Each year at this time, this writer determines who shall
receive his meager donations. I always demand a true charitable asset
allocation to the causes I deem worthy.
I prepare a historical pie chart on how I have split donations over the
years. Like most Americans my pie chart is heavy towards houses of worship and
secondary or higher education, but this year perhaps a more deliberate giving
strategy.
Education
– where
would we be without a quality education, but is my dollar really that important
to institutions who continue to overcharge for services and already have huge
Endowments from which to draw from. The
only way to justify giving a gift to educational institutions that are
relatively well off is they produce people and knowledge that will benefit
society.
Houses
of Worship – If you offer financial support to your own house of
worship, at the very least you have a duty to make sure that your religious
community is making fellow members aware of the need to help people who have
much less than you do. Not to finance arrest dodging priests or fancy places of
worship.
Cultural
Institutions – Philanthropy for the arts or for cultural
activities is a tough one. To give a gift to maintain art or help disadvantaged
children from dying from diarrhea or malaria is a tough choice.
A Child
–
The joyful part of giving is to be able to say that I can make something
better. What better way then, to give to help a child. Be it shoes, a toy,
food, safety, health, all are important.
This gift giving season make a difference in your gift –
this is the true spirit of giving.
TOP DONATION -
"Obama aide Axelrod loses mustache on TV for charity" - AFP: "David Axelrod [had] his trademark mustache
[shaved] ... live on ['Morning Joe'] after raising $1 million for epilepsy
research. 'We're cutting it off because there are people who have lost a lot
more than a mustache to epilepsy,' said Axelrod ... [The 'Today' show dipped in
live.] Axelrod, 57, who has had a mustache for 40 years, was saved [when Joe
and Mika] stepped aside and let a professional
barber with a straight razor do the job.
"One of the
first donations ...
came from ... Donald Trump ... 'We agree this is a good cause,' Trump said in a
phone call to the show. Other donors included actors George Clooney, Tom Hanks
and millionaire and basketball team owner Mark Cuban. ... The money goes to the
Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE)." Axelrod's wife, Susan,
is the founding chair. Donate here. www.SlashTheStache.com
HANUKKAH BEGINS - "Jews around
the world ushered in the eight-day Hanukkah festival Saturday evening, lighting
the first candles of ceremonial lamps that symbolize triumph over oppression.
... Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights, commemorates the Jewish
uprising in the second century B.C. against the Greek-Syrian kingdom, which had
tried to impose its culture on Jews and adorn the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem
with statues of Greek gods. The holiday lasts eight days because according to
tradition, when the Jews rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem, a single vial of
oil, enough for one day, burned miraculously for eight.
"For many Jewish people, the holiday
symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. Observant Jews light a candle each
night to mark the holiday. Oily foods are eaten to commemorate the oil miracle,
hence the ubiquitous fried doughnuts and potato pancakes, known as latkes. In
Israel, children play with four-sided spinning tops, or dreidels, decorated
with the letters that form the acronym 'A great miracle happened here.' Outside
of Israel, the saying is 'A great miracle happened there.' Hanukkah ... means
dedication."
113TH CONGRESS - "The 2010 election, with its throw-the-bums-out,
antigovernment furor, swept into office a host of people who had no government
experience. ... But this year, voters sent many of those people packing. In
their place will be a class of career bureaucrats and policy wonks who ... make
up what could be characterized as the anti-antigovernment wave. ... The new
House will include nine people ... who have already been in Congress. It will
also include a former Congressional chief of staff, a decade-long member of a
local water board, an assistant secretary for veterans affairs and even a
Kennedy. ... The number of House seats that changed hands in 2010 and this year
- 96 and 84, respectively - is the highest since the early 1990s, a period of
turnover not seen in nearly half a century."
THE LISTS: WORST STOCK TRADES OF 2012 - Time
to start tracking the best/worst lists of 2012. Please send any good ones
along. Here is one from Quartz's Matt Phillips on the five worst trades:
"1. The [JPMorgan] Whale ... 2. The Facebook IPO ... 3. Wall Street goes
long Romney ... 4. Giving money to John Paulson ... 5. Knight Capital's $440
million electronic oops."
INSIDE THE NUMBERS - Motley Fool's Morgan Housel has some
helpful charts showing what the government spends versus what it takes in: http://bit.ly/Z3jGUI
BIRTHDAYS
THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to: Tracy
Austin (50), Steve Buscemi (55), Emmanuelle Chriqui (35), Teri Garr (65), Donna
Mills (70).
SPORTS BLINK - "Johnny
Football" becomes first freshman to win Heisman - Heisman Trophy Trust
release: "Johnny Manziel [man-ZEHL'] of Texas A&M ... was selected
as the 78th winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy ... The victory for the
6'1", 200-pound Manziel represents the second winner from Texas A&M
and the first since 1957 (John David Crow). Manziel is the 33rd quarterback to
receive the award, and the first Freshman ... Manziel, of Kerrville, TX, has
completed 273 of his 400 passes this year, for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns
while throwing only 8 interceptions ... rushed 184 times for 1,181 net yards
(6.4 yards per carry) with 19 rushing touchdowns.
"Manziel broke the SEC record with 4,600
yards of total offense (previously held by 2010 Heisman winner Cam Newton) ...
[led] Aggies to a 10-2 regular season record and an appearance in the January
4th, 2013 AT&T Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma. ... Ballots were mailed to 870
media personnel ... plus 57 Heisman winners and one fan ballot, for a total of
928 electors. ... Manziel polled 2,029 points to capture the award over Manti
Te'o [MAN'-ty TAY'-ow] of Notre Dame (1,706 points), and Collin Klein of Kansas
State (894 points). The point total is reached by a system of three points for
a first place vote, two for a second and one for a third."
PACKERS ICE LIONS: 27-20 loss makes it 22 straight in Wisconsin.
It is difficult being a Detroit Lions fan.
COLLEGE
FOOTBALL BOWL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 12/15, 1:00 PM ET,
ESPN – The New Mexico Bowl begins the 35 game, over-hyped, ESPN controlled,
college bowl season. The University of Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5) vs. The University
of Arizona Wildcats (7-5). The Cats are favored by nine and rightly so. Arizona
28 Nevada 17. Season to date (10-5)
SMALL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Friday 12/14, 7:00 PM ET, ESPNU
– The D-III National Championship game: #1 Mt. Union Purple Raiders (14-0) vs.
#4 St. Thomas Tommies (14-0). Mt. Union has been dominant all year and they
will continue to do so; Mt. Union 32 St. Thomas 24. Season to date (14-1)
NFL
FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Sunday 12/15, 8:00 PM ET. NBC –
San Francisco 49ers (9-3-1) vs. New England Patriots (9-3). Great Sunday night
matchup, Patriots are too good in December; New England 20 49ers 10. Season
to date (8-6)
THE
SWAMI’S TOP PICKS – Arizona 28 Nevada 17, Mt. Union 32 St. Thomas
24, New England 20 San Francisco 10, UNLV 88 ULV 35 (12/13 basketball). Season to date (38-21)
DRIVING THE WEEK - Cliff talks
continue behind closed doors. The less you hear in public, the better ... Obama
is back on the fiscal cliff campaign trail today for an event at the Daimler
Detroit Diesel Plant ... Fed releases rates statement on Wednesday and Chairman
Ben Bernanke holds a news conference in which he is likely to continue to urge
action to avoid the fiscal cliff while laying out steps the Fed might take to
mitigate the damage should Washington fail to reach an agreement ... NFIB
survey at 7 a.m. EST on Tuesday expected to dip to 91 from 92.5 ...
International trade at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday expected to show
deficit rising to $43 billion from $41.5 billion ... Initial jobless claims at
8:30 a.m. EST Thursday expected to remain at 370K ... Retail sales at 8:30 a.m.
EST Thursday expected to rise 0.5 percent, 0.3 percent ex-autos ... Bank of
England Governor Mervyn King speaks Monday at the Economic Club of New York ...
On Thursday, House Financial Services Committee has a hearing on the Volcker
Rule and a House Agriculture subcommittee has a derivatives hearing.
Next week; affirmation not information and a Rink Rats
Christmas.
Until Next Monday, Adios.
Claremont, CA
December 10, 2012
#III-34, 139
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