Easily post to Facebook

If you’re like many of the people I communicate with out there – you probably have a Facebook account. If you don’t then you probably wouldn’t be reading my blog anyway.

Facebook has made it VERY easy for you to share stuff you find interesting with your friends on Facebook by adding the “Share on Facebook” bookmarking button to your toolbar. Adding this button is easier than putting on your shoes with your eyes closed. You simply drag and drop it into your toolbar. Get it here (don’t drag the one in this blog silly).

Happy sharing!

Give the Gift of Mentoring

I’m on the board of directors of a non-profit organization in Eugene, Oregon called Committed Partners for Youth (CPY). CPY provides caring adult mentors to the highest needs kids in Lane County – especially kids that have one or both parents in prison. This is a social issue I don’t think many people think about – and they should. Mainly because these numbers are not shrinking – and we need to intervene before they follow their parents footsteps…

You can support these kids by joining the “Mentor Kids With A Parent In Prison” Cause on Facebook. You can then make a secure online donation (click image below) and give the gift of mentoring. Your donation will help match a kid who has a parent in prison with a caring adult mentor. Oh – I’ve also been mentoring a female youth for 4 years now who has a parent in prison and a mother who struggles with drug addiction. It’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. But I understand that not everyone can mentor a kid, but perhaps can support this important cause through their dollars. This is a gift that definitely keeps on giving and is truly priceless!

If you’re one of those amazing people – please consider donating to a worthy cause. Instead of buying some cheap crap from China this holiday season, show your appreciation for your friends and family by supporting a cause in their name.

What’s your 571?

Okay – so you’re probably wondering what the heck a “571″ is – well at least I’m hoping you are. A 571 is something completely unfair that has happened to you and you need support from others to help right this wrong. You want people to be aware that something like this is happening out in our “free country,” and you feel justice must prevail.

Let me start by giving a little history on where this idea of a “571″came from.  My business partner and I recently met with our bookkeeper to discuss taxes. She was sharing what we owe to the government and why we owe these taxes. We found out that my business partner owed $571 more than I did because her marriage is not recognized by the state of Oregon (she’s married to a woman). Even though Oregon recently passed a domestic partnership law, there are groups opposing it – and attempting to collect signatures to put the issue up for a vote on the January 2008 ballot.

I however, received more tax benefits because I am married to a person of the opposite sex – lucky me!

So this is where I came up with the idea of 571 – since this was the amount my business partner must pay for marrying a woman almost 13 years ago!

It got me thinking about all the other injustices happening everyday in this world – and I wanted to provided people with a place to vent them. And who knows – maybe others will read them, get equally pissed off, and decide to ORGANIZE and TAKE ACTION! Especially now – in the age of SOCIAL MEDIA and CROWDSOURCING - where people DO have the power to make their 571 ubiquitous!

So please share your 571 here – and let’s work together to right these wrongs!

istock photos