Carnism and Melanie Joy
We don’t see meat eating as we do vegetarianism – as a choice, based on a set of assumptions about animals, our world, and ourselves. Rather, we see it as a given, the “natural” thing to do, the way things have always been and the way things will always be. We eat animals without thinking about what we are doing and why, because the belief system that underlies this behavior is invisible. This invisible belief system is what I call carnism. ~Melanie Joy
Where does $1 to the Town of Palm Beach United Way go?
United Way is a large network with 1,256 independent offices in the United States, each of which is required to submit an IRS Form 990 that provides information on the local organization’s activities, revenue sources, expenditures, assets, liabilities, and more. Focusing on education, income, and health, each local United Way office/chapter acts as a community oversight committee by collecting revenue and making grants to other non-profit organizations that provide needed services or goods. Read more 
Pining for a Volvo with Cadillac Service
My husband says that car service departments see me coming and that I may as well have a sign on my back that says “TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME” The thing is I am – like most people – at the mercy of a car service department. If a mechanic or service manager tells me I need to spend $386 to have my shocks replaced, I have no way of knowing whether this is true or not. For that reason, my husband, who owned automotive service centers for two decades, usually handles the car repairs. He is not, as I say “snowable.” Read more
10 Key Executives Made $7.7 Million at the NRA
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (4) organization that fights tirelessly for our second amendment rights. Whether or not you believe the second amendment refers to “militia” or “the people” has always been controversial but is even more so in the wake of the near daily occurrence of mass shootings in this country. People are screaming out for gun control because quite frankly, there are too many guns and assault weapons in the hands of the wrong people. Read more
Where does $1 to the Salvation Army go?
During the holiday season, The Salvation Army operates its Red Kettle Campaign throughout the nation. Local volunteers (often working with their families) and paid workers stand by the iconic red kettle ringing a bell, and smiling while donations are placed in the red kettle.
It’s hard for anyone to walk by without placing a $1 or loose change in the kettle of one of the most recognizable charitable fundraisers in this country. But, where does $1 to the Salvation Army go? That’s the $4 billion dollar (the amount of revenue reported in the US in 2014) question, keeping in mind the Salvation Army organizations in the US have more than $11 billion in net assets. Read more
6 Ways to Make Your Donations Go Further
Tis the season for giving. We receive mail and on-line requests, buy tickets for charitable events, and get solicited at work, the grocery store, drug store, the mall, and a zillion other places. Many charities do really good work in our communities but many also have very high administrative and fundraising expenses along with high executive salaries which means our donations don’t go as far as we want them to go. To make your charitable dollars go further, consider the following six recommendations: Read more
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Last week, The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled “The Truth Behind the Sell-By Date” but with a headline of “Don’t Toss the Milk, Dear” which addressed the expiration date on foods – an interesting topic for sure. But, the photograph that accompanied the article on the front page of The Personal Journal was even more thought provoking. Read more
Where Does $1 to Hope For The Warriors® Go?
Hope For The Warriors® provides comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans, and military families that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources.
Hope For The Warriors® is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) founded by military wives whose programs serve post-9/11 active duty, National Guard, and reserve service members and veterans from all branches of the military. Programs also support the entire military family, families of the fallen, and military caregivers through: Read more
Where does $1 to the Ronald McDonald House go?
The first Ronald McDonald House opened more than 40 years ago (1974) in Philadelphia when Dr Audrey Lane at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia saw a need for short-term lodging near the hospital for families of cancer patients. Since then, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Inc. (RMHC) – a public charity under both the IRS Code 501 (c) (3) and 509 (a) (3) – have opened 353 Ronald McDonald Houses, 196 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in hospitals, and 50 Ronald McDonald mobile health units (Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles) along with providing grants to other non-profit organizations (hence, its 509 (c) (3) designation) and scholarships to students across the United States. Read more
Turkey Time
The Thanksgiving meal is about as American and traditional as it gets with nearly every family in the United States celebrating this national holiday – most with a roasted turkey on the table. Although many dishes have changed little in the past hundred years – bread stuffing, cornbread, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans – the turkey has changed dramatically. Before I tell you how the turkey has changed, I want to say this is not about shaming those who choose to eat turkey. The purpose is to inform the reader of what many turkey farmers, cooperatives, processors, and food companies don’t want consumers to know about the turkey on your table. Read more
Paddock Post 