Ed Bagley asked:

Stop this American nonsense of government bailouts with taxpayer money for businesses that cannot survive because of poor management.

Let the poorly run businesses collapse and sink into bankruptcy, foreclosure or receivership, and be sold to businesses with better management that can take these distressed enterprises back to profitability.

Throwing good money at poorly managed businesses is never a good idea. It will make the problem worse. Only a government bureaucrat would think that a bailout is a viable solution to a business problem or a financial crisis in our economy.

Get the idea out of your head that just because it is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (better known as Freddie Mac) or the Federal National Mortgage Association (better known as Fannie Mae) does not mean that they cannot be brought to their knees and punished for their poor management.

These two stockholder-owned corporations were chartered by the U. S. Congress in 1968 (Fannie Mae) and 1970 (Freddie Mac) to promote home ownership. They buy mortgages on the secondary market, pool them, and sell them as mortgage-backed securities to investors on the open market. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae own or guarantee about half of America’s $12 trillion mortgage market, and they have made a sorry mess of it in their rush to riches at our taxpayer expense.

Congress chartered these two enterprises, and government bureaucrats and politicians were asleep at the switch in allowing these enterprises to be motivated by greed and avarice. It happened because the business managers of these two enterprises were just like the government officials and politicians who backed them, caught up in an intense desire for wealth and power.

Shame on them, shame on them all, and especially the politicians who were elected to represent us and chose to line their pockets instead with campaign contributions, and look the other way as if nothing improper was happening.

The government administration, led by our new President, has decided that the two congressionally-chartered business, big insurance companies, big banks, big finance houses, and big automotive corporations need to be bailed out at taxpayer expense because they are too big to fail. This is absolute nonsense. All of these enterprises should have been allowed to fail, otherwise, very little will be learned, retained and applied by the enterprises involved.

By bailing them out, we are enabling them to continue their undesirable motives of greed and avarice. We are paying them to fail and just asking for them to sell us-the taxpayers-out.

Just as social engineering attempts to change our thoughts, beliefs and mores about our social problems, financial engineering is now attempting to change our thoughts, beliefs and attitudes about our economic problems.

But is financial engineering a good idea in a free, democratic, capitalist society? I think not. The jury is out at this time in America’s economic history. Time will tell whether I am right or wrong.

Copyright ? 2009 Ed Bagley

Bret

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD asked:

In her autobiography, “Home: A Memoir of My Early Years,” Julie Andrews reveals the all too often kept dark secret of sexual abuse. Andrews reveals that when she was fifteen, her stepfather, who was drunk lunged toward her saying, “I really must teach you how to kiss properly.” He then kissed her full on the lips. Andrews states, “It was a deep, moist kiss – a horrible experience.” He tried to repeat his endeavor to teach Andrews how to kiss properly, she fended him off. She also, installed a bolt on her bedroom door and managed to avoid being alone with him.

Andrews does not reveal if she told anyone. One might wonder if she did tell, what was done. Since she did not reveal that she told, my guess is that she did not. Not telling about the sexual abuse is a sad state of affairs, because it leaves the person, as well as others, vulnerable to being abused. Yet, this is a common response to this horrific experience.

Girls are scripted and rewarded to not cause a scene and to be cute and demur. Boys are scripted and rewarded to be strong, and to exhibit bravery in every situation. The typical child sex offender molests an average of 117 children, most do not report the offense – National Institute of Mental Health. 1988 This statistic has remained consistent for many decades.

Child sexual abuse is the greatest hidden epidemic in the world. U.S. statistics reveal as high as 62 percent of females and 31 percent of males will be sexually violated before age 18.

“If a disease affected our children in these enormous numbers we would declare a national emergency. Monies for research to find a cure would be made available immediately.” States Claire R. Reeves, President/Founder/Chief Executive Office of Mothers Against Sexual Abuse – MASA

Prevention has eluded all of society, even passionate and committed prevention advocates, because society concentrates the majority of efforts entirely on repairing the damage. Over the last several years many informative and educational books have been written about incest and child sexual abuse. That this heretofore taboo subject is being addressed is of the utmost importance to enlighten society regarding this heinous crime against our innocent children. While this terrible crime has been expounded on extensively, little has been offered in the way of preventing it.

Children, as young as two or three years old can thwart a would-be sex offender if they are
armed with the permission and knowledge. Parents need to empower their children and support them in the ownership of their bodies and their lives.

Clifford

Paul Mcindoe asked:

David Beckham’s latest hair cut; Russell Brand’s latest conquest; Paris Hilton’s most recent bout of bad behaviour – it’s impossible to turn on the TV or open a newspaper without being bombarded by rumours, hearsay and the occasional fact about celebrities. But why do we have such a fascination with fame, to the point where we’re more interested in the lives of others than our own friends and family?

Stories that would otherwise be of no interest to us seem to take on massive importance as soon as the subject matter is a pop-star or famous actor; “John Smith’s New Lover” doesn’t raise much interest, but substitute “John Smith” for Jennifer Aniston or George Clooney and suddenly it’s a front page news story that everybody wants to read.

One of the reasons for our love affair with celebrities is that we invariably perceive their lives to be more interesting and eventful than our own. The typical ‘A’ list celebrity may own a private jet, several plush properties in various desirable locations around the world and have a garage full of sports cars while rubbing shoulders with other big names, and it is this so called “celebrity high life” which so many people are fascinated by and aspire to.

But there also seems to be an element of jealousy involved, and thus gossip magazines seem to revel in the misfortunes of celebrities – delighting in highlighting their bad fashion tastes, wrinkles or cosmetic surgery.

Celebrity culture manifests itself in through many forms of media; celebrity news magazines, gossip rags, tabloids, TV and radio interviews, internet forums, and of course in day-to-day conversation amongst ourselves and whilst modern communication has facilitated the propagation of gossip on a far greater and quicker scale than ever before, the culture of celebrity worship has a long history.

Thousands of years ago, fame was gained through leadership, bravery in battle, or a sporting deed. Some of the first celebrities were Greek Olympic champions, and were given the equivalent of today’s red carpet treatment. TV was a long way off from being invented, but the equivalent notoriety was gained via commissioning hymns of praise to be written about them by famous poets, which would then be performed in their honour. Later in history, when theatre became the popular mass media, actors and playwrights such as Shakespeare were the vehicles for celebrity status.

A huge proportion of media is given over to the worship of celebrities, and for the foreseeable future, it seems this will continue to be the case, as our love affair with gossip shows no signs of ending any time soon.

Johan

Ed Bagley asked:

A recent article from the St. Petersburg (FL) Times newspaper asked readers for their ideas on “How Would You Fix the Economy?” Here is one response.

“Dear Mr. President,

“Patriotic Retirement: There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million dollars each Severance Pay with these stipulations:

“1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.

“2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.

“3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.”

Sometimes the common folk cut through all of red tape, regulations, control freaks and simply give a clear, concise answer to a situation others want to make complicated so they can expand their own power base, influence and micro-managed control over the people they supposedly represent.

Having said that, the cost of this proposal would be $40 trillion. Even President Obama might think twice about that level of handout money at the taxpayers’ expense. However, the basic idea has merit.

If the buyout was cut to $250,000, I bet there would be takers because they could open their own small business after quitting their job. In essence, many retirees with $250,000 could quit their job, buy a new car, pay off their mortgage or buy a new house. Everyone does not live in a million dollar home, or has an underlying principal balance in excess of $150,000.

At $250,000, the cost would drop to $10 trillion, about what will be spent to fix the economy Obama style. The chief difference would be that the recipients of the legislative-approved money would not have it to line their own pockets at our expense.

If you think the money President Obama is asking for is outrageous, just wait a few years until the evidence comes out about how much of the money was mis-appropriated illegally for ill-gotten gains by politicians and government officials operating under the guise of taxpayer interests. Greed and materialism drive our economy. Billions, not millions, of this handout money will come up unaccounted for and mis-appropriated. You read it here first. Remember what I said because it will happen.

Copyright ? 2009 Ed Bagley

Howard

Michael Russell asked:

Celebrities. Don’t we just love them? We are a world obsessed with famous people. When we see one of our favorite actors hosting an awards show, something we normally wouldn’t even think of wasting time viewing, we sit glued to our TV hanging on their every word and action, especially if we’re watching a living legend. It’s a moment we’ll talk about for years to come, especially if we happened to be in the audience and got to see our hero live. Talk about being able to die happy.

On a recent episode of Boston Legal we saw a celebrity shoot a reporter who was about to take a photo of her because he jumped out from behind a garbage can and she was startled and thought he had a gun. She claims she shot in self defense. The question was, would the jury buy it? The prosecutor’s case was that it’s okay for the celebrity to get all the perks of being able to go into a fancy restaurant and be seated even without a reservation, among other things, but then they want to be a big star and have their privacy too. The defense made the case of other celebrities being assaulted, some killed even. He brought up John Lennon’s murder as an example. His argument was that even celebrities have a right to some privacy.

We’re not going to try to answer the question of who’s right and who’s wrong. The jury decided in favor of the celebrity. But that’s just TV. We know that real life can be quite different. The sad truth is, celebrities are not like other people. They are constantly in the public eye, either in movies, TV, theater, radio, or whatever specialty they are involved in. Many of us would argue that they have no problem being paid $1 million for one TV episode, but try taking one lousy photo of them and they go crazy. Others would say that they are entitled to the same privacy as you or I, even though they may have a job that puts them in the public eye. After all, if you’re a carpenter, nobody is following you around town trying to take your photo every five minutes.

So, what’s the answer? Maybe laws need to be made. This is not suggesting that the laws be in favor of the celebrity or against. But some kind of law governing what are reasonable and unreasonable actions in regard to how much “space” a celebrity should be given when not “working”. Should they be allowed to be approached in a supermarket when doing their weekly food shopping? Or should their be laws stating that they can only be approached 15 minutes before or after coming off the “set” where they work, whether it be a TV station, radio station or movie set?

Most likely laws like this will never be enacted or even if they are, enforced. That is just the way it is. It has been like this since the beginning of celebrity status. It has killed many in the past and most likely will end up killing many more before this madness is over.

Santino

Esmeralda Wells asked:


Michael Jackson is Dead

Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center, NBC News has confirmed.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the L.A. Times that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home and CPR was performed.

TMZ.com reported that he may have suffered cardiac arrest.

Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean,” had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.

The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.

His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

He lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.

There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

“I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news,” said Quincy Jones, a longtime friend of Jackson’s and producer of his “Thriller” album. “For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. … I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”

A life in music

Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Ind., the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael — first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6.

They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.

Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released “Thriller” in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature “moonwalk” dance move while performing “Billie Jean” during an NBC special.

SOURCE:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com



Chester

Morgan Kennedy asked:

Donald Frank Cheadle was born on November 29th of 1964 in Kansas City, Missouri. He is one of the many celebrities helping out with the problems in Sudan. As everyone has seen on the news there have been all sorts of problems in Sudan. Don along with Paul Rusesabagina started a program called Sudan: The Passion of the Present. This program was put together to help stop the genocide in Sudan. You will also see this as the Hotel Darfur or Hotel Rwanda Project. Hotel Rwanda essentially was a promise to stop many atrocities that had once occurred but were never to happen again.

Angelina Jolie Voight was born on June 4th of 1975 in Los Angeles, California. William Bradley Pitt was born on December 18th of 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. As we al know by reading the headlines or watching television Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are always helping people. Angelina is a goodwill ambassador for the UNHC or the United Nations. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt helping people is nothing new. They helped out with the victims of Katrina and they do a majority of there work in third world countries or poor parts of Africa. They are a pair of the greatest humanitarians around.

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29th of 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi Oprah is a force to be reckoned with in the world of talk shows. But what many people are becoming aware of is that Oprah is a force when it comes to literacy and education. Oprah’s program is called the Oprah Winfrey Academy for Girls and is a boarding school based out of Johannesburg, South Africa. This program provides academically gifted girls from impoverished backgrounds with a chance to make something of their lives. This boarding school was opened in January of 2007 and is an all-girl’s school.

Billy

Donna Marshall asked:

Skinny celebrities are taking over the world! And it’s not even happening slowly. Let’s take a look around: Hollywood has become the home of blonde and skinny women who seem like they are spending 4 hours per day on their treadmills, then go home, skip lunch, get a coffee with splenda instead and then go out and party, which means even more exercise that perfectly serves the skinny purpose.

We could all stay immune to this and well, ignore the skinny celebrities that come and go off the big movies scene. But the thing is that, slowly, our perceptions are being metamorphosed without even knowing it. We are seeing skinny celebrities, skinny models and skinny figures everywhere. We are used to seeing super thin celebs, gaunt faces and boney knees. We get used to seeing the ultimate forms of skinniness. And we start to think that it is normal, aesthetic and, even worse, healthy. As a result, we underestimate, judge and criticize the ones that did not fall into the skinny trap, the ones that settle for less emaciated proportions, the ones that put health and a positive mood before looking as close to as a hanger with clothes.

Facts are that the not so skinny celebrities, the curvy and the full figured celebrities are becoming extinct. Take a look around: some former healthy looking celebrities have already lost so much weight that they entered the skinny celebrity territory. Where will this skinny pursuit end? Is it just a temporary trend or is it here to stay?

Paul

John Parks asked:


In a bizarre story of international friendships gone awry, Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, second son to the King of Bahrain, is suing Michael Jackson in a British court for the sum of $7 million.

Jackson had previously purchased Bahrain ‘s former Prime Minister’s mansion, and had called himself “increasingly Bahraini” while living there in 2005. He was a guest of the sheikh, and wore a traditional Muslim veil, the black “abaya” which gave him and his children a perfect shot at relative anonymity. Bahrain appeared to enjoy the notoriety.

This was around the time of his child-molestation trial, from which he was acquitted, and for which the sheikh paid $1 million up front and another $2.2 million in legal fees. Michael Jackson’s lawyer calls this a gift, and the sheikh calls it a loan. (However, the sheikh also reports paying $450k for Jackson ‘s brother Jermain Friday to visit Bahrain and buy a Rolls Royce; the sheikh calls that a gift and has not asked for it to be returned.)

The two also jointly owned a record label, 2 Seas Group (a reference to “ Bahrain ” meaning “ Two Seas ”), through which Michael Jackson was expected to produce songs, an autobiography, and a stage play. This was a “combined rights agreement” which apparently Jackson backed out of, after the sheikh had incurred $7 million in expenses toward the project. The agreement specified that the expenses would be paid back out of Jackson ‘s royalties. Since the project never went forward, legal teams argue that the $7 million is a loss on an aborted business venture, not a loan that needs to be paid back.

In 2006, Jackson moved from Bahrain to Las Vegas, apparently becoming significantly less Bahraini than he had been the previous year, or perhaps just for irony; a Bahraini cleric had expressed worry that Jackson would “turn Bahrain into Las Vegas.” It’s unclear what his friendship with the sheik was like after the move, though the sheikh claims that they were still close personal friends. He did agree that Jackson was a “vulnerable person,” though didn’t agree with Jackson ‘s lawyer’s assessment that the singer was “not exactly an astute businessman.” They claim that the funds for the legal trial and for the abortive music deal were gifts, and are now being claimed as loans due to the sheikh’s “mistake, misrepresentation and undue influence.”

For the King of Pop with a music career spanning a half-century, one is tempted to agree that a man who needs a $7 million loan and can’t pay it back is probably not an astute businessman. Jackson ‘s nanny testified that received a $1 million wire transfer from the sheikh because the singer didn’t have any money; possibly this was because he was having a nanny pay his bills.

Jackson tried to remain in Los Angeles during the trial, having petitioned the court to appear through a video link rather than traveling to London due to health concerns, though his doctor eventually cleared him to travel over the weekend. The health concerns, whatever they are, didn’t prevent him from going through a ceremony to convert to Islam at a friend’s house in Los Angeles. He changed his name to Mikaeel… The final chapter of this novella does not seem to be any closer and I honestly doubt it will ever come to any satisfactory conclusion.

For more information on Bahrain, visit http://www.bahrainmicroblog.com. For more information on legal matters, visithttp://www.legalmicroblog.com.



Leon

Roger Hamilton asked:

In the past, contributions from the very rich to the poor were most often made anonymously. Many of the direct recipients of charity did not even know the identity of their benefactors. Today all this has changed.

However, there is no doubt that endorsement of various charities by well-known film stars, musicians and sports personalities, coupled with the celebrities’ own actual high-profile donations, can vastly increase public awareness of some indisputably worthy causes.

Underprivileged children, homeless refugees, victims of natural disasters and sufferers from diseases such as AIDS are among the unfortunate people who have been hugely helped ” not only by generous donations from wealthy personalities, but also thanks to contributions made by ordinary donors who have been deeply moved by the charitable activities of public figures they admire.

Caring Stars

One well-known celebrity philanthropist is actress Angelina Jolie, who uses her fame and fortune to raise awareness of the plight some 20 million refugees in 120 countries around the world. Her work on behalf of refugees began in 2001 when she was filming in Cambodia, where she decided to adopt a refugee child. By adopting orphaned children ” her son Maddox from Cambodia, and a daughter Zahara from Ethiopia in 2005 ” Jolie has also sparked interest among other prospective parents to help or adopt other needy children around the world.

Named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Commission for Refugees in 2001, Jolie has toured many other refugee locations including Thailand, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, the Balkans and Ecuador. Besides pledging and donating several million dollars to different charitable causes, she also champions the cause of banning land mines.

Film actor and producer George Clooney is another fervent supporter of significant causes. These include the ‘ONE Campaign’ to eliminate AIDS; and ‘Make Poverty History’, part of an 84-nation coalition calling for a breakthrough against poverty throughout the world. He is also involved in the Global Campaign Against Poverty (GCAP), which aims to narrow the gap between rich and poor by addressing man-made factors such as unjust global trade systems, debt burdens that suffocate any chance of a country’s economic recovery and ineffective aid in impoverished areas of the world.

Together with Samuel L Jackson, Clooney co-sponsors ‘Rock for Darfur’, a series of charity concerts organised by MySpace.com and Oxfam. The funds go to support Oxfam’s disaster relief work and to aid refugees in Sudan and neighbouring Chad. Finally, there is ‘United Way’ ” Clooney’s own self-supported programme which collects money and goods from various donors and distributes the proceeds to local charities.

Jackie Chan is Hong Kong’s most famous film star. In 1988, he founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation to offer scholarships and active assistance to young people in Hong Kong. The foundation’s motto is: ‘To help, to heal and to excel.’ As Jackie explains: “Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life. Long ago, when I was a child in need of assistance, someone was kind to me. My charitable foundation is my way of passing on that kindness. By providing scholarships, grants and funding … I am helping to make the world a better place.”

Chan’s charitable donations cover a wide spectrum that includes home care for youngsters at risk; help for unemployed youngsters; professional self-empowerment counselling; training camps for students; and anti-suicide campaigns. Over the years, the foundation’s activities have grown substantially, broadening their scope to include medical services and help for victims of natural disasters or people suffering from serious illnesses.

Environmental Warrior

Popularly described as a ‘Hollywood heartthrob’, youthful movie star Leonardo DiCaprio is a passionate defender of the environment. To foster greater awareness of environmental issues, he actively cooperates with organisations such as Global Green USA, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and National Geographic Kids.

His own Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation focusses particularly on global warming, which can be combated by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting alternative and renewable energy sources. “I urge individuals around the globe to stand up,” he declares, “and ask local leaders, if they haven’t already, to pledge to purchase cleaner cars, build green facilities, and buy green power like wind or solar energy. Our actions may determine if we become a casualty in the war for a habitable planet for generations to come.” His concerns also extend to maintaining clean water supplies throughout the world (DiCaprio estimates that 1.2 billion of the world’s people do not have access to safe drinking water) ” and he is a fervent advocate of preserving the earth’s biodiversity.

Philanthropic Sportsmen

In 1994, at the height of his sporting career, tennis champion Andre Agassi set up the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation (AACF) to provide recreational facilities and educational opportunities for children in southern Nevada, USA, especially in the Las Vegas area. It has supported more than 20 organisations and raised more than US$60 million since it was launched. Its special mission is to help abused or abandoned children who are considered ‘at risk’ or deprived of basic opportunities in life. In order to foster character and self-esteem in these children and enhance their career possibilities, the Foundation funds a combination of emotional, physical and academic programmes.

The Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club, opened in 1997, features a basketball court, tennis courts, a computer lab, a library and a teen centre offering a variety of activities. Through the tennis Team Agassi and the basketball programme Agassi Stars, children learn the values of good sportsmanship. They also attend study sessions. By balancing athletics and education, the Agassi Club provides not only a safe place for youngsters to go after school, but a positive learning environment. In 2001, the Foundation donated an additional US$720,000 towards building an Andre Agassi Cottage for Medically Fragile Children.

Also committed to children’s welfare is seven-time Grand Slam tennis champion Roger Federer. In 2003 he launched the Roger Federer Foundation in Basel, Switzerland to fund projects for disadvantaged children, especially in South Africa. Following the devastating 2004 tsunami, he instigated several other fund-raising initiatives, including the ATP All-Star Rally for Relief. This led to a global partnership with UNICEF, and in April 2006, Federer was appointed a UNICEF ‘Goodwill Ambassador.’ UNICEF Executive Director Ann M Veneman voiced her confidence in his ability to make a difference when she said: “Roger Federer will bring extraordinary energy and talent to working with UNICEF to improve the lives of children throughout the world.”

Federer believes sport can help overcome injustice and build bridges between cultures. “As tennis players, we have a unique opportunity,” he says. “We are given a chance to visit so many different countries and cultures and interact with people from all walks of life. It is our responsibility to…use our fortune to make a difference in the lives of those who most need it. If I can make a contribution to this, I am more than happy to do so.”

Fulfilling Dreams

As a child, Tiger Woods dreamed about becoming the world’s best golfer. “I worked hard,” he says, “and applied my family’s values to everything I did. Integrity, honesty, discipline, responsibility and fun ” I learned these values at home and in school, each one pushing me further toward my dream.” Knowing that thousands of other children dream about their futures too, Tiger and his father set up the Tiger Woods Foundation in 1996. “Through personal enrichment programmes, scholarships, direct grants, junior golf teams, and the new Tiger Woods Learning Center completed in 2005,” explains Tiger, “the foundation is helping millions of children reach their dreams.”

The Tiger Woods Foundation makes direct community investments through its grant and scholarship programmes. In 2005 it awarded nearly US$2 million in grants to youth-related programmes, and gave the Baton Rouge Area Foundation $200,000 to set up a Hurricane Katrina educational fund. The Foundation also donated $100,000 to Give2Asia to aid children displaced by the 2004 tsunami. The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) Tour contributed a matching amount of $100,000. Another well-known PGA champion golfer, Phil Mickelson, was the catalyst behind a charity designed to benefit America’s military men and women. Called ‘Birdies for the Brave’, it is sponsored by the Phil and Amy Mickelson Charitable Gift Fund. Amounts of US$100 for each ‘birdie’ and $500 for every ‘eagle’ that Phil makes are donated to help military families by financing education for the children of deceased military personnel, or support handicap-accessible homes for severely-injured or disabled American veterans. In partnership with Exxon Mobil, the Mickelsons also co-sponsor a five-day ‘academy’ for mid-primary level teachers to improve their skills in motivating children and teaching mathematics and science.

Scoring for Families

Basketball superstar Michael Jordan’s record-breaking achievements on the basketball court may have ended with his retirement in 1999, but his charitable work continues to benefit organisations he helped establish. In 1996, at the height of his athletic career, his US$2 million contribution helped finance the opening in Chicago of the James R. Jordan Boys & Girls Club and Family Life Centre (named after Michael’s father). The club offers children’s recreational and learning facilities, infant day care and a family healthcare centre.

In the same year, he committed $1million to the University of North Carolina to set up its Jordan Institute for Families. At its dedication ceremony, he explained, “I feel very blessed and fortunate to have had a family structure which nurtured and provided a positive influence for myself and my siblings. Many young people today are overwhelmed by the pressures of life, struggling and trying to survive. I am supporting the Jordan Institute for Families because I believe that everything that can be done should be done to preserve the family and to improve the quality of life for all individuals, especially children and the elderly.” Jordan remains involved with the Boys & Girls Club of America, UNCF/College Fund, Special Olympics and a variety of other organisations supporting children and families. British football icon David Beckham and his popstar wife Victoria established their own charitable trust in 2002, and more recently joined forces with UNICEF to raise funds for children worldwide. In January 2005, Beckham was appointed a UNICEF ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ with a particular focus on the UNICEF’s ‘Sports for Development’ programme. Sport is seen as a positive force to improve the lives of children throughout the world, particularly those who have been affected by disease, poverty or conflict.

Beckham’s first activity as a UNICEF ambassador was to launch a global appeal on behalf of the 1.5 million children who were victims of the 2004 tsunami, supporting the organisation’s humanitarian work in the region. He’s appeared in a series of films to raise awareness of those children who are being forgotten in the fight against AIDS. Through UNICEF’s ‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’ campaign, contributions go towards helping millions of children. Proceeds of a World Cup Party hosted by the Beckhams in May this year generated funds that will enable UNICEF to reach many more children around the world. David and Victoria have also contributed to Children Today, a London-based charity for disabled children.

Fighting Poverty and Malaria

Irish pop star Bono (real name, Paul Hewson) has been deeply involved with social and political causes since the 1980s. The U2 star’s involvement with the Bob Geldof’s Band Aid and Live Aid charity projects secured his place as a worldwide legend. From 1999, he has increasingly dedicated himself to relieving third-world debt and raising awareness of the plight of Africa.

Since the end of his ‘Elevation’ tour in 2001, Bono has been actively campaigning for debt-relief in Africa and has visited many African countries. In 2002, he set up an organisation called ‘DATA’, to raise awareness of Debt, Aids and Trade problems in Africa. At present, he is particularly concerned about the problem of eradicating of malaria, which is the biggest killer on the African continent. Bono has been quoted as saying that the idea of defeating malaria in Africa would be as exciting as having witnessed Neil Armstrong’s first walk on the moon. In 2003, 2005 and 2006, Bono was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1984, Bob Geldof organised Band Aid to benefit children dying of starvation in Africa. He assembled Britain’s top group of singers and musicians to record the single, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’, which became the fastest-selling single record in UK music history, raising over 8 million pound worldwide for aid in Ethiopia. In 1985, Geldof went on to organise two Live Aid concerts, one in London and the other in Philadelphia, featuring more than 60 of rock music’s biggest stars performing ‘live’. Over 100 million pound was raised for African famine relief.

In January 2004, Geldof visited friends in Ethiopia, where he discovered that more people were at risk of starvation then than during the famines of the 1980′s which inspired Live Aid. Geldof communicated his concern vociferously to British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The result was the establishment of a Commission for Africa, comprised of 16 African political leaders and others. Relief measures proposed included the doubling of aid, cancelling debt and reforming trade rules. Following the Commission’s 2005 report, Gelfdof decided to stage eight simultaneous concerts around the world to exert pressure on the so-called rich nations’ club: the G8. The event was entitled Live 8.

Combating AIDS

British singer, composer and pianist, Sir Elton John, is well-known for his support for AIDS charities. As long ago as 1986, he was contributing profits from his recordings to the American Foundation for AIDS Research and encouraging his fans to do the same. Since then, he has worked diligently to foster greater awareness of the disease among the general public.

In 1992 he set up the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) as a charity to fund specific programmes for HIV/AIDS prevention and to support AIDS victims. This non-profit foundation is dedicated to the elimination of discrimination and prejudice against people affected by HIV/AIDS; it also provides specialised services to AIDS victims, and preventive education programmes to people at risk of contracting the disease. Since its founding, EJAF has raised over US$100 million to support AIDS-related programmes in 55 countries around the world.

The foundation’s work is supported not only by John’s own contributions, but through numerous fund-raising events, sports programmes, art and photographic exhibitions, Oscar parties and gala dinners organised or co-sponsored by John, sometimes with auctions of his own and other stars’ personal items. Last year, EJAF introduced new initiatives aimed at HIV prevention among residents of the southern United States and the Caribbean, young people and drug users and people recently released from prison.

In Tune With Children

In the 1980s, pop idol Madonna became a supporter of the charity called amFAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Since then, she has also turned her attention to Children in Need ” a charity that provides practical and lasting support to thousands of youngsters 18 years old or younger who may have experienced neglect, abuse, homelessness or poverty, and may be suffering from serious illnesses, disabilities, psychological disorders or addictions. The Make-a-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions, is another of Madonna’s favoured causes.

Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, is suffering from famine, drought, poverty and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis. Most recently, Madonna has contributed generously to Raising Malawi, a charity whose Orphan Care Initiative provides food, medical care, clothing, clean drinking water and schooling to 32,000 orphaned children in the impoverished African nation. Madonna recently demonstrated the extent of her dedication to this charitable cause by adopting a Malawian child.

In 1999, the American singer Mariah Carey received a Congressional Award for her contributions to youth charities and non-profit organisations. She was recognised for her work with the Administration for Children’s Services in New York City, and she participates in Children’s Services’ programmes to ensure that children are raised in a stable family environment. One Carey contribution of over US$1,000,000 went to the children’s Fresh Air Fund, which enables city children to enjoy summer camping in the countryside.

Camp Mariah is a Career Awareness Camp for New York adolescents operated under the auspices of the Fresh Air Fund that aims to expand their awareness of educational and career options. It offers a unique opportunity for nearly 300 boys and girls aged 12 to 14 to engage in an educational curriculum while enjoying camp adventures. Intensive three-and-a-half-week summer sessions and weekend camping trips are complemented by year-round activities in New York City. Camp Mariah was named after Mariah Carey for her generous support and dedication to Fresh Air children.

Raymond