Sunday, June 10, 2007

Kiva Gift Certificates to Celebrities

I wrote a letter to Paris Hilton today because injustice bothers me always. I know the LA jail system well enough to know that someone who did what she did would be out already. If it was me, I would be out. So she is not being treated fair.

I sent her a Kiva gift certificate, along with several loan pages that I had printed out of the AoC event so she could get an idea of what Kiva is and who she can lend to. I'm hoping she'll get involved, even if anonymously.

I am leaving for San Francisco in a few hours to attend an NIH study section. I will be reviewing grant proposals and helping decide which ones to prioritize to fund. So that's how I will be changing the world on Monday and Tuesday, and I probably won't have time to post about it. The meeting on Monday will be over 10 hours I'm sure. Lots of intense thinking.

8 comments:

Suray said...

No doubt that Paris is amazing person. She is very attractive.

suray,
http://surayblog.blogspot.com

Matthew May said...

Hi, I was browsing and came across your blog, I really enjoyed my stay, and would invite you to come visit my blog as well, Thanks! :)

http://sharecompassion.blogspot.com

Taylor Blue said...

May I say that your blog sounds to good to be true. It must be nice to have the extra money to just give these people. What about charity in your local area...like the woman's shelter or drop in center...they need your money just as bad as these other people do!

Julia said...

I'm sorry you're so skeptical Taylor. It really is true. And I actually do a lot of work for local charities and shelters, and they are a big reciepient of my charitiy also. I regularly donate things, money and time to PATH and Union station, and the local homeless shelters. In fact, today I'll probably be driving stuff over.

But I think you missed my point on why I'm giving gift certificates to celebrities. I want them to get involved and use their fame and wealth to help my cause. I don't actually tend to spend any time even thinking about celebrities, its not like I normally blog about them or even think about them in my life. I'm more impressed by intelligence, and the celebrities in my life tend to the people who got or were nominated for noble prizes.

And money is just numbers. I live in the USA now, and its real easy to make money here. I tend to make it as a hobby 'cause I find it interesting, and then I have to figure out what to do with it. I'm trying to figure out what to do that will have the biggest impact. And trust me, if Paris Hilton even mentions KIVA once it will do more good than the $3000 + I have invested in Kiva loans. Well worth a $25 gift certificate. But that how I make money so easy. I think big and live in a world where people do good things.

Taylor Blue said...

I'm glad that you can make money so easily...but there are people like me that are the working poor...why brag about it like that??? are you looking for a pat on the back???

I live in Canada and my family lives from paycheck to paycheck...so what about us????

Julia said...

I'm sorry if you think I'm bragging on my own blog. That's not my intention. I was just trying to point out that your initial assumption that I wasn't doing anything for 'local' people was way off.

I lived in Canada for many years and was very poor. I put myself through school, etc. So I know about living paycheck to paycheck. I even know about not having enough food to eat. But I am now at a place in my life and in a country where I have more than I need, and I am sharing it with others.

I help Canadians too. I am help support both my Canadian parents, including buying shelter for them so they aren't homeless. I regularly donate a lot to charities in Canada, including the university I got my first degree at. I'm sorry I'm not supporting you directly, but you're needs haven't come up before. I don't even know you or your family.

I am a little surprised and hurt that you would come into my blog and make me feel bad 'cause i'm not living up to your expectations of what I should be doing. I am doing this blog for myself, I am amazed anyone reads it 'cause its boring, though I do find the positive comments uplifting. You are the first person to make me feel bad. I don't know why you felt the need to be so negative to someone you don't know but I have never understood meanness very well.

Perhaps if you don't have anything nice to say you shouldn't say anything at all. If you don't like what I am doing, go somewhere else. This is after all, MY sandbox.

Unknown said...

I think it's the best idea I've heard today. Frankly I can't belive anyone would criticise you for blogging about giving your money away in this way. It's a kind of sickness in my opinion.

If you're going to criticise someone for not living up to your own charitable standards why not go over to a blog about expensive cars or designer clothes and criticise there instead of jumping on someone who's actually trying to do something positive.

I think we should all send a Kiva cirtificate to a celebrity this Christmas.

Julia said...

Thanks a lot James. I still find this a bit baffling, especially since the person criticizing me that I gave something to a celebrity, spends her time blogging about celebrities. So she has this obsessive fascination with celebrities, yet gets upset if someone gives something to one of them.

BTW, Paris never used the certificate. She did send me a letter of thanks with her picture, which I sent off to a solider through anysoldier.com. But I still think it was a good idea and worth a try to get her involved.