corrupted doesn't mean it doesn't work when not corrupted

and of course it's easy to find anti-microfinance articles, but most of those come from anti-capitalist organizations or individuals, very few come from objective / unbiased sources

[Mipe]

Fuck, there is a volcano eruption as well. Seems Japan picked up the worst fortune this time around.

[supershigi]

I thought I'd do a tribute video... This song (Ue o Muite Aruko) runs through my head everytime I see the news.  It was kind of an anthem in Japan during post-WWII times because a lot of folks were going through hardship, but were taught to keep a smile on their faces even though times were rough. 

[gimymblert]

Regarding microfinance, it's a failure because of the unrestrained bandwagon of entity that abuse it to make money and not to lift people out of poverty. It is also a problem of poor note taking risk to increase their cash flow with conservative investment.

http://www.google.fr/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=failure+microfinance

You don't need to dig that far to see report

a lot of things have corruption, but a) kiva in particular doesn't, as it's not a bank, but a non-profit, and b) just cause something doesn't work when it's corrupted doesn't mean it doesn't work when not corrupted

and of course it's easy to find anti-microfinance articles, but most of those come from anti-capitalist organizations or individuals, very few come from objective / unbiased sources

The reverse it's true too.
But I have highlight 2 things, conservative placement and corruption, I may also add that's a lot of people use it as a "consummation" credit (is that the right word? >> crédit à la consommation)

Micro finance does not work IMO because it's the same thing as finance except micro, without proper preparation it has the same failure. That mean you need a lot of regulation and education, but then it cease to be solely about micro finance.

What at stake is pretty big, for all the good intention, microfinance is also a new tool to enslave people with debt and infinite interest. What it need, to make it work as a way to lift poor, is really outside microfinance, so microfinance by itself is not a solution.

The problem with micro finance is that it also reduce all problem to a money problem as if money is the main solution to everything, it value short term benefit and is not effective in the grand scheme of things. For example what if someone use microfinance to educate his son? Its a risky investment but with no immediate return, but it have the potential to have a lasting and strong effect. Microfinance would not help here at all. Microfinance is for microbusinessman, you need education.

[Dragonmaw]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_of_the_2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami_on_the_video_game_industry

this article makes me sick to my stomach. fucking weeaboo shitbags

[KittenEater]

Apparently all these Japanese exchange students who have been visiting my school are going home now. I hope they can continue life somewhat like it was before they got here.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I thought I'd do a tribute video... This song (Ue o Muite Aruko) runs through my head everytime I see the news.  It was kind of an anthem in Japan during post-WWII times because a lot of folks were going through hardship, but were taught to keep a smile on their faces even though times were rough. 

was nice. i hadn't heard the original so i searched for that one too:

(that one also has lyric translations in the video description for those of you who are curious)

[gimymblert]

Thanks for the lyrics Paul
I put it here for anyone else.

The Lyrics:
Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう

So the tears won't fall
Namida ga koborenai youni
涙がこぼれないように

Remebering those spring days
Omoidasu haru no hi
思い出す春の日

All alone at night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜

Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう

And counting the scattered stars
Nijinda hoshi wo kazoete
にじんだ星をかぞえて

Remembering those summer days
Omoidasu natsu no hi
思い出す夏の日

All alone at night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜

Happiness lies above the clouds
Shiawase wa kumo no ue ni
幸せは雲の上に

Happiness lies above the sky
Shiawase wa sora no ue ni
幸せは空の上に

Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう

So the tears won't fall
Namida ga koborenai youni
涙がこぼれないように

Keep walking on, while crying
Naki nagara aruku
泣きながら歩く

It's a lonely night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜

Omoidasu aki no hi
Remembering those autumn days
思い出す秋の日

Sadness is in the shadow of the stars
Kanashimi wa hoshi no kage ni
悲しみは星の影に

Sadness is in the shadow of the moon
Kanashimi wa tsuki no kage ni
悲しみは月の影に

Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう

So the tears won't fall
Namida ga koborenai youni
涙がこぼれないように

Keep walking on, while crying
Naki nagara aruku
泣きながら歩く

It's a lonely night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜

It's a lonely night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

my japanese is probably way out of practice because when i listened to shigi's song on youtube the only (non-simple/grammatical) word i recognized was 'hoshi' (star)

[Cthulhu32]

I've been talking to my brother a lot over Skype the last few days. He says Tokyo is doing okay, people are freaking out but all of his friends are okay. A lot of areas still do not have electricity and water. He and his gf went to the supermarket a few days ago and all the instant ramen is gone, they had to buy canned tuna just in case. He just finished his contract at the school he works for so he doesn't have to go any closer to the radiation, but its still freaking him out. He also said he had to learn the word "houshasen" which means radiation.

[gimymblert]

http://blogs.reuters.com/gregg-easterbrook/2011/03/15/japans-real-disaster/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste

Some counter argument about the nuclear situation just for intellectual balance. I don't have the right culture to say if it's true or not but I thought these article was interesting.

[Smithy]

jeeze. this really just sunk in for me today. heard there was a big earthquake and a nuclear cooling problem situation but didn't think about it, shoved it out of my mind, didn't think about it.
Not really anything you can say about it that doesn't make you feel like shit.