What Has Tim Robbins' Suppressed Speech to Do With Us...?

I just received a heads up from Steve Zuckerman over at ZENtertainment, along with access to a highly controversial speech that was never supposed to be made public...

Curiosity aroused, I went ahead and listened to one of the most inspiring six minutes I've heard in a long time. As keynote speaker to the National Association of Broadcasters' shindig in Las Vegas, Robbins took full advantage of the moment to speak out against the Broadcast Industry focus on the "tawdry and demeaning," according to the Advertising Age.

However, what shocks me most and is the biggest wake up call of all is the fact that such a speech would ever be censored or considered controversial in the first place! Hats off to Tim Robbins...

Listen to Tim Robbins' speech here - although he is targeting the NAB, we are the voracious public that the NAB is feeding, so let's just start getting picky about our media diets!

It's time to stand up and be counted on the important issues that shape our lives and those of our children. I'd love to know what you think about this, so add your comments, please...

Choir of Angels on Tour...

If you've wondered about My Power Mall, and how much of what they preach (about changing the world and helping children) is actually put into practice, here's an excerpt from a message I received from Ginny this morning...

..."Before I tell you some about the last few days I want to tell all our new members that THIS is why we exist. Yes, we have created a powerful business for you to gain financial freedom but the bigger purpose is that My Power Mall is the vehicle we use through my bigger company, Together We Can Change The World, Inc., to help non-profits and people all over the world. You see, I really do happen to believe that TOGETHER we can change the world! While we help 1000's of Non-Profits through My Power Mall, and will help hundreds of thousands more in the future, as a company we have adopted an orphanage in Uganda and are doing everything we can to help the children there. Part of that involved bringing the SIFA Choir over. Take a look at these wonderful children!

I could write for days about the horrors and suffering these children have experienced as their parents have died of AIDS, as they have struggled to survive, and of the burdens they carry daily. I could also write for days of the struggles Carrie & Jamie, the two Americans who went to Uganda to bring them here, overcame as they worked to get Passports and VISAs for the children and the 3 Ugandan chaperones who are with them. I took Carrie & Jamie out for dinner last night and was astonished at how diffiicult it was to get the Choir out of the country - and equally amazed at the incredible things that happened to make it possible."....

Unfortunately, Ginny's article is too long to post in its entirety here, but it brought tears to my eyes as I shared the story of these children...

Scary Statistics

Did you know....??

...Recent statistics indicate 25% of Australian families now have a member receiving "Carer" benefits - this means they are living on less than $300 per week, while caring full-time for a sick or disabled loved one. This was reported at a fundraising breakfast at the fabulous Versace resort on Queensland's Gold Coast yesterday morning...

... and Rick Matthews of Fortune 5 Minutes sent me this chilling piece:

..." 28 Million Americans are on food stamps as of March 2008.
Highest level in the USA, ever ... so far!

US homeowners who are suffering as a result of scandals
too numerous to mention here, well, according to the Govt,
they can use food stamps to buy cake at discount bread stores!

But the US Government deems it more important to
use Your income tax money to bail out Wall Street firms!
Their investments failed or were reduced by insider fraud.
Their prinicpals bailed out with multiple millions ... to go.
And yes, they said, we would like fries with that!"...

Now, I do not want to jump right on that negative bandwagon, you already know where it is heading.

What I want to do is emphasise that we are not helpless victims here, we are not powerless; and there are steps we all can take to empower ourselves (and the people and organizations we care about) to become financially independent.

New My Power Mall member, Jewel Burbidge, Queensland AU, had this to say:

..."Thank you so much for your "Welcome" e-mail. I am looking forward to running with this whole concept ASAP.

In fact, I've already started.........just love My Power Mall. We've got a formal family wedding coming up so I'm having a ball trawling through tuxedoes and gowns, etc. So far, I've found J C Penney to be the best value. And what about the optical prices?!!!!! My son and grandson's contact lenses cost them $300 twice a year. That's $1200 per annum. Through MPM I can get them, freight included, for under half that annual rate. Fantastic!!!! "...

On the surface, these may appear to be unrelated pieces of information, but the thing is this - Fortune 5 Minutes and My Power Mall are both actively supporting Empowered Fundraising's efforts to enrich and empower YOUR life... Who'd have thought that merely by shopping for things you 1) have to buy anyway, you could 2) save money, 3) get paid, AND 4) make a difference in people's lives all around the world?