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Archive for November, 2008
Oily Practices Might Be Responsible for Economic Slide
Nov 19th
According to MSNBC, “Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, reported income … that shattered its own record for the biggest profit from operations by a U.S. corporation, earning $14.83 billion in the third quarter.” Though prices have fallen since the announcement from Exxon on October 30th, the question is: How did the extreme inflation of oil prices get so out of hand? What role did that insane inflation play in the deflation of the world economy?
When you consider the delivery of food by the world’s food banks to those in need, most delivery methods involve petroleum fuel. The higher the fuel prices go, the less money there is to feed the same number of people.
American dependency on oil has reached a critical crossroad. Prices at the pump are falling because the demand has gone down as a result of fewer people having jobs. However, if the economy begins to improve, there will be an increased demand for oil and the world’s oil companies will take advantage once again. It is time to break the cycle of dependency that keeps us addicted to our gasoline fix. Another good reason for demanding alternative fuels is that fossil fuels are known to increase greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, further contributing to global warming. Michael Seibert, a biologist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., envisions pond scum as a possible source for bio-fuel. Whatever the new source of fuel finally is, now is the time to put our energies and research into renewable energy sources before we are held hostage at the pumps again. What are your thoughts?
Yes We Can.
Nov 10th
Election 2008 was a truly historic event with the victory of America’s first African/American President. Excitement filled the air and tens of thousands of Obama supporters gathered in Grant Park, in Chicago to hear his victory speech. The message was one of hope. Though there is much to do to get America back on track, we can pull together and through our hard work, look forward to a brighter future.
President-elect Barack Obama began his speech:
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer…
…It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”
The speech went on to tell the story of Ann Nixon Cooper an African/American woman of 106 years, who was born just a generation past the time of slavery. He told of the many times she was told “you can’t” in her lifetime. Conversely, the words “yes we can,” was the fitting climax to this hard fought victory that will hopefully put an end to racism in this country. These words of optimism brought tears to the eyes of many in the crowd.
Though there is much to do to repair our financial and political systems, there is great hope in the words of our new President Barack Obama. It is this spirit of optimism that propels nonprofit organizations to forge ahead in the momentous task of raising funds for so many noble causes.
The question remains, will those who make large donations hold back on their donations because of the battered economy? According to the latest study An Analysis of Million Dollar Gifts January 2000 – September 2007 from “The Center on Philanthropy” at Indiana University, “Self-made wealth holders make the most gifts. Just over forty percent of the donors making gifts of $1 million or more are ‘self-made’ millionaires. This includes entrepreneurs, investors, and real estate developers. ‘Self-made’ wealthy donors gave several times more, on average, than donors with paychecks or donors with inherited wealth.”Of course, 47% of those who voted in this election, voted for the Republican candidate, John McCaine. Will President-elect Obama be able to unite both his supporters and those who voted against him? On Tuesday, many believed the words of Barack Obama, that he could. What are your thoughts?
President-elect Barack Obama began his speech:
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer…
…It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”
The speech went on to tell the story of Ann Nixon Cooper an African/American woman of 106 years, who was born just a generation past the time of slavery. He told of the many times she was told “you can’t” in her lifetime. Conversely, the words “yes we can,” was the fitting climax to this hard fought victory that will hopefully put an end to racism in this country. These words of optimism brought tears to the eyes of many in the crowd.
Though there is much to do to repair our financial and political systems, there is great hope in the words of our new President Barack Obama. It is this spirit of optimism that propels nonprofit organizations to forge ahead in the momentous task of raising funds for so many noble causes.
The question remains, will those who make large donations hold back on their donations because of the battered economy? According to the latest study An Analysis of Million Dollar Gifts January 2000 – September 2007 from “The Center on Philanthropy” at Indiana University, “Self-made wealth holders make the most gifts. Just over forty percent of the donors making gifts of $1 million or more are ‘self-made’ millionaires. This includes entrepreneurs, investors, and real estate developers. ‘Self-made’ wealthy donors gave several times more, on average, than donors with paychecks or donors with inherited wealth.”Of course, 47% of those who voted in this election, voted for the Republican candidate, John McCaine. Will President-elect Obama be able to unite both his supporters and those who voted against him? On Tuesday, many believed the words of Barack Obama, that he could. What are your thoughts?
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